Heredera sin igual

Capítulo 3

Amid the cheers of the crowd, I heard the tolling of bells mingling with the explosions of fireworks—once, twice, three times… Just then, I saw a familiar white figure rushing toward me. She tripped and fell to the ground in her haste.

"Miss—" a young knight called out as he chased after her, "Don't go! You said you loved me. Do you want to see me grieve because I've lost you? Ah, Miss..."

It was Louise! The girl, lost in love, had forgotten what I had told her to remember. The bells were still ringing. I rushed over, grabbed the fallen girl, and dragged her towards the palace gates.

"Ah, my shoes!" I heard Louisa exclaim, but I paid no attention; all that mattered to me was the ringing of the bells.

As the last bell rang, I had already put Louise on her horse, and I leaped up as well, embracing the girl and cracking the whip. My black steed galloped forward like lightning, leaving the guards who had come to pursue the prince far behind.

Louisa has returned to being the Cinderella covered in dust at the kitchen stove.

"I'm sorry, sir, I'm so sorry..." she said softly after the horse slowed down.

"fine."

"One of those shoes is missing."

"Oh, I know."

The horse's hooves clattered rhythmically on the cobblestone street, and there was no other sound—we were both silent, lost in our own thoughts, until my horse returned to my lodging.

I jumped off first, and then helped Louisa down from her horse.

Standing by the horse, she held the remaining crystal shoe in her hands and looked at me.

"This is for you, a keepsake." I touched the shoe with my fingertips.

Adam came to greet me, and he led away the horse. After he left, I went into my house.

The days that followed were uneventful. I still often visited Louisa at night, using magic to help her with some of her work. I knew she liked me, though it wasn't love, but for me, it was all I could do.

Sometimes, I would ask her if she had thought about the future. At those times, she would stop singing, stare blankly at the flickering fire, and after a long while, she would tell me that she had no future.

Neither of us has a future, which is why we are together now.

As the royal court dispatched a large-scale search for the owner of a crystal slipper, the whole city was in an uproar, and I also noticed the restlessness in Louisa's heart.

Every night, Adam would tell me stories of what was happening in town, like how a young lady had cut off her toes to squeeze her large feet into glass slippers, or how a noble family in a robe had their eleven-year-old daughter pretend to be sixteen to try on shoes in hopes of getting a chance to marry into royalty. I just laughed it off.

One night, I went to Mrs. Arno's kitchen as usual. When I got to the garden gate, Adam stopped me and said, "Oh, master, you can't see Miss Louisa anymore."

I was stunned.

"Master, she's entered the palace! People say she'll become the Crown Princess! Ah, what a lucky person! If it weren't for me, she would have missed this incredible stroke of luck!" Adam rubbed his hands together gleefully.

"you?"

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [10]: "Haha, this afternoon was really interesting. Those three ugly sisters were trying their best to squeeze their feet into the glass slipper. That Julie, haha, she had to cut off at least half of her foot to squeeze into such a small shoe, but she didn't give up. She screamed in pain while stuffing her chubby toes in, which made the official in charge frown. The palace guards next to him couldn't help but say to the official that, judging by the appearance of these three sisters, the prince would probably rather go to a convent than take a look at them. When the official saw that the three of them couldn't fit into the shoe, he said to Mrs. Arno that if she didn't have any other daughters, he would have to go back to the palace to report. Mrs. Arno naturally shook her head and said that she didn't have any. At this time, I, who had been standing by the door watching the fun, said: "Madam, don't you have a stepdaughter?" Mrs. Arno still refused to admit it, but in order to show fairness, the official ordered Mrs. Arno to call out her stepdaughter. Upon seeing Louise, dressed in tattered clothes and covered in dust, the official simply couldn't believe she was the girl the prince would choose. But a miracle occurred: Louise easily slipped her feet into the shoes, as if they were custom-made. Haha, my master, if you had seen the expressions on Madame Arnaud and her three daughters' faces then, you would have been overjoyed. I, for one, was delighted…”

"You!" I grabbed Adam's collar.

“Ah, Master, I forgot you love that girl,” Adam said, his expression showing no regret or fear. “But Master, consider your position. Do you have the right to love a girl in the sunlight? Will you bring her happiness? If she loves God, consider the consequences of marrying you. She will be cursed by God, falling into darkness like you, eternal darkness! Are you willing to destroy a pure girl you love?”

I slumped down, my hands hanging limply. This Adam had already seen right through my heart. Alas, my fragile and tormented heart.

That night, I was lost and wandered aimlessly through the city's darkest streets and alleys. These alleys were deep, winding, and impossible to navigate; when I looked up, I could only see a narrow sliver of sky.

