Chapter 3

That night, Vincent did not return to the castle.

I didn't use my Sight to check on his whereabouts; I'd already seen Camilla's social media feed.

The photo showed two hands clasped tightly, holding a magnificent solid-gold blood goblet.

The caption read: "You are my endless night, and you are my sun."

I zoomed in on the photo, my gaze fixated on their overlapping wrists.

Beneath their pale skin, two dark red, thorn-like marks were starkly visible.

The Bond Mark.

Only vampires who had formed a Mutual Blood Bond, their souls and bodies deeply intertwined, would develop this indelible mark.

For two hundred years, I had poured my heart and soul into him.

Because he was highly sensitive to light, I spent day after day in the lab developing the Daylight Serum.

Countless times, I suffered extensive burns from high-intensity UV lamps, the pain so great my entire body would seize.

But he merely watched with cold indifference, never showing a single shred of genuine concern.

He always said that a noble, pure-blooded vampire didn't need such frivolous experiments that went against their nature.

I thought he was just arrogant from being in power for so long.

It wasn't until Camilla, this duplicitous "savior," appeared that I finally saw the truth. He understood everything perfectly.

He just reserved that understanding for someone else.

Now, I had no idea what I was to him anymore.

That afternoon, I met my maid of honor, Linda, at a café.

"You can cancel the fitting for the couture gown in Milan," I told her calmly. "The ceremony is off."

Initially, Vincent had despised such ancient, cumbersome rituals.

It was only after my repeated pleading that he reluctantly agreed to give me a grand ceremony.

Linda shot up from her seat in shock, about to ask what happened, but I shook my head to stop her.

An indescribable bitterness welled up inside me.

Everyone in the coven knew I loved Vincent. There was no need to say more.

How could it not hurt to sever a devotion that had lasted two centuries?

But this relationship had been a one-sided sacrifice from the very beginning.

I had walked on eggshells in this relationship, conceding ground step by step.

I had retreated so far that now it was his wedding with someone else, his blood bond with someone else.

In the end, I couldn't bring myself to speak the humiliating truth.

I only told her that I was joining a top-secret experiment at the European Institute and would be making very few public appearances in the future.

I drank at a bar until the early hours. When I returned to the castle late that night, Vincent had just gotten back as well.

He sniffed the air sharply, his brow immediately knitting. "You were out drinking?"

"I've told you before. Stay away from those places in the human world. They're not safe."

I gave a self-deprecating smile. In the past, a seemingly caring remark like that would have moved me to tears.

Without a word, I turned and ascended the spiral staircase, showering the scent off me in the bathroom.

When I emerged in a silk nightgown, Vincent was leaning back on the velvet settee.

His long fingers were tapping quickly on his phone screen, a soft smile playing on his lips.

I coldly averted my gaze, preparing to go straight to my room to rest.

But he suddenly called out to me.

"There's something I need to discuss with you."

My steps halted abruptly.

The last time I heard those words was when he first proposed holding a mock wedding with Camilla, which led to a fierce argument between us.

Now, he had already formed a Mutual Blood Bond with her.

What else could he possibly need to "discuss" with me?