The Hidden Monster of House Vale

Chapter 121: Chapter - 121 - The Innocent Murderer [R18]

Prince Andrin remained on his knees, lightheaded and thoroughly nauseous, no longer knowing what he was supposed to feel. He had never killed anyone in his entire life. Being born a prince meant he had never needed to go out of his way to shed blood or take a life, yet right now he sat in the middle of a dim, narrow alley surrounded by five horribly mutilated bodies.

How... how did this happen? Prince Andrin thought, his stomach churning violently as horror washed over him. I was trying to save them... so how did I do this?

He felt sick to his stomach, the metallic stench of fresh blood clinging to the back of his throat. But before his panicking mind could process anything further, the echo of footsteps and muffled shouting drifted through the night air. The city guards and soldiers were approaching the alleyway.

Instinct snapped through the fog in his head. Standing up on unsteady legs, Andrin bolted into the shadows, running as fast as his trembling limbs could carry him toward the healing sanctuary.

Once he reached the grounds, he scrambled into the dense foliage surrounding the compound and crouched low. He hid in the heavy bushes for hours, waiting in dead silence until the entire sanctuary had quieted down and the last of the healing realm masters had departed for the night. From his vantage point in the brush, he watched Aelene emerge from the main building. As soon as she disappeared down the path toward her own home, Andrin slipped silently out of hiding and crept indoors.

He cleaned himself thoroughly, scrubbing at his arms and hands in the dark until his skin was raw. Sinking onto his bed in the absolute obscurity of his room, he stared up at the invisible ceiling, his fingers twitching uncomfortably. He couldn’t shake the phantom sensation that bits of flesh from those women and thugs were still lodged beneath his fingernails.

Only then did he remember the flowers and the food he had bought for Aelene. He had left them behind in that terrible alley. He closed his eyes, desperate for sleep, but the only sound echoing through the cavernous quiet of his mind was the chorus of dying screams.

Meanwhile, Lucien and Aelvera arrived at the gruesome scene alongside a squad of city guards to conduct an investigation. Torches cast flickering shadows across the slick cobblestones, illuminating five corpses with completely mangled faces.

Aelvera stood over the bodies, her posture rigid with disappointment and anger that the perpetrator had slipped away yet again.

”The faces are mangled, just like the other crimes and murders,” Lucien observed quietly, examining the carnage. ”Who do you think is the suspect?”

”It’s the man-eater, just like the other crimes,” Aelvera replied, her voice thick with frustration. ”It seems like we missed him again. Every time the people need help, we arrive too late. Now we have to wait for more murders to happen before we get another chance. It’s so stupid.”

Lucien’s gaze shifted away from the bodies, landing on a small package resting near the entrance of the alley. He walked over, noticing the fresh bouquet and a carefully wrapped container. ”It seems like we have a clue this time.”

Aelvera frowned, looking over at what he was pointing to. ”What do you mean by a clue? There are many people who buy flowers; these are very common. Are you even thinking, Axel?”

Aelvera possessed a rigid sense of righteousness inherited directly from her father, driving her to save as many lives as humanly possible, but her impatience often blurred her judgement.

”Not quite,” Lucien said calmly. ”This can lead us straight to the murderer.”

”Are you stupid?” Aelvera snapped, her tone dripping with frustration and insults. ”How can a simple flower and a common dish lead us to a murderer?”

Is this bitch really stupid? Lucien thought, maintaining an unbothered expression while inwardly rolling his eyes. In my world, even a drop of spit was enough to find a criminal... whatever. Fucking retarded.

”Lady Aelvera, think about it,” Lucien said aloud, gesturing toward the container. ”I touched the dish, and the food inside is still warm. That means whoever bought it must have purchased it less than an hour ago. The flowers must have been bought around the same time.”

Aelvera blinked, processing his logic. ”So if we ask the nearby shops right now, they might remember who they sold these to?”

”Yeah,” Lucien nodded. ”And if the descriptions from both shopkeepers match, we will at least have an idea of who we are looking for. Then we can investigate further.”

”I didn’t realize you could use clues like this,” Aelvera admitted, her harsh stance softening slightly into surprise.

Lucien took a slow step forward, closing the distance between them right in front of the watching soldiers. He leaned in until his breath brushed against the shell of her ear.

