At the Nightwood Clan's feast celebrating our victory over the hunters, I was accused by Julia—a fledgling freshly turned from a blood servant.

The charge? Stealing fifteen crates of mana crystals and hundreds of vials of the finest rare bloods.

She pointed a finger at me, her voice ringing with self-righteousness. "Are we going to let a selfish thief like her continue to control this clan's lifeblood? I propose she be thrown into the Silverwater dungeons immediately!"

I looked to Joseph, the Earl of Nightwood, the man I had loved for a hundred years.

He knew damn well all of it—the blood, the crystals—was mine. My gift to the clan. I needed those crystals to heal the wounds I took in the fighting, and the rare blood was the only way we could call on our allies.

But the man who'd been tangled in my sheets just last night now stared at me coldly. "Julia has records of you stealing clan resources. What do you have to say for yourself?"

A smirk touched my lips. "I have nothing to say."

So, they thought I was some fool they could just push around.

They had no idea I was a descendant of the most powerful Vampire Prince of all, Valerius. If they wanted to play games with me, they’d better be prepared for my revenge.

At the feast celebrating the Nightwood Clan's victory over the vampire hunters, Julia suddenly shot to her feet, pointed at me, and declared, "I accuse Chief Advisor Elizabeth of stealing clan property!"

I looked at the woman—a blood servant turned fledgling not three months ago—and wondered who gave her the audacity.

"Stealing? What proof do you have?"

She produced a scroll.

"For the past year, you have spent over twenty hours a week alone in the treasury!"

She unrolled the scroll, revealing rows of meticulous records.

"Not only that, but fifteen crates of high-grade mana crystals and hundreds of vials of our finest rare bloods have vanished!"

Julia stared down at me, her eyes glittering with ambition. "You used the clan's campaigns as a cover to line your own pockets! You abused your position and took these priceless resources for yourself!"

The great hall fell dead silent.

My gaze calmly swept over the ledger.

Every entry was accurate.

But I hadn't been lining my pockets.

The fifteen crates of mana crystals were for the wounds on my back, gashes that went down to the bone. I'd gotten them a month ago, shielding Joseph and the elders from the silver bullets of three top-tier hunters so they could retreat.

And the hundreds of vials of rare blood? They were all sent to the northern werewolf territory.

It was the only price they’d accept to send their warriors to support the Nightwood Clan.

Because of those sacrifices, we had achieved total victory in yesterday's final battle, utterly destroying the Hunter's Guild.

I was the one who won this war.

I lifted the goblet before me, swirling the crimson liquid inside, and ignored her.

Julia's expression twisted with fury, and her voice grew louder. "Look at her, so arrogant! Are we going to let a selfish thief like her continue to control this clan's lifeblood? I propose she be thrown into the Silverwater dungeons immediately!"

The Silverwater dungeons. A place for traitors.

I paid the posturing fool no mind, my gaze sweeping over the clan’s core members.

Elder David, whom I had personally dragged from a sunlit cage during a hunter raid.

Now, the esteemed elder stared intently into his empty wine glass as if it held some fascinating secret. He avoided my eyes.

Captain Mark, whose full suit of black steel armor I had secured from the dwarves on my own credit.

Mark bowed his head, saying nothing.

Sarah, the lieutenant I had personally mentored.

I taught her swordsmanship, strategy, and treated her like a sister.

Now, Sarah crossed her arms, turning her face away, her lips pressed into a thin line.

Silence. From all of them.

A hollow chill seeped into my bones.

For these people, I had hidden my true lineage as a descendant of the great Prince Valerius.

I had given up the riches and glory of my family to fight in the mud for them like any common advisor.

I took a deep breath and let my gaze fall on the man in the center seat.

Joseph Nightwood.

The Earl of the Nightwood Clan, and the man I had loved without reservation for a century.

For a hundred years, I stood by his side as he built this clan. We weren't just allies; we were unspoken lovers, on the verge of becoming mates.

And he knew exactly where it all came from. The clan's vaults were nearly empty, and I was the one who offered up my own.

He looked at me then, so grateful, and said, "I will never forget what you've done for me and for Clan Nightwood."

