The Warden of The Witches-Chapter 220:

In Aiden’s eyes, Ophelia didn’t quite qualify as a truly dangerous criminal.

This "lack of danger" didn’t mean she was weak. As a vampire of the prince class, she had already been an S-rank fugitive before her capture.

It was just that her mind and temperament seemed, well, somewhat immature.

It was said that the progenitor of the vampire race, Azrael, had once been a duke in his mortal life. Scholars from the mainland identified the ruins of Atlantea in the southeast as the principality he once ruled. The first vampire princes he turned were originally minor nobles who followed him closely.

Even after they became undead beings, sustained only by the blood of the living, and even when their principality was attacked and destroyed for being deemed heretical, Azrael and his followers continued to view themselves as aristocrats. This pride and dignity laid the foundation for a noble tradition that still pervades vampire society.

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Thus, vampires with close blood ties to the progenitor—and therefore noble titles—uphold ancient aristocratic customs. They choose to reside in grandiose tombs, manors, or castle ruins, capturing humans to serve as both sustenance and servants, and hoarding antique paintings, jewels, and other treasures. They live isolated lives, clinging to outdated notions of nobility far removed from the modern world.

However, a significant number of higher-ranking vampires had come to realize that the world had changed. With the development of technology, humanity's weapons had evolved from cold steel to firearms, and their studies into magical creatures were advancing rapidly. Dragons, which once dominated the continent, had been driven nearly to extinction by the rise of human civilization.

As for vampires, modern inquisition had developed highly systematic methods to exploit their weaknesses. Even without a remarkable talent like Aiden’s predecessor, a specialized team led by a senior Inquisitor would still pose a lethal threat to a vampire prince. Some even whispered that the progenitor himself had been hunted down by the Empire’s armies centuries ago.

These changes forced the vampires to realize they weren’t invincible. At the end of the day, vampires were merely humans cursed to live this way.

And so, many lower-ranked vampires learned to keep a low profile, to adapt to the "Covenant" that nations had signed, renouncing the act of drinking human blood and becoming regulated anomalies under state supervision.

Higher-ranking vampires who retained some semblance of pride chose to live in seclusion, doing their utmost to avoid provoking the Inquisition.

Of course, there were exceptions.

Some high-ranking vampires still fancied themselves as noble beings of the night, clinging to their outdated lifestyles and viewing humans as an inferior species fit only for consumption.

Ophelia was one of them.

According to her records, Ophelia was a relatively young vampire, having only become a vampire princess and started preying upon human villages a little over a decade ago. Compared to those ancient ones, centuries-old veterans, her experience was as limited as an infant's.

Yet, her sense of identity as a vampire princess was far stronger than most; one might even say it bordered on delusional. Perhaps because of her lack of experience, she hadn’t developed a clear understanding of her actual status.

To Aiden, she was a spoiled, delusional young lady—lost in a grand fantasy of aristocracy, with no grasp of reality. Even behind bars, she refused to acknowledge that she was no longer a noble princess but merely a prisoner.

After two failed escape attempts, her sentence had stretched to over a century, with parole options currently suspended. Aiden figured he’d be long gone before she ever set foot outside this prison.

Though he doubted she’d pose much of a threat given her mindset, he still hoped that, with time, she’d come to accept her situation and behave.

Hearing Aiden’s advice, Ophelia turned her head slightly, disdainful. "What would a mere mortal like you know? This is about the dignity of a vampire princess!"

"Oh, come on," Aiden scoffed openly. "You're a prisoner now, locked in a solitary cell smaller than three square meters, sitting beside a toilet that still stinks from the last person in here. And you’re lecturing me about noble dignity? I honestly don’t get where your head’s at."

“This is all your fault!” Ophelia glared at him.

In her eyes, Aiden was the one who had dragged her to this prison. Not only had he been the one to capture her, but he was also her warden, thwarting both of her escape attempts.

Aiden Galord was, without a doubt, the source of her misery.

“Don’t just blame me for everything,” Aiden replied calmly. “You ended up here because of your own choices. For ten years, you raided human villages, capturing people to drink their blood. Hundreds were victimized. If it weren’t for the fact that you didn’t kill anyone, you’d have been executed long ago. And even in prison, you’ve never behaved—constantly stirring up trouble. Am I supposed to indulge you? Come on, we’re way past the days when vampires were killed on sight. This world is giving your kind a chance. Is it really that hard to follow some rules?”

“Who wants to live like a mortal?” Ophelia retorted, her disdain unchanged.

“The average mortal out there lives a lot better than you do,” Aiden responded coolly. “I even heard your brother is a registered, law-abiding citizen. He actually showed us his identification papers when he visited this prison.”

Ophelia was silent for a moment before muttering, “That weakling? I don’t know him.”

“He mentioned in a letter that he had important matters to handle. He said if he missed this chance, he might not be able to visit you for years. Your observation period was supposed to end in about a month, but after this little stunt, it’s been extended by another week,” Aiden said slowly. “Does it really mean anything to you? Making things harder for yourself—does that feel good?”

Ophelia didn’t reply, though her expression softened slightly.

“I don’t know how you and your brother became vampires,” Aiden continued, “but let me tell you, vampires aren’t some superior race. In this day and age, even a vampire prince might struggle against a team of Inquisitors. And your so-called nobility? It’s nothing but an empty title you’ve given yourselves. No status, no territory... Just rats hiding in remote corners, playing at being aristocrats. And you’re content with that?”

“Enough! Shut up!” Ophelia couldn’t take it anymore, Aiden’s words striking painfully close to truths she didn’t want to face.

Aiden studied her for a moment, then said, “Vampire sentences can get very long, but they’re not without limits. If you keep causing trouble here, it’ll eventually turn into a death sentence. So here’s my advice—act in your own best interest.”

With that, he clasped his hands behind his back and left the solitary confinement area.

Alone in the now-silent cell, Ophelia hugged her knees, burying her pale face against them.