Outside the Moriartys mansion, a decently posh looking carriage arrived in front of the main gates. The carriage appeared to belong to a decent family who belonged to the high society. When the gates were opened, the coachman drove it inside and stopped it before the mansion's entrance and opened the carriage's door.
Marceline stepped out of the carriage, placing her foot on the snowy ground. The coachman who stood next to the door scrunched his face because he could smell something foul coming from the lady.
The carriage Marceline had rode in, belonged to Lady Jennifer Lecche. It was where she had spent her time after discarding the Dawson's carriage, and visiting the Lecche's mansion to create a good defence.
Jennifer Leeche wasn't a close acquaintance of Marceline. The lady might have been a vampiress who belonged to the high society, but women didn't like to spend time with her or invite her to any events. The only reason Marceline was here was that she knew Jennifer wanted to be close with her, and the lady was dumb enough to not use her brains.
'Lady Marceline, you must be busy or must have slept long… for days?' Jennifer had asked her earlier.
'I don't think I understand you, Jeniffer?' Marceline asked. The woman's husband wasn't in the mansion as he worked for the Council. 'Why do you ask?'
Jennifer looked troubled, and she cleared her throat before responding, 'Forgive me, but there's some strange smell coming from… you,' said the woman Marceline had looked down upon.
Hearing it, Marceline's face turned red in embarrassment, and humiliation started to seep under her skin. She couldn't deny it like before because even she could smell the rotten smell coming from her cursed leg. But the only difference was that the pureblooded vampiress had been smelling it for quite some time and she paid less attention to it, while others couldn't disregard it.
She had then said, 'I… you are right. I have been very busy planning my brother's wedding to the Marquee's daughter. It's why I am here to invite you for it.' She noticed how a woman like Jennifer Leeche naively smiled. 'Now that I have met and spent time with you, I should get back to my mansion. It was lovely spending time with you.'
'It is always a pleasure, Lady Marceline,' the woman tried to be polite and saw the pureblooded vampiress to the front of her mansion.
But once they reached there, Marceline feigned surprise and worry. She murmured, 'Oh no.'
'Did you forget something?' Asked the woman.
'My coachman must have misunderstood my orders and must have gone back to my mansion,' Marceline said with an embarrassed look.
Jennifer quickly understood and offered, 'Please use my carriage to get back to your mansion.' And then take a bath, Lady Marceline, the woman thought as she smiled.
Right now, Marceline who had got down from Jeniffer's carriage waved her hand to the coachman and ordered, "You can leave now and tell Jennifer that I appreciate her help. Also, tell her that I had a wonderful time with her, it was a good three hours worth of time. I want you to relay my exact words to her."
The truth was that Marceline had spent only an hour with the lady, but she needed the justification of her time if one were to raise a question.
"Yes, milady," the coachman bowed and quickly climbed on the carriage as he doubted he could handle the foul smell from this vampiress.
Seeing the carriage leave out of the gates, Marceline smiled. Turning around, with her head held high with arrogance, she walked inside the mansion's hallways.
Everything had gone according to her plan. She had fulfilled the four required sacrifices to undo the curse, and she had also stabbed the person who was close to the lowly governess.
As Marceline walked, she felt tired because of her leg, and she wanted one of the servants to remove her coat so that she could climb the stairs with ease. She looked around for a servant, and on noticing one of the servants climbing down the stairs, she called in a stern voice,
"You the—"
Marceline, who had raised her hand, paused her words in shock, when her eyes fell on the servant whom she had stabbed earlier in the forest.
How could this servant be alive?! Forget about being alive, even if somehow he had escaped death, how was he walking with such ease?!
On the other hand, Timotei whispered to Eugene, "Looks like she got tired of waiting in Meadow and returned," and he quickly closed his mouth when they reached closer to the vampiress, who stared at them with narrowed eyes.
"Milady?" Eugene asked in a polite tone with a bow, not knowing that it was this very woman, who had stabbed in the forest and had left him to die.
Marceline, who was in shock and parted her lips, said, "Tell Alfie to send one of the maids to my room."
"Yes, milady," Eugene bowed, while Marceline didn't move and continued to stare. As if feeling her glare, Eugene excused himself before picking up Timotei, who had slowly inched closer to her as if readying himself to attack her.
Marceline glared at Eugene's back, and her hand unconsciously reached for her leg. Tearing her eyes away from him, she climbed the stairs as quickly as possible and made her way to her room. Upon reaching it, she closed the door with a loud bang and locked the door.
"How is the man alive?? I stabbed him twice to be sure I cut him right!" Marceline wondered if she had perhaps stabbed a man who looked like that human's servant? "No! No! That's not possible," she muttered under her breath.
She had found the right person, and no one was around to help him!
There was no way she had imagined stabbing him! Maybe if she returned to the place where she had stabbed him, she would find something.
But when Marceline walked ahead, she heard a crack and snapped before she lost balance and cried out in pain.
"Argh!" Marceline's hand gripped her thigh, and she wheezed. She quickly pulled her skirt upwards, and when her eyes fell on her right foot, her lips trembled, "No no no no!!"
The vampiress's foot was no longer straight as the bones had decayed from inside and had snapped, leaving her legs not to be the same length.
