Rebirth as The Vampire Lord's Wife
Chapter 187: Half Dead

Chapter 187: Half Dead

Iris attempted to maintain a calm but angry expression, though internally, she nearly burst into laughter at his peculiar behavior. How could he have emptied the Silver River solely for their date in this area?

’Goodness! Xavier Darkwood, why are you so overbearing?’ Iris couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly while gazing at the cruise boat still anchored in the middle of the river.

She could still see passengers on the boat, with its lights still shining.

’Is the boat’s engine broken?’ Iris pondered. After a few seconds, a thin line formed on her forehead as a thought crossed her mind.

Iris turned her gaze back to Xavier, narrowing her eyes as she observed him staring at a distant building across the river.

"Xavier, don’t tell me... You were also the one who stopped the boat over there?" she asked, pointing toward the two cruise boats.

Xavier followed her gesture. "How did you know?" he asked in surprise as he turned to look at her. "Iris, can you see clearer and hear farther? That’s amazing, my love..."

Iris was utterly speechless.

She was torn between happiness and sadness about his actions. On the one hand, she was touched because he did this for her. But on the other hand, she did not appreciate causing trouble for others.

"Xavier, that’s not the point..." Iris paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, "Please make that boat move again, or I’ll just go home and sleep." Her voice was soft, but Xavier could sense her seething anger.

He didn’t attempt to impress her further. Nodding, he waved his hand subtly in both directions. Soon after, the cruise boat slowly began to move.

"Thank you, Xavier," she said, glancing at him once she ensured the boat cruise was finally in motion. "As I mentioned, I don’t mind the crowds around us."

"Really?" His golden eyes glittered, and his tense expression melted as a smile crossed Iris’s face. Initially, he was afraid that Iris would be angry with him.

"Hmm... You can also stop releasing your magic barrier around this place," she remarked.

"Wait. Iris, you... you can feel my magic barrier around this place?" This time, Xavier was surprised. No one could sense his magic barrier unless they possessed powerful magic. Even Niles, the most skilled among his people, couldn’t. How could Iris feel it? This surprised him.

A half-smile slowly appeared on Iris’s face before she responded, "—I didn’t feel it, but I’m just guessing." She wasn’t entirely honest in her answer.

Iris could feel a faint magical power around them, and she assumed it must have been Xavier who created it. She didn’t admit this, partly due to being surprised by her newfound ability to sense magic. This was entirely new to her; she had never experienced it before.

She decided to keep this to herself for the moment, aiming to test whether her ability to sense magic was genuine or simply her imagination. However, she needs to visit Xavier’s library for anything related to magic. She had seen similar books at his Darkwood villa; at that time, she lacked interest.

But now the question was: how could she go back there?

"Is something troubling you?" Xavier asked after realizing her silence. She seemed to be thinking about something, lost in her own thoughts.

"Xavier, did you have a library in your penthouse or mansion?" She hadn’t yet explored the two places. Since she arrived in this city, she was too busy going to Shadow to help Eric.

’Wait!’ Suddenly, Iris’s body froze as she remembered that name.

How could she forget about him after what happened in the Shadow Guild building?

Iris grabbed Xavier’s arm.

"I need to find Eric. Let’s go back to the Shadow Guild. I’m certain he must be there. We have many secret dungeons. I need to check them myself..." Her voice shook as a wave of sadness returned, engulfing her heart.

Xavier’s expression appeared calm, but his eyes held a hint of worry, which Iris could see.

Her hand felt cold when she witnessed his worried gaze. Although she was reluctant to voice her fears, her mind compelled her to do so. "Is he dead?"

Xavier quickly shook his head.

"No. He is alive, but—" He couldn’t find the right words to explain, leaving him confused about how to proceed. "If you’d like to see him, we can go now."

Instantly, Iris felt a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She gazed at him with relief.

Hearing that Eric was still alive brought her immense relief, even though she remembered the terrible torture inflicted by Fake Demon Eric, which she had glimpsed in his mind before he blew himself.

"Let’s go!" She stood from her seat.

"Iris, wait. Before we go, there’s something you need to know..." Xavier rose from his seat and stood in front of her. She nodded. "He is in bad condition. You won’t see Eric as you usually see. He’s alive but half-dead..."

"W-What do you mean?" Iris asked. This time, she couldn’t mask her unease.

Xavier didn’t say a word, but he took her into his arms, and they vanished from that place. They arrived at a familiar location, in front of Xavier’s mansion.

"Is he here?" Iris asked, glancing at him as they hastened toward the house.

"Hmm, I asked Justin to bring him here after the explosion. My people are currently treating him. There’s an old witch, a skilled doctor. But lately, she has refused to treat humans..." Xavier explained.

However, Iris couldn’t focus on what Xavier was saying at that moment. Her mind felt muddled, enveloped in a thick fog, leaving her puzzled. All she wanted was to see Eric’s condition.

What troubled and intrigued her simultaneously was Xavier’s description of Eric as "half dead." In her mind, "half-dead" meant something akin to a zombie or undead.

’Did Eric become that!?’ The mere thought made her feel like vomiting.

She quickly hid her horrified expression and tried to strengthen herself. She was worried that Xavier would forbid her from seeing Eric.