With the rapid development of technology, numerous scientific surgical experiments that disregard human ethics have emerged.
One such experiment is the body consciousness transfer surgery.
The concept is quite clear - simply put, it involves replacing the brain and soul in an existing body.
The deadly prerequisite is that the body receiving the other person's brain and soul must be alive before the surgery and must have a blood relation.
In other words, Francis planned to give his beloved eldest son Edmund a chance at rebirth by using Anderson's body.
At first glance, this seems like a great display of father-son affection, truly moving and touching.
Unfortunately, in Chloe's view, they were just idiots disregarding human life and attempting to forcibly take over her person.
This explains why Duke Francis was so eager and attentive in recognizing Anderson as his son recently.
It was all for Edmund...
Seeing that Chloe had been standing still for a while, Qin Huaibei and Daniel walked over.
"What's going on? Why have you been standing there motionless?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he spotted the medical document in Chloe's hand.
There was silence for several long seconds.
After a while, Qin Huaibei said through gritted teeth: "What kind of idiot is Francis?"
"Edmund is his son, but isn't Anderson his son too?"
Daniel looked at the emaciated, panicked, and dejected Edmund sitting in the wheelchair before him, utterly baffled:
"All this for such a sickly person? If this fool is done for, then so be it. At worst, they could cultivate Anderson anew. Is it really worth expending so much effort for this weakling?"
"Alright, that's enough," Chloe stopped them from continuing their tirade, and simply said, "Francis is an old-fashioned, conservative nobleman even more stubborn and outdated than Xavier."
He probably couldn't accept Anderson's mixed-blood status.
But unfortunately, even if the surgery were to succeed, the blood flowing through Anderson's body wouldn't change.
Anderson would forever be a mixed-blood vampire, and so would Edmund if he took over Anderson's body.
Unless they performed a complete blood transfusion.
But by then, whether Edmund could survive would be another matter entirely.
Chloe stood up and walked towards Katherine.
After undergoing prolonged treatment, Anderson's condition seemed to have improved significantly.
At least his complexion was no longer so pale.
"How are you feeling?" Chloe asked.
Anderson mustered his strength to put on a brave face, trying hard not to worry Chloe: "I'm fine, the wounds on my body have almost healed."
Hearing this, Chloe felt slightly relieved, then said:
"You deserve the pain, that's what you get for running off here without a word."
Anderson blinked slowly, then raised the corners of his mouth into a smile.
Seeing that he still had the nerve to smile, Chloe became even more angry:
"What are you smiling at? Is it funny? Did you ever consider how we would feel when you put yourself in this state?!"
As she finished speaking, Qin Huaibei and the others nodded silently behind her.
Katherine, who had just expended most of her magical power to treat Anderson, also pinched her fingertips painfully.
Faced with the half-serious, half-joking, slightly accusatory gazes of everyone, Anderson's smile faded a bit, but he didn't reveal that this was Xavier's order.
Never mind, the relationship between the young miss and Xavier was already awkward enough. If he were to intervene further, it would probably make things even more difficult.
Anderson apologized softly: "I'm sorry, it won't happen again."
Chloe glared at him fiercely: "It better not."
On the floor of the room, Francis's body stirred. Chloe noticed and casually picked up a nearby vase, hurling it forcefully!
With a loud thud, Duke Francis, who had just shown signs of getting up, passed out again.
Chloe rubbed her wrist.
Surely Xavier wouldn't blame her for attacking a great nobleman within the Vampire King City.
She thought carefully and decided that he definitely wouldn't, so she happily helped Anderson up, and said to Daniel:
"Go take care of Edmund."
Caught off guard by the sudden assignment, the young wolf hesitated: "Can I handle it as I see fit?"
"He's just a useless person," Chloe said. "You can do whatever you want with him."
Hearing this, Daniel immediately perked up: "That's good then."
With that, he scampered off behind the screen.
Katherine watched Daniel's retreating figure with some concern: "Will he be alright handling this?"
"It'll be fine," Chloe said as she hefted Anderson onto her back. After settling him, she turned her head and said, "I chose him because he's rather wicked, ruthless, and vicious."
In short, for tasks involving killing, arson, and burying bodies, leaving it to the young wolf was definitely the right choice.
Katherine thought about it carefully and agreed.
So she didn't worry about it anymore.
The four of them left Francis's manor first.
The manor was deathly quiet. Even as they so blatantly carried someone out, not a single knight or servant tried to stop them.
They were like ghosts in the manor, or perhaps just decorative ornaments, utterly useless in protecting their master.
As they left the manor gates, Qin Huaibei specifically turned his head to double-check:
"They really aren't going to stop us at all?"
"The Francis Family is about to fall, so what difference does it make whether they stop us or not?"
Moreover, judging by Francis's demeanor, he didn't seem like someone who treated his servants and knights particularly well on a regular basis.
As they chatted casually, none of them noticed that Anderson, who had been weakly draped over Chloe's back, had opened his eyes and slightly turned his head to meet the gazes of the servants in Francis's manor.
In that instant, all the servants in Francis's manor timidly lowered their heads.
Anyone who didn't know better would have thought Anderson was their master.
...
The day after Chloe brought Anderson out of the Francis Family, Xavier ordered people to raid Francis's home.
Overnight, this old noble family belonging to the Vampire King City had their private vaults emptied and was charged with the serious crime of treason and collusion with the Werewolf Race.
In an instant, the situation turned precarious, and many small noble families that had previously relied on Francis came forward to clarify their stance. They firmly stated that they had completely severed ties with Francis and expressed their lack of knowledge and shame regarding Francis's secret communications with the Werewolf Race.
Everyone knew the weight of the old noble families that could be toppled at any moment compared to the ever-standing Vampire Royal Family.
However, the Francis Family's title was not revoked, but instead passed down to their little-known youngest son.
It was said that this youngest son had helped the Ancestor Lord find evidence of Francis's secret communications with the Werewolf Race, making him a great contributor to the vampire cause.
This news caught the attention of many parties, all of whom were eager to meet this child who had made such an achievement in front of the Ancestor Lord.
After much inquiry, people finally learned that his name was Anderson Francis.
He was formerly the death guard of the vampires' only young lady.
The transition from a death guard to a great vampire noble was indeed quite surprising.
