Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 653 Everlasting Immortality
Upon hearing this greeting, which puzzled others but horrified the person involved, Thales couldn't help but twitch his lips.

Cortina Corleone...

Seven years ago, the terrifying night in the birch forest returned to his mind, and Thales had to do his best to suppress the urge to touch his neck.

Leon Corleone bowed again, respectfully and politely, yet exuding an inexplicable coldness: "Please forgive me, for well-known reasons, I can only visit Kongming Palace on a suitable night, hence my late arrival."

Jann glanced at Thales, then at the vampire count before him, lost in thought.

“Good, very good, excellent,” Thales coughed, “Well, Her Majesty Cortina and I—”

“Mutual admiration and enduring friendship,” Li said decisively, leaving no room for argument. He pulled a letter from his pocket. “I hereby present His Majesty’s letter.”

They admired each other.

Friendship lasts forever.

Thales bit his lip, forcing a smile with mixed feelings, and reached out to take the letter under Jann's strange gaze.

"His Majesty also asked me to convey a message," Li seemed to think it wasn't enough, "The agreement regarding the Inner Sea is still remembered."

Thales' expression froze.

“Inland Sea? What Inland Sea?” Jann couldn’t help but ask.

Sunset, can he please stop getting involved with these bloodsuckers?
"This... um..."

The prince looked at the blood-red fang emblem on the letter and chuckled:
"Do I need to read it now? Do I need to reply after reading it? To whom should I reply? Is there a fixed carrier crow? Or a directional stone for the crow coop?"

But Li turned directly to the other side, ignoring him completely.
"Jann Kevin Deer".

The Duke of South Bank nodded gently in response:
“Count Li, or, regent.”

"Okay, got it." Thales muttered to himself, ignoring everyone. He shook the letter in his hand and silently retreated to his seat.

Li stared at Jann, his gaze exceptionally cold, emanating an inexplicable pressure:

“Over the past three hundred years, many dukes in Emerald City have been called by this name, and I have met two of them.”

But Jenn seemed oblivious, his smile unchanged:

"And I have long admired your name, Count Li, beneath the throne of the Blood Sea. Family records state that you are the most self-disciplined Corleone, unmoved even when faced with human blood."

“I have a general idea of ​​where these records come from,” Li said coldly in response to the praise. “I just hope you won’t be like your great-grandfather, inviting me to a banquet, only to have eight menstruating girls serve me food and drinks, just to watch a vampire lose control of his thirst for blood.”

what?
Thales frowned and looked at the Duke.

Jenn coughed and whispered to Thales:
“My great-grandfather was only nineteen years old at the time, and he was severely punished afterwards.”

Thales squinted.

“In short, this shows that our two families have a long-standing and rich history of friendship,” Jan quickly skipped the awkwardness and got straight to the point, “but because of some trivial matters seven years ago, Kevin Deer and Corleone have not been in contact for a long time, which is a pity.”

"trivia?"

Thales muttered to himself, which unsurprisingly earned him a furious glare from Jenn.

“Indeed, Your Grace,” Li nodded, his voice unwavering. “Her Majesty the Queen was particularly saddened—especially since she nearly lost her throne and even her life.”

Thales nodded solemnly to the side.

Jenn was speechless for a moment, but he quickly picked up his glass with one hand to cover Thales's grimacing face beside him, and let out a long sigh:
“Yes, I am sorry for the accident back then, Earl, and I am willing to make amends for it, but I also know that no amount of compensation can ever repay the debt… However, the long-term separation is detrimental to both sides, especially since we are at opposite ends of the best trade wind belt at sea…”

But before Jenn could finish speaking, Leah spoke again:
"Therefore, Her Majesty believes that before the two families can resume their relations and cooperation, we must first settle our past debts and clear up any grudges."

After he finished speaking, he stared intently at the Duke of the South Bank.

The debts are settled, and all grudges are cleared.

Jann frowned.

But the next second, he burst into laughter as if his expression had completely changed:
“Of course! As you can see, even His Highness Thales, who was present back then, has reconciled with me and we're now drinking together at the same table—”

"What?" Thales poked his head out, incredulous.

