My Three Beautiful Vampire Wives can hear my Inner Thoughts

Lord Vord stood there for a moment longer, his brows slightly drawn together as he looked across the devastated courtyard, his gaze moving slowly from one fallen vampire to another, as if he could not quite connect what he was seeing with what he expected, and behind him the torn space sealed itself with a faint ripple, leaving only silence and confusion in its wake.

He had arrived with pride still lingering in his chest, the joy of breakthrough fresh and burning within him, and yet now that same feeling was mixed with something else, something far less satisfying, as the scene before him did not match the image he had imagined when he stepped through that spatial crack.

"What happened..." he repeated under his breath, though this time the question carried more weight, more confusion, as if he was trying to convince himself that there must be a simple explanation.

Then, from among the scattered vampires, a voice rose, trembling and weak, yet filled with urgency.

"My Lord...!"

Another followed, louder, though still shaking.

"Who... who was that...? Did that pressure... come from him...?"

The question spread like a ripple, whispers turning into murmurs as more eyes turned toward Cain, then toward Lord Vord, then back again, uncertainty written clearly across their faces.

Lord Vord blinked once.

Then twice.

His gaze moved slowly, deliberately, from the injured vampires to Cain, then to the three sisters beside him, then back to the crowd again, as if he was trying to understand what exactly they were asking, and for a brief moment, silence stretched between them.

"...From him?" Lord Vord repeated, his tone carrying genuine confusion, as if the thought had not even crossed his mind.

He looked at Cain again.

Then shook his head lightly, almost dismissively.

"No," he said, his voice calm, certain.

"That would be impossible."

His attention returned to the injured ones, and for a moment, something clicked inside his mind, something that made his expression change ever so slightly, not into fear, not into anger, but into realization.

Ah.

His lips parted slightly.

Then he let out a quiet breath.

Earlier...

His eyes lowered for a moment, recalling the exact moment he had stepped into his new realm, the surge of power that had filled him, the overwhelming sense of elevation that had made his blood roar, and the instinctive release of that power as he wanted to announce his breakthrough to the entire domain.

He had not held back.

Not even a little.

Because in his mind, it had been nothing more than a harmless display.

A declaration.

A celebration.

And yet...

His gaze lifted again, taking in the broken scene before him.

"...I see."

A faint smile appeared on his lips, though it carried a hint of embarrassment now.

"I suppose... I underestimated myself."

He raised his hand slightly, scratching the back of his head in a manner that seemed almost too casual for someone of his status, and then he let out a soft laugh, one that echoed lightly across the courtyard.

"Ah... this is a bit awkward."

The injured vampires stared at him, their expressions blank at first, then slowly turning into disbelief as his words settled in.

"My Lord...?" one of them whispered.

Lord Vord raised both hands slightly, as if trying to calm them.

"Now, now," he said, his tone light, almost apologetic. "There is no need to panic."

He looked around again, then gave a small nod, as if confirming something to himself.

"That pressure you felt earlier..."

He paused briefly.

"...was mine."

Silence.

Complete silence.

Even the ones who were still groaning moments ago seemed to freeze, their eyes widening as they stared at him, trying to process what they had just heard.

"My... Lord..." another vampire said weakly, his voice shaking. "That... that was you...?"

Lord Vord nodded without hesitation.

"Yes."

He let out another small laugh, though this time it carried more awkwardness than before.

"I had just broken through, you see. The Ascendant Blood Mana Realm."

A murmur spread through the crowd, though it was weak, strained, as if even their voices could not carry the full weight of their shock.

"The Grand Emperor..."

"He reached it..."

"Already..."

Lord Vord smiled faintly, clearly pleased despite the situation.

"Yes, yes, that’s right," he said. "I finally managed to step into it after all these years."

He spread his arms slightly, as if presenting himself, though his expression softened quickly as he looked at their condition again.

"...Though I did not expect such a... result."

His smile turned into something more apologetic.

"I truly did not think that a small release of pressure would affect all of you to this extent."

He bowed his head slightly, a gesture that stunned everyone present far more than his earlier words.

"For that, I sincerely apologize."

The courtyard fell silent again.

Not because they did not hear him.

But because they did not know how to respond.

"My Lord... please..." one of the injured vampires said, struggling to kneel despite his condition. "Have mercy..."

"Yes, my Lord... we cannot endure it again..."

"Please... spare us..."

Their voices overlapped, weak and desperate, as if the memory of that crushing force still lingered in their bodies, refusing to let go.

