The Green Tea is Always Targeting The Wrong Person (GREENTEA)
Training Ground
Left behind, Yue Chu officially entered the circle of young nobles in the royal city, joining them in all their courses and training. Lafa's declaration shifted the atmosphere of the entire royal city, as the nobles once again turned their attention to Yue Chu and assessing the potential value of this pure-blooded individual.
That day, almost immediately after the training was announced to be over, Xino turned and walked away.
Lafa's jaw tightened and he called out in a deep voice, "Come back!"
Xino stopped in his tracks but did not turn around. His fists clenched at his sides with his eyes filled with defiance.
From the moment he learned that Yue Chu would continue to stay, his dissatisfaction with his father had reached its peak.
His father couldn't possibly be unaware of the implications of this move, yet he still allowed Yue Chu to remain.
He sneered inwardly. Indeed, in his father's eyes, he was nothing more than a tool—trapped and manipulated when needed, and replaced without hesitation when no longer useful.
Xino stubbornly lifted his chin as a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
But he didn't care. To hell with the vampires, to hell with being a prince. As long as he could be with Anna, he was willing to give up everything else.
Feilin and Dila were frantic as they constantly signaled to Xino with their eyes and urged him not to confront the King so directly.
But Xino pretended not to see.
He straightened his back while standing there with unyielding pride and showing no respect as he spoke with his back to Lafa, "Is there anything else, Father?"
Lafa's eyes were almost bursting with anger.
Only Xino would dare to speak so boldly in front of him. Anyone else would have been reduced to a bloody mess by now.
Born from the void, he had created the vampires and possessed unparalleled strength and nobility from birth. He had no tenderness for anyone except Xino, to whom he showed patience and care. But now, his heart was being torn apart piece by piece by his own child.
Lafa said in a low voice, "You disappear as soon as the courses end every day. What have you been hiding in your room? Everyone else is making progress, but you remain stagnant. I've always warned you that as the Prince of the vampires, you must be stronger and more exceptional than anyone else to lead our kind forward. But look at you now—no one would willingly submit to someone like you!"
Lafa felt that Xino was becoming more and more unruly.
After his last mistake, instead of reflecting seriously, he had only grown more negligent. If it weren't for the two shadow guards he had assigned to watch over him, Xino would have likely disappeared again.
Rotz had repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with Xino's distracted attitude in class, and several other Elders had also voiced their concerns. If this continued, Xino would soon lose the support of the Elders.
Xino sneered, completely tuning out his father's words.
In his eyes, his father only cared about forcefully demanding that he become stronger and lead the vampires.
He had never shown any genuine concern for him.
He had never asked about the life Xino wanted to live, nor did he care about his thoughts or feelings. All he ever did was issue commands from his lofty position and flaunt his noble status.
He recalled what Anna had told him.
From the very beginning, the vampires had only wanted to mold him into a puppet, a symbol.
In everyone's eyes, he wasn't himself—he was merely the title "Prince Xino." Every move he made had to conform to others' expectations and leave no room for his own consciousness.
Xino still remembered the look in Anna's eyes when she spoke—gentle yet filled with pity and gazing at him not as a noble prince but as a pitiful creature.
He replied coldly, "None of your business!"
The crowd was in an uproar.
Prince Xino dared to disrespect the King? Such an act of defiance was hard for them to accept.
Yue Chu lightly furrowed his brows and stepped forward.
His voice was soft yet sincere as he explained on behalf of the King, "If Prince Xino is upset with His Majesty because of my presence, then he has misunderstood. It was I who begged His Majesty to allow me to stay. The outer city is harsh, and the territories are in chaos. I simply sought a place to survive within the royal capital."
"His Majesty cares deeply for you and has high hopes for you. He has poured countless efforts into ensuring you can lead the vampire race and ascend to the throne. I see this clearly, and I beg you not to speak so coldly to him. It wounds His Majesty's heart."
Xino was struck by the deep-seated resentment within him, and his anger flared instantly. His icy gaze swept toward Yue Chu as the ferocity and disdain in his eyes sent shivers down everyone's spine.
Xino sneered, "You are indeed despicable. I don’t know what means you used to stay, but your shameless persistence truly disgusts me. However, there’s one thing you’ve completely misjudged. Do you think the lofty king truly pities or cares for you? Not at all! You and I are nothing but tools in his hands. When he no longer needs you, he’ll toss you aside and make everyone treat you as if you, a pureblood, don’t exist. And when he needs you, he’ll thrust you into the storm, regardless of whether you have the strength to stand firm."
Yue Chu initially remained calm, but upon hearing Xino’s words about the King, his brows tightened. He pressed his thin lips into a straight line and the fiery sparks in his crimson eyes betrayed his inability to tolerate such slander.
Yue Chu retorted firmly, "You’re mistaken, Your Highness! Whether it’s toward you or me, His Majesty’s heart is filled with care and affection. When I first arrived in the royal capital, if His Majesty had wished, he could have used me as a whetstone for you—forcing you to grow through crisis and discarding me once my value was spent."
