Chapter 352 – Your Blood Is So Sweet – Turning Against Each Other (18)
Edith’s eyes widened—she hadn’t expected that Bai Tang’s disappearance really was the Pope’s doing.
“Lady Edith, are you going to see the Pope? He seems to have an important guest tonight and is not receiving visitors at the moment,” the maid kindly reminded her.
Edith smiled. “I understand. Go on with your work.”
The maid bowed and left. But Edith did not follow her advice and stay away from the Pope. Instead, she pretended to head toward her own chambers, and once she reached the corner, she slipped toward the inner sanctum. She had a feeling something big was going to happen tonight.
Just like last time, Edith arrived outside the inner hall. From within came the voices of the Pope and Duke Adams.
“My old friend, it seems your abilities as a vampire duke are rather unimpressive. I’ve already helped you lure Trey away, yet you still can’t catch your dear prince. I’m beginning to reconsider our partnership. After all, you haven’t delivered on what you promised, have you?” Edith heard the Pope say.
Duke Adams replied, “It’s not that I can’t catch the prince. Someone is sabotaging our arrangement on purpose and refusing to honor the deal—my dear Haus Ivan.”
The Pope’s heart skipped a beat, but he quickly regained composure. “I don’t understand what you’re implying.”
Duke Adams sneered. “You don’t understand? Then perhaps you’ll allow me to take a little tour of your Holy Court’s water dungeon?!”
Since his capture of the vampire prince had already been exposed, the Pope dropped the act and said bluntly, “Yes, I captured the prince by my own power. You didn’t contribute anything—why should I share the fruits of victory with you?”
“Dear Haus Ivan, perhaps you don’t know yet—your Holy Court is already surrounded by the vampire clan. Hand over the prince and I may spare your life. Otherwise, when the vampires storm the Holy Court to rescue him, the number of deaths tonight… will be out of my control.”
Duke Adams laughed smugly. To prove his words, he clapped his hands, and a window suddenly revealed a snarling, fanged vampire face watching from outside.
Edith covered her mouth to keep herself from gasping.
The outside was filled with vampires—didn’t that mean Trey was in grave danger?
The Pope and Duke Adams were too busy confronting each other to go to the water dungeon. Bai Tang was safe for now. But Trey—Trey was the one in danger.
Edith tiptoed away from the inner hall entrance. Once she reached the corridor, she lifted her skirt and sprinted toward the front gate. She had to warn Trey quickly.
Outside, Trey stared at the guards—triple the usual number—and felt a growing sense of unease tightening in his chest.
He could no longer wait for Edith to come out and meet him. Knocking out a guard who had gone off to relieve himself, Trey changed into the guard’s clothes, disguised his face slightly, and headed toward the gate.
“Where did you run off to? Slacking off? Don’t you know how important tonight is?” the squad captain barked when he saw Trey return.
“Sorry, stomachache. I had to… take care of something.” Trey clutched his stomach, pretending to be weak.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve seen all your little tricks. You just don’t want to work. Get back inside.” The captain shoved him.
Trey staggered forward a few steps, then quickly dashed deeper into the Holy Court.
He didn’t stop until he reached an empty corridor.
All these people were unfamiliar faces—they didn’t recognize him. They must have been newly reassigned.
Observing the Holy Court after being away, Trey noticed how different it felt.
The Holy Court used to feel sacred, even with nobles interfering in its administration. But now, the air inside was murky, thick with the stench of decay.
What could have transformed the Holy Court into this state in such a short time?
Trey had no time to ponder. He headed toward the water dungeon. Perhaps the Pope was too confident in his traps—there were no guards along the route.
Trey had once been part of the Holy Court, and he knew its defenses and mechanisms like the back of his hand. The guards had changed, but the mechanisms hadn’t.
He reached the water dungeon with ease.
At this moment, Bai Tang was curled up in a corner.
The boy looked fearfully at the pool in the center, where a waterwheel was turning. Moments ago, he had been tied to that wheel and repeatedly submerged as it rotated.
Fortunately, Qiu’er and Xiao A had helped him untie the ropes after the captors left; otherwise, he would have become a drowned little squirrel.
Holy water had been placed around the outside of the dungeon, preventing Bai Tang from leaving.
Trey pushed open the dungeon door and immediately saw the drenched, trembling little squirrel curled in the corner.
“Tang Tang.”
“Trey~” Bai Tang crawled toward him. His legs had gone numb from being forced to stay in one position for too long.
“What happened to your legs? Did they beat you?” The thought alone made Trey want to storm out and slaughter anyone who had dared hurt Tang Tang.
“N-no, I’m fine~” Bai Tang threw himself into Trey’s arms, tears streaming down his face. “I squatted too long… my legs went numb.”
“As long as you’re fine. As long as you’re fine.” Trey kissed the boy’s hair over and over, trying to calm his own frantic heart.
He had found Tang Tang. Tang Tang was safe. Thank goodness…
“Tang Tang, let’s go home.”
“Mhm, mhm—let’s go home~”
The water in the dungeon had been mixed with holy water, which was why Bai Tang was so weak now. It would take at least another hour for him to fully recover.
Bai Tang transformed back into a little squirrel, and Trey placed him inside his pocket.
