The Banquet Begins

The day of the banquet had arrived. Luo Wei adjusted his formal attire in front of the mirror before shifting his gaze to Helena’s reflection. Those large blue eyes had been fixed on him the entire time. With a smile, he asked, “Well, what do you think?”

Helena couldn’t tear her eyes away from her brother. Beaming with pride, she exclaimed, “Brother, you look amazing! No one at the banquet will be as handsome as you!”

“That’s just the bias of family affection,” Luo Wei chuckled, shaking his head. “The Vampire Clan is full of beautiful men and women. Your brother would just blend into the crowd.”

“No way!” Helena huffed. “Those people look like they’ve been dead for a month—pale and creepy. What’s so attractive about that? I still prefer someone like you!”

As they chatted, Evelyn finally emerged from the dressing room after taking her time.

“What are you two talking about?”

Luo Wei turned to her, and his expression instantly turned awestruck.

Evelyn wore an elegant black evening gown, cinched at the waist with a deep purple sash that accentuated her slender figure and graceful curves.

Noticing Luo Wei’s reaction, Evelyn smirked in satisfaction. She approached him gracefully and extended her hand.

“These heels are hard to walk in, Xiao Wei. You’ll have to hold my hand.”

“Of course.” Luo Wei gently took her hand like a gentleman.

As Evelyn drew closer, Luo Wei’s gaze grew bolder—lingering on her swan-like neck, delicate collarbone, and the deep, alluring cleavage framed by the gown.

His captivated expression only deepened Evelyn’s smug smile. She leaned in, her eyes shimmering with mischief.

“So, Xiao Wei, how do I look?”

A faint, intoxicating fragrance teased his senses, stirring a fiery desire in him—so intense that he almost wanted to tear that beautiful dress right off her.

“You’re stunning, teacher,” he admitted honestly.

“What about me, brother?” Helena stomped over, pouting.

The two turned to her, and Luo Wei patted her head affectionately. “Helena, you’re beautiful too.”

Helena’s outfit was the complete opposite of Evelyn’s—a white dress with a pink hair clip, puffy sleeves, and little leather shoes, making her look like an adorable little princess.

Evelyn had carefully picked this outfit to suit Helena’s age and petite frame—cute, innocent, and completely devoid of any suggestive undertones.

But Helena wasn’t satisfied with her brother’s praise. It felt like he was just humoring her.

She pouted, studying her reflection in the mirror before sighing in frustration.

Was she still too small?

She stole a glance at Luo Wei, making sure they weren’t paying attention to her, then…

Tried her best to push up what little she had.

“Miss, Luo Wei, and… little Helena.” Annie knocked on the door. “If you’re ready, we should leave now. Laney and Lairs have already gone ahead.”

“Got it, got it!” Evelyn turned to Luo Wei. “Let’s go.”

As the two stepped out, Helena lingered behind. Evelyn glanced back suspiciously—only to roll her eyes in exasperation.

“Stop trying so hard. You can’t just squeeze them into existence. Hurry up!”

A pitiful whine came from inside the room.

…

The banquet hall in the main castle was already filled with guests.

Luo Wei scanned the surroundings. Unlike the opulence of a royal ballroom, the Vampire Clan’s ancient castle exuded a sense of solemn grandeur.

When Evelyn entered the hall on Luo Wei’s arm, countless eyes turned toward them—some curious, others hostile. Luo Wei spotted Mike and the twins, clearly the source of the latter.

As they walked further, Luo Wei noticed many unfamiliar young faces—scions of noble families, illegitimate children of dukes, and talented heirs from branch families.

Their gazes toward Evelyn weren’t as hostile, but they were complicated. Luo Wei suddenly realized that Evelyn must have been quite the figure in her family back in the day.

Helena, seeing Luo Wei and Evelyn arm in arm, rushed to his other side.

“Brother! Me too!”

With a resigned sigh, Luo Wei extended his other arm, and Helena happily clung to it.

Now sandwiched between the two, Luo Wei became the center of attention once again…

Among the guests, Headmaster Danton’s group burst into laughter. A noble teased him, “Your student is quite something, isn’t he?”

“Oh, not at all…” Danton glanced at the trio, thinking this was nothing.

From what he knew, the current head of the Magic Hermits and even the imperial princess seemed to have some ambiguous ties with that kid…

“Helena!”

A sweet, childish voice suddenly called out as Luo Wei paused. A little girl in a frilly dress—Emily—ran over excitedly.

“Oh! Emily!” Helena brightened at the sight of her.

Luo Wei watched as the two girls immediately linked hands and scurried away from him.

But strangely, they kept sneaking glances back at him, their heads huddled together as they whispered about who-knows-what…

Still, he didn’t interfere. Helena had never had friends her age, so it was good for her to have a “peer” like Emily.

Meanwhile, Helena and Emily were, of course, discussing Luo Wei.

Emily blinked curiously. “So? Helena! Any progress lately?”

“I don’t know if it counts as progress…” Helena scratched her head in confusion. “But brother has been looking at me more often…”

“Really? That’s great!” Emily cheered as if sharing her joy. “Has Luo Wei fallen for your charm?”

“Well… um…” Helena stammered, glancing down at herself. After some effort, there was at least a little something there. She sighed in relief.

“Huh?” Emily squinted. “Helena, where are your… you know?”

Helena frowned. “What do you mean? Can’t you see them?”

“Where? Where?” Emily widened her eyes, searching.

Helena deflated, her face falling again. “Shapeshifting drains my energy. Brother said there might be trouble at the banquet, so I have to be careful. I can’t make them bigger like last time…”

“Oh… okay.” Emily nodded.

But a moment later, she realized something wasn’t right.

"There will be a fight? Why would there be a fight?" she asked in astonishment. "This is a major event for the family! And so many distinguished guests are here! Who would dare cause trouble in such a place?"

"I don't know..." Helena, as usual, couldn't keep up with her brother's train of thought and wore a frustrated expression.