Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls-Chapter 453: Give her a room and a hot bath.

Kael leaned against the wall near the entrance, arms crossed, gaze distant. Irelia’s word still echoed in the air—classic—because that’s exactly what it was. Ancient. Repeated. A pattern as old as the empires themselves.

"Too classic," he finally replied. "Someone with too much power, too much pain... and zero willingness to take responsibility."

Elizabeth remained seated, her body rigid, as if she were still ready to flee at any second. The mansion was safe, she felt it—the discreet runes, the dense aura of protection—but safety was too recent a concept to relax.

Amelia turned from the window and approached her with measured steps. There was no condescension, no threat. Just careful curiosity.

"You were raised by Queen Liza," Amelia said. It wasn’t a question.

Elizabeth nodded. "Since I was little. She... didn’t care what I was. Only what I could become."

Irelia crossed her arms. "And now they’ve decided you’re a mistake."

"A symbol," Kael corrected. "That’s how these hunts begin. It’s not about blood purity. It’s about control."

Amelia agreed with a slight nod. "When a ruler loses control of the narrative, they create an internal enemy. Something abstract enough to justify any atrocity."

Elizabeth pursed her lips. "So it’s not just me."

"No," Kael said. "It never is."

The silence that followed wasn’t heavy—it was strategic. Each one there was connecting different pieces of the same puzzle.

"If vampires are hiding in the Human Empire," Amelia continued, "and hunters are using human soldiers to pursue them... that creates a double risk. An isolated incident becomes an excuse for escalation. A massacre becomes ’preventive defense.’"

Irelia frowned. "And humans die in the middle."

"As always," Kael replied emotionlessly.

Elizabeth took a deep breath. "I don’t want a war. I never have."

Kael stared at her. "Wars rarely start with those who want them."

He stepped away from the wall and walked to the central table, resting his hands on the dark wood top.

"Listen carefully," he said, looking at the three of them. "This isn’t a problem that can be solved today. Or tomorrow. But it’s also not something we can pretend doesn’t exist."

Amelia tilted her head. "What are you thinking?"

"First," Kael said, "Elizabeth stays here. Off the maps. Off the reports. No one but us needs to know where she is."

Elizabeth’s eyes widened slightly. "Here?"

Irelia gave a crooked half-smile. "If anyone tries to get you here, they’ll have to go through me."

Amelia added: "And through me. Which makes that a terrible idea."

Elizabeth swallowed hard, too emotional to respond.

"Secondly," Kael continued, "we need real information. Not rumors. Not versions filtered by the Crimson Council or the human court."

"Spies?" Irelia suggested.

Kael shook his head. "Survivors."

He looked at Elizabeth again. "Others marked as ’filthy blood.’ They know what’s really going on."

Elizabeth hesitated. "Some are still alive... in hiding. But they’re afraid."

"Rightfully so," Kael said. "But fear isn’t the same as eternal silence."

Amelia sighed. "This will put us directly on the Vampire King’s radar."

Kael shrugged. "We already are."

Irelia let out a short laugh. "You really know how to stir up trouble."

"I try to avoid it," Kael replied. "It finds me."

Elizabeth finally spoke, her voice low but firm: "If I can help... I will."

Kael watched her for a second that was far too long.

"You’ve already helped," he said. "By surviving."

The tension eased slightly. Not because the danger had passed—but because now it had a name, a form, and a direction.

Outside, the night remained quiet. Too peaceful.

Kael exhaled slowly, as if mentally ending that part of the conversation. The decision was already made—and when Kael reached this point, he rarely went back on it.

He turned to Amelia.

"Arrange a room for her," he requested, in a calm tone that left no room for discussion. "One of the innermost ones. And have the maids prepare a bath. Hot water. With bath salts."

Amelia nodded immediately, already moving.

"Of course." She made a discreet gesture with her hand, activating one of the mansion’s communication runes. "I’ll ask for the room on the east corridor. It’s the most protected."

Elizabeth’s eyes widened, as if only now realizing the magnitude of what was happening.

"I... I don’t want to cause trouble," she began, trying to get up from the sofa—which was an immediate mistake. Her body responded with a wave of weakness so abrupt that she had to lean on the arm of the sofa to avoid falling.

Kael was quicker.

He approached and placed his hand on her shoulder, firm enough to stabilize her, but careful not to hurt her.

