Blood Awakening: The Strongest Hybrid and His Vampire Bride

Meanwhile, the maids took the girls into the city in matching coloured outfits. Leona joined them, but she wasn't working. She joined them off-duty, wearing a blue summer dress and thigh-high tights.

"I can't believe this is what you look like in private, Leona."

"Oh? You look amused, Lady Selene. Does my outfit look strange?"

"No," Selene shook her head and smiled faintly. "You look gorgeous, so good that I worry about letting Nikolai see you like this."

"Haha, that's true. She seems like our fool's type."

"Nn, Nikolai likes pretty women."

"Wow, even Kumiko agreed that you're pretty! That's amazing." Risa chirped, looking out the window with a wide grin. Nikita and the others happily spoke and gossiped with the head maid, who usually protected them.

The conversation in the large black van proved much better than Leona had expected. Though Nikolai told her to have a rest, she worried something might happen in her absence.

"It's my pleasure to be complimented. Lady Risa."

"Haha, don't be so stiff. At least for today, call us by our names, forget the lady."

Risa worked the hardest to bring the women together while Nikita wrapped herself in a fluffy jumper, leaning against the door and watching the cars passing them.

"So, what are we going to buy first?" Selene's voice filled the car.

She gazed around the car, with her red eyes shining bright. From her tone, the girls knew she was in a good mood.

"Um? Do we need anything right now~ I'm not sure."

"Nikita, don't you need to buy things?"

"Yeah, but my mother already bought so many things for the future."

"What about a gift for Nikolai?" Kumiko's voice sounded different from the time before she matured. Now, a more seductive and sweet voice. Even when she spoke normally, it created a very sultry voice.

"A gift for Nikolai?"

Nikita's eyes shone brighter, causing her lips to curl upward.

"What do you think, Selene?"

"Should we buy a gift alone or together?" Selene's eyes narrowed, a sense of competitive spirit burning within them.

The girls became quiet while Leona watched them with a warm smile. Because she normally needed to pay attention to everything, being relaxed and calm rarely happened.

"Should we buy gifts for the Lord in groups, maybe Risa and Miss Kumiko and Selene and Nikita could buy a gift between themselves, I believe Nikolai would be happy with such a thing?"

"Good Idea, Leona!" Nikita seemed happy because she didn't need to think any more while looking at Selene with a cheeky smirk on her lips. "Selene, you better not pick something boring!"

Kumiko looked embarrassed, having known him the shortest time. She couldn't help but feel inferior and looked at Risa with a bitter smile. "Let's do our best, Risa."

"Heh, Kumi worry not! Everything will be fine."

The car continued along the road as the conversation shifted, becoming vibrant and filled with the four women discussing presents in a vivid and excited mood.

Leona watched the group of young women, her eyes narrowed with a pleasant smile on her lips.

Meanwhile, at the mansion, Nikolai sat opposite his two aunts and grandfather while Ivan and Viktor sat beside him.

"Lord of the Báthory, you understand that Nikolai will become the leader of the Moonlight alliance in the future, correct?" Viktor's low, aggressive tone filled the room, causing Alphonse to narrow his eyes.

"Calm yourself, Lord of Volkov. I am old, and my ears ache when dogs bark outside."

'What?'

Nikolai's eyes widened as his two grandfathers started to argue. Thanks to the arguments between Selene and Nikita, Nikolai understood Alphonse's subtle insult.

"Haha, sometimes we find leeches in the marsh. It seems a few managed to get into the mansion. I'll have to crush them under my feet."

"It seems you still don't understand the current situation. An old dog that cannot even fight back barks on a high pedestal, how pathetic." Alphonse's voice became deeper as the two men confronted each other.

"Father, stop being stupid. The feud with Elizabeth's family should stop here and stop with me!" Ivan's words caused both the men to gaze at him, and silence covered the entire office as they watched one another. However, they couldn't help but see the seriousness on their faces.

"Nikolai's life was in danger just a little while ago. Yet where were they?"

"They came to help me in the past, Father," Ivan cut the older man off before turning and glancing at Nikolai with a look that demanded he take this moment and talk. "We would have perished had the Báthory family not helped us."

"Haa… a traitor in my pack." Viktor shook his head. "Whatever, I am getting old… tell me, Alphonse, what do you suggest?"

"Simple, marry Nikolai to one of the Báthory side branches and form an alliance with them. There are three candidates for marriage, all are the heads of families and come with considerable territory, not to mention that they will become strong and beautiful women."

