“Princess, are you really going to enter the ball like that?” Paine asked, his voice tinged with nervousness as he glanced at Erica’s attire. She was dressed in her horse-riding shirt and trousers—far from appropriate for such a formal event. Juko, on the other hand, was neatly dressed, looking presentable for the occasion.

“I don’t mind, so let’s go!” Erica declared confidently, taking Juko’s hand as they strode forward. A bright light suddenly filled her vision, momentarily blinding her. When she blinked it away, she found herself under the scrutinizing gaze of dozens of nobles.

“Welcome back, Princess Erica!” the knights shouted in unison, bowing low before her.

“At ease,” Erica responded calmly, raising her hand to acknowledge them.

“Welcome, Princess Erica!” the nobles chimed in, though their greeting lacked the enthusiasm of the knights. Erica’s eyes narrowed as she noticed that while some nobles bowed, others merely stood with thinly veiled arrogance. ‘How dare they not bow? It shows that some of them are nothing but pompous fools.’

“Wow, what a grand welcome,” Juko whispered, his eyes wide with awe as he took in the grandeur around him.

But Erica was less impressed. ‘The place seems luxurious, but it’s also tacky,’ she thought, her eyes scanning the room. The walls, though adorned with expensive paintings and magnificent carvings, it also had cracks running through them. The decorations, once splendid, now appeared old and faded. Yet, despite these flaws, there was still a sense of opulence.

“Good afternoon, Father. I have returned,” Erica greeted, bowing before the man seated on the throne—King Demetrius of Orgador. He was a muscular, brown-skinned man of old age, but his imposing presence and long blonde hair, coupled with his majestic ruby eyes, made him a striking figure.

‘So, this is Erica’s half-human, half-vampire brother,’ Erica mused as her gaze shifted to the young man standing beside the king. He was a fair-skinned youth with short yellow hair and captivating red eyes.

“Good afternoon to you too, dearest little brother,” Erica said, her smile warm and bright, as if she were the sun itself.

“Good afternoon, sister…” Derek replied, clearly taken aback by her unexpected smile.

‘He’s 15, just three years younger than me,’ Erica noted as she studied him closely.

“My darling Erica, I’m so glad you’ve returned home! Father is so happy!” Demetrius exclaimed, his booming voice filled with joy as he rushed to embrace her, squeezing her tightly.

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‘He’s just as clingy as in her memories,’ Erica thought as she patted her new father’s back. A pang of longing welled up inside her. ‘A father… I wish I had parents. I grew up in an orphanage, never trusting the people who came to adopt us. Some of them had such strange, unsettling looks in their eyes. I wonder why Erica would want my life… what a strange lady.’ The thought lingered.

“Father, we’re in front of a lot of people… You’re going to embarrass me,” Erica sighed, trying to gently pry herself from Demetrius’ tight embrace. He reluctantly let go, his face almost crumpling as if he might cry, making Erica feel a twinge of guilt.

“Let them think what they want. I’ve missed my daughter so, so much!” Demetrius declared, huffing in defiance.

His gaze then fell on the young silver-haired boy standing behind Erica. “And who is this child?” he asked, curiosity piqued.

Erica’s lips curled into a proud grin. “He’s my son!”

“Whaaaat?!” Demetrius bellowed, his eyes wide with shock. “Which man dared to taint my dear daughter? I’ll slice off his head!” He reached for his sword, the metal gleaming ominously as he prepared to unsheathe it, causing Juko to tremble in fear.

“You’re overreacting, Father, and you’re scaring Juko,” Erica admonished, her frown deepening. Demetrius instantly dropped the sword, the blade clattering to the floor.

“To think I have a grandson before you’ve even become King,” Demetrius mused, dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief, overwhelmed by the unexpected news.

“How old is he?” Derek asked, stepping forward with a curious tilt of his head.

“He’s 11,” Erica replied, gently patting Juko’s head in reassurance.

“Wait, so then… how’s that possible? The math doesn’t add up!” Demetrius exclaimed, counting on his fingers in confusion.

“Don’t worry too much about it, Father,” Erica sighed, shaking her head at his theatrics.

“But… what do you mean by becoming King?” she asked, her confusion evident.

“Oh yes, thank you all for coming today!” Demetrius suddenly shouted, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. “From now on, my daughter, Erica Orgador, shall be the King of our kingdom!”

A stunned silence fell over the room. The crowd exchanged whispers, clearly taken aback by the announcement. But when Demetrius cast a cold, commanding gaze over the room, his powerful aura spreading through the air, the nobles quickly began to clap and cheer, albeit some more reluctantly than others.

‘Wow, what an applause,’ Erica thought dryly, noticing the cold and resentful gazes among the crowd others however were more than happy. ‘But it’s obvious some of them aren’t thrilled about this.’

Then it hit her. ‘Wait a second… King? That sneaky old man! His main goal was to dump all his work on me!’ Erica gasped inwardly as she realized Demetrius’ true intentions.

“Sister, you’ll have to work hard,” Derek said, patting her shoulder with a smirk that barely concealed his amusement.

‘You little bastard! Aren’t you his child too? Why am I the one who has to suffer this injustice?’ Erica fumed internally, her hands balling into fists.

Just then, a noble lady with a smug expression approached, clearly relishing the opportunity to test Erica. “Princess, it’s been several years since you were last here, so I believe you must be aware of the power dynamics between the nobles,” she said, her tone dripping with arrogance.

Erica stared back at her with a blank, almost bored expression. “Nope, and I honestly don’t give a shit,” she replied nonchalantly, her words cutting through the air like a blade.

The noblewoman’s smug smile faltered, her confidence visibly shaken by Erica’s unexpected bluntness.