Adriana's POV
"A woman like you isn't the right choice for him.....I hope you reconsider your decision"
Those words reverberated inside my heart, each syllable cutting through my heart and lodging deep within. Even though Scylla had uttered those words in a mont of temper, the impact was profound, leaving a lasting impression on .
"I am also angry, you know," I muttered, clenching my fists.
The sight of Eli's battered body had devastated ..... It wasn't just Lilith and Scylla who harboured anger; I was furious too. But, even in that mont of intense emotion, I couldn't allow myself to act irrationally.
Unlike Lilith and Scylla, I bore the responsibility of leadership. Allowing my emotions to take control would lead to a path of recklessness. I was torn between my duty and the burning desire to search and hunt against each and every Council mber who disagreed with rescuing... and to take the Nex Heart, the only way to bypass the portal and save my beloved.
Yet, I hesitated....
"I-I don't understand whether it is love or not...." I mumbled in pain. Despite Eli assuring that my love surpassed the 'ordinary', doubts lingered that sa love hesitated to save him.
M-Maybe I should have kept those feelings hidden.....
I-I didn't want others to perceive my love as inferior compared to others...
When Scylla cast her eyes upon with a mix of disgust and betrayal.....a fear crept into my heart.
I wondered if Eli, too, regarded in such a way....
"I-I am scared!!" Just the re thought of Eli looking at with those disgusting and betrayed eyes sent a chill through my body.
I was scared...
I was truly scared..... about the thing called 'Love'.
This marked the second ti I feared losing soone precious to ..... the first being Lilith.
Even though I was the first to fall in love with Eli, others seed to have overtaken in expressing their affection while I tried to solve my own questions...
First, Lilith, who initially dismissed Eli like a re bug during our first encounter, now fawning over him like a moth.
Then, Scylla, a woman with a mysterious past, and a forr slave who captured Eli's heart without even doing anything.
Finally, Scarlett, a little girl who recent addition to his life, already wed to him.
anwhile, I waited, contemplating my feelings for him.
What a truly wretched state I had fallen into....
If my subjects were to witness my vulnerable side, I wondered if they would rejoice in witnessing my downfall or mourn, knowing it was because of them that led to my weakened state.... I truly wondered.
I wondered whether I was truly allowed to be loved by Asher E--
"SLAP!!!!"
__________________________
Third Person's POV
Adriana stared at the man who soundly slapped her on her right cheek.
Despite the lack of physical pain, an acute ache pierced her heart, leaving her eyes teary.
"Adriana" Eli's voice echoed in the room. His lips trembled at the sight of her teary eyes, his hand shaking with remorse. The pain in his heart mirrored the turmoil within her.... even though he was the one who delivered the slap.
After enduring her recounting of what he deed a dump-shit story, Eli found himself unable to contain his emotions.
Who was she?
A woman who rely governing 10 feet of land.....
"NO!!!" Eli's shout filled the room as he grabbed her hair, pulling her face closer to his.
"Who are you?" Eli questioned, his voice laden with emotions. He couldn't believe what happened to the haughty woman and now she doubting herself.... He hated to know that now.
He fucking hated to know his woman suffered.....
Adriana's heart raced, taken aback by Eli's sudden aggression. She couldn't comprehend why he had slapped her and now turned confrontational..... He was truly aggressive as his grip seed to be harder than ever before.
Ignoring her confusion, Eli answered himself,
"You are Adriana, THE VAMPIRE QUEEN... right?"
"...."
Adriana's heart urged her not to respond, a peculiar discomfort settling within her as she observed Eli's ruby-red eyes, now tinged with a subtle darkness.
Undeterred by her hesitation, Eli answered again by himself,
"Yes, You are The Vampire Queen.... The One and Only Ruler of the Fallen Continent."
His gaze bore into Adriana's eyes, searching for sothing beyond the surface, delving into the depths of her being. Yet, the significance behind his words seed to transcend the obvious title of a ruler.
