Gospel of Blood

Chapter 409: Albrecht's Good Fortune

Charlotte was puzzled by Albrecht’s sudden approach and wondered whether it was deliberate or accidental.

Although she had never met him in her true form, as the Countess of Castell, she was quite a notable figure in Crescent.

Albrecht, as an active Dark Apostle in the Crescent Kingdom, and someone who had secretly reported her to the Holy Court, should have recognized her identity. After all, he was aware that the “True Ancestor of Blood” was behind the Castell family.

However, Albrecht truly did not recognize her…

In fact, Charlotte had indeed misunderstood the usually prudent Dark Apostle.

As a high-ranking member of the Blood Demon Cult, Albrecht was well-informed about the events in the northern lands. Still, the information within the cult was often a mix of truths and falsehoods.

Though he knew about the rumors of an Evil God behind the young countess, Albrecht was initially skeptical.

In reality, Albrecht hadn’t taken this matter seriously. Even the initial report he made was to divert the Holy Court’s attention, facilitating his plans in the Crescent capital.

Thus, he never paid close attention to the Castell family or studied the young Countess in detail. He had only heard about her outstanding beauty.

But to Albrecht, beauty was commonplace. As a seasoned third-generation bloodborne, he had seen countless beautiful young women, even having the fortune of seeing the famed Goddess of Beauty, Aphros, from the Mythic Era from afar.

Therefore, even the extraordinary beauty of “Charlotte de Castell” was something he dismissed with a smile.

Later, he encountered the resurrected True Ancestor, realizing that the Castell family indeed had a godly presence behind them, the resurrected True Ancestor of Blood.

However, by then, compared to the fear of the True Ancestor and the anxiety over his own blood servant contract, the Castell family was no longer of concern.

Thus, a curious coincidence occurred: Albrecht still had no idea what “Charlotte de Castell” looked like.

Had he researched today’s banquet at the Roman Palace beforehand, he might have recognized her easily. But he attended the banquet on a whim.

In fact, Albrecht didn’t even have an invitation. He had snuck in using magic.

As for why he approached Charlotte…

The reason was simple: the noble girl’s appearance perfectly matched his preferences.

From the moment she entered the banquet hall, Albrecht, lazily sipping Roman royal wine, was instantly captivated.

Her long golden hair cascaded like a waterfall, resembling waves of gold, complementing her youthful smile. Her blue eyes were as clear as the ocean, exuding purity and clarity.

Though her figure was still youthful, the dress gave her a touch of maturity. Her budding chest was just right, not yet as alluring as a fully grown woman, but already showing the charm of womanhood. Her pure eyes held a hint of innocence mixed with a touch of maturity, creating a dual beauty that was irresistibly charming.

Albrecht was instantly smitten.

He did not favor overly mature women, who were too seductive and whose minds had long been tainted by the sordid human world, making them less appealing. Their once pure blood now tasted unpleasant.

He also disliked overly young girls, who were just children, representing ignorance, like unripe fruits, irritating to interact with and whose blood, though pure, lacked flavor, being dry and dull.

But the girl before him was just right.

At thirteen or fourteen, she was youthful and tender, on the verge of maturity. She was not as naive as a child, nor as hypocritical as an adult.

Her appearance and temperament were perfect, exuding an incredibly enticing aura. She felt like a perfectly medium-rare steak, with the raw meat retaining its primal flavor, tender, soft, juicy, and fresh.

T/N: Yes, officer. This demon right here.

Albrecht felt a strong thirst.

In nearly two thousand years as a bloodborne, he had rarely felt such a strong impulse.

This noble girl’s blood must be delicious and top-tier!

He wanted her, really wanted to make her his.

He wanted to capture her heart, then, in her moment of downfall, imprison her.

He wanted to possess her amidst her terrified, puzzled, and innocent gaze, devouring her.

He wanted to drink her fresh blood, hear her screams, see her tainted by his presence, and watch as she slowly drowned in darkness…

Almost instinctively, Albrecht moved. Before other young nobles could act, he had already stepped forward, inviting the girl to dance.

Albrecht was quite confident in his human appearance.

Without modesty, as a Legendary Bloodborne, he possessed an exceptionally outstanding appearance, even among his kins.

His centuries of hiding in the human world had also honed his manners to a level more refined than the oldest human nobles.

He was sure that no human woman could resist his charm, especially such an innocent and alluring young bud, as pure as a blank sheet of paper.

Of course, if she were indifferent, it wouldn’t matter. Though his proficiency in mental magic wasn’t as strong as his dark magic, it was still quite formidable.

As Albrecht made his invitation, he flashed a gentle and cheerful smile. At the same time, a flash of crimson flickered in his black pupils as he subtly cast a mind-suggestion spell.

He did not sense any extraordinary aura from the girl.

He believed that with his perfect disguise and the guidance of his magic, capturing such delicious and enticing prey would be effortless.

Albrecht felt both excited and happy. The gloom brought by Lutecia’s bad luck had dissipated considerably, and he eagerly anticipated his upcoming interaction with the girl.

It was great, being away from Crescent and temporarily away from that terrifying figure, his luck seemed to be improving.

As he had anticipated, after displaying his gentlemanly demeanor and using his mind-suggestion magic, the girl’s fair cheeks soon flushed with a light blush.

She seemed somewhat at a loss and nervous, but her shy, animal-like glances showed a bit of innocent delight.

Her eyes met Albrecht’s unintentionally and quickly looked away in a fluster, her voice stammering shyly.

“Thank… you, sir, but… but I’m not good at dancing, and I don’t know how to dance…”

It seemed she was a somewhat introverted child and apparently did not like dancing.

Albrecht quickly made this judgment.

His perception was sharp. The girl, though shy, showed no joy in being invited to dance, only nervousness.

However, Albrecht didn’t mind.

Inviting her to dance was just a pretext.

As long as he could engage in a deeper conversation with her, the rest would follow naturally.

“My apologies, beautiful miss. You seem uncomfortable with the hustle and bustle of the banquet. I know of a terrace behind this hall that offers a view of a sky full of stars. It’s very beautiful and currently unoccupied. Would you like to take a look?”

Albrecht warmly invited her again.

“Terrace? Stars?”

The girl’s eyes lit up instantly.

Got her.

Albrecht thought to himself.

Seeing the girl’s immediate interest, his mood was lifted considerably.

Indeed, after distancing himself from that terrifying figure, his luck was finally changing for the better.