Lady Dhampir
Chapter 234

Milena was so stunned, she blinked twice, completely unable to understand what had just happened. "My Lady, you should let go now," gently said the knight next to her.

Her eyes went to her hands, which were still firmly holding Jeremiah's. Because of his gloves, she hadn't even realized there was no warmth there anymore. It felt completely unreal, way too sudden. Her own were covered in blood, already-cold blood. She hadn't even seen the blood until now; it felt like those hands didn't really belong to her. She let go slowly, trying to breathe. She had completely stopped crying, and was feeling numb instead. Her eyes were fixated on her knight's body, unable to look away. Raphael sighed, and got on one knee, gently closing his eyelids.

"...Do we know what happened?" He asked.

"We were making rounds," said one of the knights with a hoarse voice. "Because there were unusual trails, the Captain ordered us to check a larger perimeter, so we went further than usual. We found Sir Jeremiah less than an hour and a half away from the domain... In this state. There were signs of battle all around him, and traces of more bodies and blood in the snow, but only Sir Jeremiah was there. Whoever attacked him left him for... For dead and probably left with the other bodies."

"An hour and a half away...? That makes no sense! Jeremiah was gone for two days!" Exclaimed Raphael.

“... Either he was attacked on his way back, or he had survived there all this time," muttered Milena.

The decoys of her children the knight had left with were gone. Milena's heart grew cold as she could guess the De Crescent knights had brought back everything. She slowly put her knight's hands on his chest, bidding him a silent goodbye. She and Jeremiah had been as close as she had ever allowed herself to be with a man who wasn't a noble. No, in fact, he was one of her most trusted servants. Jeremiah's loyalty hadn't wavered a single second in all those years, despite his clear feelings for her... She had always imagined he'd find a bride for himself someday. Now, all of his future was gone... While he had done his best to save fake babies. Milena felt horribly bitter. She hadn't imagined she would lose someone else again, so soon. She closed her eyes, praying once again. She had rarely prayed for others, but she knew the knight to be a believer.

When she was done, she slowly stood up, a firm determination in her lavender eyes.

"...Send someone to check Sofia's position," she muttered.

"...Are you sure?" Said Raphael. "This might lead them where they want?"

"If they found Jeremiah, Sofia isn't any safer. It's better we get her before she goes there. We barely have two days, and if they attacked Jeremiah, they must have been looking out for any of our movements. If anything happens to Sofia..." "Millie, it will be fine," immediately said Raphael, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Despite his calming words, the young Duke then turned angry eyes towards the knights.

"Go and find her. Make sure she is safe, and not followed."

The Knights nodded, and ran out to get prepared. After what had happened to Jeremiah, it was clear all of them were only too happy to help find and stop the people who targeted the babies. The Captain, left behind, put his knee down.

"My Lady, Your Grace, please allow me to convey Jeremiah's words. This Knight was proud to serve my Lady and the De Crescent Family. He asked me, in case he met an early end, to convey his eternal feelings of loyalty to my Lady, and for my Lady not to shed too many tears for him. J... Jeremiah said he would die a happy man if he could die for my Lady's happiness to be protected."

That sentence added a tear on Milena's cheek. In her mind, those words were as empty as a decorative vase. There was no honor in death, and there was no feeling of joy in seeing one of her men give his life for her. This was not what she had wished for, and she felt even worse that it was clear Jeremiah had dedicated his whole life and career to her, only to be so tragically killed like this. She couldn't swallow that her knight had been killed while trying to protect decoys, and even more disgusted that a part of her was relieved Jeremiah only carried fakes.

Which led her to worry. What of Lucian and Blanche? Where were her real babies? Were they safe? Milena felt almost dizzy, imagining the worst had happened to her brother and children. It couldn't be.

"Millie."

Raphael had grabbed her arm without Milena even noticing. She felt absolutely numb at the moment. The servants had already covered Jeremiah's body with a dark cloth, but the puddle of blood on the carpet was staining the tip of her shoes. "... We... We need to make sure they're alright," she muttered.

"I know, the knights are on their way."

"No, not Sofia..."

"Milena."

Raphael stepped in front of her, cupping her face between his hands, and staring at her very seriously.

"Milena, Blanche is with the twins. If anything happens, we both know she will protect them at any cost. We both know what she's capable of. She will be fine, and so will the babies. For now, we need to find who is behind this, and who attacked Jeremiah. I will send some of our knights to investigate the surroundings for a clue while the others check on Sofia."

"B-But... the babies..."

"Milena, you can't do anything for now....Come here."

Gesturing for the servants and Digory to take care of the body, Raphael took his sister away from the lobby, into one of the nearby salons. There, he f****d her to sit down, and got down on his knee to face her. "Milena, take a deep breath."

"I... I can't!" She exclaimed. "R-Raphael, if anything happens to my babies, I..."

