Chapter 127: Valentina…

Afterward, Lucian was about to step out of the Duchess’s bedroom, with Kanna walking silently beside him while Vivienne stood to the side, her beautiful face twisted into a furious frown.

She was staring at Lucian as if she genuinely wanted to rip his throat out with her own hands and was barely holding herself.

Lucian didn’t even spare her a glance. The pure dismissal in his gaze made the anger burning inside Vivienne intensify further.

Kanna stepped ahead first and silently opened the door leading out of the chamber.

Behind them, Valentina watched Lucian’s back from her throne, her expression calm and thoughtful.

But just then, Lucian suddenly paused mid-step.

His expression abruptly shifted as he suddenly remembered the most important thing—something he couldn’t believe had slipped his mind until now.

Slowly, Lucian turned his head before fully facing Valentina, who sat elegantly upon the throne beside her bed.

Her golden eyes shifted toward him, carrying a faint questioning look.

“Valentina… can—”

Before he could even finish speaking—

“Viv…!”

Valentina’s voice echoed sharply throughout the room, carrying an authority he hadn’t heard from her since they had first met.

For a split second, Lucian was confused, but then his eyes slowly shifted to the side—and froze.

Vivienne stood directly beside him with her hand stretched toward his neck, halted only a few centimeters away as her sharp nails hovered dangerously close to his skin.

For a moment, Lucian’s mind didn’t fully process what he was seeing, but then understanding hit him.

She was just about to kill him, and if Valentina hadn’t stopped her, then he would’ve died… again.

His fingers twitched, and the expression on his face darkened.

Vivienne, still frozen in place, gritted her teeth so hard that the sound vibrated through her jaw.

Hesitantly lowering her hand, she stepped back with her jaw clenched tightly.

“Who gave you the right… to call the Duchess by her name?” Her voice trembled with fury.

The temperature inside the chamber rose drastically once more, and Lucian could feel sweat forming against his skin from the sheer heat filling the room.

Despite that, Lucian simply stared at her in silence.

Strangely, rather than fear, he felt himself growing more and more angry.

Not even a few minutes ago, he had spoken about becoming the strongest.

And yet before her… before the Strongest Vampire’s daughter…

He couldn’t even move. Couldn’t even do anything by himself.

And he was certain Valentina was doing something to keep Vivienne restrained, because otherwise—

Just the air growing thicker and heavier was enough for him to understand what kind of monster she truly was.

“Valentina…” he spoke again, clearly watching how Vivinene’s golden eyes widened violently.

Bloodlust surged through her body, a heavy pressure settling over Lucian as she did so, but after experiencing Valentina’s aura, it didn’t feel nearly as overwhelming—or perhaps Valentina was simply making sure he wouldn’t die under her daughter’s killing intent.

Ignoring the seething Vivienne, Lucian shifted his gaze away from her and looked directly toward Valentina instead, who was watching the entire scene unfolding with an indifferent yet faintly amused expression

“Can I ask you something?” Lucian asked, not getting interrupted by anyone again.

Valentina’s eyes sharpened slightly, narrowing as a dangerous amusement flickered within them.

“It hasn’t even been an hour, and you already seem to be asking for something from me…”

There was no change in her expression, and yet Lucian could clearly hear the threatening edge hidden beneath her calm voice.

“It seems you really don’t care about your life.”

Lucian didn’t reply.

He simply kept staring at her.

The room remained silent for a bit longer before Valentina finally spoke again.

“…Speak.”

With a quiet inhale, Lucian spoke.

“I want to go to Earth again.”

Valentina frowned slightly.

Kanna stood there behind Lucian, standing silently beside the closed door.

Lucian continued.

“My mother is still there, and she doesn’t know I’m here. And I don’t even know how much time it has been since I woke up.”

“It’s been around 24 hours, or maybe more,” Valentina answered with a small shrug, as if she hadn’t even cared enough to remember.

Lucian’s face immediately darkened.

“Over a day has passed?”

His fingers tightened as a heaviness settled into his chest almost instantly.

A single day was enough for many things to happen, especially in the current apocalypse, where there was no knowing whether you would still be alive by tomorrow or not.

He doubted his mother would even remain inside their home—not after neither he nor Lia had returned.

