Vampire's Destined Bride

A PEACEFUL MORNING The scent of freshly brewed tea drifted through the sunlit garden, mixing with the fragrance of blooming roses. Gentle morning light filtered through the trees, casting golden patterns across the white stone pathway that led to the Ashford estate. Seated beneath a flowering gazebo, I lifted my teacup and took a small sip, peaceful. That was the only word I could use to describe life these days. A life that technically wasn't mine. "My lady, you're smiling again." I glanced up to find Clara, my personal maid, watching me with amusement as she arranged a plate of pastries on the table. "Was I?" I asked. "You always smile like that when you're deep in thoughts." I chuckled softly. If only she knew what I was thinking about. My name is Seraphina Ashford. Or at least, it was. Years ago, I was an ordinary university student living a perfectly normal life on Earth. I worried about exams, complained about deadlines, and spent far too much money on coffee. Then... I died. The memory had never faded, the screeching tires, blinding headlights, unbearable pain, and then darkness. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in the body of a newborn child in an entirely different world. A world filled with nobles, magic, witches, and creatures that most people on Earth believed existed in stories. I had been reborn as Seraphina Ashford, the beloved daughter of House Ashford, one of the most respected families in the Kingdom of Nocturne. At first, I thought it was a dream, then I thought I had gone insane. Eventually, I accepted the truth. I was a reincarnated woman living someone else's life. Fortunately, the original Seraphina had been too young to develop a sense of self before I awakened in her body. There were no memories fighting against mine, no hidden personality buried within me, only me. And after twenty years, this life had become my own. "My lady?" Clara tilted her head. I blinked at her. "You've gone quiet again." "Sorry," I said with a smile. "Just thinking." The maid sighed dramatically. "You spent far too much time thinking." Maybe, but recently, my thoughts had become increasingly occupied by something strange. Dreams. Every night, I saw the same things; a crimson moon, a towering black castle, and a man with silver eyes staring at me as if I were the most precious thing in the world. Sometimes he was smiling, sometimes crying, and every time I woke up, I could still hear his voice. A voice that whispered the same thing: "My bride." A sudden chill ran down my spine despite the warm morning air. I tightened my grip around my teacup. For some reason, I couldn't explain it. I had a feeling that the peaceful life I cherished was about to come to an end. The peaceful atmosphere didn't last long, when a pair of hurried footsteps echoed across the garden. "My lady!" Clara barely had enough time to step aside before another maid rushed through the gazebo entrance, her face flushed from running. I nearly spilled my tea. "Goodness, Emily. Whatever happened to walking?" Seraphina stated playfully. "My apologies, Lady Seraphina, but your father is requesting your presence in the main hall." Emily stated as she lowered her head apologetically. I blinked. "Father?" The maid nodded. "He said a letter had arrived from the capital." That immediately caught my attention, letters from the capital were rarely good news. The Ashford family lived comfortably in the northern estate, far from the political schemes of the royal court. Most nobles preferred it that way. It baffles me why my father looked unusually troubled when I entered the main hall. My father, Duke Alexander Ashford, sat at the head of the table, while my mother, Duchess Eleanor Ashford, stood beside him, both wore expressions I didn't particularly like. "Father?" I asked as Father motioned me to sit down. "We've received an invitation." An invitation? I thought as I relaxed slightly, because it didn't sound dangerous. Until I saw the black seal wax stamped into the envelope. The crest of the royal family, my stomach sank. The Kingdom of Nocturne only used black wax for matters involving the royal palace. And there was only one resident of the palace important enough to make even powerful nobles nervous. The Vampire King. Father slid the envelope across the table. "Read it." I carefully opened the letter as my eyes scanned the elegant handwriting, my confusion quickly turned into disbelief. By decree of the Crown, Lady Seraphina Ashford is formally invited to attend the Moonlit Masquerade Ball to be held at the Royal Palace three weeks from now. Attendance is mandatory, failure to comply will be regarded as an insult to the throne. I read the letter twice, thrice, and finally looked up. "Why me?" Father sighed. "That is the question." The annual masquerade was attended by the kingdom's most influential nobles; young ladies were invited every year. But Seraphina had never received an invitation before, not once. Which made this sudden interest deeply suspicious. "Could they be looking for a marriage candidate?" Mother suggested carefully. I nearly choked. "I refuse." The duchess laughed softly. "You haven't even met anyone." "I don't need to." The last thing I wanted was an arranged marriage. I had spent one lifetime stressing over grades and employment. I wasn't about to spend this one trapped in a political marriage. A smile appeared on Father's face. "Unfortunately, your opinion is irrelevant." "Father!" "You are going, Seraphina," I groaned but everyone seemed to ignore me. A sudden cold breeze drifted through the open window, brushing against my skin like icy fingers. I shivered instinctively and glanced toward the curtains as they swayed gently in the wind, strange. The afternoon had been warm only moments ago. For some reason, the temperature in the room seemed to drop, sending an uncomfortable chill down my spine. My conversation with Father and Mother faded into the background as a peculiar sensation settled over me. It felt as though someone was standing nearby, watching me. Then I heard it, a voice ; soft, distant, barely more than a whisper. Yet every muscle in my body tensed the moment it reached my ears. I found you. My breath caught in my throat. The voice was unfamiliar, yet it stirred something deep inside me. A strange ache tightened in my chest, accompanied by an overwhelming sense of longing that I couldn't explain. It felt as though I had heard those words before—long ago, in a forgotten place beyond the reach of memory. I quickly looked around the room; there was no one. Father was still discussing the invitation while Mother listened attentively, neither of them showing any sign that they had heard what I had. Had I imagined it? The cold sensation disappeared as suddenly as it had come. The room returned to normal, and the warmth of the afternoon sunlight once again filled the space. Yet my heart continued to pound, because this was different. The mysterious voice had always appeared in my dreams, along with the silver-eyed man and the towering black castle that haunted my nights. But this time... I had been awake. Without realizing it, my fingers tightened around the letter in my hands. For the first time in years, genuine unease settled within me. Something was changing. I didn't know what. But deep down, I had the unsettling feeling that the peaceful life I had built in this world was about to... .....come to an end.