Married To Darkness-Chapter 421: They Needed To Talk

"I’m just a lady-in-waiting"

"Just?" Embrez gasped. "Blasphemy. A rose can grow by any name. And I say you, my dear Jean, are a rare bloom."

Lucius growled. Literally.

Jean turned quickly to her right. "Lucius, did you—?"

"Yes," he said without blinking. "And I will growl again if this peacock keeps touching you."

Embrez grinned wider. "How charmingly barbaric. Tell me, are all vampires this territorial, or just the brooding ones?"

Lucius leaned in, fangs subtly showing. "Only the ones in love."

Jean blinked. The table stilled for a second.

"L-love?" she whispered.

Lucius leaned back and sipped his wine.

Embrez arched a brow. "Ah. Then I shall tread carefully... until she chooses."

Jean looked between them, flustered, cheeks glowing pink, the center of attention and affection in the worst way. Yet her chest fluttered at Lucius’s words.

"I’m also an archeologist," Jean whispered making Embrez smile and continue the conversation.

’Shut up, pumpkin,’ Lucius wish he could say but couldn’t, he didn’t want her to show Embrez how interesting she was.

Further down the table, Emma and Knight Jaefel kept sneaking glances at each other.

He offered her a grape from his plate.

"You want one?" he asked, smiling shyly.

She giggled. "I have grapes, sir."

"But mine taste better," he said, winking.

Their eyes lingered a bit too long.

Meanwhile, at the far end, Knight Samion was laughing loud and warm, slapping his thigh as Manni regaled him and Sarah with a tale.

"—and so the beast thought I was dead! But I jumped out of the mud and grabbed its tail! The Eartha squealed like a banshee in a rainstorm!"

Sarah gasped and clapped. "No way! You did that?!"

"Swear it on my boots," Manni grinned. "Ask Jaefel, he was puking in the bushes."

"I was wounded!" Jaefel called out, defending himself.

The entire table burst into laughter, the mood lifting—except for the storm cloud still brewing between Lucius and Embrez.

Alaric leaned close to Salviana and whispered, "You should try the apricots. They’re good."

She looked at him sadly. "I wish I could make them good for you."

He smiled softly. "You already do."

She smiled faintly, her heart aching. This dinner was both a celebration and a performance—layers of secrets, tension, and longing wrapped beneath silver platters.

As the maids brought in dessert, the night was far from over.

And Jean... Jean was already dreading the moment they said goodnight.

After the lavish dinner ended and the plates were cleared, the hall began to hum with fading chatter and tired laughter. One by one, the guests excused themselves, the weight of the road and the strange forest battles finally catching up to them. The three most powerful men in the room—Prince Alaric, Lord Lucius, and Prince Embrez—exchanged glances, a silent understanding passing between them.

"Come," Embrez said, already walking ahead. "Let us talk where the air is clearer."

They climbed a narrow, spiraling staircase that led to the mansion’s flat rooftop deck, high above the dazzling lights and marbled walls. The night air greeted them with a whispering wind that tousled their cloaks and hair. The sky was painted deep blue, jeweled with stars. Below them, the estate grounds stretched out in silvery lines—perfectly pruned hedges, gleaming walkways, fountains lit from beneath.

Alaric stood straight-backed, his sharp features unreadable. His black coat fluttered in the breeze like a shadow come alive. Beside him, Lucius leaned against the carved stone railing, swirling red wine in a crystal goblet, his silver eyes gleaming coldly in the moonlight. Embrez stood apart, arms folded behind his back, chin lifted as he studied his estate.

"So," Embrez broke the silence, his voice rich and amused. "Why are you here, truly?"

Lucius took a measured sip from his wine, while Alaric answered plainly, "We’re being hunted."

Embrez turned his head slowly, eyes narrowing at Alaric. There was no shock—just interest. He gave a single nod, then returned his gaze to the grounds. "What can I do?"

"Negotiation," Alaric said.

"War," Lucius said at the same time.

Embrez chuckled, the corner of his mouth curling. "Oh? What’s this now? Have the roles reversed?"

Alaric raised a brow but said nothing. Lucius scowled.

"You want to negotiate with those—" Lucius stopped himself, visibly grinding his teeth. "—those royal bastards? They’re lying, manipulative cunts. All of them."

Silence.

Then Embrez burst into laughter, the sound echoing across the rooftop like bells in the night. Lucius just rolled his eyes and took another sip of wine.

"Lucius," Alaric said calmly, "I want peace. I want my wife to feel safe. I want her to have a home."

"She won’t find peace in that castle," Lucius shot back, standing straight now. His voice was low, tight.

Embrez’s sharp eyes flicked between them, reading more in the silence than the words spoken.

"She will," Alaric said with quiet conviction, "if Embrez speaks to the king."

Embrez’s lips twitched into a thoughtful smile. "Alaric... Alaric, ever hopeful."

"Hopeful?" Lucius scoffed. "That’s not a word I’d use to describe him."

"No," Embrez agreed, "but his belief in me? That’s something else entirely. Dangerous even. Makes me want to move mountains."

They stood in silence, the kind that wasn’t empty but full—of memories, of burdens, of shared blood and secrets.

Embrez’s voice dropped low. "And I will. I’ll speak. I’ll call in favors and twist arms if I must. But before you all go running back to that gilded hell, rest. Enjoy this place. Celebrate—"

"No," Alaric cut him off sharply. "That marriage celebration you keep pushing? It has to wait."

Embrez blinked, surprised at the force in Alaric’s tone. "Do you not love your wife?"

Alaric’s jaw tightened. "That’s not the point."

"Even unions without love get celebrated. Lavishly, might I add."

"Lucius, back me up here," Embrez added with a teasing grin.

Lucius chuckled darkly and drained his glass. "Don’t drag me into this. My only concern is Jean not getting stolen by a prince with too many horses."

Alaric exhaled and looked at Embrez. "I do love her. But I have my reasons. Celebrating our union publicly right now... it would place her in danger. I can’t risk that."

Embrez tilted his head, considering him. "She looked like she wanted it. Earlier, in the hall."