Chapter 7: The True Face of a Monster

Bety quietly slipped into the Grand Duke's office, putting on a sweet smile. "Dear, are you here?"

The Duke sat rigidly behind his grand desk, staring forward in complete silence. He didn't speak.

Bety stepped closer, resting her hands on the edge of the mahogany wood. "Oh, come on, dear. I am sorry. I promise I will never interfere with your work again. So, please..."

The Duke slowly stood up from his chair, his expression unreadable. "Very well then. I will forgive you, but only this once. Tell me, what did you come here to say?"

Bety's face lit up with a bright smile. She quickly placed the stolen papers onto his desk. "I want your official stamp on these documents, dear."

The Duke raised an eyebrow, his voice cold. "Why?"

She let out a soft, airy laugh. "It's just some of my work papers. They require the Duke's seal. I figured, since you are my husband, why shouldn't I come to you directly?" She leaned in closer, opening her arms to give him a hug.

But the Duke stepped back, avoiding her touch entirely. "Let me do the stamping first."

He pressed the heavy metal seal onto the parchment, the loud thud echoing in the tense room. Bety's expression practically glowed with triumph. The Duke picked up the stamped papers and held them out, but just as Bety reached to grab them, he suddenly snatched them back.

"Wait," the Duke muttered, his eyes narrowing. "First, let me actually read them."

Panic flashed across Bety's face, her breath hitching. "Wh-what? Why, dear? It's just my pa—"

RIP!

With a brutal movement, the Duke tore the important documents to shreds, scattering the pieces across the floor.

Bety's mouth fell open in absolute shock. "What have you done?! That was important!"

The Duke didn't answer. He simply began advancing on her, his presence suffocating. She took a step back, her heart hammering against her ribs, but he kept moving forward, cornering her.

"First, give me my answer," the Duke said, his voice dropping to a terrifying, freezing whisper.

"Answers?" She forced a trembling, fearful smile onto her lips. "Are you out of your mind? I am Bety."

"SHUT UP, YOU DECEIVER!" the Duke roared.

Before she could scream, dark, violent flames erupted around his hand. He lunged forward, his fingers wrapping tightly around her throat, lifting her entirely off the ground. He squeezed her neck brutally.

Turning completely pale, she choked out a desperate, airy whisper. "Ah... I... I can't breathe..."

A cold, malicious smirk spread across the Duke's face. "Yeah, I know. You thought you were deceiving me? Did you honestly think I wouldn't find out that you kidnapped my true wife? No. Go to hell."

The impostor tried to form another word, but her body went entirely limp. She died right there in his grip. The Duke tossed her corpse to the floor and let out a heavy sigh, staring blankly at the wall.

"Where are you, Bety...?"

---

In the Hallway

Iris was sprinting through the corridors, her mind consumed with the need to reach Ethan, when Maxilian suddenly stepped right out in front of her.

She skidded to a halt, gasping. "Ah! Sorry—"

Maxilian deliberately blocked her path, a sneer on his face.

"I need to pass," Iris said, her voice tightening with urgent anger.

Maxilian folded his arms, looking down his nose at her. "But I don't want to let you. Can't you see your place, servant?"

Iris clenched her fists, trying to control her rising temper. "Young Master, Princess Cecelia is currently waiting for you in the lounge. You should go to her."

Maxilian chuckled darkly, stepping closer. "Why are you calling me Young Master? Just call me Maxilian... just like you call Ethan."

Iris drew a deep breath, her patience wearing paper-thin. "Because Ethan is my friend. There is a massive difference between you and him."

"Yeah, I can see that," Maxilian mocked, rolling his eyes. "A lowly servant naturally gets along with another servant."

That was the final straw. Iris's patience completely shattered. She glared at him with burning defiance. "I think you're missing something, you arrogant brat. You just called a royal princess and yourself a fool. You know what you have to do to make up for that?"

Maxilian blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

SLAP!

A sharp, ringing slap connected directly with Maxilian's cheek. Maxilian's head snapped to the side, his jaw dropping in absolute shock.

Iris lowered her hand, her voice cold. "Now my work is done. Step out of my way."

Maxilian completely lost his mind with rage. His face turned bright red as he bared his teeth. "It looks like you don't value your life at all!" He raised his hand high, swinging it down to deliver a brutal slap right back to Iris.

But his wrist was caught firmly in mid-air.

Maxilian gasped, trying to pull away. "Who dares stop me?!" He whipped his head around, and his voice instantly lost all its courage as he turned pale with fear.

Ethan stood there, holding his wrist with a tight, iron grip. His eyes were cold, boring into Maxilian with a terrifying intensity. "Me."

