Chapter 258: Three days.

Victor continued staring at Anette for a few seconds, waiting for her to start laughing or say that it was some kind of stupid joke.

She did neither.

Her expression remained completely serious.

"No," Victor replied.

Anette blinked.

"You didn’t even think about it."

"I thought about it enough."

Victor uncrossed his arms only to rest them on the table, leaning slightly forward.

"Doing that is basically putting a huge target on my head and then going around announcing to everyone exactly where I am."

Anette did not seem surprised by the answer.

Victor continued before she could speak.

"I want to get stronger. I want to keep growing, I want to solve the problems with my bloodline, and I want to find out who the fuck is messing with the werewolves, but putting myself at risk like that is unconditional."

"You mean irrational?"

"That too."

Anette almost smiled, but held it back.

Victor pointed at her.

"Don’t change the subject."

"I’m not."

"We’re literally investigating the possibility that someone is working against you from inside the Palace itself. A royal property just exploded because someone managed to place a gigantic magical matrix underneath everyone without anyone noticing."

Anette remained silent.

"And now you want to announce that I’m your fiancé?"

"Yes."

"It doesn’t sound any better when you answer like that."

"I know."

Victor leaned back in his chair again and let out an irritated sigh.

"I’ve already attracted far too much attention without even trying. My bloodline is strange, I survived the Ascension Ritual, I’m connected to Rakshasa, I’m Chysis’s grandson, Serafall’s son, and now half the nobility knows that I was the one who stopped thousands of people from dying in that explosion."

He raised one hand.

"Adding ’future husband of the Princess of All Vampires’ to that list sounds like a shitty idea."

Anette remained silent for a few seconds before sighing.

"I know."

Victor raised an eyebrow.

"Then why did you suggest it?"

"Because it’s still the best opportunity we have."

"Doesn’t seem like it."

"Because you’re thinking of it as a real marriage."

Anette picked up the cup again but did not drink. She simply held it while organizing her thoughts.

"It wouldn’t be."

Victor watched her.

"It would only be a fake engagement."

He froze.

Anette continued:

"We’re not going to get married."

"You literally just said, ’Let’s get married.’"

"Because explaining everything beforehand would have significantly reduced the impact."

Victor closed his eyes.

"I hate you."

"I know."

"Continue."

Anette placed the cup back on the small saucer.

"I’ve already understood that there’s nothing in this world that will make you like me after what happened at the ball."

Victor opened one eye.

"At least we’re making progress."

"You don’t have to rub it in."

"You tried to hit me from behind."

"I just apologized for that."

"And I accepted."

"Then stop bringing it up in every sentence."

"I’ll consider it."

Anette took a deep breath and decided to ignore him.

"I’m not proposing a relationship."

Victor became more serious.

"I’m proposing a distraction."

She rested her arms on the table.

"A very big one."

Victor did not interrupt this time.

"Think about what would happen if tomorrow the Crown announced that the Crown Princess was engaged to the man who saved hundreds of nobles during the greatest attack the Capital has suffered in many years."

Victor immediately replied:

"Thousands."

Anette blinked.

"What?"

"It wasn’t hundreds."

She stared at him.

Victor shrugged.

"Just correcting you."

Anette exhaled through her nose.

"Thousands, then."

She continued.

"A young vampire, practically unknown until recently, who participated in the Ascension Ritual, exposed experiments involving werewolves, is directly connected to some of the greatest powers in the Kingdom, and still saved part of the aristocracy when a royal property exploded."

Victor made a small grimace.

"When you put it that way, I sound much more important than I’d like."

"That’s exactly the point."

Anette crossed her legs.

"People would talk about it for weeks."

Victor continued listening.

"Families that are worried about the attack right now would start discussing the engagement. Nobles trying to decide whether they should move their children out of the Capital would start thinking about what your possible entry into the Royal Family means. The more ambitious ones would start calculating alliances. The more paranoid ones would start inventing theories."

"And our enemies?"

"Them too."

Victor narrowed his eyes.

