Killed by My Vampire Fiancé and Reborn

Elena’s POV

A week later, the banquet held by the vampires for the new moon arrived as scheduled.

Although my relationship with Kael was no longer as close as before, there were other vampire branches at the banquet who were still in cooperation with my family.

I arrived wearing a simple black gown, and as I turned my head, I saw Kael and Sylvia.

The relationship between Kael and that human blood servant was no longer news.

What truly caused a stir was the dress she was wearing.

The red off shoulder gown was a masterpiece that only the most elite vampire tailor could complete after years of work.

More importantly, I recognized it.

Three months ago, Kael had bought it at an auction and had my name embroidered into the lining.

And now, the dress that should have belonged to me was on Sylvia.

The gown had clearly been altered in haste.

The waist was stretched too tight and the shoulder line sat awkwardly.

Her slightly hunched posture only dulled the elegance the dress was meant to convey.

Kael guided her through the crowd and walked straight toward me.

There was a trace of tension on his face.

“Elena.” He spoke first, his gaze sweeping over my simple dress and pausing briefly.

“I hope you won’t mind. Sylvia didn’t have a suitable gown, and there wasn’t enough time to prepare one. So I gave this gift to her.”

Sylvia twisted her fingers into the overly long sleeves.

She looked up at me, her voice soft and hesitant.

“I’m sorry, Miss Elena… the dress is so beautiful. I was afraid it might look odd on me. Kael told me you didn’t care for it anymore, so I thought… if it’s really all right… I could wear it.”

Glances began drifting over from all sides, carrying amusement from other vampires.

An elderly countess even covered half her face with a lace fan and whispered something to her companion, drawing a soft laugh.

Everyone was waiting to see my reaction.

I looked at the dress.

In my previous life, this had been the gown I wore at my engagement ceremony.

In this life, it had become something I supposedly “disliked”.

An idle piece that could be casually given away.

“Strange?” I tilted my head slightly, my tone as flat as if I were commenting on a piece of furniture.

“The tailoring doesn’t really suit your figure. For such an important banquet, perhaps Kael should put more thought into having a gown made specifically for you.”

Sylvia’s face turned pale in an instant.

Kael frowned and stepped forward, placing himself between us.

“Elena,” his voice dropped, tinged with reproach.

“Since when did you become so harsh? You know she’s nervous attending this kind of banquet, yet you still speak to her from such a condescending position.”

Sylvia had been standing with her head slightly lowered, her eyes rimmed with red.

But the moment Kael began to accuse me, the corner of her lips curved upward for the briefest second, unable to hide that flicker of triumph.

She leaned against Kael’s shoulder, her gaze carrying a hint of provocation.

I looked away, unwilling to entangle myself with them.

“It’s just a dress. Give it to whoever you like. I didn’t mean anything by it. You’re overthinking.”

After a few seconds of silence, he looked at me with a trace of resignation, almost indulgent.

“At next month’s ball, I’ll have something better made for you. A unique design. Consider it as my…”

“No need.”

I cut him off and slowly shifted my gaze from his face to Sylvia beside him, who looked as though she might cry at any moment.

“Since Miss Sylvia feels so uneasy wearing this dress, worried that she might offend me, and since you feel the need to explain and make amends to me…”

I set my glass down and lightly tapped the stem of the cool crystal with my fingertip.

“Then, to avoid more misunderstandings, perhaps we should see each other less in the future.”

With that, I inclined my head slightly.

Without sparing a glance at either of them, I turned and walked back into the banquet.

At the edge of my vision, the familiar crimson sheen of the gown flashed once more.

Kael stood frozen in place.

His hand hovered in midair as if he wanted to grab hold of something, yet closed only around empty air.

And Sylvia, still clinging to his arm, gripped the ill fitting skirt of that magnificent gown tightly, her fingers whitening from the force.