Richard Lamperouge Von Blanc.
That was his name.
It was a name his parents gave him half-heartedly, a lazy indicator of his identity.
They didn't even attend his naming ceremony.
Ah, you might be wondering how he made it out of that room.
Well, fortunately for him, when some cleaners came to take care of the delivery room, they saw him on the floor and took pity on him. They placed him in a baby cot and would occasionally bring food and toys for him.
But don't be mistaken, it's not like these maids were any good.
As you would expect, they all appeared grotesque.
They all had bat-like appearances, and they actually treated him more like a pet rather than a living, breathing human being.
Still, he was grateful for their help.
If they didn't find him adorable and practically raise him for the first few years of his life, he would have surely perished—well, maybe.
"Ah… Let's not think about that now." Richard shook his head as he stood in front of the mirror, his ten-year-old self staring right back at him.
He still had his black hair and ordinary black eyes, and while he wasn't particularly handsome, he wasn't ugly either. He was… maybe average or slightly above by his own standards.
However, his parents were world-class beauties, so in comparison, he was rather ugly.
Richard understood that now.
He was still praying for his glow-up, but even if it came, that wouldn't solve the fundamental problem of his appearance.
When he first arrived in this world, he didn't understand why his mum would fling him away, and his father would essentially walk out on him. It took him a while, essentially self-education, to truly comprehend the reason.
He belonged to the Blanc Household—one of the Six Noble Families of the Vampire State.
Their signature look was white hair and crimson or pink eyes.
His mother and father both had this appearance, showing how thick their blood was and how deeply related they were. He eventually found out that they were first cousins, and since the concept of 'Incest' wasn't forbidden in this world, it was only natural that they got together.
Bottom line was… He didn't have those distinct features.
His hair was black, and his eyes were brown.
When it came to the special bloodline, he had a very loose connection to the Blanc Heritage.
That meant a multitude of things.
His talent would suck.
His strength and intelligence would be subpar.
His future prospects would essentially be ruined, and there was no hope for him.
In fact, in terms of hierarchy, he was only slightly better than the bat-like creatures, who were the Commoner Class of Vampires. Above them were the Special Class—those who looked humanoid.
Like him.
Above that were the Nobles!
He was born into the Noble Household, so he was technically one… but his features did not at all exemplify this.
His parents didn't even believe he was theirs, but after testing out his bloodline, they had to accept the fact that he was their son. There was a 99.9 percent chance that he would not bear either of their unique characteristics and would instead take on the useless recessive genes.
That was what happened!
He took on the useless parts of their genes, which was what led to his mutation.
In a family of talents and glorious power, he was the odd one out.
The black sheep!
"Haaa…" Sighing powerlessly, Richard completed the knot of his tie and stared at the suit he had on. It was rather fancy for a ten-year-old. Far more luxurious than anything he would normally be able to wear.
He even had jewelry on—like gold earrings, a ruby necklace, and so on.
But these were all borrowed items.
He would have to return them to the treasury in due time.
Taking his gaze away from the mirror, Richard looked around his extremely vast room, nostalgia hitting him like a storm.
This was the first place he ever opened his eyes in this world.
—The delivery room.
It had been fitted to resemble a bedroom because of him, and he spent most of his time here.
At first, he was nothing more than a pet.
Then, three years down the line, his story began to change.
Five years ago, his living situation improved drastically.
Three years ago, he began to have access to all kinds of things he would consider luxuries.
A year ago, he was allowed to leave his room and explore all kinds of places.
And now, something else had changed.
He was being granted an audience with his parents!
'After ten whole years, I'll finally see them…' Richard wasn't particularly excited about this.
Maybe it's because they had abandoned him since he was a child, or because he never got the chance to forge any real connection with them.
There were many reasons he could think of just off the top of his head.
However, the most glaring one remained.
'I know why they want to see me…' A heavy feeling coagulated in his chest. Only after inhaling and exhaling multiple times did the sensation become somewhat bearable.
'Okay! Let's go!'
**************
Richard knelt before an opulent throne, and he was surrounded by all kinds of luxurious sights.
He was currently in the Blanc Palace.
A place with a backdrop of pure white, adorned with all kinds of jewelry.
Paintings, murals, and several accessories hung all over the walls and ceiling. The stained glass showed all manner of noble luxuries that he had only read about or seen in online videos, making it seem more like a dream rather than reality.
