Autumn still hadn't said a word.
She just looked around at everyone, clearly confused about why all the attention was suddenly on her.
Once again, Ethan felt like time was moving unusually slow. He grew so impatient that he pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time.
Then, he casually checked his email and scrolled through the messages from friends and family that he had missed since the night before. His fingers kept scrolling up and down the screen, and his eyes scanned the lines of text - but in reality, none of it registered in his brain.
"Whoever marries Felix now will have to shoulder a 6-billion-VND debt with him, huh?"
Summer laughed out loud. Thanks to his hearty laugh, time inside the room seemed to return to its normal pace.
"If our little Autumn were to say yes, maybe Spring would even forgive Felix's debt. That kid may look innocent, but he's sly as hell. Stick out your tongue and let me see if there's a birthmark on it, will ya?"
"No! My heart truly belongs to…"
"Which heart are you talking about? The 6-billion-VND artificial one or the real heart that's still in Spring's lab?"
Summer didn't let Felix finish. He was determined to tease the poor kid to the very end.
"Hehehe. I don't cancel debts just because someone becomes family, you know. Oh, and I haven't even calculated the exact cost for treating Felix's real heart yet. I estimate it'll be around one to two billion. Artificial blood prices are skyrocketing lately."
Spring grinned wickedly. It was a finishing blow that left Felix completely defeated.
This was also the first time Ethan had seen Spring smile. He silently told himself never to make that blue-eyed man laugh - or worse, angry.
Clearly, Autumn's two older brothers working together were even more terrifying than Mr. Silvan.
The way Spring and Summer tossed the jokes back and forth left Felix completely dumbfounded. The poor boy couldn't think of a single comeback.
"Spring, Summer! Please stop teasing Felix. Honestly, I don't care about money or how tall a guy is. My standards are really simple."
Autumn finally spoke.
Felix beamed with joy the moment he heard Autumn say what she didn't care about.
Ethan kept his head slightly lowered, eyes still on his phone. He refused to look up, even though his Gen Z posture now made him look exactly like a boiled shrimp.
"Tell me, sweetie, what is your one requirement then?"
Mrs. Marina couldn't hold back and asked Autumn directly.
"Well, Mom. I just want someone strong enough to beat Dad in a one-on-one duel."
Everyone at the table burst into laughter - except for Felix. Seeing that, Ethan joined in with a chuckle, just for the sake of it.
"We once teamed up to challenge Dad, and he didn't hold back on his own sons at all. I can't even imagine how far he'd go with someone trying to take his precious daughter away. So I think you should seriously lower your standards - or you'll stay single forever."
Summer glanced at Ethan, making every joint in Ethan's body ache slightly. He winced as the memory of that brutal training session with Mr. Silvan from earlier that morning suddenly resurfaced.
"It's fine. I can wait however long it takes. I've got all the time in the world."
Autumn giggled as she answered.
"Me too! I've got plenty of time - just like you, Autumn! After I finish paying off my debt to Spring, I'll take care of Mr. Silvan in one move. By then, I'll probably be around 108 years old. And as for Ethan… Tell me, what flowers do you like, so I know what to bring to your grave?"
Felix had fully regained his confidence. And for some reason, the kid just couldn't stop dragging Ethan into his nonsense.
Ethan was beyond annoyed at this brat.
But… dammit, the kid had a point.
The average life expectancy for a Vietnamese person was around 74 years. Even if Ethan took perfect care of his health, he'd be lucky to reach 80 before returning to the soil.
Meanwhile, these… people - no, these Vampires - sitting around him would stay forever young, strong, and beautiful. Time had no hold on them.
"I like lilies. Just bring me a bouquet of white lilies."
Ethan finally lifted his head. He wasn't afraid anymore. He looked straight at Autumn and spoke in the calmest voice he could manage.
Well, a human life is fleeting after all. Better to embrace the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death with grace. If you're lucky enough to meet someone who makes your heart race even just once… that's more than enough.
Ethan felt his life was already complete.
He didn't wish for anything more.
"What kind of food do you like so I can prepare your offerings? Chicken? Sticky rice? Or maybe bubble tea?"
