The Crown's Obsession (WN)
chapter-121

Calhoun, who had the note in his hand, opened the piece of paper that was folded many times to make it small so that one wouldn't notice. He wouldn't have noticed if it weren't for Madeline's sudden surprised look that had led his eyes to trail down at her hand to find her clutching on to something.

The fire in the fireplace flickered softly, leaving an orange golden-like glow in the room where Calhoun sat. When he was on the last fold, finally about to see what was in there, the door of the room knocked from outside and in came his cousin sister Sophie. Sophie bent her body along with her head to show him the utmost respect.

Sophie noticed Calhoun, who was seated on the couch with a glass of blood in his hand. Internally she was overjoyed, realising Calhoun had not taken blood from the lowly human directly, and it had been offered to him through the glass.

"How was your trip in the village?" inquired Calhoun, while observing Sophie who tiptoed inside the room which she often liked to do whenever he was alone in here.

"It was okay. I wished you were there to accompany me. Theodore is quite boring who barely talks, and I didn't feel like being there. Because of your painting, I thought it would be interesting, but I don't think this village was any good to see," replied Sophie, walking towards him and waiting for him to ask her to sit. But Calhoun was busy sipping the blood from the glass which he held.

"What were you expecting? It is a simple village," came the answer from Calhoun. He was holding the paper in his left hand and playing with it where he had to open the last fold to read what was in there.

Sophie turned her head around, looking at the things that was present there and her eyes fell on the fireplace before it shifted back to look at Calhoun, "Your painting is beautiful. I thought it would be something interesting. Compared to it, beheading the maid was much more interesting."

She then stepped towards the table of liquors, wanting to join him so that she could further her bond with him.

Calhoun took another sip from the glass until the very last drop of blood slid down to fall on his tongue, and he placed the empty glass aside. Sophie was a young vampiress, his cousin sister, but she was sharper than the rest of the girls of her age. The painting which he had made was indeed eye-catching because the village he had captured was not the one that belonged to where Madeline hailed from.

"I met Julianne on my way up here," chimed Sophie, who was standing in front of the table whose hands played with the edge of the table, "I didn't know you were thirsty. I would have helped if I knew."

Calhoun's lips twitched hearing this, "Are you saying you would offer yourself for me to drink?" a single eyebrow of his rose in question and Sophie tried to hide the blush, but nothing ever went unnoticed in front of the King, "Does your mother know you are here? I don't think she would be pleased with you if she found out that you have been hanging in the premise of the castle, near the King who is unmarried."

Sophie let go of the edge of the table, her heart skipping a beat which was not undead, to say, "Mother knows that I am here. I told her I was going to visit you."

"Visiting is, you coming to meet me and leaving after some time. It appears more like a vacation," stated Calhoun and Sophie clenched her teeth. Calhoun then said, "Go back to your home today. I am sure you wouldn't like people speaking ill about you."

The girl had been waiting for an opening like this for some time now, wanting to speak and strengthen their relationship by moving it forward, by not being just cousins.

She said, "What if that is what I want people to think?"

Calhoun stared at the girl, a whisper of chuckle leaving his lips, "Who knew that little Sophie wanted to defile her status. If you are that interested I will be happy to help you with it," and these words alone made the vampiress happy until she heard the next words that came through Calhoun's lips, "I know some men who might be of your taste. They will be more than happy to assist you," and the smile that was present on Sophie's face instantly fell.

For a few seconds, she didn't know what to say because what she had tried to convey to him and what he understood were two different things. What the girl didn't know was that Calhoun was not only older but also smarter than her. He knew where to ignore her words while using some of them to his advantage.

Sophie quickly shook her head, "That wasn't what I meant."

"If you didn't, you should go back to your home," said Calhoun and Sophie who wanted to sway his words, decided to bring a drink to him by her own hands by picking up the glass and pouring the alcohol in it. In the meantime, Calhoun opened the final fold of the paper to read what was written in there.

The words had been reduced to a size to fit into the little piece of paper, and Calhoun's eyes narrowed after looking at the words that were written in there.

Sophie walked towards Calhoun, holding two glasses in her hands. One for him and another for herself, "Brother Calhoun I made you a drink," she said, ignoring the words he previously said to her. Being a vampiress, Sophie had learned to have a thick skin. She had told herself that in the process of wanting to achieve her goal, there would be many obstacles which she would have to go through.

Calhoun didn't refuse the drink, but he didn't accept it either. When Sophie, who was waiting to see where to sit, he said, "Leave the room."

Sophie heard what Calhoun had clearly said to her, but for two seconds she stopped and stared at him, "What? Did I upset you?" she asked him with an oblivious look on her face.

"If you are smart you will leave the room instead of deciding to ignore the mood in the room, cousin," came the low threatening words from Calhoun and the oblivious expression was erased from the vampiress face. She had always been careful and attentive with her words while it came to speaking to him, and this was the first time Calhoun was asking her to get out of the room.

Pursing her lips for a moment, she finally parted her lips to say, "Why are you not acknowledging me? I have been nice-"

"If I wasn't, you would not be here," replied Calhoun. He took hold of the empty glass which he had placed earlier on his side to swipe his finger through the insides of the glass, picking up the remnants of the blood that was in there, and he put his finger in his mouth.

"We are not even related by blood! You know that I am-"

"Did you turn deaf, or did you choose to ignore what I just said?" asked Calhoun, his eyes moved from the glass to look at the vampiress whose eyes had turned wide. Sophie had been caught up with her thoughts that the vampiress had failed to read the King's mood, "It seems like you are in quite some mood today. I wonder if it is because you have overstayed in the castle," saying this, his lips stretched to a smile that looked no less to mocking.

Sophie gritted her teeth, and her hands had turned to tight fists that turned pale because of the lack of circulation of blood in her hand. She had been treading all these months carefully, trying to make sure not to overstep the lines. But with the human in here and Calhoun calling Julianne into the castle to feed blood on, it had pushed her. Not to forget how Sophie had been forced to share the carriage with the King's right-hand man and not with the King.

She couldn't believe she had gone through that! She deserved to ride and stand next to the King. Trying to even her voice, she started, "Mother said that she spoke to the minister about me-"

"One," interrupted Calhoun, and Sophie had to stop what she was saying finally. Clenching her teeth, she kept the glasses on the table and was ready to leave when she heard Calhoun say, "Close the door on your way out, cousin sister," he offered her a smile and his eyes appeared bright.

Sophie felt utterly humiliated! Almost on the verge of tears for being treated like this, she stepped out of the room and closed the door.

With Sophie, who left Calhoun alone in the room, the smile on his face slipped down, and he stood up. He walked towards the table to pick up the glass that Sophie had poured for him, to drink the content inside it before taking hold of another one in his hand. The blood he had consumed was not enough to quench his thirst, and he took a couple of sips from the glass he held. His mood irritated as he remembered what was written in the note.

In anger, Calhoun threw the glass right across him that touched the wall and broke into several pieces.