Red Like Rubies

None of the humans before Venera have ever been able to enjoy this kind of treatment.

Their king must have been bewildered by this little human in one way or another!

At this time, a nobleman stepped out of the crowd and bowed to Caius.

"Your Majesty, even if you do like Her Majesty, you still can't do this," he said. "Only the noblewomen of the vampire race can accept this purification ceremony, so please think twice, Your Majesty."

Some of the more traditional vampire subjects also came out to speak following the man's words.

The crowd's unity against his decision instantly made Caius' face turn black.

"Are you all trying to force me?"

As if feeling the dark and oppressively cold air emitting out of Caius' body, most of the vampires retreated, slinking back into the crowd, trying to blend themselves in with the others so as not to anger their king even more than before. Some others still stubbornly stood in place.

That was when Venera heard a smiling voice from the crowd.

"Earl Fane, your objective is obvious to all."

Venera turned her head toward the speaker. In the shadows on the side of the room, a man stepped out of the darkness and into the dim light. He has dark blue hair, the color of the deep sea, and green eyes that shine beautifully like glinting emerald jewels.

While Caius is the prince of the night, this man could only be the prince of the sea—the cerulean blue sea glinting in shades of emerald and jade. So pretty. This is the impression that Venera gets from the man.

From the man's gait and demeanor to the clothes he wore from head to toe, Venera concluded that this handsome man was also a noble! She wanted to pat herself on the back for being so smart.

"Don't you just want your daughter to be the vampire queen?" The man looked straight at the nobleman in front of him with a gentle smile. The nobleman almost flinched under his gaze.

The green hues in his eyes were friendly and inviting, but knowing his nature only made it more daunting for the nobleman. In a way, he gave off a false sense of security.

Although intimidated, Earl Fane continued to stubbornly insist on his point. Riches was only one step away from him, so why should he step back only because of a little threat?

"Duke Carson, I am just stating the facts to all," Earl Fane said with a feigned sense of righteousness. "My daughter is obviously more qualified to be the vampire queen than this little child of the human race."

Duke Carson, Micah Carson, the vampire king's good friend, smiled and nodded as if allowing Earl Fane to continue his speech.

Seeing this, Earl Fane felt even more excited than before, as if injected with a stimulant that had a direct effect on his nervous system.

He could say just about anything.

He had gotten carried away.

"This human child is only seven years old, so how could she become the queen of our vampire race and be allowed to go through our Blood Moon rite that could only be held for the vampire nobles of our vampire race?"

Venera only blinked innocently as she listened to the nobleman talk as if she were not there.

Caius was silent beside her, his eyes showing indifference to his surroundings. He only stretched out one hand to comb her raven-black hair with his fingers and the other to poke her soft little cheek, which bounced lightly with every release of a tap.

There was no need for him to do anything when others could do the work for him.

Micah was enough to deal with an earl. He would usually stand up and speak for Caius in such troublesome matters.

"This human child is only donated as a gift by the human race to stop the possibility of the two races going to war and..."

Earl Fane spoke loudly and confidently but was interrupted before he could finish his sentence.

He found himself hanging in the air with his neck choked. Five fingers clasped over his throat. He was akin to a doll that could be played with recklessly and be thrown away in the next second, a marionette that can be manipulated at will.

Venera only felt the wind brush past her cheek, and Caius had disappeared from her side and into the front of her sight. More specifically, Caius had appeared in front of the earl in less than a second of a ticking time.

Caius' pitch-black eyes had turned blood-red, like glowing twin rubies.

So cool.

Venera's face flushed with excitement, and there was a little starlight in her eyes.

She did not pay attention to the other noblemen, who were frightened by Caius' display of power and were shaking like quails. Her sight was only occupied by the man, who was like a bright moon in the night sky.

It was as if she was watching anime live!

"My queen—do you still dare to talk about her indiscriminately?"

The fingers on his neck tightened, and Earl Fane struggled to breathe. Pain erupted in his larynx, and his bones felt as if they were being crushed.

His king's eyes were the color of blood, red like rubies.

As long as a vampire's eyes turn blood red, blood will be seen.

"Your… Your Majesty." Blots of darkness blinded Earl Fane's vision, and barely audible wheezes left his lips. "I am… just stating… the facts."

Even though he was strangled with his life hanging by a thread, he still did not change his words.

Micah watched the scene with a playful smile on the edge of his lips.

This nobleman was so eagerly seeking his own death.

It seems that one more corpse will appear inside the castle walls.

As expected, the hold on the nobleman's neck tightened.

Just when Earl Fane thought that it was the end and just before his vision turned fully black, His Majesty let go of his neck, and the air was able to circulate back into his system.