Fangless: The Alpha's Vampire Mate
Chapter 50: A Study in Diplomacy

Chapter 50: A Study in Diplomacy

Their first destination was Baron Ludwig’s mansion. After listing the supporters of her mother, Riona sent private letters to them.

Thorin advised against writing anything explicit to avoid news leaks should anyone other than the supporters read the content of the letters.

Please forgive me for not reaching out to you sooner. I beg your understanding since I didn’t know that you’ve been aiding my mother during her short life. New information has come up about her death. I wish to speak with you directly about this.

Not everyone on the list was eager to speak about Riona’s mother. Some of them had switched sides to King Valentin because there was no use in supporting a nonexistent vampire.

But a number of them were willing to help. To them, Riona insisted on being discreet about their meetings. Even without any context, they agreed right away.

"In the world of politics, one is bound to be numb to surprises. You just won’t know what will happen or what exactly happened in the past, so you brace yourself for the worst," Thorin gave his opinion about why her mother’s supporters didn’t ask anything.

As far as Riona knew, her mother’s relationship with King Valentin had not been bad. At the very least, they were like any other normal siblings.

Telling the nobles that King Valentin might have murdered her mother would shake the whole kingdom, no matter how well-prepared they were for anything.

"Lucky Baron Ludwig will be the first to be shocked, then," Riona muttered.

Thorin smirked, seemingly to agree with her remark, but said nothing.

They climbed on the carriage, employing only the werewolves Thorin had chosen as the servant and driver to maintain vigilance.

When the three of them were inside the carriage, the atmosphere was awkward, but thankfully, the journey was rather short. Soon enough, they had entered Baron Ludwig’s mansion.

"Please follow me, My Lords, My Lady," the servant bowed, leading the way. The three of them were guided inside.

"My Lady, the curtains are drawn inside the manor. You can remove your sun-protection clothes," another servant was already waiting at the right turn. She helped Riona take off her hat, gloves, and her coat.

They were asked to wait in an empty drawing room. The one who seemed the most nervous was, unexpectedly, Puck.

While Riona was busy trying on the delicacies served to them, Thorin crossed his legs and arms calmly. It was Puck who was sitting stiffly on the sofa.

Riona was about to open her mouth and made a comment when the door was pushed open. She rose up and bowed politely.

"Greetings, Baron Ludwig. Please forgive me for visiting in the middle of the day. But what I’m about to share with you is worth a little sacrifice," she began.

Baron Ludwig had a youthful appearance, despite already having a dozen generations of descendants. The first thing the baron said was, "You look so much like Amara."

There were hints of fatherly affection in his tone of voice and his gentle gaze.

"Thank you," she replied. "So, this is about my mother."

"Why are they here?" Baron Ludwig referred to Thorin and Puck without casting a glance at them.

That rudeness irritated Puck. His veins bulged out in rage, and he clenched his fists to suppress his dissatisfaction at the blatant discrimination this senior vampire showed.

Riona momentarily forgot about how hostile vampires were naturally towards werewolves. Just because King Valentin wished to join hands with werewolves didn’t mean that all vampires of the Kingdom of Eira automatically accepted them as part of the community.

"They are my companion," Riona answered, trying to be diplomatic although she wasn’t sure if she succeeded.

Baron Ludwig scoffed, leaned back, and turned his legs towards the opposite direction of Riona. That wasn’t good, was it?

"So you’re a licker too?"

Licker was what vampires called their own people who were friendly towards werewolves. The way Baron Ludwig added the word too into his question made Riona sure that the first person the baron meant must be King Valentin.

His move of inviting an Alpha werewolf to the kingdom of vampires was not received well by nobles, especially the seniors, who were mostly supremacists.

Riona wanted to argue, but Baron Ludwig stopped her with his derisive laugh. "It’s not enough that you don’t have fangs, but you must be a traitor of your kind too? Really, a fur licker? I certainly didn’t see that from Amara’s child."

"You’ve crossed the line!" Puck slammed his fist on the table, sending reverberations to the snack tray. The cups trembled on their saucers, spilling some of the blood from the cup.

"Puck. Don’t!" Thorin commanded in a low voice, and no matter how furious Puck was, he moved backward and listened to his Alpha.

Baron Ludwig glared at Puck and hissed, "You dare to show hostility towards me, the owner of the manor you’re sitting comfortably in? Do you think I can’t win against you furry beasts?"

"Baron Ludwig, we’re not here to pick a fight. I must say that I should have announced their presence in the letter I sent you so you can prepare your hospitality towards them. However, Baron, I believe that you’re being rude to your guests."

"Guests?" Baron Ludwig untangled his legs and leaned forward, elbows on his thighs. "I would have never opened my gate if I had known who were in the carriage with you."

Riona cleared her throat. Since Baron Ludwig’s insult didn’t reach Riona, she was able to think rationally. She didn’t want to repeat the mistake she made when she met with Margrave Edward. This time, she had a clear purpose.

Vampires of Baron Ludwig’s age wouldn’t back down easily. On the contrary, they could even release an army of household knighthood just to prove his point. To prevent that from happening—at least until Riona could eradicate the petition—she cut to the chase.

"My mother was murdered, Baron Ludwig. She was never in an accident. It was all a deliberate death all along," she revealed.

Baron Ludwig went silent. His green eyes were as wide as a bat, even though he had not transformed yet.

Yes, this is how it should be. That information should be enough to hook him up.

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