The twins were her miracle. Rayan's children, those babies they had so much desired, wanted, hoped for. She had barely had any time with them at all. She wanted to see them right away. She couldn't even comprehend the situation, she couldn't even begin to imagine they weren't safe. Jeremiah's death felt like a horrible nightmare she was going to wake up from any minute; it didn't feel real. She couldn't believe it was real. If her knight had been attacked for the decoys he transported, how could she know if Lucian had made it out? And Sofia?

"Milena, who took the babies?" Raphael whispered. "I need to know."

His sister began to cry silently, staring at the window outside with an empty, sad expression. She was visibly out of strength, both mentally and physically. Raphael couldn't blame her at all. Milena had been supporting this Kingdom and their family almost all by herself for too long now. The double pregnancy and birth had taken a toll on her body, and today's events were even worse. "...Lucian."

"Wait, what?" Raphael exclaimed. "Millie, Lucian is..."

Before he could end that sentence, Milena quickly explained everything to her brother, in just a few sentences, in a low voice. Her throat felt tighter the more she spoke, but somehow, speaking about Lucian's swiftness also reassured her. She knew Lucian had grown, and if he had been able to infiltrate the Manor and get all the way to her, he could probably escape unseen too. Plus, Blanche was with him, and the two of them knew the territory better than anyone. With Milena, they had roamed in and out of the Manor countless times, learning how to avoid the guards as they grew up, each nook and cranny of the walls, even the most secret doors used by the secret guards or high-ranked servants only. She had faith in the two of them, but she had faith in Jeremiah's skills too... When she finished, Raphael was shocked, his mouth wide open.

"Lucian, that sneaky little...!"

Milena covered his mouth, angry.

"Raphael, shut it. No one else can know. If Jeremiah was killed so close to the Manor..."

"...It means someone might have known of our initial plan," he grumbled. "... We have a f*****g spy in the manor."

"I don't see who it could be," muttered Milena. "All those who knew are people we've trusted forever! Sofia has been in our family for decades, Olivia and Dinah have been by my side for so long, and Digory would never betray the family!"

"I also trust all my personal servants, Milena, but we can't exclude that one of them might have betrayed us, given the circumstances..."

"I know."

"...We need to find out what's going on," muttered Raphael.

Milena's eyes suddenly turned redder, and darker. Her eyes glared up at the door behind Raphael, a different one from where they had come in. She clenched her fists, the rage boiling in her. Right now, she was sad, but she was furious too. While there was little she could do to vent her sadness but cry, her rage could be used in a different manner. The Princess suddenly stood up, almost making Raphael lose his balance.

"M-Millie?"

Ignoring him, she suddenly walked towards the door, with a loud and angry step. Her heels resonated on the wooden floor, so much that the servants were warned to get out of her way long before they spotted the furious Dhampir heiress. There was no stopping her, and Raphael and Digory almost ran into each other trying to follow her, exchanging dumbfounded glances before running behind Milena.

By now, it was clear the Grand Princess was headed to her Father's apartments, which made them even more worried. Never had Milena visited her father while in such an upset state...

"Father!"

Milena banged the door wide open, leaving everyone behind her with their eyes opened wide in shock. It was the afternoon already, but way too soon to visit the vampire Duke. However, the darkness of the room didn't stop his daughter one bit. Milena fiercely advanced in the room, glaring all around until her eyes fell on him. Her father was behind his desk, with scary dark circles under his eyes, but very much awake.

"Milena...?" The Duke blinked, blinded by the light coming from behind her.

"How long are you going to do this?" She said. "How long are you going to hide in your room while your children do all this work for you? While we fend for ourselves, day after day?" "Milena, I don't understand..."

Anton glanced behind her at Raphael and Digory, but the two of them had silently agreed to leave the Duke on his own this time. Although the method wasn't the best, they couldn't blame the Princess right now. In fact, perhaps this was the right, most effective method.

"Is that what you're Duke for?" Hissed Milena, as furious as possible, tears in her eyes. "Hiding in your bedroom and crying over yourself? Was it not enough that Mother died? Was it not enough that I disappeared? Was it not enough that Val died, too?" "Milena, how dare you!" The Duke roared, standing up.

Raphael went white. Never had their father gotten mad at his sister before. However, right now, Milena was too angry to be scared by her father's imposing silhouette. She wasn't a child that could be easily scared anymore, let alone by a man she had seen at his weakest.

"Somebody murdered Jeremiah," she suddenly dropped like a bomb.

The Duke's expression fell at once.

"W-What...?"

"Jeremiah was killed," she continued. "He was killed while trying to protect your grandchildren. A Knight gave his life to save your grandson and granddaughter while you've been holed up in this damn room all this time!" "How come...? I-I didn't know..."

