The Lady in Red

Chapter 3

After dinner, Damon headed straight to his room, carrying several books he had found in the mansion’s library.

He settled into a chair, opened the first book on the pile, and began reading. It was about the history of vampires. As he read, he was startled by a knock on his window. When he looked, there was no one there. Confused, he stood up and stepped out onto the balcony. He scanned the area, but saw nothing unusual. Shrugging it off, he returned to his seat and resumed reading.

Meanwhile, Lilith stood on the rooftop above Damon’s room, her true self having returned while her other persona rested quietly inside her. It was her vampire side that had knocked on Damon's window earlier.

"You're such a troublemaker," Lilith muttered to herself.

She stood up, leaped from the roof, and dashed back to her home, careful not to be noticed.

Back in his room, Damon finished his first book and was preparing to start another when he heard a knock on his door.

“Are you still awake, Damon?” It was his father’s voice.

“Yes, Father. Come in,” Damon replied, standing up as his father entered.

“What is it?” Damon asked, sensing something on his father’s mind.

“I know it’s late, but I wanted to discuss something about what happened earlier,” his father said, settling into a chair.

Damon nodded, curious. “Is there something wrong with what I said earlier?”

His father shook his head. “No, nothing like that. I’m just surprised by your interest in Lady Lilith. You don’t seem bothered by the rumors surrounding her.”

“Rumors?” Damon asked, his interest piqued.

His father nodded. “Yes. There have been whispers about Lady Lilith being mentally unstable, which is why she was homeschooled from a young age. The Vandeleur family has always been very protective of her.”

Damon chuckled lightly, pretending to be amusement. “I don’t think it’s her they’re protective of. More likely, it’s their image.”

His father gave a small smile and agreed. “True enough.” He then handed Damon a folder. “Since you’re interested in her, I thought you might find this useful. I had the head of the knights gather some information for you.”

Damon smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Father.”

“Anytime,” his father replied, before leaving Damon to his thoughts.

Damon sat back in his chair, opened the folder, and began reading. Inside were various papers, all about Lilith and her family.

One paper mentioned a few years ago when people had noticed the Marquis with a bruise on his face. When asked, he claimed it was an accident.

“An accident?” Damon muttered under his breath.

He moved to the next paper, which claimed that Lilith was rumored to be Marquis’ illegitimate child, due to her strikingly different appearance—her red eyes and hair in contrast to her sister’s brown eyes and black hair.

Another paper mentioned that a few years ago, when the Marquis had been seen with the bruise, rumors spread that Lilith was responsible. It suggested that she had attacked him, causing the injury.

“Doesn’t seem like the type of person who would do that,” Damon said to himself.

The Lilith he had met earlier had been delicate, shy, and graceful—far from the violent image these rumors painted.

After reading through the papers, Damon leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. Eventually, he lay down in bed, staring up at the ceiling, his mind still turning over everything he had learned. Before long, sleep overtook him.

When Damon woke up, he got dressed and headed outside to the training grounds, eager to practice his swordsmanship and strengthen his body.

"Older brother."

Damon smiled when he saw his younger brother, Damian, already hard at work training.

"Damian. You're up early again," Damon remarked.

"I need to be strong like you," Damian said shyly, his focus on his training.

Damian, still homeschooled, was working hard to catch up to his older brother’s skill level.

"Don’t overdo it," Damon advised, watching him carefully.

Damian nodded obediently. "I won’t, don’t worry."

With a smile, Damian looked up at his brother. "I heard from Father that you’re interested in someone. Who is it?"

Damon chuckled softly. "She’s very peculiar, but beautiful."

Damian raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What’s her name?"

"Lilith," Damon replied, his voice softening.

When Damian heard the name, his eyes widened in shock. "Lilith?! You mean, Lilith Vandeleur?"

Damon nodded. "That’s her."

"You’ve heard the rumors, right?" Damian asked, his tone concerned.

Damon was surprised by his younger brother’s reaction, but he understood that Damian was only looking out for him. Instead of getting frustrated, Damon calmly replied, "Yes, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m still interested in her."

Damian sighed, clearly torn, but then smiled. "Alright. I’ll support you."

Damon reached over and ruffled his brother’s hair affectionately. After a few more words, the two brothers started sparring, their swords clashing as they enjoyed their time together.

After their sparring session, Damon and Damian went back to their rooms to change before heading to the dining room for breakfast.

As they sat down to eat, Damon's mother spoke up, her voice calm but direct.

"Damon, I heard from your father. All I’ll ask is, are you sure about her?"

Damon nodded confidently. "Yes, Mother. I'm sure about her."

His mother smiled warmly at him. "Alright, then. Pursue her well."

Damon smiled back, grateful for his mother’s support. He felt fortunate to have a family that understood his decisions and supported him in matters of the heart.

To be continued.