Chapter 1

I grew up alongside another vampire noble heir, Kael.

Because of an important alliance between our families,we were betrothed when we were very young.

For as long as I can remember, Kael was my protector.

He was loyal to me.

From childhood, he treated me as his future wife.

I believed we would stay together forever.

Until the day he brought a human blood servant before me.

“Elena. I am calling off the engagement. The one I have always loved is Sylvia.”

I refused to accept it.

I would not believe he had stopped loving me.

In the end, our parents resolved everything for us.

Kael returned to my side.

I never imagined the truth, that he married me only for revenge.

The human blood servant who was said to be dead was secretly brought back to life, while my life was drained away to make it happen.

She even bore him twins.

As for the children I carried for him, he had already killed it.

He replaced it with the half blood twins born of that human woman.

He killed me with a cross.

And watched as my life faded away.

After my death, my family was framed by him.

Every last one of them was slaughtered.

When I opened my eyes again,

I had returned to the day he asked to cancel our engagement.

This time, I smiled.

I agreed.

And chose to walk out of his world.

But when I came home to marry the man I truly loved, Kael appeared at my wedding.

“Elena,” he asked, his voice breaking, “why don’t you love me anymore?”

Chapter 1

Elena’s POV

When I descended into this world as a pure blood vampire, I already knew that Kael would be my mate.

My father told me that Kael’s father was his longtime friend, the alliance between our families would bring immeasurable wealth.

My mother told me that the moment Kael was born, he foresaw that I was his destined wife.

My parents believed I would be as happy as they were.

Sharing immortality.

Sharing love.

So I always regarded Kael as my future husband.

I gave him all my devotion and care.

Until that day.

He appeared before me with a human blood servant.

His eyes were cold.

There was no trace of the love he once had for me.

“Elena, I am canceling the engagement.

The one I have always loved is Sylvia.”

Sylvia.

A low ranked blood servant he had mentioned to me before.

She had entered vampire territory because of poverty and hunger.

She begged Kael to turn her into a blood servant.

I wanted to persuade Kael to send her back to the human settlements.

But Kael seemed moved by her fragility and stubbornness.

In the vampire world, low ranked blood servants are living blood supplies.

They face the risk of death at any moment.

So Kael kept her by his side for protection.

He even refused to see me for three months, only because I said I wanted to send the human away.

I thought Kael was only acting out of temporary sympathy.

I believed he would soon return her to a safe place.

But the next time we met, he asked to end our engagement.

“She is different from you.She needs my protection.I will turn Sylvia.Do not stand in my way.”

I could not believe it.

The gentle and composed Kael wanted to turn a human without the elders’ approval.

He denied our love and fell in love with a human instead.

I could not accept it.

So I told everything to our parents.

Later, the human woman was sent back to human territory by my family.

She was even given generous compensation.

But after that, Sylvia trespassed into vampire territory again.

This time, she was not so lucky.

She was drained of blood by several low level vampires.

When Kael learned of her death, he fell into a silence like death itself.

He stopped feeding on blood.

Several times, he tried to walk into the sunlight to die with her.

I still loved him.

So I abandoned everything.

I even defied my family and stood by his side.

Kael’s starvation and his defiance of his father had already become public knowledge.

He almost lost his right of inheritance.

It was I who stayed with him every day.

I used my family’s wealth to seek rare medicines to heal his body.

I cried and begged him to stay alive.

It was also I who argued with his father.

I promised I would bring Kael back to himself.

I begged his father not to expel him from the territory.

Months later, Kael finally spoke to me again.

The warmth and light returned to his eyes.

He gave me a weak smile.

“Elena, thank you.”

“You made me see your love.”

At that moment, I believed everything had finally returned to the right path.

I thought I had recovered our love.

Soon after, we got married.

I even gave birth to adorable vampire twins for him.

But gradually, my body began to fail.

I even showed signs of aging.

That day, as I lay in a sickbed, Kael entered the house holding a familiar woman’s hand.

Sylvia.

She was not dead.

When I saw her crimson eyes,

I smelled a familiar scent on her.

The scent of blood.

My blood.

“Elena, thank you. For exchanging your blood with mine. Your blood turned me into a vampire.”

Sylvia leaned against Kael’s chest, smiling sweetly.

I recalled all the years after our marriage.

Every time I lay down in my coffin to sleep, my body always felt unbearably heavy.

The cold disgust in Kael’s eyes confirmed my suspicion.

Before I could even break down, I saw a scene that shattered my heart.

My twins ran happily into Sylvia’s arms.

They clung to her and called her mother.

“My children…my children…”

Hearing my broken sobs,

Kael laughed softly.

