Chapter 45: Please, don’t add any more drama to my story!

8:00 PM sharp.

The bell of the Sacred Banquet Hall tolled softly.

This banquet hall, located in the wing of the Cathedral of Light, was undoubtedly one of the most magnificent buildings in the Holy Radiance Alliance.

Its dome soared thirty meters high.

Stained glass windows depicted the glorious achievements of saints throughout the ages.

A gigantic crystal chandelier cast a warm glow, making the marble floor sparkle brilliantly.

But tonight, the atmosphere here was so heavy it was suffocating.

Along the twenty-meter-long oak table, sat the two most powerful factions on the continent.

On the left side were the elites of the Holy Radiance Alliance:

Pope Uther VII sat solemnly in the center, the Seven Holy Order Knight Commanders stood rigidly, and the Five Kings each occupied their own place.

On the right side were the representatives of the Eternal Night Empire:

Queen Ophelia sat high in the main seat, Corvus stood expressionless beside her.

At the head of the table, in the place of honor, Sylvia sat cautiously.

She felt she wasn’t here to attend a banquet, but rather, she was tied to an altar.

Countless gazes pierced her from all directions.

Some filled with reverence, some hiding curiosity, and others burning with a fanatical religious fervor.

Each look made her increasingly uneasy.

“This is it, this is worse than a public execution…”

Sylvia stole a glance at her mother on the left.

Ophelia sat like a mountain, her blood-red eyes scanning the room.

That pseudo-divine pressure thickened the air itself.

Then she looked to her right at her sister.

Aivira was inspecting the human dignitaries present with keen interest, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the table.

Each tap made the knights tense up nervously.

“Honored guests, welcome to the Sacred Banquet Hall.”

Uther VII rose to speak, his voice solemn and grave.

“Tonight, with the highest ceremony, we welcome the envoys from the Eternal Night Empire.”

***

No sooner had he finished speaking, than servants entered in single file, carrying silver trays.

The dishes on the human side looked perfectly normal.

Golden roasted birds.

Delicate pastries.

Amber fruit wine served in crystal glasses.

The aromas were rich, whetting appetites.

But the treatment for the vampires was quite different.

Servants presented ornate golden goblets, filled with a dark red liquid.

“This is carefully prepared Snow Mountain Giant Deer blood,”

Uther VII introduced, his tone laced with obvious pride.

“Those giant deer live in the far northern lands. Their blood is pure and of the highest quality…”

Aivira looked at the cup of animal blood reeking of copper in front of her.

Her brows immediately knitted into a tight ‘川’ shape.

She lowered her voice so only her mother and sister could hear:

“They’re using this kind of livestock blood to entertain my sister?”

“This is an insult to the royal family!”

Sylvia didn’t notice her sister’s anger at all.

Her full attention was drawn to one item on the human side: a freshly baked white bread.

The bread gave off a faint wheat aroma.

Its crust was lightly golden.

It looked soft and sweet.

For Sylvia, who hadn’t tasted real food in a long time, this was heaven’s temptation.

She swallowed involuntarily.

“I really want to eat bread… I’m starting to forget what real food tastes like…”

This small gesture was immediately caught by Ophelia and Aivira.

Ophelia’s blood-red eyes narrowed slightly.

To her, Sylvia’s yearning gaze clearly said:

The chaotic energies, make her feel repulsed.

Aivira’s understanding was even more direct:

Her sister’s eyes were telling her:

The presence of this food pollutes her vision!

“I see now.”

Aivira understood.

Her sister was hinting for her to clean things up.

A sweet smile blossomed on her face as she gracefully stood.

“Wait, this isn’t right!”

Sylvia sensed the dangerous aura emanating from her sister, and immediately panicked.

Aivira picked up a napkin, softly wiped the corner of her mouth, then pointed at the trembling head chef not far away.

Her voice sweet and silky as she said:

“Your dish has displeased my sister.”

“As an apology, how about you become a new main course?”

The moment she said this, the entire banquet hall fell silent.

Uther VII gripped his scepter tightly.

He never imagined the vampire princess would be so direct, demanding to eat the chef in front of everyone!

“Is this the true nature of the vampires?”

Bartolomew, Commander of the Sword of Judgment, clenched his sword hilt silently.

The Five Kings turned pale with fright.

They had never been so close to the terror of the vampires.

***

Meanwhile, the head chef who was singled out had already gone weak in the knees, almost collapsing.

“No, no, my sister’s going crazy!”

Sylvia’s survival instinct exploded instantly.

She grabbed the golden goblet before her.

To stop her sister from wreaking havoc, she had no choice but to drink the entire cup of blood.

“Sis, I… I was just thirsty.”

Sylvia put down the golden goblet, forcing a satisfied expression.

“This… this tastes pretty good.”

Seeing her sister “happily” drink the blood, Aivira’s murderous intent instantly turned into a doting smile.

“As long as little sister likes it.”

She sat back down gracefully.

The terrifying pressure dissipated accordingly.

Only then did the people in the banquet hall breathe a sigh of relief.

But everyone left with a deep impression:

The vampire princess was mercurial, and would eat people at the slightest provocation.

“As expected!”

Uther VII watched Sylvia drink the blood, his eyes burning with even more intense light.

“The Sacred Body protects the innocent.”

“Even if it means drinking this impure blood!”

“What a pure and kind heart!”

“Even while bound by Black Power.”

“She still maintains the most beautiful nature!”

The more he thought, the more excited he became:

“I must save her!”

“Bring her back into the embrace of the light!”

Sylvia had no idea she was once again being gravely misunderstood.

All she wanted now was to quickly end this damn banquet.

Go back to her room and lie down.

“Why does drinking blood get twisted into saving the world?”

“These people’s imaginations are way too wild…”

But the matter was obviously not so simple.

“Since our vampire friends are satisfied with our hospitality…”

Uther VII stood and raised his glass.

“Then let us toast to this historic meeting!”

“To the friendship between our two races!”

“To a future of peace!”

“To the Sacred Body’s… ahem.”

“To the health of the two princesses!”

Everyone raised their glasses, but the atmosphere remained unbearably tense.

Sylvia stared at the cup of deer blood poured in front of her once again, her heart breaking and wanting to cry.

“Tonight is destined to be another sleepless night…”