"No! How can this be?!"
Dracula cried out in alarm, but upon seeing Lilith's stunned expression, he quickly reined in his horror and softened his tone.
"I deeply regret the strange affliction happening to you, Lilith. This… this is all my fault…"
"You know what's happening to me?!" Lilith's voice was full of hope.
"It's because of a prophecy," Dracula said gravely.
"A prophecy?"
"Yes. Your mother's prophecy." Dracula sighed deeply. "When your mother left the castle with you years ago, she foretold this: On the day of my daughter Lilith's coming-of-age ceremony, she will receive the blessings of one hundred guests and awaken the greatest vampire power. On that day, the most powerful vampire will be born."
Lilith stood frozen, astonished. Her mother had done so much for her.
"But the terrifying thing about prophecies," Dracula continued, "is that their conditions must be met with absolute precision. If the prophecy states that you must receive the blessings of exactly one hundred guests, then it must be precisely one hundred—not one more, not one less. If the conditions are violated, the prophecy will turn into a curse."
Dracula's gaze shifted to Lilith's webbed hand. "And now, it seems the curse has already begun to take effect on you."
[Your Sanity -1]
"Then can't we just invite one more guest to make up for it?" Lilith suggested.
Dracula shook his head. "It's not that simple. The list of one hundred guests was determined by your mother when she left the castle with you. Each of them was carefully chosen as someone who would truly bless you from the depths of their hearts. You need exactly one hundred genuine blessings. If you lack even one, or if the blessings are insincere, the prophecy will still turn into a curse."
Dracula sighed heavily, pulling Lilith into a gentle embrace and stroking her long white hair with fatherly affection.
"Don't worry, Lilith. I will do everything in my power to end this curse. I'll find the missing hundredth guest—someone who will sincerely bless you. It may weaken the power promised in your mother's prophecy, but at least it will fulfill the conditions and end the disaster befalling you."
He released her, his expression full of regret. "I'm sorry, Lilith. I can only offer you an imperfect coming-of-age ceremony. I hope you can forgive me."
"It's alright, Father," Lilith replied, touched by his concern but remaining wary. She couldn't help recalling Mary's seventh warning:
"Do not trust your father. He will kill you."
Lilith frowned.
Damn it. Who am I supposed to believe?
Determined to protect herself, Lilith decided she couldn't rely entirely on Dracula.
"Can I invite a guest to the ceremony myself?" she asked.
Dracula blinked, then broke into a smile. "Of course! Yes, yes! This is your ceremony. You are more qualified than anyone—even your mother and me—to invite your friends."
"If the invitation comes from you, the power you gain will not diminish in the slightest."
"But remember," he added sternly, "you must be absolutely certain that the person you invite will sincerely bless you. Otherwise, the curse will not be lifted."
"I understand," Lilith promised.
"Good, good," Dracula said, his expression relaxing slightly. "This way, we'll both act. Together, we'll have a better chance of resolving this."
But where could Lilith find someone who would genuinely bless her?
Her eyes wandered to Nini, and an idea struck her.
Surely her blood-contracted servant would have no choice but to bless her sincerely!
"She won't work," Dracula said abruptly, as if reading her thoughts.
"Why not?"
"Because she isn't a person."
"What?" Lilith turned to Nini and then to the toy bear she was clutching.
"Tibbers is Nini's best friend! Nini will never be separated from Tibbers!" Nini declared, pouting.
"She and the bear are one entity, yet they are not two separate lives," Dracula explained. "In the prophecy, she can neither be counted as one person nor as two."
"Fine…" Lilith muttered, frustrated. "What about Aunt Mary—Bloody Mary?"
Dracula shook his head. "Bloody Mary is already one of the hundred guests on the list. And I am, too."
Great. That left her back at square one.
"Let me remind you," Dracula said, "the only two people in the castle who are already on the list are Mary and me. Before noon, you may invite anyone else in the castle whom you trust. If your invitation is accepted, their name will appear on the blank guest card in the hall."
Dracula's form began to shimmer, his body twisting and contorting until he transformed into a massive bat. His voice deepened as he said, "I will search outside the castle for another guest. If you see a name appear on the blank card, you'll know I succeeded."
With that, the bat spread its enormous wings and flew out the window.
Watching her father leave, Lilith bit her lip, suppressing the suspicion gnawing at her heart.
It must be my stepmother's doing!
Mary had warned her—Margaret would stop at nothing to harm her.
As Lilith and Nini left the room, the sound of frogs croaking returned, louder and more chaotic than before.
She felt an itch spreading across her back, a slick, slimy sensation that made her stomach churn. She knew the curse was advancing.
"Nini, let's play hide-and-seek," Lilith said suddenly.
"Yay! Nini loves hide-and-seek!" Nini clapped her hands excitedly.
"Actually… never mind."
"WHAT?!" Nini screamed, throwing a tantrum.
[Nini's Favorability -10]
The piercing scream drowned out the frogs' incessant croaking, but the curse continued to fester.
I have to stop this! But who in this castle can I trust?
After a long moment of deliberation, only one name came to mind.
Alucardo. My brother.
Lilith left the room and returned to the grand hall.
She carefully examined the names on the ten long tables, finally stopping at the seventh table, seventh seat. A blank name card lay there, untouched.
This must be the missing hundredth guest.
Lilith turned and walked back toward the corridor.
Stopping before the third painting—the one of the goblin—she stared at it intently. Something about this painting felt significant.
The placard beneath it read: "The Shrewd Goblin."
"Hey, goblin. It's just us now. Can you talk to me?"
The painting hung silently on the wall.
Lilith glanced at Nini, then back at the goblin. "She's my blood-contracted servant."
Still, the painting didn't respond.
"If you don't answer me, I'll burn you!"
The goblin remained motionless.
Lilith took a deep breath, her blood-red eyes narrowing.
"I've seen through your lies!"
No response.
"What's wrong? Still pretending? You're not a shrewd goblin—you're a lying goblin! The long nose gives you away. In this eerie world, only liars have long noses!"
The painting…
Hung quietly.