Lord Vord immediately raised his hand.

"No, no, there is no need for that," he said quickly, his tone reassuring. "I have already withdrawn my aura completely."

He gestured lightly around them.

"What you feel now is only the residue. It will fade soon."

He walked forward a few steps, his movements calm, his expression carrying a mix of pride and apology as he looked at each of them.

"I would not harm my own people," he added, his voice firm now. "This was an accident, nothing more."

Still, he continued to apologize, again and again, his words steady, repeated, as if he wanted to make sure that they understood his intention, that he had no desire to cause them harm, that this was simply a result of his sudden rise in power that he had not yet fully grasped.

"I truly did not expect it..."

"I should have controlled it better..."

"It will not happen again..."

Each sentence came with the same tone, the same sincerity, though there was still that faint trace of pride beneath it, the pride of someone who had reached a level few could even dream of, even if that pride was now mixed with the awkwardness of the aftermath.

Slowly, the tension eased.

Not completely.

But enough.

Enough for the injured ones to stop trembling as much, enough for their breaths to become steadier, enough for their minds to begin catching up with what had just been revealed.

And then—

Lord Vord’s gaze shifted.

It moved away from the fallen.

Away from the chaos.

And landed on those who were still standing.

Cain.

Faith.

Ivira.

Cornelia.

And the Moonshade Family behind them.

His eyes lingered on them for a moment, his expression changing slightly as he took in the fact that they were completely unaffected, their posture steady, their presence untouched by what had just crushed everyone else.

"...Interesting."

He took a step closer, his gaze sharpening just a little.

"You all are... unharmed."

The Moonshade Family exchanged glances, their confusion still evident, though now mixed with a hint of caution as they faced someone who had just revealed himself to be far stronger than they had expected.

Before they could respond, one of the injured vampires spoke up, his voice still weak but clear enough to carry.

"My Lord... they are... the ones from another dimension..."

Lord Vord paused.

Then his eyes widened slightly.

"...Ah."

A smile slowly spread across his face, this time genuine, filled with realization.

"I see now."

He looked at them again, this time with a different kind of attention, one that carried interest, appreciation, and something deeper.

"No wonder," he said softly. "No wonder you all were not affected as much."

He nodded to himself, as if the answer made perfect sense.

"It seems my gratitude reached you first."

The Moonshade Family stiffened.

"...Gratitude?" Rivik repeated, his voice carrying confusion.

Lord Vord chuckled lightly.

"Yes," he said. "Gratitude."

He clasped his hands behind his back, his posture straightening as he began to speak, his tone turning more serious now, more reflective.

"You see... finding a path to another plane... is not something simple."

His gaze lifted slightly, as if looking beyond them, beyond the courtyard, beyond the very realm they stood in.

"I have spent years... no, decades... searching for a way."

His voice carried a quiet intensity now.

"I tested countless spells. I tried every method I could think of. I pushed my limits again and again, reaching out beyond this world, trying to touch something beyond our boundaries."

He smiled faintly, though there was a trace of exhaustion in that smile.

"Most of them failed."

His eyes lowered again, returning to them.

"Some nearly destroyed me."

A few of the Moonshade members exchanged glances, their expressions growing more serious as they listened.

"But I did not stop," Lord Vord continued. "Because I knew... there had to be something beyond."

He raised a hand slightly, his fingers curling as if grasping something invisible.

"And then..."

He paused.

His eyes gleamed.

"I felt it."

His gaze locked onto them.

"You."

Silence fell once more.

"When your presence appeared... when your aura touched this world..."

His voice carried excitement now, the memory clearly vivid in his mind.

"I realized that I was not wrong."

He took a step forward.

"That there are other planes. Other existences. Other realms waiting beyond our reach."

His smile widened.

"And in that moment..."

His voice lowered slightly.

"I broke through."

The weight of his words settled over them.

"Reaching the Ascendant Blood Mana Realm... becoming a Grand Emperor Vampire..."

He spread his arms slightly.

"All of that... happened because of that realization."

He looked at them again.

At every single member of the Moonshade Family.

"And so..."

His voice softened.

"I am thankful."

Silence.

The Moonshade Family stood there, their minds racing, their expressions caught between confusion and disbelief as they processed everything he had just said.

Rivik frowned deeply.

Ghurd narrowed his eyes.

Zenaya’s gaze sharpened.

"...Wait," one of them said slowly.

"You’re saying..."

Their voices overlapped slightly, their thoughts trying to align into something coherent.

"...we helped you... break through?"