There is a trading company that, while not quite making it into the top 10 of the empire, comfortably sits within the top 30. The Layton Trading Company, operated by Baron Layton Valencia, is the largest source of income for the House of Vlad, and with that money, he even managed to purchase the title of baron within the empire.
The man, who stands in a position worthy of being called a heavyweight in the empire, lowered his head with sorrowful eyes. Lately, he found life to be overwhelmingly difficult.
“Why was I born a vampire?”
While it’s said that there’s nothing money can’t buy, there truly are things that remain out of reach.
No matter how much he struggles, there are things he can never obtain, things that were predetermined from the moment he was born a vampire. The most representative of these is freedom.
No matter how much he possesses or acquires, it means nothing.
Duke Shimira could take it all away at any moment. She holds the power of life and death over him.
Higher vampires exert absolute blood dominance over lower vampires. Before Duke Shimira, the progenitor, all other vampires are nothing more than puppets to be controlled at will.
“No matter how much I gain, in the end, I remain a vampire without freedom.”
“Darling…”
His wife, Laila, quietly embraced him. She watched her husband sigh silently, unable to hold back her own sobs. Yet, both were careful not to let their cries be heard. The man cautiously reached out toward the silk swaddle.
“Kyahoo.”
“Yes, Abida. Daddy.”
Baron Layton gently uncovered the swaddle and caressed the cute baby’s cheek. Every time he looked at the baby, his heart felt as if it were being torn apart, and he couldn’t hold back his tears. The baby’s eyes were an empty gray, born blind. His son had never seen his parents’ faces.
Since he was born that way, he thought it was normal. He recognized his parents through the warmth of their touch and smiled brightly. The baby couldn’t even roll over properly, as his arms had no strength and he was missing a leg. He was born with deformities.
“I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry. If only I weren’t a vampire, you would have been born healthy.”
But did he think it was just his child?
Absolutely not. The Curse of the Sun, bestowed directly by the Ancient God, is not something one can escape by hiding from the sun.
Touching the sun means instant death, but even without touching it, death is inevitable.
Because even if the sun isn’t visible, it hasn’t disappeared. The sun continues to shine, illuminating the other side of the world. Strictly speaking, the Curse of the Sun has never ceased to exist in this world for even a moment.
It’s just that without direct exposure to sunlight, the curse acts slowly and mildly, so from an individual’s perspective, it seems like there’s no problem. But looking at history from the perspective of the race, one can realize that this is no ordinary issue. However, few vampires care to realize this.
“A lord like me, and a lord like you, gave birth to a child who is not a lord.”
After holding the baby tightly and then setting him down, Baron Layton finally sighed.
“Just a vampire was born. Perhaps the end of our race isn’t so far off.”
“Really, must we just sit here and wait for the day of extinction…?”
“One day, even Her Majesty the Queen will have to realize this. Though she doesn’t seem to want to know.”
The baron forced a bitter smile. Honestly, he wasn’t in the mood to smile at all.
His generation might somehow endure.
With luck, perhaps even his son’s generation. But after that?
There is no future. Unless the sun suddenly goes out one day, it will always be this way.
Already, half of the children born to ordinary-class vampires are born with deformities.
Duke Shimira, far from trying to solve the problem, seeks to maintain the vampire lineage by culling the deformed. Even if she wanted to solve the problem, there’s no solution in sight.
Even if not for the race, just to solve his son’s deformity, Layton searched everywhere.
“Mr. Layton. It’s true that the church doesn’t refuse donations, but that’s only when they come from the faithful hearts of believers. We won’t accept your donation. Seeing your sincerity, we’ll forgive you, a vampire, for trespassing in the goddess’s temple. But take your son back. The goddess does not embrace you, and your son is no exception.”
However, the Three God Faith didn’t even consider him, a vampire, worthy of conversation. No matter how much money he offered, those who prioritize money over faith don’t rise to the church’s upper echelons.
The cardinals, archbishops, and temple leaders of the Church Country are always ready to choose the goddess’s directives over their own gain. Even if Layton had offered ten times his entire fortune, they would have refused without hesitation.
Still, he managed to persuade a priest from a small sect outside the Three God Faith.
The god the priest served eventually turned a blind eye to the massive donation and allowed one exception. But even divine power was of no use. The god eventually returned the donation, saying this was a result of the Law of the Universe being altered, and his power couldn’t fix it.