In this impoverished, filthy, ugly, and lawless land, I was attacked three times. I fought back with my teeth and my sharp nails, I killed. I was insane; I had already fallen into darkness anyway, so let the blood satisfy me! I tore and sucked, the warm blood flowing into my body. When I had drained all the blood, I pushed the corpses aside, staggered out of the alley, and collapsed by the canal, like a drunkard, vomiting incessantly, spewing undigested, filthy blood into the canal.

Gazing at the dark, occasionally shimmering river, I longed to jump in, but I knew I wouldn't die, and suicide among vampires was a grave sin. Unless an irresistible force intervened, I would be immortal.

I lay helplessly on the riverbank, gazing up at the bright moon in the sky. The moonlight embraced and caressed me, gradually calming my heart and stopping my self-pity over my unrequited love. I thought of the Prime Minister, Queen Anne, and many other royal nobles who had once shared their status. How would they view the love between a prince and a girl who had almost been reduced to a maid? And what about the prince himself? How would he view his beloved? Would he despise her status? Could a girl who brought no benefit to anyone become the Crown Princess, the future Queen? Based on my love for her, I seemed to see many obstacles lurking in Louisa's future path.

I washed my face with the cold river water, cleaning the bloodstains from the corners of my mouth and lips, and then headed towards the palace.

The palace guards and high walls were not difficult for me to deal with, but finding a room where I could overhear conversations was not easy. There were too many rooms, corridors, and staircases; an ordinary citizen would surely get lost. But I was, after all, a marquis, born into one of the oldest noble families in Europe, and I did not use the palace's internal passageways. Just like the night I overheard the Prime Minister and Queen Anne's conversation, I climbed the outer walls of the palace.

My first stop was the Prime Minister's suite in the palace, but the windows were tightly shut and there was no sound from inside. From there, I made my way to the other rooms. In a brightly lit room, I finally saw the people I hoped to see, but I didn't see Louisa; of course, she shouldn't be there at this moment.

I peered out the window and saw the young, handsome prince excitedly saying, "...It's her, the girl I love. Did you see how beautiful she was when she washed the dust off her face? She's an angel, the love God gave me."

"An angel? I think she's a witch who's allied with the devil!" the queen said coldly.

“Mother, how can you say that!” the prince cried. “A witch? Such a pure girl is a witch? Ah, Cardinal, please say something, do you think Louisa is a witch?”

“Your Highness, you are no longer a naive child easily fooled. Think about it, use your brain,” the Prime Minister said calmly. “Think about where you first met her? A cemetery. What would a young woman be doing there so late at night? And think about it, where did her gorgeous clothes, her expensive jewelry, her carriage, and her servants all come from overnight? I don’t want to say that she must have made some deal with the devil, but how did someone of her status acquire all of this?”

“She said that a magician helped her with all of this! She also explained to me that night in the cemetery, where her adoptive father was buried, and that she went there to say goodbye to him.”

"You believe this nonsense?" the Queen asked shrilly, her eyes filled with fear. "Harry, do you believe in the wizard's help? I'm so afraid... I'm so afraid that one day she'll plunge a dagger into your chest and offer you up to the devil she worships. Then you'll regret it, but you probably won't even have time to regret it."

I saw the prince's brow furrow. Was he also hesitant?

“She should be burned alive!” the queen said viciously, shoving the king, who was dozing on his throne. “What do you say, Your Majesty?”

"What?" The king lazily opened his eyes. "Oh, oh, she should be burned at the stake," he said casually.

“Did you hear that, Harry? The King says she should be burned at the stake!” said the Queen.

"Father!" Harry exclaimed. "You're saying Louisa, your future daughter-in-law, should be burned at the stake?"

"What? My daughter-in-law, Queen? Did I say I wanted to burn my daughter-in-law?" The king looked completely bewildered.

“That witch, that enchantress who seduced your son, shouldn’t she be burned at the stake?” the Queen said through gritted teeth. “I absolutely do not agree to Harry marrying that enchantress. The Crown Princess should be Margot, a princess of noble birth and good upbringing, not an abandoned child, an adopted maid of unknown origin.”

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [11]: The King nodded repeatedly and said, “My dear, you are absolutely right. Only Princess Vinya is capable of taking on the important role of future Queen.”

"Father!"

“I’m too tired,” the King yawned. “Your Majesty, let’s leave this matter to the Prime Minister. Dear François will do his best to choose a suitable daughter-in-law for us.”

He stood up and walked out on his own.

