Allure Of The Night

Music Recommendation: Sol Mata a Francisco- Ivan Palomares

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Marceline was frozen in her seat, while all eyes were on her. Her father held a serious expression on his face and he said firmly, “We talked about this yesterday. As Ms. Barlow is here now, it will be easier for you too instead of going to Meadow.”

“Vincent already did what he wanted to, why do I have to do this again?” Marceline’s dull red eyes had gone wide, “Why are all of you enjoying seeing me being humiliated over and over again? Wasn’t what happened yesterday not enough?!” Her voice went higher at the end and had Lady Annalise’s eyebrows subtly furrowed.

Vincent and Senior Mr. Moriarty noticed how Marceline didn’t look like she had done anything wrong with what she had done even after she had been defanged and instead was still being defensive. Vincent said, “Eve is going to be your sister-in-law, and she deserves an apology for what harm you caused her.”

Eve asked Vincent, “What is going on?” Marceline tightened her jaw.

“Marceline wants to be a maid,” Vincent remarked, and the maids in the room, who tried not to look at the family members, couldn’t help but look at Lady Marceline to see if it was true or that the siblings were only jabbing each other for fun.

“I don’t!” Marceline raised her voice again, and this time, Lady Annalise closed her eyes.

“We can all hear you just fine, Marceline. There’s no need to shout while talking,” said her mother, but Marceline was losing her mind with how she was suddenly being cornered.

Marceline clenched her hands and said, “I am not going to apologise after what the emotional trauma I went through and am still going through it.”

“That isn’t an option,” Eduard stated.

Vincent finally revealed to Eve, “The person who spread ill rumours in your town, about you sleeping with different men was none other than my dear sister Marceline. She is the reason why the Humphrey’s along with the other people of Meadow hurt you.”

Eve didn’t have any words for the truth revealed to her, and her blue eyes gently moved and looked at Marceline, who stared back at her with contained anger. Vincent had already warned her about his first sister’s nature, but she had never thought that the vampiress would go so far as to ruin and shame her in public.

“Why?” Eve’s eyebrows furrowed as she asked Marceline.

She and Marceline had shared tea more than once, and the young vampiress seemed to get along with her just fine until now. She had always spoken politely and smiled, but who knew that Marceline had looked at her with such intentions to hurt her.

Marceline, who was used to spinning lies of politeness, suddenly failed in speech. She finally said, “You don’t deserve to sit at the same table as I. You don’t deserve to be under the same roof as I.”

“It is good to know that you aren’t worthy, Marcie. It is a good opportunity to marry Horace and leave this place,” Vincent watched Marceline with his calculating eyes. “Even after knowing we know, it is truly a pity that you don’t have an ounce of remorse over what your actions has brought.”

“It is all about her. You are all about her, while you are unable to see my pain as if it doesn’t exist,” Marceline gritted her teeth while her eyebrows furrowed. “You are my brother, but you favour her.”

“As I rightly should. I don’t need a sister with a hollow mind and heart,” Vincent deadpanned, and though most of the things didn’t hurt Marceline until now, his words hurt her now and she stared at him.

“If you loved me like you should, I wouldn’t have done it. Nobody here cares about me,” Marceline shook her head, “I am the one who lost people I loved.”

“Yet you cannot cherish them even after they left,” Vincent didn’t make it easy because he knew whom she was talking about being lost and it was not their mother. He said, “It is time to make things right, Marcie. You will be cared for after you show your sincere regret. You get what you give.”

Marceline, who was sitting until now, suddenly stood up with the chair sharply screeching against the floor. “You defanged me! I have no fangs anymore all because of this woman, and you want me to apologise to her, which I will never do!” This side of Marceline was a stark contrast from her usual calm and poised self. “Can you bring back my fangs? If yes, I will apologise to her.”

Vincent clicked his teeth, “Are you allergic when it comes to being humble? I told you, change your behaviour and one day you will have your fangs back.”

A loud thud was heard on the surface of the table, which was the Viscount’s hand had slapped against the surface. He said, “Both of you, I have heard enough. And Marceline, it would be better for you to apologise to Ms. Barlow. Unless you want me to send you to the Sabbiet to reform your ways.”

Marceline’s eyes widened, and she stared at her father as everyone was favouring this lowly human. She gritted her teeth, her lips trembling as if she was about to cry out but she didn’t. Turning to Eve, she started,

“I am sor–“

“You don’t have to,” Eve interrupted her, her voice calmer than the sea that she belonged to. Marceline let out an internal sigh of relief, because if there was something she despised, it was asking for forgiveness.

“Let her complete her sentence, Ms. Barlow,” the Viscount said, wanting his daughter not to be as stubborn as she was.

Eve softly smiled at the Viscount’s words. She said, “Thank you, Viscount Eduard, but I don’t think it matters anymore. It isn’t like Lady Marceline means it with her heart, which has no value to her words.” Marceline’s mouth fell agape at the human’s words.