Chapter 266: The Blood-Colored Family (Part 2)

Chapter 266: The Blood-Stained Family (Part II)

Cullen looked down at the leather ball—no, the human head—at his feet. For a fleeting instant, he felt an bizarre urge to lift his foot, trap the ball, and step upon it, but he managed to master himself after all.

He was not particularly frightened by the spectacle before him; he was merely fascinated.

The internecine strife between these high-born families was bound to be a bloody and ruthless affair. He had long since braced his mind for that reality; it was entirely within the realm of expectation. Yet an opening move of this nature made Cullen profoundly curious as to how the drama would unfold.

With the prelude struck on so high a pitch, how could one possibly sustain the melody?

Ophelia looked down at her brother’s head, drew a deep breath, and remained utterly silent.

Her relationship with her three brothers had always been distant. Once they reached adulthood, they rarely laid eyes upon one another outside of grand family celebrations. Furthermore, Dante’s frantic words moments ago left her anxious that Cullen might harbor some misunderstanding toward her.

When they had first arrived in Wien, riding in the carriage, she had once spoken with Cullen regarding The Secret Diary of Rozin. Ordinary folk read that volume to catch a glimpse of the extravagance and absurdity of high society, but to her, it read like a work of gritty realism.

Patriarch Vena stared at his son’s head, and then his gaze shifted to his brother.

"Tafman!"

Tafman paid not the slightest heed to his brother’s fury. Instead, his eyes fell upon Cullen, as though seeking his response.

Cullen spoke up, "With an apology so sincere, it is impossible not to accept it."

Tafman shook his head. "He said so himself just now—it was his captain of the guard who betrayed him. That proves he was highly likely to be entirely in the dark. Those four assassins disguised as attendants possessed wretchedly weak strength. I received a report stating that one of them even took his own life by poison. But who among us has not heard of the Church of Order's 'Spiritual Awakening Rite'? To employ four mediocre assassins and then resort to suicide by poison to silence them—how shall I put it? Compared to that venomous worm used in the cup, the drop in caliber is rather too steep, would you not say?"

"I am of the same opinion, General."

Tafman pointed at the head on the floor. "Therefore, someone wished to murder you, and then deliberately laid the blame upon Dante."

"Yes."

"Then who might this person be?" General Tafman said with a touch of feigned regret. "Alas, it is a pity. I have already severed his head, so there is no way for you, Cullen, to use your Awakening Rite to rouse him and ask your questions."

"Tafman!"

Patriarch Vena bellowed his brother’s name once more.

"Viewed in this light, it would seem that the true mastermind behind the curtain is myself, for I was in such a desperate haste to silence him, correct?"

Cullen offered no reply.

Tafman smiled to himself. "But I would never harm my Ophelia. The man she favors—no matter who he is, or what his status—I could never bear to hurt him."

"Tafman!"

This was the third time Patriarch Vena had roared his brother's name.

"Brother, if your only recourse when encountering such matters is to shout my name at the top of your lungs, then you might as well hold your tongue. Do not disrupt the striking of the grandfather clock in a moment."

"You..."

"Dante’s captain of the guard was once a disciple of Elder Macho. Elder Macho had but a single daughter, who married our Patriarch and gave birth to the First Highness."

"Tafman, what is the meaning of this?"

"Those who know of Cullen’s true identity are few to begin with. Myself, you, and those few elders. Who, then, would be the ultimate beneficiary of this assassination directed at Cullen? It seems Ophelia and Cullen have been walking too closely of late, and certain individuals caught wind of it. Certain individuals understand that once Ophelia and Cullen are wed, it will signify the continuation of the romance between their ancestor Bernard and Miss Poe. Should that happen, Ophelia's ascension to the position of the next Patriarch becomes an absolute certainty. Indeed, with Cullen's lineage and history, he could quite rightfully participate in the governance of Dark Moon Island by virtue of being Ophelia's husband. Certain individuals simply do not wish to see their only maternal grandson lose the seat of the Patriarch."

"Tafman, you have already slain Dante! Do you mean to strike at my other son as well...?"

"Do you honestly believe that he could remain oblivious to the schemes laid by his own maternal grandfather? What your eldest son, Ethan, loves most is to run to his grandfather, cling to his knees, and weep over the injustices he suffers at your hands. This is no secret; many know of it."

"Evidence! Where is the evidence?!"

"Oh, the evidence is..."

Tafman clapped his hands. The doors to an adjoining chamber were pulled open, and a middle-aged guard clad in armor stepped forward, sporting a thick, full beard.

