I’m Not Falling for the Vampire Princess! - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

“Let go of me!” Jona tried to break free from Fanier before her feet left the ground.

Being taken high into the air by Fanier last time had left her with a psychological shadow. If it happened again, she was sure she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from throwing up.

Fanier’s grip tightened. As she ascended, she said, “Miss Jona, remember to hold onto that umbrella. The gemstones on it are worth more than a magic book.”

With that, Fanier ignored the two guards trying to stop her and whisked Jona away.

The two guards shared a glance and began to chase after Fanier.

Fanier seemed to be toying with the two behind her. Carrying a deathly pale Jona, she looked back from time to time. When she found that the two were being left too far behind, she would slow down. Once they finally managed to close the gap, she would suddenly accelerate again.

By the time she reached the castle, the two pursuers were utterly exhausted.

Fanier arrived at a familiar window, but as she prepared to jump in, she discovered that silver bars had been installed on it. Unable to break through, and with the two guards closing in, Fanier immediately pivoted. She landed in front of the heavy iron gates and kicked the castle doors open.

Poor Jona was seeing stars, yet she still hadn’t been put down.

“Princess Fanier, you cannot trespass.”

The castle guards tried to block her, but Fanier simply pushed them aside. “You should save your strength for the two fellows behind us. They’re from the Council of Elders, and Sister Aurora won’t be welcoming them.”

Carrying Jona, Fanier bypassed the guards and expertly made her way to the castle study.

Inside the study, Aurora was wearing gold-rimmed glasses, holding a quill, and sitting at her desk reviewing official documents. Seeing Fanier enter with Jona in tow, she wasn’t particularly shocked. She simply said calmly, “Didn’t I say that you aren’t allowed to cause trouble in my castle?”

Fanier let go, and Jona tumbled to the floor. With the soft carpet acting as a buffer, the fall wasn’t heavy. However, having been forcibly flown across the sky, Jona felt dizzy and nauseous. Once she finally landed, she clutched her chest, trying to settle her stomach. At the very least, she didn’t want to vomit on the expensive carpet.

Fanier heard the guards outside speaking with the people from the Council. Thinking about how she had almost been caught by the Council’s men at the window, she glared at the bars on the window with dissatisfaction.

“Sister Aurora, did you do this just to keep me out?”

“You always barge in without announcement. Who could possibly keep you out?”

“Then don’t seal the windows like this. It looks hideous and makes people question your taste,” Fanier said. She pulled off her pure white gloves, intending to dismantle the bars.

Unfortunately, silver is the one thing that can resist vampires. Fanier used all her strength but only managed to pry loose a single corner.

Aurora placed her quill on the rack. She ignored Fanier’s ruckus and instead studied Jona, who was slumped on the floor. Seeing that Jona had the sense not to vomit on her expensive carpet, she finally addressed Fanier. “It was merely to prevent anyone from entering the castle through the windows, not specifically targeted at you.”

Of course, besides Fanier, no one else would dare to enter the castle through a window at will.

Hearing Aurora’s voice, Jona looked up in a daze. Why did Fanier bring me here?

Aurora stood up and walked over to Jona. “The Council of Elders already had questions regarding Suika’s actions. Now, you’ve had Fanier help you escape the Council’s custody. Having brought such trouble to the Royal Family, doesn’t Miss Jona owe me a reasonable explanation?”

“Who said I was helping her?” Fanier had just finished prying off one bar. Looking through the window, she saw the Council’s men leaving. “Your people dismissed them quite quickly. It seems the people trained by the Royals are indeed more capable than those hacks from the Council.”

Fanier casually tossed the silver bar onto the floor and blew on her hand, which had been scorched by the silver. Likely due to the pain, her expression wavered slightly.

Jona was about to explain why Suika had come into conflict with the Council when she heard Fanier shout to the blood-servants outside, “Go get me some healing potion! The kind that treats silver burns!”

The blood-servant outside remained motionless. As Fanier prepared to go out and argue with her, Aurora raised a hand, and the study door locked with a click.

Fanier looked at Aurora with confusion. “Sister Aurora, my future King, if you don’t get me medicine, I might scar. Even if you dislike me, you shouldn’t abuse your power for a personal grudge.”

With a cold face, Aurora opened a drawer, took out a crystal vial, and tossed it to Fanier. Fanier didn’t reach out to catch it; instead, she watched the vial roll across the floor until it stopped at Jona’s feet.

