Nikolai looked at his grandfather and couldn't help but ask—he wanted to know more about his family and the man who was helping him.
"Grandfather... what happened to her, your Luna?"
The mont he asked, the room suddenly trembled with a powerful aura exerted from Viktor's body, filled with bloodlust, anger and sorrow.
He gazed at Nikolai, eyes empty as if they were strangers, but this look only lasted a fraction of a second before the light and emotion returned to his grandfather's eyes.
"My dear grandson..." A shaky voice caused Nikolai to straighten his back, and he could feel sothing within those raspy words. It was an emotion he couldn't quite grasp.
However, there was sothing similar...
'When I think of my mother... before I knew I could save her.'
[You are a gentle boy, Nikolai.]
His mother's words were soft, like always, but he could sense a difference, and he noticed the purple figure, although faint, standing beside Viktor and placing a hand on his shoulder.
Ti passed slowly, and Nikolai's eyes darted between his mother's solemn figure and his grandfather's stern, icy aura.
"Your grandmother..."
'What?!'
Though the thought passed through his mind, he wondered why his father was favoured and why this old man seemingly paid attention to Nikolai and his father even when they left.
'If I didn't co to the mansion I would think everything in my life was my own achievent...'
The protection and help that the Volkov family did in the shadows while Nikolai grew up as a human shocked him to the core.
Viktor held out both hands—his arms trembled while clenching his fingers tight.
"She was your grandmother... and I killed her with these hands."
After hearing these words, Nikolai's mind beca blank. He considered this, but how... the ti doesn't add up...
'Oh...'
Nikolai realised his mistake.
He was still thinking of relationships in human terms and years... a grandfather is usually forty or fifty years older than his grandchild, but what about werewolves or vampires that can live hundreds of years, even thousands, with royal blood?
"Then why... why did you kill her?"
Nikolai didn't want to tornt his grandfather—he never t the woman who gave birth to his father.
Yet... he wanted to know. Enjoy new stories from empire
"Phew... Turim, old friend, can you get so of the expensive whiskey from the shelves?"
"Sure thing, Viktor."
This ti, Turim didn't make a joke.
Instead, he gave Nikolai a bitter smile before stepping to the back wall with a huge bookshelf. Before he suddenly reached out for a book with a dark blue cover, Nikolai couldn't see the title.
But the mont he pulled it, the shelves began moving, and a loud engine whirred as an entire wall of various bottles of whiskey replaced the bookcase.
'Woah... that's sothing from two hundred years ago!'
Clank!
Turim seed more like a skilled butler than a powerful warrior as he set up the glasses: one for Nikolai, one for Viktor, one for himself and then the last glass.
'Hmmm?'
Nikolai wondered why the old man had set four seats. Could he have seen his mother?
Sotis, Nikolai wondered how it worked because so of the stronger people in the mansion couldn't even sense her. But Nikita and Nagisa could feel his mother easily. The sa was true for Alucards and his wife.
"Phew... to the big sister who fought with us side by side and never blad us for doubting her!" Turim lifted his glass, making the toast, eyeing Viktor, who sighed, took his cup, and nodded to Nikolai, who followed suit.
"To my first and only love, even now, I regret that day."
The three n clinked their glasses together before taking a sip, and then Viktor started to talk about his story after the war.
——
Giselle was a feisty woman...
She used to fight other strong heirs for fun.
That woman was a complete battle maniac, you might say. That's why, after I learned the truth, my heart couldn't settle.
No matter how many nights we spent together afterwards or the fact our two children were growing, my dark jealousy and feeling of betrayal continued to grow.
Because of how she was...
I took advantage of her instead of letting her be a mother and take care of Anastasia and Ivan.
Since she was a traitor, maybe her love for was fake... those monts we spent together were all fake, and she would betray at a mont's notice.
——
"Those were the thoughts of this stupid old man who couldn't see clearly..."
"See what Grandfather?"
"That by that ti... Giselle already killed the ones trying to make her spy... she betrayed her clan and beca expelled, for and our children."
"...."
Nikolai didn't know how to deal with the information he suddenly received. If things were different now, wouldn't he be the sa with Selene and Nikolai or him and Risa?
The thought of facing them, and one of them being a spy or lying to him, made the sweet and delicious alcohol taste sour.
"Haa..."
"What next, Grandfather?"
"Well it was a mission to enter a world filled with rmaids and aquatic creatures... but the information given to wasn't detailed and I only found out after entering."
'Hold on... why does this sound familiar?'
Nikolai could swear a similar story had been told to him in the past, but he couldn't quite rember it as his grandfather continued his reminiscence.
——
"Viktor... I know everything."
Her words ca as a shock to the young heir because he never expected her to bring it up first... in the middle of a mission in a world covered in water.
The pair beca trapped, unable to escape.
It was a planned mission.
The aim was to rid the clan of the weak heir Viktor and replace him with another... or for him to show true loyalty to the clan and kill the woman who betrayed them.