“Your children were killed by me on the day they were born. These two are the children Sylvia and I conceived.”

He looked down at me from above, a vicious smile appeared on his face.

“Sylvia was successfully turned yesterday.You are no longer useful now. So why don’t you die now?”

He stared at me coldly.

And drove a cross into my throat.

At some point, I had already lost the speed and strength of a vampire.

I could only watch as everything before me blurred away.

“It was your disgusting love that ruined my life with Sylvia.”

He whispered to me.

“Do not be afraid.Your parents will soon join you.They will not escape either.”

After my death, he successfully inherited his family’s wealth and power.

He framed my family.

My entire clan was slaughtered.

When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day he asked to break off our engagement.

Chapter 2

Elena’s POV

Outside Kael’s study, the weather was as gloomy as ever.

I could almost still feel the pain in my throat.

I blinked several times before the scene before me became clear.

“Elena, I am calling off our engagement.”

Kael stood up and pulled the frightened Sylvia into his arms.

He noticed my trembling hands.

The way he looked at me slowly turned wary.

“Elena, I know you are unwilling to accept this.But the one I love is Sylvia.I have only ever regarded you as an important family member.I cared for you like an older brother would.”

His blood red eyes locked onto mine.

“I will not allow anyone to hurt her.”

I looked down at my hands.

Smooth and firm.

There was no trace of decay.

The lightness and strength flowing through my body calmed me.

“I will protect Sylvia. If you stand against me, I will show you no mercy.”

As he spoke, I saw his fangs begin to show.

At that moment, Sylvia suddenly knelt down.

She burst into tears before she even spoke.

“I am sorry. I should never have appeared by Kael’s side. Please do not kill me.”

As she spoke, she clutched her abdomen in pain.

As if I had done something to her.

But I only looked at Kael with calm crimson eyes.

It was him who spoke the word love to me.

It was him who kissed me first.

It was also him who told me he would always protect me.

That he would defend my eternity with his life.

So why did everything change the moment this human appeared.

Why did she become the fragile victim and I have to become the relentless villain?

From childhood to now, everyone believed we were destined to be together.

Now, all of it felt absurd and laughable.

“Since you insist, then I wish you and Sylvia happiness.”

I maintained a composed and elegant posture.

Completely different from how I clung to him in my previous life.

“I am the most cherished daughter of the Valemont family. I will never compete with a human for a husband.”

“It was you who said you loved me and earned the right to approach me. Now that your heart has changed, I will not keep you.”

Kael froze.

My words clearly caught him off guard.

“What did you say.”

He stepped toward me without thinking.

“Stop being petty. We can stay the same as before. I will still treat you as an important family member.”

Kael lifted his hand, reaching for my hair out of habit.

I avoided him instantly.

I clenched my fists, cherishing this vampire strength with all my heart.

This time, I would not be foolish enough to push myself into despair again.

Chapter 3

Elena’s POV

When I went back home, I wrapped my arms tightly around my parents.

In my previous life, when I ignored their advice and insisted on staying by Kael’s side, my family had already been hurt by my choices.

They still supported me from behind, yet I could feel the distance and awkwardness in our conversations.

I was the one who betrayed their kindness.

I chose to stay with a vampire regarded as a disgrace.

In the end, I even caused their tragic deaths.

They spoke in hurried concern,“Elena, what is it, did something happen?”

I shook my head.

“It’s nothing. I just missed you……so much.”

My mother brought a towel and gently dried my hair.

My father sat nearby, repeatedly asking if I had encountered anything upsetting.

My parents had always doted on me.

They had always supported every decision I made unconditionally.

In my previous life, I had distanced myself from such a lovely family for Kael.

After a moment of thought, I decided to tell them the truth.

Kael had chosen to cancel the engagement, and I did not oppose it.

They fell silent for a brief moment.

“Elena, it’s good that you were able to think it through on your own. Kael and that human have already become the laughingstock of everyone.”

My mother held my hand.

“This is my daughter. No matter what decision you make, you will always be my only heir.”

“Breaking off the engagement is fine. Kael is already seen as a disgrace among vampires. Even if he had not brought it up, we would have.”

I smiled and teased my father.

“If Kael and I don’t marry, what about the cooperation between our families?”

To my surprise, my father looked at me seriously.

“My daughter is exceptional. You don’t need to rely on cooperation with anyone.”

Hearing the certainty and pride in his voice, my eyes grew moist.

I took a quiet breath and pressed the surge of emotion down.

“Then,” my voice was clear and steady, carrying the strength of renewal, “let me begin by making decisions that truly benefit our family.”

In just three months, I would be fully prepared to leave the sphere of Kael’s family power.

