Chapter 378: Mistrust

Leandra swept her gaze around the main hall, finding that it was mostly empty.

Only a couple of people were left behind, and they, too, were about to head to the backyard—where the woman of the hour is going to cut the birthday cake. She found no sign of Lucivar, but she couldn’t take it anymore.

She stopped a nearby guest, tapping her shoulder lightly.

“Where did the others go??”

“Vanessa is going to cut the cake in the backyard, sweetie. Come, let’s go together.”

Leandra gently refused the woman’s offer as she tried to pull her away.

She put on a half-smile, hoping that this moment would be the window that she needed.

“Ah, actually, I’m searching for Tobias. Have you seen him?”

“Tobias? Hey, you can’t be doing that, sweetie. You can’t be stealing Vanessa’s man like that. We are both women, and sisters have to look each other’s back—not stab each other’s back like this. Come on, don’t get any funny idea.”

“I think you misunderstand…”

“Hais, I won’t tell it to Vanessa, so you don’t have to worry.”

Leandra resisted, not planning on getting misunderstood badly like this.

She looked around, trying to see if she could find someone else to help, but there was nobody around.

And the woman was pulling on her harder now, more forcefully.

“I’m here.”

Just then, the two abruptly froze when they heard a manly voice coming from behind.

Slowly, Leandra and the woman turned around.

Leandra’s breath was caught in her throat when she saw Master Tobias standing right behind her.

He didn’t make any sound, and Leandra didn’t even sense his presence at all, almost as if he appeared out of nowhere like a ghost—a pliant, fake smile on his face. Ignoring Leandra’s shock, Master Tobias fixed on the woman, “You misunderstood, madam. Leandra here, is my daughter.”

“Daughter?” The woman looked at Leandra, then at Master Tobias again. “You don’t look alike.”

“She’s adopted,” Master Tobias answered without a pause.

Hearing this, the woman immediately let go of Leandra’s arm and stepped back awkwardly.

“Is that so,” She smiled acutely. “In that case, I’ll be going first!”

Not even wanting to stay in that awkward situation for longer, the woman rushed toward the backyard.

Once she disappeared from sight, Master Tobias glanced at Leandra.

She was averting her gaze.

Seems like she didn’t quite have the guts to meet his gaze head-on.

Master Tobias didn’t utter a single word and headed towards the second floor with steady steps.

He didn’t need to say anything as Leandra knew what this meant.

Even though the chance to confront Master Tobias was right there to grasp, Leandra could feel her legs weak as the bravery she had seconds ago vanished completely. It was one thing to decide on confronting Master Tobias, and it was another to actually confront him.

Regardless, Leandra bit her lower lip and climbed the staircase.

It was now or never, so she didn’t have any choice.

Upon stepping on the second floor, Leandra saw Master Tobias standing by the window—with his hands behind his back. A stance that showed that he was comfortable, or he was showing Leandra that he had no intention of harming her.

Leandra didn’t know which one his stance was really for, but she assumed it was the latter.

“You know,” Master Tobias sucked in a deep breath, staring at the full moon outside. “We met for the first time—in a night like this. Back then, you were not in a particularly good condition. Your past self must’ve been surprised to see you now. And in the past, you would never look at me with those eyes.”

Master Tobias looked over his shoulder, seeing how wary Leandra was of even being near him.

Considering that she was the most cheerful to him, this was truly sad.

Back then, Leandra would always be in a good mood and happy whenever he was nearby, and would miss him greatly whenever they were separated, even if it was only for a day or two. None of them could imagine that there would be a day she would transform into this.

Not that Master Tobias could blame her, though.

“What did you do to Bob?” Leandra asked, her voice devoid of the warmth it usually carried.

Master Tobias smiled helplessly, “It’s sad to be suspected by my own family like this.”

“Stop dodging the question,” She cuts sharply, but her voice is shaking. “What did you do, master?”

“And what proof do you have that I did something to Bob?”

“You lied to us. Bob would never leave us for a woman. He’d tell us. He wouldn’t run away.”

“People can cha—”

“STOP!”

Leandra’s voice rang loudly as tears streamed down her eyes, raising a finger to point at Master Tobias.

“Tell me the truth, please. No more lies. No more secrets. Just tell me the truth.”

Instead of answering, Master Tobias looked forward again.

He drew in the cool night air drifting through the window, the distant sound of laughter from the birthday celebration below carrying upward—blissfully unaware of the confrontation unfolding on the second floor.

“Answer this first,” Master Tobias finally spoke. “Am I really that low in your eyes?”

Upon hearing this, Leandra could feel a cut in her heart.

She knew that it would be extremely bad for them if Master Tobias wasn’t the real perpetrator.

‘But every piece of information pointed at him,’ Leandra thought firmly. ‘It has to be him.’

Master Tobias sighed when he received no answer.

