The Duke's Passion

Chapter 665  Sloth and Pride

"Tilly, why now? I get it that the numbers of existing Grimsbanne now match the ones told in the prophecy. However, there used to be… eight. My little brother died prematurely, and if we count your parents, that makes us ten. Why now and not in the past? It doesn't make sense."

There was a moment of silence between Samael and Tilly as they looked at each other. He raised his brows, waiting for enlightenment regarding the thing he pointed at.

"That's why they all died." Her answer brought a frown to his face.

"Huh? Please elaborate."

"Those who shouldn't be born will die prematurely. They might live a bit longer, but their death was predestined to happen. Claude's parents died because that was their fate. Even if they somehow survived your brother's verdict, they will still die on something else," she explained in the same meek tone, blinking almost innocently. "Our blood is a gift to those chosen seeds. But for those who weren't meant to exist, the blood of Grimsbanne is a curse that will kill them from the inside slowly. They wouldn't even notice their life withering."

"Tch."

Samael clicked his tongue in annoyance at Tilly's answer. Although what she said annoyed him, he couldn't really blame her. Tilly was simply spewing facts, and although the word usage was quite infuriating, it was the truth.

"I don't care about the blood of Grimsbanne. All I care about is to set things back to their rightful place. My wife and my children are my priority," he said, looking at her straight in the eye. "The only reason I care now is that my wife is out there doing who knows what and my daughter is left on the mainland. With or without the prophecy, I will burn all those vampires on the mainland if something happened to my family."

"That is the statement of yours truly," he added in a lazy yet full of conviction voice.

Samael then collapsed on his back once again, gazing at the night sky full of stars. A shallow breath slipped out of his nostrils, collecting his thoughts.

"Bless this family drama," he murmured along with another sigh. "The saddest part is not the fact that my family got separated, but thinking of those good times when we're together. I can't even rely on my other family member since even you are unsure if they will be of help or not."

Tilly pursed her lips while Samael grumbled his dismay in this situation, but it couldn't be helped. Although she didn't understand his woes completely, she also wanted to return to those days when she could sit all day doing nothing. Everything after the reversal of time was taxing. She felt like she'd lose the nonexistent fat she painstakingly accumulated.

"I hope they will help," she said after some time of silence, pushing herself up with her hands on her thigh. "Who knows? They might, since we're all in the same hell."

As soon as the last syllables escaped her mouth, Tilly pivoted on her heel to walk away. But just as she took five steps away from him, she halted at his question.

"One last thing, Tilly." She looked back at him, bearing her classic blank expression. "If the two seeds were just children when they were found out by the previous clan leader of the current royal family on the mainland, why didn't they kill the two seeds before they bloom?"

"The child of evil was born to become evil even before he can decide if he wants to become evil. If you think about it, the holy war and all the wars after that were all predestined. Killing the children who have yet to decide which path to take is cruel," she answered with a shrug. "Also, even if they are children, we are the proof they aren't easily killed. Still, the first impression lasts."

With that being said, Tilly peeled her eyes away from Samael to walk away. She continued;

"They said, show them the light, and they will shine just as bright as the sun. Show them darkness, and they will show you the void. Expose them to bloodshed and they... will create an ocean of red. Theodore the First believed that despite being creatures of the night, we're all part of this world now, and thus, we all deserve the chance this life offers."

"What would we become if he didn't show the two seeds compassion and harmed them in the first place?" she added without pausing in her tracks, leaving Samael all alone in the massive garden in the Crawford's estate.

"What would have we become if we weren't shown compassion but hatred instead?" he repeated, averting his eyes from Tilly's back towards the night sky. "Well…"

He trailed off, keeping his silence as he mulled about it.

"I don't think the Tilly I know will be Tilly the Sloth," was the answer that escaped his mouth, thinking that they owe this seed of compassion to the ancestor of the royal family on the mainland.

From what he learned so far, the first two seeds were exposed to the goodness of people. Because deep in his heart, Samael, although he was one hundred and ten percent certain he wasn't a good person, wouldn't be able to love Lilou with all his heart if he was born evil.

"It'll just be Hell and not Sam," he whispered, thinking of the darker side of him. "That's good, right? With this, it also raises the chances Tilly's siblings could've been less evil than I am." — he hoped that was the case since they could resolve this matter if those two somewhere across this globe cooperated with them willingly.

"I really miss Lilou and Sunny." He sighed, closing his eyes to rest them for a bit. But when he reopened his eyes, the sincerity in his voice contradicted the murderous intent filling his pair of crimson eyes.

"Once Fabian regained his memories, I'd kill anyone who stands on my way to reunite with my wife and daughter."