The Vengeful Extra's Ascension-Chapter 212: Lilian’s Plan!

The rest of the morning passed quickly as more people began to visit the market, leading the surrounding area to grow louder and louder over time.

Fade led the way, guiding them from stall to stall with practiced ease, introducing artisans whose names carried quiet weight among Elven student circles, each greeting accompanied by polite bows, soft laughter, and the subtle pride of creators showing their work to friends rather than customers.

Elara was completely swept up in it, asking endless questions, marveling at runic lattices embedded beneath crystal skins, gasping when a sculpture reacted to her mana with a shy shimmer of green light.

Lilian pretended to be unimpressed, arms crossed, but she lingered longer than she admitted at pieces that radiated raw presence, massive crimson prisms, blood-red mana cores suspended in slow rotation, crystal beasts frozen mid-roar as if daring the world to challenge them.

Albedo stayed close, relaxed on the surface, his attention split between the shifting crowd and the faint hum of the market itself.

The eight marks never vanished, never strayed too far, but they also never closed in. Time ticked by quickly and eventually, the group parted ways as the sun climbed higher and the market grew crowded.

Fade lingered with her classmates, promising to treat them to another meal before the exchange program while Albedo and Elara went off together, the eight shadows still following them.

Meanwhile, Lilian headed to her home. The BloodHaven estate rose like a living monument at the heart of the Northern Capital, its architecture a fusion of old vampiric grandeur and modern mana-forged design.

Spires of dark crimson stone curved upward like talons, veins of glowing runes pulsing faintly beneath their surfaces. The air around it was thick with blood-aspected mana, warm despite the cold, humming with authority and lineage.

Guards straightened instantly as she passed, expressions sharpening with respect. Servants bowed. Lesser nobles averted their eyes but Lilian didn’t pay any of them too much attention, not slowing down as she continued walking through the familiar halls of her home, past ancestral portraits whose gazes followed her with ancient, judging calm.

She went straight for the office. The heavy doors were already open when she reached them, warm light spilling into the corridor along with the faint scent of spiced tea and old parchment.

Inside, Lilian’s mother Raven was standing by the tall window overlooking the city, her silhouette framed by fading daylight.

She was tall, statuesque, her long crimson hair tied back loosely, sharp features softened only by the lazy curve of her smile. Power clung to her as naturally as breath, the kind of presence that didn’t need to announce itself to dominate a room.

"You’re late," Raven said without turning. "And you smell like crystal dust and trouble."

Lilian scoffed, stepping inside and letting the doors close behind her. "You’ve been back less than half a day and you’re already spying on me?"

Raven turned then, red eyes gleaming with amusement. "Please. Half the city knows you were wandering the crystal market with the Elf Princess and those two humans, especially that young man, you’ve grown even bolder with him since we last talked,"

Lilian scratched her hair nervously and Raven just laughed softly, the sound rich and knowing. "Relax. I’m teasing. Mostly." Her gaze sharpened just a touch.

"Though the council are already asking questions. I did tell them already that if anyone questions your conduct, they’ll answer to me. You’re BloodHaven. You’re allowed to choose who stands beside you."

She paused, then added more quietly, "Follow your heart, Lilian. Politics can adapt. Regret is harder to fix."

Lilian looked away for a moment, jaw tight, then exhaled. "That’s not why I came."

Raven’s smile faded, replaced by a more serious expression. "I assumed as much. Sit."

Lilian did, dropping into the chair opposite the desk, posture straight but shoulders tense. "Magnus Everglade is escalating things," she said bluntly. "He sent nine people after Albedo. Assassins. Not observers. I know for a fact one of them tried to kill him this morning."

Raven’s eyes darkened instantly. The air in the room shifted, pressure coiling like a restrained storm. "And?"

"One of them is already dead," Lilian continued. "The rest backed off, for now. I told Albedo not to touch them unless they make the first move. I’ll handle the aftermath."

Silence stretched between them, heavy and dangerous.

Raven straightened slowly. "Magnus is either braver than I thought," she said coldly, "or far stupider."

