The following evening, Minji was not in the best possible state, mentally or physically. Since yesterday, she has been worrying about the party, and the fact that she had to wear heels to it makes it much more difficult for her to move around, which adds to her anxiety. She was standing outside the venue with her sister at the time, and the two of them were having a casual conversation with Yubin and Gahyeon, who appeared to be as enthusiastic as Bora.

Well, to be frank, it was only Bora who was talking to her friends. Minji did not speak a word, instead merely nodding or smiling in response to the other girls' questions whenever they were directed toward her. 

Minji remained by her sister's side throughout the entire evening, despite the fact that she questioned whether or not this was a wise decision. Bora knew practically everyone who attended, and she continued to greet and speak to them, which brought Minji's mortal sister into an even greater spotlight. Not to forget that Minji wore an extraordinarily stunning outfit that night, and she appeared to be even more attractive than she already was, which served only to attract even more attention—attention that she had stated she didn't want in the first place.

"Are you having fun so far, Minji? You seem so worried. Do you not feel well today?" One of the guests, Hyunjung, asked the young lady in concern when she first became aware of how tense the girl was.

Minji was informed that she, too, was of pure blood and that she belonged to the family of Siyeon. In addition to this, she learned that she was betrothed to Kim Jiyeon, who was widely recognized as one of the greatest leaders among the dhampirs.

"Oh- I…"

Bora swiftly responded, "She's fine," while lightly rubbing her sister's shoulders to help her relax. "She's fine," she mentioned once more.

"Minji is not a person who enjoys going out to parties like I do, and this is actually the first time that she has come to our yearly celebration. Simply put, she's just overcome with anxiety due to the large number of people she's currently interacting with. Don't worry, she'll warm up!"

Hyunjung let out a soft chuckle.

"You bring back memories of the very first time I came to this gathering. Because I have an introverted personality by nature, I just stayed by my parents' sides the entire evening, and I was very anxious about everything," she remarked. "However, because this occurs on a yearly basis, I have become accustomed to it. In addition, you will have the opportunity to make more acquaintances in this setting, particularly vampires who are similar to you. This celebration is also the reason why I was able to meet my fiancée, Jiyeon."

At that very moment, a stunning woman started walking in their direction. As she made her way towards Hyunjung, the other guests heartily greeted her, which she just returned with a small nod, but as she approached Hyunjung, a soft, gummy smile formed on her lips, and her eyes began to curl like crescents, especially when she met the pure blood's eyes.

Minji guessed the person was Jiyeon, Hyunjung’s fiancée. 

Jiyeon greeted her significant other with affection and said, "Good evening, my beloved," before gently drawing her into a tight embrace. "Please forgive me for being late and for not being able to take your calls. I was required to be present for a crucial meeting."

"Babe, I told you to be more approachable towards the other guests. You’re always wearing that resting face of yours," Hyunjung reminded her as she gently flicked Jiyeon’s forehead. The dhampir just let out a soft yelp, rubbing the part where her fiancée hit.

“You can’t blame me if I only get excited when I see you. I don’t care about the others,” she simply replied. “Anyway, you met new friends already?”

"Ah, no. This is Bora, one of Siyeon’s closest friends. It’s not my first time meeting her since we always see each other whenever she drops by Siyeon’s house to have sleepover parties. But this is the first time I met Minji, her older sister. She only attended our yearly celebration today."

"Oh, absolutely. You brought up her name once, right? And hello, Minji." Jiyeon smiled as she greeted the girl, but her expression changed as she looked into her eyes.

"It's nice to finally meet you," she stated. "My, you look like a dhampir. If I hadn't known that you were a member of Bora's family, I could have assumed that you were one of my long-lost relatives."

"I thought about that too," Hyunjung agreed, examining Minji from head to toe. "Are you sure you’re not one?"

Minji took a breath and glanced over to Bora, who appeared just as tense as she did. 

"I’m sure I’m not," she answered after a couple of minutes of silence. "Maybe it’s just the light in this place that made my complexion look lighter."

"And the foundation," Bora said, grinning. "You know how sometimes makeup changes our skin tone?"

The couple let out a hearty chuckle, and the sisters couldn't help but feel relieved that they hadn't probed either of them anymore. After a couple more chats, Hyunjung and Jiyeon excused themselves so that they could greet additional guests who were on their way. Bora shared with Minji that the two of them have always been the ones who have been responsible for preparing for the party each year, and that the reason the celebrations have always been a success is due to the effort that the two of them have put in.

As the night deepened, more and more vampires came. Minji was already getting used to it since most of them didn’t really pay much attention to her and her sister, only those who Bora personally knew.

"Hello, and a very good evening to all of you!" Through the microphone, Hyunjung offered her greetings to the attendees. She was already on stage with her fiancée, Jiyeon, and the two of them looked even more stunning under the moonlight. 

"Once more, I'd like to use this opportunity to express my gratitude to everyone who joined us here tonight to rejoice in the visibility of the blood moon. Jiyeon and I hold your presence each year in the highest regard because this has always been a vital part of our lives and because it has been continuing for thousands of centuries already," she said.

"Within the next ten minutes, the blood moon will become visible. Accordingly, I will open the roof so that everyone can take in its breathtaking splendor."

"What's the deal with the blood moon?" Minji murmured softly to her sister, who was preoccupied with capturing the lovely decorations that had been placed on the stage with her phone. "Is it really that important for you guys to hold celebrations about it every year?"

"Vampires become even stronger and invulnerable during the month where the blood moon appears. It’s also the time when newly formed vampires receive their gifts, or a pregnant vampire gives birth to a newborn who holds powerful and special abilities that give them the right to reign. Take dhampirs, for example: once the blood moon appears, it will choose who will become the next leader since Jiyeon has already served for thousands of years. Once the newborn reaches the right age, Jiyeon will no longer be the leader," Bora explained, and Minji understood completely. 

"So, the blood moon only chooses one heir every thousands of years?" 

"Correct. Jiyeon’s reign will end soon, and she can finally marry Hyunjung without worry because she will no longer prioritize the responsibilities of leading the dhampirs."

Minji was about to ask another question when the roof suddenly opened, showing the moon in its full glory. The hue was similar to that of blood, and it gave Minji a creepy feeling, especially after she saw the vampire attendees display their sharp fangs and