The Crown's Obsession (WN)
chapter-363

Madeline stepped into the gallery room following Calhoun, she turned to ask him, "What was that?" Given Calhoun could be odd at times, she didn't understand his action that took place a few seconds ago.

"Remember how I said your aunt was not a threat? Well let's cancel that," he waved his hand. He raised the chain that held a circle like pendant in it, "This is not the same as what your sister wears."

When he went to wear the chain, Madeline asked, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to see if the chain is cursed. It will affect me less than you," and he wore the chain around his neck. For a few seconds, nothing happened and she wondered if Calhoun was wrong, but then suddenly she saw him fall on his knees, "Calhoun!" She tried to get to him, but she was only pushed across the room to crash against the many canvases that were placed upright.

She felt the slight ache on her back. Calhoun looked like he was huffing for air and when he raised his head, Madeline caught sight of him baring his fangs and his wings automatically appeared from his back, taking most of the space in the room. His eyes had turned black, and there were roots like lines that spread around his eyes.

It seemed like the chain had brought out Calhoun's true nature within a few seconds. Madeline gritted her teeth. She believed her aunt had dropped the subject, but it seems like Aunt Mary was adamant in testing her.

"Cal?" Madeline called his name, trying to inch closer to him. She doubted having the chain around his neck for a long time was a good idea. She had to get it off of his neck! On hearing his name, Calhoun turned to look at Madeline, but she doubted he was in his sane mind. Especially the way he looked at her as if she was the last piece of meal on this land. She gulped.

Madeline didn't have a good feeling about this. She had heard the door lock after she had entered the gallery, which would mean it was just Calhoun and her in here now. She noticed some of the features on his face had changed compared to his usual one- the colour of his eyes and his fangs looked more deadly.

Was this his demon side?

She tried to race her brain on what to do apart from removing the chain. To remove the chain, she was supposed to be near Calhoun, but there was a possibility of him drinking her dry today. Madeline tried to keep herself calm because from what she had gathered, her body went to the defensive mode when it felt threatened and she didn't want to hurt Calhoun.

Calhoun took slow steps towards her, pushing one canvas that stood in his way. When he came to stand right in front of her, Madeline could feel her heart starting to thump loudly in her chest. It was hard to break her gaze away from him.

Before Madeline could bat an eyelash, Calhoun had opened his mouth wide and sunk his teeth between her neck and shoulder to drink blood from her. She flinched at the pain she felt, and at the same time, her hands went around his neck to unhook the chain from his neck.

When she successfully removed the chain, it fell on the ground, and after a second Calhoun's fangs retracted back into his mouth.

"Fuck!" he cursed under his breath.

"You are back," whispered Madeline willing her heartbeat back to normal.

Calhoun pulled away from her to see Madeline smile, "Did I hurt you?" he questioned and then said, "I am so sorry," the words rushed out of his mouth before he pulled her in his arms and hugged her tightly.

"I am okay," replied Madeline while patting his back, but Calhoun could hear her heart racing in her chest. He would deal with the other people later when they came, but he couldn't have Madeline's aunt around her anymore.

"Your aunt received a direct entry to hell," said Calhoun.

By the time of the evening, Mary was found behind the rusty iron bars of the dungeon without anyone's knowledge as she was dragged away from the castle when she was walking alone in the garden.

Far away from the castle and in the mountains that was hidden by the thick trees of the forest, in a dark cave, was a coffin that was made of black polished wood, an old man rested in it with his eyes closed while the lid of the coffin was removed.

The inside of the coffin was cushioned in red silk, and the old man looked old with grey hair and wrinkles on his face. A man arrived at the side of the casket, "M-milord, we found some information." But the old man didn't open his eyes, and it looked like he was in a deep sleep. The man cleared his throat, "Constance is dead." This time the old man's eyes flew open, his eyes were red in colour.

"Check again," said the old vampire, not hiding his fangs.

The servant who had come to inform was also a vampire, he opened his mouth but closed it right away. He had checked it three times to make sure the news was right.

"What are you doing standing there like a fool?" the old man got up from the coffin and stepped out of it.

He glared at his servant, who didn't dare to look up, "M-milord. I got three other people to check and t-that's what we found."

The older vampire's eyes flared in anger, and he caught hold of his servant's neck. Pushing him against the cold wall of the cave, "How can my daughter be dead, when I told you to look after her?" he asked in a low tone. In a blink of an eye, the old man changed his appearance to a man to be in his early thirties, "Have you lost your fucking tongue?"

The servant didn't know how to answer his master. It was true that he was assigned to watch over the young lady, but she had given them the slip and had never returned. He blabbered incoherent words, and the servant was thrown to the side.

"Take me to the place where she rests now," demanded the old vampire with a glare.