Jann smiled and swirled his wine glass, once again blocking Thales's peeked face from view:

"—Then what old grudges do our two families, Iris and Bloodfang, still have that can't be resolved?"

What?
Thales' eyes widened:

Is this even possible?
Are you really that shameless?
This time, Li remained silent for a long time. His eyes were calm and lifeless, which, against the backdrop of the bustling banquet around him, made him all the more unsettling.

But the next second, Thales felt a blur before his eyes!
"What's going on—" The prince was startled and subconsciously awakened the Sin of the River of Hell within him!
"Seychelles!"

Jenn's voice rang out, stern and wary.

As the sound faded, Thales snapped out of his daze.

He then noticed that Li had somehow acquired a glass of wine.

Beside Jenn, the butler Ashford frowned at the wine tray in front of him: one glass was missing.

“Please don’t be nervous, Your Highness, Duke,” Li said expressionlessly. “I’m just thirsty. Please get me a glass of wine.”

Jann looked at the vampire warily and took a deep breath.

A few seconds later, he waved his hand behind him.

Behind the Duke, a Seychelles knight who had appeared out of nowhere snorted angrily, sheathed his sword, and sat back down.

The guests around them continued their feasting and drinking as usual, and the music remained lively as always; it seemed that no one noticed the danger that was brewing at this moment.

In the distance, Marius lowered his fist, and several familiar Starlake Guard faces re-entered the crowd.

Li raised his glass, slowly drank it, and then slowly put it down, as if he wanted to deliberately avoid the situation that had just occurred.

Jan just stared at him quietly, waiting for a response.

“Then, I am willing to believe in Kevin Deer’s sincerity and wait and see,” the vampire with the face of a Far Easterner finally spoke slowly, “I hope your compensation is sufficient.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Jann let out a satisfied sigh of relief (while Thales let out a regretful sigh):
"No problem, we can talk about anything: crystals, eternal oil, or anything else. You should know that the End of the Sea is very large."

“Very good,” Li bowed to the Duke of the South Bank. “With a wise ruler like you, Kevin Deer’s bloodline will surely be forever secure.”

Jenn smiled again, as if he had forgotten what had just happened:
"May the Corleone family bloodline live on forever."

"Turning enemies into friends, how touching," Thales said sourly, only to be met with an unpleasant look from Jenn.

But just then, when everyone thought the tension had subsided and the threat had disappeared, Li's head suddenly turned like a puppet, looking to the left!

"Lee Corleone, a capable general under the Night King, what a pleasant surprise!"

Thales and Jann were both startled: a young nobleman in his early twenties, dressed in luxurious clothes, appeared beside Li, his face full of surprise.

The young man was handsome with a cheerful smile. His eyebrows, eyes, and features had been carefully groomed, and his eyes were bright and piercing.

He was holding a glass of wine, but Thales noticed that the surface of the wine in the glass was calm.

“Oh no,” Jenn muttered, frowning.

"What's wrong?" Thales asked him in a low voice, but only received a shake of the head in response.

The young man smiled broadly, casually sat down next to Thales, and raised his glass:

"How is Nightwing King doing lately? Have you found him? It's been two hundred years. Is he in seclusion sleeping or out for a stroll? Let's hope he wasn't captured by the Temple of Dawn. Of course, what if he was tricked by those vampire hunters—"

"You are not worthy to speak to me, junior."

Li spoke in a deep voice, his pace slow but perfectly timed to interrupt the young man, his words carrying a subtle warning:

"It would be more appropriate if it were your mother or old Mavolo."

The handsome young man's smile froze.

"Tsk tsk, age discrimination is really harmful."

He glanced at Jann and Thales, shrugged helplessly, and then looked back at Count Li.

"But rest assured, I will definitely take these words to the graves of my mother and the old Speaker—or to their graves."

Li did not answer, but simply stared coldly at the uninvited guest.

Thales was not involved, but he watched the situation with great interest.

