Transmigrated as the Vampire Alpha of the Omega Heroine - Chapter 43

Wen Ru must have put a lot of thought into choosing this place. Whether viewed from the inside or outside, this shop was practically flawless. The owner was exceptionally warm and energetic, and the hired makeup artists had given both of them looks tailored to their characters for this scripted murder mystery game.

“Princess and Consort” was a small-scale script. Aside from Jiang Nian and Gu Li, there were three other participants, three male alphas who had originally planned to recruit another annoying couple from their social circle to play the roles of princess and consort. Coincidentally, a random couple happened to fill the gap just in time.

“We were supposed to draw roles among the five of us, but none of us wanted to play this with a buddy, hahaha! Good thing you two showed up,” said one of the male alphas dressed in a general’s uniform, clapping Gu Li on the shoulder with a hearty laugh.

Playing scripted murder mysteries with strangers had its pros and cons, but overall, it was meant to be enjoyable. Since no one was being picky, everyone got ready and headed toward their designated story locations with their scripts in hand.

The first thing that caught the eye was a vibrant shade of red, with the character for “double happiness” prominently displayed. Gu Li, walking behind, watched as Jiang Nian, clad in a red wedding dress, stepped forward. Her meticulously styled brows arched slightly as she glanced at him before slowly lowering the red bridal veil over her face.

Northern Hua Kingdom, summer night.

This prosperous and peaceful land was currently celebrating a joyous occasion. The young general, who had returned victorious from battle against an enemy nation, was granted a royal marriage, the emperor’s most beloved youngest daughter was to wed her.

Heroes always love beauties, especially those who come with vast riches.

The entire royal capital was brimming with festivity, adorned with red decorations stretching for miles. The young general dismounted from the warhorse that had accompanied her on the battlefield, only to be nudged by her superior toward where her bride awaited.

The marriage decree had been issued with startling urgency. While the army was still making its way back from the frontier to the capital, the report of their victory had already reached the emperor, who promptly sent rewards and a marriage arrangement to intercept them on their return. The young, beautiful deputy general, who had distinguished herself in battle, was immediately betrothed.

By the time she returned, her father and the royal family had already prepared everything for the wedding. All that remained was for her to perform the ceremonial bows with the princess.

For the usually strict royal family to act so unconventionally was undeniably strange. But the emperor’s command was not to be defied. Among all the soldiers present, who else could boast such fortune, fighting one battle and rising to the rank of imperial consort, a first-grade official?

The only downside was being stripped of military authority. From then on, she would have to remain in the royal capital, admiring its scenery day and night with her beautiful bride.

She would raise children with her wife, leaving behind the blood-soaked storms and bitter winds of the frontier forever.

Her armor still carried the scent of enemy blood from the borderlands, clashing starkly with the bright red embroidered flowers adorning her chest as the groom.

Inside the room, the air was warm, filled with the presence of a sweet and delicate beauty. What peerless countenance lay beneath that bridal veil? Standing outside the door, she adjusted the red flower on her chest before striding in. On the ceremonial platform sat her elderly parents, alongside the royal envoy overseeing the marriage.

“General, hurry. After paying respects to the elders, you must proceed to greet His Majesty. His Highness was so concerned about the princess’s marriage that he has personally come to witness it,” the envoy said with a bow, delivering words that sent a chill down her spine.

She hurried forward to grasp the red silk ribbon connecting her to the princess, hastily following the wedding procedures under the guidance of the attendants. Outside, a crowd of brothers were drinking and feasting, waiting for her to join the revelry.

Yet she trembled as she followed her new wife toward the courtyard where the emperor resided.

The wedding official, claiming it improper to accompany them to see the emperor, informed the groom of the emperor’s location before retreating on his own.

“Watch your step,” she whispered to the princess, gently tugging the red silk.

Suddenly, the sound of something cutting through the air echoed behind them, followed by two sets of footsteps.

The young general, no, now the imperial son-in-law, instinctively shielded her newlywed wife, drawing a dagger from her robes in defense.

“Who goes there?” she barked sharply, only to be met with a pained groan and two familiar voices.

“It’s me.”

“Brother, it’s me.”

The darkness seemed to vanish in an instant, revealing the general who had fought alongside her through blood and battle, as well as the crown prince clad in a four-clawed python robe. Beneath his foot was a figure shrouded in black cloth, clearly someone up to no good in that stealthy attire.

“Let me go!” The man struggled to rise but was firmly pinned to the ground. The seasoned general stepped forward, twisting the intruder’s arms behind his back.

“Where did this scoundrel come from, daring to disrupt my brother’s wedding feast?” The old general, hardened by years of warfare, applied too much force, making the man yelp in pain.

“Why waste words on him? The moment I saw him darting from His Majesty’s courtyard, I knew he was trouble. Let’s take him before the emperor at once and let His Majesty pass judgment,” the crown prince declared, flicking his sleeves as if his shoe had been dirtied by stepping on the petty thief.

Behind them, the princess seemed to exhale in relief. The groom felt the tension in the body pressed against her gradually ease.

“Then let us proceed together,” the groom said, for once taking the woman’s hand as they made their way toward the emperor’s courtyard.

Before the door even opened, she caught the unmistakable scent of blood.

Something was wrong.

She flung the door open, only to find the emperor and his personal eunuch lying in a pool of blood.

The emperor of Beihua had drawn his last breath in her family’s courtyard.

