Miss Yvel, Please Give Your Orders

Luo Wei was teleported back into the banquet hall and immediately felt a chilling cold. He looked up and saw that not only had the magical barrier vanished, but the main tower had been blasted open by Tilis, allowing gusts of wind and snow to pour through the gaping hole.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the perpetrator.

The powerful sorceress gazed down at the crowd from above, her robes fluttering wildly in the wind. An overwhelming aura of intimidation pressed down on everyone present.

The banquet hall fell silent for a moment, as no one knew the purpose of this uninvited guest.

Meizi and the other elder vampires appeared in the hall, looking disheveled. She glared at the figure and demanded, "Who are you?"

Though this formidable mage had inadvertently stopped the deadly magical traps and saved them, her intentions were clearly not so benevolent.

However, after the question was asked, the sorceress merely glanced at her dismissively before continuing to scan the crowd below, as if searching for someone.

Meizi frowned deeply, while another elder vampire leaned in thoughtfully.

"If I recall correctly, she might be the leader of the dark wizard organization 'Arcane Hermitage,' the one the Church calls the 'Calamity Witch'—Tilis."

"What?" Meizi was taken aback. "Arcane Hermitage? What are they doing here? When did we ever provoke them?"

"How should I know…"

As they muttered among themselves, they couldn’t help but glance up at the hole in the tower, still letting in freezing winds.

Had the magical barrier not absorbed most of the force, the Thornflower Castle’s main tower would have been obliterated. It was hard to imagine what the Abraham family had done to earn such wrath…

While they whispered, the powerful sorceress’s expression finally shifted. The moment she spotted a certain figure in the crowd, her eyes darkened.

"Luo Wei!"

Luo Wei was currently helping the elderly Danton sit down, as the old man was finally succumbing to exhaustion. Evelyn stood protectively beside them, while Helena excitedly waved at the sky.

For some reason, even Helena felt a sense of relief upon seeing the witch’s arrival.

Tilis descended from the sky in an instant, landing right in front of Luo Wei. Her deep violet eyes brimmed with concern.

"Are you hurt?" she asked urgently.

Luo Wei smiled at the long-absent witch. "Don’t worry, I’m fine. Just drained of magic—I won’t be casting any spells for a while."

Tilis exhaled in relief. "I was worried something might have happened to you inside, so I rushed to dismantle the castle’s barrier. As long as you’re unharmed, leave the fighting to me."

Evelyn glanced at the massive hole in the castle and silently corrected—this wasn’t "dismantling," it was pure brute force.

It seemed no scheme could withstand absolute power. She swept her gaze across the banquet hall, where every faction and individual now watched them intently. Tilis’s arrival had changed everything.

"Oh, and one more thing…" Tilis turned to Evelyn. Before coming here, Ophelia had given her some instructions. "What’s the situation now? Has the duke’s successor been announced?"

Luo Wei glanced at Monica, who stood nearby, still bewildered by the sudden turn of events. He pulled Tilis closer and quickly summarized what had happened earlier.

"I see. So it hasn’t been decided yet…" Tilis murmured, relieved.

Luo Wei gave her a questioning look, unsure why that mattered.

Tilis leaned in and quietly relayed Ophelia’s ambitions and plans.

"So she’s after that too?" Luo Wei could almost picture the scheming glint in her eyes.

He chuckled. Of course—this was exactly the kind of thing she would do.

"How did she instruct you?" Luo Wei asked in a low voice. "What’s your plan to help Evelyn take the throne?"

"Wouldn’t it be easiest to just eliminate her main rivals in the chaos?" Tilis replied casually.

"Right…" Luo Wei rubbed his forehead. Such a straightforward, ruthless approach.

And for someone as powerful as Tilis, it would be effortless.

"Is she the successor?" Tilis turned her cold gaze toward Monica.

Monica shuddered as if a predator had locked onto her. The elder vampire Joe immediately stepped in front of her.

"Luo Wei, is this mage with you?" Joe demanded coldly.

"Wait!" Luo Wei sensed Tilis was about to strike and quickly intervened.

"What’s wrong? Didn’t you just point her out?" Tilis asked, puzzled.

"The timing isn’t right," Luo Wei shook his head. The window of opportunity had passed. If Tilis had been here during the Blood Moon, when the vampires were slaughtering each other, Ophelia’s plan might have worked.

But now, things were different. They needed legitimacy—a proper path for Evelyn.

