Lady Dhampir
Chapter 110

Milena was waiting on the side, her arms crossed, but no matter what, the young Duchess was feeling a bit baffled. She had suspected that once she asked for their help, her friends would do their best to help her investigate the whole situation, but Milena didn't think it would be so... detailed. They had agreed to meet in the Manor De Crescent first. It wouldn't catch anyone's attention if the Prince visited his fiancé ahead of their wedding, or if Milena's friends came over to congratulate her all at once. The young Duchess was so focused on this investigation, Rayan and her future ladies-in-waiting had agreed to meet the very next day despite the short notice, and everyone had came prepared. Very prepared.

While Rayan was grimacing, two of Yasina's assistants were busy applying the layers of make up on his face, covering his scar to the point it was bluffing. Milena was discovering what the Vampire Prince's face would have been without this horrid scar, and she liked it. "This is itchy."

"I would be less itchy if your Highness stopped moving and grimacing," retorted Yasina, who was supervising the whole operation.

Surprisingly enough, the young Baroness de Citrin wasn't impressed at all by his glare. That was also one of the reasons Milena liked Yasina a lot: she was very straight-forward, and completely impermeable to the differences of status and higher forms of authority. Tiphania and Briseis looked impressed too. The two of them were going over the documents they had found, but they couldn't help but stare at the incredible transformation until the Prince sighed.

"Ladies, I really do appreciate the attention, but my fiancé happens to be in the room."

The two returned to their documents, slightly blushing, while Milena chuckled and shook her head, turning to her friends as well.

"We did end up finding some strange activities you may want to check for yourself," declared Tiphania, clearing her throat while handing Milena a document.

"After going through the list of items that were retrieved along with your... rescue a few years ago," said Briseis, "we found some that were familiar in the archives. I didn't have time to go through the full list, but there are a few private auctions that had the same items come back."

Indeed, Milena was looking at some paintings of very precious pieces of jewelry, the same coming back on different lists with several prices, increasing each time.

"We looked into this, and there is definitely a pattern," resumed Tiphania. "A rare jewel or piece of art will get out of the market for some time and reappear a few years later, it's value increased. I suspected some are dismantled and rebuilt to erase their traces too. Those auctions have a very limited number of attendants among the nobles and, on the surface, there is nothing illegal, but many of the goods presented have been of unknown origin for some time."

"How come the Royal Chamber of Commerce isn't investigating this?" Asked Milena, frowning. "The Guilds of merchants should at least be controlling the goods of value that come in and out of the market and know when something is wrong?"

"Unless it is out of their hands," explained Tiphania. "Technically, none of this is on the market as we know it. It is not different from hosting a tea party and trading items between your guests. If anyone tries to investigate the normal ways, they will just say those are gifts and you will find no trace of the money changing hands. Moreover, the Guild may supposedly watch other all the nobles' good trading, but it takes one person with the right rank to stop them."

Milena frowned. Although she understood easily, she wasn't liking what she was hearing. It was no less than nobles using their power to keep the Royal power from investigating their illegal trades. Moreover, it meant they were avoiding taxes as well, probably ignoring the prices fixated by the guild of merchants and ripping of the creators of those masterpieces. Sadly, it was precisely the kind of thing the King didn't have time to look into...

"Well, it is high time someone pokes their nose into those shady auctions," she declared, resolute.

"I think so too," said Tiphania with a wry smile. "Actually, you'll probably do a service to the guild if you put a halt to those illegal auctions."

"It may be dangerous, though," sighed Briseis. "We haven't found a way to get you into one of those either."

"How come?"

"Well, we know the time and location and as we said, there is actually one happening tonight. However, it seems you need a private invitation to get there."

"It makes sense," said Rayan. "They wouldn't want anyone they haven't approved to come and look at what they are doing..."

"Don't we have some connections that could be useful?" Asked his fiancé, raising an eyebrow.

The vampire Prince hesitated a second.

"Why do you ask me? I know you know we both know who could get us that."

"Your Highness is the king of that kind of sneaky entrances," retorted Milena. "You take care of it."

The two of them were slightly smiling at each other and did not even notice Milena's friends exchanging surprised looks. Until now, the relationship between the young Duchess and the vampire Prince had remained pretty much a mystery for everyone, and though her friends knew Milena wouldn't have agreed to marry someone she hated in the first place, they had no idea since when their relationship had gotten that good. "Alright, if my Lady insists... I can certainly find us a connection in."

Milena didn't doubt that a second. Rayan's connection to the Society of Vampires was probably one of their biggest assets at the moment...

"We still have another issue," sighed Briseis, crossing her arms. "We can hide your Highness' scar with make-up, but what of Lady Milena's eyes?"

"We are in luck," said Tiphania with a smile. "Tonight's auction is happening during a masquerade, according to my intel."

