O Lord, my enemies have multiplied. Many have risen up against me.
Many have said, "He will not receive help from God."
But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
I called out to the Lord with my voice, and He answered me from His holy mountain.
I lay down to sleep. I awoke. The Lord protected me.
Though ten thousand demons surround me, I will not fear.
O Lord, arise.
My God, save me. For you have shattered the jaws of all my enemies and broken the teeth of the wicked.
Grace belongs to the Lord.
May you bless your people.
The door slowly opened as it rotated evenly around its axis.
In that instant, the lavish stone door could no longer hide the whispered words of a group of men and women.
Ivina stood there dumbfounded. The dim candlelight, the luxurious decorations, and the atmosphere inside the house were subtly ambiguous.
However, all of this vanished into thin air after the arrival of these two incongruous "intruders."
In their eyes—one was a peculiar-looking young woman dressed in alluring attire, while the other was an elderly, hunchbacked old woman.
Ivina's hand was tightly held by the old woman in front of her, stiffly leading her toward the main dining table.
But her head was deeply buried in her chest, stubbornly lowered.
She dared not look up, not even for a glance. For her sensitive nature had already sensed that every shadow around her was casting looks of contempt and disdain upon her.
A wave of intense bitterness welled up within her. Perhaps, no matter where she went, she would always be so despised.
"It's been a long time, Niditara. We've almost forgotten how long it's been since you last set foot in this noble hall."
A tall, blond man seated at the main table spoke casually, his words eliciting a smirk from those seated beside him.
"The esteemed Count Pujeo, your courtesy continues to shine as brightly as the medal on your chest. However, your humble, devout servant must correct your misstatement…"
The hall fell into complete silence.
"From this moment onward, I, Perde Niditera, shall resume my identity as the Witch of Niditera. I shall assist our great king, Duke Dandel, in fulfilling his ambitions and carrying out his will…"
Before Niditera could finish speaking, the blond man's face had already turned cold and menacing.
"What a joke. If the king's orders can be arbitrarily altered by someone as vulgar as you, it would undermine the king's authority."
The blond man snorted disdainfully, furrowing his brows in contempt.
Ivina quietly looked up and was surprised to discover that the man had orange-red eyes. The respectful yet sarcastic tone she had heard from Niditera earlier was enough to indicate the blond man's noble status.
So, was he the person she was searching for?
"I was stripped of my title due to the loss of my magical abilities, but now I have sufficient proof to demonstrate the restoration of my powers." Niditara turned around, looking at Ivina, who was trembling with tension. His withered hand tenderly played with the strands of hair scattered across Ivina's forehead, his mannerisms clearly affected.
"My crystal ball tells me, 'Soon, a young woman of a foreign race will arrive in the king's realm.'
My crystal ball tells me, 'That maiden's magical abilities are unmatched, and her divination far surpasses my own. We must honor her and revere her.'
My crystal ball tells me, 'In time, she will become the king's most trusted ally, making our kingdom brighter than heaven and more vast than hell. She will make the power of vampires reach its peak.'"
Ivina the Coward hid behind Niditla, but she couldn't avoid the piercing gaze focused on her.
The blond man cast a mocking glance at Ivina.
"Lift your face," Pu Jiao coldly commanded.