The Prime Minister bowed to the Prince. “Your Highness, Princess Margaret will arrive at the palace tomorrow. You should meet her; she is a beautiful woman, and you will like her. As for Louisa, I am not so cruel as to burn her at the stake, although I could hand her over to the Inquisition and sentence her to be burned at the stake for heresy.”

"So what do you want to do with her, Prime Minister?"

“I have sent her to the Saint-Cyr Monastery, and no one is allowed to see her without my order.”

"No!"

"She should atone for her sins, this woman who sold her soul to the devil!" the queen said coldly.

“But I promised her I would marry her! I love her, I love Louisa! Mother, have pity on your son, have pity on his infatuation!” the prince cried helplessly. “Do you want to see your son weeping every day, sighing for his lover? He will die of exhaustion because of it.”

"You won't die, you'll forget her." The Queen's thin lips moved slightly, and she glanced quickly at the Prime Minister, who gave her a barely perceptible nod.

My heart skipped a beat. The Prime Minister and the Queen seemed to be plotting something. Could it be—when I thought of the possible murder hidden within, I almost fell off the windowsill. I quickly scrambled down the palace wall, ran back to my lodgings, mounted my horse, and hurried towards the Saint-Cyr Monastery.

The night was deep, and the wind was strong. My long hair flew in the air, obscuring my eyes.

Louisa, Louisa, I hope I can get there in time, I hope nothing has happened to you. Ah, Louisa, wait for me!

The horse galloped forward like lightning, the tall trees of the suburbs rushing past me. I swept my hair back and looked into the distance; the towering Gothic buildings of the Saint-Cyr Monastery were already faintly visible.

As I approached the monastery, a troop of royal guards passed by, and I saw a carriage sandwiched between them. After a moment's thought, I decided to run towards the monastery anyway.

When I arrived at the monastery gate, it was already closed. I rode my horse around the perimeter wall and found a suitable spot to climb in.

The monastery was quiet as I searched for Louisa's whereabouts along the corridors.

Luisa, where are you? Luisa, where are you? Can you hear my call? I am Quaid, your protector! If you hear me, answer me!

I silently recited these words, using magic to spread my call throughout the entire monastery. As long as Louisa was here, as long as she was alive, she would surely be able to sense my call.

Soon, I heard a faint voice respond to my call.

Quaid, save me! I am Louisa! Quaid, save me—I ran frantically toward the west corridor of the monastery, down a hidden staircase, and saw a light flickering behind a slightly closed oak door.

I hurried to the door and heard a stern voice reading out the cardinal's secret decree.

Peering through the crack in the door, I could only see the abbot reading from a piece of paper, and two nuns standing to one side.

“Alright,” the abbot finished reading the secret order and gestured to the nun beside him, “Miss, I have read your sentence. It should be carried out now. His Holiness the Cardinal is a truly merciful man; he did not sentence a sinner like you, who sold your soul and was an enemy of God, to be burned at the stake. Drink it, Miss, quickly!”

"No! No!" Louisa cried out.

"Luisa!" I shouted and rushed into the house.

The nuns inside were horrified. With a crash, a glass filled with liquid fell from the hands of the nun who was near Louisa, shattering into pieces and spilling green liquid all over the floor.

"You're going to poison Louisa!" I roared.

"Sir, do you intend to disobey the Prime Minister's orders?" A guard who remained at the monastery to oversee the execution drew his longsword and rushed over.

I swung my cane, and the sword flew from the guard's hand, falling to the ground. I pounced with lightning speed, striking the guard down with my cane. The nuns fled in terror outside, but they were no match for a vampire who had lived for four hundred years. In the dark stairwell, I finished them off one by one with my sharp teeth.

When I returned to the cabin, Louisa ran to my side, and I opened my arms and hugged her.

"It's alright, Louisa," I said, gently stroking her long hair to comfort her.

“Don’t leave me, Quaid.” Louisa looked up, her eyes glistening with tears. “I’m scared, I’m so scared… Oh, why is your mouth bleeding?”

"Oh, it's nothing, I probably just bumped into something outside," I said casually.

She gently rested her head against my chest. "Why didn't Harry come? He loved me so much. He would give up everything for me. I thought he would come to save me, like the prince in all the stories, descending from the sky at the moment I faced death..."

"Ah!" I heard a scream outside the door. I looked up and saw a nun holding a candlestick standing at the top of the stairs, frozen in shock. Behind her, a young knight bent down to examine the nun lying on the ground, then looked up.

"Your Highness!" Louisa exclaimed with delight, "I'm so happy! You really came to save me!"

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [12]: The young knight's blue-gray eyes were frozen and terrifying. He stared at Louisa as if she were a venomous snake.