binnovel Chapter 219 It smells so good, can I drink your blood?
Chapter 219 It smells so good, can I drink your blood?
The air in the hall was filled with the faint scent of spices and burning candles, like a layer of dense, invisible gauze.
Under the dazzling lights, it was so sweet it was dizzying.
In a daze, one is willing to indulge in this sweet and extravagant dream.
This smells different from the bottle I bought today, but the aroma seems richer and more layered.
It smells pretty good.
So they really were ripped off by that shop owner today.
Lin Shuwan wrinkled her nose and sniffed again, arriving at this frustrating conclusion, and couldn't help but glare at Tronos.
She said the last one was the most, most, most important one!
Tronos was inexplicably disliked and didn't know what he had done wrong. Just as he was about to ask, he was interrupted by a commotion among the crowd.
At the top of the stairs on the second floor, a beautiful woman waved a feather fan in her hand, gently pinched the hem of her skirt with her left hand, and slowly walked down the stairs with elegant steps.
A deep purple velvet gown cascaded down the stairs like a waterfall, its movement creating soft, flowing arcs.
She was probably the Duchess of Grove, whom the spice shop owner had described as having a particular fondness for singing and dancing.
When she reached the center of the dance floor, her feather fan half-covering her lips, and her gaze seemingly casually sweeping over Lin Shuwan and Tronos, she spoke softly, her voice low but clear:
"Thank you all for coming. I hope we can spend this sweet and wonderful evening together."
She smiled, her words carrying a deeper meaning, and then gently raised her hand to signal the start of the ball.
The musicians immediately began playing the first dance tune, and the melodious tune flowed out.
Tronos subtly withdrew his gaze from Duchess Grove, bowed slightly, extended his right palm upward, and looked at Lin Shuwan with gentle and focused eyes: "Would I have the honor of inviting you to dance?"
The deep, gentle voice made Lin Shuwan's ears burn. She gently placed her hand in Tronos's palm and said demurely, "You're lucky."
"My pleasure."
Tronos smiled and responded, then straightened up, clasped his hands together firmly with his right hand, and gently supported Lin Shuwan's waist with his other hand, leading her into the dance floor.
Their steps immediately blended with the music, and the skirts supported by whalebone crinolines rose and fell with their spins.
The hand on my lower back felt scorching hot, as if it were burning into my heart, and with each breath, it was so close yet so intimate, like silk threads intertwining.
Lin Shuwan tilted her head slightly, feeling uneasy, as she tried to create some distance, but Tronos pulled her back into his arms amidst the increasingly loud music.
She subconsciously looked up, only to meet Tronos's deep gaze. Their eyes met briefly, as if she had been burned, before she quickly looked down again: "You jumped well. Did you jump with someone?"
What was originally a casual question meant to distract her, turned out to carry a hint of jealousy.
Tronos's gaze remained fixed on Lin Shuwan, as if she were the only person left on the dance floor: "No, I remembered you when I saw you before. You were my first dance partner."
The word "first" always seems to carry a special kind of magic.
Lin Shuwan couldn't help but smile.
When the song ended and the last note faded, she quickly whispered, "You too."
Tronos paused for a moment, then quickly replied, "Since it's our first time, how about we dance another song?"
The second piece of music followed immediately, flowing across the dance floor like water, languid and leisurely.
He embraced Lin Shuwan, his gaze sweeping over the other men around him with an unfriendly look, as if he were a victor.
Lin Shuwan moved in sync with his steps, only raising an eyebrow and looking at him with a teasing gaze, saying, "I didn't know you liked dancing."
“Whether you like it or not depends on the person,” Tronos said meaningfully.
"You're so glib." Lin Shuwan gave him a playful glare, then said nothing more.
Skirts twirled, dance steps intertwined, laughter and whispers mingled, creating a beautiful and romantic scene.
*
The Duchess of Grove, who had been in the center of the dance floor just moments before, had long since retreated to a secluded spot. Her jade-like fingers held the slender stem of her wine glass, swaying it slightly before raising it in a certain direction, as if she were sharing a drink with someone from afar.
Duchess Grove, or Eve, is also a pureblood vampire, but her ability is different—it's disguise.
Disguised as a human, possessing human body temperature, breathing, pulse, and heartbeat.
She initially thought it was a useless ability, until she unexpectedly encountered an adult witch named Zero, who made her believe that she was just an ordinary person.
Perhaps her craving for the blood of the Witch Clan was too strong, which led her to risk being discovered and carefully live by Zero's side for two years.
Zero is skilled in pharmaceutical manufacturing; he probably has a good talent for it. By following him, she actually learned quite a bit of it.
It's funny, really. She, a vampire, actually lived peacefully with the witches for two years.
Unfortunately, he almost discovered her vampire identity.
She had no choice but to strike first, using what she had learned from him to knock him down and drain him dry.
Later, after many twists and turns, he arrived in Grove and unexpectedly met the Duke of Grove, who bore a striking resemblance to Zero.
For reasons unknown, she stayed in Grove.
Since he hadn't figured out what to do next, he turned Duke Grove into a vampire as well, and used the duke's name to hold a ball every year, inviting nobles and gentry.
The spices at the banquet had hallucinogenic effects. If someone caught the eye, the host would keep them and suck their blood a few times, and then invite them to visit from time to time.
No one died. Once they return, thanks to the effects of the sleeping pills, they won't remember what happened.
At most, I'll be weak for a few days and need to replenish my blood.
The commotion wasn't too big, and it wouldn't cause any trouble—the witch clan and vampire hunters who loathe vampires.
Until two weeks ago, Draven came to Grove. It's unclear how he learned that she had killed adult witches, but he came to seek cooperation.
It was said that after the matter was accomplished, she would receive one-third of the blood of that witch clan.
She was eating at the time. Vampires are very territorial and generally do not like to visit each other unless necessary. She was especially so, particularly when eating.
What's more, it's such an absurd collaboration.
She was self-aware; she was able to kill Zero mainly because he was caught off guard.
Other witch clans wouldn't easily drink what others offered.
She was about to chase him away when he said he had a way to get close to the witch.
The witch fell in love with a vampire, who was Draven's familiar (the vampire he had first embraced).
She became somewhat curious.
It's quite a coincidence that they happened to enter her territory and even came to the ball.
It's really strange that a powerful witch would take a fancy to a vampire, especially a mixed-blood one.
So foolish, it would be better to die at her hands and have a quick death.
The liquid in the glass refracted a deep, dark red luster under the light, as alluring as blood.
She downed the drink in one gulp, pursed her lips (presumably because she found the taste too bland), casually put down the cup, glanced once more in the direction of Tronos and Lin Shuwan with a mocking smile, and then turned and left...