Until Claire stepped into the banquet hall, she finally understood why this castle was called Mirror Palace.
Hundreds of enormous mirrors wrapped around the great chamber.
The mirrors reflected one another.
Anyone standing in the center could see countless different versions of themselves from every angle.
This hall could seat at least fifty people for dinner.
Two extremely long tables made of golden-threaded nanmu wood stood facing each other on either side of the hall.
Beside the main seat in the middle were several additional tables and chairs.
Those were clearly prepared for the most distinguished members of the family.
In front of every seat, porcelain plates and silverware were neatly arranged on red napkins embroidered with the family crest.
The massive crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling slowly lit up.
It emitted a soft and mysterious glow.
The mirrors on the walls reflected the light outward.
Claire stood in the center of the room.
She was surrounded by the interplay of light and shadow.
It felt as though she had entered a fantastical space woven from light and countless reflections.
The family members who had arrived were guided by waiters to take their seats at the left table.
Regardless of gender, every single person looked like flawless pearls or fine jade.
Some had specially changed into formal evening attire.
The gentlemen’s suits featured white lace collars embroidered with delicate patterns.
The ladies wore mermaid-style evening gowns and adorned their necks with precious necklaces that shone brilliantly.
Although vampires’ appearances gave no clue to their true age, their eager and expectant expressions made it clear they all belonged to the younger generation.
Claire stood among them like a crow that had wandered into a cage of ornamental birds.
Claire’s seat was quite good.
It was near the front of the table, close to the main seat.
“As expected of a fourth-generation. You get to sit this far forward on your very first visit.” Ophelia’s seat was right beside Claire’s.
She reached out and patted Claire’s head.
Claire had intended to stop her, but then realized Ophelia was simply helping tidy her messy hair from the journey.
Although Ophelia was a fifth-generation vampire, her father, Sir Lycart, had followed Queen Christine into the city during the Battle of Agate and still held a high position in the military.
Therefore, among the newborns, Ophelia’s status was relatively high.
“Sitting near the front isn’t necessarily a good thing. I just returned from handling a case in Kent and was immediately summoned to this banquet. Who knows what the elders are planning.” Claire complained.
“Kent… My goodness. So you’re the Kent hero everyone at the bureau has been talking about nonstop?”
Ophelia’s eyes widened into perfect circles, filled with disbelief.
But Ophelia quickly noticed the complicated expression on Claire’s face.
Bitterness and resentment were intertwined.
Her eyes flickered with unwillingness, as if she were trapped in some indescribable pain.
At that moment, the elders also entered the hall.
They too had youthful appearances, yet their every movement revealed a toughness or shrewdness that did not match their looks.
They greeted the younger generation at the left table with kind smiles, then took their seats at the right table opposite them.
Only when Sir Lycart, whose military identity was obvious at a glance, sat down across from Ophelia did Claire realize something.
Each young person’s seat was fixed because their father or mother sat directly opposite them.
Pale golden long hair appeared in Claire’s field of vision.
She instinctively lowered her head and looked away.
She knew Herta had already sat down across from her.
After graduation, Claire had never returned home to visit Herta.
Although she had written several letters to Cumberland Castle while on missions, she had never received any replies because she had no fixed address.
In truth, she still felt guilty toward her adoptive mother in her heart.
Yet when Claire lifted her head, she only saw Herta smiling at her.
It was still the same smile that had accompanied her through her most difficult years.
There was not the slightest hint of blame in her eyes.
This made Claire smile sincerely from the bottom of her heart as well.
The young people all straightened their postures and nodded respectfully to the elders with the most proper smiles.
“My dear children, tonight we gather once more at the family banquet. I feel truly gratified.”
The gray-haired girl seated at the main seat in the center of the hall spoke gently.
She was the family head, Sibyl.
“Before the banquet begins, I wish to share a heavy piece of news with everyone. Booker Vandro heroically sacrificed his life in the Kent riot. He was not only a pillar of our family but also a brother and friend to us all.”
“As the head of the Vandro family, I know full well that his departure is an immense loss to every one of us. Let us mourn together this self-righteous bastard. To Booker Vandro, the eternal pride of our family!”
Sibyl slowly raised her wine glass.
Her deep gaze fixed on the red liquid swaying inside it.
Then she drained it in one go.
The elders all stood up and raised their glasses in mourning. Their expressions were complicated.
The young people at the left table were also moved by this and rose to join the tribute.
When everyone sat down again, the hall gradually fell silent.
“Tonight we are fortunate to welcome some new faces. Before we enjoy the banquet, let us first introduce ourselves to deepen our understanding of one another.” Sibyl said.
Only then did Claire realize that this family banquet was not merely a dinner.
It was also a debut ceremony for the newborns.
After vampire newborns were recommended by their parents or attracted the family’s attention through extraordinary achievements, they would receive an invitation to the family banquet.
For them, this banquet was like a stage for their debut.
Once they stepped onto it, no one would ever again treat them as inexperienced newcomers.
On the surface, the family banquet appeared to be nothing more than polite conversation and casual chat between elders and juniors.
In reality, however, it was a selection process filled with undercurrents.
