After giving instructions to the servants, Lyn quickly led Xing Luo into the castle, heading to his room.

The decor along the way was opulent yet carried an eerie vibe.

On both sides of the wide corridor, crimson-framed paintings hung on the walls.

Inside them, elegant figures with blurred faces kissed frail maidens.

Those maidens’ blood-stained bodies were crucified upside down.

Other scenes showed crimson rituals or blood-red silhouettes battling sacred, ancient beings.

These bizarre images evoked devils or hellish demons.

Belmond—a name that couldn’t be ignored in the Divine Grace Empire.

To most, it meant inescapable coldness and thick darkness.

This family, inheriting the Ancient Blood lineage, was often seen as synonymous with demons.

But Lyn felt the world misunderstood the Belmond Family.

They weren’t just symbols of demons; they were true demons.

Growing up in the Belmond Family, Lyn knew it was filled with eccentrics and monsters.

Considering his own otherworldly Spartan education after reincarnating, it made sense.

Early on, dreaming of being an overpowered protagonist, he nearly died from that brutality.

Later, clinging to his sister, he struggled out of that hell.

His sound mind kept him from deep corruption.

Events and his sister’s efforts let him escape temporarily, granting this freedom.

But as Divine Snow Sakura warned, failing to secure a Dawnstar Trial spot in half a year would send him back.

This was his family’s restriction.

With these thoughts swirling, Lyn reached the corridor’s end.

He pushed open another massive door, entering a spacious bedroom with Xing Luo.

The room held expensive furnishings: crystal chandeliers, gem-inlaid decorations.

Most eye-catching was the huge, soft bed in the center.

Made from top-grade materials and precious down, it was extravagantly large.

Big enough for Lyn to roll around several times, it had crimson curtains tied on both sides.

Though Lyn disliked the setup, his sister had insisted on everything.

As a freeloading little brother, he could only accept it.

Servants wheeled in a cart with Lyn’s permission.

They prepared the meal, covering dishes with silver cloches and arranging them neatly.

Xing Luo sniffed the food, swallowing hard.

Then she caught the scent of Lyn’s bed, wanting to roll on it and mark it.

Lyn pulled her back before she could act.

He poked her tender cheek, unaware of her strange thoughts.

Amazed by its softness, he reminded her, “Bathe and change first. Then eat.”

She’d slept in darkness for ages, barely eating.

On the way back, she’d weakly complained of hunger while clinging to him.

Now home, Lyn wouldn’t let her starve.

Xing Luo’s eyes lit up at his words.

But hearing “bathe,” she forgot food entirely.

“Master, will you wash me?” she asked excitedly.

She fidgeted her little legs, then threw herself against Lyn’s leg.

Looking up, her golden pupils sparkled like stars, full of anticipation.

“Of course not,” Lyn replied, feeling slightly guilty under her gaze.

The aphrodisiac’s effects lingered; he couldn’t risk his Lust Dominion growing.

As Xing Luo wore a betrayed expression, Lyn called servants to drag her away.

She wailed and struggled but didn’t truly resist his order.

Carried in the air, she stared at him pitifully, hoping for a change of heart.

Lyn almost had his health bar emptied by her tearful look.

But he steeled himself—she was just bathing, not facing blades or fire.

He had important tasks: preparing for his advancement.

“The shackles of my bloodline trapped me at third rank so long,” he thought.

“With Xing Luo here, it’s finally time to break through.”

He’d borne the “trash” label for years; escaping it was inevitable.

“System,” he silently called.

He accessed the storage space, pulling out a jar of crimson-gold liquid.

Above it floated golden text: the system’s prompt, “Ancient Blood.”

Just holding it, Lyn felt a primal thirst surge in his veins.

This item was a reward from an old third-rank Demon King trial.

But his weak bloodline had blocked its use.

The Belmond bloodline granted power yet became a shackle without its first transformation.

That’s why Lyn stayed stuck at third rank.

Trapped in a vicious cycle, he needed the Ancient Blood to break free.

Yet his bloodline was too weak to use it.

Xing Luo’s arrival would solve all this effortlessly.