Luo Wei was about to say something to Annie when Evelyn walked over directly, her expression tinged with impatience.
"What is there to talk about? What's the point?"
She knew Luo Wei's thoughts—he didn't want her to feel embarrassed in front of her family, so he wanted to accompany her back as a member of the Vampire Clan.
But Evelyn didn’t think it was a big deal. If returning home required such caution and her partner having to disguise himself for her sake, then it might as well not happen at all.
"Annie, if there’s nothing else, you can go back first," Evelyn said expressionlessly, sitting back in her office chair and effectively dismissing her.
"Miss... but!" Annie quickly interjected.
"The 900th birthday celebration of the Vampire Clan is really important. After all, Duke Victor... might not break through to the level of a Vampire Prince in the next hundred years."
"If he fails, it won’t just affect the rise and fall of the family. These last hundred years might very well be his final days..."
Luo Wei looked at Evelyn. This sudden emotional appeal also left her expression in silence.
He knew that the hierarchy of the Vampire Clan was similar to that of nobility—duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron. The Prince was the highest rank.
Apart from the original seven ancient beings, the lifespans of vampires were not as eternal as one might imagine. Only those at the Prince level could live for around 2,000 years. From this perspective, Duke Victor's rank matched his status as a Vampire Duke.
No wonder the Duke had been so humble, hoping to see Evelyn return. If there was truly an emotional element to this, the birthday banquet felt eerily like a farewell.
"Has it really been so long?" Evelyn murmured.
"That guy... he’s growing old too, and he’ll die eventually..."
She shook her head with a bitter smile. "But what’s the point of telling me all this?"
"That guy has already found a satisfactory heir. The family is full of descendants, and he’s not lacking in companionship. Why call me back? Don’t tell me it’s out of guilt?"
"I actually think Miss Evelyn’s talent would make her a better heir," Annie said with a smile.
"Oh?" Evelyn looked at her and suddenly let out a mocking laugh.
The story behind it all was somewhat ironic and bittersweet.
Initially, her father had neglected her mother because her bloodline talent was unremarkable. But the irony was that after reaching adulthood, her talent far surpassed all her peers. This left the Duke filled with regret, but it was already too late.
After leaving the family, she lived alone in the human world and found a new life for herself.
Through self-reliance, she gradually integrated into human society. Having grown up in a supernatural family, she possessed knowledge of mystical systems far beyond that of ordinary scholars. She smoothly became a university lecturer, published academic papers, and eventually became a professor...
There was no going back...
She loved the freedom here and could never return to that rigid, conservative family...
Annie sighed helplessly. "Miss Evelyn really has no ambition. It’s a bit of a shame..."
"But that’s fine. Over the years, the Duke has come to understand your resolve. If you’re unwilling, he won’t force you."
"He sent me here this time, genuinely hoping you would return to see him. A hundred years is really short, and since you live outside, there might not be another chance like this..."
"Alright, alright..." Evelyn waved her hand impatiently as Annie began to lecture her like an elder.
"Stop talking. I’ll go back, okay?"
Annie couldn’t help but glance at Luo Wei. "So, this Mr. Luo Wei... who exactly is he?"
"Him?" Evelyn also looked at Luo Wei, a mischievous thought crossing her mind.
"His identity is anything but simple~" she said mysteriously, lowering her voice.
"Huh?"
Both Annie and Luo Wei looked at Evelyn in confusion.
"Our Mr. Luo Wei comes from a mysterious reclusive family! This family is truly extraordinary!"
Luo Wei stared at her suspiciously. What reclusive family? He had no idea about this.
Annie’s curiosity was immediately piqued, especially since Luo Wei’s earlier display of being neither human nor vampire had left her puzzled.
"There’s such a family? Miss Evelyn! Which family is it?"
"The Edlin Family!"
"The Edlin Family?" Annie fell into deep thought. "Is there such a family among the Vampire Clan? Are they descendants of nobles who fled after the destruction of the City of Cain... or a branch family of the Seven Great Clans?"
After some consideration, she still couldn’t find a corresponding family name, so she looked up in confusion.
"Miss Evelyn, you’re not lying to me, are you?"
"Why would I lie to you?" Evelyn said firmly. "I told you, it’s a reclusive family. How could you easily know about it?"
"If you don’t believe me, go investigate! I guarantee you’ll be shocked! Everyone who has worked with the Edlin Family seems to have been collectively erased from memory! It’s incredibly strange!"
"Really?" Annie couldn’t believe such a family existed.
Luo Wei sighed and looked at Evelyn, who maintained a completely serious expression.
She wasn’t entirely wrong. Annie could use the family’s resources to investigate all she wanted. After all, even Tilis’s Magical Hermitage couldn’t uncover his origins. The Abraham family would likely get the same result.
After all, this was an unfilled plot hole in the game...
"Could it be... could it be..." Annie’s imagination began to run wild.
"Since the time of the Church, the Vampire Clan’s City of Cain has been besieged and destroyed multiple times. Many noble bloodlines were scattered across the continent, displaced and disconnected..."
"Then Mr. Luo Wei, could he be..."
Luo Wei silently watched her, impressed by her ability to spin such elaborate theories.
But what he didn’t expect was that Annie’s thoughts would become even more far-fetched...
"No, no! I think Mr. Luo Wei might actually be from an even more ancient bloodline..."
"Cain, the Progenitor, created his descendants out of loneliness—his thirteen children. Originally, there should have been Thirteen Great Clans, but over the long course of history... only seven have survived..."
"And in the legends, the earliest descendants of the Progenitor were more like humans. As time passed, the less pure descendants became more prone to corruption, becoming more like beasts..."
Annie’s thoughts spiraled further. She immediately turned to Luo Wei, eager to verify her suspicions.
"No, this is too important! Miss Evelyn, I need to investigate this thoroughly. I’ll look into this so-called Edlin Family right away!"
"Miss Evelyn, that’s all for today. If there’s anything else, contact me at the usual place. I’m leaving!"
With that, she pushed open the window, and her figure vanished in an instant.
Luo Wei and Evelyn exchanged a silent glance.
She couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. "Everything after that was just her wild imagination! I never said any of that. If something goes wrong at the banquet, don't blame me!"
"You really know how to create a show," Luo Wei said, barely holding back his own laughter.
"Let's not overthink it. Let them fill in the blanks themselves!" Evelyn laughed heartily, her earlier frustration about going home completely gone.