"Captain of His Highness Dante’s Guard greets the Patriarch, greets the General, greets Her Highness!"

"The evidence is that this very captain of the guard is a man whose heart belongs to the Dark Moon, a man of absolute loyalty. Though he once studied the martial path under Elder Macho, his allegiance is entirely consecrated to the Dark Moon. Thus, he long ago informed me via correspondence regarding Dante’s communications and Elder Macho’s arrangement to place him here as an informant. Only yesterday, he made a special trip to see me, reporting that Elder Macho had sent word ordering him to prepare for a task—namely, to assist in the assassination of Cullen, and then frame Dante for the deed. He still retains several letters of correspondence as well as a token given to him by Elder Macho. Brother, the evidence you desire is all right here."

"He is your man?" Patriarch Vena demanded.

"He belongs to Dark Moon Island," Tafman corrected coldly.

"You knew all along they were going to strike at Cullen?"

"Yes, he reported it to me," Tafman admitted with a nod. "But a slight hitch occurred. His report indicated they intended to strike after the negotiation meetings concluded, when everyone was unwinding and seeking amusement. I did not expect them to advance their schedule to tonight."

The captain of the guard immediately spoke up, "Yes, tonight was an unforeseen development. Because Mr. Cullen came to use the hot springs tonight, they took it upon themselves to hasten the operation. The worm and the cup were things Elder Macho had provided long ago."

Tafman looked toward Cullen. "Do not blame me for failing to warn you in advance. This is family shame, and I wished to cover it up, to ensure you maintained as favorable an impression of our Dark Moon Island as possible, rather than witnessing such filth. According to my plan, I intended to dispose of them all before they could lay a finger on you, so that you might enjoy this journey in peace."

"I do not blame you, General," Cullen replied.

The pace of everything was simply too rapid. Dante had only just perished, and yet the clues pointing to the true mastermind behind the curtain had already surfaced, with the captain of the guard stepping forward to turn traitor and bear witness. It was as though every stage of a proper investigation had been entirely bypassed. What remained was nothing short of absolute, unadulterated directness.

"Then why did you have to kill Dante?!" Patriarch Vena interrogated fiercely.

"When one's closest subordinate is the pawn of another, and one remains utterly blinded and ignorant; when one falls into a panicked frenzy at the first sign of trouble, letting any and all words spill from one's mouth—Brother, keeping such a useless waste of a son alive is truly nothing but a waste of Dark Moon Island's bread."

"You..."

"Very well. Though events have deviated slightly from the script, Cullen and Ophelia are safely accounted for. What we ought to do now, I believe, is to present Cullen with a resolution. Brother, lend me your Patriarch's token for a moment. I require command of your personal guard."

"You want me to hand over the Patriarch's token, give you command of my personal guard, and then...?"

"Correct. And then go and slaughter your eldest son. Because the information has been sealed tightly, the news he receives at this very moment should be that Cullen is dead and Dante is being held to account. He might well be swirling a glass of red wine, savoring it while celebrating his triumph. Oh, Elder Macho might very well be at his side, grandfather and grandson celebrating this victory together."

"Tafman, do you not feel that you truly take me, your elder brother and your Patriarch, far too lightly?"

"Brother, do you know that a few months ago, a mutiny and assassination attempt directed at me occurred within the fleet? It was suppressed in short order. And what was the reason for it? It was because I have always steadfastly supported Ophelia. If I truly took you lightly as my brother and my Patriarch, I would not have returned to this island alone. I would have brought my fleet back with me. When that time comes, you may go and ask those sailors whether they answer to you, the Patriarch, or to me."

"You... you..."

Tafman stepped forward, reaching out to pluck the token from Vena’s waist. Patriarch Vena instinctively raised a hand to halt him.

"Brother, if you continue to obstruct me, I shall return to the open sea this very night."

Patriarch Vena froze.

Tafman took up the token, glanced toward Cullen and Ophelia, and said, "The carriage is prepared. Let us go together."

Cullen did not decline, for Tafman left him no room to do so. From the moment he had set foot inside this parlor, the evolution of events had been entirely within Tafman’s solitary grasp.

This man, who held the military might of Dark Moon Island in his grasp, truly possessed the right to run rampant across its shores.

He had not become the clan leader, yet he remained the most powerful figure within the island's hierarchy.

The carriage rolled forward; Taffman sat across from them, while Karen and Ophelia sat side by side.

