Chapter 542: It

In the living room of the Prince Prince Kelin Manor in Thunder City, an expensive velvet sofa was currently suffering unwarranted torture.

Hugging a ruffled throw pillow, Vivienne had transformed into a cranky caterpillar.

She rolled back and forth on the spacious sofa, crawled around in the shadows, or let out garbled, strange cries, scaring the maids in the manor so much they dared not approach.

After all, that was a Platinum-tier "monster"; anyone would feel a chill in their heart.

"Wah-yah-yah-yah, I'm so mad, I'm so mad!"

The fox-eared maid tremblingly set down the freshly refilled black tea, then hurriedly retreated from the living room that had turned into a battlefield.

The very moment her feet left, Vivienne leaped up from the sofa, her feet clad in black long stockings stomping wildly on the pillow, as if that misshapen "rag" being ravaged was someone two hundred kilometers away.

Ten minutes ago, Vivienne, who had been bickering with Mi Ya, suddenly felt a palpitation in her heart. A violent and rapid heartbeat suddenly intruded into her sea of consciousness, causing her cheeks to involuntarily flush with a layer of crimson.

That clearly wasn't due to any small tricks from a Partridge succubus; Mi Ya, who prided herself on being "mature and elegant," never took the initiative to use mental attacks, usually only resorting to cheating after she couldn't hold her own.

Clearly—

That intense feeling came from her familiar, and the eagerness to share joy with the whole world made her so jealous she felt like going crazy.

Her heart was beating wildly, "thump-thump, thump-thump"!

This was a great humiliation!

"This white-haired vixen... her heartbeat is so fast, she definitely, definitely didn't do anything good!"

Vivienne muttered through gritted teeth, and the sofa finally let out a groan of unbearable weight, collapsing under the storm of stomping.

On the other side of the living room, Mi Ya, wearing a nightgown, was leaning against a single sofa, her fair, slender legs naturally crossed.

In her hands, she held a thick stack of paper, calmly turning a page. Her eyes were focused yet unfocused, serious yet clear, possessing a kind of unworldly earnestness.

Watching Vivienne, who had fallen into a pile of goose feathers with a scream, her brows twitched slightly, but she restrained the impulse to be rude, turning instead to let out a slow yawn.

"Besides shouting and screaming, is there nothing else the Prince Prince Kelin family's vampire can do?"

What an indecent brat.

Fundamentally different from the Prince Prince Kelin family's vampire, Mi Ya was a demon with a proper job. For instance, at this very moment, she was reading the business plan presented to her by Nana.

The performance of "Bell Toll" starring Qiqi had triggered a response in Thunder City far exceeding expectations. From aristocratic salons to taverns and cafes in the new industrial zone, everyone was discussing that heart-touching love story and fiercely criticizing the feudal poison the Os Empire had brought to this land.

Without a doubt, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Inspired by Lady Andongni, Mi Ya was pondering expanding her investment in the Iris Troupe, adding another barrel of oil to this flame!

She would no longer be limited to letting those succubi from the Demon Capital perform on the stage of the human world; she would also have her juniors teach the art of charming hearts to the humans of Thunder City, sending more gifted talents onto the stage!

They would take the creativity of Thunder City's citizens and spread the local prosperous culture to the entire northeast coast of the Whirlpool Sea, and even the entire coastal region of the Whirlpool Sea!

By then, the surname Partridge would become a legend in the arts world!

Every star revered by thousands would view her, Miss Yaya Midia, as their "Godfather" and kneel before her pomegranate skirt!

Heh-heh-heh!

Just thinking about it made one feel delighted!

Thinking of this, Mi Ya was extremely proud, feeling that this job was even more interesting than being the director of the Demon King Management Department, though it was a pity that the things Junior Nana wrote after staying up late were truly obscure and difficult to understand.

But it didn't matter.

She could wait until her dear one returned and have him, who understood everything, explain it to her in person.

It was the same back at the Demon King Academy; difficult problems she couldn't figure out after thinking for a long time, little Luo Yan could often explain clearly in a single sentence.

Struggling to climb out of the wreckage of the sofa, Vivienne looked like a cat with its fur standing on end, glaring fiercely at Mi Ya.

"You... aren't you worried at all?"

Mi Ya said with a lazy expression.

"Worried? Worried about what?"

"Ku-ku-ku..." Looking at the oblivious Partridge succubus, Vivienne suddenly calmed down, lightly covering her slightly upturned lips, yet unable to hide that evil smile. "I was wondering, no wonder Miss Partridge is so calm; it turns out our dear branch director of the Hell Intelligence Bureau doesn't know anything at all."

Although the situation on the Hero's side was worrying, if she could make the most threatening Partridge succubus suffer a bitter defeat, she, Vivienne, wasn't incapable of enduring humiliation and bearing heavy burdens to cooperate with humans for a little while.