“Father!” The voices of the princess and the crown prince rang out simultaneously. The red bridal veil, which should have been lifted by the groom, fell abruptly to the ground. The groom turned to see the delicate princess burst into tears.

The cumbersome wedding robes hindered her movements, and she nearly stumbled over the lifeless body.

“Damn it! It must be this wretch’s doing daring to commit regicide! I’ll have you torn limb from limb and your entire clan exterminated!” The crown prince seized the black-clad man by the collar and ripped off his mask.

But the face revealed was one they knew all too well.

“Chancellor?!” The crown prince stared in shock, his expression darkening.

Yet he quickly composed himself. “Are you attempting treason?!”

“No! It wasn’t me! When I arrived, it was already like this!” The chancellor, still restrained, shook his head desperately, denying the accusation that could condemn his entire family to eternal damnation.

The groom knelt to support her weeping wife, pulling her into an embrace to shield her from the gruesome sight. With her free hand, she examined the emperor’s fatal wound.

That blade scar ran across the torso of the empire’s most revered emperor, reducing the so-called supreme ruler above all to nothing more than an ordinary corpse.

“The blood from this wound doesn’t seem normal.”

Despite the severity of the injury, only a small amount of blood stained the ground not enough to be fatal. The wound appeared gruesome, yet it hadn’t struck any vital areas.

“Brother-in-law, do you understand this? I’ll summon the palace officials to investigate. General, you must immediately secure this estate, no one here is allowed to leave.” The Crown Prince ordered the Chancellor released, then fixed him and the old general with an icy glare.

“My rear courtyard has always been tightly guarded. It was only today, upon receiving our guests, that so many outsiders entered. Besides, those drinking and feasting outside are my sworn brothers, who have only just returned to the capital. They couldn’t possibly be the killers.”

The Emperor’s son-in-law withdrew his hand from examining the wound and pointed at the fallen eunuch nearby. “Your Highness, have someone verify the time of this eunuch’s death. It likely coincides with His Majesty’s.”

The little girl in his arms finally stopped crying and began rummaging around the room. Sniffing the air, she boldly reached out to touch the Emperor’s fingers.

Between his tightly clenched fingers slipped a torn scrap of paper, stained with a single bloody stroke.

A dying message.

The stroke’s placement seemed imprecise. Could the Emperor have meant to write the first stroke of the Crown Prince’s title, the son-in-law’s surname, the Chancellor’s title, or even the Princess’s childhood name, which also began with this stroke?

The old general’s first instinct was to look at the Chancellor and the son-in-law. The Crown Prince’s gaze immediately shifted to the Princess and the Chancellor. The Chancellor, in turn, glanced at the Crown Prince and the Princess.

In an instant, suspicion spread among the gathered, none of whom were fools.

The son-in-law, still staring blankly at the scrap alongside his wife, spoke quietly, “Would everyone care to explain why they came to my rear courtyard today?”

The room, originally prepared for the Emperor, was furnished with the finest amenities. After summoning palace officials to examine the body, the five of them gathered around a round table to discuss their whereabouts.

The Crown Prince cleared his throat and spoke first. “Today is my little sister’s wedding banquet. As her elder brother, of course I had to attend. I arrived when the gates opened two hours ago. But since the groom was late, I took the opportunity to inspect the place where my sister will live, checking for any needed repairs.”

No one interrupted him.

He continued, “While wandering, I reached the rear courtyard. Knowing our father would be waiting here for the newlyweds, I didn’t proceed further. I merely lingered in the outer courtyard, noting that the rockery wasn’t to my liking. I made a mental note to commission a new one as a wedding gift. Then I heard suspicious noises and saw the Chancellor pressed against the wall of this very room, doing who knows what.”

“Chancellor.” All eyes turned to him.

“I was just” His black stealth attire was covered in footprints, his entire appearance utterly disheveled.

“I just wanted to eavesdrop on some private matters from the rooftop, I had no intention of harming His Majesty…” The Prime Minister hastily denied, “But by the time I got up there, the voices inside had already stopped. When I tried to peek under the tiles, the Crown Prince and the old general caught me. I’ve been running ever since. I swear I didn’t kill the Emperor!”

“You were in the backyard the whole time? When did you arrive?” the Imperial Son-in-Law pressed.

“Right when the wedding banquet preparations began, about three hours ago. I happened to see His Majesty entering here incognito, so I thought I’d try my luck.”

He then clamped his mouth shut, refusing to reveal what exactly he’d come to overhear.

“My troops and I only just arrived in the capital. As soon as we reached the residence, I was dragged away to change into wedding attire. I returned home about an hour ago,” the Imperial Son-in-Law concluded his statement.

The old general raised his eyes to look at him. “We returned to the capital together. Whatever time you arrived at your residence was when I followed you through these gates.”

Finally, all eyes turned to the princess. The timid young girl’s pitiable appearance stirred compassion even before she spoke, prompting the Crown Prince to interject: “My little sister wouldn’t even dare step on an ant. Besides, of all our siblings, Father treated her the best. There’s absolutely no way it could be her.”

“Just asking is all,” the Prime Minister inopportunely remarked.

“I… I’ve been at the residence since morning,” she said. “Father told me to arrive before the auspicious hour so I wouldn’t miss your army’s return and delay… delay the newlyweds’ private time…” The flush rising on her cheeks could have been from too much rouge, or perhaps from the embarrassment of her own words.

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