Chapter 3057: Blood‑Stained Addiction 33

It's a pity that Jin Chen thought that simply obtaining the blood soul artifact would restore his memory; he still thought too simply.

The next day, Saiyin woke from exhausted sleep, reached out beside him, and found only the pillow he had clung to all night.

Saiyin opened his eyes with some effort; the silk sheets slipped away, revealing his pale, scarred body, the red mark left by the rose vines around his waist especially glaring.

The familiar sandalwood scent in their bedroom had grown extremely faint, as if the master had been away for a while.

A flicker of unease crossed Saiyin's heart.

He closed his eyes, spread his mental power outward from the bedroom to every corner of the Eternal Night Castle, yet found nothing.

Jin Chen… wasn't in his territory anymore?

Could it be that Jaxia that old bastard took advantage of his inattention, using some vicious means to abduct Jin Chen? He should have hidden Jin Chen back then!

Just as Saiyin was about to order a search at any cost, even planning to personally go settle scores with Jaxia, the door was knocked.

Yilaina pushed the door open, and upon seeing Saiyin's grim face that could wring out water, she intriguingly curled her red lips.

"Yo, my dear Strand, why are you so fired up first thing in the morning?" Yilaina's voice teased, "Who upset our Count?"

"Huh? Where's your pretty little blood servant?"

Saiyin suppressed his temper, "Just say what you need."

Yilaina: "I just heard an interesting piece of news—our elusive Count Nuoya, it's said, left before dawn without even bringing an attendant; truly remarkable."

"Hiss…" Yilaina suddenly realized something, alertly stepped a few paces toward the door, losing her playful mood, "No way—your first attendant is missing, and Nuoya is gone too; two people vanished at once, neither in the territory…"

Saiyin froze.

He quickly traced a complex magic array in the air, imbued with the First Count's wrath, causing even Yilaina beside him to involuntarily retreat two steps.

The magic array formed; moments later, a somewhat illusory half-body apparition of Nuoya appeared in the center of the room.

He appeared in the human form that Jin Chen had seen the previous night, his expression calm as he regarded Saiyin, waiting for him to speak.

Saiyin pressed down the surging anger and agitation in his chest, fixing his gaze on Nuoya, "Where is Jin Chen?"

Nuoya stared at him silently for a few seconds, then slowly shook his head.

"Sorry, Count Strand, but for now I can't say; he… isn't going to return just yet."

Saiyin's face instantly turned cold, as if a layer of frost had settled over it.

Yilaina was also startled; she hadn't expected Nuoya to be the one who took him! She had thought the quick‑footed one would be Feierwen!

Just then, the door was pushed open again.

Feierwen, Laist, and Yuege also rushed over upon hearing the news; evidently, Saiyin's unguarded surge of angry mental power had alerted them.

Seeing the scene in the room and combining it with the few words they'd just heard, the several Counts' faces all showed varying degrees of surprise.

Feierwen and Nuoya exchanged a glance, suddenly realizing something, then looked toward Saiyin and probed, "Saiyin, if… I mean if, after today His Majesty is resurrected…"

Saiyin, however, didn't dwell on it.

His thoughts were wholly occupied by Jin Chen's departure; he assumed Jin Chen had left because, after eating Motis's sour grapes in the Hall of Worship last night, he'd grown angry—or perhaps Nuoya had lured him away with sweet talk.

Saiyin said coldly, "Motis shouldn't have been resurrected; he's been dead for hundreds of years—he ought to stay dead."

Seeing Saiyin like this, Feierwen, who already harbored complex feelings because His Majesty obviously favored Saiyin, would say nothing more.

What's more, Nuoya, who is naturally taciturn and evidently loyal only to His Majesty.

Saiyin felt jealousy rising to an unbearable level; he once again fixed his gaze on Nuoya's phantom, "Give Jin Chen back to me."

Nuoya gave a faint nod, "Your… Excellency came here of your own free will; when you'll return… is uncertain even now."

He wasn't lying—in fact, after Jin Chen fused with that mask blood soul artifact, he still hasn't awakened.

But hearing those words, to Saiyin they felt like a provocation.

In the next instant, Nuoya unilaterally terminated the magic array communication.

Laist the Count, who spent all day immersed in experiments, didn't know what had happened to those few, but seeing Saiyin already in a fury, he was frightened and turned to leave.

But Saiyin had no time to vent his temper.

He wanted to go personally to Nuoya's territory and seize the person back.

But soon Saiyin discovered he couldn't leave this castle.

At the edge of the Main Gate, Saiyin lifted his hand in disbelief, feeling the air ahead—this was… a forbidden magic array.

Saiyin frantically channeled his inner magic, striking the barrier again and again, yet every attempt was futile.

This restriction seemed to have been tailor‑made for him by Jin Chen.

It harmed him not, nor blocked others; it merely locked him fast inside the castle.

This shows… Jin Chen truly left of his own volition, and before departing he deliberately left such a cage for him.

Saiyin stood dazed at the edge of the prohibition; the unprecedented helplessness and panic made him bite his lower lip.

"Why…"

The blood servants lowered their heads as Saiyin passed, none daring to look at him.

So they wouldn't know that the lofty, mercurial Count Strand—feared and revered alike—as he entered his own chambers, after closing the door, in the darkness unseen by anyone, slowly slid down the door panel to sit, burying his face in his knees.