The Crown's Obsession (WN)

Music Recommendation: Suicide Note by Jurrivh

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Lucy stayed in the bathtub for several minutes, submerged herself under the water while she stared at the tiny bubbles that escaped from her nose. Being a vampiress, it didn't harm her staying in this position for a long time. Still, when the memory of what she had seen at the gallows came to flash in front of her eyes, she gasped for air—pushing herself up from the water and breaking the surface so that she could breathe normally again.

She wondered if the pain would reduce tomorrow. Once she would sleep and wake up in the morning as if everything was just a dream and nothing more than that.

When she sucked the inside of her cheek, she felt the pain that had not reduced, and she got up from the bathtub, stepping out with water that dripped down from her body. Walking towards the nearby mirror, she looked at her reflection, where her body was covered with a towel.

Her face looked paler than the usual days, half because of staying in the water for so long, and another part of the reason was because of her mood. The girl who reflected in the mirror didn't smile. Eyes slightly red and hair wet with water, her red eyes caught sight of the deep cut her mother's ring had caused on her cheek.

After drying herself with a towel, she wore a dried dress from the cupboard. Before she could sit on the bed, the door of the patio knocked and in came Theodore.

"You are on time," whispered Lucy to him, and Theodore, who entered the room, handed her the bottle that contained the blood.

"I was here a few minutes ago, but noticed you were still yet to dry yourself and wear clothes. So I decided to stay out here and wait for you," stated Theodore without changing his expression and Lucy, who was about to take the bottle from his hand, a blush coated her cheeks. Did he see her when she was getting out of the bathing tub?

Taking the bottle from Theodore, she looked at it before her eyes moved to look into his eyes, "Whose blood is this?" Lucy asked this because she could feel the warmth of the blood that touched the bottle's outer surface. It only meant that the blood had been freshly drawn out from someone's body.

"Someone who was worthy to offer their blood to you. You will find it to your liking," informed Theodore and Lucy's heart that still ached, she asked,

"Not an innocent person's blood, right?" it mattered to Lucy from whom she was going to drink blood. Even though her parents had made the habit of providing her with unlimited glasses of blood, she had no idea where the blood came from and from whom. There was a difference in both the tastes, in what she drank from the glasses and the blood that she drank that was offered by Theodore.

Theodore bowed his head, "You have my word. It doesn't belong to the person who is innocent. Don't feel burdened by your thoughts and drink the blood without any doubt, milady," he said to her.

Lucy was thirsty, and she pulled open the cap of the bottle before her delicate lips connected to the opening of the bottle so that she could gulp down the blood. The blood was indeed tasty, like a delicacy, and she finished until the very last drops while some of them escaped from the corner of her lips.

Satisfied with what she drank, she returned the bottle to Theodore.

But Theodore didn't stop there. He stepped in front of her and raised his hand towards Lucy's face. Lucy wondered if the wound that she had received had started to bleed again, but instead of touching her cheeks, he used his thumb to rub on the skin at the corner of her lips.

"You had blood there," informed Theodore and Lucy, who had been spacing since the time of evening didn't know what to say, and she stared at him. "I can get you more if you want."

Lucy shook her head, "No, I am fine. I don't think I have an appetite for one more bottle of blood." She took a step back, her heart thumping in her chest at Theodore's action. "Thank you for the blood, but I think you should go."

Because of her, Ruby was no more alive. She doubted if she would be able to see another death because of her.

Theodore was not going to push her for an explanation, and he turned his head away, ready to leave when he heard her ask,

"I don't understand your actions, Theodore. Why do you risk your life for me?" Lucy looked at Theodore's back that faced her. "Nobody has ever broken rules in this castle, even though I am a princess, I have been subjected to punishments and people who help me will receive worse punishments than what I have for going against the King or Queen's words. So tell me why….why do you come here."

Theodore turned around to see Lucy, who looked at him anxiously, "People are punished for things they have done and not done, and I think we all can agree that you haven't done anything wrong. Moreover, a princess shouldn't be punished and no one should ever stay hungry."

"You know this is not my question and your answer is not what I am looking for," Lucy might be innocent, but she wasn't stupid.

"What is it that you would like to hear, milady? Tell me and if I can, I shall fulfill it," said Theodore, his words polite and his eyes looking at her through his round-framed glasses.

Lucy stared at Theodore, their eyes not breaking away from each other, "Do you kill people often to offer blood to someone? Do you sneak into other girls rooms at night?"

Theodore's lips quirked, and a soft sigh escaped his lips.

"I am not the person who you see me to be, Lady Lucy."

"That doesn't answer my questions," said Lucy before looking away from him. "Okay. You can go back and rest. I wouldn't want to burden you with anything. Thank you for the blood again."