?Upon hearing Barik''s words, I sighed inwardly. ''If only we had a choice. Joseph already made the decision for us.''


    Despite bottling up myints and keeping my frustration to myself, my emotions were bared with the slight scowl on my face. My eyes narrowed, my brow creased, and my lips curled back.


    The carriage door flung open with a suddenness that jolted me from my thoughts. In the blink of an eye, a woman burst from inside, her eyes shing with fury as she stood on the transport''s step.


    The soldiers who stood at attention before her were taken aback by her sudden appearance, their expressions ranging differently on the spectrum from curiosity to confusion.


    "Uh... Lady Graves! We weren''t expecting you!" the lead guard bowed his head, and the rest followed. Unlike the rest, he hadn''t worn a thick set of leather or iron-banded armor. Rather, his attire was limited to dirtied trousers paired with a bup brown overcoat.


    She ignored the greeting, instead looking over the line of soldiers like one would an irritant.


    The woman''s skin was as white as porcin, and she was dressed in avish, dark-colored ensemble that contrasted strikingly with her pallor.


    The ckce and ash-red cloth in her embroidered blouse enhanced her allure. Apanying it was a pair of pants woven from reinforced silk. They were tightly fitted to her form like a second skin and reinforced with elegant strands of red threaded throughout for added style.


    Her visage left asting impression on all whoid eyes upon her.


    The blouse''s sleeves ended just below her shoulders. They were followed by a clipped-on, translucent fabric that billowed around her arms, further enhancing the woman''s beauty.


    Her petite frame was proportionally wless in terms of femininity. Apanying it, she boasted a pair of mboyant, molten yellow irises and medium-length hair so vibrantly red you''d think it radiated heat.


    Like her physical features, her words were bold and imposing. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU LOT DOING?!" she bellowed at the soldiers, her every syble emphasized by lingering echoes across the homestead.


    The leader of the troop shamefully averted his gaze; his pride and resolve vanished like mist in the morning sun. Finally, he slunk away with fearful cowardice and bowed his head.


    Though he returned his sight to the woman, the guard visibly struggled to maintain eye contact. "Uh... For-Forgive me, Lady Graves!" the guard meekly replied with a head arced in shame. "I''m not sure what you''re spea-"


    "THE BLOOD, YOU OAF!" she snarled while baring her teeth. "Do none of you sense that offensive scent of death and decay that pollutes the air?! Why have noses if they''re too deaf to notice something so obvious?!"


    The guards looked at each other, their brows furrowed in confusion. Their leader tried to maintain hisposure and asked Lady Graves with a hint of apprehension, "Could you please rify what you mean by blood? We apologize for our ignorance."


    She let out a tired sigh before attempting to speak. "YOU-" However, the woman stopped her countenance of passionate anger, quickly shifting to surprise when a ck-gloved hand took hold of her shoulder from behind.


    "It''s him..." Barik muttered with a suspenseful look, tightening his grip on his il as if he expected an ambush at any moment. "It''s Vincent..."


    From the silence, a smooth voice pierced the air like a dagger. Its tone was cold and measured, with a sharp ent to match. "Leave it, Lilia. They''re human, remember? Their olfactory senses are inferior to ours. An inevitable consequence of their imperfect biology."


    "Sounds like an excuse," the woman pouted, her intrigue burning away to impatience. She then crossed her arms over her modest bust and shot the soldiers a frustrated re.


    "Perhaps so!" Vincent elegantlyughed and affectionately patted Lilia''s head, causing her to scowl and grumble.


    "Knock it off, brother!" she shook his hand from her head and growled. "Stop treating me like a child!"


    "Sorry, sorry," heughed again. "You''re always so energetic; I can''t help but tease you." Then, while Lilia bared her fangs and growled, Vincent disinterestedly strolled past his sister. He twirled his silver-studded cane and whistled a pleasant tune as he approached the soldiers.


