Chapter 38: Love Is My Own Business

Once again, I doubted, is this really Dene?! He really does seem like an evil vampire!

Lionel chuckled darkly. "Then you'll have to wait patiently." He then introduced me, "Margie, Winans is the managing director of my Rose Baron Hotel and also a good friend of mine!"

Managing director?! Dene's abilities are truly impressive, managing to navigate the vampire world so effortlessly!

"Why does your good friend seem like an enemy?!" I said, half-jokingly.

"That's because there are no true friends or true enemies in this world! Your Highness, you must remember this," Winans said with a sly smile, then stepped aside.

What a profound truth!

Lionel led me up the steps and gazed down at the crowd. "Welcome, everyone, to the welcome reception for my beloved. Here, I formally introduce her to you all—Margie. Of course, you may also call her the Baroness or the Rose Lady!"

"Hahaha... Don't worry, Baron. Once you mark her with your exclusive brand, we won't dare touch her!" A man with braided hair suddenly spoke up. He appeared to be in his mid-forties, sitting on an ornate high-backed chair, elegantly raising his glass. "This Miss Margie reminds us not just of one of the Baron's past lovers!"

"Henri, are you trying to make Margie hate me?" Lionel said with a helpless smile, turning to me. "Henri is an elder of the Lasombra clan, an old friend of mine, and the first among the vampires to earn a political title among humans and achieve great things. I hold him in high regard."

I didn't expect Lionel to speak so solemnly and earnestly, his tone respectful and his smile filled with admiration. It seems Henri truly is his friend!

I politely smiled at Henri. "It's a pleasure to meet you!"

In the blink of an eye, Elder Henri, clad in a dark green Indian-style shirt with intricate patterns, stood before me, his long braid swaying. I hadn't expected him to be so short—shorter than me—nor had I expected a vampire to smile so kindly, like an ordinary elder.

After being startled by Lionel's sudden appearance earlier, Henri's abrupt move to stand before me no longer evoked fear in me. Or perhaps, my nervousness around Lionel was simply because my love for him carried an inherent unease.

After a moment of silent scrutiny, I couldn't help but speak. "Elder Henri, observing me so closely, do you also want to catch the scent of my blood like Winans?"

"Hahaha... Miss Margie, you're quite the joker. I'm just curious why you don't turn and leave because of the Baron's romantic escapades!"

"Turn and leave? Haha, that would only make me seem like I'm throwing a tantrum. Competing with the woman forever etched in his heart, I've already conceded defeat. Besides, I can't change Lionel's past. Who he loved, who he liked, or even who he hated—it's none of my concern. I love him, and standing by his side is my own business!"

I don't know how I managed to say those words. Though they were meant for Henri, they also brought a sudden clarity to my own heart. Looking at Lionel, his faint smile seemed to carry a hint of emotion. As we locked eyes, I suddenly heard someone clapping.

I looked up and saw a woman in a bright yellow, high-collared embroidered dress.

The dress was extravagantly long, trailing on the floor, with a grand fan-shaped collar. Her brown hair was elegantly tied up, secured with an intricate floral hairpin. Her face was undeniably stunning, but the sharp, ruthless glint in her eyes was daunting, coupled with her haughty demeanor, she looked like a queen from another era.

Lionel's hand around my waist tightened noticeably. "Margie, this is... Queen Dalina of the vampires!"

I couldn't help but marvel. Holy cow, she really is a queen? Margie, in this lifetime, I've only skimmed through royal gossip online, but now I've met the real deal—a vampire royal! How novel! I had always thought the vampire world was ruled by a queen, but now it seems, with a queen, there must be a king as well!

Lionel, however, showed no joy or respect. His tone carried an indescribable heaviness—like hatred, indifference, restraint, or perhaps lament. His blue eyes suddenly darkened.

The crowd around us also showed signs of fear. Clearly, this queen had arrived uninvited!

Lionel bowed respectfully, neither servile nor arrogant, and gestured for me to do the same. "We were unaware of Your Majesty's arrival. Our apologies for not welcoming you properly."

Dalina let out a cold, disdainful laugh, as if to say he didn't even acknowledge her as queen.

With a flicker of her eyes, she closed the distance, reaching out her hand.

I tightly clasped Lionel's hand, fearfully lowering my gaze. The first thing I noticed was her bright red nails, rather than her fingers. Her nails were a full ten centimeters long. Strange, when she clapped earlier, her hands looked normal!

As I puzzled over this, her nails grazed my cheek. She spoke in a soft, low voice, "Margie, you are indeed beautiful and resolute. Loving him is your own business, how self-contented! Haha... However, Margie doesn't sound like an elf's name! Baron, your girlfriends are always so unique. It's been centuries, but don't give me any more surprises!"

I could feel her sharp nails itching to carve a mark on my face.

Jealousy knows no borders, no races!

Any woman who sees someone more beautiful than herself can't help but feel envy. Just like how, whenever I see Lionel, I want to cover him with a sack and beat him into a pig's head to stop him from flaunting himself everywhere.

It was clear Dalina didn't want Lionel and me to be together. Not only did she dislike me, but her arrogant demeanor also showed she didn't care for Lionel either. However, I didn't understand what she meant by "centuries" in her words.

Before I knew it, her nails had hooked around my hand. Her deep brown eyes sharply focused on the blood-bat ring on my thumb, murmuring to herself, "The ring has been found? What a pity, Lionel, your mother can't see it now. Hmph... We can never go back to the past! Hahaha..."

Her mocking laughter echoed loudly through the hall, deafening, icy, and ruthless.