Cassian finally spoke.
His voice was lower now, the earlier confidence gone.
"I… was there."
A faint murmur moved through the court.
He kept his head bowed, fingers tightening slightly against the marble floor.
"But when the Alpha came…"
He hesitated.
"I couldn't move."
The words sounded heavy, like they were being dragged out of him.
"The moment it appeared… the pressure—"
He swallowed.
"It froze me."
Several vampires in the hall shifted uncomfortably. A few lowered their eyes, as if the memory of that moment was still fresh in their minds.
Cassian's shoulders tightened.
"I could not move," he repeated quietly.
His voice carried a mixture of frustration and shame.
Across the hall, the Queen watched him in silence, her crimson eyes unreadable.
Not angry.
Not surprised.
Just… observing.
The Queen's eyes hardened.
She slowly leaned forward on her throne, the faint scrape of stone echoing as the movement carried through the silent hall.
"So tell me, Cassian…"
Her voice was calm, but the cold beneath it made the air feel sharp.
"What if that human had not been there?"
Her finger moved slightly, pointing toward me without even looking in my direction.
The entire court felt the weight of that gesture.
Her gaze locked onto Cassian again.
"Would you have taken responsibility…"
She paused, letting the silence stretch painfully long.
"…for the death of my daughter?"
The question struck the hall like thunder.
Cassian's shoulders stiffened.
Not a single vampire moved.
Not a single breath sounded too loud.
Even the torches seemed to burn more quietly.
Because everyone knew the truth hidden inside the Queen's words.
This was not merely a question.
It was a judgment.
The Queen's gaze sharpened.
Her crimson eyes locked onto Cassian like a blade finding its mark.
"Tell me something," she said slowly.
Her voice was quiet, but it carried effortlessly through the throne hall.
"Do you truly believe…"
She paused, letting the weight of the words settle over the court.
"…that you are a match for Lilith?"
The question echoed through the chamber.
Cassian stiffened where he knelt.
Around the room, several nobles shifted uncomfortably, sensing the direction this interrogation was heading.
The Queen tilted her head slightly, studying him with cool amusement.
"Strength," she continued calmly.
"Courage."
"Power."
Her fingers tapped lightly against the arm of the throne.
"Those are the qualities worthy of standing beside my daughter."
Her eyes flicked briefly toward me.
Then returned to Cassian.
"And yet…" she murmured.
"When danger arrived…"
Her voice dropped, colder now.
"You could not even move."
Cassian slowly lowered his head.
The confidence he had carried into the throne room was gone now, replaced by something heavier—humility… and shame.
"My apologies," he said quietly.
His voice echoed faintly across the silent hall.
"It seems… I am not a good match."
A few nobles exchanged glances, surprised by the admission.
Cassian remained kneeling, his gaze fixed on the marble floor.
"But," he continued, his tone growing firmer, "I will find whoever was behind the attack."
His hands tightened slightly against the stone.
"Whoever sent the Alpha… whoever endangered the princess…"
His voice hardened with determination.
"I will uncover the truth."
The Queen watched him without expression, her crimson eyes studying him like a puzzle she had already solved.
Behind the throne, Crimson Death gave a faint metallic hum again.
Waiting.
Watching.
Just like the Queen herself.
Before the Queen could respond, another voice spoke from the side of the hall.
"I am already in charge of that investigation."
Veltherion stepped forward, his cloak shifting softly across the marble floor as he moved. His sharp eyes rested on Cassian, studying him carefully.
The tension in the room shifted slightly.
Veltherion folded his arms behind his back and tilted his head.
"The matter of the Alpha's attack," he continued calmly, "is under my authority."
Cassian slowly lifted his head, meeting his gaze.
Veltherion gave a faint, almost challenging smile.
"Well then, Duke's son…"
His voice carried a hint of amusement.
"…would you like to join me?"
A quiet murmur moved through the court.
Lucien leaned slightly toward me again and whispered under his breath.
"Ah. Nothing builds friendships like a near-royal disaster investigation."
I rubbed my temple.
Because somehow, despite standing in the middle of a vampire court full of ancient monsters—
Lucien still treated everything like a comedy.
Veltherion studied Cassian for a moment, his sharp gaze weighing him carefully.
Then he gave a small, knowing smile.
"You have much to learn, Cassian," he said calmly.
His voice carried the quiet authority of someone used to commanding warriors.
"But…"
He stepped a little closer, the soft echo of his boots sounding across the marble floor.
"I can make you strong."
The words hung in the air.
Not an insult.
Not quite a compliment either.
More like a challenge.
Cassian straightened slightly, meeting Veltherion's gaze with renewed determination.
Around the hall, several nobles exchanged quiet looks, sensing that this was more than just an offer.
It was the beginning of something.
Training.
Testing.
Perhaps even rivalry.
The Queen's attention shifted again.
Her crimson eyes moved from Cassian to Veltherion.
"My son," she said calmly, her voice echoing softly through the throne hall. "Did you find any clue about this incident?"
Veltherion bowed his head slightly in respect.
"Yes, Mother," he replied.
"I did."
A faint ripple of surprise passed through the gathered nobles. Even the Vampire King leaned forward slightly in his seat.
The Queen raised an eyebrow.
"Already?"
For the first time, something close to genuine interest flickered in her expression.
"Impressive."
She leaned forward a little in her throne, resting her chin lightly against her hand again.
"Well then," she said smoothly.
"Tell us what you found."
The hall grew silent once more.
Every eye turned toward Veltherion, waiting for his answer.
Veltherion straightened slightly, his gaze sweeping across the gathered court before settling on the Queen.
"It was easier than expected," he said calmly.
A few nobles shifted at his words.
The Queen tilted her head slightly. "Oh?"
Veltherion continued, his tone steady.
"Because earlier, Felix told us something… very interesting."
At the mention of my name, several pairs of crimson eyes turned toward me.
Great.
Just what I needed.
Veltherion gestured faintly in my direction.
"He informed us that the group of bandits who captured Lilith before the Alpha's attack…"
He paused briefly.
"…were acting under the orders of someone inside the royal court."
The words dropped into the hall like a stone into deep water.
Whispers began spreading among the nobles almost immediately.
Inside the court?
The Queen's expression did not change.
But the temperature in the room seemed to drop again.
Veltherion's voice remained calm.
"So that narrowed our search considerably."
His eyes moved slowly across the nobles standing in the chamber.
Studying them.
Watching.
Waiting for someone to react.
And suddenly the entire court felt different.
Less like a royal audience…
And more like a room full of suspects.
Yes, I did tell him.
Earlier, when Veltherion came to visit me while I was recovering, I mentioned it. At the time, it felt like just another detail in the chaos of everything that had happened.
But now…
Every pair of eyes in the throne room had turned toward me.
Crimson eyes.
Ancient eyes.
Judging eyes.
I shifted slightly under the sudden attention.
Why am I the one getting dragged into this?
I don't need this much attention.
Veltherion continued speaking, his voice steady as if he were presenting evidence in a trial.
"After hearing that," he said, "I obtained a list of everyone present in the palace that day."
The hall grew quiet again.
He slowly clasped his hands behind his back.
"And after reviewing that list…"
He paused.
"…only one person was missing."
A ripple of unease passed through the gathered nobles.
Veltherion's gaze moved across the room deliberately.
Then he finished.
"That same person," he said calmly, "is also missing right now."
The words settled over the court like cold mist.
No one spoke.
Even the Queen did not interrupt.
Because everyone in the hall understood what that meant.
Someone inside the royal court…
Had betrayed them.
The silence in the throne room thickened.
Veltherion stood still for a moment, his gaze lowered slightly as if weighing the words before releasing them.
Then he spoke.
"It is…"