The Scarlett Estate and a Bloody Revelation

A few days later, in Hell Forest, fifty kilometers north of Blood Manor, stood a tall iron fence. An oppressive silence hung in the air, broken only by the rustling of leaves in the ancient woods. The path leading to the fence was overgrown, hinting at the long neglect of this isolated place.

A hum—

Accompanied by the resonant hum of activated magic, several figures materialized out of thin air within the forest’s shadows.

“Teleportation complete…” Lowering her hands from her chest, Iqiyah Scarlett surveyed the dense forest around them, quickly spotting the iron fence not far off.

“Excellent! The landing point is flawless, as expected of me~”

“What do you think, Seraphina? Aren’t I incredible? Fifty kilometers, teleported in a single second… Woah, what’s wrong with you?”

Turning back, Iqiyah Scarlett gasped in alarm. Behind her, Seraphina was hunched over, violently spewing large gouts of blood.

The blood seemed to overflow, gushing from the corners of her mouth and splattering onto the ground, staining the earth with a horrifying crimson pool.

“Woah! S-S-Seraphina, are you alright?”

Iqiyah Scarlett quickly supported the retching Seraphina, gently lowering her to the ground.

“Levian! What’s happening? Seraphina just suddenly started spitting blood! What do we do, what do we do, what do we do…?”

Having never witnessed such symptoms before, Iqiyah Scarlett’s face instantly drained of color, becoming even paler than Seraphina’s.

“Do not worry, Lady Iqiyah Scarlett.”

Compared to Iqiyah Scarlett’s frantic panic, Levian appeared remarkably composed.

“I believe Lady Seraphina is not injured… She is likely just suffering from teleportation sickness.”

Indeed.

From Seraphina’s perspective… One moment, she had been standing within Blood Manor’s magic circle, watching with curiosity as Iqiyah Scarlett performed intricate hand seals and gestures for the spell.

The next, a vortex suddenly erupted beneath her feet. Seraphina felt her footing vanish, followed by an intense sensation of weightlessness and disembodiment.

Like being flushed down a toilet, she was pulled by the teleportation spell, spinning through an unknown space, unable even to scream…

Even the most extreme roller coaster in human history would be mere child’s play compared to this teleportation magic.

“Lady Iqiyah Scarlett… I warned you earlier that we should have used the [Gate] spell for teleportation…”

“But the [Gate] spell consumes the caster’s own magic, and Seraphina’s magic power is so low…”

Slowly recovering from her dizziness, Seraphina lifted her head. She looked past the arguing figures beside her, towards the manor beyond the iron fence.

Woah.

The moment her eyes landed on the manor, Seraphina’s discomfort vanished completely.

‘This place has such a vibe.’

Seraphina had seen the immense Blood Manor, and the lavishly decorated Krieg Estate (Castle). But a manor with such distinct character—this was her first time encountering one since arriving in this new world.

A black-painted iron fence, adorned with pointed spires resembling bat wings…

A dark, desolate garden that appeared largely untended…

And a Gothic castle, with its pointed turrets, intricate designs, and ostentatious grandeur…

Everything about it perfectly matched the dark, vampiric castle she had always envisioned.

“Seraphina, are you feeling better?”

Noticing that Seraphina had regained some color, yet her eyes remained fixed on the Scarlett Estate, Iqiyah Scarlett couldn’t help but feel a pang of worry.

“Are you… perhaps thinking it can’t compare to the Krieg family’s castle?”

“N-N-N-No, not at all!”

Unprepared for Seraphina’s sudden burst of delight, Iqiyah Scarlett was startled.

“On the contrary… this castle is so incredibly stylish… oh no, so incredibly cool!”

Watching Seraphina’s eyes sparkle with excitement, Iqiyah Scarlett, though unsure of the reason for her enthusiasm, finally felt the knot of anxiety in her chest loosen.

‘Ah, good, as long as she doesn’t dislike it.’

