Married To Darkness-Chapter 422: Embrez Realizing Alaric is A Vamp

"I know. And I want it too. But I need time."

He had his reasons. There was something raw in his voice now—something unspoken. Something only old friends could detect.

Embrez gave a small nod. "Very well. It will be postponed."

Alaric relaxed. "Thank you."

"But," Embrez added, raising one finger, "when it is done, it will be grand. That’s part of the price for the help I intend to generously render."

Alaric’s smile barely touched his eyes. "Fair enough."

But inside, he was already weighing the cost. He could never place Salviana at risk—not again. Not even for love.

The three men turned back to the stars, cloaked in silence and night, each of them guarding secrets too dangerous to name.

The warm night breeze curled around the rooftop like a lingering whisper, rustling the long, regal coats of the three men who stood beneath the vastness of the starlit sky. They were still for a moment, each holding his own thoughts—dark, calculated, and heavy with responsibility.

"I still believe war is the better option," Lucius said quietly, his voice like steel wrapped in velvet. "We would win, Alaric."

Alaric didn’t look at him. He stared out across the flickering lantern-lit compound below and sighed. "Yes, we could win," he agreed, "but it is not the right strategy. Not yet. First, let’s try to enjoy our stay here—think before we move."

Lucius scoffed under his breath. "Fine. But I will come up with a plan," he growled, standing and dusting off the lapel of his dark coat. His eyes gleamed with that barely restrained fury, always just below the surface.

Embrez smirked, watching him. "So, about your dearest Jeanie—"

"Keep her name away from your mouth," Lucius warned coldly, not turning around. His words had the bite of an unsheathed blade.

"Oh?" Embrez teased, amused. "She’s not only your little pumpkin."

"She is, mate. She is," Alaric interrupted smoothly, patting Embrez’s shoulder with the familiarity of family, though there was steel in his eyes too. "Let the man breathe."

Lucius visibly calmed at the intervention, his jaw unclenching as he glanced briefly at Alaric.

But then, Lucius turned to Embrez with narrowed eyes. "What made you think I was a vampire?"

Embrez raised both brows in mock surprise. "Oh, let me see... Couldn’t be the pale-as-grave skin. Certainly not the sultry, brooding gaze you aim like a weapon. And definitely not the little blur of speed when I so much as mentioned Jean."

Lucius exhaled sharply through his nose. "I see."

Alaric blinked and looked between them. His voice, low and slow, carried the weight of curiosity. "I never knew you figured it out," he said to Embrez.

Embrez tilted his head, that signature cocky grin playing on his lips. "This is actually my first time meeting one. And you both confirmed it when your friend brought an umbrella to walk under the sun."

Alaric blinked. "An umbrella huh?"

"Black. Elegant. Carried with devotion." Embrez smirked and sipped his goblet of red wine. "That wasn’t exactly subtle."

Lucius said nothing. He stood rooted, lips a thin line, shadows tucked beneath his eyes.

"Now I’m realizing you’re also a vampire, Alaric. wow" Embrez said to the sky.

Silence dominated.

"You really didn’t know that he—?" Lucius asked quietly, glancing sideways at Lucius.

Embrez raised his hands in surrender. "I knew... something. But I never guessed you knew he was vampire-blooded," he said, nodding toward Embrez. "We’ve kept it hidden. Even from other unnaturals."

Embrez shrugged. "I’m not the type to judge a man by the darkness in his blood. I’m more interested in how he wields it."

Lucius gave a tight nod of acknowledgment, a rare moment of respect.

But Alaric had already turned, brushing imaginary dust from his tunic. His voice was distant when he spoke next. "Lucius... I’ll be heading inside. Enjoy the rest of your night. Do whatever you want with it."

Lucius said nothing, watching his prince—his brother by bond—disappear down the rooftop steps.

The silence thickened between the two remaining men.

Then Embrez chuckled. "You’re in love with her."

Lucius glared. "And you’re in my way." freёwebnoѵel.com

Embrez smiled, slow and knowing. "Good. That makes it more fun."

Alaric stepped into his chambers with a mind full of plans and problems, only to be met with an unexpected scene that made all of that melt—if only for a moment.

Laughter.

Warm, soft laughter filled the air, woven between giggles and hushed gossip. The scent of rosewater and sandalwood lingered in the room, carried by the presence of five women sprawled comfortably across his bed, the plush chairs, and even the thick rug by the fire.

Salviana sat at the center of it all, glowing. Draped in a sheer lavender nightgown and wrapped in the camaraderie of the women, she looked like a vision—her silver-streaked hair unbound and spilling over her shoulders, cheeks flushed with laughter, eyes crinkled at the corners from smiling too hard. She didn’t even notice him at first.

He stood still for a long beat, resting his hand against the doorframe and watching her.

She didn’t belong in this world of violence and secrets, of knives in the dark and blood on royal scrolls. And yet, she was here—carving peace into his chaos with nothing but her softness.

A muscle in his jaw flexed as he realized it again: I don’t deserve her.

But he loved her. Fiercely. Painfully. Entirely.

Maybe his mother had prayed for a woman like this. Maybe fate had grown tired of watching him suffer in silence and had sent her as a balm.

He cleared his throat.

All eyes turned.

"Oh," Jean grinned and nudged Salviana. "Look who’s come to claim his bride."

Salviana turned then, and the moment her eyes met his, her smile changed—softening, deepening. There it was again: that look that made him feel both powerful and completely vulnerable.

"Ladies," Alaric began, folding his arms across his chest in mock severity, "as honored as I am by your lovely invasion, I believe this room was assigned to my wife and me."