I forcefully brushed away his ghostly hand and looked at the slightly murky red wine, suspecting that it might contain his blood. Remembering Dene's warning, I absolutely couldn't allow Rui Jones's blood to enter my body. Otherwise, not only would I not see tomorrow's sun, but I might also grow two fangs!
"Take your wine away. I don't want to drink wine mixed with dog blood!"
He chuckled darkly, leaning closer, his tone suddenly filled with the affection of a long-time lover. "Sibelle, how long are you going to keep being stubborn with me? Of course, it was wrong of me to bite you that day, but eating some blood-replenishing food will fix it, hehe..."
"Stop pretending to be sincere, Rui Jones. You know how much I hate you!"
"But we were meant to be together. We should have shared eternal life, but Lionel got in the way. Hmph... Don't think he's so devoted. That terrible cello piece he claimed to have composed after losing Sibelle—he couldn't even bring himself to finish playing it!"
I couldn't help but frown. "So, when you invited me to dance earlier, you were just testing how I felt about that piece?"
He swirled the glass in his hand, took a slow sip, and sneered, "I'm afraid I'm not the only one probing you."
What did he mean by that?
Did Lionel deliberately play that piece, not out of his usual tacit feeling with Monique, but to play it for me? He knows I'm Margie, not Princess Sibelle, so why would he do something so inexplicable?
Hmph, maybe he confirmed I wasn't Sibelle and deliberately set me a challenge, then took Monique to the dance floor. Was his loud laughter earlier because I mocked Kenneth, or because I didn't understand his music, and he was mocking his own naiveness?
My mind was tangled with questions, the weight of them suffocating.
Indeed, the more you know, the more pain you experience.
If I had never heard of Princess Sibelle, I wouldn't be so troubled. I could even mock vampires for only liking melancholic music, never having heard cheerful children's songs like "Three Bears." These thousand-year-old creatures are all so ignorant.
The irony is that the first piece I played was "Joy of Love." What a 'joyful' piece, full of wailing and despair!
I couldn't help but sneer. I was being overly sentimental, and Rui Jones was even more hopelessly so. He must be tired of being turned away.
"You've tested it out. I'm not Sibelle. My name is Margie, and I can't stand the sorrow in that piece."
But it also shows how deeply Lionel loved Sibelle. The pain of losing his true love is all in that piece—the despair, the loneliness, the struggle and anguish of a lifetime... It's all there, a testament to an enduring bond.
Staring at the blood-red wine on the piano, I almost felt like gulping it down. I shifted my gaze and saw Lionel still dancing with Monique in the ballroom. Suddenly, I realized I was being foolish.
Hue had said that Lionel was using the ring to draw power from me. If I didn't have this value, he wouldn't care about me so much. If Dene hadn't called him, he would never have come to the villa to pick me up. We would have parted ways forever.
Why should I drown my sorrows over this? Besides, I once said that staying by his side was my own choice. His reactions shouldn't concern me.
Rui Jones's sigh interrupted my thoughts. "Alright, since you really don't feel anything, it must mean... you're not Sibelle."
"I'm glad you finally understand!" Finally, I could be rid of this demon!
But he suddenly smiled, his lips curving like gentle ripples on a moonlit lake, serene and ethereal, yet with an underlying chill. "Let's have a drink together. From now on, I won't see you as Sibelle, and I won't bother you anymore." Such an irresistibly tempting offer!
The more he said that, the more I couldn't drink that wine.
I glanced to the side and saw a servant passing by with a tray. I casually picked up a glass and said to Rui Jones, "Since it's just a drink, does it matter which one?"
He shrugged and clinked his glass against mine.
After finishing the drink, he didn't linger. He said goodbye to me and then to Elder Henry before quietly leaving.
This was Monique's birthday party. As a prince who had graced the event, he should have at least danced with Monique. Why did I feel like he came just to share a drink with me?
God, that thought could give me nightmares! Being constantly on a demon's radar is never a good thing.
The joy of the party carried over into the car. Lionel turned the car's sound system to the max, and a high-octane song blasted through the speakers.
I kept puzzling over Rui Jones's behavior, feeling a shiver down my spine. My stomach also felt uneasy, as if I had drunk a strong liquor or taken some kind of drug. It reminded me of the red wine on the piano.
But I clearly didn't drink that one!
Was it a trick? Did he place a harmless glass to pressure me into taking another?
Thinking back, the servant with the tray had appeared too conveniently... God, I need to stop overthinking, or I'll go mad.
Lionel glanced at me from the driver's seat. "Margie, you don't look well. What's wrong?" He reached over and touched my forehead. "You're sweating. Are you feeling unwell?"
"It's nothing. I just had a drink."
"A drink? I don't remember you drinking."