Jenn clearly recognized the young man, and he cautiously spoke up to warn him:
"Yannick".

But the young man named Yannick seemed not to hear him. He leaned forward, staring unabashedly at the vampire before him:
"Be careful, Lord Jann. These are the seven branches of the Night Kingdom, known for their madness and tyranny. If they get angry, Emerald City will bleed."

Li's gaze sharpened!
"Both of you!"

Jann raised his voice, his smile undiminished: "Today is the Battle of Champions, one of the most celebratory days in Emerald City."

Yannick and Li exchanged a glance.

“Ha, just kidding. After all, in this city,” Yannick chuckled, “who has the ability to make an iris bleed?”

Li snorted coldly.

Jenn breathed a sigh of relief.

But the young man suddenly turned around and reached out his hand to Thales:
“My name is Yannick, Your Highness Thales, from Feast Territory.”

Thales had no choice but to return the gesture and shake the other's hand.

“I am Thales Shining Star—oh, your hands are so cold. Wait, Feastlord?”

Thales remembered something and subconsciously released the other person's icy cold hand.

“Yes, that’s right, that’s why I can only come over at night.” Yannick smiled slightly and withdrew his hand, not taking offense.

He glanced at Li, his gaze suggestive:
"And it's just as unpopular."

A grand feast.

Thales' smile vanished. He recalled the geography of the Western Continent: Feast Territory and Wildmoon Mountain—locations along the Golden Corridor, adjacent to the city-state of Lywall, yet…

Feast Territory is a mysterious territory of the vampires left behind in the Western Continent after the final war, and is managed and ruled by the Dark Council, composed of the top six factions.

He is a vampire.

Thales frowned at Yannick, but the vampire didn't care. He smiled and shrugged, letting Thales look him over.

No wonder he wears makeup.

Otherwise, his expression would probably be like Li's, making it obvious to everyone that something was wrong...

Or like Nicolai's deadpan face.

Jann coughed and gestured to Yannick:

“Tales, this is a member of the Night Council from Feast Territory…”

“Ah, Your Grace, we’ve changed our name. We’re no longer called the Dark Night Council,” Yannick interrupted Jann, his eyes lighting up. “Now, we’re called the Immortal Council.”

Jenn frowned:

"The Council of Immortals?"

Li Ye's eyes also flickered.

Yannick smiled and nodded:
“Exactly, as you know, the warm-blooded races always have a fear of the night and negative associations with it, always feeling that darkness is evil and terrifying. Coupled with their long-standing misunderstanding of the cold-blooded races, we passed a resolution to no longer call it the Dark Night Council…”

Li sneered, seemingly disdainful.

Jenn readily agreed and immediately changed his tune:

“Very well, Immortal Council. Thales, allow me to reintroduce you. This is Yannick Hollier, the seventh member of the Immortal Council, representing the Hollier family, one of the six branches of the Feast Headland.”

The Night Council, the Immortal Council.

The seventh member of parliament.

The Hollier family.

Countless words flashed through Thales's mind, but he noticed another point:

"Congressman Yannick, you just said—warm-blooded race, cold-blooded race?"

Yannick nodded happily:
“Ah, I’m glad you noticed that, Your Highness. We used to like to call ourselves ‘long-lived’ and humans ‘short-lived’. I used to do that when I was young… But without a doubt, these are historically established terms that lack respect and reflect a narrow and outdated mindset. It’s time to discard them.”

Yannick looked at the Duke and the Prince in a friendly manner:
"Therefore, you are warm-blooded, and we are cold-blooded. Your Highness, I believe this is a more objective, respectful, and friendly way of addressing people, which will help eliminate the misunderstandings, barriers, and hatred between humans and vampires over the years."

Warm-blooded race, cold-blooded race.

Thales understood.

“Abandoning the pride of a race that has lived for thousands of years, instead choosing to be despicable, binding their own hands and feet, belittling themselves,” Li sneered from the side, “is simply bringing shame upon themselves.”

Jenn frowned.