"You’re not in a position to decide that," he said simply.

Elizabeth clenched her teeth, frustrated.

"I’m fine," she insisted, though her own voice betrayed otherwise.

Kael tilted his head slightly, observing her with that clinical gaze he reserved for critical situations—the same one he used on battlefields.

"No," she replied. "You’re not."

He straightened up and spoke naturally, as if listing obvious facts.

"Your body is at its limit. Your regeneration is compromised. Your wounds are still open, even after hours. And your aura..." He made a vague gesture with his hand. "It’s unstable."

Elizabeth swallowed hard.

"Can you regenerate on your own?" he asked then, directly.

She hesitated.

That silence was answer enough.

But still, she spoke.

"No..." she admitted in a low voice. "I haven’t drunk blood in days. While I was running... I couldn’t. I couldn’t attack anyone. Or steal. Or—" She interrupted herself, taking a deep breath. "Then no. I can’t."

Kael closed his eyes for a brief moment, as if confirming something he already knew.

"I understand."

Irelia watched the scene in silence, her arms still crossed, but her gaze attentive. Amelia approached again after giving orders to the maids.

"The bath will be ready in minutes," she informed them. "And I myself will accompany the maids."

Elizabeth lowered her gaze, visibly embarrassed.

"Thank you...," she murmured. "But I really don’t want to bother you more than I already have."

Kael let out a short laugh. Humorless.

"Elizabeth," he said, calling her by her name directly for the first time. "You’ve been marked for death. That automatically puts you in the ’big problem’ category. A room and a bath are the bare minimum."

She opened her mouth to reply, but Kael didn’t give her time.

"And there’s one more thing."

She looked up, apprehensive.

"Later," he continued, "I’ll go to your room."

Her body stiffened instantly.

"Why?" she asked, her voice tense.

"To give you blood."

Silence fell like a blade.

Elizabeth’s eyes widened.

"No," she replied immediately, almost in a terrified whisper. "No. I can’t accept that."

Kael stared at her.

"Explain."

She clutched her hands in her lap, clearly uncomfortable.

"I’m not... strong enough to receive blood from someone like you," she said. "This could hurt me. Or worse. And besides—"

"Besides?" Kael urged.

"I don’t want to create a bond," she concluded, her face flushing slightly despite her paleness. "Nor owe anything. Nor—"

"Elizabeth."

Kael’s voice wasn’t any louder.

But it was heavier.

She fell silent immediately.

He moved a little closer, standing in front of her, forcing her to lift her face.

"You won’t create a bond," he said. "Because I won’t allow it."

She frowned. "But—"

"And you won’t owe anything," he continued. "Because this isn’t an agreement."

She swallowed hard.

"Then... why?" she asked.

Kael held her gaze for a few seconds.

"Because you need to live," he replied. "And because, at this moment, this is the most efficient way."

She shook her head nervously.

"I don’t accept—"

Kael interrupted her without raising his voice.

"You have no voice here."

The words were spoken with an almost cruel tranquility.

Elizabeth stood motionless.

There was no explicit threat in his tone. There was no aggression. Just absolute certainty. That decision was not open to negotiation.

Amelia looked away for a moment, recognizing that tone. Irelia raised an eyebrow, but did not interfere.

"You are under my protection," Kael continued. "That means I decide what is necessary to keep you alive. And at this moment, blood is necessary."

Elizabeth took a deep breath, her shoulders trembling slightly.

"I... don’t like this," she murmured.

"Neither do I," Kael replied. "But liking it has never been a criterion."

He took a step back.

"Now," he said, looking at Amelia, "take her to the room. The bath will help stabilize the circulation and ease the pain."

Amelia nodded and approached Elizabeth, offering her support to stand.

"Come on," she said gently. "You’re safe here."

Elizabeth cast one last glance at Kael before letting herself be led away.

There was no gratitude in that look.

Nor fear.

There was something more complex.

Confusion. Conflict. And a spark of something she couldn’t yet name.

As they left the room, Irelia exhaled slowly.

"You know this could go wrong," she commented.

Kael nodded.

"Almost everything does."

Irelia tilted her head. "And yet you’re going to do it."

Kael looked down the hallway where Elizabeth had disappeared.

"Yes," he replied. "Because if I don’t... she dies."