Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 166: Worse Than Expected

Chapter 166: Worse Than Expected

There was no time to pretend she was casually inspecting the area around her father’s office. With dire news burning a hole in her pocket, Lisbeth barged in, panting.

Not just from running—though she had been sprinting—but mostly from the overwhelming anxiety chewing at her sanity.

"Father, you have to see this!" she exclaimed, barely catching her breath.

As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she noticed Margrave Nicholas seated calmly across from the vampire king. Lisbeth cleared her throat and squinted as if trying to decode why these two were hanging out like best buddies. Was this a joke?

Her temples throbbed as she resisted the urge to hurl herself at Nicholas for his betrayal. How could he, of all people, side with Elder Alfred? His daughter had been Lisbeth’s closest friend for decades, and now this?

"And what exactly is he doing here, Your Majesty?" she asked, her voice dripping with animosity as she completely disregarded every royal protocol she’d been raised with.

Normally, she was the picture of grace—okay, maybe not always—but still. Sure, she’d thrown a few tantrums over Riona, but who wouldn’t? This, though—this was the betrayal on a cosmic scale, and no one was going to tell her to mind her manners.

"Watch your tongue, Princess," King Valentin said, his voice cold enough to freeze lava. He gave her that look—the one that said, ’This isn’t your playground. You don’t fit to join this conversation.’

But Lisbeth had not come here to play the role of the obedient daughter. She stepped forward, defying the weight of her father’s authority, and waved a crumpled note in the air.

"Your Majesty, I have urgent news. That old—I mean, His Excellency Elder Alfred is planning an attack tonight. You need to be ready."

Her father’s reaction—or rather, lack of it—unsettled her. He remained impassive. Not even a raised eyebrow. And even Margrave Nicholas, who had seemed uneasy moments before, appeared unfazed.

The margrave finally spoke, turning his gaze to Lisbeth with a tired sigh. "His Majesty is already aware, Your Highness. I’ve informed him. They’ll strike through the east gate, and all of the Royal Guards are in position to intercept."

Lisbeth stood frozen, gripping the memo tighter. The words that should have been a shock felt hollow, as though she had arrived too late for a battle already decided.

"What...? But you betrayed us, didn’t you? Shouldn’t you be... groveling at His Excellency’s feet or something?" Lisbeth stammered, her shock so complete she couldn’t even string together an insult properly.

Margrave Nicholas pressed his lips into a tight line, staring at the floor. For a moment, Lisbeth thought he might actually feel guilty. But no. He stayed silent, his regret—if that’s what it was—locked behind his calm facade.

It was King Valentin who broke the silence after what felt like an eternity. "I planted him there," the king said, his tone clipped and impatient.

And of course, he followed it up with that look—the one that seemed to say, How did I end up with a daughter who couldn’t comprehend the simplest of political maneuvers?

Lisbeth could practically hear the unspoken sigh of, How are you my daughter?

He didn’t even bother with a dismissive wave or a single word to send her away. No, his mere act of looking past her, turning his gaze as if she were an inconvenient speck of dust in the room, was enough to say, Please remove yourself from my sight. Now.

The dejected princess understood the unspoken command all too well. She backed out of the office, feeling more defeated than ever.

She felt like a complete fool.

Cielo had been right. Her father hadn’t joined Elder Alfred because he’d gone mad or betrayed the crown—no, it was all part of some grand strategy. And she, in all her brilliance, had missed it entirely.

"Your Highness, Lady Lumi is seeking an audience with you. She insists it’s an urgent matter," a servant informed her.

Lisbeth had been all set to retreat to her chambers, maybe take a well-deserved rest before the chaos of battle erupted. When the time came, she planned to swoop in, help wipe out Elder Alfred’s cronies, and hopefully score some points with her father.

But no, her last remaining friend had decided now was the perfect time to interrupt. Since there were no training sessions planned—especially after the fallout with Cielo—Lumi must have a specific reason for showing up. At least, Lisbeth hoped it was something worthwhile.

"Fine, let her in. I’ll be in the drawing room," Lisbeth said, already bracing herself for the possibility that Lumi’s ’urgent matter’ was just more of her usual babbling.

She’d decide soon enough if it was worth hearing out, or if Lumi was about to launch into her typical rambling nonsense.

***

Lumi entered the drawing room looking like a terrified bat, trembling. She had never been able to handle Lisbeth’s temper—no one really could, except Cielo, and now that the peacekeeper was out of the picture, poor Lumi was left to fend for herself.

"What is it? I need rest badly, so make it quick," Lisbeth snapped, leaning into her irritation.

Lumi wrung her hands nervously. "Lisbeth, I mean, Your Highness..."

Lisbeth’s eyes narrowed. The formal title? That was never a good sign. If Lumi was dropping the royal address, it meant something serious was coming, but Lisbeth was already losing patience.

Lumi, naturally, was taking her sweet time getting to the point.

"For hell’s sake, just spill it! Is this about Cielo?" Lisbeth barked.

"Y-yes!" Lumi blurted out, startled by the sudden outburst. Her eyes went wide, and then she shrank back again, like a turtle retreating into its shell.

Keeping her eyes on her trembling hands, she added, "Cielo is w-waiting outside. S-she wants to talk to you about s-something..."

Lisbeth groaned, rolling her eyes. "If this is about the attack, I’ve already heard. Her father told the king. Everything’s under control. Can I go rest now?"

She sighed dramatically, letting her exhaustion—and sarcasm—ooze from every word.

If she couldn’t defy her father, at least she could undermine her friends, who she often considered little more than nuisances.

But then, Lumi did the unexpected. "But Lisbeth!" she shouted again, a bit louder this time, sending a sharp pang of annoyance straight to Lisbeth’s temples.

"Cielo said her father’s been fooled by His Excellency. The troops aren’t coming through the east gate, they’re coming through the west gate! His Excellency gave him the wrong information on purpose—he knew Margrave Nicholas was a spy for His Majesty all along!"

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