Blair looked him straight in the eye and said coldly, "How do you know when she gets up?"

Cyril's eyes darkened, and his voice paused slightly: "Of course someone told me. Do you doubt me?"

This wasn't the time to tear it apart. She turned away and said calmly, "I never drink bitter melon."

Cyril was stunned. Una cried softly, "I'm reckless and always make mistakes. In that case, Vera and I will leave together so as not to be an eyesore."

She was about to turn around when Cyril subconsciously reached out to stop her.

The temple door was suddenly pushed open, and the priest rushed in in a panic: "Young Master, the baby's blood is unstable, and he must be treated immediately!"

Blair's heart suddenly fluttered, and she struggled to get up.

Cyril 's expression was stern. "Drink this soup first, and I'll take you there. Blair , don't push me."

At that moment, she understood that he was making a naked threat.

The bitterness poured into her throat, and she felt her internal organs churning.

Before she calmed down, Una gently tugged at Cyril's sleeve and said in a delicate voice, " Cyril , my wound hurts... Can you accompany me to apply the medicine?"

Cyril glanced at Blair , his eyes dark and unreadable: " Blair , my daughter is protected by the priests, nothing will happen to her. Wait until I come back."

After saying that, he turned and left without hesitation.

Blair looked at the indifferent figure and tears burst out.

She stayed awake all night, guarding the door of the Infant Nursing Palace alone.

As dawn was about to break, her heart was dead as ashes. She stroked an obsidian crystal with her fingertips and dialed a series of familiar marks.

"We were enemies in the past, and our hatred ran deep. Now, are you willing to join me in this conspiracy?"

There was a long silence on the other end of the crystal, and then a low laugh came out: " Blair , are you asking for trouble?"

She closed her eyes, her voice trembling slightly: "If you don't want to, then I will degenerate."

The person on the other end laughed softly, his voice cold and charming: "Since you beg me, how can I refuse? After all, I have been waiting for this day."

Three days after being discharged from the hospital, Blair returned to the castle.

Her daughter, whose bloodline was not yet stable, remained in the crystal cabinet of the temple. She looked forward to seeing the nursery she had prepared for her daughter.

However, the moment I pushed the door open, my heart suddenly tightened.

The cradle, originally carved from bloodwood, creaked underfoot as Vera bounced back and forth in her boots. The bags of baby clothes she'd prepared for her daughter lay in the corner, gathering dust. The entire room was filled with Vera 's toys; it had become his world.

Blair's voice was cold: "Come down."

Vera curled her lips, her eyes full of defiance: "Why? If you get any more aggressive, I'll tell Lord Cyril and have him kick you out!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he burst into tears, and his crying shook the candlelight.

Soon, Cyril and Una hurried over.

Vera threw herself into his arms, crying breathlessly, "Father!"

Cyril's expression froze. He looked at Blair and tried to explain, " Blair , don't get me wrong. Vera is just...too attached to my brother. He was confused because we look alike."

Blair interrupted him, "Since he's adopted, it's perfectly fine for him to call you dad. But this is my daughter's room. Why is it in this state?"

Una stepped forward first, smiling softly, "It's all my fault for neglecting Vera's upbringing . Don't be angry, sister-in-law. I will punish him."

She turned around and pretended to scold: "Why don't you vacate the room quickly? This is my sister's. She will be the mistress of this castle in the future."

Vera cried even harder, her cry echoing throughout the hall.

My mother-in-law came over following the sound, her expression gloomy. "What are you arguing about? Blair , you're bullying my eldest grandson on your first day back home? If you hadn't killed my eldest son back then, how would you have gotten your footing now?"

Blair 's heart trembled. She had just married Cyril the year her eldest brother died of depression . Her mother-in-law always blamed her for it.

The mother-in-law said coldly, "Just because you gave birth to a girl, you want to drive away the male heir of the Zhou family? You are dreaming! This castle has nothing to do with you and your daughter anymore."

She pushed Blair aside and held Vera in her arms.

Cyril frowned. " Blair , why are you mad at a child? It's just a nursery."

After saying that, he followed Una and her mother-in-law to take the crying Vera away .

Blair stood there, and the candlelight in the room grew cold.

Late at night, Cyril pushed the door open and walked in.

He hugged her from behind, resting his chin on the side of her neck, and whispered, " Blair , don't blame me anymore. My daughter is too young to remember these things. When she grows up, I will give her better things. Please give way for a while and don't make things difficult for me."

He still had the faint scent of Una's usual scent on him.

Blair felt disgusted and pushed him away, saying coldly, "Whatever."

Cyril 's eyes moved, thinking she had compromised, and was about to lean over.

"Squeak"

The door was pushed open.

