Chapter 1188: The Young Lady La Folia
Vatler's face was brimming with fervent delight.
Compared to how he faced Sayaka and Kiriya, his enthusiasm was simply on another dimension.
"Narcissus?"
Sayaka and Kiriya both furrowed their brows simultaneously.
What was that?
It wasn't that they were ignorant of mythology—as government agents specialized in handling magical disaster incidents, they had naturally studied myths from around the world and knew that Narcissus was the man from Greek mythology who died because of his own beauty.
But why use it here?
Why use it for Eiji, this man?
Was there some special meaning?
"Ah, actually, when I first heard of your reputation, I wanted to meet you, but unfortunately, I never had the chance!"
Vatler approached with great enthusiasm.
"I don't want to see you!"
Eiji immediately felt his scalp tingle and quickly hid behind Sayaka.
Damn it!
It's that familiar vibe!
This asshole is definitely a homo!
"Hahaha, don't say that. I'm extremely curious about your appearance. How about we have a private chat?"
Vatler seemed unbothered, growing even more eager instead.
"Get lost!"
Eiji roared harshly.
The surrounding gazes instantly converged on them.
Noticing Vatler's presence, the dignitaries nearby began whispering among themselves, yet none dared to approach.
Though they might appear noble, Vatler, who held the status of a duke in the Warring States Dominion, was an unattainable existence in their eyes.
"A mere lowly human, how dare you speak to Lord Vatler like that!"
The cold, handsome young man following behind Vatler like a servant widened his eyes in fury upon hearing this.
Like a provoked loyal dog, he strode over, bypassed Sayaka, and reached out to grab Eiji by the collar.
Eiji tilted his head slightly.
Beneath the mask that no one could see through, his face was a perfect replica of the "subway old man looking at phone" meme.
A mere human?
Do you even hear what you're saying?
"Get lost, loser!"
Eiji waved his hand impatiently.
With a sharp slap, he struck the cold young man's approaching hand.
Instantly, the other's face turned as purple as a pig's liver, his arm trembling uncontrollably.
Watching the scene, Vatler narrowed his snake-like, cunning eyes.
"Listen up, dumbass! I don't have time to compete for affection with you. Get out of your dad's sight right now, or I'll kick you to death!"
Eiji pointed at the cold-faced young man and unleashed a torrent of insults.
Sayaka covered her face, letting out a pained groan.
Kiriya's expression also turned peculiar.
This person really... is utterly uninhibited!
It's not just acting on whims anymore—it's outright recklessness!
Did he never consider whether he could leave this cruise ship today or whether his actions might bring disaster to his family and friends?
"Thebius, you're too rash."
At that moment, the gentle young man they had met before appeared beside the cold-faced youth, casting a concerned glance his way.
"Lord Vatler, in my humble opinion, maintaining restraint with a first-time guest would be more effective in winning the favor of Easterners."
He helped the cold-faced young man down while, like a lubricant, respectfully offering his opinion to Vatler.
"You're right, Guila. It seems excessive enthusiasm can sometimes be troublesome."
Vatler reined in his smile, wearing a pained, bitter expression.
"Let tonight be my apology to all of you. Please enjoy yourselves to the fullest, and later we can properly build our relationship!"
"Get lost, you homo! Stay away from me and never see me again!"
Eiji roared loudly.
His disgust was palpable.
The surrounding guests pretended not to hear, quickly raising their glasses to toast.
Vatler remained completely unfazed, his smile unchanged.
"Hey, is it really okay to leave him like that?"
Fizaki Kiriya pointed toward the scene, her expression quite peculiar.
She felt she had truly broadened her horizons tonight—someone actually dared to show such disrespect to Duke Vatler, shouting "get lost" and "homo" without holding back.
Vatler, whose expression never wavered, was undoubtedly deep and calculating.
She had only heard before that he had no interest in women, maintaining a team of maids but never touching them, while showing favor to handsome young male subordinates. Now, seeing his eager attitude, it felt entirely justified to call him a homo without any slander.
Moreover, the young man's reaction also intrigued her.
It had been a long time since she encountered such an interesting person!
Surrounded by stuffy colleagues, she had been feeling quite stifled.
"It's fine. He's not someone so easily threatened."
Kousaka Sayaka, however, waved her hand dismissively, looking entirely unconcerned.
Not only was he himself a powerhouse comparable to the Four Fist Immortals, but his guardian, Nangong Nayue, was no pushover either!
If Vatler wanted to try anything, he'd better be prepared to lose everything without gaining a thing!
In comparison, she was actually more curious about the title "Narcissus."
Could that be Eiji's hidden past?
"Really? That's so interesting!"
Hearing this, Fizaki Kiriya immediately cast a fascinated gaze toward the masked young man.
"By the way, so you're on a mission to guard Duke Vatler? Why didn't you just say so earlier?"
Sayaka firmly committed the name "Narcissus" to memory and turned her attention to Fizaki Kiriya.
Her slightly complaining expression made Fizaki Kiriya chuckle lightly in amusement.
"Wouldn't that have been boring?"
"?"
Sayaka slowly formed a question mark in her mind.
She cautiously took a step back, putting distance between herself and Fizaki Kiriya.
This vibe!
It was the same troublemaker energy as Eiji!
Better avoid interacting with this person as much as possible in the future!
"However, you're mistaken."
The next moment, Fizaki Kiriya's cheerful words caught her attention again.
"Duke Vatler came to the island for a visit in his capacity as a diplomat from the Warring States Dominion, following official procedures. He insisted he didn't need a guard, so the higher-ups couldn't arrange one."
Calling it a guard was essentially surveillance.
After all, someone like Vatler, known as "the vampire closest to the True Ancestor," could cause immense damage if he caused any trouble.
So, arranging a guard was something both sides tacitly understood.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't refuse.
But this time, Vatler specifically declined a guard.
If he had come to the island as an ordinary person, it would have been one thing. According to the Holy Domain Treaty, the Nippon government had the right to monitor him.
But he had deliberately refused as an official diplomat, so naturally, the authorities couldn't forcibly surveil him—doing so could easily escalate into an international issue.
"However, I really am carrying out a guard mission!"
Seeing that Sayaka's curiosity had clearly been piqued, Koyomi Minamiya smirked mischievously.
"Then who are you guarding?"
"Guess."
"..."
A vein throbbed on Sayaka's forehead.
Just as expected!
This woman's personality was truly unbearable!
"Unfortunately, it seems she has already arrived."
Saying this, Koyomi Minamiya pouted regretfully in a certain direction.
Sayaka followed her gaze and felt her breath catch slightly.
What a beautiful girl!
"Good day, everyone."
A girl who seemed like the reincarnation of the goddess of beauty made her entrance under the awestruck gazes of the crowd, arriving before Eiji and the others with a flawless, radiant smile.
"I am La Folia Rihavein. It seems I've arrived a bit late—please forgive me?"