After that,

I would have nothing to do with Kael ever again.

Chapter 4

Elena’s POV

A week later, the banquet held by the vampires for the new moon arrived as scheduled.

Although my relationship with Kael was no longer as close as before, there were other vampire branches at the banquet who were still in cooperation with my family.

I arrived wearing a simple black gown, and as I turned my head, I saw Kael and Sylvia.

The relationship between Kael and that human blood servant was no longer news.

What truly caused a stir was the dress she was wearing.

The red off shoulder gown was a masterpiece that only the most elite vampire tailor could complete after years of work.

More importantly, I recognized it.

Three months ago, Kael had bought it at an auction and had my name embroidered into the lining.

And now, the dress that should have belonged to me was on Sylvia.

The gown had clearly been altered in haste.

The waist was stretched too tight and the shoulder line sat awkwardly.

Her slightly hunched posture only dulled the elegance the dress was meant to convey.

Kael guided her through the crowd and walked straight toward me.

There was a trace of tension on his face.

“Elena.” He spoke first, his gaze sweeping over my simple dress and pausing briefly.

“I hope you won’t mind. Sylvia didn’t have a suitable gown, and there wasn’t enough time to prepare one. So I gave this gift to her.”

Sylvia twisted her fingers into the overly long sleeves.

She looked up at me, her voice soft and hesitant.

“I’m sorry, Miss Elena… the dress is so beautiful. I was afraid it might look odd on me. Kael told me you didn’t care for it anymore, so I thought… if it’s really all right… I could wear it.”

Glances began drifting over from all sides, carrying amusement from other vampires.

An elderly countess even covered half her face with a lace fan and whispered something to her companion, drawing a soft laugh.

Everyone was waiting to see my reaction.

I looked at the dress.

In my previous life, this had been the gown I wore at my engagement ceremony.

In this life, it had become something I supposedly “disliked”.

An idle piece that could be casually given away.

“Strange?” I tilted my head slightly, my tone as flat as if I were commenting on a piece of furniture.

“The tailoring doesn’t really suit your figure. For such an important banquet, perhaps Kael should put more thought into having a gown made specifically for you.”

Sylvia’s face turned pale in an instant.

Kael frowned and stepped forward, placing himself between us.

“Elena,” his voice dropped, tinged with reproach.

“Since when did you become so harsh? You know she’s nervous attending this kind of banquet, yet you still speak to her from such a condescending position.”

Sylvia had been standing with her head slightly lowered, her eyes rimmed with red.

But the moment Kael began to accuse me, the corner of her lips curved upward for the briefest second, unable to hide that flicker of triumph.

She leaned against Kael’s shoulder, her gaze carrying a hint of provocation.

I looked away, unwilling to entangle myself with them.

“It’s just a dress. Give it to whoever you like. I didn’t mean anything by it. You’re overthinking.”

After a few seconds of silence, he looked at me with a trace of resignation, almost indulgent.

“At next month’s ball, I’ll have something better made for you. A unique design. Consider it as my…”

“No need.”

I cut him off and slowly shifted my gaze from his face to Sylvia beside him, who looked as though she might cry at any moment.

“Since Miss Sylvia feels so uneasy wearing this dress, worried that she might offend me, and since you feel the need to explain and make amends to me…”

I set my glass down and lightly tapped the stem of the cool crystal with my fingertip.

“Then, to avoid more misunderstandings, perhaps we should see each other less in the future.”

With that, I inclined my head slightly.

Without sparing a glance at either of them, I turned and walked back into the banquet.

At the edge of my vision, the familiar crimson sheen of the gown flashed once more.

Kael stood frozen in place.

His hand hovered in midair as if he wanted to grab hold of something, yet closed only around empty air.

And Sylvia, still clinging to his arm, gripped the ill fitting skirt of that magnificent gown tightly, her fingers whitening from the force.

Chapter 5

Elena’s POV

As the banquet drew to a close, I was speaking with two elders from the northern branch.

A restrained sound of sobbing approached from a distance and shattered the calm.

Sylvia was almost carried forward in Kael’s arms.

Her carefully arranged hair was in disarray.

Fresh scratch marks marred the exposed skin of her body.

She looked fragile and miserable.

Kael’s expression was dark.

His gaze cut through the crowd and fixed on me.

Disappointment and anger churned there without disguise, then he walked straight up to me.

“Elena.” He let out a cold, mocking laugh. “You said you didn’t care who I gave the dress to. And yet you sent people to take revenge on Sylvia behind my back?”

He paused, as if restraining himself, but the accusation in his words had already pronounced my guilt.

