A week later, the day of reckoning arrived.
Outside Montclair's lavish estate, carriages belonging to Viscount Bernhardt and other nobles lined up like a procession of vengeance. The court orders clutched in their hands were as good as nooses around Montclair's neck.
Inside the mansion, Montclair stared out the window, his face ashen. His eyes were already clouded with a mix of terror and despair.
"This... this can't be happening. How could they all come for me at once!"
The butler rushed in.
"Count, the court officials are preparing to seize your assets. If you don't pay all your debts immediately—"
"What? That's impossible! All of this can't be happening at the same time! This is someone's plot! Some vicious bastard trying to destroy me!"
Montclair found it suspicious that the nobles had suddenly risen up against him. Someone must have orchestrated this. But it was already too late. Even he couldn't defy a court order.
At Viscount Albuselle's estate.
"Is something wrong?"
The Viscountess asked when her husband returned from his errands looking troubled.
"It's about Count Montclair."
"What about the Count?"
"Well... Ha! He's ruined."
"What? What do you mean ruined? The Count is bankrupt?" The Viscountess's voice trembled with anxiety.
"Apparently he's been pocketing profits and running scams. All the nobles he defrauded have turned on him. Montclair couldn't fight the court's ruling."
"What? But... what about our money?"
The Viscountess was frantic, worried about the substantial sum they were supposed to receive for arranging Leah's marriage to Montclair.
"It's gone. All of it." Her husband's words sank like a heavy weight.
The Viscountess erupted in fury. The dizzying sense of loss made her world spin.
"What about Beth's dress and jewelry for the social season? I was going to renovate the garden with that money! Damn that Montclair!"
"There's nothing we can do. What's gone is gone."
The Viscount was upset, but he chose resignation over rage, puffing heavily on his cigarette. The Viscountess's brow furrowed deeply. Rage at losing such a fortune boiled within her.
"Wait—did Leah send that letter or not?"
Remembering that she'd ordered Leah to write to Eugene, the Viscountess stormed out of the drawing room to check.
At Count Montclair's estate.
"Aaaahhh!"
Lucien wailed, clutching the bankruptcy petition. He collapsed onto the sofa, burying his head in his hands. He couldn't believe that in just one week, he'd become penniless. Everything had vanished like a mirage.
"Count."
At the sudden voice, Montclair's head snapped up. Eugene stood before him, his face too perfect to be human.
"Your Grace, what brings you here..."
As Montclair asked in confusion, Eugene smiled coldly, looking down at him as one might regard trash on the street. His gaze was ice-cold.
"I came to witness the miserable end of a man who deceived people with lies and built his fortune through exploitation."
Montclair's face went blank at his words, then twisted with rage. A chilling realization crossed his pale features.
"Wait... did you... did you do this?"
Eugene's sneering smile was answer enough. Lucien shot up from the sofa and lunged toward Eugene.
"You! You did this! Why? I never wronged you! So why!"
Montclair shrieked, squeezing out his last reserves of strength. He reached out to grab Eugene by the collar, but when he met those cold eyes, his body flinched and froze. Those eyes held an absolute power that couldn't be challenged.
"Don't you think you brought this on yourself? Think about what you've done. Even if I hadn't intervened, you would have fallen eventually."
Eugene spoke in an emotionless, icy voice. It was true. He'd only acted now because of Leia, but Lucien's web of lies would have unraveled sooner or later.
Lucien staggered back, clutching his head, then whirled around to glare at Eugene. His eyes glittered with hatred.
"Duke Alberesque, I won't let you get away with this!"
Even at Lucien's threat, Eugene maintained his composure and laughed mockingly.
"Anytime. I'll be waiting for your challenge."
Eugene turned and left Lucien's estate. Behind him came the sound of anguished screams and furniture being smashed. Lucien seemed to be destroying everything in his rage.
Eugene clicked his tongue briefly and climbed into his waiting carriage. The carriage slowly departed from Lucien's territory.
Three days later, the full moon arrived. For the twin brothers, it was hunting night.
"Brother, I'm heading out."
Hector said lightly as he fastened his cloak. His face held the fierce anticipation of a hunter. His golden eyes flashed with excitement.
"Where are you going?"
"I've heard rumors of smugglers swarming around the harbor lately. I'm going to check it out."
Hector licked his lips, relishing the prospect of hunting bad men. Hunting humans who didn't deserve mercy was both his hobby and his instinct. Watching his brother who had no qualms about hunting humans, Eugene let out a small, resigned sigh.
On full moon nights, vampires were even more eager to hunt.
"Don't go too wild."
"Come on, Brother. On a night like this, you should enjoy yourself. You should go hunting too. You're not seriously planning to stay in the castle tonight, are you?"
