Lady Dhampir
Chapter 176

Rachael was obviously enjoying this. Holding the Duke at gunpoint, making him tremble in his brand new attire. Moreover, he was slowly stepping away from Milena, crawling towards the wall, terrified. She was probably the only woman in this world bold enough to take out a weapon here, and actually aim at someone. The Grand Princess had no intention to stop Rachael, either. The young Duke would certainly have earned that bullet...

"Duchess De Nova, your insolence will..."

"How about your insolence?" Retorted the Duchess, visibly annoyed. "The Prince isn't gone yet, but you're already peeing all over the place like a badly trained dog. I have runts at home who know their place better than you!"

"I didn't know you were into dog training, Duchess," said Milena with a smile, her eyes fixated on the Duke. "Perhaps I should take a couple of lessons from you. I really can't endure this type of badly-behaved mutt..." "I'll happily lend you a whip, Your Highness."

The two women were obviously enjoying themselves off of the Duke's inner suffering. Still, it was all fair game in Milena's eyes. Her allies were in fact, not gone yet, and even when they would be, their influence would certainly remain. This man had definitely overstepped his ground, thinking she was defenseless already. Not only was Milena not defenseless, but she wouldn't be in the future either. Perhaps she should follow Rachael's example and carry a g*n around regardless of the Castle's rules from then on... "You're facing criminal charges, Duchess De Nova," hissed Arseus. "For attacking someone in the middle of the Royal Castle..."

"I'll swear the Duchess acted merely out of concern for my safety," retorted Milena, stepping forward. "We can have a trial held tomorrow morning if you insist, young Duke! I bet the Senate will love having to deal with your pettiness right before our people leave for war."

This time, he had nothing to answer. It was obvious no one would take his claim seriously if both these women spoke against him. Not only was Milena now Grand Princess, but Rachael would be leaving for the War soon; no one would want to bother judging whether he had really been bullied or not... It would only hurt his reputation. No, it was smarter to lay low, at least until the Grand Princess' husband and allies were gone.

Milena could almost hear his train of thoughts, but she doubted this shallow man could ever become anything but predictable. Rachael had been right, he was no better than a rabid mongrel...

"I hope not to see you again before I leave, Sir," said Rachael. "It would be unfortunate to lose a bullet in your b**t before my departure."

Although he glared at the Duchess, Arseus wasn't so foolish to stay here and test Rachael's patience. That woman was already known for her short temper, and no one wanted to risk taking a bullet... With a red face, he walked away, visibly angry and also a bit red, careful not to show his back before he disappeared.

Milena let out a long sigh.

"A timely arrival, Lady Rachael."

"You know I like a good entrance. Is that stubborn dog ever going to give up? He's been eyeing you since we were young, and it doesn't get any less disgusting."

"I wish. But I'll teach him a proper lesson some other day... What brings you here?"

"Probably something along the same lines as his excuse. The empty spot as a Commander of the fifth Division." "What about it?"

Rachael smirked, and put her g*n back into its holster at her hip.

"Don't you think this is a golden opportunity for us, Princess? We need to put someone on our side in that spot." Milena raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"...I understand the opportunity, I am more surprised you have someone in mind for that? Who could it be?" "Alexis."

Milena barely contained her surprise. Of all people, Rachael wanted to put Alexis De Carseus back into a leading spot as a Division Commander? Although most of the people detained as suspects in the Society of Vampires affair were slowly being cleared and released or had been assigned at residence, the De Carseus family was still the one who had been in the middle of that mess! With Alban stabbing Milena, Ellias had a perfect excuse to keep some of his enemies away from positions of military power. "Lady Rachael, I knew you to be more down-to-earth. In which dream did you think we could put the lead suspect in a rebellion inquisition in a position as a Commander? Even with my husband's support, it won't be possible to put Lady De Carseus into that empty spot!"

"I know, but hear me out. I don't want to give Alexis the Fifth Division, but the Eighth. If we can make the swap in position, it can work."

Milena paused.

The Eighth Division was different from the others. It was considered one of the weakest ones, because it was made mostly of prisoners and untrained volunteers. The first group was people who had been arrested for crimes and sent to serve in the army. It was a common form of punishment that those people, regardless of their crimes, had to serve for several years until they could be reintroduced into society. The second group was more pitiful. The volunteers of the Eighth Division were people who had nothing else. Most had traded some heavy debts and past life for a yearly paycheck guaranteed by the Kingdom, against the promise to serve in their Division until they were at the age to retire. Neither of those two groups was the ideal profile of a soldier. At best, they would be inexperienced, but in the worst case, some of those people were particularly undisciplined. Milena had heard many times Lucian complain about soldiers of the Eighth Division looking for a fight and provoking some. "Are you serious?" She said, in a whisper.