She winked to Yasina, and the other Baroness jumped to grab a box among everything she had carried over that day, bringing it forward. Rayan however, looked sour.

"... Ladies, surely you ought to be kidding? I just sat and let someone put make-up on my face when I could have simply worn a mask all along?"

"No one is going to be allowed with a full mask, Your Highness," retorted Yasina, rolling her eyes. "It is very outdated anyway. We just need enough to cover your identity, and of course, I have come fully prepared for that..."

Very proud, she opened the box to reveal two velvet masks, one white and the other one deep red. Both were also covered with delicate lace embroidery, and the red one had some little shiny strass on it. Milena's expression immediately brightened up, and she came forward to look at those from up close, impressed. Those masks were quite unique, as even the eyes were perfectly covered. Milena skidded her finger on the surface, ecstatic.

"You used glass?"

"Yes, my Lady. A very thin but tinted glass, coming right from your artisans of course, with a layer of lace on it. It is sexy, bold, and perfectly hiding your eyes while letting you see through perfectly. I was very inspired by all the stock of glass you sent me, so I had been working on those for a couple of weeks before Lady D'Aventur told me about the masquerade. As if I was going to stop at putting some beads on a dress!"

Milena smiled and took the red mask to put on. It was indeed beautiful, as usual, Yasina had done no comprise on the style and elegance. Yasina helped her lace it behind her head, but Milena was already impressed. Despite the red glass and the lace on it, she could see perfectly, while no one could tell what her eyes looked like. It was going to be a sensation during the future official masquerade balls.

"Impressive," whispered Rayan, rubbing his chin with his finger.

He wasn't just talking about the mask. For everyone standing in the room, Milena was strikingly beautiful, even more so than usual. The young duchess was wearing a gorgeous red dress, of her friend's creation of course, and with that red mask assorted to her lipstick, her raven hair and white skin were even more striking.

"Lady De Citrin, remind me to invest some more in your shops," said Tiphania, impressed.

"Anytime, I live for the gold..."

The one most pleased about her outfit was her fiancé, of course. Rayan smiled and walked up to her, tilting his head with a malicious smile. Him being so close right now put Milena into a turmoil of emotions again. She was not prepared to face a Rayan without his usual scar. She unconsciously stepped back, even more embarrassed than usual. And her friends were there, too!

As he came closer, with that devilish smile, Milena tried to look away before remembering she had the mask on. He couldn't tell if she was staring or not, yet he was still overflowing of that self-confidence.

"Your Highness, please do not smudge your make-up," suddenly said Yasina.

The Vampire Prince turned to her with an annoyed expression, but the Baroness didn't flinch, keeping her cold business smile on. Maybe he wasn't as scary without his scar, too. Milena let out a little sigh of relief. At least she knew he'd have to hold off a little tonight...

A little awkward silence followed, as all the ladies felt that slight hint of tension in the air.

"I... I think you have everything you need if His Highness can find a way in for you two," said Briseis.

"I gave you the information I had there," added Tiphania, pointing at the paper Milena still had in hand, though it was now slightly crumpled. "You may want to think about something you'd like to pawn, though. Even if you get an invitation from Your Highness' relations, the entry seems to be only accepted if the guests have something to put into the auction." Milena smiled.

"How interesting. I think I just happened to have acquired a lot of raw rubies..."

"Already selling your betrothal gift. My Lady is so heartless..." sighed Rayan with a smile.

Milena smiled but did not respond to his little fun. Instead, she checked herself in the mirror. Indeed, with her eyes hidden and a bit of makeup, she looked like she could be any young vampire noble lady out there. Her dress was a bit less opulent than usual, it did not give any hint about her status either. It was unlikely someone would recognize her simply by her heart-shaped face, as Yasina had even been careful to change her usual makeup as well.

She turned to her fiancé and friends, rather satisfied.

"Alright, this might sound like a lot of fun, but I do think we should get going early."

"A pre-investigation date?" Asked Rayan, raising an eyebrow.

"I want to stop by somewhere," replied Milena. "Moreover, shouldn't we get our invitations first?"

The Prince smiled.

"On it already."

Milena had no idea how he was already on it, but she wasn't sure she wanted to ask. Maybe he had actually foreseen some of it, or they would have to stop by somewhere on the way. She would have been surprised if the vampire prince didn't have a few private assassins or spies like Ruby to take care of such things without him even asking...

After she chatted a bit more with her guests, Briseis, Tiphania, and Yasina thanked the House De Crescent for hosting them for the afternoon and left. They had indeed had tea, but it was the only thing about their meeting that could be called a tea party like they had pretended this to be.

"Finally alone," said Rayan, grimacing. "My admiration for the fairer s*x is increasing by the second. The itchiness of all of this on my face is a peculiar level of t*****e."

"Try to not scratch yourself," chuckled Milena, while Olivia helped her put on her coat. "We wouldn't want to smudge your pretty makeup..." "Very not funny, Duchess."