“Sister Aurora, since you’ve locked the servants outside, who is going to apply the medicine for me? Does the noble Sister Aurora intend to do it personally?” Fanier spread her hands. Though she was speaking to Aurora, her eyes were fixed directly on Jona.

Jona tentatively reached out and picked up the vial. “Um, maybe I could…”

“Miss Jona, your own matters are not yet resolved. Please do not try to let Fanier cover for you,” Aurora interrupted coldly. “If this engagement with Suika is merely a step in your plan to provoke conflict between the Royals and the Council, then I shall apply to the Council to have your betrothal annulled.”

“It’s not like that!” Jona shook her head frantically.

In the novel, the original Jona was indeed a pawn of the Council. But if she were exposed, her family would quickly abandon her.

Fanier looked indignant. “Why would I cover for her? I brought her here because I thought the Council called her in to make things difficult for Sister Suika. If I had known they were settling a score with her, I never would have brought her. But then again, isn’t Miss Jona the daughter of Elder Rilla? Why would the Council want to arrest her?”

“I don’t recall your relationship with Suika ever being this good.”

“Well, Suika is the only one willing to support my business.”

Aurora studied Fanier, as if searching for a hint of truth in her words. It was obvious that Suika didn’t want to support Fanier’s business; rather, Fanier had a monopoly on very important medicinal ingredients. For Suika to brew her potions, she was forced to buy them from Fanier at a high price.

Aurora didn’t want to dwell on the issue. She brought the topic back to Jona. “The Council is merely looking for an excuse to force the Royals to compromise. Suika’s behavior has misled the Council into thinking she cares deeply for Miss Jona. Only by breaking the engagement can we show them that the Royal Family will not bow to anyone.”

“No, no. If that’s the Council’s plan, then we definitely can’t let them break the engagement,” Fanier said. She extended her hand toward Jona, signaling her to apply the medicine.

Jona tremblingly opened the crystal vial and immediately ran into a problem. There were no cotton swabs or tweezers, and her hands hadn’t been disinfected. How was she supposed to apply the medicine to Fanier? If she messed it up, wouldn’t it get infected?

“Miss Jona has already brought enough trouble to the Royals. Continuing the engagement will only allow the Council to leech power from the Throne,” Aurora said, turning her ring with a hint of impatience.

“But a marriage between Royals and Nobles is a rule set by the King. If we let Sister Suika and Miss Jona break their engagement, what if the Council sends someone smarter and harder to deal with?”

What does she mean? Is she calling me stupid? Jona suddenly felt a bit offended.

In her annoyance, she poured the potion directly onto Fanier’s hand. As the liquid made contact with the wound, the rapid healing caused an intense wave of pain. Fanier frowned, but said nothing.

Aurora seemed to see through the act. “Since when did you care so much about the rules?”

“Because the past wasn’t serious! Now those fellows at the Council are reaching further and further, actually trying to balance out the Royal Family. If that day comes, as a Princess of the blood, how could I remain unaffected?”

“Then tell me, how do you propose to resolve this properly?”

The wound on Fanier’s hand had healed. She flexed her fingers and glanced at Jona. “Sister Aurora, why don’t you let Miss Jona stay here with you for a while? We can investigate what really happened with Vigana before considering the matter of her and Suika.” Fanier flashed a flattering smile. “Your castle is so large; taking in Miss Jona shouldn’t be a problem.”

“If you want to protect her, take her back to your own residence.”

“You are a person of integrity. If Miss Jona stays here, there won’t be any gossip. If she stays with me, not only will people talk, but it’ll be more trouble if I can’t control myself and bite her to death.”

Fanier’s words made Jona shrink back again. She suddenly felt a pang of regret; she should have listened to Suika and moved the wedding date up. But in a vampire wedding, the two parties have to drink each other’s blood. How could she possibly complete such a ritual?

Aurora looked at the trembling Jona, then at Fanier, who was now fiddling with a pen. She spoke indifferently, “Fanier, you don’t need to flatter me.”

“How can you call that flattery? Sister Aurora, everyone can see your character. Regardless, I’ve brought the person to you. If you insist on handing Suika’s fiancée over to the Council, I have nothing more to say.”

With that, Fanier abandoned Jona and jumped out of the window she had just pried open.

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