Midway, another passenger boarded, a man Karen had seen earlier today standing behind Clan Leader Vina—the Third Prince.

The Third Prince looked as though he had just been dragged from his bedsheets, clad only in a nightgown, his hair a disheveled mess.

"Uncle, what has happened?"

Taffman gave no answer, opting instead to hand a nearby sack to the Third Prince, who reached out to take it, opened it, and immediately let out a piercing shriek; inside, staring back at him, was the severed head of his own second brother.

"He was too foolish, so he died."

"Second Brother... dead..."

Taffman reached out to stroke the Third Prince's head, saying softly, "Promise me, you won't be foolish in the future, all right?"

"I... I won't..."

"Mm, we are going to find your eldest brother now. On the road to the Dark Moon's embrace, your second brother might be too lonely by himself. As the eldest brother, it is only right that he goes along to keep him company."

"Eldest Brother... Eldest Brother..."

"Live your life well, live your life by the rules. Your father and I are brothers; I care for him and do not wish for him to be left without a single son."

"I... I will... Uncle... I will."

Only then did Karen understand that this was a case of bringing along a monkey to watch while slaughtering the chicken.

Just then, they arrived at the Eldest Prince's residence, a highly luxurious villa.

The palace of Dark Moon Island functioned more like an office; essentially, all the nobility maintained their own private estates outside.

Squad after squad of armored warriors swiftly charged into the garden, surrounding the villa, while the guards inside were instantly alerted and came out to confront them.

Taffman spoke to one of his trusted subordinates beside him: "Go, tell the guards inside that their families are already under our control. If they do not come out and surrender, we will send their entire households to reunite above the Dark Moon tonight."

"Yes, General."

The most direct threats often brought about the most obvious results.

There was a reason villains in plays always liked to use family to threaten others—because in most circumstances, such a threat was highly effective.

Before long, the guards originally inside the villa dropped their swords and spears one after another, coming out to surrender.

"Uncle Taffman, are you here to be a guest at my home? Please, come in quickly. I have some fine wine I managed to acquire, which I had originally intended to present to you, Uncle."

The Eldest Prince seemed to completely ignore the surrounding atmosphere as he actively walked out from the doorway.

Taffman stepped down from the carriage.

Ophelia bit her lower lip;

The Third Prince closed his eyes;

Karen, however, poked his head out with great interest, unwilling to miss a single detail.

The Eldest Prince walked toward Taffman,

Taffman walked toward the Eldest Prince;

When the two closed the distance to an appropriate range, Taffman reached out, a sword from a nearby guard flew into his hand, and then, he swung it down!

No greetings, no nonsense, no reasoning—it was just that direct.

Taffman picked up the Eldest Prince's head and tossed it into the carriage like a volleyball.

Karen reached out to catch it; well, yet another heavy piece of sincere apology.

Upon the Eldest Prince's face, there even remained the smile he wore when greeting his uncle.

This sort of object was inconvenient to hand to Ophelia; although Karen knew well that Ophelia possessed a resilient disposition, he was still unwilling to let her be tainted by such a bloody thing.

Therefore, Karen passed the Eldest Prince's head to the Third Prince.

"For you."

"Thank... Thank you..."

The Third Prince, whose brain had already lost the capacity to function, actually managed to utter a word of thanks to Karen, and then, cradling the head of a brother in each arm, he wanted to cry but could not, his body doing nothing but trembling uncontrollably.

"Taffman, you are insane!"

A roar of fury erupted from within the villa as an elderly figure burst through a window from the second-floor balcony. He had envisioned countless possibilities, but he had never imagined that Taffman would dare to decapitate his grandson directly without saying a single word.

As the old man lunged toward Taffman, two terrifying auras suddenly erupted from both flanks.

"Marjo, to plot treason while holding the rank of Elder—it is my shame to share the title of Elder with you!"

"For personal gain, you incited a fleet mutiny and destroyed the very foundation of our Dark Moon Island's development. Marjo, do you confess your guilt!"

The sudden appearance of the two Elders instantly suppressed Marjo.

Taffman loosened his arms, looking as though he too would join the fray, but before doing so, he still turned his head back to look toward Karen's side and said:

"The final piece of sincere apology will be a bit slow."

"No need, General, I have already witnessed an abundance of sincerity."

A trace of a smile appeared at the corner of Taffman's mouth, and he waved his hand.

The driver commanded the carriage to depart, with a squad of guards following behind to ensure their safety.

