It wasn't that he didn't want to drink; his hands were simply trembling so violently that he couldn't control them, and the fruit wine in his cup spilled all over the ground.
No, it wasn't just his trembling hands. Ever since he had recognized the other party's identity, his legs had turned to jelly.
If someone pushed him now, Albrecht doubted he could stand firm.
He desperately wanted to stand firm and control the shaking of his hands.
But he couldn't stop his body from trembling.
Thinking about the true identity of the innocently romantic girl in front of him, recalling everything he had just done to her, his scalp tingled and bitterness flooded his heart...
On the other hand, as Charlotte engaged in several conversations with him, the Blood Count Yulster finally started to pay serious attention to the "young noble" by the girl's side.
Hearing Charlotte call someone's name, Yulster slightly furrowed his brow.
The name Albrecht was not uncommon, a typical name within Yonette culture.
However, Yulster didn't particularly like the name.
Because it always reminded him of a member of the Dark Clan who was a Legendary Bloodline.
Due to historical reasons and his own personal experiences, Yulster had a strong aversion to the Shedite Bloodline.
No, more precisely, traditional members of the Nais Clan Bloodline like him felt both disdain and disgust for the lunatics of the Blood Demon Church.
Even if... he knew that "Albrecht" in question was a high-ranking member of the Shedite, a Dark Apostle of the Blood Demon Church.
Respect was respect, but disgust was still very much real.
Yulster subconsciously looked at the other party, assessing this "Albrecht" before him.
The man was handsome, with a benign face, and seemed somehow familiar.
Where had he seen him before?
Yulster's brows creased slightly.
But in his long life, he had seen too many faces, and for the moment, he couldn't recall where their paths might have crossed.
It must not have been someone important.
Because the man's presence was too weak.
Just standing next to the young Count Castel, this noble named "Albrecht" was clearly nervous, shaking like a trembling mouse, so pale he looked even more like a Bloodline than the Bloodline themselves.
Was this... being intimidated by Lord Castel's identity?
When he came to find Count Castel, he had heard that a young noble had called her out.
As soon as he arrived at the viewing platform and saw the young noble, he knew that it was another case of someone being attracted by Lord Castel's appearance, hoping to strike up a conversation.
Yulster didn't care much, for after all, Lord Castel was the True Ancestor's Deputy, and these hypocritical and base human nobles probably couldn't even catch her eye.
However, this noble named "Albrecht" was so unimpressive that it shocked even Yulster's perception of those generally incompetent human nobles.
It was clear that Albrecht had no idea of Lord Castel's true identity when he tried to approach her.
Now that he knew, he was so nervous he couldn't even hold a wine cup steady. To the unaware, it looked as if a mouse had seen a cat.
It was truly unbearable to watch, downright embarrassing.
Yulster shook his head inwardly, his gaze towards Albrecht carrying a mix of ridicule and disdain.
Daring to flirt casually in such a setting, but then immediately subdued by Lord Castel's identity, and to display such nervousness and loss of composure, it was likely only those unrefined, uncouth small nobles, used to bullying the weak and fearing the strong from the human world, who could react in such a manner.
As a noble of the Legendary Bloodline of the Falling Star, he held even more contempt for these types than he did for those from the Shedite Bloodline.
Unlike Yulster, Albrecht did recognize his identity.
Yet, Albrecht couldn't fathom why a Blood Count of the Nais Clan would be there, nor why he would have any interactions with the Ancestor.
Overwhelmed by fear and trepidation, Albrecht's mind raced, jumping from the Nais Clan having been infiltrated by the True Ancestor to the Nais Bloodline having collectively surrendered...
However, upon noticing Yulster's nearly equal manner of speaking with Charlotte, he soon realized something was off.
That didn't seem right...
This little scion of the Nais Clan seemed unaware of the True Ancestor's true identity!
He... apparently just mistook Her Majesty for Count Castel!
This revelation left Albrecht feeling quite perplexed as he viewed Yulster with an inexplicable gaze.
However, the moment Albrecht noticed the contemptuous look that Yulster inadvertently threw his way, he felt an immediate lump in his throat.
This guy... must have mistaken him for one of those nobles overawed by the stature of their superiors!
Facing Yulster's disdainful eyes, Albrecht was very annoyed, yet he couldn't retaliate due to the need to maintain his undercover identity.
On the other side, Yulster saw his "defiant" demeanor and was intrigued.
He chuckled lightly, a bit condescendingly:
"Albrecht? That name does remind me of a recent amusing incident."
"I heard that the third Dark Apostle of the Blood Demon Sect wanted to perform a sacrifice in Lutecia but ended up exposing his identity, only to be beaten up by four Legendary Bloodline members... almost met his end right there."
"It's truly laughable, daring to stir up trouble in a place like Lutecia – the height of foolishness and arrogance."