”I told you, didn’t I?” Lucien murmured in a low, deliberate tone. ”Once I take any job, I make sure to finish it... so don’t doubt me... bitch.”

Without waiting for a response, Lucien pulled back and casually walked away into the night.

Aelvera stood frozen on the cobblestones, stunned into silence for several seconds. As the shock wore off, her anger flared—yet beneath it, she could not deny that he had delivered actual results. She turned sharply to her soldiers and immediately issued orders. ”Search the area! Find the flower vendors and food stalls operating nearby and ask them who purchased these items tonight!”

As the soldiers rushed to fulfill her commands, Aelvera touched the side of her neck. When Lucien had spoken so closely into her ear, a sudden wave of goosebumps had rushed over her skin, leaving her flustered and furious all at once.

That bastard... how did he even walk away after saying something like that to me? Aelvera thought, her jaw tightening as she watched his retreating back. But... he wasn’t entirely wrong. I did taunt him when I first saw him. I called him selfish just because he stood with Prince Rumil. He didn’t actually do anything wrong, and I’ve heard how strong he is... I started this.

From that moment on, Lucien was the only thing occupying her mind.

The next morning, Prince Andrin woke up inside his quarters at the sanctuary. Aelene was already present, busying herself nearby. When she turned to greet him, she noticed how pale and exhausted he appeared, looking as though all his energy had been drained overnight.

”How was the hunt yesterday?” Aelene asked conversationally.

”Hu-hunt?” Andrin stammered, his eyes widening in subtle shock.

”Yeah,” Aelene said, tilting her head. ”You were gone for hours yesterday with Axel and Prince Rumil, right?”

”Yeah... it was good,” Andrin managed to reply as soon as he realized what she is talking about.

”By the way, make sure not to go outside at night,” Aelene cautioned softly, her expression turning serious. ”I heard that the man-eater killed five more people yesterday, so please stay safe.”

Panic seized Andrin’s chest, making it hard to draw a deep breath. If I get caught in this foreign country as a prisoner, I’m fucked, he thought wildly. I need to make sure no one ever realizes that I was the one who killed them.

Aelene watched his shifting expression and asked gently, ”And did you remember anything? About your memories?”

”No, I did not,” Andrin lied, lowering his head. ”I tried, but I can’t remember anything.”

”If you want, should I tell Axel to take you somewhere outside?” Aelene offered. ”You might feel much better getting some fresh air.”

”N-no, not today,” Andrin stammered quickly, waving his hands. ”Maybe some other time.”

I can’t go outside, he thought, terror racing through his mind. What if they suspect me? That would be the end of me. I need to avoid going outside entirely. But yesterday... it felt like I lost complete control of my body. If that’s true, what happens if it occurs again? What if I end up hurting Aelene? I would never be able to forgive myself.

Seeing his distress, Aelene stepped closer and gently held Andrin’s hand in hers. ”Andrin, remember that you are my childhood friend. I’ll always be here with you. I’m usually in my room, and sometimes I stay at the healing sanctuary at night, so you can talk to me whenever you want.” She offered a soft, encouraging smile. ”Why don’t you at least step out into the courtyard for a little bit? A bit of sunlight will help lift your mood.”

Nodding weakly, Andrin eventually pulled himself out of bed and walked outside into the bright courtyard. As the warm sun hit his face, he stared blankly ahead, completely consumed by thoughts of how he had ended up in this place, what choices had made him so miserable, and how he had transformed into a murderer.

Unbeknownst to him, in a quiet, private chamber situated on an upper floor of the very same healing sanctuary, Anne was down on her knees like an obedient dog. Lucien stood directly behind her, his thick, massive weapon thrusting relentlessly inside her core as deep as he could possibly reach, stretching her tight walls with every stroke.

From the open window positioned beside them, they had a clear, unobstructed view of Prince Andrin pacing mindlessly in the sunlit courtyard down below.

”Bitch, it seems like you did quite a good job?” Lucien said while thrusting, his hands digging firmly into her hips, anchoring her in place as he hammered into her wet depth.

Anne was panting heavily, her face buried into the mattress while her rear remained elevated in the air, trembling from the sheer force of his thrusts. ”Ahhh... you bastard... do you really think I won’t be able to kill a few thugs?” she gasped out between ragged breaths, her core tightening fiercely around his invasion as he drove deep into her sweet spot.

