The Duke's Passion

"Ah --!" 

I shut one of my eyes, looking away a bit as blood splattered on my face. On our way to the other side of the estate, we had encountered a few vampires sneaking in. Hence, I stopped them even before they could. The number of deaths under my belt tonight was slowly growing, and I knew it would only grow more later.

"Anyone hurt?" I turned my head back to the group of ladies and children behind me in this wide corridor. 

"No, Madam Roux. We're all — all fine." I nodded at the woman, who answered with a shaking voice. "We're already close. Hold each other's hands if you can so no one gets left behind."

I nodded as some of them held each other's hands while those who were carrying the children stayed close. On our way here, I told them that those who were carrying children would stay inside the circle and those who weren't would surround them. In this case, the children would be safer. 

Fighting and making sure that everyone was safe from time to time was a challenge, but I was slowly getting used to it. Moreover, since I kept asking them, it seemed they all slightly calmed down. 

"Alright. Let's --"

"He — help..."

I trailed off as I looked in the voice's direction. I narrowed my eyes, catching a wounded knight crawling under the corpse of another knight. He grunted as he helped himself to sit up, resting his back on the wall. 

"Stay here," I said without looking at everyone as I marched towards the knight. I squatted down to his side, checking his wounded leg that was already healing.

My brow quirked when he held my shoulder, making me gaze at him straight in the eye.

"I can't die here," he breathed out, gripping my shoulder tightly. "The Earl is in danger. Please drag me with you. I will heal soon and move."

His fang grew longer, but the other one was missing. By the looks of it, he was fatally wounded, but he was still healing. The source of his pain was that missing fang. 

"Did they do this to you?" I asked, pointing my thumb at the people I slew moments ago. This information was needed right now, as I simply assume previously that this mess in this hallway was their doing. But the more I thought about it, the more I questioned if someone else before them did. 

The knight glanced at the corpses and shook his head. When he set his eyes on me, he swallowed hard as his expression turned solemn.

"The chief knight... I saw you fight. Please help me, Madam," he begged sincerely, without taking his eyes away from me. Despite his pitiful state, I could see the fire in his eyes was burning than ever. The betrayal of the chief knight, his strong sense of duty, and the honor of the knight on the line were what saved this man. 

Letting him die in here would be a waste. 

"Do you think you can fight after ten minutes?" I asked in the same serious tone. "If you can, I will take you with us. But if you lagged us behind, I will toss you out and you have to look after yourself. Don't lie to me or I might kill you myself."

"Ten minutes...? I can run by myself after five."

I nodded, pleased at his determination. This type of knight would force himself to run even if he hadn't fully recovered. I needed more people.

"Glory," I called without looking away from this man. "Give him a bit of your blood."

The knight's brows elevated, but this wasn't the time to hesitate. "Only take enough for you to soothe that throat of yours. If you take more, I'll end you."

Glory didn't question me as he already arrived on the other side of the man, offering his arm. I glanced at him and our eyes instantly locked. He nodded, closed-lipped, before shoving his robust arm into the knight's arm. 

"We don't have time," he said in a low snarl. "We have to save the Earl and flee from this place."

The knight gulped as he darted his shaking eyes from me to Glory, gulping before sinking one of his fangs into Glory's arm. I could just give him mine, as it was better. However, the smell of my blood would give out my location. Moreover, since this knight was famished and wounded, drinking a pureblood would make him lose his mind and drink more. 

I would end up not helping him and hurting myself. Offering my blood to save one would risk all of us. 

"That's enough." I grabbed the knight's hair as his eyes started to glow at the blood coursing through his throat. He snapped his eyes and let go of Glory's arm, licking the blood from the corner of his lips. 

Good he didn't lose his mind when I stopped him. "Are you alright, Glory?" I asked, shifting my eyes to Glory. 

"Yes, Madam. I have thick skin, so this is nothing," he replied as he already ripped the hem of his clothes and wrapped it around his arm. 

"Thank you, Glory." He stopped momentarily as he gazed at me, wide-eyed. A subtle smile appeared on his face, followed by a low chuckle while shaking his head lightly. 

"You're too humble, Madam. This is nothing compared to what you've been doing for us."

My mouth opened and closed as I wanted to correct him, but I figured this wasn't the time for that. We already stayed idle, so we should get moving. Once Glory was done bandaging his arm, I got up to my feet.

"Please carry him. He said he needs five minutes before he can stand on his own. If he can't after that, toss him away," I ordered as I turned around and walked away. I heard Glory receive my orders before I felt his heavy steps. I glanced at him and he carried the knight on his back with ease.

******

Meanwhile, in the office where Adam and Jaime, along with the officials of the south, held their breaths at the sudden death of an official. They looked at the person, who slashed the official, wide-eyed.

"What do you think you're doing, chief knight?!" Jaime harrumphed, slamming his palm against the table. The Earl's chief knight just came in to report the situation, but to their surprise, he wielded his sword and assaulted one of them. They tried calling the other knights outside, but no one came. That only meant one thing — their captain wiped them out. 

"What I think I am doing?" the chief knight simpered, looking around at the old geezers and that one boy at the end of the table. "Putting an end to this? They want everyone's head, including that boy's head."

The knight swung his sword, staring at Adam straight in the eye. Although the Earl manage to keep a brave front, his hand under the table clenched. The situation was already bad as it was, and this revelation that even their knights were part of this big scheme made it worse.

"Chief knight, is this worth it?" Adam inquired in a shaking yet brave voice. "Is killing us and conspiring with the rebels who are filling Minowa with dread worth it to turn your back on your duty and oath to the people?"

"Tch. Minowa had been filled with dread ever since you became an Earl. You do not understand the pain of the people of Minowa. This was nothing compared to that, my Lord." The Chief Knight snickered, narrowing his eyes as he glanced at everyone. "So, yes. It is worth it."

Just as he dropped that remark, the Chief Knight bolted over the table while thrusting his sword forward. Among every one of them, he was deemed to be the strongest knight in the south. So everyone couldn't react while Adam's breath stopped, unable to look away or even blink at the sword coming at him. 

CLANG!

Suddenly, the window shattered from the outside as a figure that looked like a shadow came in. All they saw next was the chief knight's sword piercing the surface of the table as a foot stepped on it. Slowly, all eyes panned up at the figure standing on the table while stepping her foot on the sword, hooking the scythe around the Chief Knight's neck. 

Her eyes glowed, unblinking, as she raised her chin while gazing down coldly. "Whose son do you think you're pointing that sword at?"

When Adam heard Lilou's voice, he held his tears back as he cried. "Mother!"