Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 56

Chapter 56: The Weight of Small Things

Ruelle could still feel the dull throb and heat emanating from her ear—and it wasn’t from the needle. It was from where Lucian’s fang had sunk in.

Her fingers hesitantly brushed against the spot, feeling the faint, lingering warmth. It wasn’t painful, yet something about it felt... different. Like a whisper of something foreign beneath her skin, something that didn’t quite belong to her.

Outside, the rain drummed softly against the windowpane, a steady rhythm against the cold stone walls.

She hadn’t expected him to bite her. Had it been necessary? To scare her, maybe. A flush crept up her neck, and she forced herself to shake the thought away. It wasn’t a big deal. Vampires bit people all the time. Still, she found herself watching him as he stood.

Clearing her throat, she murmured, "Thank you."

Lucian barely glanced at her.

"Don’t mention it," his tone was so nonchalant that for a brief moment, she wondered if it had even happened at all.

The candle on the chair flickered as he moved away, his presence still heavy in the air.

Ruelle exhaled and turned towards the long mirror. Opening the small velvet box, she studied the earrings her instructor had given her.

Tiny diamonds. Small enough to be unassuming, yet still undeniably expensive for someone like her. How generous though, she thought to herself. For all that Sexton demanded from humans, its generosity in return felt almost calculated.

Would they even be allowed to keep them after the assignment was assessed? Or was this another reminder of their place—something to give, something to take away? She sighed internally. It didn’t matter.

She reached up, guiding the first earring toward her ear—

"Don’t."

The word sliced through the silence of the room, sharp enough to make her fingers still mid-air. She blinked, her gaze snapping toward Lucian in the mirror. Slowly, she turned to face him fully.

"...What?" Ruelle asked him.

Lucian leaned back slightly in his chair, stretching his long legs out in front of him, his posture impossibly unbothered. His dark eyes flickered briefly to her ear before settling back on her reflection.

"The piercing is fresh," he said, his tone casual, as if discussing the weather. "It could get infected."

Ruelle blinked, thrown off by the unexpected concern. No, that wasn’t the right word. For a moment, she almost nodded in agreement. It was true—some of the other students had been dealing with bruised, swollen piercings. Some had even had infections.

"But I need to wear them for the test," she pointed out.

Lucian, whose fingers had reached for a book near him, paused. He didn’t look at her. Instead, he let the silence stretch between them, before he finally asked, "And?"

Ruelle frowned slightly. "And... everyone else is wearing theirs."

in his seat to turn in

like stating an undeniable fact, he flatly said,

landed no less than a slap on her face. She stiffened. Her fingers tightening around the earring in her palm. The

uttered, the disbelief

sting of humiliation. She knew Lucian held humans in contempt.

heard me," Lucian replied

wasn’t just what he had said—it was how he said it. There was mockery woven beneath every syllable. Like she wasn’t even worth a

down. She

lean back

piercing at all? Why not let

with his gaze flicking up to hers. "Now where would be the fun

that he said it so smoothly, that she couldn’t

response to his words. Feeling hurt, which she tried

door so that she could stay

behind, "I hear the hallways are particularly safe

I wouldn’t want to give you

while she stared into the empty corridor. The feeling of humiliation didn’t disappear. Lucian’s words shouldn’t have hurt, because he didn’t

aren’t worthy of being a Belmont," her father’s voice echoed in the back of her head. "A girl like you should know when

eyes prickled, but she fought

thought Lucian

wasn’t foolish enough to think that. But after he had helped her most of

the last ink-stained pages had been turned in and the weight of the week’s tests had finally

studying. No more ink-smudged fingers or endless pages of essays. Just

admiring her reflection in the mirror. "They actually look lovely," she hummed, tilting her head this way and that, watching the tiny diamonds catch the light. "Though,

tell her to

then sighed, flicking

guess there’s no easy way to do it,

her desk. "You know, I heard some of the students are going down

over the parchment, books, and the cool glass of the inkwell—but not the

can’t believe they gave us diamonds. Even if they’re small, they are

bed. Nothing. Her stomach tensed slightly. It should be here. She was certain she had placed it on her desk last night. Or

no, it has

pale," Hailey observed, her voice breaking through her

find the box," Ruelle admitted loudly

morning?" Hailey blinked, her casual stance shifting

Ruelle shook her

"Are you sure?"

here last night." She retraced her steps in her mind. "I’m going to fail the assignment. I can’t submit them if

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