"You've chosen not to know for a while now, Father. You've chosen to stand back, to leave us alone and to not care anymore. Or only from afar, and we both know that's not enough. I needed you, and you chose to hide like a coward! I'm done finding you excuses, and I'm done waiting for you to come back to your senses! Mother would be furious if she saw any of what has been going on with you, with this Manor! Your own grandmother got killed and you did nothing! Your son died in battle and that was not enough to make you step up! Now even your grandchildren are in danger, and what have you been doing all this time? Hiding in this damn room with your self-pity for your only company!"

Milena's furious shouting could be heard throughout the aisle, and no one dared to make a sound after that. Digory's face had returned to stone, but he was obviously very proud of the young Lady.

"...Digory. "

"Yes, my Lady."

"Remove all the curtains in my Father's bedroom."

This time, the butler hesitated for a second. Even Raphael couldn't believe his ears nor his eyes. He had never seen Milena stare at their father like this, with anger, pain and ice in her voice. After a while, the butler bowed politely. "...Yes, my Lady."

"Digory!" Roared the Duke, furious.

"I am the Head of the House for the time being, Father," Milena retorted. "Since you've done nothing to fulfill your duties, you won't see an issue with me stepping up in your stead. If you want your servants' respect back, and mine, you can't hide anymore. Not this time."

Baffled, the Duke watched Digory give silent and swift orders, and all the curtains were removed one by one. Anton then turned back to the Grand Princess. Father and daughter glared at each other in silence for a long time, neither of them looking down. Raphael was utterly powerless, glancing at the two of them. As much as he wanted to support his sister, this situation definitely didn't feel right. He chose to support her silently, not doing anything. In any case, Milena was the one in the right, even if her method was too radical...

"... Where are my grandchildren?" Finally hissed the Duke, taming the anger in his voice.

"If I knew, I wouldn't have resorted to this," retorted Milena.

"...Father, Milena had someone else escort them out of the Manor; we are still unsure of the twins' whereabouts right now. They left with Blanche, too, so we are hoping to hear from her soon enough. But Jeremiah was found dead too close to our domain for it to be a coincidence... The knights found traces of a battle, and they have gone back to investigate once more. We also sent people to look for Sofia, and protect her if needed. But things might be worse than we thought. We think somebody's been spying on us." A heavy silence followed his words. The Duke and Princess were still staring at each other, both out of breath from anger and all the shouting from before. One by one, all the curtains had been taken down, letting light into a room that hadn't been aired enough in a long while. Without waiting for orders, Digory actually opened those windows, and had all the bedsheets taken away as well, visibly deciding to follow Milena's wishes.

The Duke finally looked away, his eyes going to a large cabinet behind his desk. Taking a key off a necklace around his neck, he opened it. They couldn't see much of the content because his large figure hid it, but the Duke soon turned around, carrying the sharpest, tallest sword they had ever seen, with a large ruby on the handle and a crescent moon engraved on the blade. He smirked while staring at it, a glimpse of his fangs that terrified the poor maids present.

"It looks like I haven't used my old friend for too long already... It's asking for blood."

He then turned to Digory.

"Assemble every last one of our servants in the lobby. Right now."

"Yes, my Lord."

The Duke then turned to his daughter. Milena's eyes were still red from anger and sadness. The Duke sighed, and walked over, facing his daughter. He didn't try to hug her or caress her cheek, simply staring at her and keeping a distance like with a stranger. "... My apologies, Grand Princess. It was my mistake for ignoring my duties as a Duke and Father," he muttered. "...I will get rid of those rats. Even if I have to s*******r every last one of our servants to make sure we have no more spies, I will." Milena very slightly nodded, and the Duke left his bedroom.

She finally allowed herself to breathe and calm down a little. Raphael sighed and walked up to her side. Since Digory and the servants had left, they were now alone in their father's illuminated bedroom.

"...You were right," sighed Raphael. "A bit extreme, but I think that's what we need in this family... I'm sure Mom would have done the same."

"...Sometimes I wish I could remember her," muttered Milena. "She would know what to do..."

"Don't worry, Milena, we will find them. And you're enough like Mom already. I don't know anyone who'd be able to kick Dad's arse like that... figuratively speaking, of course. Now, let's go and see if he can really find the spy. I feel like the days of the Duke terrorizing the personnel are back... which might be a good thing."

Milena smiled bitterly, but took the arm her brother offered. They walked down the stairs to the lobby, only to find a large commotion there. Milena was completely confused because there were so many people arguing, until she recognized one of the knights who had been sent to fetch Sofia. She frowned, and ran down the stairs.

"Why are you back already? What happened?" She asked.

"M-My Lady," muttered the Knight, "Lady Sofia was found dead..."

"What? They killed Sofia too...?" Milena muttered, shocked. "...No."

"I'm not sure, my Lady, but... She was attacked by a beast, not by weapons."

"A beast?... A Wendigo?" Raphael frowned.

The knight slowly shook his head, and handed them something. Milena took it in her hand, shocked. It was a familiar white-silver fur, stained with blood.