Yes, in the eyes of the world, Adriana was undoubtedly the sole ruler of the Fallen Continent. However, Eli's words carried a weightier aning, one that extended beyond the realm of governance.
As Eli delved into the Nex Library's second floor, he unearthed a trove of information that made him acutely aware of the limitations of his existing knowledge. The wealth of information on the second floor was very very little to what he had considered an extensive understanding.
Bloodlines, races, traits, geography, soul crystal functions, histories... everything had more information than the First floor as if Nex was training everyone step by step.
Then What about the fourth..... final floor?
Regardless, what Eli truly ant beca apparent.
"You built this Empire with your two hands...." Eli murmured. That revelation was derived from the vast information he had uncovered..... she had shaped the history of Fallen Continent with her own two hands.
Indeed, the Fallen Continent had existed since ancient tis, but its current form was way more different than the past..... it was a testant to Adriana's indomitable will and visionary leadership.
It had transford from a land teeming with monsters and lawless wilderness, barbaric Fallens into a realm where Cultured Civilization and mutual respect thrived, Studying the world, marked by groundbreaking innovations. It was a stark contrast to the past, where the inhabitants were once perceived as mindless barbarians.
Who had done those?
Lilith, NO!!.... This transformation couldn't be credited to Lilith, despite her revered status as a god. Lilith, akin to many gods, remained indifferent to the affairs of mortals.
It was the woman lying before Eli who had orchestrated this change to date.
Those once labelled as fools now stood shoulder to shoulder with those who considered themselves the most intelligent and powerful species.
How had this transformation occurred?
"It's because of Adriana, that woman who envisioned her empire and built the entire empire from the ground!! A powerful and strong-willed woman" Eli muttered, his words hanging in the air, causing Adriana to fix her gaze on him.
Their eyes locked, a silent exchange transpiring between them.
"If you had said I was more important, then I have failed to see what my woman wanted....
The Woman, I fell in love with.... She is the Queen of the Fallen Continent, The Vampire Queen!" Eli whispered, a hint of pride accompanying the ntion of her title. He softly rubbed her right cheek, a gesture laced with both tenderness and a subtle acknowledgent of the strength.... just in her na.
Adriana's lips trembled as she observed Eli trying to steady his trembling hand. His eyes reflected pain as they lingered on her cheeks, suggesting that the impact of the earlier slap had affected him more profoundly than her.
Eli surely understood that Scylla's actions weren't intentional; much like Lilith, Scylla struggled to control her emotions. What confounded him, however, was the realization that Adriana had been enduring this all alone...
"You could have... told this sooner? There is no need to doubt yourself..." Eli questioned in a pained voice. Until now, he had believed Adriana's fear was solely because of punishnt, never imagining the depth of her internal turmoil and he was also angry with himself for not finding it.
"...." Adriana remained silent.
"Heh..." Eli emitted a forced chuckle, "Do you want to find out by yourself?"
"...." Once again, Adriana chose not to respond as she lowered her eyes.
Even though she was a queen, she was still new to these 'love' feelings, and she wished to navigate them on her own.... Just like in the past how she learned everything by mistakes.
Observing her, Eli sighed, "Look at my dear wife," Eli gently called her.
Adriana, initially shocked by the words 'Dear Wife', allowed her teary eyes to et Eli's ruby red eyes, which had returned to their usual ruby red hue.
A powerful woman who had just displayed her might by breaking a king's hands without care.... now stood before Eli with vulnerability and tears in her eyes.
All because a love...?
It pained him more...
Eli gently cupped her face and asked, "What are you scared of? Are you scared of ?"
"..." Adriana, after a mont of contemplation, shook her head in denial.
"Then what?" Eli coaxed gently.
Adriana hesitated, grappling with the words to express her feelings.
"I am not a mind reader, Adriana.... Tell , I will listen" Eli reassured her with tenderness.
