Volume 4 Chapter 44

Volume 4 + Chapter 44: The Coronation Ceremony

Flora, the Vampire Princess, actually knew very little about the Vampire Ancestor.

All she understood was that the former Vampire Princess, Miu Miu, had undergone an astonishing transformation after consuming the Vampire Ancestor’s essence.

When she saw this “Vampire Princess” again, the Vampire King Herman had already sworn loyalty to her.

Very few people knew the inside story of this matter. When Flora saw the situation unfold, she was deeply shocked and utterly baffled.

However, the Vampire Ancestor bestowed Flora with a single drop of vampire.

After consuming that drop, Flora instantly felt a suppressive force within her bloodline.

As someone who possessed the former royal bloodline of the vampire race, she had always been confident in the purity of her lineage—even Herman could not fully overpower her.

Yet the Vampire Ancestor achieved exactly that, exerting complete and unquestionable dominance over her vampire.

Under such inescapable bloodline coercion, she chose to submit.

After all, the vampire race was a people who valued “bloodline” above all else.

“Honored Ancestor, who exactly is this person you speak of?” Flora asked.

“Xia Yi Christie… I believe that’s her name?” The silver-haired girl paused. “If I remember correctly, she should be… a Dragon Princess?”

“Honored Ancestor, if you are referring to the dragon race, members of the dragon royal family have indeed come to attend your coronation. The Silver Dragon Princess has already arrived.”

“So that’s how it is. That does make things a bit more interesting.”

……

“Serra still hasn’t brought Atiya back?”

Xia Yi frowned slightly. She glanced toward the entrance but still did not see any sign of the two maids.

Before the coronation officially began, she had already been invited to take her seat, waiting in the guest area designated for the Dragon Kingdom.

Prior to this, she had interacted briefly with several other high-ranked races.

Some spoke to Xia Yi with clear intent to probe her.

But her manners in social settings were impeccable—flawless, leaving no weak points.

“It’s starting, it’s starting!”

“The Vampire King is finally appearing!”

“Look at Herman—he’s perfectly fine! As expected, all that talk about him being sick or injured was nonsense.”

Hearing the surrounding chatter, Xia Yi lifted her head and looked upward.

At the herald’s announcement, the coronation ceremony for the new Vampire Queen formally began.

Xia Yi saw an imperial figure appear, holding a scepter and crowned—Herman Borgia—stepping into the public eye for the first time.

This was indeed the Vampire King she remembered.

To everyone else, Herman appeared in excellent spirits, no hint of exhaustion or frailty, nothing like the rumors of illness or grave injury. He seemed to be in his prime—radiant, commanding.

His stride was vigorous, his bearing regal, imperial authority flowing from him with sharp intensity.

And yet this same Herman was choosing to abdicate?

It was simply incomprehensible.

“Herman claims he’s stepping down because his ‘heart is willing but his strength inadequate’… but does he look like that at all?”

“I think that excuse is complete nonsense. Maybe he just wants to put a puppet ruler on the throne and control everything from behind the scenes?”

“How is that any different from ruling directly? In fact, wouldn’t it make communication inside the vampire race even harder? Going through all this trouble for something so pointless—it makes no sense!”

Most higher races could not understand Herman’s actions.

Many races had come to observe the Vampire Queen’s coronation precisely to discern the internal state of the vampire race.

But this situation only deepened their confusion, no real answers could be gleaned.

“……”

Facing the puzzled stares of the gathered crowd, Herman showed no reaction. He merely stood there, waiting for the new monarch to appear.

Xia Yi couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with Herman. If she had to put it into words—he looked like a puppet on strings, hollow, controlled, stripped of his own will.

“Let us welcome Her Majesty, the new Queen of the Crimson Empire—Miu Miu Borgia!”

With the announcer’s proclamation, the vampire-race choir began singing hymns. Their voices echoed through the resplendent palace as crimson petals fell like rain, carpeting the path ahead.

Amid the song, a silver-haired, red-eyed vampire girl stepped forward.

“So it really is Miu Miu.”

Even though Xia Yi had prepared herself, she was still somewhat surprised.

Miu Miu no longer wore the attire of a Vampire Princess. Instead, she appeared in a queen’s ceremonial gown themed in red and black. Black opera-length gloves wrapped around her fair hands, and over-the-knee heeled boots traced the lines of her slender legs—elegant, striking, beautiful.

There was no confusion or hesitation on her face—only the lingering echo of absolute confidence.

Her entire presence conveyed the natural right to inherit the vampire race’s throne, as though this position had always belonged to her.

Xia Yi felt as if the roles between Herman and Miu Miu had somehow reversed.

At that moment, Miu Miu suddenly paused and looked toward the guest seats.

Her gaze, unerring and direct, landed precisely on Xia Yi.

“Miu Miu?” Xia Yi called her name softly.

The vampire-race girl gave Xia Yi a small, meaningful smile—one that seemed to hide intent beneath its surface.

Xia Yi froze.

“Hmph, what’s so fascinating about her? She’s just a stinky bat… is there really any need to be that mesmerized?”

In the fox-folk section beside the dragon area, Yue Liu saw the look in Xia Yi’s eyes and muttered unhappily under her breath.

The coronation continued.

Miu Miu walked to the center of the hall, while Herman stepped aside.

The moment Miu Miu appeared, the imperial pressure surrounding Herman dissipated entirely. He removed his crown and scepter—the symbols of sovereign power—and placed them willingly upon a red cushion.

This public act made his intent unmistakably clear, he was relinquishing the throne.

Next came Miu Miu’s formal address.

Her speech was flawless—textbook perfect, leaving little room for criticism.

Finally came the enthronement. With the unanimous consent of the vampire race, the crown and scepter would be presented to Miu Miu. After taking her seat upon the vampire race’s throne, she would become their true queen.

“Does anyone have objections to Miu Miu Borgia inheriting Herman Borgia’s royal authority?” the herald asked, addressing the hall.

This was merely a formality. Under circumstances like these, in such a setting, no one should—

“I object!!”

A harsh voice suddenly rang through the palace, cutting off the announcer mid-sentence and drawing every gaze toward its source.