In the warm and inviting lounge of Rudy's castle, the joyful reunion unfolded like a heartwarming scene from a storybook. Rebecca, gently pulling Mary's cheek, couldn't contain her happiness. Her smile was as bright as the young girl's eyes.
"You can call me by my name, Mary," Rebecca suggested gently as she held Mary close.
However, Mary, with all the stubbornness of a child, climbed onto Rebecca's lap and declared, "But granny is granny."
Elena, always ready with a teasing remark, couldn't resist chiming in. "That's right, Mary. Granny is granny."
Mary then turned to Elena with a spark of recognition. "Elena is back!"
Elena played along, her tone light and playful. "Yeah. I was working hard to bring your grandmother here. She's really annoying, you know? Always making excuses to not come here. But I finally managed to convince her. She will now stay with us, forever. You should scold her for being so annoying."
The little girl, wise beyond her years, turned her inquisitive gaze toward Rebecca. "Why do you not want to come here, granny? Do you not like Mary?"
Rebecca, overwhelmed by the sheer cuteness of Mary, couldn't help but chuckle. She gave Mary an affectionate pat and cast a mock glare at Elena. "No, sweetie, I love Mary. But I don't like Elena."
Mary's infectious laughter filled the room, lifting everyone's spirits.She greeted each member of Rudy's harem with boundless enthusiasm, making them feel like celebrities at a grand reception. Mary soaked up the attention like a sponge, her wide eyes filled with wonder.
Rias leaned in, a sly smile on her lips. "Mary, would you like to hear a spooky story later?"
Mary's eyes widened with antic.i.p.ation. "Auntie Rias, really? A spooky story?"
Rias, ever the enigmatic vampire, winked playfully. "Oh, yes, Mary. It'll be the spookiest story you've ever heard."
Rebecca, with a warm smile on her face, called out to Reed, extending her arms for an embrace. However, the little boy turned his face away and clung tightly to his mother, Maria. His tiny hands wrapped around her in a silent plea for comfort.
Maria, always the doting mother, held Reed close, a.s.suring Rebecca, "He is just sleepy, don't mind his manners. He behaves like this whenever he's sleepy or hungry."
With a reminiscent sparkle in her eyes, Rebecca responded, "Rudy used to do the same when he was a kid!"
Elena chimed in, her lips curving into a wry smile, "Yeah, I remember that."
Rebecca continued, observing Reed carefully, "Reed is looking more and more like Rudy as he's growing up."
Elena nodded in agreement, adding a piece of nostalgia, "Eric looked similar too. Do you remember how people used to mistake Eric and Rudy as brothers so often?"
Rebecca couldn't help but reminisce and replied, "Yeah..."
As the conversation flowed, the girls caught up on various topics. Rebecca's curiosity led her to inquire about Mary and Reed's potential superpowers. "So, have Mary and Reed shown any signs of superpowers?" she inquired with genuine interest.
Maria replied thoughtfully, "They haven't, and I don't think they will. Eric and Erika never got Rudy's powers, either."
Rias, who had been listening attentively, nodded in agreement. "Yeah," she added, "Lord's powers aren't transferable, genetically or hereditary. Great Grandma Nyxia was the Lord when she gave birth to all her children, and yet, none of her children got her powers."
Rebecca's curiosity led her to probe further. "But isn't one of her sons the strongest vampire in the world?"
"You mean, second strongest." A sudden voice disrupted the conversation, causing everyone to turn their heads. Descending gracefully into the lounge was a girl dressed in white and blue, her ethereal appearance matching her extraordinary presence. With her hair as white as snow and eyes as azure as the clearest skies, it was undoubtedly Jane.
"I am the strongest vampire in the world," Jane declared confidently, a radiant smile gracing her features.