Chapter 100: Date with Nulissa!

After they spoke, that small romantic moment lingered between them, and neither of them rushed to break that moment. Jax saw her blush and smiled, noting that she looked cute when blushing but not saying anything.

Still, after that moment, Nulissa was the first to move, but she did not move away, but instead decided to move sideways, reclaiming her role even as she let herself remain open to Jax.

“Now that we got that out of the way, there is… one more thing,” The Vampire Clan Leader said, her voice quieter now, less the Clan Leader addressing her sovereign and more a woman choosing her words carefully.

Jax turned fully toward her, giving her his attention without pressure. “Go on.”

She hesitated very noticeably, twidling with her thumbs as she stared at him, gathering her thoughts and choosing her words wisely before speaking, “You have done more in a single afternoon than I managed in so long,” she said, “It’s been hard dealing with those old guys, but with your help, everything should remain calm,”

“However, I know I shouldn’t ask you for any more than you’ve already done,” She said, preparing her statement as a rueful smile curved on her lips, “I still selfishly want to ask something personal now that we’ve worked out that issue,”

Jax’s brow lifted slightly, not in suspicion, but more in curiosity, wondering what she wanted as he responded, “I’m all ears,”

Nulissa drew in a steadying breath, “I would like to invite you to dinner. Not as Demon King. Not as an answer to the elders.” She met his eyes, crimson steady, “But as Jax.”

For a heartbeat, the city beyond the obsidian glass seemed to hold its breath as it waited for Jax to respond.

Meanwhile, Jax just looked at Nulissa, recognizing the courage for her to ask that after how nervous she looked not too long ago.

“A date,” he said gently and Nulissa’s cheeks darkened again, unmistakable this time, “Yes.”

A slow smile spread across his face, warm and genuine. “I’d like that.”

The relief that crossed her features was immediate—and then carefully restrained, folded back into composure as she nodded once, “Then… if you’ll follow me please,”

She led him not toward the public halls or the ostentatious banquet chambers reserved for dignitaries, but deeper into the tower, past wards layered so subtly Jax admired them on instinct.

This was old magic, specialized for privacy.

They descended a short flight of steps into a circular chamber carved from obsidian veined with deep crimson crystal.

The ceiling arched high above, illusionary stars drifting slowly across its surface like a captured night sky. A single table sat at the center, elegant and understated, flanked by two high-backed chairs upholstered in dark velvet.

“This is one of the few places in Nightengale not claimed by any House,” Nulissa explained. “It was built before the clans fractured. Neutral ground.”

“Smart choice,” Jax said, glancing around appreciatively, “Hard to eavesdrop on history.”

She smiled faintl, “Exactly.”

At her quiet signal, hidden doors slid open without a sound. Chefs entered, not many, just three, moving with reverence and precision. None looked directly at Jax for long, though the awe was impossible to hide.

They worked quickly, efficiently, laying out dishes that balanced elegance with restraint: dark-crusted meats infused with bloodwine reductions, silver-leafed root vegetables glowing faintly with mana, crystal decanters filled with a deep red liquid that shimmered like garnet.

When they withdrew, silence settled again, comfortable this time.

Nulissa gestured for him to sit, then took her place across from him.

“For the record,” Jax said as he lifted his glass, “this is the least politically stressful date I’ve had in a while.”

That earned a chuckle from Jax as he responded, “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

They ate in companionable quiet at first, the kind that didn’t demand filling. The food was exceptional, rich without being overwhelming, crafted to be savored rather than devoured. Jax noted the care in every detail, the absence of excess.

Eventually, Nulissa spoke again, her tone thoughtful.

“You asked earlier about Nightengale tearing itself apart,” she said. “That fear didn’t come from nowhere.”

Jax leaned back slightly, attentive. “Tell me.”

She folded her hands on the table. “Vampires have survived for centuries by making ourselves useful. Our Blood is quite valuable for Alchemical concoctions, so we’ve worked alongside Witches especially for a long time, which has also given us a-lot of resources to survive,”

Jax nodded as Nulissa continued, “However, that has also made us a target to a-lot of other people,”

Her eyes darkened, “Especially to the Holy Knights.”

Jax’s expression cooled, not anger yet, but focus, “They harvest you.”

“Yes,” she said plainly. “Under the guise of ’divine necessity.’ Vampire fangs are potent sanctified catalysts that have a-lot of uses to them, and there’s also our Blood which they can use for various rituals,”

She looked down at her glass, “Every fang sold is a piece of us turned against our own kind.”

Jax’s jaw tightened as he heard all of this.

“We’ve lost a-lot of ground to them to maintain survival. It’s been quite frustrating,” Nulissa continued softly.

Silence stretched again, but this time it was heavier, edged with something sharper.

“This is why your capital plan matters,” she continued. “A unified demonic seat of power changes everything. A solid plan for trade routes, our own combined and trained military deterrence. Diplomacy on your terms.”

She met his gaze, “If Nightengale is no longer an isolated resource hub but a protected core city of the Demon Kingdom… the Holy Knights lose their leverage in this war, and that’s huge,”

Jax nodded slowly. “And your people stop being prey.”

“Yes.”

Hope flickered in her eyes as she thought about all of this.

Jax set his glass down, “That future is achievable. But it’ll require more than walls and titles.”

“I know,” she said. “It will require trust.”

Their eyes met again across the table, something unspoken passing between them—not a promise, not yet, but alignment.

“This,” Nulissa added softly, gesturing between them, “is why I wanted tonight. Not because of bloodlines. But because if I’m going to hope… I wanted to do it honestly.”

Jax smiled, “Then you’re doing it right.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep