Volume 4 Chapter 61

Volume 4 + Chapter 61: Lost Treasure

　　”Xia Yiyi, don’t… forget…”

　　In her sleep, Xia Yi faintly heard someone calling her name. Subconsciously, she sat up, rubbed her eyes, her face full of sleepiness.

　　”That voice… is it Miu Miu?”

　　”Wasn’t I just sleeping in my own room? Why would I hear Miu Miu’s voice?”

　　Xia Yi was very puzzled. She looked around.

　　She found her room was extremely quiet and pitch black, the only light source being the moonlight spilling in through the window.

　　Other than that, there was no other movement; she was alone in the room.

　　”Was I just dreaming, or…”

　　Xia Yi thought of something. She threw off the covers, put on her slippers, got out of bed, and walked around a few times to clear her head a bit more.

　　She was certain she really did hear Miu Miu’s voice. It seemed Miu Miu wanted to convey something to her, to say something.

　　However, regarding the memory of that sentence, Xia Yi only remembered that it seemed to tell her not to forget… something?

　　She pondered hard for a long time but couldn’t find the answer.

　　Gazing at the moonlight outside the window, the little princess let out a sigh.

　　”Ah, Miu Miu…” Now Miu Miu’s body had been taken over by the Vampire Ancestor. Elizabeth had also explained to Xia Yi that she had already devoured Miu Miu’s soul, assimilating it into herself.

　　This could very well be understood as Miu Miu being dead.

　　Could it be that her last farewell to Miu Miu was actually their final meeting?

　　This fact was quite difficult for Xia Yi to accept.

　　Deep in her heart, she believed that perhaps Elizabeth was deliberately using that method to mislead her, to make her actively believe that Miu Miu truly couldn’t return?

　　Xia Yi had once read a sentence in a book:

　　A person truly dies not at the moment of death, but on the day they are completely forgotten by the world.

　　The Vampire Clan now probably didn’t care at all whether the current Vampire Queen was the real person.

　　If she herself forgot this point, Miu Miu might really…

　　Perhaps the voice she heard in her dream was also reminding her of this.

　　Xia Yi thought of the seed Miu Miu had given her before. She took it out and placed it on her palm.

　　The seed didn’t seem to have changed much; it was still the same as before.

　　For some reason, holding the seed gave Xia Yi a feeling of Miu Miu.

　　”Is this… an illusion?”

　　Xia Yi wasn’t sure.

　　But she would keep this seed safe.

　　Miu Miu must have had some reason for giving it to her.

　　……

　　……

　　Crimson Empire, Vampire Clan Royal Palace, Royal Treasury.

　　This was the Royal Treasury of the Vampire Clan Palace, storing the various rare treasures collected by successive Vampire Kings throughout the palace’s history.

　　Among them, some were merely luxurious items with high collection value, while others were various practical items like weapons, magical instruments, magic gems… and so on.

　　These all belonged to the Vampire Clan Royal Family; only the royal family had the authority to use these treasures.

　　At this moment, two staff members of the Royal Treasury were conducting inventory checks and handing over duties.

　　One tall Vampire Clan was inspecting the condition of each treasure, while a shorter Vampire Clan followed beside him.

　　Since it was just the two of them, the shorter one initiated some casual conversation.

　　After all, they had been doing this job for nearly a hundred years, they were old hands who could do it with their eyes closed. Besides being boring, the job was otherwise fine, and the treatment was acceptable.

　　”Bro, you know, recently our Princess Miu Miu’s coronation is complete. From now on, she is our Vampire Queen,” the shorter Vampire said. “Do you think, after her coronation, the Queen’s massive suppression of the Elders’ Council members… The country is almost on the brink of war. If that happens, will the flames of war reach the royal palace?”

　　”I don’t think it’s possible. At the last coronation ceremony, the Vampire Queen managed to drive the Dragon Clan away.”

　　Mentioning this, even the unremarkable Royal Treasury staff would puff out their chests with pride.

　　”The Dragon Clan? Do you understand the prestige of the Dragon Clan? They are the strongest Upper Species on this continent! Last time they were so arrogant in our lands, but this time they fled in defeat, all thanks to the Queen’s power!”

　　”Is that really true? Some say it’s just rumors, that the dragons just had urgent matters and left in a hurry—that it’s misinformation…”

　　”Nonsense!” the tall Vampire Clan refuted. “The Rose Garden was destroyed, and the dragons fled in panic. Surely the Queen drove them away! How could that be false?!”

　　”Come to think of it, it’s strange. Even Lord Herman seemed so wary of the Dragon Clan, so why did the one previously seen as just a pretty face—”

　　”Hey, you better watch your mouth! Want to die?!”

　　The tall Vampire Clan quickly covered the shorter one’s mouth.

　　”We’re friends, so I don’t mind, but if anyone else hears you here, watch your head roll! Haven’t you seen what happened to the Elder Council Chairman?!”

　　Hearing this, the shorter Vampire Clan trembled with fear, shrinking his neck, not daring to gossip anymore. 

　　”Well… alright.”

　　The two continued their inspection. Then, the shorter Vampire Clan suddenly cried out.

　　”Wait, there’s a treasure missing here!!”

　　”Don’t talk nonsense. Apart from the staff working here and the royal family members, who would dare—”

　　The tall Vampire Clan was about to scold him when his words cut off abruptly.

　　An item was indeed missing from the collection here.

　　”What’s going on?” The tall Vampire Clan began to panic. “Who would dare touch the royal family’s treasures?!”

　　”Wait, if I remember correctly, this was taken by Her Highness the Princess… no, I mean, the Queen!” the shorter Vampire Clan added. “It was taken several months ago, by the Queen. At that time, the coronation ceremony hadn’t been held yet. It was during the period just before the Dragon Clan caused trouble in the Vampire Clan palace.”

　　”That does seem right. At the time, we thought Her Highness taking the treasure was on Lord Herman’s orders, so we didn’t investigate. But looking back now, it seems it wasn’t on Lord Herman’s instructions…”

　　”Should we report it then? Taking it without authorization?”

　　”Are you stupid? Can’t you see the situation?” the tall Vampire Clan retorted. “The Royal Treasury already belongs to the royal family. Now the entire Vampire Clan is under the Queen’s rule. Even Lord Herman is willingly pledging allegiance! The Queen took it herself, wouldn’t she know? She can take whatever she wants. Who are you to question it? If you bring it up yourself, what would that imply? Are you trying to deliberately anger the Queen?”

　　”Right…” the shorter Vampire Clan nodded. “If the Queen asks about it, we’ll explain then. If she doesn’t ask, let’s not go looking for trouble.”

　　”Mm, that’s best. These are rules set by the royal family. We’re just small people; we need to learn to be tactful and know our place.” The tall Vampire Clan nodded in agreement.

　　”By the way, brother, do you remember what kind of treasure it was?”