Luo Wei's Family Dinner Tonight

As dusk fell, the entire city was bathed in a soft, warm golden hue by the setting sun.

Luo Wei admired the sunset and the sea outside the window for a while before turning his gaze back to Helena, who was helping in the kitchen.

"Bring me that knife, please."

"Sure, brother."

Luo Wei's knife skills were swift and precise. He pressed down on the slippery octopus and, with a single cut, severed its head, leaving only eight writhing tentacles on the chopping board.

Helena shivered at the sight.

"Now, bring me the seasoning."

"Okay..."

In no time, a perfectly grilled octopus dish, rich in color, aroma, and flavor, was served on a plate by Luo Wei, who then continued preparing the next dish.

But suddenly, there was silence behind him.

Luo Wei turned around and noticed something odd about Helena's expression.

"Brother... can I... not eat this?"

"Of course, you can."

Luo Wei knew she never liked slimy foods, so this dish wasn't intended for her in the first place.

But even after his response, he could sense her unease. Helena's eyes refused to look at the golden-brown tentacles on the plate.

Luo Wei blinked, finally understanding.

Could this be what they call empathy? Was she imagining herself in the place of those tentacles?

He couldn't help but chuckle and went back to preparing other ingredients.

Luo Wei was making dinner for everyone, not because he found the hotel food unpalatable, but because he wanted to give this rare seaside trip a perfect ending, especially since everyone had managed to gather together.

"Helena! Bring me that thing, and that, and that too!"

"Got it!"

As his little assistant, Helena was indeed very competent. Under Luo Wei's various instructions, bottles, jars, and cooking utensils scattered in different places were all delivered to him in a matter of seconds.

The reason? Helena had six hands.

Watching Helena skillfully assist Luo Wei with her six hands, the hotel manager swallowed hard.

If it weren't for the fact that this gentleman was a friend of the royal family, he would have already reported this to the police and the church...

"Mr. Luo Wei, here's the pot you asked for..."

"Good." Luo Wei gave it a quick check, adjusted the heat, and began stir-frying with vigorous flames.

The hotel manager, having never seen such a cooking method before, didn't dare ask any questions. He nervously glanced at the beautiful girl and the six tentacles emerging from under her skirt before hastily retreating from the kitchen.

"Finally, I don't have to eat those damned potatoes anymore!"

Luo Wei had always been critical of the underwhelming culinary skills and limited ingredient choices in Wignar cuisine...

So today, he decided to showcase his talents and teach Helena a thing or two.

After all, once she learned, she could cook for him in the future.

As a series of novel and exotic dishes were laid out on the table, Evelyn happened to emerge from Annie's room.

"Teacher, are you done talking?"

Luo Wei looked at her, sensing a hint of frustration in her mood.

"Yeah." She sat down on a chair and casually picked up a golden shrimp ball, popping it into her mouth.

"My family is preparing for my father's 80th birthday banquet. He doesn't want to make a big fuss, so he's only invited a few close noble friends. Oh, and he wants me to come back, saying he misses me. It's been years since I last went home. Hmm... this shrimp ball is really good..."

"Are you saying the old duke is turning 80?" Luo Wei chuckled. "Shouldn't it be his 800th or 1,800th birthday instead?"

Evelyn shook her head helplessly. "We have to say that to the public. After all, not many people know that the Abraham family is actually a vampire clan..."

"That's true." Luo Wei nodded. Just as few knew that the Wignar royal family were Anomalous Species, even fewer were aware of the true nature of the Abraham family.

The Abraham family held a prestigious position within the empire, with a permanent seat in the upper house of parliament and a vast territory in the north that was almost like a private kingdom.

Despite the emperors' efforts to centralize power over the generations, the Abraham family had managed to retain their unique status.

This was all thanks to the achievements of their previous family head, the old duke's uncle, General Abraham.

General Abraham had fought alongside Emperor Antius in countless battles, contributing greatly to the expansion of Wignar from a small border state to a vast empire. As a reward, Emperor Antius granted the family their current status and wealth, which had been passed down ever since.

"So, teacher, are you planning to go back?" Luo Wei asked curiously.

Evelyn hadn't stopped eating, her mouth full of golden shrimp balls.

"Mmm... so delicious... Well, to be honest, I haven't decided yet..."

Helena, noticing the nearly empty plate, pouted in dissatisfaction. Dinner hadn't even officially started, and Evelyn was already finishing it all.

"Luo Wei, help me decide. Should I go back or not?"

Evelyn looked at Luo Wei with a troubled expression.

Luo Wei gazed at her, thinking to himself that of course he wanted her to go back, especially since the task had already been assigned.

But out loud, he simply smiled gently. "I hope you follow your heart, teacher. Whatever you decide, I'll support you."

"Honestly, I don't want to go back..." Evelyn rested her chin on her hand. "Even though it's only been fifty years since I left, I really can't stand that place. I don't even want to spend a single second there..."

"Only fifty years..." Although Luo Wei knew that vampires had a different sense of time compared to humans, he was still taken aback by how casually Evelyn mentioned fifty years.

Evelyn continued muttering, "And back then, we had a huge falling out. If I go back now, I really don't know how to face my father and stepmother..."

"Teacher, why did you leave the family back then?" Luo Wei had always been curious about the reason behind her departure.

"Well..."

Evelyn hesitated for a moment, seemingly reluctant to talk about it. But under Luo Wei's gaze, she finally made up her mind.

"Since it's you, I guess it's fine to tell you. But don't think I was being childish or unreasonable, okay?"

Luo Wei nodded gently.

Evelyn sighed. "You're so interested in studying Anomalous Species, so you must know how crazy and ugly they can become when they lose control, right?"

"Of course, I do."

Her emerald-green eyes, like precious gemstones, fixed on him. "Those short-lived Anomalous Species are already terrifying when they go mad. But let me tell you, my family has many ancient beings who have lived for a thousand or even two thousand years."

At this thought, she couldn't hide her disgust, even losing her appetite.

"To outsiders, the Abraham family is a noble and glamorous household. But to me, having grown up there, it felt like a nest of disgusting lunatics, even more unbearable than that mental hospital we visited back then."

Luo Wei silently gazed at her, thinking that Evelyn was truly the odd one out in the family. She preferred the human way of life and was even an extreme aesthete, so even the most mundane daily routines of the family were probably unbearable for her.

However, even as she complained like this, Luo Wei still felt that there was something hidden within her emotions.

He still remembered the time in the old mansion when Evelyn had gone mad, trying to kill him. Back then, she had said something.

"I hate betrayal the most!"

That's why Luo Wei believed there was more to her reasons for leaving the family.

Finally, Evelyn began to murmur, starting to recount her childhood experiences.

"Actually, before I even reached adulthood, let me think... that incident happened over a hundred and fifty years ago. Yes, ever since then, I've wanted to escape..."

A hundred and fifty years ago... not yet an adult...

Luo Wei's lips twitched. Compared to the messy affairs of Evelyn's family...

What he really wanted to know now was Evelyn's actual age...