Elena’s POV

Outside Kael’s study, the weather was as gloomy as ever.

I could almost still feel the pain in my throat.

I blinked several times before the scene before me became clear.

“Elena, I am calling off our engagement.”

Kael stood up and pulled the frightened Sylvia into his arms.

He noticed my trembling hands.

The way he looked at me slowly turned wary.

“Elena, I know you are unwilling to accept this.But the one I love is Sylvia.I have only ever regarded you as an important family member.I cared for you like an older brother would.”

His blood red eyes locked onto mine.

“I will not allow anyone to hurt her.”

I looked down at my hands.

Smooth and firm.

There was no trace of decay.

The lightness and strength flowing through my body calmed me.

“I will protect Sylvia. If you stand against me, I will show you no mercy.”

As he spoke, I saw his fangs begin to show.

At that moment, Sylvia suddenly knelt down.

She burst into tears before she even spoke.

“I am sorry. I should never have appeared by Kael’s side. Please do not kill me.”

As she spoke, she clutched her abdomen in pain.

As if I had done something to her.

But I only looked at Kael with calm crimson eyes.

It was him who spoke the word love to me.

It was him who kissed me first.

It was also him who told me he would always protect me.

That he would defend my eternity with his life.

So why did everything change the moment this human appeared.

Why did she become the fragile victim and I have to become the relentless villain?

From childhood to now, everyone believed we were destined to be together.

Now, all of it felt absurd and laughable.

“Since you insist, then I wish you and Sylvia happiness.”

I maintained a composed and elegant posture.

Completely different from how I clung to him in my previous life.

“I am the most cherished daughter of the Valemont family. I will never compete with a human for a husband.”

“It was you who said you loved me and earned the right to approach me. Now that your heart has changed, I will not keep you.”

Kael froze.

My words clearly caught him off guard.

“What did you say.”

He stepped toward me without thinking.

“Stop being petty. We can stay the same as before. I will still treat you as an important family member.”

Kael lifted his hand, reaching for my hair out of habit.

I avoided him instantly.

I clenched my fists, cherishing this vampire strength with all my heart.

This time, I would not be foolish enough to push myself into despair again.

Elena’s POV

When I went back home, I wrapped my arms tightly around my parents.

In my previous life, when I ignored their advice and insisted on staying by Kael’s side, my family had already been hurt by my choices.

They still supported me from behind, yet I could feel the distance and awkwardness in our conversations.

I was the one who betrayed their kindness.

I chose to stay with a vampire regarded as a disgrace.

In the end, I even caused their tragic deaths.

They spoke in hurried concern,“Elena, what is it, did something happen?”

I shook my head.

“It’s nothing. I just missed you……so much.”

My mother brought a towel and gently dried my hair.

My father sat nearby, repeatedly asking if I had encountered anything upsetting.

My parents had always doted on me.

They had always supported every decision I made unconditionally.

In my previous life, I had distanced myself from such a lovely family for Kael.

After a moment of thought, I decided to tell them the truth.

Kael had chosen to cancel the engagement, and I did not oppose it.

They fell silent for a brief moment.

“Elena, it’s good that you were able to think it through on your own. Kael and that human have already become the laughingstock of everyone.”

My mother held my hand.

“This is my daughter. No matter what decision you make, you will always be my only heir.”

“Breaking off the engagement is fine. Kael is already seen as a disgrace among vampires. Even if he had not brought it up, we would have.”

I smiled and teased my father.

“If Kael and I don’t marry, what about the cooperation between our families?”

To my surprise, my father looked at me seriously.

“My daughter is exceptional. You don’t need to rely on cooperation with anyone.”

Hearing the certainty and pride in his voice, my eyes grew moist.

I took a quiet breath and pressed the surge of emotion down.

“Then,” my voice was clear and steady, carrying the strength of renewal, “let me begin by making decisions that truly benefit our family.”