Vera hugged the blood-red doll, tears welling up in her eyes. "As soon as my aunt came back, my father stopped accompanying me. Aunt, please give my father back to me, okay? I will return the room to my sister."

Cyril looked apologetically at Blair .

She knew in her heart that the meaning was obvious.

Blair smiled faintly and nodded.

Cyril kissed her forehead, then picked up Vera and went to the nursery that originally belonged to his daughter.

The door was half-open.

Soon, a servant's low voice came from the corridor:

"The Madam has gone home, why is the Master still accompanying the Young Master?"

"Shh, didn't you see Una followed in? I caught them having a secret meeting long before the Young Master was born."

A gasp was heard: "Then...whose blood is the young master?"

Blair's fingertips trembled, but she still recorded everything and sent it to the ally far away in the domain.

She whispered, "Help me change my identity."

A soft chuckle came from the other end of the crystal, low and hoarse: " Blair , are you finally willing to give up? If your daughter needs a father, why not let me teach her the power of blood."

She interrupted coldly: "Do you want the power of the Zhou family?"

The other party's voice was low and charming: "If you dare to hand over the knife, how can I let go of the opportunity."

As the sky was getting light, Cyril returned exhausted, with black eyes.

He lay down and murmured, "I hope my daughter won't be as clingy to me as Vera is. Otherwise, I can't stand it."

Blair stared at him with a cold gaze, and slowly uttered two words from the corner of her lips:

"Never."

The night was dark, and outside the castle, black fog was rolling.

Blair , alone, holding an umbrella, stepped into the deserted vampire temple. It was an altar abandoned hundreds of years ago, the eternal flame long since extinguished, and only the bloodstains on the stone walls still flickered faintly.

She lit an obsidian, and the cold light illuminated the front.

Soon, a figure emerged from the hall.

The man wore a ragged robe, his eyes crimson as fire, and a faint smile curled his lips. Blair's heart suddenly tightened at the feeling of oppression.

" Blair ."

His voice was low and cold, "I didn't expect you to come."

Blair stood still, her eyes cold. "I need a new identity, and I also need a knife that can pierce Cyril ."

The man narrowed his eyes and slowly walked around her, examining her like a treasure. "How ridiculous! Back then, you willingly bowed your head and became a replacement bride, yet now you're tearing it all apart with your own hands. Blair , you're even bolder than I thought."

Blair's lips curled up, but her smile was faint. "He was the first one to make me understand that the oath was just a vampire game."

The man chuckled softly, "What a cruel woman. But what gives you the right to negotiate with me? What can you give me?"

Blair tapped her fingertips, and blood flashed. She pulled out a crystal and slowly activated the conversation she had recorded last night.

The servants' whispers echoed in the hall:

" Una has been entangled with the young master since before Vera was born... Whose bloodline does the young master have?"

The man's eyes suddenly lit up with interest, and his smile deepened. "This is truly a wonderful gift. If this were to get out, the Zhou family would be humiliated."

Blair looked him straight in the eye. "I want more than just rumors."

The man stopped and approached her, his voice low and hoarse: "Do you want to destroy him, or... make him suffer so much that he wants to die for you?"

Blair's eyes were cold, and the corners of her lips curved into a resolute arc: "I don't want him to die. I want him to never escape regret."

The air froze in an instant.

The man laughed, his voice echoing in the empty hall. "Great! Blair , you're funnier than I thought. In that case, from tonight on, we're allies."

He stretched out his hand, his palm glowing with a faint red light.

Blair reached out her hand without hesitation, pressing her palm against his. Amidst the swirling blood mist, the alliance was sealed.

Black fog enveloped the two of them.

From then on, she was no longer the passive and tolerant Mrs. Zhou.

But, the person holding the knife.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated when news came from the temple that the baby girl's blood pressure had stabilized and she could be taken back to the castle.

Blair's heart tightened, and she didn't bother to wait for Cyril to return from the foreign land meeting. She hurriedly packed her bags and was about to leave.

Unexpectedly, just as she reached the palace door, Una leaned against the door frame, blocking her way.

Blair's eyes were like blades: "Get out of the way."

Una smiled slowly, a hint of sarcasm in the corner of her eyes. " Blair , I'm afraid you haven't figured it out yet. From now on, that child will be registered in my name. Cyril has promised me to take care of her so that she won't interfere with Vera 's succession."

Blair shuddered, her eyes suddenly cold and stern: "Ridiculous!"

Una pursed her lips, her smile widening. "Why deceive yourself? The moment you left your blood mark on the blood pact dossier, you gave up your right to choose. You thought you could protect her? You might as well have delivered her to me with your own hands."

Blair's fingertips trembled slightly.