It was already early evening when the couple reappeared in Laura's room at Luke's mansion.

They embraced for a few minutes and kissed on the lips passionately. ​​

"Husband, go now!" Laura said.

Graven sighed. "Take care of yourself and our baby!" he said.

"Sure, I will!"

Even so, he's reluctant to leave his wife after finding her at last, unfortunately, he has to leave her alone again. He planted a kiss on her forehead and disappeared from the room.

Laura released a sigh of relief, she lay down on the bed and closed her eyes pretending that she's sleeping.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

"My lady, are you still sleeping? It's already evening! Dinner is ready!" Adela asked in a loud voice. She was holding the spare key in her hands planning to enter the room if Laura won't still reply to her.

"I'm awake now! I'll go down in a minute," Laura replied.

Thanks, God! Huge relief washed over Adela's face. When she knocked earlier, there was no reply from the inside, just total silence. She's getting worried about what had happened to the lady inside the room? Because it would be impossible if she didn't hear the loud calling of her name.

There are some instances that people will mysteriously die in their sleep just like what had happened to their neighbor in the village five years ago. She feared that it might happen to the lady. "Okay, I'll wait in the dining room," she said in a cheerful voice.

She left the door and walked into the hallway leading to the staircase.

Back in Laura's room.

She rose to her feet and entered the bathroom to take care of the call of nature.

A few minutes later, she exited the bathroom and left her room. She walked into the hallway going downstairs and descended on the stairs.

When her feet landed on the floor, Adela quickly went to her side.

"My lady, I knocked on your door earlier but you are not responding. I'm deeply worried about what happened to you..." Adela said.

Laura looked at the maid with a knitted brow. "Why? Why are you worried? I'm just sleeping soundly inside my room," she said.

"B-because we had a neighbor in the village that died on her sleep five years ago," Adela said.

Laura smiled at Adela. "Stop worrying, I'm awake now. I'm not dead!" she said and walked towards the dining room area.

The women entered the dining room and took their seats.

Laura looked at the maid and smiled. "Let's start eating!" she said.

"Okay," Adela replied.

The two women ate their meals in silence.

Half an hour later, they finished eating.

"I'm going back to my room," Laura said.

"Okay, I'll bring your milk later, so that you can drink it before you sleep," Adela said.

Laura nods her head and left the dining room. She climbed the stairs and went back to her room.

She went straight to the window after she entered the room. She looked heavenward and saw the stars and moon shining above. She was happy today because she was able to see her husband even for a few hours.

She was glad that he agreed to her plan even though he was doubting its effectiveness. But as long her plan works out the way she envisioned it to be then no bloodshed will occur and it will also prevent the brothers from killing each other.

She put the white clothing on the window and held it firmly in her hand. The white clothe signifies that Luke has not returned yet, it's her way of informing her husband who is lurking nearby.

Outside the house.

Graven was hovering in the air in his invisible form, watching her wife holding a white cloth in her hand while standing on the window, she looks like she was in deep thoughts.

Luke was not back yet, he heard the maid earlier that his brother will return tomorrow in the house from an out-of-town trip.

He floated away from the window and went to the next town to find Rebecca.

Laura left the window and went inside the bathroom.

That night she sleeps late... thinking about her plan. She must not fail!

It was already 11:00 in the evening when Laura finally falls asleep.

Hours went by.

Seven hours later.

The dawn was breaking on the horizon.

It's another day!

Laura woke up and perform her morning routine of walking in the hallway and downstairs for her morning exercise.

Anytime from now, Luke will be returning to the house, maybe before lunch.

She must pretend that nothing happens.

After performing her walking exercise, she went back to her room for a few minutes of rest.

Done resting, she took a bath because she's sweating underneath her maternity dress.

>>

Meanwhile...

Inside the house of Elva Sunbelle situated at the Windless Mountain.

The women are currently eating breakfast.

Elva looked at her visitor across the table. "Veronica... you came late last night to my residence. Is something wrong?" she asked.

Veronica smiled. "Nothing, I just kind of miss you and this place, so I come here for a visit," she replied. "How are you?" she asked.

"I'm fine..." Elva responded while munching on her avocado salad.

"I won't be surprised if you will get pregnant after having a one-week honeymoon with Graven in that remote part of the forest," Veronica said mischievously.

