"Chrysanthemums lightly adorned with powder, a gentle breeze rustling through the window like brocade..."
The terrifying creature, revered as the Pale God, was now lying on its back in the courtyard of the Aodelan Empire's royal palace, softly humming a beautiful tune. Such a melodious tune was so captivating that it unconsciously drew people in.
Even if you can't understand the language he speaks, you can automatically grasp the meaning behind his voice when it enters your ears; it's truly miraculous.
"It sounds great, it sounds great!"
A soft cheer rang out from the side. Less than a meter away from the recliner where Norton was lying, there was a small stool on which sat a pretty little girl in a puffy dress.
This is Miles XIII's child, Miles Maria. She looks to be about six or seven years old now.
Nowadays, the imperial city is full of people suffering from the disease of the rich, from the powerful and noble to the servants; the entire palace is practically overrun with it.
For the sake of his children, Miles XIII forbids current members of the royal family who are not yet adults from going out, which forces these members of the royal family to stay in the palace.
The older children, knowing this was the palace of the Pale God, dared not come to disturb it in the slightest. Only the youngest child, at Miles XIII's instruction, was secretly placed here.
Norton still remembers the words he heard when he sensed the Pressure.
"Little Thirteen is the most exquisite. We'll use Little Thirteen to test the bottom line of that Pale God's personality, to conduct a deeper profile of his character. That Pale God possesses humanity, which means that his long life must have been filled with endless loneliness. In this way, sending the child over will both lower his guard and allow him to personally nurture him, creating a close connection. In this way, it might become a means for my Aodelan Empire to control that Pale God to a certain extent."
"Your Majesty, you mustn't! That Pale God has no human form, and is probably devoid of humanity. The thirteenth princess is still young, her flesh and blood tender. At such a young age, she is the perfect food in the eyes of wild beasts. If that Pale God were to eat the thirteenth princess..."
"Then call your daughter over."
"This... actually, I was just worried, but now, upon careful consideration, I realize that this Pale God is quite humane. Throughout the science and technology exhibition, he was kind and exceptionally approachable. In fact, the only time he used royal wealth was solely to reward the inventors. I see that he has the heart of God!"
And so, this girl in the tutu appeared beside Norton.
The languid, Pale God lay sprawled naked on the soft bedding. As the cheers rang out, his delicate face turned, his dark eyes fixed on the petite figure, a hint of melancholy flashing across his face.
Looking at the girl named Maria, he couldn't help but recall the boy he had met in the Lino City in the past... Bill ( Karl ).
Although their eventual fate was regrettable, it was ultimately the only warm moment Norton had left in this Garden of Eden, and the only genuine care Norton had received in the Southern Continent to this day.
How could Norton not be moved by something so rare and difficult to obtain in the world?
No wonder priests prefer boys!
A rare smile appeared on Norton's otherwise flawless, pale face as he stared intently at Maria, his gaze sending chills down one's spine.
However, this state of affairs greatly moved Elizabeth, who was standing nearby.
"Since His Majesty's recovery, he seems to be becoming more and more like a human being."
It's a pity Abraham wasn't there; otherwise, he might have been even more delighted.
However, this old thief is now on the verge of advancement and is truly unable to care about his long-awaited separation from His Majesty.
"Listen to it as much as you like. You're royalty; you were born to enjoy life!"
Norton sat up from the recliner, his slender, tall figure sitting before Maria like a long, thin ghostly shadow. Yet, his long, silvery-white hair, which cascaded to the ground, and his pure, perfect white body made him far more holy and divine than any so-called ghost.
Looking back at Karl's ultimate fate, Norton's idea of cultivating talent has been completely abandoned.
This kind of royal princess should just be allowed to become a pleasure-seeking good-for-nothing.
It must be said that Miles XIII's method was extremely effective; he truly grasped Norton's current human weakness.
That is, Norton was indeed very lonely.
Over the past thousand years, the only people Norton could trust, besides the group of bats still living in Sak City, were little Karl.
As for all the other characters, Norton maintained the strongest sense of vigilance throughout, which made him truly lonely.
Otherwise, every time I saw Norton, he would either be lying down reading the newspaper or entertaining himself.
Now Miles XIII has sent him a girl, which undoubtedly hits Norton's weakness perfectly.
"Is that so? Why did my father say that as royalty, we should consider the entire country?" Maria stared at Norton's long white hair, then got off the stool, reached out her small hand to pick up the ends of his hair that were dragging on the ground, and excitedly played with them in her hand.
"Your father is lying to you. As royalty, you are second only to the king! It is an honor for those commoners to serve you. You were born to enjoy this, and you were born to be greater than them!"
"It's like I'm greater than you!" Norton stared at the girl squatting in front of him, playing with his hair, a sinister smile on his face.
Perhaps Miles XIII misunderstood something.
Norton is just lonely; that doesn't mean he's a good person!
This kind of loneliness can be comforted by the company of others, but it can also be used to kill time by engaging in some bad behavior.
Ever since becoming Vampire, Norton has known that he would face the loneliness of eternal life.
Knowing this would happen, he naturally wouldn't have sought out weaknesses for himself, just like Karl, the only person who had ever been kind to him, whom he eventually couldn't even remember by name.
When it comes to forgetting one's roots, Norton is a professional!