The symphony still flowed through the hall, but the demons on the dance floor had long since lost the heart to dance. They gathered around the trio in the center of the room, watching the spectacle unfold.
Eve sat in a corner of the crowd, watching them with unease. She did not understand what they were arguing about; she only felt the tension in the air.
“She doesn’t know how to dance,” Seraphina said, her face unchanging as she maintained her social smile. “It wouldn’t be good if she accidentally stepped on your feet, Lady Leah.”
Leah didn’t respond. She walked straight past Seraphina toward the masked person behind her. The more Seraphina tried to obstruct her, the more certain Leah became that this person was Lin Shu.
She reached out toward the person in front of her, palm upward in an inviting gesture. Leah’s voice was forceful, yet carried a hint of awkwardness. “Dance with me.”
In the past, Leah would never have lowered herself to invite someone else to dance, but she was willing to bow her head to win Lin Shu back. As long as Lin Shu returned to her side.
Through the mask, Lin Shu could see Leah’s expression. Those eyes held a familiar pride, mixed with a clumsy sense of initiative.
Lin Shu shook her head and took a half-step back in rejection. Seraphina had already provided cover for her, so she had to play along.
Leah was instantly provoked. She took a sudden step forward and reached out, grabbing the thin cord around Lin Shu’s neck. “Stop pretending, Lin Shu!”
“Do you think I can’t tell? Only Lin Shu would wear this necklace. It’s you!!”
The cord pulled tight, and the key hanging at the end was dragged out, exposed to the air.
‘This is bad!’ Seraphina thought. There were so many demons around; if a member of the Saint Race was lurking nearby, being recognized would surely compromise Lin Shu.
Seraphina rushed forward, trying to grab the key, and Lin Shu reached out at the same time. But they were a step too late. Leah yanked hard, the cord snapped, and the key fell to the floor with a clatter.
“I’ll give you something better. Before… I didn’t do a good job. I want to treat you well now.”
Leah opened a small, rectangular box and took out a gold necklace inlaid with a ruby. It sparkled brilliantly under the ballroom lights.
“According to human customs, valuable items symbolize important promises, don’t they?”
“Now, I’m giving this to you. Come back with me, Lin Shu.”
Leah held both ends of the necklace, intending to put it on Lin Shu. Hearing the word “human,” the chatter among the surrounding demons grew louder.
“A human? She’s a human?”
“Is that why she’s wearing a mask?”
“But her aura doesn’t feel like one at all…”
Seraphina forced herself to remain calm. “What are you talking about, Lady Leah?”
She unhurriedly leaned over and picked up the key and the broken cord from the floor. “Throwing away someone else’s property isn’t very noble behavior, is it?”
Leah snapped her head toward her, seeing the key in Seraphina’s hand. “As expected, this was your gift, wasn’t it, Seraphina!”
That wasn’t it at all.
Listening to Leah’s words, a wave of exhaustion washed over Lin Shu. She didn’t know where Leah had heard about human customs, but the girl was once again selfishly imposing what she thought was “good” onto someone else. Leah didn’t understand what that key meant to her.
Lin Shu reached out to push Leah away, refusing the expensive necklace. Leah felt as though Lin Shu was trying to escape, and her anger flared even hotter.
‘Which half-vampire would refuse me except for you, this human?!’
‘If you aren’t willing to admit it…’
With a flick of her hand, Leah tore the mask from Lin Shu’s face. It hit the floor with a sharp *thud*.
Lin Shu’s face was exposed to everyone: a delicate, clean face of a young girl, her eyes wide with a trace of panic. More notably, there was a unique pattern in the center of her forehead — the mark of a familiar.
A collective gasp echoed through the hall, and the demons began whispering in shock. A human had actually snuck into their ball.
In the corner, Eve’s eyes widened. However, her surprise stemmed more from the fact that the face beneath the mask looked somewhat familiar. The Drago family name… and this girl’s face…
Eve suddenly remembered. Years ago, she seemed to have met a female vampire of the Drago family who was accompanied by a human maid with a very similar face…
“Why won’t you just admit it?”
Having confirmed the face under the mask was indeed Lin Shu, Leah’s anger dissipated significantly, replaced by a deep sense of grievance. She pointed toward the high platform at the end of the hall, her emotions turbulent.
“A few years ago, right in this very spot, I summoned you myself. You became my familiar.”
“Did you forget all of it?”
The demons erupted into a frenzy of discussion. Questioning and scrutinizing gazes fell upon Lin Shu.
“We don’t know who she is, but that pattern on her forehead is definitely a familiar’s mark.”
“But she’s clearly following the Drago family…?”
“So the rumors about the genius young lady of the Tepes family summoning a human familiar were true?”
“She must have defected. Hahaha, high society is such a mess…”
Lin Shu tried her best to ignore the chatter. She met Leah’s blood-red eyes and finally spoke. “I am no longer your familiar.”
“Past memories have nothing to do with the present.”
“I don’t know how to dance, and I don’t deserve such a valuable gift from the Young Lady.”
Leah clenched the ruby necklace tightly in her palm. With every word Lin Shu spoke, Leah’s body trembled more violently. She watched as Lin Shu walked toward Seraphina, took the broken cord with the key, and tied it back around her neck.
‘Where… where did I go wrong?’
‘I’m already trying to make amends with her. I invited her to dance and gave her a precious gift. Why won’t she just accept? Why would she rather have Seraphina’s piece of junk over mine?’
Seeing that the situation had devolved into chaos and that the goal of speaking with Eve had been achieved, Lin Shu spoke to Seraphina. “Master, can we leave?”
Seraphina nodded. “Sweetie, go wait for me at the door. I’ll be there in a moment.”
Seeing Lin Shu about to leave, Leah prepared to chase after her, only for Seraphina to flash forward and block her path.
“Seraphina!!!” Leah screamed.
All of her frustration and resentment were directed at this vampire who was always standing in her way.
‘It’s you… it’s always been you! That’s why Lin Shu won’t come back!’
Leah swung her arm, summoning her scythe from a void rift. The massive blade slammed into the ground. The surrounding demons cried out in alarm, scurrying backward.
The smile on Seraphina’s face turned cold. She summoned her parasol, pointing its tip toward Leah. She knew Leah’s strength was not to be underestimated, but for Lin Shu’s sake, she could not back down.
“Move!!” The scythe swung, sending a blood-red blade aura crashing toward Seraphina.
*Boom!!*
A rapid figure blurred into motion, and the blade aura struck a sharp sword.
Eve pushed her wheelchair, positioning herself in front of Seraphina. She manipulated her puppet, Ella, to withstand Leah’s attack.
“Seraphina, go first,” Eve said. “I’ll fight.”