Chapter 102: The Untold Truth of the Old School Building Incident

The incident occurred roughly sixty years ago, long before Richard was born, when his father, Jonathan Morris, had just inherited the title.

On a moonless night, a bloodkin who had lost control broke into St. Celestine Academy and attacked several young women in the dormitory. Such a significant event was naturally recorded in the annals of the Morris family history.

The root of the tragedy, however, was a love story between a human girl and a bloodkin boy.

The beginning of the tale was beautiful, but its ending was far more brutal than anyone could have imagined…

When the human girl discovered the boy's true identity, she was unable to accept it. Fear and panic overwhelmed her, and she began to avoid him. She even hung garlands of garlic flowers at her doorstep to ward him off.

Driven to desperation, the bloodkin boy eventually broke into the dormitory. In the room with the floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows, he drained the girl's blood to the last drop.

His original intention had been to turn her into a bloodkin like himself. But inexperienced and unable to resist the allure of her blood, he ended up killing the one he loved. After that, he was never able to free himself from the thirst for blood, turning the once-cozy dormitory into a slaughterhouse…

But the story didn't end there.

The bloodkin hierarchy is strict, even in Rosewood Town, where it is structured like a pyramid. The bloodkin boy was from a low-ranking family, his lineage holding little status in the town. During William Morris's time, this family had been brought to Rosewood as indentured laborers, numbering only a few individuals.

When Jonathan Morris first took over the Morris family, this incident occurred, challenging his authority. In response, Jonathan took swift and severe action to quell the matter. He not only executed the bloodkin boy but also expelled the boy's entire family—dozens of people, regardless of age—from Rosewood Town.

The low-ranking bloodkin, already accustomed to the climate of Rosewood and inherently frail, could not withstand the sunlight outside the town. It was said that as soon as they stepped beyond the town's borders, several of them disintegrated into ash under the sun's rays…

Richard chose not to tell Anran the full story. He didn't want to scare her away after finally getting closer to her. Besides, Anran was no weak-hearted girl, and he was not the uncontrollable bloodkin boy. He would never let such a tragedy happen to them.

As they approached the school gate, Richard walked over to the bicycle parking area and casually took one. "Here, take this. The place we're going is a bit far."

Anran was surprised. "Wait, isn't this someone else's?"

"Does it matter whose it is? Using his bike is an honor for him," Richard replied dismissively.

Anran sighed. In this peculiar town, such a thing was entirely possible.

"If you don't believe me, I can ask the owner," Richard said, pretending to call out.

Anran quickly stopped him and reluctantly took the bike. But as soon as she mounted it, the weight shifted, and a pair of arms reached around her waist from behind.

Anran turned her head. "Hey, what's this about?"

Richard, sitting on the backseat, looked innocent. "There's only one bike. You're riding it, so I'm just sitting behind you."

"If you've already taken one, why not take another?" Anran snapped.

Richard shrugged. "Why would I use something as common as a bicycle?"

"Mr. Big Shot! Just admit you don't know how to ride a bike!" Anran yelled, but she resigned herself to pedaling.

Behind her, the handsome boy looked smug, a smile spreading across his face.

Ahead, the girl gritted her teeth and shouted, "Tell me which way to go!"

Under the warm autumn sun, their figures gradually grew smaller, moving further and further away from the school.

Meanwhile, a long-haired man in black, carrying a silver briefcase, stood at the gates of St. Celestine Academy. His gaze was fixed on the western section of the campus, where the noise had come from, as if something there had piqued his interest…