When the words left the ancestor's mouth and settled into the air like an irreversible verdict, the entire hall froze in a way that felt far deeper than fear.
Improved blood lineage.
For a moment, no one even breathed.
The vampires who had been kneeling in panic slowly lifted their heads as if pulled up by invisible strings.
Their expressions twisted in disbelief.
Eyes widened so much that the whites showed fully around their crimson irises. Lips parted without meaning to.
One young noble's jaw dropped so far that a thin line of saliva slipped from the corner of his mouth and dripped onto the stone floor without him noticing.
Another clutched his own throat as though the words had physically struck him there.
Several stood completely stiff, mouths hanging open, fangs exposed in a foolish, stunned display.
Their elegant composure shattered into something almost animal. One woman blinked repeatedly, her pupils trembling, whispering under her breath, "No… no… that's not…"
