Lionel pulled me toward him, not particularly surprised or showing any sign of respect, casually asking, "Rui Jones, what brings you here?!"
"Of course, I came to join the fun and take a look at your Miss Margie!" His voice carried a careless, unruly tone, completely shattering his otherwise calm demeanor.
In the blink of an eye, I was pulled into an embrace, though my hand was still held by Lionel—clearly, the man holding me was the so-called Prince Rui Jones!
Lionel angrily shoved him away and pulled me behind him, "Rui Jones, I warn you, stay away from her. She's not the Sibylle from before!"
"Hmph... Baron, mind your status!"
He sneered as he glanced around, "Ah, I almost forgot, these people are all your loyalists! But are you gathering here to plot a rebellion, or simply throwing a grand welcome party for a mortal who doesn't belong to the vampire race?! Since she's not our beloved Sibylle, there's no need for such a spectacle, don't you think, my dear Baron Albert?"
So, he and Lionel were rivals! (Former rivals, that is.)
I stepped out from behind Lionel, "Prince, since you reminded Lionel of his status, you should also mind your own. Slandering others is beneath the dignity of a prince!"
He narrowed his eyes playfully, "No one has ever dared to accuse me!"
I chuckled. No one dared to accuse him? No wonder he was so arrogant!
"When you arrived, did you see anyone passionately plotting a rebellion against the vampire race, or were they just dancing leisurely? Hmph... My boyfriend simply invited a few good friends to meet me. Yet you accuse him of gathering a crowd to rebel. Let me ask you, since the vampire race has laws against rebellion, do they also have laws against slander? And there's a saying: 'When a prince breaks the law, he is no different from the common people.' Do vampires also believe in democracy?"
"You..." He quickly reached out, trying to grab my neck.
I activated my telekinetic abilities first, and his movements froze unnaturally, leaving him motionless, like a stone statue.
Everyone gasped and whispered among themselves. Lionel also asked me in surprise, "Margie, what did you do to him?"
I smiled, "Did anyone see me do anything to the prince?! I think the prince must have consumed some tainted blood and got infected. Besides biting people randomly, he's also rude and arrogant. The royal family's reputation has been thoroughly disgraced by you and the queen!"
"You..." Rui Jones couldn't even grit his teeth anymore. Beads of frost were already forming on his forehead—yes, I was freezing the blood inside his body. Clearly, this move was quite effective. If he moved even slightly, his fragile skin would be pierced by the ice.
"Prince, if you can calmly sit down and have a drink, or simply decide to leave, I'll help you figure out what illness you've contracted!"
After a long hesitation, he finally said, "Fine!"
I smiled and held Lionel's hand. Rui Jones collapsed to the ground as if his joints had come undone.
He looked up at me with a cold smile and said, "What a memorable first meeting. You always manage to surprise me, and this time is no exception!" With that, he slowly regained his strength and stood up.
I handed him the drink the waiter brought over, but the word "always" in his sentence puzzled me. This was clearly our first meeting!
As he took the glass, I noticed a ring on his middle finger, identical in design to the one on my hand, except the bat's eyes on his were brown.
In an instant, a crimson light flashed before my eyes, and a strong cold wind suddenly blew. Lionel quickly pulled me behind him. With a tearing sound, his shirt instantly turned to shreds, and a pair of enormous wings unfurled from his elegant, inverted trapezoid back, spreading out majestically.
I was stunned. Lionel had wings!
These wings were at least three times the size of his body, a vibrant reddish-brown, with smooth, overlapping feathers that blended seamlessly with his hair, forming a massive screen that shielded me behind him, more stunning than a peacock's display.
Thinking back to the night we first met, when I felt a gust of wind like a hurricane on the street, could that have been the wind from his flight?
God, he wasn't a vampire at all!
He was more like the legendary red-winged angel!
I stared at him in awe, as if a radiant halo had appeared above his head. No, actually, he resembled more of a legendary demon king... That suited him better, matching his usual flirtatious and slightly wicked nature...
Snap! Stop! What's going on now? Why am I standing here like a lovesick fool?
Looking over his shoulder, I saw another pair of wings—dark brown and equally massive. Their owner was none other than the much-watched Prince Rui Jones.
I didn't even see how they exchanged blows, but Lionel had already forced him back three steps. The flapping of their wings created a powerful gust of wind, like a lion's roar, shattering glasses and bottles on the distant bar. The drink I had handed to Rui Jones exploded mid-air before it could even fall.
I couldn't help but marvel at the mysterious power they wielded!
At that moment, both of them bared their fangs, their eyes glowing crimson, standing in a tense standoff, as if ready to perish together.
It was clear that Rui Jones had intended to do something to me earlier. As the host, Lionel would never lightly provoke the high-ranking vampire prince.
The people around us were also on edge, sighing warily, revealing their fangs and crimson eyes.
I couldn't help but shiver. It was then that I noticed Rui Jones had seven or eight attendants on his side!
The atmosphere was tense, the entire hall filled with dangerous, sharp hisses and provocative growls, like a pack of beasts preparing for battle.