“Since when did you become so unreasonable?”

“Kael, don’t do this…”

Sylvia sobbed softly at his side and lightly tugged at his sleeve.

“Maybe… maybe Miss Elena was just angry for a moment. She didn’t mean it… it’s all my fault…”

Her attempt at mediation only drew more accusing and suspicious looks toward me.

I looked at Kael quietly.

I looked at the righteous fury burning in his eyes for another woman.

In my previous life, he had worn that same look when he drove a cross into my throat.

Now, it only made me laugh.

“She told you herself,” I repeated slowly, my tone devoid of emotion. “So you didn’t even ask me a single question. You just brought her here to confront me?”

Kael’s brow tightened further.

My calm was clearly not what he had expected.

But soon he composed himself.

That self assured pride of someone who believed he had seen through everything returned to his eyes.

“Elena, I know you’re jealous. But you went too far. Apologize, and then we can talk.”

“Talk about what?” I cut him off.

I met Kael’s gaze, already bored by his accusations.

“Why would I publicly instruct someone to attack a human blood servant whom you openly protect and whom everyone knows is connected to me?”

“Where is the logic in your verdict, Kael?” I tilted my head slightly, as if dissecting a poorly constructed riddle.

“If I truly harbored resentment toward her, with my abilities there are a hundred ways to make her disappear without a trace. Why resort to something so obvious?”

Kael frowned deeply, but a flicker of doubt passed through his eyes.

He knew the Elena from before.

Impulsive.

Direct.

Easily swayed by his emotions.

The woman standing before him now was composed, rational, almost cold.

And this woman standing in front of him felt unfamiliar.

Sylvia’s face went pale.

She looked at Kael in panic, tears flowing faster.

“I don’t know… maybe I was mistaken. The person who attacked me moved too fast…”

“Mistaken?” I echoed softly, a faint smile forming. “Or do you need more convincing ‘evidence’. Would you like me to help?”

The doubt in Kael’s eyes was instantly drowned by a surge of rage.

My composure, especially that nearly provocative question, struck directly at his need to appear an unquestionable protector before Sylvia.

“Elena!” He finally tore away the last pretense of restraint in his voice. “Look at what you’ve become. Bitter, cold blooded, even saying things like this to a defenseless human!”

He pulled the trembling Sylvia into his side, as if shielding her from me.

“Apologize. Now. Apologize to Sylvia. Immediately.”

His command was absolute, heavy with the authority of his status.

When he saw that I merely crossed my arms without even a flicker in my gaze, he glared at me for a moment.

Then he suddenly turned his head and spoke to Sylvia in a voice loud enough for the entire hall to hear.

“Treat her the way she treated you. I’m here. No one will dare stop you.”

The words fell like a thunderbolt.

To tolerate, even encourage, a human blood servant to strike a pure blood noble at a vampire banquet.

It nearly shattered every unspoken rule.

Sylvia seemed stunned.

She looked up at Kael, tears shimmering in her eyes, disbelief giving way to a twisted delight and barely restrained excitement.

She glanced at Kael’s resolute expression, then at me.

The fear deep in her bones was slowly replaced by warped triumph.

She took a deep breath, loosened herself slightly from Kael’s hold, and slowly raised her hand toward me.

Countless vampire gazes fell upon my back.

Just before her fingertips could reach my cheek.

I seized her wrist and held it in midair.

Her palm hovered inches from my face, unable to move any closer.

The cold from my fingers seeped into her skin.

My crimson eyes locked onto hers.

All color drained from her face, leaving only terror stricken white.

“It seems,” I said calmly, my voice carrying clearly through the dead silent hall, “Kael Aurelian, you have not only learned to pass judgment based on one sided claims, but also to indulge your people in overstepping their place.”

My gaze swept over Sylvia’s face, twisted by pain and fear, before slowly settling on Kael.

He had clearly not expected me to stop her so easily or so calmly.

Shock and humiliation warred across his ashen face.

“You think letting her strike me once would restore your dignity?”

I released my grip lightly.

Sylvia staggered back as if her support had vanished and fell once more into Kael’s arms, clutching her wrist and whimpering softly.

I unhurriedly took a napkin from a nearby tray, wiped the fingers that had touched her.

Only then did I meet Kael’s gaze again, his eyes blazing with fury.

“I’m done with this charade.” I shook my head slowly and let out a cold laugh.

“Based on your astonishing rudeness tonight and your open humiliation of me.”

I paused, ensuring every word reached those present.

“I, Elena, as the heir of the Valemont family, hereby I declare.”

“My family will terminate all cooperation with the Aurelian, effective immediately.”

“All funds will be withdrawn at once.”