Chu Yi’s lips curled into a slight smile, a faint hint of amusement in his eyes as he said, "Lias, as long as it’s you, I like you in any form."
Lias glanced at him. "Smooth talker. I’m not an easily fooled girl anymore. Call me Your Majesty, the Queen."
Oh, role-playing? Getting into character so quickly?
Chu Yi cleared his throat softly. He glanced at the petal curtains obscuring their surroundings. He was surprised she was into something so daring.
Thus, he knelt on one knee and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, your loyal Knight is at your service. What are your orders?"
Lias, standing tall, gently lifted her delicate foot and placed it on Chu Yi’s bowed head. She rubbed it with her soft sole, feigning distress as she said, "Knight, you protected me well. How should I reward you?"
[A River Crab blew bubbles at you]
A group of minor nobles lay on the ground, blood pooling around them. They were severely injured, anxiously begging this powerful figure for forgiveness. Every passing second was an ordeal, feeling as long as a century.
Meanwhile, the maids and Bika guarded this group of pitiful souls, who looked as if they had been through a thousand cuts. Their eyes occasionally drifted to the rose bush blocking their view. They wondered why the young master and young lady hadn’t come out yet, speculating they must still be consolidating the changes from their bloodline advancement.
Frankly, the sight of the young lady when she first appeared had truly shocked them; she seemed like an entirely new person.
If the Count saw this, he would surely be delighted.
The roses drifted down, and the branches and leaves receded.
A handsome young man emerged slowly, supporting a Vampire Queen who was as tall as he was.
The woman’s golden hair was slightly disheveled and her jade-like cheeks were faintly flushed, yet her expression had returned to an icy coldness. Her scarlet palace dress was somewhat tattered, with a few rose petals clinging to it, but this didn’t detract from her overall beauty. Her graceful gait was alluring, her hips swaying sensuously with every step.
The handsome young man beside her was like a loyal Knight, serving his queen.
Lias stole a glance at him. His respectful expression and his warm, jade-like temperament were a stark contrast to his previously bold and reckless behavior. He seemed like a different person.
Recalling the embarrassing scene, her jade-like cheeks began to flush again. Why had she been so bold as to reward him in secret, away from everyone else? It was as if, at first, in a moment of heated passion, she hadn’t wanted to lose to the Succubus Princess. She wanted Chu Yi to be eternally enchanted by her allure, to become her private possession. Yes, that was it. As long as she took the initiative, no one else could take him from her. This was also partly due to her teacher’s encouragement.
Understanding this, Lias held Chu Yi’s hand tightly, their small and large hands pressed firmly together, conveying their shared intentions.
"Ladies and gentlemen, standing before you is the daughter of Count Janet, the future Blood Race Queen."
Chu Yi, though surprised, hadn’t forgotten the important task at hand.
He glanced at the group of minor nobles, who had been rounded up by Bika. They were all covered in wounds, yet none dared to make a sound, fearing they might provoke these terrifying monsters.
However, upon hearing "Blood Race Queen," the nobles trembled. Shock etched on their faces, they raised their heads, filled with doubt and uncertainty.
To dare call herself a queen... this person was truly audacious!
"Now, the merciful Queen offers you a chance," Chu Yi said with a smile, glancing at the bewildered minor nobles. "Pledge allegiance to her, serve the Queen, and help overthrow the tyranny of the Duke of Rein!"
Participating in the Divine War required troops—that is, a retinue of loyal followers.
He didn’t care about these nobles at all. His plan was to use Lias’s Blood Race identity to intentionally join the Divine War, thereby achieving his goal. Harvesting Souls, extracting materials, upgrading Deceit Beasts—all these things were burdens he had to manage.
Seeing the nobles still hesitating, Chu Yi glanced at Lias. The noble Blood Race Queen’s face reddened slightly. She nodded lightly, and the crescent moon on her hairpiece rose into the sky, transforming into a crimson moon.
This was an ability Lias had gained from her bloodline transformation. She had inherited the dual bloodlines of the Enchanting Demoness and the Demon Swordswoman, activating her Moon Authority. This manifested as the Blood Moon Blade, and everything under its moonlight fell within her attack range.
One could say this was Lias’s primary weapon.
Furthermore, due to the feedback from Beast Taming, her Bloodthirsty Rose had also undergone changes. It could now transform into a War Skirt, similar to that of the Moon Princess.
Meanwhile, Chu Yi couldn’t help but savor the changes in Lias. If he had to describe the change, it was that Lias had given him a new perk: the milk ice cream had become a super-deluxe, extra-large version.
The Blood Moon sliced through the sky. Seven or eight minor nobles cracked open, threads of blood energy flowing from their wounds as their skin peeled off in terror, piece by piece. Before they could plead for mercy, they exploded into a cloud of blood mist, their titles merging into the Blood Moon along with them.
The Moon Authority seemed to greatly suppress these titles. It made sense, considering the source of the titles was the Original Moon, and the Moon Princess represented the moon itself.
This decisive and ruthless scene terrified the nobles so badly they nearly wet themselves. They knew that once their titles were destroyed, there would be no resurrection.
"Baron Black River pays his respects to Your Majesty, the Queen." A youth, blood streaming down his body, crawled forward. He offered all his wealth as tribute, becoming the first to pledge allegiance to the Queen.
「Immediately afterward.」
The second, then the third...
One by one, the dejected nobles stepped forward to declare their loyalty, willing to support the Queen in her fight against the tyrannical Duke.
They were utterly bewildered. Why had they been tasked with hunting down the Janet family? It was supposed to be an easy job, like kicking a dog when it’s down, allowing them to divide the family’s territory. Instead, not only had the leading Marquis died, but the Count’s daughter had become the Blood Race Queen. Now, they were forced to pledge loyalty to her and reverse their stance to attack the Duke.
And in this whole affair, the human youth beside the Queen had played an undeniable role.
Was this a human plot or a scheme by the Janet family? Or perhaps both were involved?
Under duress, these nobles initiated a Blood Covenant—the rudimentary form of a Blood Pact—a temporary and unequal contract of allegiance. Lias possessed the right to punish her subordinates.
The ambush and ensuing confrontation concluded. The second plan of Laine, the Duke of Rein’s eldest son, had ended in utter failure. Not only had he lost a second Marquis, but all the nobles who supported him had now become subordinates of the Janet family, swelling their forces to retaliate against the Rein Duchy.
This caused Laine’s reputation within the duchy to plummet. He had originally been entrusted by the Duke to deal with the rebellious nobles, only for it to backfire, resulting in the loss of two prominent Marquises. Barring any unexpected circumstances, Laine had lost his right of inheritance.
The Duke’s next heir would undoubtedly be his second son, Leibo.
Chu Yi, accompanied by Lias, began to move, using the intelligence provided by the nobles to conquer territories and recruit soldiers.
Wherever they passed, they were like a swarm of locusts, their advance unstoppable; they were so devastating that even a stray dog in their path would catch a beating. Minor nobles lacking Marquis-level strength were hunted down one by one by the Blood Race traitors now serving under the Queen’s command.