The Vampire Prince's Blindfolded Bride
Chapter 305: Kindness and love

Chapter 305: Kindness and love

Melody carefully dusted Izaak’s desk, ensuring every corner was spotless. When she reached the last drawer, she hesitated, then opened it cautiously. Inside were old letters, yellowed with age, from a time before she was even born. Dust covered them, and she wondered why Izaak had kept them all these years.

"These must be His Highness’ private, important letters to someone," Melody whispered, her curiosity piqued.

"They’re from his late wives," Zerah said, his voice breaking the silence in the study. He had been quietly observing her. "Don’t open that drawer ever again. It’s meant to stay closed," he asserted firmly.

"Oh. I’m sorry," Melody said quickly, closing the drawer and standing up, the duster clutched in her hand.

"You shouldn’t be cleaning anymore. You’re no longer a servant," Zerah reminded her as he methodically stacked documents on the desk.

"I understand," Melody replied, a hint of sadness in her voice. After a moment of hesitation, she continued, "I never asked His Highness properly about his late wives. Did they all betray him?"

Zerah paused, lifting his head from the ledger he was examining. He looked at her with a mix of sorrow and seriousness. "Yes, all four of them betrayed Prince Izaak. Each in their own way, they broke his trust and heart," he said gravely. "He has chosen to marry a human this time, a being he once despised. I hope he finds happiness with you, Melody. He deserves it, after everything His Highness has been through."

"Do people usually get greedy after some time?" Melody asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

"Prince Izaak is next in line to the throne. Anyone around him is bound to become greedy," Zerah replied, his tone somber. "However, his first three wives were not supposed to act like that. The fourth one did the worst to Prince Izaak," he added, his eyes clouding with memories of the past.

"What did they all do and what did the fourth one did?" Melody asked softly, sensing the depth of pain in Zerah’s words.

Zerah sighed, setting the ledger aside as he leaned back in his chair. "The first three wives each had their own faults. They became enamored with power and wealth, manipulating court politics for their own gain. Each of them plotted to overthrow the King with the help of powerful vampires of the time. What Prince Izaak refused them, they did the opposite, believing they would never be caught."

Melody felt a chill run down her spine, troubled by Zerah’s words. "But wouldn’t the throne eventually belong to Prince Izaak anyway? Why did they have to plot something so evil against the King?" she asked, puzzled.

"Not everyone has patience," Zerah replied. "They wanted immediate power and control. One of them even tried to poison Prince Magnus."

"What? Why?" Melody’s eyes widened in shock.

"Because Prince Magnus can read minds," Zerah explained. "He didn’t usually stay at the palace, preferring to live in seclusion. However, during one of his visits, he encountered the second wife of Prince Izaak. He read her thoughts and discovered her treacherous plans. He warned Prince Izaak to beware of her."

Melody was horrified to learn that. "That very night Prince Magnus was poisoned. It created quite a stir in the palace," Zerah said, his voice tinged with the memory of the chaos.

"Oh. Prince Izaak has suffered a lot," Melody stated, her voice filled with sympathy.

"Indeed," Zerah replied gravely.

"Then, what about the fourth wife?" Melody asked, her curiosity piqued. "You said she did the worst to Prince Izaak."

Zerah’s expression darkened further. "The fourth wife was unlike the others. She didn’t seek just power or wealth for herself, but for her long-time lover," he affirmed.

"What?" Melody’s eyes widened in shock.

At that moment, Izaak walked in. "Melody, why are you here? Didn’t I tell you not to do such chores?" he questioned, holding a parchment in his hand as he approached the table.

Zerah stood up and bowed to the Prince. He was about to speak, but Melody quickly interjected.

"Your Highness, I was the one who asked Brother Zerah to let me do it," Melody stated.

Izaak arched an eyebrow. "When did Zerah become your brother?"

"He is older than me, so I thought to address him as Brother," Melody replied with a small smile.

Izaak hummed thoughtfully and then handed the parchment to Zerah. "Keep this inside the cupboard. I’ll see you later," he instructed. He then took Melody’s hand and led her out of the study.