Although she didn't want to disappear without a word, Milena didn't want to cause her father to worry about what they were about to do either. Hence, she simply informed Diggory the Butler and her brother Raphael as they were leaving. Her vampire brother, who had just woken up, had a sour expression while watching them get on the coach.

"Be careful, Millie," he said, stepping close to the coach's window. "Do not get into unnecessary trouble or try to play heroes. A lot of people are after you already know that you are a princess..."

She smiled, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before seating inside.

"Do not worry, big brother. I have His Highness as a shield if I need, don't I?"

Raphael, a bit surprised, glanced at the Prince to check his reaction, but the Vampire Prince only smiled. What had happened for Milena to be so relaxed now? It felt like his younger sister had changed a little. She would have never broken such a joke in front of someone else a few weeks ago...

"Alright," he said, stepping away from the carriage. "You'd better be back at dawn."

"The night is long," said Rayan with a wink, making the second young Duke De Crescent grimace.

Finally, they departed from the mansion. Milena sat in the carriage, a bit uneasy. She wished they had simply taken horses, but it would have been a nightmare to ride with this kind of dress. Hence, they had no choice but to be stuck together in this ridiculously tight space...

Milena was trying to look outside, but for now, they were only getting out of the De Crescent's domain, and it was a rather quiet evening. The cold wasn't as bad these days, and she was fine with just an extra layer of fur on her legs. Moreover, the Prince's eyes on her were making Milena felt too hot already.

"Rayan, can you please stop staring at me..." She sighed. "It's making me feel uncomfortable."

"I'm amazed at your friend's talent for makeup."

"Because you don't recognize me?" She asked, intrigued.

"No, because she manages to make you even prettier than you are."

Milena rolled her eyes, but the blushing on her cheeks was a dead giveaway. If he was going to be like this all evening, she may regret involving him in the first place. She wondered if it was already too late to back away. At least, she needed something else to talk about. "...About the Society of Vampires," she said. "How come you never mentioned it?"

Hearing her talk about such a serious subject finally made him lose his wry smile to go back to a serious expression.

"It is not something that can be mentioned within the Palace..."

"Was the Queen involved with them?" Asked Milena.

Rayan laughed.

"My mother? My mother hated being a vampire, Milena."

"... Why? It gave her the perfect opportunity..."

"Some call it an opportunity, yes. However, not everyone was too fond of that solution. After her betrothal and many, many years after, all my mother heard was that she had become a queen solely because she was a vampire. If anything, she wanted to shed off that stupid idea people had that she would have never stood a chance if she wasn't."

"... It doesn't make sense. The Oracle had predicted she would be the one and only Love of the King... No matter if it was true or not, it should have convinced people."

"Would you be convinced if you had heard the Prophecy and seen my parents? Most people thought that prophecy was only a rumor, or even something my mother fabricated. After all, the Oracle was her friend. Maybe she did it so people would believe she and my father really were meant for each other, but it never worked. She was too preoccupied with what people thought, and she stuck to being a Queen and ignored anything else. My mother was so eager to prove herself regardless of her status as a vampire that she eventually started to despise it."

Milena frowned. This shed new light on Queen Lyriana... The young Duchess wondered what she would have done in the Queen's position. If Rachael or Philomenie hadn't been born, the Royal Couples may have been chosen by default for their generation, too. Yet, the King had decided to not allow what had happened to him to occur again with his sons.

Although she had never really liked the Queen, Milena could feel a hint of empathy towards that woman. If anything, Lyriana had done her best and still been the victim of others stares on her. Milena clearly remembered how, when she was younger, she had thought Lyriana looked like a perfect Queen... Maybe she was desperate to fill that image.

The young Duchess silently swore to herself to never let other people's saying get to her in such a sad way. She already had a lot of pride in her, but Milena suddenly realized how vulnerable she could be to criticism. She already was the type to work herself to the bone if she thought she was lacking as the young Duchess De Crescent. How far could she go to be a perfect Princess?

Milena took a deep breath. No. From there on, there would only be the Princess she would become by herself, not to please anyone's standards. Rumors could always come, she would be deaf to them. She was determined to not become a cold and bitter woman like Lyriana. At least, she had a better relationship with her fiancé to stand ground on.

Milena slightly smiled, feeling a little better all of a sudden. She looked at Rayan as if she had just unlocked some new feelings towards her partner. The Prince raised an eyebrow, surprised by her long stare.

"My Lady, you're going to make me blush..." He chuckled, although there was a hint of curiosity in his voice for once.

"...Thank you."

He lost his smile, a bit confused by her sudden words. The Prince frowned slightly, trying to figure it out. "About what?"

"For being so... honest, and for how you are with me."

"How I am with you?" He repeated, confused.

However, Milena didn't answer and only kept smiling for herself, as she was having the last word for once.

Right, she had definitely chosen the right fiancé.