Blood God Reborn as the Mudblood Heir

Lysa’s tears stopped for a moment. "Do not speak about Ash Wolf like that."

Lucard looked at her. "You are from them."

She lifted her chin. "Yes."

Peter moved his sword slightly. "Are more of your people in the city?"

Lysa said nothing.

Lucard answered for her. "Not many. She came first. If she had more people close, she would have waited outside after entering the wall and signaled them. She came straight to the room. That means she either followed me alone or wanted first blood for herself."

Lysa’s eyes widened slightly.

Jenny noticed. "He is right."

Lysa looked away.

Lucard continued, "The question is who told you to come."

She answered, "No one."

Lucard looked at the folded blank paper he had taken from her pouch. He held it near the lamp. The paper looked empty to normal eyes, but a faint smell of lemon oil and ash powder touched his nose.

"Ink hidden by heat," he said.

Peter frowned. "Invisible writing?"

"Simple kind."

Lysa’s face changed.

Lucard held the paper over the lamp, not close enough to burn it, but enough to warm it. Slowly, pale brown letters began to appear. The writing was short and hurried. It did not name the sender fully, but it mentioned Gravehold, Vardros survivors, and the inn. It also mentioned Lucard as Jeff’s killer.

Jenny looked at the paper with a cold face.

"Jeff," she said.

Peter’s grip tightened on his sword. "Manager Jeff."

Lysa looked at Jenny sharply. "Do not say his name like that."

Jenny turned to her. "Why?"

"He was my promised husband’s elder brother."

Lucard’s eyes moved slightly. "Not yours."

Lysa glared at him. "Merrick loved his brother."

Lucard smiled faintly. It was not a kind smile.

"Merrick."

Peter looked at Lucard. "You know the name?"

"No. But now I know who sent grief with legs."

Lysa shouted, "He did not send me. I chose to come."

Lucard said, "That is what useful fools always say."

Lysa tried to stand, but Peter pointed his sword at her and she stopped.

Jenny’s face was pale now, but not from misunderstanding. It was from memory. Jeff had been there when everything fell apart. Jeff had chased them. Jeff had helped turn their family’s ruin into a hunt. Hearing someone cry for him as if he had been an innocent victim made her stomach twist.

Jenny took a slow breath.

"What business does Ash Wolf have with House Vardros?"

Lysa said nothing.

Jenny stared at her for several breaths.

Then Jenny turned to Lucard and Peter.

"Leave the room. I want to talk to her, alone."

Peter immediately frowned. "Lady Jenny, no. It’s very dangerous."

Jenny did not look away from Lysa. "Peter, leave the room."

"She entered through the window with weapons. I cannot leave you alone with her."

"I am not asking because I think she is safe. I am asking because I want to speak to her without men standing over my shoulder."

Peter’s jaw tightened. "Lady Jenny."

Lucard looked at Lysa, then reached down and caught her wrist before she could move away. His fingers pressed against three points near her pulse, shoulder, and collarbone. A thin red line entered her body and vanished under her skin.

Lysa gasped. Her weak mana shook once, then became silent.

Lucard released her.

"She is only Rank One," he said. "Now even that is sealed. For a short time, she is no stronger than a normal human."

Lysa glared at him. "What did you do to me?"

Lucard ignored her and looked at Jenny. "She can still bite."

Jenny’s eyes remained cold. "Then I will not put my hand near her mouth."

Peter still did not like it, but Lucard placed one hand on his shoulder and pulled him toward the door.

Peter whispered, "Young Master, this is not wise."

Lucard answered in the same low voice, "She is angry. Let her use it."

Peter looked back at Jenny one more time.

Then Lucard took him out of the room and closed the door.

Inside the room, silence returned.

Lysa sat on the floor with her back near the bed. Her wrists hurt. Her mana would not answer. She hated that more than the pain. She had entered this room believing she was the hunter. Now she was trapped in front of a noble girl whose eyes looked far too calm.

Jenny walked to the desk.

She picked up the thin poisoned needle first, looked at it, then put it down. After that, she picked up one of Lysa’s knives. The blade still carried a faint smell from the sleeping poison hidden near the edge.