Rachael smirked, looking very confident as always.

"Believe me, Alexis will be perfect to lead that Division. She has been commanding men since we were fifteen, and she might be the only other person, aside from you, that I'd consider a worthy female opponent." "...That's saying a lot," nodded Milena.

Although she had rarely interacted with the young Marquess herself, Milena had heard of the hard training the De Carseus family imposed on their men. They were often compared to the De Crescent for that, including the fact that they were a family with vampires... She tried to think about Rachael's plan, and... it wasn't so crazy.

Suddenly, Milena realized why Rachael was here, and it had to do with the current Commander of the Eighth Division. What an interesting coincidence... The more she thought about it, the more Milena liked Rachael's idea; If they could pull it off, they'd manage to piss off Ellias and get revenge she had left pending for a while now. She smiled.

"I like it," she said. "I'll help you convince my brother. That's why you're here, aren't you? You want Alexis to be named by the Military Council... If the majority votes, the King can't oppose it."

"Especially if we have a Grand Princess on our side," nodded Rachael with a smirk.

Milena smiled, please.

One more occasion to piss off Ellias was actually very welcome. It would help her get a bit away from all those dark thoughts from before, and give her some fun. "Alright, I'll talk to my brother, then. I suppose I'll see you at the Military Council Meeting?"

"See you there, Princess."

Rachael left, that smirk stuck on her face. Milena smiled too, but she couldn't help but feel a bit bitter as she watched the Duchess walk away. Who would have thought, ten years back, that she and Rachael would develop such a relationship? It was completely unexpected... Now that she thought about it, they all had changed from their primary characters. Philomenie had outgrown her glass shell, while Rachael had learned to be less spiteful... a little. Milena chuckled, and resumed her way to her brother's office, knocking gently.

Of course, Valentin was there, with dark circles under his eyes and a complicated expression.

"Good Morning, big brother."

"Milena!"

He stood from his desk as soon as he spotted his little sister, and came to hug her, ignoring his two assistants who were diligently working at their desks. "What brings you here?"

"I had hoped to steal a bit of your time and share a breakfast together. I won't have many more occasions to be with my older brother, so...." Valentin let out a long sigh.

"Of course. Let's head to the terrace, shall we?"

Milena nodded, and they left to the little terrace of his office. It was no more than a balcony with two chairs and a table, but the snow was swept away by the servants daily, and a brazier was quickly installed there so they could enjoy their breakfast outside without suffering from the cold. Olivia carefully put her bear coat around her mistress's shoulders while the Royal Castle servants moved to bring everything needed for their breakfast. Valentin's eyes lit up. "Ah... I feel like I haven't eaten in ages."

"You're overworking these days, big brother. Did you get any time with your wife at all?"

"Not enough, definitely," he sighed while bringing a little piece of bread to his lips. "I feel bad though, but even Eugenie has been saying I can't travel back and forth every day, she says it's a waste of the few hours I can sleep... I managed to go home last night, though."

"Is she settling in alright?"

"Oh, she'll do great. I wouldn't be able to tell she's pregnant from the way she's moving all of the Manor around. At this rhythm, everything will be built back up and cleaned by next month!"

Milena smiled. Indeed, having a new Lady of the House would be a pleasant change for the House De Crescent. Milena had often felt sorry her Father would have to stay alone for so long, as she was living in the Castle now. However, he still had Raphael, and now Eugenie would bring a feminine touch to the life of the Manor... And probably lessen their burden as well. Although, Milena suspected that her sister-in-law's hard work was also a way to ignore the approaching day when Valentin would leave...

"...I'll take care of them," suddenly declared Milena, her throat a bit tight.

Valentin paused, and put his teacup down. He looked at his sister with pride in his eyes, and gently moved his hand to caress her hair.

"I know, Millie. I'm more worried about who will take care of you... You're the youngest of us all, but always trying to shoulder everything alone. We've talked about this, didn't we? Don't hesitate to ask Father or Raphael for support if you need, Milena. The House De Crescent will always support you."

Milena smiled, and nodded.

She knew they'd do everything for each other, she'd always been sure of that. She simply didn't want to linger on those bitter feelings for much longer. There was nothing that could be done, now. Regardless of who stayed behind, she only hoped her loved ones would all return, safe and sound. She grabbed his hand, and held it, just like when she was a child, with a heavy heart.