Iris stared at Ethan, her eyes widening in surprise.

Ethan released Maxilian's hand with a violent shove, his voice dripping with lethal warning. "Next time, take better control of these wooden hands of yours... or they will break."

Without waiting for a response, Ethan grabbed Iris's hand, gave Maxilian one final, predatory glare, and dragged her away down the hall. Maxilian stood entirely paralyzed, trembling from the sheer, monstrous pressure he had felt in Ethan's gaze.

"Why..." Maxilian muttered, his chest heaving as he stared down the empty hallway. "Why did his eyes feel like a terrible monster...? I have to tell Dad." He turned and bolted toward the Duke's office.

---

Inside Ethan's Room

Ethan hurried down the corridor, pulling Iris along by the hand until they reached his quarters. He quickly dragged her inside and slammed the heavy wooden door shut.

The moment the lock clicked, reality crashed down on him. Ethan realized he was still gripping her hand tightly. His face instantly flushed a bright, burning crimson. He quickly let go, turning his back to her and covering his face in sheer embarrassment.

Iris tilted her head, watching his flustered movements. "Why are you hiding?"

"I... I am sorry," Ethan stammered, his voice muffled by his hands, completely blushing.

"For what?" Iris asked, taking a step closer.

"I don't know..." Ethan whispered shyly, looking at the floor. "But... sorry."

"Look at me, Ethan," Iris said softly.

Ethan slowly turned around, his eyes filled with a gentle, timid warmth.

"Thank you." Iris smiled warmly.

Ethan blinked, his shyness returning. "Aren't... aren't you afraid of me? I literally absorbed your blood earlier..."

"You saved me when I was suffering, Ethan," Iris said firmly, her eyes locked onto his. "You did something for me that most friends would never even dream of doing. So, thank you."

Iris opened her mouth to tell him about the Duke's experiment, but before the words could leave her lips, a sudden, violent shift took over Ethan's body.

Both of Ethan's eyes snapped to a brilliant, demonic crimson. His tiny fangs extended past his lips, and his hair magically shifted into a dark, midnight black. A completely different entity took total control of his physical body.

A deep, mocking laugh echoed through the room. "Hahaha! Hi, Iris."

Iris stumbled back, terror seizing her chest. "Who... who are you?!"

The entity smirked, tilting Ethan's head. "A vampire. The boy standing in front of you is a rare hybrid, dear."

"Are you... Are you a monster inside Ethan's body?!" Iris cried out, clutching her chest.

"No," the entity purred smoothly, taking a slow step toward her. "This is simply what Ethan will naturally turn into after a few days. Take good care of him, girl."

The entity closed the distance between them, leaning in until his breath hit her skin. He deeply inhaled the scent of her neck, whispering directly into her ear. "Your blood smells incredibly sweet... but I'll let you live, dear. Only because Ethan likes his little friend so much."

Iris trembled, fighting through her fright, and glared at the entity. "Give me Ethan back!"

The voice chuckled darkly, stepping back. "Oh, what a fierce girl. Then, as you wish."

Iris watched in awe as the dark energy vanished. Ethan's hair reverted to normal, and his eyes snapped back to yellow. Focus returned to his gaze, and he instantly realized that the monster inside him had taken over right in front of Iris.

Panicking, Ethan reached out. "Iris! Listen to me, it's not what it looks like—"

Iris looked down at the floor, her voice a heavy whisper. "Ethan... you're a vampire."

"No! Iris, please!" Ethan cried out, terror gripping his heart as tears finally spilled from his eyes. "I'm not a monster! Please trust me! Don't run away... please, just listen to me for once!"

"Ethan, listen to me," Iris said, her eyes wide with desperate worry for his life. "His Grace... the Grand Duke... he is a professional vampire hunter!"

Ethan froze, his heart pounding like a trapped bird against his ribs.

"The Duke will kill you!" Iris sobbed, her legs completely giving out as she collapsed to her knees on the floor. "You need to run away right now! Save your life! If you want to live, you have to go!"

Ethan dropped to his knees beside her, grabbing her shoulders as she cried. "Do you... do you think I'm a monster, Iris?"

"No!" Iris wept, holding onto him. "The Duke didn't bring you here to be his son! He brought you here for a deadly experiment! There is no place for you here... once the month ends, he is going to kill you!"

Ethan stared at her, his world shattering into a million pieces.

But before he could say a single word in response, the heavy bedroom door slowly clicked open.

The Grand Duke calmly stepped into the room, his eyes dark and empty as he stared down at the two crying children on the floor.

---

[Chapter 7 Ended - To Be Continued]