The Duke's Passion

Chapter 723  Root

Meanwhile, in the room Lilou failed to check, a group of people were inside. The air was thick and silent, yet no one seem willing to break it. On the chairs around the table sat Samael. Next to him was Rufus, and then Tilly and Law. From Samael's left — next to a vacant chair — was Stefan and then Heliot.

"Tilly." Law tugged Tilly's skirt and called in a whisper. When she gazed at him and tilted her head, he asked. "Do you know where Mister Fabian kept the princess?"

Tilly looked up for a moment to ponder. Looking back at Law, she nodded.

"Where?" he perked up cautiously, keeping his voice as low as possible.

"Six feet under the ground."

Law's face froze when he felt this aura Heliot was pulling upon Tilly's answer. Right now, Fabian was retrieving Heliot's little sister like a piece of luggage while they wait in here. The prince would've gone himself, but since he was already here, Samael and Stefan trap him in here to talk. Stefan wouldn't have agreed, but since the matter was urgent and he could blame Samael for it, he feigned innocence.

"Don't you all understand we cannot approach this matter so easily?" Heliot breathed out through his gritted teeth, keeping his anger at bay. "You are putting our Karo at risk."

His fist on the table trembled, glaring daggers at the La Crox. He even sent a death glare at Stefan, who has purposely looked away as if that would make him appear innocent.

"Come on, Heliot. What's there to put risk when whatever you do, it's still a risk --"

<nullb>SLAM!

"Our Karo had been affiliated with the mainland ever since our Von Stein clan left your land." Heliot's voice shook at the audacity of this Samael. "We are unlike you, who can make decisions out of personal whims. We regard our decision as important, for we always consider the lives of our people."

"And those lives will be taken in a moment's hesitation," Samael returned firmly. "Heliot, it is not like I do not understand the reason you want to approach this matter as carefully, just like how you approach a virgin for your first night. However, Karo will be in danger. The mainland may have fallen by now — or rather, the royal family might've fallen in the hands of those greedy purebloods as we speak."

"It seemed you are the one who cannot understand the gravity of this situation," he continued, leaning his arms against the edge of the table, eyes glinting solemnly at Heliot. "This isn't about me or you, Prince. I don't care if Karo or the Heart Kingdom fall. You can all die for all I care. However, this situation also involved my family."

"No." Heliot shook his head and leaned his upper body forward. "Your family isn't just involved here, but you are the root of this problem. You want me and my men to march to Spade and become your fodder."

Samael smirked. "I won't deny that, but I tell you, Heliot. If we, the Grimsbanne, chose to be selfish, then you lot better bid your loved one farewell. We do not want this problem and we didn't ask for this, but there were certain people who wants us dead with just the sheer thought of our existence."

"Do you understand why they were targeting us?" he added and cocked his head to the side. "Because we are fucking demons, by heart and by soul. If we want mayhem, we can always cause one. And no one can stop us."

Samael moved closer and his eyes never left Heliot. "Listen here, Heliot. We are giving you and other people a chance to live. Be our friend or our enemy, I'm fine with either. Don't think you are doing us a favor, because you're not. I am doing everyone a favor by trying to settle this in a much, much more peaceful resolution so my kids don't have to live amongst themselves."

There was a long silence in the room after Samael's threatening remarks. The latter leaned back, eyes still on Heliot. Samael's usual aggravating smirk was gone, replaced by solemnity and killing intent. Surely, every time Samael would take things seriously, his words stung.

Even Stefan was unable to rebut that because what Samael said was facts. They might appear to be helping them, but it was actually the other way around. The Grimsbanne was the direct descendants of the original vampire who held extraordinary power only the gods could fight. If the Grimsbanne clan simply chose the easiest route and that was to exterminate every threat by killing them, then this story would be a lot thinner.

However, instead of choosing the easiest way, they resorted to seeking others' help. Claude's reversing the time — or as mentioned, opening the portal to the regression and locking the imbalance of the world, and he only bore a portion of the Grimsbanne blood was the perfect example of how terrifying creatures they were.

There were more out there, like Tilly, who carried pure Grimsbanne blood. That was why... what Samael was saying was true. They may be the root of this problem, but they could easily manage it on their own, but in a much more brutal and troublesome way.

"Samael is right." Tilly broke the prolonged silence with a nod. "If he decides to let things on their own since Lilou is with him again, sacrificing the memories and relationships they built with others is not much of a sacrifice for him."

Heliot huffed as his anger slightly subsided, eyes landing on Tilly's petite figure. "Should I thank you for that?"

"Not me, but him." She pointed at Samael, not getting the sarcasm in his remarks. "He is the one who decides. Thank him."

"Hah..." Heliot chuckled in disbelief as he shook his head. Samael was an arrogant prick who was unfortunately blessed with a sharp mind, and the other Grimsbanne was someone who was going with the flow without care.

"I want Florence unharmed. Not even a scratch," he mumbled, swallowing down the tension in his throat. "If that butler brought her here safely, then I'll do what you are requesting, but at my own discretion. I will not allow you to order me around and send my people to their death."

"Fabian won't harm his sister-in-law… oh, I think your sister wants to be harmed by him," Tilly commented in the same tone, looking at everyone who was looking at her in bafflement. "I hope they get married because Rufus didn't treat her right," she added.

"…"