"...Don't worry about me," he said with a smile. "I'm relieved to go, if it can protect my family. I will do my very best to come back alive, of course... I'm more worried about Lucian, to be honest. He's too young and impatient to prove himself. I hope he won't get himself in trouble."

"He'll be alright," chuckled Milena. "You know Lucian, he's always prone to trouble and trouble loves him." "That's for sure..."

They chuckled together and remembered some of Lucian's legendary brawls with the Knights or his own group of soldiers. Milena was glad to be able to forget about their departure, even if it was for a short while. She slowly ate her breakfast, feeling a bit more light-hearted.

After a while, though, they got to more pressing business. Once she was sure the servants had closed the windows and no one but their personal servants could hear them, she shared with Valentin the details of Rachael's idea. His reaction was exactly the same as hers at first, but, as expected, he could definitely see it happen.

"If we have enough voices..." He muttered.

"You, Rachael and Rayan are Commanders of three of the strongest divisions," said Milena. "If you three take a position right away, the generals on our side will follow you automatically."

"It might be tight, but it could work," he nodded. "I can ask Bryce for a favor."

"Will the young Duke listen to you?"

"How long do you think he's been my best friend for, Milena? Moreover, he isn't happy about Henry being the one to stay behind..."

Milena sighed. She hadn't paid too much attention to the fourth Duchy House with everything going on, but as expected, Henry De Boreal, although he was a vampire, might turn out to be a friend or foe in the future... Depending on which side he chose. His father had remained strangely neutral since Queen Lyriana's death, but now, the young Duke was about to get his title, and it would be important for Milena to check his intentions. "Alright, then. Let's make this happen," nodded the young Duke.

"This isn't just about him, though, you know? The Commander of the Eighth Division is..."

Valentin chuckled, wiping his mouth with his napkin.

"Oh, trust me, he will agree. Gabriel will have no choice but to agree. Our cousins have betrayed us once already, it is high time they pay for their mistake. I will tell him he can take the Fifth Commander's position, but I'll make sure he doesn't mistake this for a gift. The De Hyacinth family isn't done suffering for turning their back on us... I'll send the word to father. I may be on the battlefield, but Father can still pressure the De Hyacinth family more. As if we'd let go of a betrayal..."

Milena sighed, but she felt no pity for their maternal cousins. Perhaps they had thought they could turn their backs on them because their mother, Elizia, was dead, or because Milena had the least chances to be named Princess back then, but... it was high time they paid for their mistake. She had felt offended she couldn't believe her own cousin, but it was now time she settled this personally with Helena. She had pushed this issue back for too long.

"Alright, then, if you're done with breakfast, it is time we go," said Valentin. "...are you coming to the Council, by the way? Now that you have this title, I forgot you can attend any as you please. It would be a big help, but you might be busy..." Milena smirked, and carefully cleaned the remnants of sugar around her lips.

"Oh, trust me, there's nothing in my office I want to run back to. I'd much rather entertain myself with a military Council. Moreover, I get to see my husband and piss off some people who deserve it... It's more than I could ask for." "Now, that's my little sister," chuckled Valentin. "What was I worried for, again?"

Milena smiled, and took his arm as he escorted her out of his office. She was reminded of her childhood days, when Valentin would bring her to the Castle and let her visit it as much as she wished... She would have never imagined, back then. Milena wanted to hold on to that big brother of hers, and not let go. Once again, the idea that he'd leave for the war was splitting her in two. It was terrifying, but... there was no choice but to keep on her noblewoman smile, and get distracted with more politics meanwhile. Milena didn't want to be the one to complain when she was the one staying back, so she put on a strong front, for now. She could cry later...

As they walked away, Blanche had secretly stayed behind. In her appearance as a cat again, she swiftly jumped on the chair Milena was occupying just before, and lifted herself until she could see the remnants of that breakfast.

Ruby appeared by her side. Once again, the assassin looked like she'd appeared out of nowhere. No words were exchanged between them, just one look. Careful not to be seen, Ruby glanced over the abandoned meal. She grabbed Milena's teacup to sniff it, and grimaced. "...again," she whispered, so only Blanche could hear. "Miss probably didn't even feel it."

This kind of light poison wasn't enough to actually harm the Princess, but it was still annoying to know some people were deliberately doing this. Ruby put the cup back down and was about to leave, but Blanche was still there, which caught her attention. Ruby glanced over the breakfast, and suddenly, she realized what only Blanche had noticed.

She hesitated, but before she could decide, servants appeared to clear it all up, and the two of them disappeared swiftly, keeping that secret for now...