Meanwhile, the fighting inside the villa continued,

Through the rear window of the carriage, Karen saw a set of dark-red, majestic armor manifest upon Taffman's body. The man soared into the sky and then fell with incredibly swift velocity; with a single punch, he directly hammered Elder Marjo—who was already disadvantaged in the struggle against the two Elders—straight into the dirt.

Turning back around, Karen subconsciously sat up straight.

He,

Had he just lived through a coup d'état on Dark Moon Island?

One could not say this coup looked like child's play, because it possessed every necessary component—conspiracy, bloodshed, familial ties, and fratricide; it featured all the elements it ought to have. The only thing that made one feel uncomfortable was that it was too fast, and too smooth.

Matters that could have taken ten days to unfold were entirely concluded in a single night. With the loss of that process, it left one with a sense of unreality.

The carriage stopped midway, and the Third Prince was helped down from the carriage by his own guards. When he stepped down, he was still in a daze, still cradling his two brothers.

The carriage continued its journey, its destination being the Bernard Hotel.

Ophelia's body went limp, and she leaned directly against Karen's shoulder without speaking.

Karen could only offer comfort:

"It is fine, you will feel better after a night's sleep."

Ophelia nodded her head.

In a single night, of her three brothers, two were dead and one was frightened out of his wits; she truly had no competitors left.

Standing from Ophelia's perspective, this uncle of hers, Taffman, was genuinely good to his niece; his only flaw was that he did not blink when killing his nephews.

Upon reaching the hotel entrance, the carriage came to a halt.

Karen wanted to step down, but just as he rose, Ophelia reached out and clung tightly to his arm.

Left with no alternative, Karen remained seated, letting her lean against him.

For a long time,

Ophelia sat upright.

"I'll head back to the hotel first."

"Yeah."

When Karen stepped off the carriage and turned to walk inside, Ophelia called out.

"Karen."

"Yes? Is there anything else?"

"I'm sorry. Please don't blame them."

"I won't."

Karen turned around and continued making his way toward the hotel.

Ophelia,

Have you also guessed who the actual poisoner was?

...

Inside the living room,

Patriarch Vina was trimming his fingernails, using a file to buff them with meticulous care.

Just then, the door slid open, and Taffman walked in.

"Brother, it's all resolved."

Vina blew the dust from his nails and said, "Sit."

Taffman sat down, poured two cups of tea, and pushed one in front of Vina.

"Sigh, losing two sons to illness in a single night—I truly am an unfortunate middle-aged man."

"You have plenty of illegitimate children anyway, so it doesn't matter."

"Illegitimate children are just illegitimate children. Those with inheritance rights amounted to only those four.

Still, paying the price of two sons to seize the opportunity to purge the Council of Elders will make the upcoming reforms much more convenient. Dealing with those old geezers in the Council all these years has been sheer torture. Especially the grandfather of my two sons—the old fool thought that marrying his daughter to me would allow him to control me.

Well, things will be much quieter from now on.

Haha, come back often in the future. That way, they will fear you going mad again and will support me even more instead, haha."

"Alright, I will."

"Taffman, do you know what kind of bug that was?

They were originally bred and raised by Philias himself.

Later, because of that incident, the bugs he raised ended up affected by Philias's hatred toward our Dark Moon Island, transforming into bugs of a curse.

This insect is actually harmless, because it only possesses a terrifying virulence toward those carrying the Dark Moon bloodline. Basically, anyone with the blood of the Dark Moon clan who is infected by this bug has no chance of survival.

Philias once said back then that his hatred was crystallized within these insects, and unless a true god descended, the Dark Moon bloodline would inevitably perish because of this cursed bug.

Fortunately, our ancestor Bernard anticipated Philias's revenge beforehand and eradicated these bugs in time. The remaining eggs were sealed away and never leaked outside.

We discerned everything in advance, yet the only thing we failed to anticipate was that Macho would use this kind of insect, which can be considered a taboo to our Dark Moon clan. He was truly insane, and he deserved to die.

Haven't we always harbored doubts about Karen's identity? The descendant of Ancestor Bernard and Lady Poe—everything seemed just a bit too convenient.

Looking back now, originally, this bug could have served as a chance to test Karen's true bloodline. It's just that the cost of trial and error was too high for us to accept, and it was impossible to actually go through with it.

If he possessed it, he would die; if he didn't, he would survive instead. Sigh."

"But Karen didn't drink it, whereas Ophelia did. So, Brother, if you were given another chance, would you want to test him again?"

"I wouldn't dare try again."

"Why?"

"Because Ophelia wasn't contaminated."