At this banquet, the most outstanding and loyal blood race members would receive the family’s greatest support and cultivation.
And when they later became prominent figures, they would naturally give back to the family.
A few young people already showed eager expressions.
Their eyes sparkled with anticipation and desire.
They were clearly hoping to leave a deep impression on the elders tonight, yet they did not know how to begin according to the rules.
“Let us start with Linden. Who told you to be the most senior among the younger generation? Set an example for the other children.” Sibyl looked toward the man seated at the very front of the left table.
The man stood up and said, “Linden Vandro. I am delighted to see so many new faces. I am proud of you all. I hold a position at headquarters, but I spend more time managing a chamber of commerce in Hibernia. If there is anything I can assist with in business matters, please do not hesitate to tell me. Once again, I thank my mother, Lady Bridget, for allowing me to regain my youth.”
With that, he elegantly bowed toward the lady across from him.
“Linden Chamber of Commerce has always been a loyal partner of the family. We are very pleased that you have become one of us.” Sibyl raised an eyebrow and smiled lightly.
“I will fulfill my duties and continue contributing to the family.” Linden said humbly.
The other young people showed surprised expressions.
Sounds of admiration and clicking tongues came from the table.
Linden Chamber of Commerce was a rising commercial star over the past twenty years.
It was said that its president, Linden, had once been the secretary to the Minister of Finance.
Someone who had once managed the national treasury had naturally become a financial legend.
And now this legendary president had actually become a Vandro vampire.
Indeed, no one invited to the family banquet was ordinary.
In a vast family of three thousand members, among so many newborns, only these few were qualified to sit at this table.
Unlike the Toriduo bloodline, which advocated turning people into newborns through the First Embrace, the Vandro bloodline upheld the philosophy of preserving one’s mortal life.
They did not shy away from a person’s identity and achievements from their mortal days, nor did they completely abandon mortal blood relatives.
Ophelia was a descendant of Sir Lycart’s family from when he was still human. That was why she had been turned into his daughter.
Even though the United Kingdom’s laws clearly stated that one’s human social identity should be canceled after being turned into a vampire, the Vandros obviously had ways to maintain their status and influence from their human period.
“I am Vivian Vandro. I am currently working as an assistant supervisory official in the First Agency. My respected father is Sir Eugene.”
“Lawrence Vandro. I hold a position at headquarters and am interning in a managerial role at the Ministry of Finance. I hope to learn from Mr. Linden. My mother is Lady Valentina.”
The young people stood up one after another to introduce themselves.
Their introductions were nothing more than their names, current positions, and their parents’ identities.
Some of them already occupied important positions in national institutions.
This was the normal state of the Vandro bloodline’s recruitment of new members.
They brought power and wealth with them and received immortal bodies in return.
Claire realized that Herta’s almost overly protective cultivation of her might not have been that special after all.
Finally, it was Claire’s turn.
“Claire Vandro. I work in the Fourth Agency. My mother is Herta.” Claire slowly stood up.
She deliberately kept her head lowered, not wanting to attract too much attention.
“Claire is being too modest. During the Kent riot, she destroyed the Mutual Aid Society’s steam armor. She is the hero of Kent. She will receive commendation at the hearing this week.” Sibyl said with a smile.
“That was nothing but a deception! A massacre with no honor whatsoever!”
Claire ultimately could not suppress her anger.
Her cold and sharp voice suddenly rang out.
It was like a stone suddenly thrown into a deep well, shattering the previously calm atmosphere.
Ophelia’s heart skipped a beat.
She had been about to applaud Claire’s deeds, but after hearing Claire’s words, she quickly pulled her hands back before they could clap.
She was first surprised, then could not help but smile.
So Claire was still that little porcupine after all.
The hall fell into dead silence.
The elders looked at Claire with questioning eyes.
The young people were shocked that this person would be so rude.
No one had ever dared to speak to the family head in such a manner.
“Hehe. It seems Claire has some opinions of her own about the Kent incident. After the banquet ends, we can sit down and talk slowly. I have always heard that you are the fastest-growing child among the younger generation. Everyone speaks highly of you. Welcome to our midst, Claire. There will always be a place for you at this table.”
Sibyl did not take Claire’s rudeness to heart.
She still wore that calm and composed smile.
Claire silently sat back down.
The hall remained completely silent.
Everyone’s gazes were still fixed on Claire.
Sensing this, Ophelia tactfully stood up on her own to introduce herself.
She did not want Claire to continue feeling awkward in the silence.
At some point, the banquet dishes had already been quietly served.
The main courses were steak drizzled with an enticing sauce and lamb roasted to perfection.
The sauce was a fresh blood-red color.
At a vampire banquet, there was naturally no place for vegetarian dishes.
Only the deliciousness of blood and meat could awaken their dormant taste buds.
At first, the young people still appeared somewhat reserved, their movements stiff and cautious.
But as time passed, they gradually relaxed and began to enjoy the food before them.
Only then did the family banquet truly come alive, filled with the joyful atmosphere of a banquet.
Between elders and juniors, casual conversation flowed, laughter rang out continuously, and the scene was warm and harmonious.