Hearing the faint decrease in Aunt Mary's SAN value, Elena finally understood what that +1 in "Smile Horror" was for—it was to insult the opponent.
"Aunt Mary, what's your relationship with my mom?"
The bloodstains on the mirror vanished, and three blood-red characters reappeared: Blood Contractee.
"So that's why Aunt Mary has been hanging around my room all this time. Was she protecting me?"
The blood-red characters reappeared: Yes.
"But my mom is just an ordinary human. Why would she have a blood contract with you?" Elena asked again, puzzled.
The blood-red characters: She is human, but not ordinary.
"What does that mean?" Elena was stunned.
The blood-red characters: She is human, but also a *****! A disaster, and even more... the root cause...
Elena stared intently at the blood-red characters. She recognized every stroke and every character formed by those strokes, but as soon as these characters were put together, her mind couldn't comprehend them, and she forgot every stroke of the characters completely.
Her eyes were clearly looking at them, but she just couldn't understand, constantly forgetting. This strangeness made her feel very uncomfortable.
"Hey!" Elena pointed at "*****" and asked, "What does this mean?"
The blood-red characters: It's a "taboo" word.
The blood-red characters: You're an ordinary person, so you can't understand taboos.
Elena blinked: "I don't get it."
The blood-red characters: What is your mother's name?
"Her name is..."
Suddenly, a wave of terror washed over Elena. She realized she couldn't remember her mother's name?
The blood-red characters: Her name is "The Great Taboo."
The blood-red characters: Ordinary people can't describe it. A strange creature, unutterable.
Elena's heart pounded: "What if I say it?"
The "Elena" in the mirror slowly smiled. Her face became more and more hideous, more and more distorted, more and more broken...
The blood characters reappeared: Terror! Misfortune! Catastrophe!
Elena took a deep breath and suddenly realized that her mother seemed quite different from the weak mother in the original owner's memory.
In fact, Elena should have guessed this when the blood doll coveted her "mother's hairpin."
Sure enough, a beautiful and romantic story of a high-ranking vampire count falling in love with an ordinary human girl could never happen.
"So, Aunt Mary," Elena finally asked the question on her mind, "do you know why my stepmother wants to harm me?"
According to the familiar plot of palace intrigue dramas, Elena felt that as the legitimate daughter, she must have blocked the way for her stepmother's younger half-sister.
The blood characters: You have half your father's blood and half your mother's blood.
The blood characters: At the coming-of-age ceremony, you can choose your bloodline.
The blood characters: She doesn't want you to become a vampire.
The blood characters: Because vampires never drink the blood of other vampires.
Elena: (ΩДΩ) !
Such a simple and violent reason? Just because this evil stepmother wanted to drink her own blood?
"She's got some nerve..."
The blood characters: Your blood is very delicious.
The blood characters: You have half vampire genes.
The blood characters: Although you are still human, your blood is the supreme tonic for vampires.
"So, if I choose my mother's bloodline?"
The blood characters: Then you will always be human.
The blood characters: Always "food," always "unsafe."
Elena: (ヾノ꒪ཫ꒪)
"The plot doesn't fit! Shouldn't I become a 'taboo' existence like my mother?"
The blood characters: Your mother's power is "ability," not bloodline.
The blood characters: Be careful, you'll be very dangerous at the coming-of-age ceremony.
The blood characters: She'll do everything to stop you from becoming a vampire.
Vampire... Do I care? If it weren't for not wanting to keep being food...
Elena paused for a long time before finally saying, "Alright, I get it. Aunt Mary, do you have any more advice for me?" she asked hopefully.
Tick-tock... The clock struck.
After a while, blood letters appeared in the mirror:
1. The third painting in the corridor always lies.
2. There are no frogs in the castle.
3. Blood will only appear in the wine cup.
4. Your coming-of-age ceremony will have exactly one hundred guests, no more and no less.
5. If you find that your body is missing something, don't panic. Stay noble and elegant.
6. If you encounter any difficulties, you can always ask your father for help. He loves you very much.
7. Don't trust your father. He will kill you.
Elena stared at the blood letters... So many pieces of advice? How dangerous am I, exactly?
The key was, she couldn't understand them—especially the 6th and 7th ones. They were clearly contradictory!
"Um, could you be clearer?" Elena asked hopefully.
Blood letters: I can only see fragments of the future.
"Beautiful! Honestly, your advice makes me feel like I'm doomed."
Blood letters: Come into the mirror.
Blood letters: I can give you three 'Future Visions.'
Blood letters: During the 'Future Vision,' I won't be able to help you anymore.
Blood letters: Remember, you only have three chances.
Then, a bloody hand of "Elena" reached out from the mirror and came through.
Blood letters: Hold it tight.
[Your sanity -1] [Your sanity -1]
Elena looked at the bloody, pale hand, her sanity value steadily dropping.
[Ding-dong! System task: "The True Meaning of Life!" Complete three Future Visions and find the true meaning of life.]
[A queen who understands the true meaning of life can build an impregnable kingdom and have the most loyal soldiers and subjects. Find a way to survive the coming-of-age ceremony through three Future Visions and discover the true meaning of life.]
[Task success reward: Witch's evil magic]
[Task failure reward: ...It doesn't matter anymore.]
Elena was in tears. She knew if she missed this opportunity, she'd really be doomed. At this moment, she couldn't help but feel that fate was unfair. When others time-traveled, they all had wall-banging romance and lavish love stories... But when she time-traveled, why was it so hard just to stay alive?
Finally, Elena held the bloody hand tightly. Then she felt herself being pulled into the mirror by a strong force. After a dizzying spin, she passed out...
She didn't know how long it was before Elena's eyes were stung by the sunlight, and she opened them on her bed. She sat up abruptly and found that she was still in the room, but she must've fallen asleep on the bed at some point. It was already morning. She stared blankly at the luxurious room, alone, with Nini nowhere to be seen.
"Could it be that everything... was just a dream?" Elena let out a long sigh, covering her still-sleepy face.
Knock-knock-knock!
There was a knock on the door—not too heavy or too light, not too fast or too slow. It was a pleasant sound, indicating that the person knocking had good manners.
Elena got out of bed and opened the door. Standing outside was a cold, well-dressed man. He had shoulder-length, lazy golden curls, was tall, and had a sunny, handsome face. Unfortunately, he was cold and expressionless.
Elena immediately remembered that the man in front of her was her half-brother, Alucard—a pure-blooded vampire.
Alucard only glanced at Elena before blushing and turning his head away. "Sister, you're so rude! It's already eight o'clock, and you're just getting up!"
"Ha... sorry!" Bang! It was only then that Elena realized she was wearing only a thin nightgown.
"Today is my sister's coming-of-age ceremony. As her brother, although I haven't visited for many years, according to etiquette, it should be me who personally escorts my sister through the ceremony. So, please, sister... be on time! Don't make things difficult for me!" Alucard's cold urging voice came from outside the door.
"Y-Yes, I know!"
Elena hurriedly sat in front of the dressing table. At that moment, her blood-red pupils constricted! For on the dressing mirror, there were several blood-red characters.
—For the first time, the future is visible.
And precisely at this moment! Ribbit! She suddenly heard the croaking of a frog in the courtyard outside the window.