But Yannick's smile remained unchanged:

“Oh, really? But in my opinion, Earl Li, perhaps calling yourself an ‘immortal species’ is just asking for trouble: no matter how immortal the vampires are, their lifespan is still half that of the immortal elves, isn’t it?”

Thales asked in confusion:

"Which half?"

Yannick turned around and smiled easily:
"daytime."

Thales suddenly realized.

"Naive, innocent, ridiculous."

Le Corleone continued to sneer, saying disdainfully:
"A trivial game played by the younger generation."

Jenn coughed loudly, but it clearly didn't help much.

“I’m sorry, but this isn’t naive, ridiculous, or boring, Corleone,” Yannick swirled his glass and shifted into a more comfortable position. “It’s based on realistic political considerations.”

“Political considerations?” Thales asked.

“We are different from our relatives in the Eastern Continent, Your Highness Thales. Feast Territory is a place where vampires and humans, cold-blooded and warm-blooded races coexist and even rule together. We need to deal with the outside world—not just with swords.”

Yannick smiled and said:

"Therefore, respect is necessary and mutual: if vampires no longer want to be called disgusting 'vampires,' no longer want to be treated as enemies by humans, no longer want to be isolated by the world, and no longer want to suffer endless hatred and fear in the cycle of hatred, then they must change the impression outsiders have of us and change our attitude towards the world."

"Just like your kingdom: after the final war, the King of Restoration no longer appeared as an imperial prince, thus shedding the infamy of being a tyrant and allowing the Star Kingdom to stand firm in the final era."

Thales' eyes darted around.

Jenn chuckled softly, seemingly with a hint of helplessness:

“But people never let this go; for seven hundred years, they still mock us as ‘imperials.’”

Li, from the Kingdom of Night, scoffed dismissively.

“Respect is not earned by groveling,” Corleone said coldly, his voice menacing, “but by strength, death, fear, and the blood of our enemies—the very things we depend on for survival, the fourth generation.”

“Yes, they hide in bunkers, conceal themselves in the mist, harbor heinous bandits and thugs, make the surrounding environment terrifying and gloomy and off-limits to outsiders, and then call themselves the ‘Night Kingdom’,” Yannick said sarcastically. “They are perpetually hostile to the surrounding kingdoms, constantly fighting against wave after wave of invaders, and making a living through robbery, murder, coercion, incitement, extortion, and blackmail.”

The vampire councilor of Feast Territory tilted his head back, preparing to drink:
"That's quite a show of respect, you second-generation old man."

But the next second, Li suddenly reached out and firmly grasped Yannick's wine glass!

Yannick frowned and exchanged a glance with Li.

“Gentlemen, please,” Jann sighed helplessly, “I cherish my banquet, and I also cherish the reputations of both of you.” Li remained silent for a moment, then slowly released the other’s wine glass.

"ridiculous."

"If it weren't for His Majesty Lanley's past transoceanic campaigns, his fearsome achievements, and his demonstration of the role of vampires in large-scale wars," Li Hansheng said, "would our relatives in the Feast Territory be living so comfortably in the Western Continent? Would they be able to survive until now in the complex Golden Corridor?"

"Look at what happened to Wild Mang Mountain—after the wolf enemies, are there still werewolf tribes in the Western Continent?"

Yannick pursed his lips.

“Yes, I believe so,” the congressman said somewhat hesitantly, giving Thales a helpless smile. “It’s just that they are rather rare?”

"If it weren't for the Restoration King establishing Everstar City in the former lands of Shavin, if it weren't for Black Eye's bloody conquests over the decades, if it weren't for the Blade King's thunderous westward and southward advances," Li pressed on, "how would the Star Kingdom have acquired its current territory and status? By changing the name of the Exter people to 'good brothers of the North'? Or by calling itself 'the Empire's harmless little darling'?"

Thales blinked.

Yannick frowned: "But the stars aren't either—"

"Remember this, fourth generation juniors. Verbal and formal hypocrisy cannot change the fundamental cruelty: we are still vampires, still competing with the surrounding races. Our enemies will not become loving and harmonious with us just because of a change in title."