It’s the Ancient God’s decision. A result brought by the Law of the Universe.
No one can interfere with this. Not even a personal god, let alone medicine or surgery. He even tried acupuncture from the Eastern Continent, but the child still lacked a leg, was blind, and developmentally delayed.
“What? A priest of the Ancient God?! Are you sure?”
In such a bleak situation where no hope is in sight, it’s actually more despairing than a hopeless scenario. The slow pace of destruction means few feel the sense of crisis.
Those who worry about the future are rare and don’t hear good things. If Senior Soldier Handel hadn’t come to see the sighing Baron Layton, he would have continued like that.
“Absolutely. I saw it with my own eyes. Though not directly exposed to the sun, a hand completely burned by the Power of the Sun grew back. Who else but the Ancient God could perform such a miracle? The Curse of the Sun originates from the Ancient God!”
For a common-class vampire, he was quite sharp, a soldier Baron Layton often looked after. Almost like a confidant. They had discussed the Curse of the Sun among other things.
Hearing all this, Baron Layton’s mind suddenly spun. He staggered unconsciously and only regained his composure after Handel supported him. His whole body trembled, and his teeth chattered. Without further ado, he made preparations.
“Laila. Report to Her Majesty the Queen. I will personally meet and entertain the presumed priest of the Ancient God.”
With just those words, he burst out the door. Of course, he knew in his head.
There was no guarantee that what Handel noticed was correct, and whether the priest was truly of the Ancient God was still uncertain. But a sudden ray of light in the pitch-dark darkness was too enticing. He couldn’t stay still.
Crash!
Baron Layton nearly knocked over the shoe rack as he rushed out. Handel bowed respectfully and comforted Laila.
“Madam. It will be alright. The young master will be fine. That priest definitely lifted a curse from the sun. Surely, he can fix the young master too.”
“Can my child… really be healed?”
Baroness Laila couldn’t hide her agitation. Her eyes were shaking uncontrollably.
What does a deformed child signify? It’s a hybrid without the superior vampire bloodline.
At least, that’s what Duke Shimira thinks. So their son, Zig, had to live hidden in this small house forever. That way, the duke wouldn’t notice the child.
The idea that such a child could one day step into the world, make friends, and find love. That’s more important than regaining sight.
Just the thought of escaping a life of hiding from others’ eyes, fearing death if discovered, made Laila willing to give everything she had. Her liver, her gallbladder, even her heart!
“Of course. Don’t worry too much. Then, Madam, I’ll take my leave now.”
“Take care.”
Handel comforted her and disappeared outside. She locked the door and finally felt at ease.
Lords are the equivalent of nobility among humans. Laila could have had several common-class vampire servants if she wanted. But she didn’t, fearing the child’s secret might leak.
So now, only she and the child are in this large house. Laila couldn’t hide the trembling of her hands. Afraid she might drop the child, she carefully placed him back on the silk bed, gently stroked his head, and muttered over and over.
“My baby, my baby… our baby…”
The child even the queen doesn’t know about, raised in secret.
Zig might one day see the world. Walk on two legs.
That overwhelming hope filled her heart, and suddenly the world seemed brighter. She even prayed, something she hadn’t done before.
Not to any specific god, but if there was a subject of her prayer, it was fate.
Vampires are a branch of the demon race abandoned by the gods, so they don’t pray to gods.
“Please let that person truly be a priest of the Ancient God, and help us. Pity us, grant us mercy!”
“Are you happy?”
A voice.
Just a voice.
Except that it came from both inside and outside her, it was just a voice. It felt like her inner self speaking, or someone asking.
“Are you enjoying yourself?”
Click. Her teeth chattered involuntarily.
The instinct all living beings have sounded an alarm. The baby cried loudly, but she forgot to soothe him. Fear overwhelmed her mind.
“Then invite us to that happy place too.”
Knock knock. The sound of knocking echoed from the distant front door.
A small knock from far away, where it shouldn’t normally be heard, reached deep into the house, into this inner room. A small hand was carefully knocking on the door.
“Please.”
The babbling, like a baby’s cry, brought back memories she never wanted to recall. The woman’s legs gave way, and she collapsed.
She covered her head with her hands and closed her eyes. A tear streamed down from her closed eye.
When the woman refused to face her sin, the sin came to her.
Knock knock. It knocked. The time of fearful confrontation was approaching.
