ALLURE OF THE NIGHT (C)

Chapters 411-420

Rosetta sat with her mother and Lady Annalise in the parlour room, sipping blood tea. Nearly an hour had passed since she had returned to the Moriartys mansion.

"Rose, where is your coat?" Lady Aurora questioned her daughter, "You went out without wearing a coat in this cold weather? You are going to get married soon."

The young vampiress, who was deep in thought, shook her head, "Um, no. I gave it to the butler earlier to wash, mother. I felt it wasn't fresh enough and needed to be cleaned."

Lady Aurora stared at her daughter, smiling, "Always the clean one in the room. My daughter can barely stand a little smear of dirt on her clothes." She then asked Lady Annalise, "I haven't seen Marceline around much today. Where is she?"

"She told me that she was going to distribute the wedding invitations," Lady Annalise politely replied with a smile. She stirred the little spoon in the teacup before taking a sip.

"Though I hate to say it, it seems like the governess won't be sticking around long, Anna. I mean, if she really is in love with Vincent, no one can stand and watch the man being married to someone else. What do you think about it? I don't mean to pry, but did you attend the Viscount's first wedding?"

Lady Annalise stared at the teacup in her hand for a moment before her eyes shifted to look at Lady Aurora, who smiled at her. She said, "The Viscount and I weren't familiar at that time in the past."

"Is that so?" Lady Aurora asked with a surprised look and said, "I was sure I heard that your family was acquainted with the Moriartys before--"

"I am telling you that we didn't, Lady Aurora," Lady Annalise didn't want to talk about the past that she had closed. It had nothing to do with the Marchioness, who was an outsider and would remain the same even in the future. She continued, "We are aware of your dislike towards the governess, but it would be in everyone's best interest, to let people be then talk about it. The Moriartys don't like to waste time on things that are irrelevant."

Lady Aurora smiled coyly. She nodded, "Of course, but I hope you will take good care of my daughter?"

"She will be taken care of the same way she has been until now, Lady Aurora. Rosetta and Ms. Barlow seems to be friends. I don't think it should cause any trouble. Isn't that right, Rosetta?" Lady Annalise asked the young vampiress, who had been spacing out for quite some time now.

Rosetta nodded, "That's true..." but there was a hint of doubt. Not because she didn't consider her and Eve to be friends, but because she didn't know how to feel about her only true friend being a witch. Did this mean not all witches were bad?

"Why does your voice sound doubtful, Rose? Is there something you would like to share with us?" Lady Aurora tilted her head, while she scrutinizingly stared at Rosetta.

​ Rosetta nervously laughed, "Of course, not, mother." She showed her teeth as she smiled before a small frown came to settle when the older woman looked away from her.

She wondered how Eugene was doing right now and if he was alright. Deep down, she questioned if he hadn't completed his transition because of her inability to do it right.

Far away from the parlour room, on the other side of the mansion, Marceline's red eyes had gone wide, and had slightly dilated than normal as she tried to grasp the situation.

Once reality sunk in, her numbness was replaced by shooting pain as if she had lost her entire leg. The broken bone had turned similar to an iron rust, and it hadn't been able to hold the pressure, as the vampiress had been roaming around, weakening it every time she walked.

"Ugh!" The vampiress bitterly cried, while she bit into her lower lip to stop her voice from going out of the room. She held her thigh, gripping it as the pain started moving up her knees.