Questioning

"You came from Dawnbreak City?"

Niya sniffed the air, her keen senses picking up the faint scent of alcohol on Aolei—that burning, mellow aroma of dragon's breath. Aina had once rewarded her with a bottle of Dragon's Breath liquor, and the memory was vivid.

And speaking of Dragon's Breath liquor, one couldn't help but think of Dawnbreak City.

"Yes, milady."

Aolei's distillery was on the outskirts of Dawnbreak City. Dragon's Breath liquor had originally been one of the products made there.

But there were simply too many masters of Dragon's Breath liquor in Dawnbreak City. That distillery had been poorly managed, on the verge of bankruptcy, before Aolei bought it up at a very low price.

Dragon's Breath liquor was still being produced to this day, though it was a losing venture. But what Aolei truly valued was clearly not that—it was merely a cover.

"Tsk." Niya clicked her tongue softly. She had traveled all the way from Dawnbreak City to get here, only to find that her target had been right near Dawnbreak City all along—which made her feel rather foolish.

But at least she'd caught the man.

Aolei keenly sensed the displeasure of this vampire duke but had no idea why. He could only keep his eyes lowered and remain silent, his mind racing through all the possible ways he might have offended her.

"Follow me."

Niya extended her slender, jade-like wrist, her fingertips tracing an elegant arc through the air. A bead of crimson blood seeped from her fingertip, yet instead of falling, it congealed mid-air into a magical formation.

Truth be told, Niya was quite surprised that this fellow had actually followed along obediently without trying to flee.

She'd thought there might be a chase scene… though she could have easily caught him anyway.

Meanwhile, Aolei was still puzzling over what business the "milady" Niya mentioned could have with him.

For someone of such stature to take an interest in him, it could only be about his blood factory…

Could it be that the other party had taken a fancy to his enterprise and wanted to take it over?

Aolei's expression soured. He certainly didn't want all his hard work to be plucked away for nothing by someone else.

He was a businessman.

He just hoped the price they offered would be satisfactory…

"You go in first." Niya cut off Aolei's thoughts, pointing at the magic circle before her.

Aolei couldn't help but marvel inwardly. A formation he'd had to pay a small fortune to use was, to this vampire duke, nothing more than a casual flick of the hand.

Without much hesitation, Aolei stepped into that crimson glow.

Niya had let him go first, of course, to keep him from bolting.

The mission Aina had given her allowed no room for error.

Niya followed right behind him, and the two vanished into the formation.

Behind them, Anlu waved goodbye to Niya with a smile plastered on his face, as if her departure was something worth celebrating.

With Niya gone, Anlu turned his gaze to his youngest son.

"Laimir."

"Y-yes… I'm here, Father." Laimir swallowed hard, his slender fingers nervously twisting together.

"That fellow called Aolei—he's your familiar, isn't he?"

Anlu walked closer, his tall figure casting a shadow that loomed over Laimir.

"Th-that's right." Laimir nodded.

"When a familiar dies, it inflicts a certain spiritual trauma on the master. The painful memories of their death flood into the mind." Anlu patted Laimir's head, his gesture seemingly gentle, but his tone brooked no argument. "Now is the time—sever the bond between you and your familiar."

Laimir froze for a moment, then a look of panic crept onto his face. "Will… will Mr. Aolei die?"

"Possibly." Anlu narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze scrutinizing his son through the slits. He didn't say it outright. "For your own good, cut all ties with him."

"I understand…" Laimir replied obediently, lowering his head without any sign of resentment, his long lashes concealing the emotions in his eyes.

…

Aolei's expression suddenly turned exceedingly grim.

Just moments ago, Laimir had sent him a final message through their blood bond.

"Mr. Aolei… be careful."

Then there was no further response.

Niya led the way ahead, and Aolei dared not flee. He knew full well how terrifying the true strength of this seemingly frail young woman was. A vampire duke—a being more than one rank above him. She could reduce him to ashes with a snap of her fingers.

However, when Aolei raised his head and took in his surroundings, he couldn't help but freeze.

He couldn't claim unfamiliarity with this place—it was the western district of Dawnbreak City, and he lived nearby.

This very street was one Aolei's carriage passed through twice every day.

What was going on? Were they bringing him home? An absurd feeling surged in Aolei's chest, as if he'd been caught in an elaborately crafted joke.

"We're here."

Niya came to a stop.

It wasn't Aolei's house, though.

But Aolei recognized the building before him—he'd had his eye on this villa for quite some time.

He'd noticed earlier that the place seemed uninhabited and had considered buying it… but no matter how he searched, he could never find the owner, so he'd eventually given up on the idea.

"Go inside." Niya said coldly.

Was someone here now?

Yes, there was—a girl was swinging on a swing in the courtyard, with an elf pushing her from behind.

"Mo Lini, you've had your turn—it's mine now, isn't it?" Liyana asked from behind Mo Lini.

"I haven't had enough yet."

When Niya led Aolei into the courtyard, the two merely glanced at them casually before returning their attention to the swing, paying them no further mind.

A very ordinary scene.

But Aolei found himself holding his breath, a knot of tension forming in his chest.

Soon, he met the person who had summoned him.

They were a young married couple—though Aina sat on the sofa radiating authority while Xia Lun stood properly behind her, Aolei's first impression was that they were husband and wife, not anything else.

So this was the legendary progenitor of the vampire race?

Aina's gaze fell upon Aolei, and for some reason, Aolei found himself involuntarily looking away, unable to meet her eyes.

"Milady…"

Aolei started to speak, but Aina cut him off.

"You're the one who sent someone to assassinate La Di?"

"What?"

For a moment, the name didn't register.

Who was La Di?

It took him a few seconds to dredge the name up from memory—he was the one who had been investigating him.

Why bring up that man? How could such a small fish catch the eye of someone so great?

Aolei stood frozen, utterly bewildered, at a loss for how to respond.

"Never mind, I'll just see for myself."

Aina casually flicked her finger, and a wisp of spiritual light sank into Aolei's body. In an instant, all consciousness left him.