The Duke's Passion

"The Bloodfang asked me to."

Momentarily, my brain stopped functioning. What did he say again?

"The Bloodfang asked you to fight them?" I asked clearly so I wouldn't misunderstand this piece of information.

"Mhmm." Sam hummed a tune as he nodded. It rendered me speechless. "Personally, they're more suited to become rulers if you ask me. But, since I don't have interest in the throne, they asked me to keep an eye on my brother."

"The Bloodfangs are aware the king wanted them dead. And they're also aware they wouldn't stand a chance, even with some noble vampires supporting them. Even without me, the result would be the same. They're pure-blooded vampires but their blood is far inferior to ours." 

Sam pinched both my cheeks and then wiggled it a little.

"But with pride and honor on the line, they had to do what they had to do. The clan leader secretly visited me and told me about their plan."

"Plan?" I inquired, before drawing my head away. I felt dizzy with him pinching my cheek and moving it in a circular motion.

"To revolt?"

I added, glaring at him as if warning him to stop.

"No. To announce they'd choose death than serve the current king. They do things grandly." Sam chuckled, reaching his hand to my cheek which I slapped lightly.

Sam frowned, but continued. "But also, to protect their family line."

"Huh?" Upon hearing his last remarks, I could not help but get confuse again. "That makes little sense."

"To protect the future generation of the Bloodfang, they had to sacrifice their lives for a greater cause." Sam shrugged as he rubbed his chin. "Their words are… until the rightful king arrives, the Bloodfang will live in silence."

"Live in silence…" I murmured with a furrowed brow. It sounded familiar; I forgot where I heard it.

"As I've said, they do things in a grand and sneaky way. To protect what they wanted to protect by sacrificing their lives, they facade it behind their defiance of the king. It's like hitting two birds with one stone. Those folks had a great humor."

Sam chuckled as he shook his head. By the looks of it, Sam didn't really hate the said clan. If anything, it seemed he wasn't entirely on bad terms with them.

"That's why Fabian is not entirely wrong, because what he told you was what it actually looks like."

"Why didn't you tell Mister Fabian about this?" I queried, out of curiosity. "Don't you trust him?"

"I trust him that's why he knew a lot of things. However, knowing some truths can put a person in danger. A vampire's ability is complex, Lilove. By sinking our fangs into someone, we can see everything; a person's past, secrets, even their origins. I didn't want Fabian to blame himself if the king forced the truth out from him."

Sam smiled gently, poking the apex of my nose with his finger.

"But I'm telling you this because you're special." 

"Special? In what way?" I frowned as I didn't really understand it. But Sam only offered a subtle smile and enjoyed pinching my cheek again.

Since he didn't want to tell me, I clicked my tongue and asked another question.

"How about the massacre in Grimsbanne?" I perked up. "Didn't the Bloodfang caused that?"

"That…" Sam nodded in understanding. " More or less. The King found out about the Bloodfang's scheme in the end. So, he wanted to kill everyone in Grimsbanne, to annihilate the Bloodfang completely. They're really clumsy folks and put my people in peril."

"Huh?" Scheme after scheme, this story was just filled with nothing but scheme, lies, and multiple truths.

"I feel like I'm having a headache." I blurted out with a sigh.

Fabian's explanation was just what it looked from the outside. But Sam's explanation was the actual truth from a different perspective.

I wonder if the King had a different side of truth as well.

"Haha." Sam chuckled as he cradled my body in his embrace. "That's why, once you set foot in the capital, don't trust anything you see and hear. There are always multiple truths."

As I rested my head on Sam's chest, I let out another sigh. "Don't trust what you hear and see, huh?"

Sam and I remained silent until my eyes felt heavy. I'm about to fall asleep when a question slipped past my lips.

"So, what's the other truth behind your slumber?"

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stroke my back until I felt like sleeping more.

"Because I…" When Sam answered, the rest of his words drifted away as I fell asleep.

****

Samael gazed down at her, who was sleeping peacefully in his chest. A subtle smile resurfaced on his lips as he adjusted so she could sleep comfortably.

"I'll keep you safe, regardless." He whispered as he leaned closer and left a peck on her head. "Like I always do."

His words came out as a whisper. However, they held a heavier weight as if a promise he had been keeping for a long time.

****

The next day, it was not like what I've expected it to be.

At this long table of the mansion's dining hall, I gaze at everyone seated around the table. Sam was positioned at the end of the table; I was on his right.

The two seats next to me were vacant before the next person. From across me, there's this empty chair and all the seats after that were occupied.

Red hairs… some had a mixed of black stroke. Be it men and women, their facial features screamed elegance and beauty. 

Vampires were all good-looking. But I've never met an entire family of vampires sharing a meal together.

This was the first. And it surely intimidating. I'm the only one who looked… average.

Didn't Sam… kill everyone last night? But that Noah from last night was also here.

Everyone wasn't speaking and barely making a sound as they ate.

I glanced at Sam, who finished slicing the meat into small pieces. Like usual, he wordlessly switched plate with mine.

"Tha — thank you." I stuttered.

His action caught everyone's attention from the table. I gulped upon sensing their eyes on me.

I'm sweating, sweating a lot. Please don't look at me.

It wasn't Sam's family yet, but I already felt like hiding under the table. Calm down, Lilou.

I tried to ignore the eyes cast upon me as I forked out a piece of meat. However, just as it was right in front of my lips, Sam broke the silence.

"By the way, that meat is their big brother. You remember that Albert from last night, right?" 

I froze. What did he say…? Horrified, I slowly turned my shaking eyes towards Sam.

"Hehe. Sounds scary?" Sam chuckled, pleased to see my pale complexion. "I'm kidding."

I heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing his last remarks. Still, that moment caused me to forget there were people eating with us.

"How can you joke about that? Also, it's not Albert. It's Ar… thur." I trailed off and pursed my lips into a thin line.

I discreetly shifted my gaze to the people around the table. They didn't appear surprise or did it seem they really mind such insensitive remark.

What an odd family. I didn't understand the reason, but with a large family, it felt… lonely.

"Please, Your Grace. You don't have to look at us with pity in your eyes. The Remingtons don't need it." Suddenly, a beautiful red-haired woman uttered without looking away from her plate.

Was she talking to me?

"But you are a bunch of pathetic people." Sam replied nonchalantly.

*BAM!"

I flinched as someone suddenly slammed their palms on the table. My eyes instantly searched who did it.

It was an old man at the end of the table. I felt too intimidated by his powerful aura.

I started stress eating.

This was Sam's fight. I'm just eating here.

How coward of me... it's embarrassing.

"Your highness, not only you massacred half of our family. But you also forced us to eat with the murderer of my sons." The old man ground his teeth, glaring daggers at the nonchalant Sam.

"Just how far will you humiliate the Remington?!"

"Please, watch your tone, Lord Anton." Suddenly, Fabian chimed in and and urged politely.

And here I am, stuffing my mouth with meat. Just in case this would be our last meal. The tension was growing intense, after all.