Lias lifted the pendant, her bright blue eyes shrouded in a misty glaze as she smiled sweetly, "Mother, don’t worry about me. I’m doing well."
She whispered softly, her pale fingers caressing the woman in the photo, as if sharing little secrets with a loved one.
Suddenly, a cold sensation pricked her tender soles.
Just like that, the carefully brewed emotions dissipated instantly.
Her long eyelashes quivered slightly. Lias turned her head coldly to stare at Chu Yi, who was eating ice cream with an innocent look. "Since Father left, you’ve become reckless, haven’t you? ROWR! I’m going to bite you to death!"
With that said, the young Blood Race girl pounced, and another fierce struggle ensued.
In the pendant, the woman gently held a vibrant rose. Gazing at the playful duo, a warm, gentle smile played on her lips.
Make sure to stay happy~
「Duke’s Mansion, banquet hall.」
Colorful lamps rose and fell, arranged in harmonious disarray. The soft glow illuminated the entire banquet layout.
The nobles toasted and exchanged pleasantries, laughter filling the air, and many young aristocrats chattered animatedly.
Musicians played the violin. The strings wove a rhythmic tremor, unspooling a melody that resonated among the nobles. Infused with the rhythm of the Soul, it made the music seem alive.
With the Divine War approaching, this faction loyal to the eldest son naturally gathered to support him in vying for the position of Duke.
Naturally, those who supported him would reap benefits.
For instance, the stubborn nobles who did not obey the eldest son would have their titles, fiefdoms, and properties reclaimed and distributed to these frenzied supporters.
At the head table, a skeletal throne was vaguely visible under the dim light, revealing the handsome visage of a man.
In his hand, he held a goblet of the freshest red wine, squeezed by a sixteen-year-old maiden. He took a gentle sip, savoring its exquisite flavor.
He looked at the celebrating nobles, internally sneering. If not for needing their votes, he truly felt disdain for gathering these wastes.
With the Divine War at hand, this was also a test from the Duke of Rhine for his children to select the most outstanding heir to be the next Duke of Rein.
At this moment, a shadow wriggled and swiftly transformed into a bat, flying to whisper a few words in Laine’s ear.
Suddenly, Laine’s usual calm demeanor showed a subtle change.
Marquis Barrett failed?
He murmured, not expecting that Count Janet would actually have the means to counter Marquis Barrett.
The suppression of rank meant that higher Blood Races had a powerful hold over lower ones. Being able to successfully strike back implied that the Janet family possessed at least the combat prowess of a marquis.
Laine’s expression darkened. Among the eight marquises loyal to the Duke, only three supported him. Now, with the loss of one, it was a heavy blow to Laine’s campaign for the Duke position.
Moreover, the fall of a marquis was not something that could be concealed. Laine simply halted the ball and disclosed the situation concerning Marquis Barrett.
"The White Death Gods were killed?"
"How—how is this possible? That was the esteemed Lord Barrett, with a transformed bloodline linked to that ancestor’s lineage!"
"The Janet family, so deeply hidden, actually counterattacked Marquis Barrett. No wonder they are so fearless!"
"To commit insubordination and even kill a high noble—the Janet family must be eradicated!"
A crowd of Blood Race nobles clamored, yet none proposed leading their family members to besiege the Janet family.
After all, the Janet family dared to kill a marquis. Since most of them only held the rank of count, wouldn’t going after the Janets be like serving themselves up on a platter?
Laine coldly stared at the crowd. This mob truly couldn’t be relied upon.
Yet there was no choice. The second son had garnered a number of votes equal to his own. To secure further votes, Laine could only target these minor nobles.
After he was done using them, these nobles, greedy for petty advantages, would also face his repression and exploitation, forced to spit out everything they had swallowed.
Unfortunately, there were too few people he could actually use.
"The specifics are unknown for now," Laine announced. "But since you all have joined my faction, should you not demonstrate some merit?"
Laine and his strategists devised a plan: one marquis would lead this group of timid minor nobles in a siege. The reward would be the Janet family’s fiefdom.
This barely gave the nobles some motivation.
Laine was somewhat angered. Under normal circumstances, how could these base nobles ever mingle in his circle?
However, this was also a good opportunity to use these cannon fodder to probe for the Holy Relics held by the Janet family.
「Inside the carriage.」
Flowering branches swayed and finally came to rest.
Chu Yi’s clothes were disheveled. He held the exhausted Lias in his arms, breathing heavily. A faint, pleasant fragrance lingered in the air.
Their playful tussle had been entirely proper.
It was just that his mouth and shoulders were bitten and bleeding. Lias, with her Blood Race instincts, couldn’t hold back and had latched onto him, feeding on his blood until he was nearly drained.
But it seemed that after being nourished by a group of Deceit Beasts, Chu Yi’s blood now contained a trace of pure energy that made Lias even more captivated.
Right, I should draw a time-element skill.
As Chu Yi willed it, his pupils flickered with a Twilight Light. It descended, reflecting an ancient Doomsday Clock whose hands swept around to randomly select one of its twelve notches.
Soon, the hand moved to the sixth notch. It revealed a grotesque bird with three heads, six wings, and twelve feet. Countless lifeless heads hung from its wings, with hundreds of chains made of interconnected skulls dangling below.
At this moment, this ancient deity awakened, transforming into a wisp of gray smoke that drifted into Chu Yi’s body, becoming a black bird mark.
The sixth notch, its original position, was now vacant, awaiting some fortunate soul to emerge from the River of Time.
Chu Yi curiously sensed this peculiar skill, his expression somewhat odd.
[Time Missile]: Launch a Time Missile to steal the target’s remaining lifespan.
Chu Yi tightly held the blonde Lias, curiously observing this skill description. As long as he activated this mark, he could launch missiles to erase lifespan.
It seems... a bit useless.
Chu Yi didn’t quite understand, but after thinking it over, if the enemy were a powerful being with limited remaining lifespan, it might be useful.
Should I use up this skill’s charges and then draw another one?
After pondering further, Chu Yi, perceiving the law of causality, deduced that fate would ensure this skill would eventually prove useful.
Alternatively, I could upgrade the Clock Eye. That would allow me to draw more skills, use them together, and even form skill combinations.
Chu Yi smiled, looking down at the sleeping Lias, her exquisite gown, and her Pet Beast, the Bloodthirsty Rose.
Hmm. I’ll prepare a feast to help Lias upgrade.
I really am such a considerate boyfriend.