Bound to the vampire I must kill-Chapter 63: Assassin

Chapter 63

Seraphina stood before the full-length mirror, her maids making last-minute adjustments to the gown she was about to wear for her walk with Rhydian. She had casually mentioned to him earlier about the fire fruit she missed, and, to her surprise, he had proposed they go out together to find it. The thought of spending more time with him set a fluttering excitement in her chest. She had missed him lately, he’d been really busy with court matters and they rarely had time alone.

"Your Highness, your gown is perfect," one of the maids said with a smile.

"Perfect, indeed," Seraphina murmured distractedly, checking herself once more in the mirror.

She could hardly contain her anticipation. They were about to leave, to walk side by side under the open sky, something she hadn’t done in a while. And for once, she intentionally wore a gown, just to seem more feminine. But just as she was about to step forward, a sharp knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Who’s there?" Seraphina called, her eyes flicking to the door, confused by the timing.

"I have a message from His Majesty," a voice replied.

Seraphina frowned from Rhydian?. "Come in."

The door creaked open, and a maid she had never seen before stepped inside. The woman walked toward her with an almost eerie grace, holding out a letter.

"His Majesty told me to give this to you," the maid said quietly.

Seraphina raised an eyebrow, taking the letter from the maid. She felt an odd tension in the air but waved the maid away, dismissing her without further thought. Her mind was already on Rhydian, on the walk they were about to take. So why the letter? Why not just come himself?

She shook her head, brushing off the thought, and opened the letter. The moment she did, a fine, powdery dust wafted up from the paper.

Seraphina coughed, the dust catching in her throat. She staggered back a step, her vision swimming. "What the hell?" she muttered under her breath, her hand instinctively shooting to her face, but it was already too late.

The dizziness took over too quickly. Before she could think, before she could react, she collapsed.

"Your Highness?" The maids shrieked in shock, reaching to check on her.

The door creaked open once more, and in the midst of the chaos, the same maid who had delivered the letter entered the room. But now, there was no trace of politeness. She moved with deadly precision, drawing a dagger from under her gown and slicing through the maids without hesitation. Blood splattered across the room as the women fell, lifeless.

The maid reached for seraphina next, lifting the blade, ready to strike.

But then, just as the blade was about to come down, Seraphina’s eyes snapped open.

The maid froze, a flicker of surprise crossing her face as Seraphina’s hand shot out, gripping her wrist in a strong hold. The smirk on Seraphina’s face was cold and sharp, laced with sarcasm."I know an assassin when I see one. Nice to meet you." She whispered.

Then, she twisted the maid’s arm with a brutal force, shoving her backward. The assassin staggered but quickly regained her footing, leaping back just in time to avoid Seraphina’s counterattack.

Seraphina stood up slowly, brushing herself off as if nothing had happened. The powder she had inhaled still worked its way through her system, but she refused to show weakness. She acted nonchalant, though inside, her pulse was racing. The powder which she believed was meant to make her fall asleep was already spreading—she could feel her head pounding, her vision swimming, she was just moment away from passing out, but she refused to show any vulnerability.

"Didn’t think I’d get up, did you?" Seraphina quipped, her voice low and mocking.

The maid’s eyes narrowed, her expression cold, her body tense. "How did you know I was an assassin?" she asked.

"Because it’s obvious." Seraphina replied, her voice smooth and confident. "Simple. Besides..." she let her gaze fall on the assassin’s calloused hand. "Your calloused hands made it obvious. Years of holding weapons, and don’t even think of leaving here alive, cos I won’t allow it."

The assassin stiffened for a moment but quickly regained her composure. "Let’s see how you do when the poison starts acts up," she said, her voice laced with a chilling smile.

Seraphina’s face darkened. "That was... poison?"

"Did you think I’d use only knockout power on a witch?" the maid laughed with mockery, her voice dripping with cruel pleasure. "The poison will slowly penetrate your skin, seep into your pores, and invade your system. When it reaches your heart, the pain will be so excruciating you’ll wish you were dead. In fact, you’ll beg me to kill you."

Seraphina’s heart skipped a beat. Poison?She was actually beginning to feel something different, something she had thought was just her about to pass out suddenly felt different, but she fought to keep her expression impassive.

"So, who sent you?" Seraphina demanded, her voice low and steady.

The assassin sneered, her lips curling into a malicious grin. "No one. I just hate you," she spat. "I despise you. I despise all of you witches. You don’t deserve to live."

Seraphina’s eyes narrowed. "Don’t give me that shit," she said, her voice steady despite the growing pressure in her chest. "Those eyes—you’re not looking at me like someone you want to destroy. You’re looking at me like I’m a prey you want to savor killing."

The assassin’s smile faltered, but quickly composed herself. She straightened, preparing for Seraphina’s next move.

Seraphina’s gaze never wavered. She took slow steps forward, her body growing heavier with each passing moment, the poison digging deeper into her system. Immune to poison her ass. This was the second time she’s almost dying from poisoning. Dorian was so damn wrong. She wasn’t immune at all. Rhydian’s blood had dispersed the poison back then, because it remained in her system for a while before she was injected with the spiders poison, and back at the dragon kingdom, he had also dispersed the arrow poison with his blood. It was all his blood, nothing more.Her hands were shaking now, but she kept it hidden.

"So tell me," Seraphina continued, her voice hardening, "who really sent you?"

The assassin’s smile grew wider, darker. "Let’s just say you offended someone you weren’t supposed to," she said with a cruel laugh. "It’s a shame. We could have been friends if I wasn’t ordered to kill you. I really like you you know. But don’t blame me. I’m just trying to earn a living."

Seraphina’s breath came in short gasps. The poison had already reached her heart, and she had began to feel and excruciating suffocating pain, exactly as this woman had foretold. She stopped moving, clutching her chest as her vision blurred. Every breath felt like it was being squeezed from her lungs. She coughed, blood splattering from her mouth as the pressure inside her body grew unbearable.

"Damn it," she whispered through clenched teeth, barely able to hold herself upright. "I hate this."

The assassin’s grin widened as she approached.

"You know, the king won’t let you off, right? He’ll destroy you."Seraphina’s voice came out rasping, almost a whisper. If only Rhydian was here. If only he would come now, if only he was here to save her like he always did. Fuck, since when had she become this weak.

"He won’t save you," . "He isn’t even here." The woman said, her gaze flashed with something dark.

The assassin’s smirk grew wider. "Besides, He won’t catch me. He can’t. I’m really good at disappearing without any trace." She circled Seraphina slowly, confident now, knowing that Seraphina was too weak to defend herself. "You think we’d try something like this without planning every move?"

Seraphina barely heard her, her mind clouded with pain. But she managed one last defiant word. "Try it."

The assassin leaned in, her blade gleaming in the dim light. "So tell me, should I make your death quick and painless, or do you want me to leave you to die with excruciating pain?" Her voice was full of mockery.

Seraphina couldn’t speak anymore. The poison was closing in, the pressure in her chest was unbearable, and her world was spinning. She was slipping, fading, and the only thought that rang in her head was the desperate hope that Rhydian would somehow come for her.