"I can't pretend I didn't hear that, dear Miss Prince Prince Kelin," Mi Ya's eyes narrowed slightly, closing the stack of documents in her hand and placing them on her lap. "Perhaps you should explain to me what kind of madness you've been acting out since just now?"

If it were before, Vivienne certainly wouldn't have done as she wished, but now it was a "wartime state."

"Ailin is back!"

"And then?" Mi Ya replied indifferently; she had always known about Ailin.

Little Luo Yan had written all the details in his work report, including how he succeeded, and she had seen it all clearly from the rear.

That was just work!

Seeing that this person's defense was unexpectedly so high, Vivienne raised her arm and wiped the corner of her mouth.

She's got some skills...

It seemed she had to add another ten percent of her strength!

"And then? She is with my older brother right now! And her heartbeat is very fast, oh! What could make a Hero's heartbeat so fast? Could it be that she's running? It couldn't be sword practice, could it? Ku-ku-ku... it's so hard to guess."

This extremely abstract person wasn't satisfied with just bickering; she stood in a horse stance on the wreckage of the sofa, her two little arms moving back and forth, doing bizarre stretching exercises.

Watching those movements, which were even more savage than the Lizardmen's war dance, Mi Ya's mask of laziness and ease finally showed a crack, ripples of panic rising.

She hadn't expected the Prince Prince Kelin family's bat to be so vicious; when she went crazy, she even bit her own neck!

Is scaring yourself fun?!

"You, you can't scare me!"

Mi Ya swallowed a mouthful of saliva, her trembling voice full of tension, trying to find a flaw on Vivienne's face, and sure enough, the clever-as-ice-and-snow she found it—

This person was too calm!

Discovering this point, Mi Ya's eyes instantly lit up like magic crystal lamps, staring intently at Vivienne, seeing through her childish and ridiculous trick at a glance.

"If... they really did happen to do something, how could you be so calm! Has the poor Miss Prince Prince Kelin fallen to the point of needing to rely on sowing discord to achieve her goal? Heh-heh-heh... what an indecent brat!"

Vivienne, standing in the sofa wreckage, was so shocked her eyes widened, her chin dropped, and her swinging arms stopped their dance.

"... Are all the succubi of the Partridge family blind? Do I look like I'm very calm??"

Mi Ya smiled slightly, changing her crossed legs, her face returning to a calm and elegant smile.

"I won't fall for your trick!"

Vivienne: "???"

The genius of the Prince Prince Kelin family, unable to defeat the idiot of the Partridge family despite giving her all.

Just as Vivienne was enduring the pincer attack of the "unprincipled familiar" and the "thick-nerved succubus," and was breaking down alone because her self-destructing carriage-style attack hadn't worked, melodious piano music was echoing in the City Hall of Gladstone Castle.

Golden radiance spilled down from the crystal chandelier on the ceiling, together with the wall lamps on the marble pillars, illuminating the guests holding champagne and enjoying their wine.

A grand banquet was being held here.

Today's banquet wasn't just a "Hunt Queen Banquet" to celebrate a bountiful harvest, but also a victory celebration to welcome the return of the heroes!

Grand Duke Edward stood in the center of the banquet hall, the goblet in his hand held high, appearing as if filled with holy light under the illumination of the crystal chandelier.

"Gentlemen, ladies!"

That resonant voice penetrated the banquet hall, and also penetrated the piano variations that were shifting from impassioned to soothing and melodious.

"... Let us toast the soldiers who have returned from the north! It was they who stepped forward when we needed them most, guarding the northern territory for our principality, and saving our blood-related kin from the claws of chaos and famine! Cheers to the Northern Rescue Army! Cheers to the reborn Twilight Province!"

Edward drank the fine wine in his cup in one gulp, and cheers rose one after another around him, with guests offering their blessings one after another.

"Cheers to the Northern Rescue Army!"

"Cheers to Princess Ailin!"

Feeling those pairs of gazes hitting her like spotlights, Ailin felt her cheeks burning amazingly hot.

Not just because of the eager attention, but also because someone standing in the crowd was also smiling and offering her blessings.

Ailin, having drunk the fine wine in her cup, couldn't help but let her thoughts drift back to the reunion at the entrance of the Gladstone Castle City Hall half an hour ago.

Not knowing how to express the longing in her heart, she had impulsively thrown herself into his arms...

That palpitation touching her soul was now, along with her savoring of that solid touch, silently crawling back to her chest.

Thump... thump!

Unable to bear the shyness crawling into her heart, she hid her entire face behind the rim of the cup.

Tonight, Ailin was wearing a black off-the-shoulder evening gown, which Teresa had specially chosen for her.

The deep black perfectly outlined the girl's well-developed figure, while also suppressing the coldness of her silver hair, making her appear noble enough that one couldn't look away under the brilliant lights, even more radiant than usual.

Looking at his sister, who had more presence than usual, Grand Duke Edward nodded with satisfaction and gladly let her become the absolute protagonist of the night.

Nobles, gentlemen, and ladies lined up to toast her, with no one wanting to miss this opportunity to show their face in front of the future "Princess Consort."