"But he didn’t. Instead, he allowed me to live in peace and comfort. He protects your position and safeguards my safety. You’ve completely misunderstood His Majesty’s intentions. I don’t know what grievances lie between you and His Majesty, but if you’re willing to speak of them, I’m certain His Majesty would be more than willing to listen."
Xino laughed in anger before a disdainful snort escaping his nose.
He felt he had been blind to think Yue Chu was intelligent. Now, it seemed Yue Chu was just another fool swayed by the King’s petty favors.
He said coldly, "Keep deluding yourselves if you wish! But the training is over, and I’ve done what I needed to do. I won’t heed any further demands."
With that, he turned and walked away with his arrogant demeanor leaving everyone present deeply dissatisfied.
Xino was indeed the Prince of the vampire race, but the respect he commanded was solely due to the King’s favor. Yet now, he dared to show such disrespect.
Yue Chu, however, immediately turned to the King and took two steps forward before restraining himself. His eyes were filled with concern while fearing that Lafa might be hurt and saddened.
Lafa was indeed deeply saddened.
Watching his beloved child drift further away from him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of self-reproach. However, this sorrow turned into warmth when it touched upon Yue Chu's concern.
Being born inherently strong and everyone sought his protection, yet no one treated him with the delicate care one would give to a fragile heart. Only Yue Chu worried about his sadness and his injuries, as if he weren't the lofty Vampire King but an ordinary man.
He couldn't help but feel amused, yet his heart stirred slightly when he met those crystal-clear eyes. Those eyes were always so captivating and beautiful, seemingly wanting to hold his image firmly within them.
Lafa moved his fingertips uneasily, a small motion hidden within his sleeve and unnoticed by anyone, concealing the unusual restlessness of the Vampire King.
He felt as though he had been paying too much attention to Yue Chu. Initially, he had only seen him as a child, but this simple care seemed to have shifted, leaving him somewhat at a loss.
Lafa's thoughts were in disarray.
With a flash of shadow, he disappeared from the spot, leaving behind only a faint sentence: "Let him be."
After the teachers had left, Yue Chu walked over to Feilin and Dila with a stern expression.
Yue Chu: "Feilin, haven't you communicated with His Highness yet? How could he so recklessly vent his anger at His Majesty without considering His Majesty's feelings?! Yes, it was inappropriate for me to stay, but if he were steadfast and diligent in his training, even ten of me couldn't shake his position. If he can't handle such a minor setback, how will he bear the great responsibilities of the entire vampire clan in the future?"
When Yue Chu wasn't smiling, he exuded authority with every gesture carrying the power of a leader.
He stared intently at Feilin with his tone calm but his words heavier and no longer the light reminders of usual days.
His stance was clear: Xino could say whatever he wanted about him, but speaking ill of His Majesty was unacceptable.
Everyone knew that Yue Chu's life had been saved by His Majesty, and his earnestness commanded respect, for he was a man who knew gratitude. In contrast, Xino fell far short, basking in the glory under His Majesty's wing yet showing no gratitude, instead acting arrogantly and willfully.
Feilin smiled bitterly before irritably tossing her chestnut curls back over her shoulders. Her crimson fingertips accidentally caught on the intricate lace of her dress, and in her impatience, she tore the beautiful thread, letting the collar fall open carelessly.
Feilin: "There's nothing I can do. His Highness simply refuses to speak more than a word to us. I've said all that needs to be said and done all that needs to be done, but His Highness has closed his heart to us and even ignored us completely, let alone listening to our opinions."
Yue Chu raised an eyebrow, hesitating: "But you are the attendants who grew up with him. His future right-hand men and his most trusted aides..."
If he doesn't confide in them now, how much less so in the future?
Feilin bit her red lip with her pearly white teeth showing, giving her a somewhat delicate, feminine appearance.
She understood all these principles, but what could she do when His Highness was so stubborn?
At this thought, her gaze swept deeply over Yue Chu, and the ideas in her mind grew wildly like unchecked weeds.
The family was already considering selecting another outstanding young vampire to be sent to Yue Chu's side.
They were not only weighing their options but also looking to place their bets on the new pureblood. She might very well become the discarded pawn of the family.
Feilin clenched her fingers.
She had always been the best; how could she tolerate becoming mediocre?
However, she still needed to wait a little longer...
Yue Chu saw the unspoken thoughts in her eyes and sighed helplessly. He picked up the glass of water mixed with blood beads from the table and handed it to Feilin, then gently patted Dila on the shoulder.
He slightly lowered his eyes with his long eyelashes casting a shadow beneath them, and said softly, "He doesn't trust you."
Feilin pursed her red lips, and Dila's shoulders slumped.
Yes, Prince Xino no longer trusted them. Without the Prince's trust, they were like stray hyenas, mocked and chased with their tails between their legs. All those years of effort seemed like a joke as it turn into a pool of bubbles with the change in Prince Xino's attitude.