    His ck leather dress shoes creaked while crunching the gravel beneath. With every step he took, the soldiers'' profuse sweating grew more severe.


    Now that sunlight illuminated him, I gleaned more about Vincent''s appearance.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He wore an immacte red suit with golden buttons and thread, and his crimson dress pants were seamlessly matched toplete the aesthetic. The cuffs of his sleeves were neatly folded back with perfect symmetry.


    ''Yeah, they''re definitely siblings,'' I narrowed my eyes, noticing the striking resemnce between Vincent and Lilia. The shared hue and color of their eyes and hair made that fact apparent.


    There was one ring difference, however. Vincent''s hair was uniquely streaked with ck amongst the red, a stark contrast to the uniformity of his attire. In addition, a light ginger beard partially obscured his chiseled, handsome features, giving his face an air of maturity.


    He came to a halt before the soldiers, a slight smile adorning his lips, but an unmistakable sense of dread emanating from his very being. "My dear sister is, indeed, correct," he began in a voice that dripped with aristocratic elegance. "I sense the presence of death in the air. Pray tell, have your men recently disposed of any undesirables?"


    The guard captain shook his head and stammered, "N-No, Sir Graves. I don''t be-believe so."


    "I see..." Vincent brought his cane''s tip to his pursed lips, and hummed. "Well, might I inquire if you''ve checked in with your patrols?"


    "Damn," I mumbled. ''I guess it makes sense for vampires to have a strong sense of smell...''


    "Patrols?" the guard captain''s expression twisted with uncertainty.


    "Indeed! If your men haven''t confirmed any deaths, then I imagine some have probably found their own abrupt ends." Vincent arced his neck, sniffed, and pointed to where we''d left three men lying dead in a ditch. "By my estimates, I''d say there''s about three dead that way."


    The captain clenched his teeth in anger, and his expression became deadpan with shock. "My men?.. Dead?.."


    "Unfortunately so," Vincent sighed, then aimed his cane toward the warehouse; his gesture forced the three of us to hastily duck to avoid detection. "The aroma of copper and insides is particrly strong there. Strong enough to put a morgue to shame. I''d say the wall and that building would be splendid starting locations for your little investigation! Don''t you agree?"


    The captain ground his teeth together in frustration. "Someone''s going around killing MY MEN?!" He took a deep breath, steadying his seething rage before locking eyes with Vincent once more.


    "Right away, Sir Graves, we''ll take care of it," the guard captain bowed to Vincent, then set his sights on the line of soldiers beside him. "YOU HEARD HIM, YOU LOUTS! EARN YOUR KEEP AND FIND THE TRASH! KILL ON SIGHT!"


    "SIR, YES, SIR!" they unanimously replied. Half began a stomping run toward thepound''s open gate. While the others approached us with brandished weapons.


    "Shit, not good!" I shouted in a whisper and looked at the two beside me for solutions. However, their expressions were just as troubled as mine. We were stuck, and our cover was about to be blown.


    "Guess the cat''s out of the bag," Barik quietly chuckled, readying his il for a skirmish to the death.


    At least, that was the case until Lilia loudly sighed. "I''M BOOOORED!"


    She then hailed the group moving toward us. "You lot! Go with the rest to check the wall," her eyes shed with curiosity as she gazed at the warehouse. "I want to check that spot myself... That''s okay, right brother?" she shifted her eyes toward Vincent.


    Vincent shook his head and raised his cane with a smile. "Whatever suits you best, Dear Sister. Just be careful, alright?"


    "I''ll be fine! I just hope I can find some entertainment there..."


    Following Lilia''s orders, the rest of the guards promptly moved to thepound''s gateway. The captain tried to follow but was halted when the curved silver handle from Vincent''s cane wrapped around his left shoulder.


    "Uh... Is there something else I can do for you, Sir?" the guard captain asked with apprehension.


    Vincent grinned menacingly and tilted his head. "Take me to the girl, will you?"