Elva smiled radiantly. "You will know soon enough," she said. "So...how's Graven? He's still visiting Terros frequently?"

"Yeah...lately... Graven's life turned chaotic. He died..." Veronica said.

"Whaaaaat-?" Elva's eyes widened in shock. "He's already dead? When? How it happened!?"

Veronica smiled after seeing the shock on the deity's face. "Relax...he went dead but was resurrected a few days later and he's back now from captivity," she answered.

Elva released a sigh of relief. "How it happened to him? I mean how did he died? And how he came back to life?" she asked curiously.

Veronica shrugged. "I think you know about the black liquid inside Graven's body. You know about it... right?"

"Yeah, I know about it... so you mean to say he was finally poisoned by that black liquid inside his body?"

"Yep!"

"And who brought him back to life?" Elva inquired.

"The same person who put the black liquid inside Graven's body and thirty of his men," Veronica replied.

"You mean-?"

"Yeah, the thousand years old tyrant vampire king imprisoned underneath the crumbling castle in the remote part of the Wimborne Village. That cursed King was trying to use Graven and his men to capture Laura who happens to be the reincarnation of his lady love that took place a thousand years ago. In case you don't know, Laura is the current wife of Graven, the woman whose image you have impersonated for one week," Veronica explained.

"Ah...I see... so why does the king have to go through the trouble of poisoning Graven and his men just to do his bidding? Why can't he just leave his place and find Laura himself?" Elva asked.

"Because he can't leave the castle... his life was sustained by that mysterious black liquid through the centuries and his power only works in that castle. He can't leave that place because he will die, and he needs Laura's blood to free himself from the curse that binds him to that place. Once he will drink Laura's blood, he will regain his full power back! And he has an evil plan to rule the world!" Veronica elaborated further.

"I see... so Graven and his men's life was hanging on the thread every time he refuses to cooperate and hand over his wife to the cursed King? Is that how the story goes?" Elva asked, she's not sure yet if Graven is pitiable or not.

"Yeah... you guess it right!" Veronica said.

"Oh, no, Graven's life is so complicated!" Elva commented.

"Indeed! That is one reason why I'm here..." Veronica stated.

"Do you want my help?" Elva asked.

"Are you willing to help him?" Veronica asked the deity hoping that she's willing to help the guy that catches her fancy.

Elva pondered the question for a moment. She normally doesn't associate herself with other people, especially not her kind. When she saw Graven, she was mitten by his devilish handsome look and abducted him to mate with her, hoping that she will get pregnant with his child. After getting over her romantic fantasies, she finally decided that she will raise the baby alone, that if she will get pregnant. She no longer wants to meddle with Graven's life.

And now Veronica is here at her place wanting her to get involved with Graven's life again.

Veronica examined the goddess's face. "Are you hesitating to help him? I thought you like him?"

Elva sighed. "Graven's life is a big mess and although he's handsome and charming as hell, all I can say is no thanks! I no longer desire to be with him because I value my peace and privacy so much..." she said.

Veronica took a deep breath. "Okay fine... I won't' force you to do something against your will and principle. I just want to ask you about this..." she placed the roots of the thousand years old tree on the table. "Remember these roots?"

Elva looked at the roots, her brows furrowed. "Where did you get that?" she asked.

"You told me about the Oakenblossom Tree, the thousand-year-old tree and its medicinal properties a long time ago. Sorry, I was curious about the tree during that time and I took some roots as a souvenir without your permission. I hope you won't get angry at me for doing so," Veronica explained.

Elva smiled. "No worries, I'm not angry, it's just roots," she said nonchalantly.

Veronica was relieved after the deity assured her that she's not angry about her crime of stealing a few pieces of the roots.

"Why did you suddenly brought the tree into our conversation?" Elva asked.

"Because I discovered in one of my experiments that these roots can freeze the black liquid. So, I made an elixir out of it. While the black liquid attack Graven's body he vomited a lot of foul-smelling dark liquid after we made him drink two bottles of the elixir. I thought that he's on his way to a full recovery and the roots were working wonderfully but on the next day, in the morning, his heart stopped beating and he has no pulse, he died! So Terros decided to bring Graven and his dying men into the castle to receive the antidote that the King has promised them. Graven was resurrected and the men were okay for now. End of story!" Veronica ended her long narration.

Elva fell silent.

"Are you willing to help, Graven?" Veronica asked the goddess once again.