Poor Family Atmosphere

"Thank you so much, Emily..." Helena tightly grasped her hand. "If I have any more questions in the future, can I still come to you?"

"Of course!" Emily patted her chest, confidently assuring her. "Ask me anything you don’t understand! Don’t be shy!"

Helena nodded excitedly, feeling as though the petite Emily had somehow grown much taller in her eyes.

However, Emily’s confident expression didn’t last long.

"Oh! I heard Evelyn is back? And she brought a man with her?"

Emily, Helena, Luo Wei, and the others all turned to look.

Two men and two women appeared in the corridor of the reception hall.

"Monica, sis!" Emily’s eyes lit up, and she immediately rushed over excitedly.

Helena observed the woman called Monica—a short-haired, androgynous beauty who wore an exasperated expression as Emily clung to her.

"Emily, can’t you act a little more ladylike? How old are you now? Keep this up, and no one will ever marry you."

Emily, who had just been playing the role of a "love expert" in front of Helena, now giggled foolishly, refusing to let go of Monica.

This only made Monica’s expression grow even more disdainful as she coldly lifted Emily by the collar, leaving the girl flailing her tiny limbs comically in the air.

Helena watched the scene speechlessly. This girl had just been lecturing her with such authority, yet when it came to herself...

She wasn’t any better!

Luo Wei studied the four strikingly attractive newcomers. It had to be said—vampires never lacked for good looks. No wonder his teacher, having grown up in such an environment, had turned into an extreme "aesthetics snob," unable to tolerate even the slightest hint of ugliness.

Upon noticing the Duchess was also present, the newcomers greeted her respectfully. Among them, a tall, muscular man named Mike was the most affectionate.

"Big brother Mike!" Emily beamed at him.

The handsome, broad-shouldered Mike patted her head before shifting his gaze toward Evelyn and Luo Wei.

Given the resemblance between Mike and Emily, he was likely the Duchess’s biological son. However, he seemed to harbor hostility toward Evelyn, his gaze filled with animosity.

"What are you doing back here all of a sudden?" Mike glared at Evelyn.

Evelyn frowned slightly. "Why can’t I come back?"

"You left the family to make your own way, didn’t you?" Mike sneered. "You were so adamant about leaving back then, yet here you are now. What’s the matter? Run out of money? Or did you get yourself into trouble?"

"Your imagination is truly impressive," Evelyn scoffed. "I left the family, but that doesn’t mean I can’t visit Father."

"Cut the act!" Mike suddenly snapped. "Father has already hinted at preparing his will and announcing his heir. You just happen to return at this time? Everyone knows what you’re after!"

"Anyone who wants the title of Duke Abraham can have it—I couldn’t care less," Evelyn shrugged indifferently. "Dealing with all that tedious work, never getting to go out and have fun... what’s so great about it?"

Hearing Evelyn belittle the prestigious title of "Duke Abraham," Mike’s expression darkened further.

Evelyn remained unfazed, continuing with a mocking smile. "If anything, you’re the one who’s desperate—"

"Father isn’t even dead yet, and you’re already scrambling for the position. So terrified of even someone who left the family? If I were him, I wouldn’t pick a coward like you!"

"What did you just say?!" Mike exploded, hurling a blood magic attack straight at Evelyn.

The Duchess paled. "Mike! What are you doing?!"

Evelyn clicked her tongue, her disdain for the hot-tempered man growing.

In a flash of crimson, she reappeared elsewhere, still taunting him. "You really want to fight me? Have you forgotten how I beat you black and blue last time?"

"Shut up!" Mike launched another blood magic strike. "I’m nothing like I was fifty years ago! I’m stronger than you now!"

As the two clashed in the corridor, the Duchess grew increasingly frantic.

"Oh no, what do we do? Mike, that child—why does he always have to be so aggressive?"

Realizing she couldn’t stop the fight, she turned to Luo Wei for help. "Luo Wei, please! She’ll listen to you—tell her to stand down!"

Luo Wei met her gaze and countered, "Why don’t you tell your son to stop first?"

The Duchess froze, then flushed with slight embarrassment.

She pulled her youngest daughter Emily back and glanced at the other two young spectators—a pair of twins—who were snickering as they watched the fight.

The Duchess sighed quietly. "Mike is actually a good kid, just impulsive. He’s probably being used as a pawn again... unlike Lairs and Laney, who are the real troublemakers..."

Luo Wei followed her gaze. Among the four newcomers, aside from Mike and Monica, the remaining two were twins.

Evelyn had mentioned them before—the first Duchess had given birth to twins named Lairs and Laney. These two were undoubtedly them.

Still, Evelyn’s family dynamics were undeniably toxic. Aside from the youngest, Emily, her siblings all seemed to harbor varying degrees of hostility toward her.

As Luo Wei observed them, the twins scrutinized him in return, their gazes uncomfortably probing.

Laney smirked at Luo Wei. "So, you must be the partner Evelyn chose, huh?"

Lairs murmured, "Rumor has it he’s the heir of a reclusive family—one even older than the City of Cain."

Laney scoffed. "You believe that? As if Evelyn could land someone that good."

"True or not, we’ll find out soon enough," Lairs said with a grin.

With that, he locked eyes with Luo Wei, his expression eager.

A moment later, a swift and vicious blood magic attack shot straight at Luo Wei.

But Luo Wei had been prepared the moment he heard their whispers. A magical barrier flared to life—[Sigil Shield]—blocking Lairs’s sudden assault.

"Why not counter with blood magic?" Laney teased. "Afraid of being exposed?"

"Why should I do what you want?" Luo Wei shot back.

The [Sigil Shield] glowed again, its impenetrable defense leaving the young vampire helpless.

This spell had even held against Annie’s relentless attacks—Lairs was nowhere near her level, let alone capable of breaking through.

Seeing this, Laney immediately joined the fray, launching a sneak attack from behind.

"Luo Wei!" Evelyn, who was handling her own battle with ease, glanced worriedly in his direction as he found himself surrounded.

"Leave them to me!" Helena glared darkly at the two vampire siblings, her tentacles morphing into razor-sharp blades before thrusting violently toward them.

Laney and Lairs swiftly dodged the attack, but their momentary distraction gave Luo Wei an opening. With a flash of crimson, he maneuvered into the perfect position for an ambush.

His blood-red blade aimed straight for Lairs' chest—right where the blood core lay.

Lairs barely managed to block the strike, his expression twisting into a cold glare. The blood core was the true heart of a vampire, and this man had just tried to kill him.

Laney narrowed her eyes. "Hmph, far more ruthless than he looks..."

As the chaos in the hallway escalated, the Duchess finally snapped, her voice sharp with authority. "Enough! Do you want to make fools of ourselves in front of outsiders?!"

Some guests had already begun peering curiously in their direction, though none dared approach.

"You're blocking the guests' path to the dining hall! Move aside at once—do not interfere with the Duke's affairs!"

Only after invoking her husband’s authority did the fighting finally cease.

Evelyn returned to Luo Wei’s side, and when he met her gaze, she smirked. "Fifty years, and still no improvement."

Meanwhile, Mike stormed back to Laney and Lairs, his fury still burning. Lairs took one look at him and chuckled. "Lost again, didn’t you? Don’t worry, I’ll help you settle the score."

"How?" Mike asked, puzzled.

Lairs sneered, his eyes locked on Luo Wei. "A hidden lineage? Impossible. He couldn’t possibly hold his own against me. His bloodline power is weak—nothing like the legendary sacred families. Just a fraud."

Laney grinned darkly. "Let’s have him thrown out. Oh, and Evelyn too."