”It wasn’t the killing part,” Lucien growled, leaning forward to press his weight onto her back, thrusting with a heavy, grinding rhythm that drew needy whimpers from her throat. ”It was to make it look like it was done by the man-eater.”

”Aghhhh—!” Anne moaned loudly, clutching the bedsheets tight as a violent surge of pleasure shot up her spine. She lifted her head, her flushed face turning toward the glass. ”Look at that fucker roaming around outside... not knowing what we have planned for him.”

She bit the fabric of the sheet to stifle her screams as Lucien hit her deepest point without mercy. Feeling her passage clamp around him in intense spasms, Lucien suddenly got an idea. He paused his heavy momentum and pulled his weapon completely out of Anne’s drenched, pulsing core with a slick, echoed wet sound.

”Aghh... why did you take it out?” Anne whined instantly, her body aching for the fullness he had just robbed her of.

Instead of answering, Lucien grabbed her wrist and dragged her across the short distance to the large windowsill. He bent her over the ledge, gripping her ass and pulling her hips high before immediately thrusting his thick weapon all the way back inside her stretched core in one long, uncompromising slam.

”Yaahhhhhhhh...!” Anne shrieked into the empty room, her back arching wildly as his massive length filled her to the absolute brim. ”That’s... where it belongs...!”

She gripped the wooden frame of the window, her breath fogging the lower glass while she stared straight down at Andrin, who was completely oblivious in the garden below.

”Look at me, Andrin,” Anne whispered viciously, her hips involuntarily twitching against Lucien’s groin as he began to build a heavy, punishing rhythm from behind. ”You betrayed me... and now my needs are getting filled by your number one enemy... He is stronger than you... his weapon is huge, unlike yours... and don’t worry, I’ll release you from your miserable life sooner... aghhhh!”

Every brutal impact from Lucien drove her forehead gently against the pane, but down in the courtyard, Andrin heard nothing, entirely unaware of the explicit sight unfolding directly above him.

”And what about Norrik?” Lucien asked, his fingers grinding into her soft hips as he continued to roll his pelvis into her wet heat, his heavy weapon frictioning against her sensitive walls. ”Did he have any problem doing the job?”

”That fucker wasn’t ready to do this,” Anne moaned out, her chest rising and falling violently while Lucien’s rhythm drove her to the verge of tears. ”But then I had to slap him and tell him that it will cost him the whole country... so he turned his hand into a beast’s... ahh... hand, and ripped their faces!”

”I didn’t know that you also had leadership skills,” Lucien smirked.

He slowed his pace just enough to reach around her slender waist, sliding his broad hand up to squeeze her bare breast tightly, twisting her peak between his fingers as he resumed thrusting even deeper. Anne cried out as he hit her deepest walls over and over, her passage swallowing him so tightly it felt as though she were trying to trap his weapon inside her forever.

Leaning over her shoulder, Lucien seized her mouth in a deep, kiss, tasting her moans while his lower body hammered against her rear with relentless power. With a final, deep surge, Lucien plunged his entire length into the deepest recess of her core, filling her completely to the brim. He poured his blazing essence deep into her womb, filling her internal passage until it overflowed. His weapon remained firmly locked inside her tight, twitching walls, lingering within her swollen core for several long moments even after he had finished filling her.

”So good...” Anne whimpered softly, completely spent, her thighs trembling as she hung over the windowsill while his thick heat throbbed inside her.

”Well, time to clean this up... bitch,” Lucien said, finally sliding his slick length slowly out of her overflowing entrance.

”Yeah... fucker... let my legs rest a little,” Anne gasped, her knees nearly giving out. She collapsed onto her knees right on the floor before his legs, eagerly wrapping her lips around Lucien’s glistening weapon. She took him deep into her mouth, sucking and cleaning off every drop of his thick essence, swallowing greedily until his length was completely spotless.

Elaria was working in her chamber making the antidote for her mother to wake up, she used Prince Rumil’s blood and then completed her potion.

”It’s done,” finally said Elaria.

”Sister... finally, if this works, Mom will be able to wake up once again!”

Suddenly the door opens and someone said, ”I’m back.”

It was a woman’s voice.