59: 2.29 The King's Blessing

2.29 The King's Blessing

In front of him, a row of guards lined up with a somber expression. The atmosphere was so heavy that someone could cut through the tension. Theodore sat in front of them, his face so somber as if dark clouds were gathering above it.1

"Did you find him?" He didn't need to ask, actually. The absence of Raphael's presence had answered anything.

Young Master Theodore's personal servant, Raphael, was nowhere to be found. No one knew when he disappeared nor where he had gone. It was as if he disappeared into thin air. The guards straightened their backs and gulped nervously. Theodore did nothing except sit on his chair holding his head but somehow, he was more terrifying than when he blatantly showed his displeasure.

After waiting for a few minutes, the last few guards returned. "Apologies, Young Master. He's nowhere in the market and we can't find in the usual places he often visited either."

Bang!

All of a sudden, Theodore stood up and kicked his chair hard. It crashed to the wall in a loud bang. "Find him…" He gritted his teeth, eyes bloodshot. "Search every nook and corner! Don't come back before you find him!"

"Yes, sir!"

Left alone, Theodore walked back and forth, biting his nails. In his palm was a crumpled paper that was signed by Raphael's handwriting, he couldn't have mistaken it. He just couldn't believe what the vampire had written. [Live your life fully, Theo, and don't search for me.]

What do you mean…?! What do you fucking mean by that, Raphael?! Unable to resist, he swept the things on the table aside, breaths heaving. The bottle of ink shattered to pieces, splattering its black liquid all over the parchments and floor.

Raphael's room was left just as it was, his clothes and belongings still intact without any missing. Theodore suspected that something had happened to him. Yes, it should be...

His Raphael was just like that; silently bottling everything inside himself and never letting his feelings be known to others. He was the kind of person who would choose to eat human foods which he couldn't digest rather than rejecting him. This time also, he must have been caught in a predicament and didn't want to involve Theodore thus he chose to silently disappear like that.

Theodore believed it. Otherwise, how could Raphael leave him behind?

If — If just the slightest bit of doubt seeped through the armor of his heart; that Raphael indeed left willingly, on his own accord without anyone forcing him, Theodore feared that he wouldn't be able to take it.

He rubbed his face roughly, the rims of his eyes reddened. Where did everything go wrong?! Yesterday...they were so happy, blissfully spending time together. He had even asked Raphael to accompany him until he fell asleep and the vampire complied willingly—was that all a lie? Was it only his own misconception thinking that he would be able to stay with Raphael for the rest of his life?

Raphael, where have you gone…?

"Young Master!" A guard knocked on his door and Theodore went to open it with an almost eager expression. However, the person he was yearning for wasn't there. The guard held up a letter with a bow. "It's a letter from Madam. She asked that you read it immediately."

"Mother?" Theodore frowned. The distance between the city he was in now and Melissa was at least tens of miles away. A letter should have taken more than a week to arrive. As it was deemed inconvenient, usually they wouldn't send one unless it was especially important. So...why did Melissa send it now? Theodore massaged his aching temples and took the letter from the guard. "Still no news about Raphael?"

The guard grimaced in apology and Theodore waved his hand tiredly. "Keep searching." He closed the door behind him and tore open the letter. The breath hitched on his throat as soon as he read the opening line.

[Theodore, my dear son. If you're reading this letter, please get as far away from Raphael as possible.

As you have known, the vampire race has taken a blood pact to acknowledge Raphael as our King and that's why, Mother as well as every vampire out there can sense it as soon as something happens to him. The King—the time for his eternal slumber has come, Theodore.

During this time, he will be particularly dangerous, moreover if he's living amongst humans. If he chooses to go, let him. Life goes on and you have to learn to accept his departure. Mother is genuinely worried about you. Please don't do anything reckless.

PS: Your father and I are on our way there. We should arrive a few moments shortly after this letter. We will talk about it again later.

With love,

Melissa Valmor]

Theodore's hands shook and the edge of the letter tore due to his strong grip. W—What did it mean by eternal slumber? Dying…? His Raphael was dying?!

Theodore crouched down and tugged on his hair, his face twisted in disbelief. "How can this be? It's not possible. He's very healthy. He has always been taking my blood. There's no way for him to—" The words stuck in his throat as he was reminded of a few certain signs that he always neglected before. Even though he always offered his blood to Raphael at a regular interval, he couldn't remember the last time the vampire really drank his blood. Instead, he always nipped on his skin gently, only enough to tear a small wound that would scab over the next few hours then called it a day.

