Looking at Elizabeth kneeling on the ground, trembling all over under his gaze, Norton finally shifted his eyes away.

But Norton paid no attention to her offer to serve him, instead calling out: "Abraham!"

"Your Excellency, I'm here!" That dog Abraham had somehow appeared out of nowhere, carefully standing at the doorway and flattering.

"It's feeding time."

Norton's reddish-brown eyes fixed dead on Abraham, using this to impose tremendous pressure on him.

This was Norton's usual tactic - those in power could use their gaze to pressure subordinates, gradually conditioning them to reflexive obedience.

Even after all these years with Norton, when those reddish-brown eyes stared at him, Abraham still felt an uncontrollable tension in his heart.

"Yes, Your Excellency!" Under such terrifying scrutiny, Abraham didn't dare hesitate for even a moment, quickly going out to make preparations.

The ancient castle room fell into silence once more. Ignored Elizabeth remained kneeling on the ground, not daring to move an inch, but her face had already turned pale, her heart trembling with fear.

Why? Even when she came to serve him voluntarily, the Progenitor still wouldn't even look at her?

Tears welled up in her eyes along with her fear. Elizabeth's eyes reddened, but she still didn't dare make a single sound.

What went through the mind of this inhuman pale monster was impossible to guess. The only thing Elizabeth could do was carefully avoid annoying the Progenitor.

But, would he rather drink others' blood than hers? He hadn't even acknowledged her existence until now.

The more Elizabeth thought about it, the more frightened she became, the more wronged she felt. Where exactly was she inferior to those food sources? Why wouldn't the Progenitor even bother to look at her!

Just as Elizabeth was lost in these troubled thoughts, light footsteps sounded.

Then more than a dozen beautiful, anxious girls nervously entered the room under Abraham's direction.

Everyone saw Elizabeth kneeling before the throne. The sounds from behind and the strange looks made tears overflow from Elizabeth's eyes.

"Your Excellency, the food has been brought. Please make your selection." Abraham bowed with clasped hands, respectfully keeping his head lowered at the doorway.

The dozen or so beautiful girls huddled together like trembling quails, all keeping their heads bowed, desperately suppressing their fear and urge to cry.

"No need to choose, I'll take them all!" The pale monster sitting upright on the throne grinned, his expression indescribably ferocious and terrifying.

Unlike Elizabeth, these girls selected as Norton's food had been promised they could become vampires in ten years. So feeding Norton held no appeal for them - it was instead a nightmare they desperately wanted to avoid.

As Norton spoke with his ferocious, terrifying expression, several girls began weeping quietly from fear.

Norton, this heartless creature, paid no attention to their terror.

But at this moment, the stark contrast in attitude could deepen the disappointment and panic of Elizabeth, Norton's designated first-generation vampire.

So Norton forced a benevolent expression onto his withered, wrinkled face, comforting the girls below who were already panicking.

"Don't be afraid. Becoming my blood source is the greatest honor of your lives! Throughout your entire existence, only now do you have the privilege of being close to me."

Hearing this, Abraham's face nearly twisted into a knot.

He'd never seen someone so shameless! Praising himself so brazenly.

But he forgot that he too had once called himself the Vampire Progenitor, claiming to be noble and pure.

Still, Abraham quickly picked up Norton's words, not forgetting to flatter further: "Quickly bow and kneel, thanking the Progenitor for his grace! The Progenitor's body is worth ten thousand gold - that he would speak such comforting words to you is the greatest honor of your lives!"

The dozen or so beautiful girls from Marn town quickly knelt on the ground, expressing gratitude for Norton's feeding grace.

Norton finally began feeding, but his manner was far gentler than when dealing with Elizabeth.

When cutting the girls' skin, he would even occasionally comfort them softly, saying gentle words like "Don't be afraid," "Just a little pain," or "Be careful."

Hearing the comforting words Progenitor Norton had never spoken while feeding on her blood, feeling the girls going up one by one to be fed upon by the Progenitor, sensing the harmonious atmosphere between them - Elizabeth felt so wronged that tears kept falling uncontrollably.

But she could only maintain her kneeling, kowtowing posture, not daring to make a single sound.

Why? Why wasn't the Progenitor this gentle when feeding on my blood? Why did he still refuse to look at me even when I came voluntarily?

What did I do wrong? Have I lost even the qualification to become food?

Elizabeth, originally somewhat innocent and pure, felt utterly helpless inside. She was wronged yet frightened, nervous yet disappointed. She hung her head low, tears silently welling up in the corners of her eyes, falling to shatter on the ground.

After a long while, His Excellency Norton finally finished feeding.

"Ah! The fragrance of maiden blood is so enticing, like that first sip of sweet spring water when parched with thirst, so refreshing!

Alright, you may leave now. Rest well and await my next summons!"

Norton drank his fill - the taste of this blood was so much better than those stinky giant rats, completely on another level.

He drank until his eyes narrowed, his face showing clear pleasure.

The dozen or so girls covered the wounds on their arms and hurriedly retreated from the room.

Just as Norton was savoring the wonderful taste of the blood, a soft female voice sounded weakly nearby.

"Your... Your Excellency, my blood is delicious too... You, you can enjoy it to your heart's content..." Elizabeth, still prostrate on the ground, spoke softly again, fearful yet harboring a barely detectable trace of hope.

For some reason, being fed upon by His Excellency had previously been a disaster she desperately wanted to avoid. But now she felt a faint hope inside, wanting His Excellency to respond to her words.

However, Norton still ignored her words. The pleased expression on his face slowly faded, his narrowed reddish-brown eyes opened, and coldness returned to his gaze.

"Abraham."

"Your Excellency, I'm here!" Abraham, who had been waiting respectfully at the doorway, immediately responded.

"I'm tired. It's time to rest." Norton's tall figure rose from the throne. Without even glancing at Elizabeth, whose hope had turned to disappointment, he strode past her with his long legs.

"Your Excellency, all the bedding has been replaced! You may rest whenever you wish!" Abraham quickly followed. The two terrifying, eerie figures left the throne room.

The room returned to silence once more, leaving only a beautiful girl in pure white dress, her entire body pale and clean, still kneeling on the ground with her head bowed.

After who knows how long, the sound of suppressed weeping finally emerged from beneath the throne.