Bound to the vampire I must kill-Chapter 61: Rumor

Chapter 61

The grand council hall was unusually quiet that morning. Everyone seated at the long polished table seemed to be walking on eggshells, too afraid to speak unless spoken to. Rhydian sat at the head, his expression unreadable, his fingers lightly tapping against the wooden armrest of his chair. His crimson eyes scanned each member slowly, watching, waiting.

"Does anyone have anything to say before we conclude?" he finally asked, his voice calm but firm.

For a brief moment, there was silence. Then, one of the men at the far end of the table hesitantly raised his hand, indicating he had something to say.

"Speak," Rhydian allowed, giving a slight nod.

The man stood up, his palms sweating as he glanced briefly around the room. "Your Majesty, there’s been a rumor going on about..." He suddenly paused, as if reconsidering his words.

Rhydian narrowed his eyes slightly. "Go on. About what?" he asked, tone sharp.

The man swallowed hard, and finally continued, "About the queen."

At that, Rhydian’s expression immediately hardened. His posture straightened even more, and a cold edge crept into his gaze.

"Go on. Talk," Rhydian urged him, wanting him to get to the point.

The man hesitated again, his eyes darting to the side. Nervously, he cast a side glance at the Duke, and the Duke, calm and collected as always, gave him a subtle nod of approval—permission to speak freely.

With that small signal, the man finally pressed forward.

"So... a few maids in the palace said they caught the queen sending out secret letters. And one of those letters accidentally landed in their hands. When they read through it... they found out it was addressed to the Dragon Kingdom."

Rhydian’s jaw clenched instantly. What the hell was this old geezer talking about? His mind rejected the claim on instinct, but he kept his expression tightly controlled.

The man didn’t stop there. He was getting bolder, seeing that he hadn’t yet been shut down.

"We suspect she’s working with the Dragon Empire... to bring us down."

The council chamber fell into absolute silence. The accusation hung in the air like poison.

Rhydian stared at him for a few more seconds before speaking again.

"Are you done?" he asked, his voice now completely emotionless—flat, cold.

The man stammered, "No, Your Majesty... there’s another rumor."

He paused again, this time unsure if he should really continue, but the weight of the Duke’s nod still gave him courage.

"That she has you under a spell... and has blinded you. That the reason why—"

He didn’t get to finish his sentence.

BANG.

Rhydian slammed his palm hard against the table, the sound echoing like thunder across the silent room. Every official present flinched in shock, their eyes widening. Rhydian had snapped—and when he snapped, it wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

So they dared to plot against her now? His mind raged. Just who the hell would dare to try this?

His gaze swept the room, his fury barely contained.

"Who started this rumor?" he asked, voice now cold and deadly.

Everyone froze. The man who had spoken visibly trembled under Rhydian’s piercing glare. None of them had ever seen him this furious. Not even close.

"Your Majesty, I—" the man stuttered, but Rhydian cut him off.

"If you don’t find the person who started this crazy rumor before tomorrow..." Rhydian leaned forward slightly, his tone sharper than a blade, "I’ll have your head."

The man’s knees nearly buckled at the threat, and a few of the council members looked away, unwilling to meet Rhydian’s eyes.

Without another word, Rhydian pushed back his chair and stormed out of the council hall, his boots echoing sharply against the marble floor. He was fuming, his fists clenched.

The hell was going on? Had Seraphina offended someone enough for them to actually plot against her like this?

As he made his way down the hallway, Edmund, who had been waiting nearby, immediately noticed the deadly aura surrounding him. He hadn’t seen that cold expression on Rhydian’s face since before he and Seraphina officially got together.

Edmund wanted to ask what went wrong—but the look in Rhydian’s eyes silenced him. So instead, he just quietly followed behind him.

"Don’t follow me," Rhydian ordered, voice clipped and emotionless.

Edmund instantly stopped in his tracks, watching Rhydian walk off with a heavy sigh. He didn’t dare question anything—not now.

Rhydian had every intention of heading straight to the Duke’s mansion, but he knew better than to act impulsively. He couldn’t afford to make things too obvious—not when the enemy was still hiding behind rumors.

So, he stopped in his tracks.

"Come," he said suddenly, not turning around.

Edmund’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, but he didn’t waste a moment. He rushed toward Rhydian, falling in step beside him.

"I need you to... call Karine for me. Tell her to meet me in my chambers," Rhydian said without looking at him.

Edmund’s brows furrowed slightly, clearly caught off guard. "Your chambers?" he repeated, just to be sure.

Rhydian gave a silent nod.

Seeing the sour mood Rhydian was in, Edmund didn’t dare ask further questions. He bowed his head slightly and immediately turned to carry out the order he’d been given.

---

Soon enough, he arrived at the Duke’s mansion. There, he was greeted by two of the guards stationed at the gate.

"I’m here for Lady Karine," he said simply.

"She’s not here," one of the guards replied. "She went to visit the princess."

At the mention of the princess, Edmund’s expression tensed slightly. His mind drifted for a second towards her. But he quickly pushed the thought aside and forced his features into neutrality.

"Thank you," he said, then turned on his heels and headed straight for her quarters.

Once there, he cleared his throat before speaking. "Is Lady Karine in here, perhaps?"

Inside, Ella and Karine were seated together, clearly in the middle of girl talk. Ella’s face lit up the second she recognized the voice.

"Karine, he is asking about you," she whispered, nudging her friend playfully.

Karine frowned, clearly unimpressed. "What would he want with me?" she scoffed.

She looked down on Edmund—and it showed. She never made an effort to hide it.

Ella, however, didn’t seem to like her tone. She folded her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Why else would he be looking for you if it isn’t direct orders from my brother?"

Karine’s expression immediately changed. Her eyes widened just a bit, her heart skipping a beat.

She straightened her back, her voice suddenly much sweeter. "I’m here," she called out.

Edmund stepped forward slightly. "His Majesty has summoned you. He said you should come over to his chambers."

Karine’s heart practically leaped with joy. His chambers. That could only mean one thing, right?

Was he considering her now? Had he finally opened his eyes and seen what a trash his current wife actually is?

A thousand thoughts and possibilities flooded her head, and each one brought a smug smile to her lips. What she didn’t know was that she was about to walk straight into real, serious trouble.