Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 37: The Skunks and I

Chapter 37: The Skunks and I

"But, My Lord, I placed first in the Trials. I won the last duel fair and square. Even with the dirty tricks that Lisbeth was pulling, I was still on top." Riona could feel her breath quicken as she protested.

Lisbeth had placed Riona in the lower ranks, but due to witnesses, she couldn’t put Riona too far at the bottom as it would raise suspicions. But even so, Riona still thrived.

"I believe that shows my potential. The Nightwarden will suffer a great loss by losing me." Riona pressed her palm onto her chest. Her eyebrows creased as she emphasized her value to the institution.

From an objective point of view, Riona’s words contained as much truth as a truth potion. No one could argue against that. However, Margrave Edward did not see eye to eye with her.

His priority was never to strengthen the institution. No. As unfortunate as it might be, he was one of the skunks that found Riona a bother.

"I don’t like you," the margrave said without an ounce of emotion.

Riona’s jaws dropped, and she was so flabbergasted that she couldn’t close her mouth. "Excuse me?"

"You act as you please, and you don’t listen to your superior. The skunks and I despise wild bats. We prefer weaker but obedient fangs. Oh, right, you’re fangless. Maybe that’s why you have a few screws loose."

The margrave touched his temple with his index finger, raising an eyebrow in an attempt to mock her. Despite his gallant appearance, his personality was dirtier than trash and pettier than a century-old vampire veteran.

"You realize you’re abusing your power, right? You know what you’re doing is dishonorable?" Riona’s chest heaved as she fought to control her fiery anger.

She wanted to give in to her impulses—throw a fit, turn the desk upside down, and burn the office to ashes.

Maybe the margrave would appreciate a little fireworks show, even if his high-quality wooden desk became the bonfire’s material.

"Aren’t you mistaking me for someone else? I’ve never been known for my candor. The king chose me as the Minister of Defense for my ambition," he said, almost proudly.

It was no wonder. King Valentin was an ambitious man himself, and he knew that ambition could take men higher than loyalty ever could.

Leaning back in his chair, he continued, "He uses my ambition to protect this kingdom. He knows that as long as I am rewarded for my hardwork, I will not disappoint him."

That was why this cunning man sat at the top of the hierarchy, instead of Sir Kai, who upheld the Nightwarden’s vision and mission wholeheartedly.

Riona gritted her teeth. She was lucky she had no fangs; they would have certainly injured her lips if she ground them this way.

"This is ridiculous! You’re ridiculous!" Riona shouted, slamming her fists on the table, breaking it in half.

She had tried to suppress her anger, but this middle-aged vampire was just asking for a fight.

"What do you think you’re doing?" Margrave Edward snapped, jumping out of his chair to avoid being ironed by the heavy desk like a pair of trousers.

"I’m way more ambitious than you think. Forget joining the Nightwarden; I might as well become the new Minister of Defense for this kingdom."

Riona flared up, and blood-red aura was swirling around her. Her hair waved in the air as she raised her hands in a defensive stance.

"We don’t have an opening right now, and I plan to sit here for one more century to come," he sneered.

She chuckled. "Well, if you’re still alive by the end of today."

Riona extended her palm, directing her energy at the corrupted minister, who dodged the attack with ease. He moved to the sides effortlessly as if he were being attacked by a child.

The room vibrated with Riona’s power, but it was only when Margrave Edward finally revealed a portion of his power that their dispute attracted everyone’s attention.

He merely moved his head, but Riona was whipped to the door, thrown against the hallway wall. She groaned in pain.

Riona was about to get up and put up a good fight when Margrave Edward walked to the door and glared at her.

"Insolent brats like you should never dream of becoming part of our esteemed institution. You do not belong here. Return to your place and don’t come back. I do not wish to see your face ever again."

He turned back to his study. Before the door fully closed behind him, she heard him murmur in an annoyed tone, "Who will pay for the damage now? Should I charge His Majesty for the trouble his niece caused me?"

"Lady Riona! Are you alright?" Sir Kai rushed to her, checking for visible wounds, but she brushed him off.

"I’m fine," she snapped, angry at herself for losing.

It was inevitable. His shadiness aside, he was still the Minister of Defense. It was only natural that he was far stronger than Riona. He had lived longer than her and had more battle experience.

Even if he claimed to hold that position due to his ambition, King Valentin wouldn’t assign such power to weaklings, no matter how ambitious they were.

Riona patted the dirt from her skirt and walked away.

It was a grave mistake to bypass Sir Dusan and meet directly with Margrave Edward, who turned out to be worse than Sir Dusan. At least Sir Dusan showed guilt on his face.

Her grand plan failed. What next?

As she dwelled on her next move, she thought of Sir Kai. She came to a halt and turned around to see his worried expression.

The ace of the Nightwarden stood there, staring at Riona with a pained look. It seemed like he had a lot to say but didn’t know if it was the right time to speak.

Suddenly, Riona wondered if she could get any help from Sir Kai. After all, his sense of duty must be itching to right the wrongs, right?

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