"That part is still bad."

"Not necessarily."

Anette tilted her head slightly.

"Do you really believe anyone would openly attack you with Serafall, Chysis, and Rakshasa around?"

"No."

"Then."

"That doesn’t stop poison, ambushes, sabotage, traps, political manipulation, or someone blowing up another building."

Anette remained silent for a few seconds.

"Fair."

Victor rested his face against one hand.

"Finally."

"But you’re not exactly defenseless either."

"I didn’t say I was."

"And you’d hardly ever be alone."

Anette began counting on her fingers.

"Serafall would hardly let you walk around without knowing where you are. Chysis already pays excessive attention to you. Rakshasa would probably destroy a city if someone scratched you again."

Victor made an uncomfortable expression.

"She’s already done that."

"Exactly."

"That shouldn’t be a positive argument."

"But it is an effective one."

Victor could not completely deny that.

Anette leaned slightly forward.

"And there’s another part."

"Of course there is."

"I need room."

Victor frowned.

"For what?"

"To act."

The answer came simply.

Anette pointed at herself.

"I’m the Crown Princess."

"I noticed."

"And that means anything I do attracts attention."

Victor gradually understood.

Anette continued:

"If I start moving soldiers, talking to certain families, visiting archives, removing people from administrative positions, or simply disappearing for too long, they’ll notice."

"But if everyone is looking at me..."

"I get an opening."

Victor fell silent.

"They’ll be watching the future King of the Vampires."

He immediately raised his hand.

"Wait."

Anette stopped.

"Future what?"

"King."

"No fucking way."

"That’s how they would interpret it."

"I don’t want to be King."

"Doesn’t matter."

"It matters quite a lot to me."

"Not to politics."

Victor made an expression of pure displeasure.

Anette continued as naturally as possible:

"You’d be engaged to the Crown Princess. Obviously, they’d start treating you as a possible future King."

"And you?"

"Queen."

"Then they should be watching you."

Anette shook her head.

"Not in the same way."

Victor remained silent.

She explained:

"Final authority always belongs to the King."

"You’re the heir."

"I am."

"So if your father dies, you take over."

"Yes."

"As Queen."

"Yes."

Victor spread his hands.

"Then you’re in charge."

"Until I get married."

Victor stopped.

Anette rested one hand against her cheek.

"Under the Crown’s traditional structure, the man who marries the Queen assumes the title of King and receives central authority."

Victor stared at her.

"That’s bullshit."

"I think so too."

"And you’ve never changed it?"

"My father is a man."

"Of course."

Anette shrugged.

"I could try to change it afterward."

Victor spent a few seconds processing that.

It explained the plan much better.

If Anette publicly tied herself to him, much of the political attention would naturally be redirected. Nobles would begin analyzing Victor as a possible future ruler, studying his relationships, watching Serafall, Chysis, Rakshasa, and everyone else around him.

Meanwhile, Anette would gain a few steps of distance.

Even so...

"Even then..."

"I know."

Victor looked at her.

Anette did not seem irritated.

"I’m not going to force you to accept."

Victor was slightly surprised by that.

She continued:

"If you say no, I’ll find something else."

"Just like that?"

"Yes."

Anette picked up her cup again.

"I’m not asking because I want you as my husband."

"How romantic."

"Victor."

"Sorry."

She sighed.

"I just want you to understand one thing."

Her expression became serious again.

"I’m doing everything I can to make sure the vampire race comes out of this situation stronger."

Victor remained silent.

"My father can act like an idiot. The nobles can spend all day fighting over territory, influence, and blood. Some families can keep pretending that nothing is happening."

Anette’s fingers tightened slightly around the cup.

"I can’t."

Victor realized there was no arrogance in that statement.

"If someone is using werewolves against us, I’ll find out."

She continued:

"If someone inside the Crown helped with that attack, I’ll find out."

Her voice did not rise.

"And if I have to use my name, my title, my reputation, or even my body as bargaining chips to create an opening, I will."

Victor narrowed his eyes.