A foolish plan that made Viktor's blood curdle even now.
"What are you talking about, Giselle?"
Viktor's poor excuse for a poker face collapsed, his eyes avoiding the beautiful woman's gaze as she dropped her blade and stepped closer.
"I am a spy... my goal was to seduce you and influence the future heirs choices and potential."
He never expected her to say it so clearly... such an honest and brutal admission ignited the dark feelings that he tried to control...
"But why are you telling this now?" He raised his sword, ready to attack the love of his life.
Yet...
Viktor hesitated as she smiled softly; her arms reached out, hands grasping onto the collar of his black uniform. No matter what she said, he would believe it if she asked him to forgive her... no matter how much he might be mocked, the young heir would accept it all if she only asked.
But once again, she subverted his expectations.
"I fell in love with you, and I don't care what happens next to ." She moved quickly, too fast for Viktor, whose mind still needed ti to process such blunt yet confusing words.
"But we know those old n will never forgive ... think of Anastasia and little Ivan."
Her body was warm against his own.
The difference between their strength shouldn't have been so big... How could his blade have pierced her chest so easily...
But like many tis before...
Giselle went against fate.
"Use your hatred for , for our family... I want you to be free."
"Wait!"
Slash!
She let go of Viktor and stepped back... his blade still cut deep into her heart, leaving a gaping wound where purple blood oozed from.
"Ahhhhhh!!!!"
Victor roared in pain and agony as he saw his beloved kneeling on the ground.
"You see... Viktor... I hrk..." She coughed, purple and blue mixed as blood dribbled down the corner of her lip, but even now, Giselle didn't let herself shed a tear.
Viktor didn't understand why her blood looked purple.
"What happened?"
The answer to his question beca clear after seeing the injection needles stuck inside her arm. It must be a powerful poison because the body of a werewolf can withstand most toxins and diseases. Yet the marks didn't heal... and so looked old, old enough for him to have noticed in the past!
"Gissele?"
"Hah.... my family didn't plan to let live from the mont I gave birth... Ngh..."
In other words, she must have co here intending to die without regret, knowing what Viktor would have been told to do during the mission.
"Did you know... that the elders told ... told to kill you?"
His body dropped, hugging her shoulders.
The once powerful woman felt cold to the touch, her eyes slowly fading. But despite her situation, she smiled when he cried over her shoulder, his tears falling on her face.
"My beloved husband, you are still such a crybaby."
It was all a lie... there wasn't anything she gained from him at all...
"Why? You lied about everything? Tell you did..."
Viktor didn't want to feel this guilt, which felt like a pair of jaws chewing and tearing his insides apart. The mories and strange actions she took made sense.
"I guess I'm dying... but... well... at least... you're okay. I get to die seeing your handso face, haha... Urrk..."
Then, as his bloodied hands touched her neck, he froze in shock, feeling her lips press against his cheeks.
"Cough..." More purple blood stained his clothes as she patted his head, wiping away the purple and black blood.
When he was drowning in happiness, speaking about their future together... Giselle must have already known her ti was limited, and all these years spent it removing the obstacles for Viktor to beco the heir.
"You foolish woman... I don't want to beco heir if it ans losing you!"
"Hahah... so you can get mad at ? It's the first ti... But please... you must go on and live your best life..." She stroked his hair for one final ti, her fingers tracing his face, caressing his lips as he kissed her cold fingers while holding back words she kept locked tightly in her heart.
"Don't bla the little ones. It's my fault... I just couldn't help falling for you." Even in death, her eyes were bright.
Yet he wished she could see more...
So he listened to her voice, which never once sounded afraid in all these years as a fighter.
"I guess this is my punishnt for trying to use such a cute guy." Her laughter turned to choking.
But it didn't stop her from confessing.
"Viktor, if there is another chance in the next life, can I fall in love with you again? Haha... ha..." She smiled, not bothered by the blood coming from her mouth, only closing her eyes when she saw his tears fall onto her pale cheeks as if to let him speak.
But as always, she moved ahead of him. "Ah... it's cold..."
"...You idiot. What are you asking... of course you can..."
She opened her eyes one last ti.
"Ahahaha... Fool... My fool. Did you know... I fell for you before realising you were my target..."
He held her close until she turned cold, listening to her words.
"That night... the waves were strong."
As his body grew colder than hers... he howled and scread, venting his anger toward himself, Giselle and the damned Volkov Elders that he once loved.
The story seed to have ended, with parts probably kept out, embellished or just because Viktor wanted to keep his precious monts as that. The room beca quiet, but for so reason, Viktor didn't look sad. Instead, he smiled, tapping his glass against the fourth one on the table.
"I spent a year in that cold, watery grave, fighting, slaying, grieving and when I returned..." He showed a dark smile... his eyes narrowing as an aura that made Nikolai's spine tingle in danger.
"Well... there's no elder or ancestor who was involved with her death still living in this world, haha."
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