In just three months, I would be fully prepared to leave the sphere of Kael’s family power.

After that,

I would have nothing to do with Kael ever again.

Elena’s POV

A week later, the banquet held by the vampires for the new moon arrived as scheduled.

Although my relationship with Kael was no longer as close as before, there were other vampire branches at the banquet who were still in cooperation with my family.

I arrived wearing a simple black gown, and as I turned my head, I saw Kael and Sylvia.

The relationship between Kael and that human blood servant was no longer news.

What truly caused a stir was the dress she was wearing.

The red off shoulder gown was a masterpiece that only the most elite vampire tailor could complete after years of work.

More importantly, I recognized it.

Three months ago, Kael had bought it at an auction and had my name embroidered into the lining.

And now, the dress that should have belonged to me was on Sylvia.

The gown had clearly been altered in haste.

The waist was stretched too tight and the shoulder line sat awkwardly.

Her slightly hunched posture only dulled the elegance the dress was meant to convey.

Kael guided her through the crowd and walked straight toward me.

There was a trace of tension on his face.

“Elena.” He spoke first, his gaze sweeping over my simple dress and pausing briefly.

“I hope you won’t mind. Sylvia didn’t have a suitable gown, and there wasn’t enough time to prepare one. So I gave this gift to her.”

Sylvia twisted her fingers into the overly long sleeves.

She looked up at me, her voice soft and hesitant.

“I’m sorry, Miss Elena… the dress is so beautiful. I was afraid it might look odd on me. Kael told me you didn’t care for it anymore, so I thought… if it’s really all right… I could wear it.”

Glances began drifting over from all sides, carrying amusement from other vampires.

An elderly countess even covered half her face with a lace fan and whispered something to her companion, drawing a soft laugh.

Everyone was waiting to see my reaction.

I looked at the dress.

In my previous life, this had been the gown I wore at my engagement ceremony.

In this life, it had become something I supposedly “disliked”.

An idle piece that could be casually given away.

“Strange?” I tilted my head slightly, my tone as flat as if I were commenting on a piece of furniture.

“The tailoring doesn’t really suit your figure. For such an important banquet, perhaps Kael should put more thought into having a gown made specifically for you.”

Sylvia’s face turned pale in an instant.

Kael frowned and stepped forward, placing himself between us.

“Elena,” his voice dropped, tinged with reproach.

“Since when did you become so harsh? You know she’s nervous attending this kind of banquet, yet you still speak to her from such a condescending position.”

Sylvia had been standing with her head slightly lowered, her eyes rimmed with red.

But the moment Kael began to accuse me, the corner of her lips curved upward for the briefest second, unable to hide that flicker of triumph.

She leaned against Kael’s shoulder, her gaze carrying a hint of provocation.

I looked away, unwilling to entangle myself with them.

“It’s just a dress. Give it to whoever you like. I didn’t mean anything by it. You’re overthinking.”

After a few seconds of silence, he looked at me with a trace of resignation, almost indulgent.

“At next month’s ball, I’ll have something better made for you. A unique design. Consider it as my…”

“No need.”

I cut him off and slowly shifted my gaze from his face to Sylvia beside him, who looked as though she might cry at any moment.

“Since Miss Sylvia feels so uneasy wearing this dress, worried that she might offend me, and since you feel the need to explain and make amends to me…”

I set my glass down and lightly tapped the stem of the cool crystal with my fingertip.

“Then, to avoid more misunderstandings, perhaps we should see each other less in the future.”

With that, I inclined my head slightly.

Without sparing a glance at either of them, I turned and walked back into the banquet.

At the edge of my vision, the familiar crimson sheen of the gown flashed once more.

Kael stood frozen in place.

His hand hovered in midair as if he wanted to grab hold of something, yet closed only around empty air.

And Sylvia, still clinging to his arm, gripped the ill fitting skirt of that magnificent gown tightly, her fingers whitening from the force.