A smile gracing her lips, Iqiyah Scarlett followed behind the overjoyed Seraphina, as they approached the Scarlett Estate—a place she hadn’t visited in ages, yet once called home.

****

“Welcome… Young Miss.”

Upon entering the manor’s castle, two rows of maids lined up on either side of the entrance, bowing in perfect unison to the three arrivals.

“…”

Glancing around at the estate where she had grown up, Iqiyah Scarlett’s expression stiffened, and the corner of her mouth twitched involuntarily.

“You haven’t been back in a long time, have you, Iqiyah Scarlett?”

Following Iqiyah Scarlett’s lead, Seraphina proceeded deeper into the ancient castle.

“Mm… Not long after I came of age, the old geezer kicked me out. By my reckoning, it’s been thousands of years, if not tens of thousands.”

Stepping into the reception hall, Iqiyah Scarlett lingered among the sofas and decorations, her fingers lightly tracing the dust-free vases and clocks.

“Exactly the same as before…”

Passing through the reception hall and ascending a staircase, the three arrived at a corridor.

Unlike the elongated corridors within Blood Manor, this hallway connected only a handful of rooms. However, from Iqiyah Scarlett’s expression, this was likely the truly important section of the Scarlett Estate.

“This, here, was once my room.”

Pointing to the door nearest the staircase, Iqiyah Scarlett spoke with a hint of melancholy.

“Further inside is my sister’s room…” Iqiyah Scarlett indicated deeper into the corridor, “and then there are two unoccupied guest rooms.”

“And finally, the room at the very end belongs to my father.”

“If there are any clues about the True Ancestor to be found… they would undoubtedly be in these three rooms.”

Listening to Iqiyah Scarlett’s words, Seraphina recalled the conversation she had with Cardo a few nights prior, during that sleepless night.

****

“You were the one controlling my body just now, weren’t you?”

Seraphina’s face twisted in disgust. “You… you didn’t want the True Ancestor to control your body, yet you turned around and controlled mine… That’s truly repulsive…”

“Heh, you’ve got a point… I can’t exactly refute that.”

Awkwardly scratching her ear, Cardo’s face flushed as she averted her gaze.

“But please forgive me… I had to make Iqiyah Scarlett visit the Scarlett Estate.”

“To resurrect Godia Scarlett?”

“No… Godia Scarlett’s fate no longer holds any significance.”

“…”

Though Seraphina knew Godia Scarlett had treated Cardo unfairly, hearing Cardo utter such heartless words so plainly, still filled her with a sense of melancholy.

“It’s to find the True Ancestor, and then to utterly destroy her.”

“Oh, I know, I know.” Seraphina waved a hand dismissively. “You two are like fire and water, desperate to tear each other to shreds, right?”

“Mm… you’re absolutely right.” Cardo didn’t shy away from the statement.

“However… vengeance isn’t my only goal.”

“I intend to completely liberate Iqiyah Scarlett… and you, from the True Ancestor’s grasp.”

Raising her hand, Cardo suddenly held a black, viscous substance, though Seraphina hadn’t noticed her acquire it.

“You should know what this is, shouldn’t you?”

“I do.”

While Seraphina couldn’t discern the true nature of the gooey mass, her [All-Seeing Eye] had at least revealed its name—

[True Ancestor’s Blood].

It also went by another name—[Fragment].

“Didn’t expect that, did you? The True Ancestor shoved this thing into your body the very moment she invaded it.”

Cardo shook the [True Ancestor’s Blood] in her hand, producing a squelching, viscous sound.

“Its effects… or at least, its side effects, you remember them, right?”

‘Side effects?’

“Isn’t it just possession? The True Ancestor can’t reach me now, so what’s there to be afraid of…?”

Tilting her head, Seraphina genuinely couldn’t fathom what was so terrifying about the substance.

“Really?”

Lowering her head, Cardo offered a faint smile.

“Do you recall… that this thing drains 30 health points every second?”