"I-I w-was..." Adriana's voice wavered, conveying the depth of her inner conflict.
Patiently, Eli waited for her to continue.
"...I thought.... You don't need a woman who hesitated to save her l-lover," Adriana admitted her voice now delicate and weak, a stark departure from her usual calm and haughty deanour.
".." Eli stared at her before, "Who are you to decide what I need?" Eli questioned, his gaze unwavering as he looked into her eyes, which were red with a black outer line.
"I-I..." Adriana struggled to find the right words... right? Who was she?
"Adriana, my wi...." Eli paused, choosing his words carefully, and retrieved sothing from his storage crystal.
"I thought I needed to wait until you say to this world you want to marry , but... Hmm" Eli muttered, introducing an air of suspense before unveiling the concealed item.
Adriana's eyes flickered with surprise and wonder as she gazed at the ring.
The ring Eli presented to Adriana was a stunning piece of craftsmanship, reflecting a unique blend of elegance and symbolic depth. Crafted from dark tal, likely a rare alloy or a material with mystical properties, it bore an enchanting aura that perfectly complented her dark black hair.
The band itself was adorned with intricate patterns, a delicate embroidery of auburn winding around its surface. The patterns seed to tell a silent tale, perhaps representing the intertwining journeys of the wearer's life and the person offering the ring.
'Shnnnn'
Most of all,
In the centre of the ring rested a prominent ruby-red crystal, catching the light in a way that accentuated its deep, rich colour. This crystal was no ordinary gemstone....
Upon closer inspection, one could discern tiny droplets suspended within the gem.
These were not ordinary droplets..... Blood from the heart!!
Legend held that while vampires typically indulged in blood drawn from the neck, their true instincts, akin to primal animals, craved the essence of..... The heart.
The heart's blood was believed to contain a higher concentration of energy, mana, and a flavour that could rival even the most aged wine, boasting a taste that could transcend centuries.
Acquiring blood from the heart was no simple feat, as the required arteries were specific - Coronary Arteries that spread throughout the heart muscle, ensuring that all parts of the heart's pumping chanism.
It was from this precise source that Eli had gathered the unique droplets now encapsulated within the ruby-red crystal of the ring he offered to Adriana.... Truly a magnificent gift for a Vampire.
While so might question why vampires wouldn't opt for the blood of transcendent beings, given their ability to revive even after heart injuries..... it was precisely this 'Reviving' that rendered their blood tasteless... Repeated Reviving made their blood quality decrease. Their neck blood, too, lacked the rich concentration and flavour that vampires craved.
Unlike the immortal transcendent beings, the soulless humans provided the perfect blend of potency and taste.
However, drawing blood from the heart of the soulless was a risky endeavour; a single mistake could cost them their lives.
Consequently, most vampires refrained from indulging in heart blood (Though there might be so illegal), despite the allure..... not because they controlled themself and beca Cultured. Instead, The Vampire Queen ordered everyone to stop hurting others and placed a law against sucking blood from hearts.
And she herself never had Heart Blood.... until now.
Adriana, biting her trembling lips, mustered the courage to ask, "W-Why?"
Eli chuckled softly before responding,
"Heh... Do I need a reason?
I Love You....
Simple. It doesn't matter who you prioritize, whether OUR daughter or your continent....
I will always love you... That's all!" Eli ended with a small smile.
As Eli spoke these heartfelt words with a gentle smile, the rhythm of Adriana's heart intensified, a palpable,
'Ba-Dump, Ba-Dump' Echoing in her chest.
She touched her chest, feeling the rapid beats, and inwardly mused, 'Simple... ah?'
He always made her feel alive....
As if he read her mind, Eli said with a smile, "Yes, My love is very 'SIMPLE'. All I want is you, nothing more..... Whether you prioritize or sothing else.... For , You ONLY enough" as his expression darkened.
'Gulp'
Eli's words made her gulp in.... excitent?
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