“Then I have to go there instantly.”

Valentina’s brows subtly lifted as she watched his expression falter.

The entire time he had been speaking to her, facing the pressure strong enough to crush him, there had been barely any moments where his composure had been completely broken.

Yet now, just the thought of something terrible happening to his mother was enough for that calmness to collapse completely.

His breathing had become sharper, and his eyes looked more restless.

Valentina silently stared at the changes in his expression before speaking again.

“Don’t worry about it… Kanna will bring your mother from your home,” she said softly, the sharpness fading in her voice.

Lucian’s eyes narrowed, as he had wanted to go there himself.

To make sure nothing had happened to her.

But still, he gave a small nod.

“Thank you… Master.”

Hearing him call her “Master” so naturally, Valentina’s lips curled into a beautiful smile.

Lucian turned around afterward, completely ignoring the irritated snort escaping Vivienne as she watched them interact as though she hadn’t even existed before them.

Kanna silently stepped forward once more and opened the chamber doors.

Lucian slowly walked out of the bedroom.

The moment the doors closed behind him, a deep breath escaped his lips, far heavier than he had expected.

His heart was still pounding violently inside his chest.

Even now, he could still feel the lingering pressure left behind in that room clinging to his body.

Slowly, he raised a hand and wiped the sweat that had gathered across his forehead.

It felt like he could breathe more properly now.

Then—

“Haa…”

Hearing a soft sigh behind him, Lucian slightly turned around, only to see Kanna pressing one hand lightly against her chest, while for once, her usually emotionless face looked exhausted.

“Young Master Lucian, please don’t do such a thing again,” she muttered quietly.

Her dark eyes lifted toward him, carrying a sharpness he couldn’t quite understand.

A frown formed between his brows as he stepped a little closer.

“What happened to you?” he asked in confusion.

Kanna stared at him silently, then the words finally slipped from her lips.

“If you don’t have the will to live, then at least court death in my absence.”

Lucian blinked.

Kanna had truly expected him to die by the hands of the Duchess several times, and she didn’t want to be a part of any of that.

Because of this bastard, she had to stay inside the room.

Under the pressure that would have flattened her into the ground if the Duchess had used even twice the strength she had shown toward him.

Maybe Lucian didn’t know it, but the Duchess hadn’t been even slightly serious when she exerted that pressure on him, because if she had been, then both Lucian and Kanna would have turned into puddles of blood by now.

And she would have died alongside him for no reason at all.

Lucian’s frown deepened even further, and seeing his almost innocent expression, Kanna silently shook her head in quiet despair.

She once again wondered if the transformation had damaged his brain a little more than she had expected.

‘Is it because of the Scarlett Bloodline…?’

Pushing those thoughts aside, her eyes shifted downward, toward the blood lingering between Lucian’s lips and along his chin from earlier.

Kanna slowly stepped closer toward him, reaching into her shadow and pulling out a clean handkerchief.

But in the next moment—

Her brows furrowed as she felt her lips grow dry the instant she looked at the blood, the inviting scent assaulting her senses.

Without realizing it, her eyes shifted from black, swirling before turning crimson red.

“Kanna…?”

Lucian’s voice instantly snapped her out of her daze.

Her eyes widened faintly, and the crimson in her irises vanished, turned to their normal black colour.

Her lips thinned subtly, her gaze lingering on the blood for a second longer than she wanted.

“Wipe the blood,” she said flatly.

Lucian, looking slightly surprised after seeing her eyes change color, took it from her hands without asking any questions.

The instant he did, Kanna immediately took a few steps away from him.

“I’ll bring your mother immediately.”

The moment those words left her lips, Lucian’s attention sharpened completely, and the slight confusion on his face disappeared.

“…Keep her safe.”

His voice lowered with a clear, visible concern.

Kanna didn’t respond, merely giving a faint nod.

Then—

Right before Lucian’s eyes, her shadow stretched unnaturally across the floor beneath her feet, and before he could fully process it—

Kanna’s body sank into the shadows below her, swallowed by the darkness as it gradually blended into the dim corridor completely.

200 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter.

Yeah, I know I increased the number of Power Stones but I’ll run out of ideas if I rushed myself too much, so bear with this lazy author.