When Hector asked with slight concern, Eugene waved his hand dismissively. Hector chuckled and left the study.
Eugene could sense his brother disappearing in an instant with vampiric speed. Tonight, even the servants weren't staying in the castle.
Knowing the twins' strong hunting urges toward humans, Alex had evacuated the staff.
Eugene remained alone in the study. Outside the window, the full moon shone brightly. At the sight of the luminous moon, Eugene's clear blue eyes turned a deep golden hue like sunset.
"Ugh..."
A fierce thirst began to burn from deep within Eugene's heart. Suppressing a groan at the craving for blood, he gripped the desk. The wood creaked. Veins bulged on the back of his hand. His golden eyes trembled as they fixed on one point.
He took deep breaths and closed his eyes, trying to endure the thirst for blood. Then, a memory resurfaced vividly.
The moment he remembered the sweet, warm taste of Leia's blood flowing down his throat, that euphoric instant that had soothed his entire body—his eyes snapped open.
"No..."
Eugene's hand gripped the desk even harder. Black veins crawled up his neck like spider webs. For him, who had survived 300 years on animal blood alone, the first taste of human blood had been like an unimaginably powerful drug.
Her warm blood flowing through his body had felt as if it brought him—born a monster—back to life. He missed the euphoria of her blood deep in his bones. He wanted to drink it right now. A persistent, intense craving for her blood rose throughout his body.
"Leah..."
Her name escaped between his lips with a suppressed groan. Remembering her fresh green eyes looking at him, his thirst doubled. As if in agony, he covered his face with both hands.
"Absolutely... not."
Eugene tried to hypnotize himself. But as his fangs emerged and black veins appeared on his face, it became harder to endure.
Tonight was the night when all monsters returned to their true nature. Unable to resist any longer, Eugene flung open the study door. A cold, silent corridor stretched before him.
'No! Stop!' his reason screamed.
His grip tightened on the door.
'Why not? I'm just going to check on her. I won't hurt her, never...'
Another voice whispered sweetly in his head.
'No! Absolutely not.'
He breathed heavily in his internal struggle. Then, one corner of his mouth lifted. His golden eyes glinted dangerously.
"Right, I have no intention of hurting her. I'm just going to see her face. What's wrong with that?"
His low, dangerous voice echoed through the corridor. His mind made up, he vanished with a whoosh, leaving the corridor empty.
Eugene arrived at the Viscount's house in an instant. He closed his eyes and listened.
Since it was late at night and everyone seemed to be asleep, the Viscount's house was eerily quiet. One corner of his mouth lifted. His heart pounded fiercely at the thought of seeing her. His red tongue briefly swept over his sharp fangs.
As if he could already feel the soft touch of her neck, saliva pooled in his mouth. Suppressing his reason, he moved gleefully into the Viscount's house.
Soon, a black shadow appeared in the attic. The bright full moon shone through the window, dimly illuminating the room.
Seeing the fragile woman lying on the shabby bed, he approached step by careful step until he stood beside her. Up close, Leah's face glowed even paler in the moonlight. His eyes were drawn to her slender neck, especially the pulse beating rhythmically at her throat.
Hearing the sound of life so clearly, Eugene knelt down in rapture and drew closer to her. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. As he caught her sweet scent mixed with soap, a smile formed on his lips unbidden.
He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her. Her red hair spread luxuriantly across the pillow. The freckles hidden by her long lashes looked both pitiful and adorable. Unaware that a monster was looking down at her, she slept peacefully.
Her chest rose and fell slowly and calmly. Eugene wanted to touch her warm skin. So he slowly reached his hand toward her neck.
'Just... just a little, to feel her warmth...'
Just as his hand was about to touch near her neck—
"Mm... mmm..."
Leah moaned and shifted in her sleep. Eugene's body froze like stone. His lips, unable to hide his fangs, trembled slightly. Her small movement jolted him back to his senses.
"Hah!"
He exhaled softly and ran his hand down his face. His eyes were still golden, and black veins still covered his face and body.
'What am I doing? I was right on the verge of losing control.'
Though he had no intention of hurting her, he felt unbearably ashamed of himself standing before her with this monstrous face.
Eugene quickly rose to his feet and put distance between them. He couldn't stay in the same space as her any longer. His reason had reached its limit.
Before rushing out of the room, he turned back to look at sleeping Leah. He could imagine what would have happened if she'd woken and seen his monstrous appearance.
With a melancholy expression, he continued to gaze at Leah's bed, then left the room. Outside the Viscount's house, Eugene looked up at the sky. The full moon still shone brightly. With his monstrous face, Eugene headed for the deep forest to satisfy his thirst before it was too late.
He wanted to resolve this damnable thirst as quickly as possible.