“I take this silence as a yes,” He said, looking forward again. “Bob went missing.”

A tense pause followed his words as Master Tobias allowed Leandra to grasp what he said properly.

“Someone kidnapped or killed… Bob.” He continued, exhaling roughly through his nose as saying this was taking a toll on him. “Bob decided not to watch the South Hues Tournament as he had a plan of his own, but he came by me to ask why I didn’t come to watch. After he left, I tried contacting him, but he didn’t answer.”

“I was unbothered on the first day—but on the third day, I tried searching for him, but I couldn’t find him anywhere,” He said, his voice laced with sadness and regret. “Until today, I never stopped searching for him, but I couldn’t find anything.”

“Why didn’t you tell us the truth?”

“Because I can’t. What am I even supposed to say? That I let Bob take a risk, and now he’s gone?”

Leandra was taken aback by his answer, but she wasn’t going to be swayed that easily.

For all she knows, he might be pretending to be innocent.

“What about the letter? Why did you try to deceive us by acting like Bob?!” She screamed.

Master Tobias hung his head low, shaking his head lightly, “Lucivar won the tournament, and everything went smoothly—for the family, finally, after a long time. All of you are on an upward spiral to greatness, and I don’t want to break the momentum by delivering the bad news…”

“You prepared all excuses well, huh, master?” Leandra smiled a broken smile.

Her hands, which were coated with ether, were now trembling as she stared at Master Tobias intensely.

Leandra really wanted to believe him, but he had to make her believe him.

Finally, Master Tobias turned around to face her.

He stared at Leandra with pain behind his eyes.

“It seemed you already made up your mind to blame me, Leandra.” He said whisperingly.

“Then make me believe you!” Leandra screamed again, her telekinesis power lifted all small but sharp objects around them and pointed them at Master Tobias. “What about Ravenna?! A powerful Vampire Hybrid—attacked her, and guess what? You’re a Vampire Hybrid. You’re a part of the supreme house! You lied again to us, master… How can I believe you if all we know about you was a lie?!”

“I lied to protect you, that’s all there’s to i—”

“Liar!”

Brak!

With a sharp flick of her hand, Leandra sent every piece of furniture between them hurtling against the wall, splintering into shards—and debris. She advanced a few deliberate steps, her breath trembling in sheer frustration and anger, while tears spilled freely—pouring down her cheeks like a waterfall.

Her eyes burned with anguish—her whole being torn between fury and heartbreak.

“Just what do you want from us?!” She demanded, memories of them as a family flashing in her mind.

All the hardships and happiness they went through together resurfaced.

“Leandra, I know this is difficult to accept, but you have to hear me.” Master Tobias stepped closer—only to halt when he saw her flinch away. His voice was steady at first, but undercut with urgency. “Yes, I’m a Vampire Hybrid. Yes, I’m descended from the supreme house. But it wasn’t me who attacked and harmed Ravenna. She did come to the mansion, that much is true, but I wasn’t there. Vanessa can vouch for me; I was with her the entire time. And Ravenna was attacked on her way back.”

Leandra’s quiet sobs stilled.

Her tear-reddened eyes locked on him with a searching intensity.

‘Sabrina did say she found Ravenna on a bench already in her condition. But that doesn’t clear him. He could have put her there himself to play the victim.’ Leandra clenched her jaw, her mistrust sharpening like a blade. ‘Yes… this could just be him covering his tracks.

“I’ve been thinking about everything that’s happened,” Master Tobias pressed on, his tone now fraying with desperation. “And I’m convinced—someone is trying to tear us apart, starting by painting me as the villain. Leandra… I swear to you, I had no part in this.”

Brak!

Out of nowhere, the main door was pushed open as a figure stepped inside.

Leandra and Master Tobias glanced at the staircase and saw Mirel coming up, heading towards them.

His face was contorted hideously, as if he were about to eat someone alive.

Down on his sides, his hands were completely red—smeared, completely in what seemed to be blood.

Upon reaching the second floor, he scanned his eyes around and immediately locked onto someone.

Master Tobias.

“Mirel…? What happened to you?”

He walked towards Master Tobias with wide steps, ignoring Leandra’s voice calling out to him.

Mirel wasted no time and grabbed Master Tobias’s collar and lifted him off the ground, slamming his back onto the wall and pinning him there. Both of Mirel’s bulging eyes bore into Master Tobias, “You did this… You did this!!”

“Mirel!” Leandra tried to separate him.

But the ether around his body already sparkled with lightning.

He was being serious.

“Let go, Mirel! What’s wrong with you?!” Leandra shrieked, fighting back the sparking yellow lightning.

“Teresa came,” he snarled—shoving Leandra back as his glare burned into her. “She told me he’s behind everything! He’s the one who killed Bob—and the one who attacked Ravenna! I won’t stand here and let him destroy us any further!”

“What…? Teresa came?”