"No, no, you’re not mistaken, once turned into a vampire, one usually enters sage mode every day." Kael said with a grin, "The reason I collect these photos is simply for the aesthetic beauty they possess, purely admiring the art that the human body can express. Many vampires grow interested in the human neck due to their thirst for blood, but personally, I think such behavior is no different from average people with certain kinks appreciating the human body in art. As for me, I purely pursue the aesthetic beauty of art; I don’t have a preference for any particular part, I like the whole of a beautiful girl equally."

Aiden thought to himself that it sounded merely like plain lechery, or perhaps that of a non-discriminating cannibal.

"Er, I don’t know if..." Kael cautiously transitioned to the main topic, "what about the favor I asked for in my letter to you? How’s that coming along?"

"Well, I understand your desire to see your family, but by the rules, that’s absolutely not possible." Aiden replied definitively, "The prison operates according to legal regulations, and without rules, there can be no square or circle. Your sister—she’s been involved in two escape attempts recently, one of which included a riot where she actively attacked the guards. There’s still about a month left in her observation period; she has no right to any visits for this month. Besides, she also got into a fight with other inmates today and is currently in solitary confinement."

Kael was stunned for quite a while after hearing about Ophelia’s misdeeds, and finally covered his face with his hand: "This foolish sister..."

After a while, he raised his face again: "So there’s really... no room for negotiation at all?"

"Unfortunately, the nature of her actions is just too severe. If I were to give her such privileges without cause, that would be dereliction of duty. If the prosecutor’s office found out, even I would have to face punishment." Aiden crossed his arms.

"I see," Kael sighed resignedly. He could tell that this matter probably couldn’t be worked out, but then something else came to his mind, "Wait a minute..."

He furrowed his brow and looked at Aiden: "So, what about those photos...?"

"Ah, those photos you ’gave’ to me, I have kept them carefully." Aiden said with an unchanged expression, putting special emphasis on the word "gave".

"..." Kael stared at Aiden without speaking.

"..." Aiden met his gaze without any intention of looking away.

After a good while, Kael broke the silence: "I mean, don’t you feel guilty at all?"

"Not at all. Look, the things you gave me don’t constitute a bribe, so it wouldn’t be unjust for me to accept them. But if I were to handle favors for you, that would be a dereliction of my duty. This way, I take the things and don’t do anything for you, your good intentions are realized, and neither of us faces any criminal risks—perfect, isn’t it?" Aiden shrugged his shoulders.

Kael was at loss for words, thinking to himself how losing a stack of his collection could be considered a win-win situation.

"All right, just a joke," Aiden chuckled, "I have no intention of unceremoniously taking what others cherish. It happens you’re here to see me, so wait here for a moment. I’ll go get those photos for you."

"Not necessary, not necessary at all," Kael changed his mind and waved his hands in dismissal, "I have many pieces in my collection, and since the warden appreciates them, those are my gift to you."

"Then I thank you," Aiden replied without much polite refusal.

"But if I can’t see her, that makes things difficult..." Kael began scratching his head in frustration.

"You can wait until a month after Ophelia’s observation period is over to come visit. In the meantime, you can send letters to her, although they will need to be reviewed," Aiden suggested reasonably as a prison guard to a family member of an inmate.

"I plan to write letters, but I still want to see her as soon as possible," Kael replied.

"Is there a specific reason why you must see her?" Aiden became slightly wary in his mind.

Inmates occasionally communicate with their accomplices during visits, continuing their criminal activities inside the prison. Although Kael and Ophelia were siblings, as members of the high-ranking Blood Clan, Aiden felt it necessary to understand why Kael was insistent on meeting in person.

"I won’t lie to you, I’m currently... caught up in a life-threatening situation and might die at any time," Kael crossed his arms, "Knowing that Ophelia is here in the Autonomous State, I feel the need to meet my only family member, to avoid any regrets."

"You’re suggesting this ’huge matter’ is also in the Autonomous State?" Aiden sharply caught the phrase "just so happens" in Kael’s words.

It sounded like some incident was about to occur again here. Even if it wasn’t something he was responsible for now, he felt it necessary to be informed and notify the relevant law enforcement agencies. A prison guard is still a police officer, after all, and he had that sense of duty.

What’s more, a matter of life and death for a member of the Blood Clan, particularly a prince, was unlikely to be trivial, and would most likely be a situation requiring the attention of the Inquisition.

"How should I put this..." Kael hesitated to reveal the situation when he suddenly remembered something, "Oh, didn’t you mention earlier that you were once a Judge at the Inquisition?"

"Yes," Aiden confirmed, feeling his thoughts were being vindicated.

"Well, in that case, I was also curious to know if you’ve heard of the ’Blood-soaked Full Moon’?" Kael raised a finger.

Aiden was startled, holding his breath for a moment, but managed to keep his facial expression in check.

"Blood Moon Cult?" Aiden asked back calmly, "What about this cult?"

"As I thought, you’ve heard of it," Kael nodded as if this was expected, "I’ve heard that a few years ago, they suddenly started operating again in the Autonomous State, only to vanish into thin air. Could it be that they were taken care of by the local Inquisition?"

"Tell me what’s going on with this cult first."

Aiden pressed for answers, concerned with Kael’s sudden mention of the name. He wasn’t sure if Kael was just casually bringing it up or if he knew of Aiden’s past involvement with the Blood Moon Cult and was probing him intentionally, so for the time being, he didn’t want to reveal too much information.

"The cult has begun operating again, and I am here to stop them," Kael replied.

"The cult has resumed its activities, here?" Aiden grew tense.

Most of the Blood Moon Cult members had been killed by the Inquisition, save for their founder, the elusive "Mister Blood Garment."

The cult’s resurgence meant, could it be... that man was coming back?