Ailin was so nervous her palms were sweating.

Although she had been influenced by royal etiquette, she wasn't so incompetent that she couldn't handle such a small scene. However, for some reason, her heartbeat was exceptionally fast today, and she was exceptionally nervous.

The influence of the "Resonance Field" was mutual.

Being a vampire familiar for the first time, she didn't know that just as she was releasing her full joy to the "Sire" who didn't know where he was, she, as a familiar, was also enduring the "pain" of envy, jealousy, and hatred from that "Sire."

That was truly both sour and painful.

To suppress the palpitation in her heart like a deer bumping around, Ailin could only pin her hopes on using alcohol to anesthetize her nerves, forgetting for a moment to just take a sip.

And by the time she realized it, she was already unable to hold her liquor, and those emerald-green eyes had become blurred, the swaying figures beginning to overlap.

Huh?

Was she actually drunk?

Edward keenly noticed his sister's state, a smile of "understanding" appearing on his face, and he moved to Prince Prince Kelin's side without a sound.

"Your Highness, I'm afraid I have to trouble you for a favor; you know it's inconvenient for me to leave here—"

"Alright, leave it to me."

Luo Yan couldn't say he didn't have time, especially with Ailin's swaying posture, as if she might be tripped by her own skirt at any moment.

He placed the champagne back on the tray in the waiter's hand, skillfully moved through the crowd, and gentlemanly supported Ailin's drooping arm.

"Your Highness, you are drunk."

His voice was soft and gentle, while he skillfully blocked the next baron who tried to toast Ailin, taking her to the edge of the banquet hall.

"I will take you back to your room to rest."

Ailin did not resist.

Rather, she couldn't have asked for more, so she obediently leaned the weight of her body into that solid arm, letting him take her away from the noisy banquet hall.

"Thank you..." she murmured softly, burying her head, hiding the crimson that had crawled onto her cheeks. "I... might be a bit strange today; I'm not usually like this."

Watching the crimson that couldn't be hidden crawl onto her swan-like neck, Luo Yan couldn't help but smile, but he didn't continue to tease her.

"Perhaps you are tired."

That wasn't the answer Ailin wanted to hear, but she didn't speak, just silently followed by his side, letting him support her as they reached the upper floor.

The air in the second-floor corridor was quiet and cool, the noise and clamor downstairs seeming to happen in another world.

Luo Yan brought Ailin to the guest room.

However, until the door of the second-floor guest room was gently closed, Ailin still didn't let go, instead wrapping her arms tighter and tighter.

Alcohol is the best truth serum.

Words that couldn't be said and things that couldn't be done in normal times were all given justification in that nerve-disturbing incense.

Borrowing the dim, ambiguous light, Ailin finally gathered her courage, her other arm also resting on Prince Prince Kelin's neck, her breathing getting closer and closer to his lapel.

"... I... am not tired."

Luo Yan was slightly stunned, only then coming back to his senses; that stubborn voice was responding to the sentence he said when going upstairs.

Just as he was thinking about what he should say, Ailin lowered her head slightly, hiding her nose tip under his lapel.

The longing accumulated in the bottom of her heart burst like a flood; she seemed to have returned to that helpless night, where everyone was surprised by her changes, but only that one person stood in front of her without hesitation, even facing the threat of the dwarves, choosing to believe everything she said without reservation—

"I believe in Ailin Campbell's character, including her piety, loyalty, bravery, as well as her generosity and kindness... and all other beautiful qualities."

"At the same time, I unconditionally believe every word she says; things developing like this is definitely not her intention, and even... perhaps all of this is exactly the will of the gods!"

"Whether she is human or vampire, I will stand with her!"

Those voices still lingered in her mind to this day, and were also the greatest motivation supporting her to persist in front of the Tribunal until now.

And the sentence that followed—

"If you are really hungry, my neck can be lent to you."

Just pretend she is hungry.

She just wanted to hang on his neck now, not wanting to do anything, not wanting to think about anything, just wanting to let time flow quietly.

"Can... you let me stay like this for a while longer? Just a while..."

"Of course, Your Highness."

Listening to that soft, slightly trembling voice, Luo Yan was silent for a moment, answering in a very soft voice.

This was a matter of sooner or later.

The Demon King's corruption of the Hero couldn't just stop at words, and besides, he wasn't a person with any integrity; how could a person with integrity end up in Hell?

Luo Yan's heartbeat was actually very fast too, although he didn't want to admit it.

The evil Demon King was not only good at playing with people's hearts but also extremely good at deceiving himself, which was why he could always hold his ground no matter when.

Just as Luo Yan was trying to convince himself, the girl who had buried her nose tip in his lapel had slowly raised her head and closed her eyes.

That trembling eyelash seemed to have a crystal-clear longing hanging on it; she finally couldn't withstand the palpitation from the depths of her soul, stood on tiptoe, and slowly leaned upward. ===== CHAPTER 543 =====