As they walked, Izaak glanced at her, curiosity evident in his eyes. "What were you two talking about? I heard Zerah mentioning something..."

He paused and stopped walking. Turning to face her, he continued, "You can ask me about all such things. There is no need to ask someone else."

"Yes, I understand," Melody replied. "I ended up checking the last drawer of Your Highness’s desk and saw some old letters. From Brother Zerah, I found out that those were from your late wives. So, I became curious and ended up asking more," she explained.

Izaak’s expression softened slightly. "Ah, I was supposed to burn them. Seems like I forgot to do that," he asserted and resumed walking.

"Burn them?" Melody murmured, struggling to comprehend.

"Yes. I decided to do it a few months ago, but later, I forgot about it," Izaak stated casually.

"Your fourth wife had a lover," Melody began hesitantly. "Did she cheat on His Highness?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Izaak stopped again and turned to face her, his eyes darkening with old pain. "Yes, she did. She deceived me in the worst possible way. While pretending to be a loving wife, she used to go to her lover when I wasn’t around," he proclaimed and the two stepped into his chamber.

Leaving her hand, Izaak turned to face Melody. "She became the reason my heart no longer felt anything for a long time. I detached myself from everything and indulged in activities that destroyed me as a man," he stated, his voice heavy with old wounds.

"Why did she do it? How could she do it? I’m sure His Highness must have loved her a lot," Melody said with a hurt tone. She lowered her eyes and gently took Izaak’s hands in hers. Caressing them softly, she continued, "One thing deserves appreciation amidst all the terrible things that happened to Prince Izaak."

She met his gaze and gave him a warm smile.

"And what is that?" Izaak asked, his curiosity piqued.

"His Highness never let the light of kindness and love extinguish in his heart," Melody answered.

Izaak’s eyes softened at her words. "Despite everything, you still see that in me?" he asked, his voice tinged with surprise and gratitude.

Melody nodded. "Yes, Your Highness. You could have let bitterness and hatred consume you, but you didn’t. You chose to believe in love again, to open your heart to me, despite the pain you’ve endured for so many years."

Izaak’s expression grew thoughtful as he absorbed her words. Placing his hand on her cheek, he said, "It’s not easy to move past such betrayals. You bring light into my life that I thought I had lost forever. Your simplicity attracted me to you because I was tired seeing the selfishness in people."

He continued to stare into her eyes for a few seconds, the intensity of his gaze sending shivers down her spine.

Slowly, he leaned down to kiss her, his lips brushing softly against hers at first, testing the waters. His hand moved to her back, drawing her closer, while his other hand angled her neck, giving him better access to her perfect, plump lips.

The kiss deepened, becoming more passionate as he poured all his feelings into it. His lips moved with a fervent urgency, but he tenderly nibbled them. Melody responded in kind, her hands slipping around his neck, pulling him closer still.

Izaak’s hand gently traced the curve of her back, sending electric tingles through her body. He could feel the rapid beat of her heart against his chest, mirroring his own.

His fingers tangled in her hair as he tilted her head further, deepening the kiss even more. The world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them in that intimate moment.

When they finally broke apart, both were breathless, their foreheads resting against each other. Izaak’s eyes searched hers, filled with a pleasant hope.

"Melody," he whispered, his voice husky with emotion, "you make me believe in love again. I love you."

He pressed tender kisses along her cheek, tracing a path to her jawline, and then to the delicate curve of her exposed neck. He inhaled her sweet, comforting scent, allowing it to envelop him. "Melody, I can’t wait to make you mine," he said softly, his breath warm and intimate against her skin.

With a gentle, yet passionate gesture, Izaak cupped her tiny, adorable face between his palms. His thumbs caressed her cheeks as he nuzzled his nose against hers, their foreheads almost touching.

Melody giggled, a sound that was both light and full of joy.

"Keep smiling like that," Izaak said, his voice filled with warmth and admiration. "I feel so good when you smile."