Felix still refused to let Ethan off the hook. Ethan couldn't help but regret that Royce wasn't here - since he was in the kitchen, no one was around to keep this brat in check.
"Nooo!"
Autumn suddenly shouted.
At the same time, she abruptly stood up, causing her chair to crash loudly onto the floor.
Instantly, everyone's attention was back on her.
"A Bloodbound can't die that easily. They stay young longer and live much longer than regular humans. Spring, can you confirm that for me?"
Autumn's voice was trembling slightly, and her brown eyes shimmered with a glossy sheen.
"Correct about staying young. Wrong about living longer. Bloodbound deaths rarely come from natural causes like aging or illness. They're usually caused by…"
Spring replied in his usual flat, emotionless tone. But he stopped mid-sentence the moment he caught a stern look from Mrs. Marina.
Autumn didn't ask anything more. She understood what Spring meant.
After she picked her chair back up and sat down again, Autumn sat quietly for a moment, deep in thought.
Then suddenly, she shot up from her seat and ran straight into the kitchen.
"Oh my goodness! She's gone to wreck my kitchen again!"
Mrs. Marina cried out in alarm.
She rushed after Autumn as soon as she heard a loud crash that sounded like pots and pans falling. Even Celestia, though technically still a guest, couldn't sit still when her future mother-in-law had already gone into the kitchen.
Thanks to the combined efforts of the ladies, the cooking process sped up considerably. The dishes were soon brought out one by one, gradually covering half the massive dining table.
Just as Mrs. Marina had once shared, Vampires had a very different way of cooking compared to humans.
Except for the rice, all the dishes were either barely seared or left raw. A perfect example were the plates of beef steak, cooked only to the level of Blue Rare. The seafood was sliced thin and presented beautifully but left completely raw.
Ethan knew there were plenty of humans who could happily devour raw oysters, sashimi, shrimp, and even raw vegetables… but he was not one of them. Fortunately, Mr. Silvan always prepared a separate, fully cooked portion just for him.
Everyone had settled into their seats after the final dish - BLOOD PUDDING - was brought out.
"Don't worry, bro! This one's just made from beetroot and grass jelly powder. Us Vietnamese folks usually eat blood pudding made from duck, goose, or pig's blood anyway."
Royce explained to Ethan when he noticed Ethan's slightly pale expression.
Royce had been about to sit next to Ethan when Autumn suddenly shoved him aside to take that seat for herself.
Across the table, Felix could only cast a sorrowful, heartbroken gaze toward Autumn sitting next to Ethan. Meanwhile, on his right, Mr. Silvan sat with a look that clearly said, "I warned you, didn't I?"
"Ethan! Open wide!"
Seeing Autumn holding a bowl of rice in one hand and a spoon in the other, Ethan immediately understood what she was about to do.
"No! I…"
Ethan had barely parted his lips to protest when a spoonful of rice was already in his mouth.
"You're not allowed to die! You have to eat a lot and get stronger!"
Autumn kept shoving spoonfuls of rice, beef, and vegetables into Ethan's mouth.
"Let… me… eat… myself…"
Ethan's throat started to feel tight, and his face began turning bright red.
Autumn immediately stopped.
She simply thought the speed and amount of food she'd been feeding him were a bit too much.
As she gently rubbed Ethan's skinny back to help him swallow more easily, his face suddenly turned pale, causing her to panic.
"Oh no! Ethan, what's wrong? Don't die!"
Autumn cried out, hastily offering him a glass of water right to his lips.
What she didn't realize was that her over-the-top "feed him till he bursts" style of care had been making Mr. Silvan's face grow darker and darker since the beginning of the meal. And that was the real reason Ethan's face had been changing colors faster than a chameleon.
"Spring, do you remember how many pets Autumn has accidentally killed because of her overfeeding habit?"
Summer tried to hold back a laugh as he looked toward the scene unfolding beside them.
"I gave up counting after she bloated the third goldfish to death. So honestly, I'm kind of concerned for her new pet here. I just hope humans are sturdier than hamsters, goldfish, parrots, red-eared sliders, and spiders…"
Spring flashed a smile - that same chilling smile that had made Ethan break into goosebumps the first time he saw it.