Lysa’s face changed slightly. "You would not dare."

Jenny looked at her. "You entered my brother’s room to kill him because of that manager Jeff."

Lysa replied, "He killed Jeff."

Jenny’s fingers tightened around the knife.

"Yes," she said. "He did."

Lysa’s eyes sharpened. "Then Merrick told the truth. Jeff was supposed to bring you and your brother away before other nobles took him. The boy could have been used in negotiation. Jeff wanted both of you to survive and save you brother and sister. But your bastard brother wanted to be the heir of the family. So he killed Jeff and took control of you."

Jenny stepped closer. "Merrick lied to you. That is wrong. Nothing like that happened."

She yelled, "No."

"Jeff betrayed us. After our house fell, he did not protect us. He hunted us. He wanted to take Jake. He wanted to sell my little brother to whichever noble paid the highest price."

Lysa shook her head. "No. Jeff was helping."

Jenny laughed once, but there was no happiness in it.

"Helping?" she said. "You are a fool if you believe what Merrick told you."

Lysa’s lips tightened.

Jenny crouched in front of her and held the poisoned knife near Lysa’s arm. She did not cut deeply. She only pressed the cold edge against the skin hard enough for Lysa to understand that the soft noble girl in front of her was gone for the night.

"Jeff tried to force me to sleep with him," Jenny said.

Lysa froze.

Jenny’s voice trembled, but her eyes did not. "He knew House Vardros had already fallen, so no one could punish him. He saw Peter was too injured to stop him. He saw Jake as a money bag. He thought Lucard was dead. He was wrong about everything."

Lysa stared at her. "You are lying."

Jenny pressed the knife a little harder. A thin red line appeared on Lysa’s arm.

Lysa hissed in pain.

Jenny said, "Lucard came back alive and killed him. Lucard saved us. That is the man you came to murder for Jeff."

Lysa’s eyes turned wet, but she still shook her head. "No. Merrick said Jeff was trying to save Jake and you before bad nobles found him. You are lying. I don’t trust you."

Jenny said, "Believe it or not Merrick lied to you. Don’t be too naive."

Lysa yelled, "He would not."

"He did."

"No," Lysa said, louder now. "Merrick loved his brother. He said Jeff only wanted to protect you all. He said Lucard killed him like a monster."

Jenny’s expression became colder.

"What did Merrick say about Jake?"

Lysa closed her mouth.

Jenny moved the poisoned knife closer to the cut on her arm.

"Answer me."

Lysa swallowed.

"He said Jake was valuable," she whispered. "He said some nobles wanted him alive. He said if Jeff brought Jake first, he could choose a safer option for your family. He said it was better than letting enemies take him."

Jenny’s eyes became sharp with disgust. "A safer option? He was talking about selling my brother."

Lysa looked shaken, but she still fought the truth. "No. You are twisting it."

Jenny stood up.

She looked toward the door.

"Lucard. Peter. Come in."

The door opened almost immediately.

Lucard entered first. Peter followed, sword still in hand. Peter’s eyes went to the knife, the thin cut on Lysa’s arm, and Jenny’s face.

Jenny did not apologize. She looked at Lucard and told him what Lysa had said.

She did not repeat every painful word. She did not need to. She told him enough. Merrick. Jeff’s younger brother. Jake’s value. A buyer. Ash Wolf. Revenge. Lysa’s belief that Jeff had been innocent. She is just a fool.

Lucard listened without interrupting.

Peter’s face became darker with every word.

When Jenny finished, Lucard looked down at Lysa.

"So Merrick also wanted Jake."

Lysa shook her head weakly. "That is not what I said."

"That is exactly what you said. You only dislike hearing it properly."

Peter’s voice was heavy. "Young Master, if Merrick is Jeff’s brother and connected to Ash Wolf, then this is not just revenge. They may still want Young Lord Jake."

Jenny’s body stiffened.

At that moment, the door opened a little more. Jake stood outside in his nightclothes, his face was pale and silent.

No one had noticed him standing there. Only Lucard knew but he didn’t care if he listened to everything. Jake’s small hand was still on the doorframe.

He looked at Jenny first, then Peter, then Lucard.

"I heard everything," Jake said softly.