"Impossible." Nikolai's voice reverberated this time, much lower than Ivan's and more aggressive and snappier than Viktor's.

"Eh?"

"Nikolai, calm yourself. Alphonse, I am grateful for everything the Báthory Family has done for us, but we will not force Nikolai to marry anyone, he will choose his brides."

The response seemed to be expected by Alphonse, who showed a bitter smile, gazing at Nikolai for a moment before showing a sly grin, "That's good, so I can take it his current choices are his own?"

Nikolai nodded to the question, "Yes, they are." His response was curt, causing Viktor and Alphonse to turn their heads towards each other in surprise.

"I see, forgive me, honourable silver wolf. I just wished to learn the truth. Rumours and false words linger in our world, and many twisted the facts." Alphonse's smile brightened, watching Viktor with amusement in his eyes.

"Tsk, this is why I hate you damn mystic fools." Viktor and Alphonse knew each other for decades, sometimes as rivals, other times as in-laws. Their hatred and dislike withered over the years, and now they were just bitter old men.

"Anyway, how were the four children?" Alphonse showed a warmer tone. While Nikolai didn't understand, Ivan sighed heavily, shaking his head before leaning over the table with his arms folded.

"The princess of the Tepes clan, the princess of the Fenrir clan, the last remaining royal of the elusive Nekomata clan and finally, the divine saint of the Kogetsu clan. Do you think these women are not worthy of our grandson?"

"Hmmm~ well, barely."

"That's the first sensible thing you've said, Alphonse."

'These old men, are they close friends or enemies? It's so confusing!'

While the older three continued to chat, Nikolai was more than confused about his grandfather's relationship with each other. His eyebrows twitched slightly, a clear indicator of his irritation. He also noticed his aunts seemed shocked, too. Maybe Alphonse didn't joke and make such vulgar remarks with them.

"Little Nikolai~ how about you come with Auntie and have some tea."

"Yeah, leave these old men to discuss boring topics."

"Karoline, Adela, stop trying to disturb this meeting!" Alphonse scolded them, but the two women stood up and hooked Nikolai's arms, lifting him from the sofa.

"Father, you'll go bald if you are so stressed."

"Calm down, father."

Alphonse's face turned red before he shook his head, turning to Viktor and Ivan with a weary look. "It seems that Nikolai has some of you in him, too focused on women!"

"Shut it, Alphonse… Nikolai, go enjoy yourself." Viktor turned away, looking out the window as the two women who resembled his late daughter-in-law pulled his grandson out of the room, causing a small chuckle to slip from the two men's lips.

Slam!

Once the door closed, the old men's atmosphere transformed.

"Haha, it's been a long time, Alphonse, how is retired life?" Viktor's voice became calmer.

The earlier hostility between the two was just a ploy.

An act they performed for the younger generation of the pack's sake, mostly for Nikolai's. Their previous argument and dispute about Nikolai were real, but their antagonistic remarks to each other were fake.

"Ivan, Viktor, it's great to see you both again, I hope you know I do not blame you for Elizabeth's matter." The old man turned his attention to Ivan and spoke gently. While it was true, they knew some people believed he blamed Ivan.

"You don't need to talk about it, Alphonse, we both know that I could have done more back then."

"So modest, do you think that it was a simple event? Even when our Báthory clan couldn't foresee it properly?" Alphonse's tone changed to one of exasperation. He wasn't sure when he would get old. His back didn't hurt, and his hair became whiter, and it wasn't easy to go to feed either. Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire

"Elizabeth wouldn't blame you, my son." Alphonse patted Ivan's shoulder before closing his eyes. "So, the boy fell for a girl from the Tepes clan. Isn't it ironic that the women and families from that ritual came together again?" Ivan and Viktor trembled. They spoke their titles out fully to pass this information to Alphonse.

"Well… do you also think it's strange?" Ivan asked his father-in-law.

"I do, the fact that all the girls who attended the ritual are now engaged to Nikolai, and once again, the Nosferatu are causing trouble… Not only that, but I cannot scry the future, just like seventeen years ago.

"You cannot scry?!" Viktor's eyes widened.

The Báthory clan was very secretive.

Not even Nikolai or the others knew much about them. They were a race descended from a bloodline of vampires known as witches, able to see the future. Viktor also remembered the last time he heard this from Elizabeth and Alphonse.

It was the year Elizabeth died, and the civil war between vampires started and lasted five years.