Li said coldly:

"Only war can earn respect."

Yannick was speechless for a moment.

"Maybe."

But Thales' voice rang out at that moment:
"Perhaps some of those who win wars earn respect."

"But this does not mean that war can win respect."

Jann, Yannick, and Li Qiqi looked at him.

“Yes, Blackeye won the war, or at least most of it, but he did not win respect: after his death, the stars were ablaze and shattered,” Thales sighed. “It was his son, ‘King of Peace’ Kessel I, who won respect through his painstaking efforts to restore peace and prosperity and his policy of ‘preferring to spend money rather than wage war.’”

Janne seemed to be deep in thought.

“King Tormund II of the Blades also won the war, but he still did not win respect: after his death, bandits swarmed the Blades, and the Western Wilderness was almost like hell,” the prince thought of his history class and Gilbert, and couldn’t help but feel sad. “It was the later ‘King of Benevolence’ Sumer and ‘Eight Fingers’ Horace, and even later, the Iron-Thorned Queen and ‘Jackal’ Sumer, who won respect through generations of support, governance and pacification.”

Li remained motionless, but Yannick's gaze towards Thales was different.

Thales let out a long breath, sat up straight, and looked at the two vampires:
"What war can win is only the conditions for gaining respect, and only one of those conditions."

"But that's definitely not respect."

Thales was increasingly certain of his idea, his conviction growing stronger:
"Never."

"If we stop here, then respect is out of the question."

A moment of silence followed.

“Forgive my poor eyesight, Your Highness,” Li suddenly spoke, staring intently at Thales, “you still resemble the King of Restoration more.”

"Then Your Highness is about to achieve great things, isn't that right?" Yannick said with a smile.

Li turned to his clansmen in the Western Continent and snorted coldly:
"Continue, juniors. Abandon the pride of the immortal race, indulge in comfort, degenerate, grovel, and be subservient—you will pay the price, sooner or later."

“People who are used to being high and mighty will naturally think that nodding is groveling,” Yannick’s smile disappeared. “People who are inherently inferior will feel that even raising their heads is like bowing down.”

He leaned forward and said:

"The Corleone family, which type are you?"

"Everyone!"

Jenn finally couldn't hold back any longer. He forcefully interrupted their conversation and raised his glass:

"How about we have a drink to celebrate this gathering today—a combination that may only happen once in a century?"

Duke of the South Bank glanced at Thales, then at the two vampires from the east and west, his eyes stern and his expression conveying the message, "Give me some face."

“No need,” Li snorted, glanced at Thales, and turned to leave. “Anyway, I’m not welcome here.”

Yannick, however, remained calmly seated, even raising his glass slightly towards Li's retreating figure.
"Um, it shouldn't be my fault, right?"

Having finally managed to mend his relationship with Corleone, Jenn sighed and stood up.

“Let me see you out, Earl Li,” the Duke said helplessly. “We can talk about restoring relations…”

As Jenn left with Ree Corleone, he didn't forget to give Thales a warning look that said, "Don't ruin my party."

what happened?
Thales innocently shrugged in response.

Didn't you want me to maintain an adversarial relationship with you?
“Now I understand why the Iris invited me,” Yannick’s smile slowly faded as he watched his master and enemy leave. “For the sake of balance.”

Thales smiled politely.

But Yannick sighed and continued:

"It is said that during the Imperial Age, the Nightwing King—who did not yet have this title, but was called 'Unyielding Lanley' by his people—was a symbol of the new generation and changemakers."

Thales' eyes flickered.

The indomitable Lanley?
“He grew tired of the increasingly corrupt rule of the progenitors and first-generation elders of the vampire clan. He led the younger members of the clan—my mother was among them—in a rebellion against the powerful council of elders. The fighting lasted for three hundred years before they finally gained freedom and a new life, laying the foundation for the current situation of the thirteen clans of the vampire clan.”

Lanley rebelled against the first generation of elders, laying the foundation for the thirteen clans of vampires.