His signature was on every single request form to withdraw resources from the treasury.

All he had to do was speak up. Just one word—"I knew"—and Julia's entire charade would collapse.

But he disappointed me.

Joseph was looking at me with a detached, appraising stare. His eyes held nothing but cold calculation.

"Julia has records of you stealing clan resources. What do you have to say for yourself?"

I laughed, the sound sharp and sudden in the silent hall.

"I have nothing to say," I said, leaning back in my chair and meeting his gaze without flinching.

After all, he'd already found me guilty.

Joseph was silent for a moment before finally announcing, "Elizabeth, the clan needs order. Your actions have caused a public outcry. I have no choice but to punish you."

"Punish me?" I raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to throw me in the Silverwater dungeons?"

"I'm not that heartless," Joseph sighed, a mask of false sympathy on his face. "But as of this moment, I am officially revoking all your authority within the Nightwood Clan."

"You no longer have the power to contact our allies, open the treasury, or consult any of our ancient texts."

He turned his head to the woman who was smirking in triumph.

"Julia, you will take over these duties," Joseph declared. "You are now responsible for replenishing the spent mana crystals and rare bloods. Conduct a full audit of the accounts."

"As you wish, my Lord Earl," Julia said with a curtsy and a smile.

It hit me then.

This wasn't some spontaneous accusation. This was a coup.

Joseph was jealous of my influence, afraid of the vast resources I controlled. He wanted my allies, my network, my blood stores.

And Julia was just the attack dog he'd sicced on me.

"Of course, Elizabeth," Joseph said, turning back to me, his tone softening as if offering a scrap of mercy. "Once you have repaid everything you've taken, I will restore your position as Chief Advisor. Now, for the stability of the clan, hand over your directory of allies."

So the mask finally slips.

He couldn't wait to get his hands on the network I had built.

I didn't argue. I didn't rage.

I calmly pulled an old, black leather-bound scroll from my sleeve and tossed it onto the obsidian table.

The scroll rolled to a stop by Joseph's hand. Greed flashed in his eyes.

I stood up, smoothed the wrinkles on my gown, and gave him a small smile.

"I hope you can actually persuade them to listen."

With that, I turned without a backward glance and walked out of the hall.

Thirty minutes later, I stood at the floor-to-ceiling window of my room, watching the gloomy sky.

A flurry of wings erupted from the main tower.

Thousands of blood-ravens burst from the windows, a black, ominous cloud spreading to every corner of the estate.

The clan's highest form of official notice.

I didn't need to guess what the messages tied to their legs said.

"Chief Advisor found guilty of embezzlement." "Abused her position to steal from the treasury." "Suspended from duties, pending further review."

I could already hear the whispers of the lower-ranking vampires downstairs.

They were gossiping about my "greed," mocking my "fall from grace."

A clatter of footsteps echoed from the hall.

BANG!

My door was kicked open without ceremony.

Julia strode in, flanked by two armed guards, her head held high.

She walked directly to my sofa and sat down, crossing her legs like she owned the place.

"How does it feel, Elizabeth?" Julia asked, admiring her freshly painted red nails, a victor's sneer on her lips. "To be spat on by the entire clan? It can't feel good."

I looked at her coldly. "Who gave you permission to enter? Get out."

"You think you're still the high and mighty Chief Advisor?" Julia shot up, her voice rising. "You're nothing but a criminal waiting for sentencing!"

She stepped closer, lowering her voice, her eyes gleaming with malice.

"The Earl is being merciful," she said with mock sympathy. "He's willing to forget about the fifteen crates of mana crystals."

"All he wants is for you to contribute your private blood bank!" she stared at me, her greed unconcealed. "Turn it into a public clan resource. As payment for your crimes."

My private blood bank.

It held my personal collection of priceless bloods brought from House Valerius, each vial worth a fortune.

They didn't just want my power. They wanted to bleed me dry of my last remaining value.

"And if I don't?" I asked, my voice ice.

Julia gestured to the menacing guards behind her, her threat clear.

