That same night, after the event ended, Evelyn finished her dinner and walked toward her room, ready to rest. The palace had grown quiet, with only a few servants moving around in the dim corridors. As she walked, she noticed a maid searching around nervously, her face filled with worry. Evelyn recognized her—it was Selena, a girl around her age. "What are you doing here?" Evelyn asked gently. Selena quickly bowed. "Princess—" "Just call me Evelyn," she interrupted softly. Selena hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. "I… I can't, Princess." Evelyn sighed lightly but didn't push further. "Alright… what's wrong?" Selena looked anxious. "I'm searching for my grandmother. She's old, around seventy… I can't find her anywhere." Hearing that, Evelyn immediately remembered the old maid from earlier. Her expression changed slightly. "I saw her earlier," she said, explaining what happened at the palace hall. Selena's eyes widened in shock. "That's my grandmother… when did you last see her?" Evelyn shook her head. "I've been trying to find her too, but I couldn't." Selena's worry deepened, but Evelyn gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll find her." She immediately called the guards and ordered them to search the entire palace. "Search everywhere," she instructed firmly. "And don't stop until you find her." Turning back to Selena, she gave a reassuring smile. "We'll find her soon. You should go and rest." Selena thanked her softly before leaving, though the worry never left her face.
Evelyn returned to her room and lay down on her bed, closing her eyes. For a moment, everything felt peaceful. Her thoughts drifted back to the dance, to Maekal, to the way she felt when she was with him. A small smile appeared on her lips. But then, suddenly, Kael's words echoed in her mind—his previous girlfriend. The smile faded. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't ignore it. She turned slightly and touched the necklace Maekal had given her, holding it gently. "He'll tell me someday…" she whispered to herself, trying to calm her thoughts. Slowly, her eyes began to close again, but then another memory surfaced—the old maid's words. You haven't aged a day. Evelyn's eyes opened again. Sleep slipped away from her completely. Something about it didn't feel like a simple misunderstanding. She sat up slowly, her mind filled with questions. Why did the old maid react like that? Why did Maekal suddenly leave? And where did that old woman go? The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt.
Unable to rest, Evelyn got up and decided to visit Selena's room. The servant quarters were located on the older side of the palace, quieter and less maintained. She walked through the dim hallway and knocked on the door. Selena opened it and was surprised to see her. "Princess… what are you doing here? If you needed anything, you could have called me." "It's nothing," Evelyn said softly. "I just wanted to check on you." Selena invited her inside. The room was simple, and it was clear that Selena and her grandmother lived together—she was the only family Selena had. Evelyn sat down and asked gently, "How long has your grandmother been working here?" Selena thought for a moment. "I don't remember exactly… but she always says she has been here for around sixty years. She started working when she was very young, with her mother." Evelyn nodded slowly, her thoughts deepening. "She'll be fine," she added, trying to reassure her. "The guards are searching. We'll find her soon." After a few more words, Evelyn left and returned to her room, but even then, her thoughts didn't stop. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and she fell asleep.
The next morning, everything seemed normal. Selena came to Evelyn, her face still worried. "Did you find anything about my grandmother?" she asked. Evelyn immediately called a guard and asked for an update. "We searched all night, Princess, but we couldn't find her," he replied. Evelyn frowned slightly. "Search again. Use more guards if needed. Use money from the royal treasury if required." "Yes, Princess," the guard said before leaving. Evelyn turned to Selena. "Don't worry. We'll find her." Selena thanked her again and went back to her duties.
Later, Evelyn arrived at the academy, where Maria was already waiting. Maria immediately noticed the necklace around Evelyn's neck. "That's beautiful," she said. "Thank you," Evelyn replied with a small smile. Maria narrowed her eyes slightly, noticing the change in her expression. "Don't tell me… Maekal gave it to you?" Evelyn's face turned red, and she nodded shyly. Maria gasped. "So much happened and you didn't tell me?" Evelyn became embarrassed as the two continued talking. Soon, Katherine arrived, but something was wrong. She looked much weaker than before. Her steps were slower, her face pale, and her neck was still covered with a scarf. She wasn't cheerful like yesterday. "Are you okay?" Evelyn asked immediately. "I'm fine… let's go to class," Katherine replied, but her voice lacked energy. As they walked, Maria leaned closer to Evelyn. "What happened to her? She was fine yesterday." Evelyn nodded slightly. "I noticed it too… even yesterday she looked a little tired, but now it's worse."
They entered the class, and Evelyn immediately saw Maekal. Her face brightened again as she went to sit beside him. They spoke for a while, and the classes passed normally. But as everyone began leaving, something sudden happened. Katherine collapsed. Her body fell to the ground, unconscious. Evelyn and Maria rushed toward her in panic. Maekal quickly lifted her in his arms and carried her to the infirmary. They waited anxiously as the doctor checked her. "She's very weak," the doctor said. "Is she eating properly?" Evelyn and Maria were shocked. She had been completely fine just yesterday. The doctor asked them to wait outside. "Is anyone here medically trained?" he asked. "No," Evelyn and Maria answered, but Maekal stepped forward. "I know. I was trained before." The doctor nodded. "Good. Stay and help me."
Inside, as the doctor removed Katherine's scarf, both of them froze. Deep bite marks were visible on her neck. The wound looked serious. The doctor frowned. "What is this? It looks like someone drained her blood… I need to inform her family." Before he could move, Maekal stopped him. His eyes darkened. "Katherine is fine," he said firmly, using his power. "She is just weak. She will recover with rest. You didn't see any bite marks." The doctor's expression went blank for a moment. Then he nodded. "Yes… she's just weak. She needs rest." When they stepped outside, he told the same thing to Evelyn and Maria. Both of them felt relieved, though something still felt strange.
After some time, Katherine woke up. "Where am I?" she asked weakly. Evelyn hugged her immediately, Maria following after. "You fainted," Maria explained. Katherine looked surprised and thanked Maekal. Evelyn looked at her carefully. "What happened to you?" she asked. "It's nothing," Katherine replied quickly. Then she noticed the time. "It's already late… I should go home." Evelyn shook her head. "I already informed your mother. You're staying with me tonight." Katherine hesitated for a moment. "Then let's all stay together," Evelyn added. "Like old times." Maria smiled. "A sleepover?" Katherine sighed lightly but agreed. For a moment, things felt normal again.
When Maekal returned to the Blackthorne mansion, his expression was dark. Enzo was already there, holding a newspaper. "Did you see this?" he asked angrily. The headline spoke of an unknown creature killing twenty-five people in just two days. Maekal's face hardened. "Stop this, Uncle Kael," Enzo muttered under his breath. "If other noble houses find out, we're all dead." Suddenly, a voice echoed through the room. "Someone talking about me?" Kael appeared, sitting down casually. Maekal walked toward him and showed the newspaper. "Did you do this?" Kael glanced at it and smiled. "Yes… they were delicious." Rage filled Maekal's eyes as he stepped forward. Enzo tried to speak, but Kael silenced him with a cold stare. "Don't forget who killed your father," he said quietly. "Don't test my patience." "Enough!" Maekal shouted. Enzo quickly left.
"What did you do to Katherine?" Maekal demanded. Kael tilted his head slightly. "What did I do?" "The bite marks… her condition… she's not your tool," Maekal said angrily. Kael smiled. "Everyone is my tool. And she is my blood bank." Maekal's fists clenched. "I'll stop you." Kael chuckled softly. "You think you can? Good luck… brother."