A Game Of Chess With A Vampire
Chapter 40: Sit. Down!

Chapter 40: Sit. Down!

Natasha eventually stopped. She breathed heavily and finally looked at Ryan.

"Why are you stopping me?" she questioned.

Ryan glared at her in displeasure. "This is our room, Natasha, and you are wrecking it!"

"So what?! There are lots of rooms, and—"

"I do not care! Stop this madness!" Ryan shouted at her, startling her.

Natasha gazed at him and lowered her head as she asked, "Why should I?"

"I am angry that I couldn’t win against a measly human—a human who is just bones and nothing more! The thought of it is driving me insane!" she complained, her eyes brimming with tears.

Ryan let out a deep breath. He grabbed her chin and pitched her head up to look into her eyes. "I know, my love, but you need to calm down. Anger solves nothing."

He smiled at her. "What happened back there was not your fault, nor were you not strong enough. The duel was sabotaged, and that is why you didn’t win."

Natasha sniffled as she listened to him.

"Are you going to do something about it?" she asked.

"I will, my love." Ryan nodded at her with an assuring smile on his lips. "Now, come with me, let’s go and have dinner."

He grabbed her hand and exited the room. As they walked away towards the dining hall, a lean figure emerged from the shadows with a smile that reached his eyes evident on his face. This silhouette was none other than Valentine’s.

His smile broadened.

"Hmmm. This is getting too interesting," he said as he watched Ryan’s and Natasha’s figures disappear out of sight.

"I wonder what your move will be, brother!" He burst into laughter, thrilled to the core.

He shook his head and began to walk to the dining hall as well.

...

In the middle of the dining hall, all the family members, including Valentine, sat, except Draven.

"Where is he?" Old Master Lenort questioned nonchalantly.

"My lord." A butler stepped forward. "Butler Santino has reported that young master Draven and his wife will not be able to dine with you all tonight."

"And for what reason?" Old Master Lenort asked without looking at him.

The butler answered with the utmost respect, "The third lady has unfortunately caught a cold, therefore, the young master is staying by her side."

"Hmph! Pathetic human!" Lestat, whose gray eyes held disdain, scoffed.

Old Master Lenort took a deep breath to satiate the anger that was rising within him and dismissed the butler back to his position. He grabbed his utensils and dug into his meal.

Natasha, who sat opposite Ryan, shifted in her chair, feeling quite uncomfortable. She could glimpse Liliana and Aurora’s judgmental eyes on her.

This, for some reason, made her blood boil. She was the First Lady of the Royal Family, and they had no right to judge her!

Her fists tightened, and unable to bear the killing silence of old master Lenort, she slammed her hands on the table, infuriated.

"I am not weak! That scum of a human would never have passed had someone not sabotaged the—"

"SIT DOWN!!!" Old Master Lenort yelled like never before in a voice that sounded almost otherworldly, startling both her and the rest of the family.

His eyes dilated in rage. His pupils twitched, and his jaw tightened, causing his mouth to form a thin, tight line. He fixed his deadly gaze on Natasha and flared his nostrils, enraged.

"Where did an incompetent fool like you find the audacity to behave in such a manner before me?" he questioned. "What and who are you blaming? Are you justifying your ineptitude or what?"

Natasha trembled in fright as she slowly sat down, silencing herself. She lowered her head, her soul boiling in shame.

"Please forgive me, Old Master. I will not behave in such an unruly way again," she implored for leniency.

Old Master Lenort scoffed in anger and picked up his utensils.

"I want no one to disturb my peace until this dinner is over," he declared and proceeded to eat.

Valentine stared at him and shifted his gaze to Natasha. He bent his head and smirked impishly.

All of a sudden, he dropped his fork and knife and stood up from the chair. He stepped out of the chair and began to walk away, but at the sound of Old Master Lenort’s abrupt voice, he halted.

"Where do you think you are going?" Old Master Lenort questioned.

"My quarter," Valentine responded with a smile.

"And with whose permission?" Old Master Lenort glowered, starting to get agitated.

Valentine chuckled and turned around to look at him. "You asked not to be disturbed throughout the dinner, père, and I am simply being obedient."

Old Master Lenort dangerously narrowed his eyes at him and pointed to the seat.

"Sit. Down!" he emphasized his command.

Valentine shook his head at him, unwilling. "I’m afraid I cannot do that. As much as I would love to, I have utterly lost my appetite and would like to return to my quarter."

Then he said with a charming grin, "Bon appètit, father."

He turned around and walked away to the door, disregarding old master Lenort, whose eyes were burning with rage.

Before he could open the exit door, Old Master Lenort threw a knife at him, leaving him to narrowly dodge it. The knife struck the door.

Valentine scrunched his eyes and slowly turned his head, revealing a cut caused by the sharpened knife on his cheek. Drops of blood trickled down his cheek onto his slender, flawless neck.

He heartily smiled at old Master Lenort and left the dining hall without bothering to say a word to him.

Old Master Lenort furiously banged his hands on the table.

"You are all dismissed!" he ordered in a raging tone.

The whole family, including Ryan and his wife, stood up from their seats and hurried out of the hall, leaving him all to himself.

Old Master Lenort shut his eyes to calm down and poured himself a glass of Crèmant wine to quench his anger.