Raphael hadn't drunk his blood and also...the marks under his skin...

Theodore shot up and scrambled to the library. Like a madman, he flipped through the books about vampires he used to read all the time. "Eternal slumber for the pureblooded… Eternal slumber for the pureblooded…" His fingers halted on a certain page.

Corruption. It's a slow, gradual process of draining a vampire's sanity. A low bred vampire would turn deranged and mindlessly attack everyone around them whilst for pureblood… it was the sign that their immortal life had come to an end. Black streaks painted over their skin and their body would gradually disintegrate to pieces and return to the Goddess of Night, Nyx. Usually, a natural disaster would follow with this phenomena, depending on how strong the pureblood was; earthquake, blizzard, tsunami…

Theodore's fingertips trembled. A drop of tears fell onto the paper, smudging the ink. "So...this is why you left? Because you don't want to put me—and everyone else in danger? You choose to leave and silently disappear just like this, all alone as your life ceases to exist...?"

The knowledge that his kind and gentle Raphael was forced to make this kind of decision because he knew he would soon die inflicted excruciating agony all over his heart. Anger, sorrow and unwillingness merged into one. No, he couldn't accept this kind of outcome! He, Theodore, had always got what he wanted in the end! He gritted his teeth and slammed his fists on the table, growling like a wounded beast. "I won't forgive you! I said I won't forgive you if you leave me! How dare you, Raphael!!"

Turning around, he dashed out of the library and ordered the stationed guards. "Go and catch a vampire here. I want them alive!"

The guards were taken aback. "...Huh?"

"GO!" Theodore hollered impatiently. "RIGHT NOW!"

Catch a vampire alive??? What was Young Master up to now? Had he gone crazy because he couldn't find Raphael? The guards glanced at each other half confused and half helpless. Alas, they had no choice but to comply. In the next few hours, Theodore stayed in the library to read everything about the pureblood's eternal slumber. The more he knew, the colder his heart became. He was filled with so much dread and fear that Raphael would disappear right when he was sitting still like this. The jittery and anxiety reflected in his subconscious move, making him bite his nails until they turned all bloody. Stupid Theodore, why hadn't you noticed anything? You were the one who stayed with him all day and night and you even dared to claim that no one knew him better than you…

A bitter smile curled his lips. It was his fault...It was all his fault. He should have paid more attention to Raphael and not be consumed by his own fantasies and thoughts. He couldn't help but wonder, if he just realized it sooner, would he be able to prevent Raphael from leaving him…?

The guards returned when the sun almost settled down, bringing with them a bloody figure whose hands and feets were shackled with holy chains. The vampire's eyes were murky red and fangs jutted out of his mouth as he hissed threateningly.

"We can only capture this one, Young Master." The guard reported. "I don't know why but it seems like the vampires have gotten a lot more aggressive lately."

Theodore nodded and waved. "Get out, all of you."

"But—"

"Get. Out." The heavy and gloomy aura that exuded from Theodore's body held their words of refusal back. They confirmed that the chain was fastened tightly before bowing and leaving Theodore alone with the vampire.

"You. Tell me something." Theodore ordered.

The vampire spat vehemently. "Obnoxious human, what do you want?!"

"Your King. I want to find your King."

"Huh?" The vampire snapped his head up and when he caught a clear sight of Theodore, his eyes widened even more. "You… You bear the mark of My Lord…"

Mark? Theodore subconsciously touched his neck. The bite mark there had almost healed and only a light bruise was left. "This?"

"No. Not a bite mark. It's a mark that can only be sensed by us vampires. It's a warning." The vampire's resistance weakened in an instant and his eyes turned dull. "He's warning us not to slight you otherwise a great disaster will befall us."

Theodore's heart twinged in pain. When did Raphael do that? He couldn't remember any instance when Raphael could get the chance to put some invisible mark on him. From the start, he hadn't gotten the slightest idea of what the vampire had done for him…

An idea popped up in his mind. "So what if you disregard the warning? He… Will he appear?"

His hope was promptly doused as the vampire shook his head. "It's a part of the King's power: protection. He has bestowed you his blessing and from now on, you will be able to stroll through the land of vampires unharmed. It will be eligible for eternity, even if the King no longer exists."

A lump formed on Theodore's throat and his eyes welled up in tears. Once again, he was slapped by how thorough Raphael was. He had clearly been prepared. Even in his approaching demise, he was hellbent on protecting Theodore. This kind of man, how could he ever let him go?

"...Take me." He declared with a determined look. "Take me to him."

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