Ascendant Path of a Lustful Vampire

Chapter 478: Yeah, I bet you did

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Caius and Arlette left his room together and soon headed up the stairway to a much higher floor of the Manor’s main floor. There, they arrived at a door with Guards standing at attention on each side of it.

The guards bowed to the two and with the barest acknowledgments, Caius reached out to grab the doorknob, twisting it to pull it open. As he did, he also stepped aside and gestured toward Arlette who was looking quite antsy.

Now that the haze of pleasure had passed and she could think more clearly, she became very aware of how late they were. So she found Caius a bit patronizing when he said,

”Ladies first.”

Still, it drew a chuckle from her, and she did feel elated to have him basically bow to her, as he seemed to be doing in that pose. She walked into the room behind the door first, and Caius followed immediately after, then shut the door behind them.

Arlette wiped the smile off her face the moment she was in the room and tried to maintain a more ’serious’ expression to match the mood in the room.

Everyone else invited to the meeting was already around from the looks of things;

There was Alexia, who was dressed as she usually was; In a military attire complete with braided cords on her shoulders to show off some rank she held that Caius still didn’t understand. He guessed that it pertained to the position Alexia held in her father’s, Caius’s Uncle’s, Army in the Von Helsing Duchy far away from the Capital.

Alexia’s short bob of navy blue hair had even more streaks of black in it now than it did when she first arrived at the Estate and her eyes, the classic deep Von Helsing Black, were narrowed as she glared at the top of a desk.

Besides Alexia, there were three others in the room standing around the desk;

One was a Lady dressed in the Hellsingers’ Military attire and atop her breast was an insignia that Caius recognized as carrying the highest rank among the Hellsingers. Her hair was black and tied into a tight bun above her head, with a few bangs falling loose to the side of her face.

The woman’s face was pretty but also severe. As much as Alexia was frowning and glaring at the moment, she didn’t look even slightly as hardened as this Hellsinger woman did.

Next to her was a face Caius recognized; It was Gareth. His Hellsinger outfit had an insignia on its chest. It had to be new because Caius had never seen it on Gareth before. Or anyone else for that matter. It had markings to signal a much lower rank than that of the severe woman.

And after Gareth was another Man whose face looked studious. He was tall and lanky, with a short sword by his waist, and the insignia on his chest had markings to show he was above Gareth but below the severe woman’s.

And then, away from the desk, standing in front of a window, looking out at the massive territory stretching beyond the Manor, was the one and only Lucian Von Helsing, Caius’s father.

Although the cape he wore covered it, it was clear that Lucian had his hands behind his back. His chest was also a bit thrust out so his head was resting on the fur covering his shoulders. His black hair was as graceful as ever and there was a quiet stream of power exuding from him. He wasn’t trying to show off and would probably prefer a bit of a more ordinary presence but there was far too much rowdy power to be kept contained.

It was that very power that kept Lucian away from his home so much because there was always some threat at some corner of the Acheron Empire that he was ready to volunteer himself to take on. Along with his Hellsingers, of course.

The moment Caius and Arlette were in the room and right after Caius had done a sweep of the Hall with his eyes, Lucian spoke.

”You’re late,” he said.

”Yeah, we—” Caius started in a light tone.

”I’m sorry, Lord Von Helsing,” Arlette interrupted to speak above Caius and faster than he could complete whatever it was he had been about to say.

Caius couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

”Such a kiss ass,” he jokingly whispered but everyone in the room heard him clearly.

”Shut it,” Arlette snapped at him.

”Uncle, it’s clear who’s at fault,” Alexia said then, unable to keep from smiling now.

”Yes. Caius had grown sloppy with his holiday,” Lucian said with a nod.

”He didn’t have anything to do with my lateness, Lord,” Arlette said then with just a bit of a stutter,

”I just slept in and lost track of time.”

”Yeah, I bet you did,” Alexia snorted, her little smile turning into a suggestive smirk.

”Quit it,” Arlette bit back at Alexia.

”Just let it go,” Caius told her then as he approached the table everyone was standing around.

Arlette opened her mouth to speak but then just closed it and followed him to the table. She understood that Caius wasn’t actually telling her to let what Alexia said go but rather telling her not to bother trying to fight against the insinuation that the two of them spent the night together.

The fact that Lucian had said they were late together and didn’t question why they came here together suggested he knew of what was happening in his own home and Arlette trying to deny it for whatever reason would just be like playing on his intelligence.

Now Arlette felt a bit silly. The idea that she and Caius could carry on a relationship—one that wasn’t even all that secret in the first place—without the Lord of the house knowing was a bit like wishful thinking.

Although, to be fair, Arlette had never actually thought Lucian didn’t know. She just wished to do him the courtesy of not being ostentatious about it and even now that he seemed to know, that intent didn’t actually go away.

”Now that you are finally here,” Lucian said and turned away from the window, his spectacles—a magical item—sat atop his nose as he walked toward the desk,

”We can begin.

To start, Professor Arlette Louvene, you have my thanks.”

”What?” Arlette said, blinking a few times in surprise.

Lucian’s smile remained but his tone was ever serious as he continued,

”You had no reason to involve yourself in the Von Helsing family business and yet you did. I have heard extensively of what you did in the battle against Brogan Kraxia and your role in ending that threat.”

”I didn’t actually do much,” Arlette said.

”You did plenty,” Alexia said firmly, and then her frown returned.

A lot had gotten hazy on that day. One minute, Alexia remembered charging at the leader of the Gold-black Vampires, and the next, she was waking up in a bed at the Estate.

What she learned from the Hellsingers present on the day was that she and Arlette had gotten overwhelmed and captured and then eventually used as a bargaining chip to force a peaceful parting between the Gold-black Vampires and the Hellsingers.

Alexia had asked Arlette what happened after she passed out but Arlette was being vague about it which made her fear what Arlette had to endure while she had been powerless to help.

That made Alexia angry at herself, and caused her to wonder exactly when her recklessness put them both in danger.

Was it when she was stupid enough to break the Formation dome to doom the two of them to be outnumbered by the Gold-black Vampires?

Or was it when she was stupid enough to use most of her strength to break a Formation dome they would have been safe within, leaving her so weak after that she passed out?

Yes. Yes to all of that.