A Game Of Chess With A Vampire
Chapter 184: Santino?

Chapter 184: Santino?

The five royal guards that stood in the room nodded.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Old Master Lenort waved his hand, saying, "Take them away and begin the search for Erawada!" He left the room with Caesar.

The guards approached Santino and separated him from Draven. They dragged the both of them and Santino, who could not bear the sight of how they were rough-handling Draven despite the fact that he was on the brink of death, turned to the chief guard with pleading eyes.

Please allow me to at least carry him myself. You will only hurt him this way," he begged.

The chief guard glanced at him with a raised brow. He glimpsed Draven, whose head was sloped in weariness, and clicked his tongue at how pathetic he looked.

"Allow him to carry him," he ordered.

The guards pulling Draven across the floor were surprised. "C-chief, should we—"

"Didn’t you hear me?" The chief guard scowled. "They are both going to be locked in the same cell, after all, so allow him."

Although reluctant, the guards eventually handed Draven over to Santino. Santino carefully lifted him into his arms and obediently followed behind the guards.

Upon arrival at the cell, the chief guard watched as Santino walked in. He stepped in after them.

The moment Santino laid Draven on the floor, the chief guard ordered the guards to chain him. This was a different cell, as Draven had burst the chains in his previous cell.

Santino could only watch helplessly as they chained his wrists and ankles.

Done, the guards turned around and left. The chief guard looked at Santino. "Behave," he warned and left the cell.

They shut the iron double door and locked it thoroughly to make sure that there was no way of escape this time around.

Santino fell to his knees beside Draven. "Young master, are you alright?" He could still hear Draven’s faint breathing, but he knew there were just a few hours left for Draven to probably give up if blood was not given to him.

It’s been fifteen days now, and he hasn’t had a single drop. They were starving him and his father was trying to kill him with this method. Blood was just like how humans cannot survive without water or food.

It was only by a miracle that his young master had come that far without blood for fifteen days.

"I need blood, Santino," Draven whispered, as he had no strength left in him to speak out loud.

Santino frantically blinked his eyes, not sure what to do. "Young master, we are locked inside this cell, and there is no way for me to leave. If you could hold on for two more days, then maybe I can find a way to leave—"

As though a solution to the problem had popped up in his mind, Santino went silent. He looked intently at Draven.

"Young master...I cannot find blood for you, but what if I give you mine?"

"No..." Draven rejected. He was not willing to take the blood of his mother’s butler.

Santino frowned at him.

"Young master, please. You cannot be picky now. You need blood to survive, so please have mine. I will not die from this one time, I beg of you," he pleaded. "You have to live for your mother. You still want to save her, don’t you?"

Draven blinked slowly. "I do," he responded in a hushed tone.

"Then accept it!" Santino’s face was filled with determination. He does not mind dying for his young master, so long as he lives. At the very least, he would be fulfilling Erawada’s wish by making sure that her son lived.

Draven pulled himself up into a sitting position with Santino’s aid. He stared at Santino, and having no other choice, he grabbed onto the right hand that Santino had extended towards him.

As though he were a hungry wolf, he bit into Santino’s hand and pierced his fangs into his flesh. At a quickened pace, he began to drink, feeling a wave of adrenaline rush through him.

Was this how it tasted again? He had nearly forgotten the taste of blood, as though he hadn’t had it in years. He could feel his veins pumping vigorously, as though life were once again being injected into him.

He groaned in bliss and continued to drink, unwilling to stop. It felt good—it felt beyond any pleasure unimaginable. Was this what it felt like to get something after craving it for so long, even to the point where you could have died?

Santino, who could see his reddish eyes darkening the more he drank, grabbed his aching head. His vision was starting to get blurry, and he could tell that Draven must have at least taken half of his blood by now. The pace at which he was drinking was unbelievable, and the sudden energy that was surrounding him was too much.

"Young master...I feel dizzy. Can you stop? Can you stop, now..." His words faded as he plopped to the floor, unconscious.

Draven finally ceased and lifted his head. His mouth was agape, exposing his bloody teeth. Droplets of blood dripped from his elongated fangs and fell onto the cold floor.

He breathed heavily and reached out his hand to touch Santino.

"Santino?" Deep relief washed over him as soon as he realized that Santino was still alive. He was rather unconscious due to having taken too much of his blood. "I’m sorry," he apologized.

He lay on the floor with his gaze fixed on the ceiling and took a long, deep breath. He slowly shut his eyes, suddenly overwhelmed with sleepiness.

The next time he woke up, it was to the loud voices of the guards as well as their hurried footsteps.

He blinked his eyes open to glimpse Santino, who sat beside him, tying his arms with the piece of clothing he had torn from his clothes.

"What is going on?" he asked.

Santino glanced at him with a wide smile on his face. "You are awake, young master. That’s such a relief. You look so much better now."

Draven blinked his lashes. "What is going on? Why are they shouting? Did something happen?"

"I’m not sure, young master, but—"

The double door was pushed open. The chief bodyguard and his followers stormed in. They proceeded towards Draven and unlocked the chains used on him.

Then, forcefully, they began to drag him out.