THREE months and a half, he spent in the theater of war. Sacrificed his blood, sweat, and tears, fighting for his family's honor and dignity. And the first news he received upon reaching the Gregory Estate after so long was, her little sister's gone.
How could a ten-year-old girl abruptly vanish? What the hell?!
Right then, his remarkable triumph on the battlefield was not that significant anymore. He could not care less of those who came all the way to the Northern Empire to congratulate him on his greatest achievement in Gregory's history.
Instead, Damien was fuming with anger.
He should know something was amiss when Grace stopped writing to him three months ago. Yet he overlooked it. Because his focus was only on the battlefield. He went there with the utmost hope that he could bring back victory, which he already promised to Grace in the past. So that the elders of Gregory's family would finally recognize him as the next Duke, not some brat or child of the second wife.
Damien rode over, passing the fountain, and dismounted from his horse. His alluring blue eyes turned red as he turned his blazing eyes at his servants. "Tell me where she is. Now!"
Yet no one dared to answer him.
Anger had conquered his mind. With resentment, Damien marched to the main entrance of the estate. He smashed the door into pieces before a servant could hold it.
"Where is Grace!" yelled him.
The maids inside who were busy preparing for the victory banquet were thunderstruck with the smash!
At that moment, an appealing woman appeared. "Barbaric as always, Damien." Her voice bellowed from the second floor.
Damien seethed with hatred and disgust when he saw his number one enemy walking down the flight of stairs. So composed. And calmed. This devil! His stepmother, the Duchess. Lady Bridget Gregory.
"Where is Grace?" He clenched his fists in frustration and rage.
"Damien!" Bridget smirked. "You are back. In one piece, unfortunately." She looked disappointed. "Welcome home!"
"Bloody hell, woman. Where is my sister?" Damien tried to hold his anger from bursting.
"Goodness me, Damien. Manner!" Bridget avoided his question. Alas, she pretended not to know.
"Grace. Where is she?" asked Damien again. He might go insane talking to a madwoman like Bridget, who always twisted her words.
"I don't know." Bridget gave him an innocent look.
"You sent me off to war because you wanted to separate us, didn't you?"
"BINGO! You are exactly right." Bridget clapped her hands with pleasure. "But don't worry. She's close." Bridget sneered.
"Huh!" Damien gritted his teeth. "How 'close' is that?"
"Why do you look troubled? If Grace truly is the daughter of Gregory, she would survive," said Bridget, half-whispered.
Damien's heart was thumping so loud. It could not be…
"You sent her to a slave house?!" Damien suspected. How dared she. This woman was wild and irrational!
But Damien just guesstimated it. No way it could be true.
"You, genius boy, are no fun. You guessed it right!" Bridget got annoyed. She thought that this hide-n-seek would be longer and more fun, but no. You could not play around with a serious Damien.
Damien's worst suspicions and fear were confirmed. He clenched his fists in frustration. Just because Bridget was the Duchess, she could do anything? She's a total psycho!
Just before he could say more cursing words, Bridget went back to her room without feeling remorseful. Even a bit.
"This woman!"
Damien left the main house with fury. He needs to find Grace. As soon as possible! Being in a slave house is the worst nightmare for a young, pure child. He does not even sure if Grace is still alive or not.
He swore to himself. If they hurt his sister or touch a single strand of her hair, Damien would burn up the entire slave house!
As he was leaving the central house, Damien came across her older stepsister, Dakota, on his way out to the main gate.
It had been such a long time since they last met. Dakota looked concerned and wanted to say something to him. But he ignored her. He hated this mother-daughter pair so much he did not even want to look at them!
Damien mounted on his black horse. Some knights followed him. Before leaving the estate, Damien knew he could not hold his anger anymore. He needs something to vent his wrath. "Bring me the head of the knight in charge of Grace. And hang it in front of the gate. IMMEDIATELY!"
___
YUKI woke up in an unfamiliar place. Her clothes and hair were wet. She coughed some water out of her mouth. It was red! Was it blood? Yuki tried to identify it.
No. It did not taste blood. Just seawater. But dyed in red.
Right now, she was at a beach? Everything looked radiant in the early morning sun. It was already morning!
Yuki had to pinch herself several times to make sure that she was not dreaming or hallucinating about the predicament she was in.
Wait. 'Where is the killer?'
Yuki looked around hastily. And there were no traces of human near her. She was no longer at the private lake. Or on the Kinkasan Island. But where exactly is this place?
It was crazy cold weather. It was snowing, not raining. And she wore a thin layer of cardigan and nightwear, which were wet and tinted in red because of the seawater.
After recovering her strength, she finally stood up. She was freezing cold. But her body was still unstable, and her eyes were hazy.
When she tried to take a step, she lost her balance and fell onto the sand-covered in snow. Oh, God! Can today get any worse?
She held her head, which was badly hurt.
Yuki was alone on this deserted beach. Eventually, she felt like she would cry again. It was so scary being alone in an unknown place.
Suddenly, Yuki heard a voice not so far from her. She thought it was helpful, so she waved her hands with her remaining strength.
But it could not last long. And she passed out again. The last thing she heard was…
"… it's a VAMPIRE!"