《They Banished Their True Queen》全部章節：第 1 章 - 第 10 章

I laughed, the sound sharp and sudden in the silent hall."I have nothing to say," I said, leaning back in my chair and meeting his gaze without flinching.After all, he'd already found me guilty.Joseph was silent for a moment before finally announcing, "Elizabeth, the clan needs order. Your actions have caused a public outcry. I have no choice but to punish you.""Punish me?" I raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to throw me in the Silverwater dungeons?""I'm not that heartless," Joseph sighed, a mask of false sympathy on his face. "But as of this moment, I am officially revoking all your authority within the Nightwood Clan.""You no longer have the power to contact our allies, open the treasury, or consult any of our ancient texts."He turned his head to the woman who was smirking in triumph."Julia, you will take over these duties," Joseph declared. "You are now responsible for replenishing the spent mana crystals and rare bloods. Conduct a full audit of the accounts.""As you wish,

The next morning, I received news of Joseph’s next move against me.I was to be placed under house arrest for a month, with guards watching my every move. And I was to hand over all my ally contacts and their corresponding signets to Julia.I walked to Julia’s new room. The door was ajar, and I could hear her giggling inside.I pushed it open to find the room completely transformed. My tasteful oil paintings and lace had been replaced with vulgar velvet and gaudy gold trinkets.Julia herself was half-dressed, straddling Joseph’s lap. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, their faces intimately close.It seemed I had interrupted something.The moment he saw me, Joseph froze.He reflexively pushed Julia off him and hastily straightened his disheveled shirt.A flash of panic crossed his face as he took a step forward. "Elizabeth, we were just—""I'm here to hand over the signets," I cut him off, my voice cold.No hysterical tears, no humiliating questions. I was as calm as if I were look

In the long hours before dawn, I tallied what Joseph owed me.There was the difference in rent—one hundred and fifty crates of rare blood. The one hundred crates of magic crystals I'd contributed. And another fifty crates of rare blood.It was enough to bankrupt a minor clan overnight. And I was going to make those ungrateful bastards pay it all back. With interest. Down to the last drop.The next day, 9:00 AM.Cloaked in invisibility, I appeared at the entrance to my private blood vault.Joseph and Julia, dressed in their finest, led the clan’s core members. They stood in wait, a grim reception line for Prince Archon.A short while later, a suffocating, powerful presence announced his arrival. Prince Archon appeared, wrapped in a pure black cloak embroidered with dark gold.He was an ancient vampire, thousands of years old. The terrifying aura he radiated was enough to make the knees of every low-ranked vampire there tremble."Your Highness! Welcome to Clan Nightwood!" Joseph immediat

I looked down at the weeping Joseph, filled with a pathetic sort of pity."What we once had?" I scoffed, completely unmoved by his pleas. "Lord Count, when you were in my bed, planning how to strip me of my power, did you think of 'what we once had' then? When you put the protective amulet I bled for around Julia's neck, did you spare even a single thought for our past?"I took a step back in disgust, avoiding his attempt to touch me as if he were a pile of filth.Then I turned and announced to everyone present, "I've had enough of this childish game. I have decided to officially return to the Valerius family and take what is rightfully mine. From this day forward, I have no connection to Clan Nightwood."Hearing my declaration, a deeply satisfied smile spread across Prince Archon's stern face.He released his grip. Julia crumpled to the ground like a rag doll, clutching her throat and coughing violently, her eyes wide with terror."Good girl. You've finally come to your senses," Princ

High on the success of their ridiculous spectacle, Joseph and Julia clung to it like a lifeline. They began campaigning even more frantically among the common vampires, shamelessly spreading their "truth" about being brutally oppressed.Deep in a hidden part of the Black Forest, an eerie green bonfire lit up a clearing packed with angry, resentful faces.Julia, dressed in a deliberately tattered dress, was crying her eyes out."I am just a fledgling, turned only three months ago. When I discovered that the high and mighty ancient nobles, like Elizabeth, were stealing from the clan's public resources, I bravely stood up to her. And for that? She unleashed her fury on me! She's using her family's power to hunt us all down!"Joseph stepped forward at the perfect moment, wrapping his arms around the "faltering" Julia, playing the part of a heartbroken leader. "My friends, this isn't just an attack on Julia! This is the old guard trying to crush all of us who are new! They hoard the best bl