Thales nodded.

“But now,” Yannick said with emotion, “the Nightwing King and his people are the oldest, yet most conservative, enemy of the world, and inflexible vampires.”

He looked at Thales, shook his head, and smiled:
"It's ironic, isn't it?"

But Thales smiled slightly and shook his head.

“It’s a common occurrence,” the prince thought of King Nunn, with the same感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of mixed emotions, including no shortage of human beings).

Yannick looked at the prince and reached out his hand again.

“Yannick Fraser Hollier—or just call me Yannick. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness,” the young vampire said sharply. “Before my mother ended her slumber, I was the acting master of the Renewal Court in Feastland. You are welcome to visit.”

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Yang."

Thales composed himself and took Yannick's hand. This time, Yannick's hand was just as cold, but Thales did not resist or let go prematurely.

"Thales Seranjelana Kessel Star, you can also call me Thales. I'm temporarily staying at Starlake Castle. Um, there are a lot of small animals there, and it's dirty and messy, so I won't invite you."

"Understandable."

“Okay, I’ll tell you the truth,” Thales said after a moment’s hesitation, then sighed deeply.
"The main problem is that the budget for hospitality is insufficient."

Yang was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then burst into laughter.

“I must say, Thales, you are one of the more special humans I have ever met, well, a warm-blooded one.”

“Likewise, Yang, you are also a special blood-absorbing species that I have never seen before.”

You mean vampires, right?

"Feel sorry."

"Hahahahaha!"

"Are all vampires in Feast Territory like you?"

Yang paused for a moment upon hearing this.

“I certainly hope so, Thales,” the vampire shook his head, “but I must say, that would be overestimating us.”

He clicked his tongue and said:

"Just like humans, there are always people who talk about benevolence and morality but are actually wicked and immoral. Some vampires may appear gentle and polite on the surface, but are actually savage and bloodthirsty in secret."

Seemingly gentle and polite, but actually savage and bloodthirsty...

Thales frowned, as if remembering something:

"I... actually know someone like that."

Yannick nodded: "So I've always believed that whether human or vampire, when it comes to self-reflection, the daunting challenge we face is the same: overcoming our own desires."

"That makes sense."

The two were silent for a while.

“I guess Li should have left by now,” Yannick said in a deep voice. “My mother said that Li Corleone was one of the most self-controlled and rational people in the clan, but ironically, he was loyal to the cruel and tyrannical Nightwing King.”

Thales nodded with lingering fear as he recalled the Corleone twins.

“Of course, he may be right. The change of title does have limited significance,” Yannick sighed. “Words are pale. Only power can bring us balance and give us a place.”

"But words have power."

Thales' words made Yannick look up.

"Changing the name may not help: it cannot change the power structure behind it, the nature of the relationship between humans and vampires, or the millennia-old hatred and killings."

Thales remembered something, and he said with certainty:

"But at least, through repeated mentions and uses, it can remind every user that you realize the old terminology is problematic, that it is a historical dilemma, and that you are working to resolve it."

Yannick's eyes flickered slightly: "You really think so?"

Thales smiled at him:
"At the very least, it is an attitude, a posture, an action, even if only the form has changed."

"The power of words lies in making such pronouncements that many people take for granted, in repeating, emphasizing, and explaining them time and time again, leaving a voice and marking a mark on history, so as to tell future generations: There was a time when a group of people made a value choice. They wanted to start by changing the title, changing the status of vampires, and changing more—just like the story of 'Unyielding Lanley' rebelling against the elders that you, as a descendant, have heard."

Yannick's expression slowly changed.

Instead of adopting attitudes like "this won't change the fundamentals," "it's useless anyway," "form over substance," "political correctness is hypocritical," and "being correct for the sake of being correct," they are unwilling to change their titles, can't even do small things, and are obsessed with the narrative logic of "we should focus on the fundamentals" and "looking at problems from a high-sounding and nonsensical perspective." They just let things languish, pretend to be deaf and dumb and drift along, or even pretend to be superior and oppose, ridicule and satirize, as if they can cover up their cold-bloodedness, ruthlessness, numbness and indifference and make themselves seem so farsighted, intelligent and superior by belittling the efforts of those who want to do things.

