Night Monarch's Cannon Fodder Bride-Chapter 20: The Unwelcome Guest

"Mother, I started an investment company."

Severine didn’t have any intention of telling her mother just yet. But recalling the figure in the folder, her need to prove herself eclipsed all hesitation.

"Hmm?"

Isabella’s reaction wasn’t one of surprise. Most likely, she had already figured it out.

"What of it?"

Severine found herself unable to speak further. What was she supposed to say? That she had earned this much profit?

Then it hit her.

Isabella knew about it as well. But she didn’t find it satisfactory.

Suppressing the unease, she licked her dry lips.

"I want to focus on it before anything. If I fail..."

Reading the unsaid words, Isabella placed the cup down on the table.

That quiet clank seemed to echo in her ears.

"Emmett D’Arden is the third grandson of their current leader. Despite his young age, his talent in business is unrivaled. So, why are you so against it?"

From her perspective, she was only giving her daughter a helping hand. Isabella couldn’t grasp the crux of the problem.

Her mother’s furrowed brows nearly made Severine curl her lip in disdain.

Didn’t she hear the news about Emmett’s wild lifestyle?

Ah, that wasn’t right. Isabella had many social networks, telling her all the tid-bits. She just didn’t care.

As long as it would push the crown of Vale Corporation toward Severine, Isabella would do it.

"I can do it on my own. And if I fail..." She swallowed. "I’ll accept Dr. Martin’s arrangements."

That was the worst outcome she was willing to accept.

Isabella raised a curious brow before agreeing. "Alright. You have until the end of your major."

Another deadline settled heavily over Severine’s head. Nonetheless, she felt relief wash over her.

At least her mother hadn’t directly talked to D’Ardens about such a matter. If they agreed, the situation would spiral beyond her control.

"I spoke to Lily."

Severine realized her relief had been painfully short-lived.

Lily was Emmett’s mother and Isabella’s close friend. Severine had met that lady before.

"Lily told me Emmett is also in the same year. You can try to approach him and build a good relationship."

Severine’s fingers clenched into a fist. Her nails dug into her palm.

"I understand."

Her heart felt just as cold as the remaining tea.

Did Emmett know? Or was it still between the two ladies?

Later, when she returned to Vale Mansion, her mind remained preoccupied.

Knock. Knock.

The noise snapped her back to the present.

"Who is it?" she asked while opening the door.

Austin stood there with a bowl of sea congee. His blue eyes lit up the moment he saw her face.

"For you," he said shyly, but recalling the past, he hurriedly added. "Aunt May made it. I just helped her bring it here."

By the end, his voice had softened. His gaze was fixed on Severine’s cold face, looking for any sign of displeasure.

"... Oh." Severine took the bowl from Austin’s hand.

The instant their fingers brushed, the boy’s eyes lit up as if holding tiny stars. A beautiful smile spread across his blood-red lips, vivid against his pale skin.

"I can bring you something else if you want-"

"No need."

Severine shut the door with a dull thud. That face overlapped with his father’s.

Both Awakeners had similar facial features, especially the shape of their eyes.

She still remembered that night just as vividly. Austin had sunk his fangs into someone’s neck, sucking their blood.

Though Severine had been far enough away for the curtain to shield the other person, the moans told a different story.

Those were the whines of someone who claimed to be her friend.

Friend? What a joke.

Austin was truly the vampire that teenage girls liked to read fiction about.

Shaking her head out of those messy memories, she focused on the screen.

The week had passed in a blink, and she would be returning to the academy early in the morning.

It had been two days since Damien’s accident. Be it a hospital or some distant island, she simply wanted him gone.

"Hopefully, he stays there for a very long time."

Working on the new framework, she drank the porridge.

Aunt May’s cooking was top-notch. It always made her take a few more sips.

Before she knew, she had already finished half the bowl.

With a warm stomach and soft bed cradling her body, the day’s exhaustion finally caught up to her.

Her eyelids grew heavy until the words on the screen blurred into hazy lines.

The sudden wave of drowsiness surprised her.

Before she could grab the blanket, her consciousness drifted into the dark.

Sensing no motion for a long while, the lights flickered and then dimmed.

The room was engulfed in silence as time slowly ticked by. That was until another hour passed before the handle of her room turned.

Click.

The door unlocked, receiving the unwelcome guest inside.

The nineteen-year-old Austin didn’t have the shy smile on his lips anymore, nor was there any sliver of innocence in his blue eyes.

Staring at the sight for a long minute, he finally moved and covered the young lady with the blanket.

Then his gaze flicked to the blank screen of the laptop. When he tapped on it, the password interface lit up.

"Pfftt..."

He hastily covered his mouth, suppressing the bubble of laughter.

His blonde, almost silver hair shone under the moonlight as he knelt beside the bed.

In the depths of his dark gaze lay a sleeping figure.

Her hair spread on the white pillow. Her long lashes remained shut.

The moonlight shone on her pale face, softening the cold edges she always displayed.

Even in her sleep, her posture was straight, her hands resting on her stomach.

"My dear sister," Austin grinned as his fingers twirled a strand of dark hair. It felt soft, just like the person herself.

"Why aren’t you this nice when awake, huh?"

Naturally, there was no answer to his question. Not that he ever expected it.

He traced his knuckles on the side of Severine’s face. This secret of touching something that was always out of his reach thrilled him.

"I can be a perfect brother, you know. All you have to do is ask."

His knuckles shifted down, tracing the curve of her slender neck and stopping on her collarbone, partially hidden under her sleepwear.

He could hear the blood rushing inside her veins. Her scent and that rush of crimson made his throat parched.

If I just lean down and take a bite... His tongue licked over his sharp fangs as if in anticipation, or perhaps in a rush to stop him.

All of a sudden, the cheer vanished from his face, replaced by an icy calm.

With no obstruction in his way, his fingers closed around her delicate neck. The bloodthirsty nature of Awakener had started to take over his senses.

Severine seemed to feel the sudden danger, yet the sleep didn’t set her free from its embrace.

Her lashes quivered. Her lips parted as she gasped for air.

Austin increased the pressure without any expression on his face. Only when the flush on Severine’s pretty face spread to her ears and neck did he let go.

His blue eyes held a strange spark, as if he was relishing in the masterpiece he had created.

"If you keep your guard so high, my dear sister, I’ll have to break it in my way."

Dropping a soft kiss on the back of her hand, he stood up.

He had all the time in the world to get his sister out of her castle walls.