To be fair to him, although he had lived in this world for ten years, he didn't have the chance to explore many places. Most areas were restricted to him, and even the places that weren't had people who kept constant eyes on him.
He was not free here.
Now that he knelt before his father, who sat on the throne, and his mother, who stood right next to him, a complicated feeling rose in his chest.
He still felt some filial connection within himself—the same kind he felt as a baby.
It was 'Kin Recognition, ' a racial trait all Vampires possessed.
This was a major reason why his parents could not disown him or claim he wasn't their child.
They could feel it down to their bones.
Richard was their son!
Even then, they found it difficult to believe and tried all sorts of avenues to disprove the connection that they felt.
In the end, it was of no use.
'These jerks….' Although Richard had a solemn look on his face, he was actually burning with extreme hatred towards his parents.
'After abandoning me, they must have tried very hard to give birth to another child, but since I don't have any siblings, they must have failed miserably. Over the years, they began to accept reality, which is why my living conditions began to get better.'
At first, they rejected Richard.
They thought they could simply have another child to overwrite their shame.
But… it was too bad.
Richard's luck was their own misfortune.
If they managed to birth even one more child, they could safely toss the unwanted kid aside, and when the succession wars came about, it would be undisputed who the winner would be.
Unfortunately for them—
'I am the only child. At some point, they must have realized that if they didn't lock in as parents, then things would go really badly for them. That's why they have begun showing me some attention, and now I am even in their presence.'
It was too bad for them, truly.
They never had another child, and the one they had was a terrible candidate.
But so what?
"Richard Lamperouge Von Blanc… my only son…" Lord Blanc said this with a bitter expression, his tone radiating anything but pride.
He felt sad.
Truly.
Why had the heavens cursed him like this?
His family had become a laughingstock among the other Nobles because of his only son and his inability to procure another.
Was he impotent?
Was his wife infertile?
No one knew!
They just… could not have another child apart from Richard.
'It's like the world is against me. Ah… I blame this wretched boy…' Lord Karl Ernix Von Blanc sighed as he stared at the stoic expression of the brat kneeling before him.
He could feel his wife trembling right next to him.
She, no doubt, shared his sentiment.
They were a sad couple.
Even after trying, night after night, it just could not happen.
Truly… how unfortunate.
"Your Awakening Ritual is tomorrow. You will be taken to the City Temple, where you will awaken your Principal Disposition. Conduct yourself with the grace expected of the child of the Blanc Household and do not shame our family name."
"I will keep all of that in mind." Richard lowered his head even further.
"Good. You are dismissed!"
Richard walked away, and his parents sighed as they watched him leave their grand palace.
Once he left, the Great Miss collapsed on the chest of her husband.
She burst into tears.
"Why? Why is that 'thing' our son?! He's too ugly and untalented! He will never be able to succeed in life. My Principal Disposition tells me there is no hope for him at all!"
"I know… but we have no choice but to try."
Ever since he was born, the Blanc Couple had already known Richard was no good.
His talent was shit, and his future was not bright.
He was even less than average.
He could never become something in life, and even if he succeeded in awakening, he would never possess anything more than a Low Rank Principal Disposition.
"If we were to send him to the United Front Academy as our representative… it would be over for us." Lady Melissa Dinah Vi Blanc muttered in sorrow. "We are doomed."
"My dear, we are not…"
Lord Karl did not believe his words, but he had to somewhat comfort the love of his life.
"We can only pray for our fortune to change. If he awakens, at least he can qualify to enter the Academy. Maybe with our support, he can at least be competent enough to hold the ground there until we have another child."
"Maybe… maybe you are right."
The two were only fooling themselves.
Lady Melissa's Principal Disposition could let her see the value of something and its prospect.
It was never wrong.
The value of Richard, their son, was even lower than that of some Commoner Class Vampires.
In essence, he was very useless!
But what else could they do but delude themselves?
Maybe… just maybe… something miraculous could happen down the line.
"Why don't we go to the bedroom and try again?" Lord Karl rose to his feet and embraced his wife lovingly.
She nodded and did the same. "Okay, dear."
Together, they left the empty throne room and returned to their chamber for another round.
Too bad for them.
It was bound to end in yet another failure.