He turned to Evelyn, his playful demeanor vanishing as his tone turned respectful.

"Lady Evelyn," he asked formally, "As you can see, the entire Abraham family is gathered here. What should we do next?"

Evelyn blinked at his sudden seriousness before bursting into laughter. "Luo Wei, what are you talking about? I have no authority—"

"Lady Evelyn!" Luo Wei raised his voice. "The Abraham family is fractured and needs a leader. You were the duke’s most favored child!"

"Luo Wei…?" Evelyn eyed him suspiciously.

He quickly winked at her, then pulled Tilis closer for support.

"Ah—yes," Tilis caught on immediately, slipping into her role effortlessly. "Lady Evelyn! Just give the order. Tonight, whoever you want dead—I’ll kill them!"

"What?" Evelyn was utterly lost. Were they putting on some kind of play?

"Just say it already…" Luo Wei tugged at her sleeve and whispered, "You don’t want the family to keep tearing itself apart, do you? Speak your mind—now!"

"Fine…" Evelyn sighed in exasperation before addressing the crowd. "Then, as we discussed in the control room—execute all traitors and end this farce tonight."

"Exactly!" Luo Wei and Tilis exchanged triumphant glances. "Wherever Lady Evelyn’s sword points, we shall follow! Give the command!"

Standing like her loyal right and left hands, their words carried the exhilarating energy of a triumphant return—as if declaring, "The three years are up! All hail the Dragon King!"

"Huh?" Evelyn stared at them in confusion, her mind already swirling with questions.

She silently turned to Helena, wanting to ask if her brother had lost his mind again.

Helena looked just as bewildered, her little brain clearly struggling to keep up.

Meanwhile, chaos erupted in the hall. The elder vampire Meizi wore a sinister expression, and realizing there was no room for negotiation, she swiftly chose to strike first.

In an instant, Meizi’s shadowy figure materialized behind them, and the seven remaining vampire princes immediately closed in for the attack.

Luo Wei stepped forward to shield Evelyn, but it was all a bluff—the real force behind the defense was the witch.

With a resounding explosion, Tilis’s immense magical power clashed against the crimson shadows.

Yet, in the aftermath, Tilis stood unshaken, while the elder vampires were sent flying backward by the sheer force, stumbling several meters away in disarray.

One of the elder vampires cast a complicated glance at Meizi. "She’s not even a high-tier mage..."

Another frowned darkly, lost in thought. "Rumors say only the Arcane Seclusion Society still preserves the ancient magic system from the Empire’s golden age. With power like hers, she must have mastered 9th-circle spells—maybe even beyond. She’s surpassed the limits of ordinary mages..."

The elder vampires’ defeat sparked murmurs throughout the banquet hall, especially when the guests realized the formidable mage stood not only with Evelyn but also on the side of the human attendees. Their expressions grew even more animated.

Luo Wei surveyed the scene with satisfaction—this was exactly the reaction he’d hoped for.

He didn’t need Evelyn to personally subdue the rebellious elder vampires. In truth, none of the duke’s heirs were old enough to accomplish such a feat.

All he needed was for everyone to see that "Lady Evelyn" had powerful backing, that she had formidable allies. The dirty work didn’t require her direct involvement.

But the real surprise came next.

With a crackling sound, a magical communication flickered before Tilis.

"Evelyn, how’s everything on your end? Father wants an update."

"Huh?" Evelyn spun around and found herself staring into a pair of amused, light-colored eyes.

"Ophelia?"

The unmistakable silver-white hair and exquisite beauty of the princess drew the attention of everyone in the room. Among the human guests, the Sword and Shield Earls immediately began whispering.

"The Fifth Princess?"

"Has His Majesty already learned of what’s happening here?"

"Wait, why is the emperor asking Evelyn first? Does she hold a title? Unless..."

"I..." Evelyn shot a glance at Luo Wei. Today was truly a day of miracles—Ophelia had appeared and, instead of seeking Luo Wei first, had turned her attention to Evelyn.

But as she took in the murmurs around her and the spotlight now firmly fixed on her, she finally realized what was happening. These schemers had all silently agreed on something behind her back...

She looked at Luo Wei, whose face was brimming with mischief, then at Ophelia, whose smirk was barely contained. Those smiling eyes were practically gleaming with calculation!

Evelyn let out a resigned sigh. With things unfolding like this, they had truly thrown her into the fire...