"Then we will have no choice but to exile you from the clan and broadcast your greedy crimes to every vampire coven there is. You'll be a pariah, unable to ever show your face again!"

She took a step back, lifting her chin arrogantly, a true commander.

"So you'd better be smart about this. You have three days. Hand over your private blood bank."

I almost laughed at the greed twisting Julia’s face.

Exile me? Expose my "crimes"?

Ignorance truly is bliss.

I am a pureblood descendant of House Valerius. I was already planning to leave this disgusting place and let them fend for themselves in the darkness without my protection.

But just as I was about to tell her to get lost, my eyes locked onto the necklace around her throat. A pigeon's blood ruby.

The pure red stone shimmered in the dim light.

My pupils contracted.

That was mine. I had sealed a drop of my own heart's blood inside that ruby to create a protective amulet.

I had placed it around Joseph's neck myself, telling him it could ward off a hunter's fatal blow.

I thought it was a symbol of our love.

And now, it was hanging around the neck of this fledgling, this turned blood servant.

I finally understood. Why she was so brazen, why Joseph was so quick to side with her.

They were already sharing a bed.

The bitter irony was that just last night, Joseph had been kissing my forehead, whispering sweet nothings.

"Elizabeth, after we defeat the hunters, after my power is truly secure, we will be formally mated. I want the whole world to know you're mine."

Lies. All of it, a complete lie.

He used me as a shield against swords and bullets, only to turn around and give the treasures I bled for to his new plaything in the shadows.

Leave?

No. I was staying.

I would give this pair a lesson in pain they would never, ever forget.

I quickly buried the murder in my eyes, replacing it with a look of defeated compromise.

"Fine," I said, dropping my gaze and biting my lip as if in reluctant surrender. "I agree. You can have the blood bank."

Seeing me yield so easily, the arrogance in Julia's eyes practically overflowed.

"See? That wasn't so hard," she laughed. "Oh, and I almost forgot to announce something important."

She sauntered over to my desk, her finger tracing over the stacks of official documents.

"As of today, I am the new Deputy Advisor to the Nightwood Clan. And by the Earl's command, any requests you have—even your daily blood rations—must be personally approved by me."

She turned, her eyes raking over me with extreme disdain.

"Also, pack your things and get out of this room. I'll be living here now."

I glanced around the room.

It was in the heart of the castle, inscribed with a moonlight matrix that amplified one’s power, and it was the closest chamber to Joseph’s own.

She wanted to mark her territory.

"Fine," I said, without a single wasted word.

I went to my wardrobe, grabbed a few changes of clothes and some personal items, and threw them into a suitcase.

"Hurry up! And don't you dare damage my furniture!" Julia barked like an overseer.

I zipped up the suitcase, walked past her with a blank expression, and left the room I had lived in for a hundred years.

The door slammed shut behind me.

I walked straight to the most remote guest room at the end of the hall.

The moment the door closed, the look of defeat vanished from my face, replaced by a glacial cold.

I immediately made a secret call to the Lawkeeper of House Valerius.

"I need some clarification on vampire law. Does an Earl have the right to seize another's private blood bank?"

The reply was swift and respectful. "Absolutely not, Your Highness. Such an act would be met with severe punishment from the Elders. Prince Valerius would never allow harm to come to you."

After cutting the connection, I pulled out a yellowed parchment: a land deed.

A hundred years ago, Joseph had the title of Earl but no real power. To protect his fragile ego, I had concealed my identity and anonymously "rented" him this castle—a subsidiary property of House Valerius—for the laughably low price of three crates of common blood a month.

This ancient fortress, with its own built-in defensive wards, was worth at least twenty-five crates of the finest rare bloods per month on the open market.

He had lived here for free for so long, he'd actually started to believe it was his.

I let out a cold laugh and put the deed away.

Just then, a commotion started in the hallway.

I opened the door a crack.

Julia was directing a dozen blood servants, loudly moving her tacky belongings into my former room.

She was bragging about how much Joseph adored her, her face a mask of greed and pride.

I raised my communication stone and activated the recording feature.

Enjoy it while you can, Julia.

I hope you sleep well in that bed.