Piper stood silently, her blurred vision fixed on the corpse of her mother—tossed aside like garbage after her father had drained her dry.
"Do you have any objections?"
Draculus asked, his piercing gaze locking onto Piper.
"Of course not. The unfortunate soul should be grateful she died by your noble hands,"
Piper replied sweetly, her tone calm as she watched the swarm of her father's killer bats devour what remained of her mother.
"In fact, it was an honor to witness her final moments, Father,"
her eyes drifting to the glass bottles of her mother's blood arranged neatly beside him on the table.
Draculus sighed, swirling a goblet of blood before taking a slow sip.
"You're dismissed."
"Have a blessed night, Father…"
She turned to leave, but his voice stopped her mid-step.
"And Piper… don't forget to prepare for the upcoming Crown Princess selection."
"Of course, Father. You can consider that position mine,"
she said with a smile so sweet, it nearly masked the steel behind it.
As she exited, Piper's expression shifted—her gaze turned cold, her hands trembling slightly.
"Where do I begin?" she whispered to herself.
"Don't worry, Father... I'll make you proud."
With that, she slipped into the shadows of her room.
Piper stepped into her room as her maid silently exited at her dismissal.
"Half-vampires are said to lack the ability to bond with a bat familiar,"
she began, thinking aloud to herself as she undressed.
"But it turns out... my vampire blood is a bit stronger than my human mother's."
A faint smirk curled on her lips as she glanced at the moon, just as a bat swooped toward her open window.
"And that's a secret only I know."
"So shhhhhh"
*******************
She paused, letting the cool air brush against her skin as she removed the last of her clothing. Her thoughts drifted to the land she lived in.
"In the Empire of Nadia, the sun never rises—though daylight exists. The sky glows, but the sun itself never appears. It makes this land perfect for vampires who suffer sunburns and have no desire to explore the world beyond."
She recalled the teachings from her history lessons, adjusting her stance.
"But for vampires like us—those descended from the Viper lineage—the sun, rain, snow... none of it matters. We're immune to the elements. That's what makes Father so dangerous."
Her gaze shifted to the darkened walls of her chamber.
"The Empire's leadership is ruled by the Emperor and the Five Archer Dukes—known as the Bearers of the Throne. Together, they protect the crown and uphold the nation."
"My father, Archduke Draculus, is the foremost among them. Royal blood flows in his veins… and through me. That makes us heirs—bound to power."
"And as for my case… a quarter, I should say,"
she mused, stepping into the bathroom.
"Even though there's Omega City—a so-called city of accord between vampires and werewolves—my father never stopped killing or kidnapping wolves. Over the years, I've done everything he's wanted me to do… become the daughter he molded."
"Kill wolves? No. I work behind the scenes. As a half-human, my blood is a rare delicacy to both the vampires and wolves—irresistible."
She smirked, unsettling and sharp, as she gazed into the bathwater.
"And yet… Father's deluded self still craves more from me."
"So why not give him something he can't resist? Why not make him addicted to me?"
The scent of the infused bathwater filled the room as Piper sank in, the heat relaxing her muscles. She glanced up at her familiar—her bat—hanging silently from the ceiling.
"Any day now, they'll return… from their hunts, their kidnappings, their twisted missions and immoral affairs."
"The main trio of House Draculus,"
she thought mockingly as she rose from the water.
"And after that, the Crown Princess Selection. The same day as my coming of age."
She scoffed softly, drying off as her expression hardened.
"But who cares? Certainly not Draculus. He only chases what serves him."
"Besides now... now that Mother is dead."
Piper's thoughts turned bitter as she paused, a memory creeping back into her mind—one she wished she could forget.
"Please… you're my only hope for survival, Piper. So please, do as he tells you,"
her mother had begged, gripping young Piper's shoulders with desperation.
"You are my blessing—the bridge to my survival in this place. You could make them love you… maybe even come to love me through you."
"Please, Piper… don't you want to help your mother live? To help me rise from being just a mere slave to my lord?"
Her mother's eyes had been full of tears, pleading, almost frantic.
Back in the present, Piper smiled coldly, the bathwater dripped.
"Of course, Mother," she whispered.
"I'll gladly help you... after all, it's the duty of a child to obey their parents."
Her eyes narrowed as the smile twisted into something darker.
"But not in the way you wanted."
She leaned back, closing her eyes, the grin never leaving her face.
"Villains aren't born overnight… they're shaped by someone's choice."