```
"Everyone, please leave the room. I need to have a private conversation with Count Ellen," Murphy said, steadying his heart and freeing his thoughts from that "terrible" bug of a mentality. Following this, he waved his hand, issuing the command with a haggard expression.
All but Cui Si obediently exited the room.
Cui Si did not move, and Murphy had not asked her to. In his heart, she was always the "exception," a fact well understood by both the Blood Vulture Duke and Count Cadman.
As the door closed behind Miss Phemis, the spiritual energy room, still tainted with a hint of decay, quieted down.
Murphy sat weakly in his chair, and Cui Si brought him a fresh cup of blood, which Little Ellen observed throughout the process.
Especially when she saw Murphy drinking deeply from the blood, she couldn't help but swallow hard.
