Elena was dressed in a cream-colored gothic luxurious dress, which seemed to blend seamlessly with her long white hair. Her blood-red pupils and the blood moon hairpin on her head were like the most perfect embellishments in the world.
She opened the door again, and the croaking of frogs outside the window grew louder.
Mary's second piece of advice: There are no frogs in the castle.
Alucard coldly raised his arm, indicating that Elena should hold onto it.
Elena placed her hand on his arm and asked, "There are no frogs in our castle, right?"
Alucard frowned, "Of course! Vampires hate frogs."
"But why are there so many frogs croaking outside the window?"
Alucard glanced outside the window and then looked at Elena with a strange expression. "I didn't hear any frogs croaking," he said, looking at Elena's somewhat neurotic blood-red pupils and shaking his head.
"Sister, you lock yourself in your room every day. This isn't good for your mental health." Alucard looked straight ahead. "Humans are troublesome. After your coming-of-age ceremony, it would be better if you became a vampire too."
Elena was dissatisfied with his coldness. "Look down on humans? Don't forget, you're also a child of humans."
Alucard's expression suddenly turned cold. "Am I?"
"Do you want to deny it?"
"Huh! Huhuhu... If I were a child of humans, then why did mother only take you away when she left the castle? Wasn't I her child too?"
"Think about it. The birth rate of vampires is very low. The continuation of the race mainly relies on the first embrace. As the only heir of our father, he naturally wouldn't agree for mother to take you away." Elena said matter-of-factly.
"Then why did mother have to leave back then?" Alucard asked in return. "Couldn't she have stayed for her son?"
"Well..." Elena touched her lips with her finger.
Alucard gave a cold smile. "Let me tell you. Mother left because she believed that she was only of the same kind as you, but not me!"
"Perhaps, she even despised the vampire she gave birth to... me..." Alucard said, his eyes filled with resentful looks.
"Poor brother, it's obvious that you haven't had an easy time these years."
"You're wrong, my beautiful sister. I'm doing fine. Although I have a human mother, my bloodline is purer than anyone else's. No one dares to disrespect me, and no one dares to gossip about me behind my back."
Alucard paused and then smiled again. "I've talked too much, my dear sister. Although I call you that, in my heart, I have never regarded you as a family member. I hope you can clearly understand this point as well."
Elena blinked her blood-red eyes and nodded. So, all this time, this was a fake brother. Can't count on him.
A moment later.
"Pass through this corridor, and the hall is ahead. Your coming-of-age ceremony is at noon. Before that, I'll take you to the next room. You can get dressed up in there. Of course, breakfast has already been prepared for you." Alucard explained briefly.
"You're so considerate, dear brother."
Alucard snorted.
Croak! Croak! Croak!
Elena heard the croaking of frogs again. She couldn't help but turn around and saw a huge blood-red flower quietly blooming under the large semi-elliptical gothic window behind her.
At that moment, the flower seemed to sense Elena's gaze and suddenly turned its "head" towards her. A multitude of eyes suddenly opened in the center of the flower, and in the middle of those eyes, a terrifying mouth full of sharp teeth suddenly appeared.
"Hello, princess. Are you looking at me?" The flower with dense eyes slit open and said, "Is there anything I can do for you?"
[Your SAN -1]
"Thank you. I just think you're very beautiful." Elena gave a friendly smile.
[The Blood Disaster Flower's SAN -0.1]
The Blood Disaster Flower: (o_o)??
Then, Elena turned and walked toward the corridor, her blood-red eyes glancing at the paintings while she counted 1, 2, 3 in her mind.
At the third oil painting, Elena stopped. This painting was a portrait of an ugly goblin. He had a short stature, green skin, a long nose, a sly smile, and wrinkles all over his face.
[Portrait: The Clever Goblin]
"What are you doing?" Alucard approached and asked curiously.
Elena crossed her arms and stared at the goblin in the painting, saying, "What an impolite goblin. Why doesn't it greet the princess when it sees me?"
Alucard looked at Elena strangely again. "It's just a painting. How could it talk to you?"
Elena: (*￣∇￣*)
"Sister, you seem... very 'abnormal' today," Alucard said with a shadowy tone.
Elena felt the sharp gaze from the other side and paused for a moment.
The first rule of survival in the dark world: In the vampire castle, you are absolutely safe. When you feel unsafe, ask yourself if you have lost your nobility and elegance.
This can also be understood as, once you lose your nobility and elegance, you will be judged as "abnormal." And obviously, being "abnormal" is contrary to the fifth rule of survival in the dark world: "Please always keep yourself 'normal.'"
So, "abnormal" means "unsafe."
And Elena's nonsense at the moment was neither "noble" nor "elegant," and was very "abnormal."
"I was just joking with you, brother. You have no sense of humor," Elena said with a smile to cover up.
Alucard's expression eased, and he raised his arm again. "Let me take you to the rest room."
Elena placed her pale hand on Alucard's arm and gritted her teeth hard. Damn! Why did she feel like Alucard wanted to kill her just now? Why would she be "unsafe" if she's "abnormal"?
And! What's the deal with the painting? Mary's first piece of advice: The third painting in the corridor always lies. But the goblin in the painting couldn't talk!
Finally, Alucard pushed open the door. This was a luxurious and bright room. There were fancy furniture, cabinets filled with expensive clothes and accessories, and a table with a sumptuous feast. Next to the feast was a terrifying slit-mouth doll holding a teddy bear.
Nini, who was currently stuffing her mouth with cake, saw Elena and suddenly paused, then smiled and said, "Master, you're here! I'm eating the cake very carefully for you!"
Elena's cheek twitched. "Then, thank you very much."
"Is she your blood contract partner?" Alucard asked.
"Yes, what's wrong?" Elena stepped forward and lifted Nini up.
"Nothing. Just, I'm impressed, my sister," Alucard said, then turned and walked out of the door. "Have a good time. I'll come back later."
"Okay," Elena said, holding Nini in one hand and her skirt in the other, very gracefully.
"Master, put Nini down quickly! Nini hasn't finished eating yet!" The little girl flailed her hands in the air, bared her fangs, and screamed shrilly.
[Nini's affection for you -1] [Nini's affection for you -1] ...
Elena looked at the table full of delicious food that had all been ruined by Nini's fangs and clenched her fists tightly. And at that moment, she suddenly noticed her own fists... They had turned green? She immediately opened her palm! Only to find that there were faint, thin layers of flesh connecting her five fingers, just like a frog's webbed feet!
Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! ...
Suddenly! The noisy croaking of frogs kept ringing in Elena's ears!
[Your sanity value -10]