"He thinks he can pressure me by targeting someone close," Lilian replied. "He thinks I’ll fold to avoid trouble."

"And you won’t," Raven said, certainty in every syllable.

"No," Lilian agreed, eyes hard, "But if he keeps this up, it won’t stay contained. Not with Albedo involved."

Raven regarded her daughter in silence for a long moment, crimson eyes studying Lilian the way a battlefield commander might assess shifting terrain.

Not just the words she’d spoken, but the way she held herself while speaking them. The tension in her shoulders. The restraint in her voice when she mentioned Albedo’s name.

"You speak of him plainly," Raven said at last, voice measured, "But not lightly."

Lilian clicked her tongue, leaning back slightly in the chair. "He’s not the kind of person you talk lightly about. He’s very....intense, I don’t know how to describe him fully, you’ll just have to meet him mom,"

That earned a faint smile from Raven. "Interesting." She pushed off the desk and moved to pour herself tea, the liquid steaming faintly as blood-aspected mana warmed it, "Most people you bring up are either tools, nuisances, or fleeting amusements, but you’re so enraptured when you talk about him, sounds like me when I talk about your father,"

"No-one can be as in love with someone as you are with dad," Lilian said, remembering her mother’s craziness when it comes to her father. Total Yandere vibes.

"Us Vampires are very intense when it comes to love, and that’s even more true for us BloodHaven’s. Once you drink his blood and bond with him, you’ll change forever, so he better be the perfect one for you," Raven explains.

"He is," Lilian said immediately, then paused. "...In the best and worst ways."

Raven glanced over her shoulder, amused. "Go on."

Lilian exhaled slowly, choosing her words. "He doesn’t bend. Not to pressure, not to threats, not to titles. You could put a crown in front of him and he’d probably ask what it’s worth before deciding whether to care." She scoffed faintly. "And he teases me constantly. No fear. No reverence. Just does it because he knows it gets a reaction."

Raven’s brows lifted slightly. "Brave. Or foolish."

"Neither," Lilian replied. "He just... won’t let people cross him. Once he decides something, that’s it. If Magnus had pushed harder, he really would’ve killed all of them. Not just to make a statement, but also just because he could."

That time, Raven didn’t smile. She turned fully now, eyes sharp with genuine interest. "And yet he stopped. For you."

"Yes," Lilian said quietly.

The word lingered between them.

Raven took a slow sip of tea. "Then I will have to meet him sooner than expected," she said calmly. "Anyone capable of drawing Magnus’ blade and choosing restraint instead of escalation deserves to be looked in the eye."

Lilian grimaced. "He’s not going to bow."

"I would be disappointed if he did," Raven replied coolly.

She set the cup down and her presence shifted again, the playful edge bleeding away, replaced by something older and colder. "As for Magnus Everglade, leave him to me. If he’s forgotten that BloodHaven does not tolerate unsanctioned aggression within its domain, I will educate him. Thoroughly."

There was no bluster in her voice. No threat for effect. Just fact.

Lilian nodded, relief flickering across her features before being replaced by something more complicated. "Thank you."

Raven waved a hand dismissively. "That part is easy." Her gaze hardened. "What isn’t easy is what comes next for you."

Lilian stiffened slightly. "I know."

"The younger nobles are watching," Raven continued. "Every movement you make, every association you form, every rumor whispered in corridors. Magnus’ stupidity has only accelerated things. Soon, they’ll test you openly."

"They already do," Lilian muttered.

"And you indulge them too often," Raven said sharply. "That ends soon. You need to focus on your training. Your authority. BloodHaven doesn’t just command respect because of me. It must be unquestionable through you."

She stepped closer, resting a hand on the desk, eyes locked onto Lilian’s. "You are the future of this house. Soon, you will need to stamp your presence over every young noble in the Northern Region. Not with words. With power."

Lilian straightened, resolve settling into her bones. "I won’t disappoint you."

"I know," Raven said softly. Then, after a beat, a faint smirk returned. "Just don’t let that boy distract you too much."

Lilian rolled her eyes. "He’s not distracting."

Raven’s smile widened. "Good,"