Chapter 19: The Enigmatic Stranger

"Hey… you jerk! What do you think you're doing?"

Anran shouted in surprise, only to find herself already locked in the embrace of this unfamiliar man. She couldn't even raise a hand to defend herself. She tilted her head back, feeling the coolness of his breath against her face. Everything about this situation made her uneasy.

"What am I doing? Exactly what you see," the man replied, his thin lips curling slightly as he tilted his head. "This woman is my prey. You're not to lay a finger on her."

At his words, none of the five dared to object. They responded in unison, "As you command, Your Highness Maurice."

Though they were reluctant, they could see from Maurice's actions that he was interested in this human. Even though they had spotted her first, they knew better than to interfere. However, the fact that this woman dared to speak to His Highness like this—well, Maurice was known for his unpredictable temper. This was going to be interesting.

But once again, things didn't go as they expected.

"Jason Byron, for your uncle's sake, I'll let this slide. Don't think of yourself as some kind of leader. Hmph, the descendants of servants will always remain servants, their blood forever tainted. Now, get out of my sight…"

Maurice's status was something they could never hope to reach. His cold demeanor alone commanded respect. Though his tone was calm, almost devoid of emotion, and he didn't even glance at them again, his words struck fear into their hearts. Even Anran could sense their terror.

"Yes…"

"As… as you command!"

Stammering their replies, the five vanished as quickly and silently as they had appeared.

"Hey, that was way too harsh," Anran frowned. The change in those five was bizarre. One moment they had been fierce, and the next, they were cowering before this strange man. And after hearing his words, they obediently fled like dogs with their tails between their legs. Damn it! She hadn't even gotten a chance to settle the score with them.

Though Anran didn't fully understand the dynamics between them, it was clear they knew each other. And the man's words had truly annoyed her. What did he mean by "tainted blood"? That was the kind of language used by feudal landlords to demean their serfs. What era was this? Serfs had long since risen to power, yet here was someone still speaking like that.

Wait… no!

Feeling the faint chill emanating from the man's body, Anran suddenly realized she was still in the arms of a stranger! And she, with her years of martial arts training, had managed to resist the urge to instinctively strike him!

"Hey! You weirdo! Let me go right now!" Anran looked up, her gaze steady as she met the man's eyes.

The man blinked, his long lashes fluttering slightly. A hint of amusement and mischief flickered in his eyes. This woman's eyes were so clear, shining like black obsidian. What surprised him most was that she hadn't been the least bit swayed by his purple gaze.

Truly… fascinating.

For the man, this wasn't their first meeting.

The first time was after school one day. He had been feeding on the blood of a volunteer who frequently prayed at the church. Then, he heard a commotion next door and quietly went to investigate, witnessing something that left him stunned. What he hadn't expected was the girl's sharp senses—she had detected his presence. He retreated to the classroom, and the bold girl barged in. Thankfully, he had reacted quickly enough to hide.

The second time was when he was resting in the bell tower. He heard the noise from the basketball court and couldn't help but glance over. From then on, he couldn't look away. This girl radiated warmth and vitality, a feeling so unusual that it not only enticed Jason's group but also him. So, he abandoned his plans to continue feeding on the volunteer from the previous night and quietly followed Jason's group. Little did he expect to witness something so… intriguing.