“Tang Tang, hold on tight. We’re leaving.”
“Squeak squeak squeak—” Ready!
The little squirrel’s claws hooked tightly into the fibers of Trey’s clothing. He definitely wouldn’t fall—only the clothes might be torn, never the squirrel slipping out.
Trey carried the little squirrel and retraced his path. As he passed the courtyard, he heard voices from the end of the hallway—the Pope and Duke Adams.
“I can take you to the prince, but after you show the power of inheritance, you must hand over his heart,” the Pope said stiffly, being forced forward toward the dungeon by Duke Adams.
“I’m not like certain people who act on their own and break promises,” Duke Adams said with a false smile. “Once I obtain what I want, the prince’s body is useless to me. Whether you want his hands, his feet, or his heart—none of that concerns me.”
“It had better be that way.”
Hiding behind a pillar, Trey watched the Duke and the Pope enter the dungeon. The moment they went in, they’d discover Bai Tang was gone. Leaving after that would become much more difficult.
No time to hesitate—Trey decided to escape through the back gate.
He avoided several guards and was almost at the rear exit when the little squirrel in his pocket, still damp, was hit by a cold breeze. He had been holding back the tickle in his nose for a long time, but in the end, he couldn’t resist and let out a sneeze.
The sound was small but unmistakably clear in the silent back courtyard.
A patrol squad shouted toward the source of the noise, “Who’s there? Come out immediately!”
The clamor of footsteps rushed toward Trey.
The little squirrel shrank deeper into the pocket, too guilty to look at Trey.
Trey ran fast, but the patrol team hadn’t been far away—they spotted him quickly.
“Catch this little thief! Stealing from the Holy Court—he must have a death wish!” the patrol captain barked as the squad surrounded Trey.
Trey subtly patted the squirrel. “Don’t worry. Just hold on tight. Don’t fall.”
As the former captain of the Holy Knights, Trey’s strength was unmatched among the knights. He could easily see that these people were all weaklings—only relying on numbers.
Blades clashed, ringing with crisp clang clang sounds.
Trey moved with practiced ease among the patrolmen, knocking them to the ground within moments. Only one remained—the patrol captain holding a broadsword.
“Y-you… don’t come any closer…” The captain backed away as Trey approached, his legs shaking uncontrollably. He retreated until his back hit an artificial rockery.
He had nowhere left to run.
“You—”
The captain let out a dull grunt as Trey knocked him out with a sharp hand strike.
“Useless trash,” Trey muttered. “With guards like these, it’d be a miracle if the Holy Court didn’t get invaded by vampires.”
“Squeak squeak squeak—”
A little head poked out from the pocket. Trey lowered his gaze, his expression softening as he cupped the squirrel in his hands. “Tang Tang has something to say to me?”
The squirrel crawled to the edge of Trey’s palm—and suddenly vomited all over the ground.
“Tang Tang!” Trey’s face changed instantly.
Bai Tang waved his tiny paw to say he was fine—Trey had just been moving too fast while fighting earlier, and all the spinning made his tiny stomach churn.
After emptying his stomach, Bai Tang felt much better.
“Squeak squeak squeak—” I’m fine now, don’t worry.
“How am I not supposed to worry? Tang Tang just threw up.” Trey’s voice was tight with concern. “Can you turn back into human form? Let me check you.” He didn’t know how to examine a squirrel—but he could at least check a human body.
But turning human meant… being unclothed.
The little squirrel absolutely refused to transform naked in a place where enemies could appear at any moment. He reached into his tiny storage pouch, pulled out a pine nut, cracked it open with a few bites, and began munching on it with tiny enthusiastic sounds.
See? Eating well. Nothing to worry about.
“…All right. Since Tang Tang doesn’t want to, I’ll check after we get home.” Trey held the squirrel close and sped out the back gate.
…
Inside the water dungeon.
The waterwheel turned slowly, but Bai Tang’s shadow was nowhere to be seen.
Duke Adams’s expression darkened. “Where is the prince? Are you toying with me?”
His sharp nails pressed into the Pope’s neck. A thin line of blood trickled down the skin and seeped into the Pope’s elaborately embroidered collar.
“I personally locked him in this dungeon. Where is he? Did you order your people to move him?” the Pope snapped back.
Right now, the only ones who could move freely within the Holy Court were himself and his own men—aside from Duke Adams, who frequently entered and exited. Even Trey, now exiled, would never be able to get back inside.
Duke Adams let out a cold, mocking laugh. “So you really are playing games with me. Then our cooperation ends here.”
A splash of crimson splattered across the dungeon wall.
The Pope pressed a hand to the wound on his neck and looked down at Adams. “Adams, you didn’t expect that, did you?”
The fallen duke clutched his abdomen. “How… did you know…?”
“Oh, I know plenty about you. Don’t try your tricks on me. You can’t outplay me.”
This was information Edith had once sent him: years ago, Duke Adams had been attacked. To prevent the vampire weakness from becoming his weakness, he had gone to great lengths to relocate his heart. Even if someone knew the fatal weakness of vampires was the heart, killing him wouldn’t be so simple.
Only a handful of people knew this secret—so how did the Pope get hold of it?