"I don’t like that last part."

"Neither do I."

Anette answered immediately.

"But you don’t have to like it."

She placed the cup on the table.

"I don’t want a marriage."

Victor continued staring at her.

"I want an opportunity."

Silence lingered between them for a few seconds.

Victor had expected arrogance.

Some ulterior motive.

Maybe another ridiculous attempt to get what she wanted after being rejected at the ball.

He found none.

Anette was serious.

Completely serious.

Victor took a deep breath.

"I’m not deciding now."

Anette immediately nodded.

"Fine."

"First, I’m going to talk to my mother."

"Expected."

"And my grandmother."

Anette made a small grimace.

"Also expected."

Victor pointed at her.

"And it’s not because I’m afraid."

"I didn’t say anything."

"Your face did."

"My face is normal."

"It isn’t."

Anette decided to let it go.

Victor crossed his arms again.

"I know my own limits."

She became more attentive.

"I already have too many problems."

Victor began counting.

"My bloodline. Yggdrasil. The werewolves. That attack. The stolen artifact. The witch who helped with the explosion. The possibility that someone is working from inside the Palace. And I still need to visit Rakshasa before she decides to return to the Werewolf Kingdom and finish the job."

Anette slowly nodded.

"So adding Crown politics without talking to Serafall and Chysis would be stupid."

"I agree."

"Good."

Victor relaxed slightly.

"How much time do I have?"

"Three days."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Only?"

"That’s the most I can give you."

Anette picked up the cup.

"After that, I move on to the next plan."

Victor immediately became curious.

"Which is?"

Anette took a small sip of tea.

Then answered as though it were the most normal thing in the world:

"I’m going to find out which of the Blood Kings wants to marry me."

Victor stared at her.

"You’re serious."

"Completely."

"You really have an obsession with solving problems through marriage."

"Marriages move politics very quickly."

"Unfortunately, that makes sense."

Anette set down the cup.

"It wouldn’t have the same effect."

"Of course not."

"You’re much more interesting."

Victor grimaced.

"Thanks, I guess."

"One of the Blood Kings would still cause repercussions."

Anette explained calmly:

"They’re important figures. Some control enormous territories, others possess military influence or ancient bloodlines. A marriage to any one of them would be enough to change the aristocracy’s conversations."

"But less than with me."

"Much less."

Victor became curious.

"Why?"

Anette looked at him as though the answer were obvious.

"Because you saved everyone."

Victor fell silent.

"At least, that’s how they see it."

She began listing things casually:

"The young Valentine saves several nobles, protects important officials, and prevents the Crown Princess from dying in an explosion."

"You wouldn’t have died."

"They don’t know that."

"Fair."

"Then, a few days later, that same Princess announces that she’s going to marry some old Blood King who’s probably spent the last five hundred years sitting in a fortress drinking expensive blood."

Victor began to smile.

Anette noticed.

"It’ll cause controversy."

"A lot."

"They’ll call me ungrateful."

Victor laughed.

"Definitely."

"They’ll say I used you."

"Probably."

"That you deserved my hand."

Victor immediately stopped laughing.

"I can do without that part."

Anette ignored him.

"Others will say the Crown disrespected the Valentine Family. Some families will defend my decision. Others will defend you."

Victor began to understand the scale of that alternative.

"And while everyone is arguing about your love life..."

"I keep investigating."

Anette smiled faintly.

"It’s not as efficient as turning you into the future King, but it’ll work."

Victor stared at her.

Then sighed.

"You’re more dangerous when you’re thinking than when you’re trying to punch me."

Anette smiled.

"Thank you."

"That wasn’t a compliment either."

"I accepted it as one."

Victor closed his eyes for a few seconds.

Three days.

It wasn’t much.

But it was enough to talk to Serafall and Chysis.

When he opened his eyes again, Anette was already calmly drinking her tea.

"Three days."

She nodded.

"Three days."

Victor stood.

"Then I’ll give you my answer."

Anette did not try to stop him.

"I’ll wait."