Thales exhaled:

"Or they go to extremes, treating violence and terror as faith, and fear and disgust as respect, thinking that this will win them dignity."

He seemed lost in thought.
"Excuse my bluntness, but that is true arrogance and self-importance."

This time, Yannick stared at him and remained silent for a long time.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

He sighed and put down his glass.

"That old guy just said you look a lot like the Restoration King?"

“Maybe, I don’t know, but it doesn’t look like the painting,” Thales said, pursing his lips. “What do you think?”

“I don’t know. I’ve only seen the King of Restoration in paintings.” Yannick shook his head.

He gazed at Thales:
“But I have met Mindis.”

Thales was taken aback.

Yannick smiled and nodded:
"At that time, he was not yet known as a 'wise ruler'."

Several seconds later, Thales finally realized:
"Oh, thanks."

Yannick smiled again.

"To be honest, before I came here, I had an acquaintance who really hated you, he was so angry he could have killed you."

Thales frowned:
"An acquaintance? Someone who dislikes me?"

Yannick nodded:

"But after seeing you today, I'm sure she's biased—it must be personal grudges or her personality that led her to make an irrational assessment of you."

Thales became increasingly puzzled:
"she?"

Yannick smiled slightly and sat up straight.

"Grand Duchess Serena Corleone, the true master of the Blood Sea Throne—who claims to be," the vampire before her bowed, not forgetting to extend her hand in quotation marks, "asked me to give you my regards, 'May dear Thales be in good health, well-nourished, and as strong as ever.'"

Serena, Serene...

Rich in nutrients, as nourishing as ever...

Thales blinked mechanically.

Serena Corleone!?
The prince was startled and stood up uncontrollably!
"What did you say?"

Yannick rolled his eyes:

"She said, if you don't believe me, there's another code, uh, I think it's something like..."

"'Dying without bleeding'?"

Yannick scratched his head, puzzled:
"Still 'die without bleeding'? Sorry, I'm not familiar with the stories from the Eastern Continent..."

But the Duke of Starlake had no time to pay him any attention.

At that moment, Thales felt an even greater pain in his neck.

What are you doing?
After a long while, Thales finally said, his face twitching:
“Ugly, ugly face—Cerine, is she in Feast Territory, with you?”

Yannick remained noncommittal, and cheerfully pulled out a letter:

"Her letter, I hope you enjoy reading it."

Thales took the letter blankly and noticed a bright red lipstick mark on the envelope. His heart skipped a beat.

The prince pursed his lips in anguish, and haphazardly stuffed it into the inner pocket that already contained a letter, only to find that even the letter paper was the same style.

They really are sisters.

Sister Nima's sister.

Yannick saw Thales' expression and instantly understood.

“I don’t know what grudge you have against Grand Duchess Serena, Thales, but I’m sure it’s not your fault—I don’t like her either.”

He smiled nonchalantly.

"But I hope we can become friends, Thales."

The vampire stood up.

"I guess no one at this banquet wants to drink with me, and the only clansman is..."

Yannick Hollier of Feast Territory shook his head:
"Then see you next time—tonight, of course."

Speechless and choked with emotion, Thales sighed, listless, feeling a heavy weight on his chest: "Okay, goodbye."

The vampire looked around.

"Be careful, I can sense that there are undercurrents in Emerald City right now, and there are quite a few filthy things here."

Dirty stuff.

These words made Thales' expression change. Just as he was about to ask further questions, Yannick blinked his right eye. He walked slowly, but his figure flashed through the crowd in a few seconds and disappeared outside the door—unnoticed by anyone.

"Therefore, I would like to present you with the clan name of the Holier clan, one of the six branches of the Feast Territory, Your Highness Thales."

The vampires departed, leaving only a peculiar soft laugh that reached the boy's ears:
"Cycles repeat, eternally new."