Chapter 19: As the Strong
Vampires had excellent memories. Adele, at eighteen, vividly remembered every detail of her life, including the first time Jasmine was punished by the head maid after arriving at their home.
It was a snowy day, and all the vampires in the castle were drowsy. Vampires disliked cold places. Excessively cold environments made them want to hibernate, which was why vampires generally lived in warm and humid regions.
However, even in such regions, there were occasional winters with extreme cold, like the year Jasmine arrived. Countless snowflakes fell from the sky, blanketing the ground in a thick layer of white. Adele couldn’t recall what Jasmine had done to anger the head maid, but in her memory, the head maid had always disliked Jasmine.
Jasmine was made to stand outside as punishment. Dressed in a thin maid uniform, she stood in the snow. It was a dark night, but the snow-covered ground was illuminated by the moonlight. Young Adele peered out the window, standing on tiptoes to see the person being punished below. That was the child she had brought back, her first maid. How could she be subjected to such punishment?
Adele felt a surge of displeasure. She put on a thick cloak and went downstairs to find Jasmine. Taking Jasmine’s hand, she felt its icy coldness. In Adele’s perception, human hands were warm, much warmer than vampire hands. But that day, Jasmine’s hand was so cold that Adele found it unbearable.
She led Jasmine back to her room, where a fire was burning in the fireplace, filling the room with warmth. In this cozy environment, Adele felt much better. By the firelight, she asked Jasmine, “Why did she punish you?”
The “she” didn’t need to be explicitly stated. Both Jasmine and Adele knew it referred to the head maid. The little maid rubbed her hands together, blowing on them to warm them up, before answering Adele, “Probably because bullying the weak makes her feel strong.”
Adele didn’t understand. She wrinkled her little nose and thought for a long time. “Why would bullying the weak make someone feel strong?”
Jasmine’s dark eyes reflected the firelight, the flames dancing and twisting into various shapes within the fireplace. The crackling sound of burning wood filled the room. Jasmine said, “Indeed, why would the strong bully the weak?” She scoffed. “True strength lies in protecting the weak. The greater the power, the greater the responsibility. If someone uses their strength to bully the weak, they’re not truly strong, but just a despicable coward.”
Jasmine’s words were too profound for Adele to fully grasp, but she instinctively didn’t want to become the “despicable coward” Jasmine described. She said softly, “Jasmine, I will become strong. Although I’m only six years old now, my parents said that once I come of age, I will become very strong. I’m a pureblood noble!”
“Haha…” Jasmine chuckled. “Then remember, you must protect the weak when that time comes.” She turned her head, and in the dim room, only the flickering firelight illuminated the side of her face, bathing it in a warm orange glow.
Adele still remembered Jasmine’s words: “Remember to protect me too.”
Adele promised, “I will definitely protect you. Because I am your master, and you are my maid. Protecting you is my responsibility as your master.”
Her parents had said similar things, but their focus was on the entire Blake family. Adele believed that the maids also belonged to the Blake family; they were all the Blake family’s property. Over the years, Adele had equated “weak” with “Jasmine” and vice versa, firmly etching this belief in her heart.
Adele remembered. She had to protect the weak; it was her responsibility as the strong. If someone only relied on being stronger than others and bullied the weak to prove their own strength, then they weren’t truly strong, but just a despicable coward. She wouldn’t tolerate Jasmine being bullied, nor would she tolerate any weakling like Jasmine being bullied.
Her scarlet eyes dimmed, becoming a deep crimson. She wouldn’t allow herself to lose to a despicable coward.
Unfortunately, Adele was indeed weaker than the doctor, and she also had to focus on protecting the maid behind her. During their fight, the doctor was also enraged. When Jasmine arrived, she saw the scene before her: Adele was severely injured, and even her incredible self-healing abilities couldn’t repair her wounds.
Compared to Adele, the doctor, though also lying in a pool of blood, temporarily incapacitated, had sustained much lighter injuries. Seeing Jasmine unharmed, Adele finally relaxed a little. She pointed at the maid, her words slurred, “Take her away.” She had indeed protected the weak, not only Jasmine but also the maid.
A chord struck deep within Jasmine’s heart.
She had always known that Adele was different from other vampires, but she had attributed that difference to the naivety and innocence of a young girl. She had thought that after many years, Adele would become just like any other vampire. But today, Adele had proven her wrong with her actions. She was different from all other vampires. She wouldn’t stand by and watch a human suffer.
Just from observing the scene, Jasmine could guess what had happened. The human maid also approached them, her usually lifeless eyes now filled with complex emotions. Her voice was soft. “She… she protected me.” The maid mustered her courage and recounted what had transpired.
“She could have just left. That way, there wouldn’t have been a conflict. But the doctor, in his anger, chose to attack me. She heard my scream and turned back, shielding me. Later, even while fighting, she continued to protect me, which put her at a disadvantage. But even so, she never gave up on protecting me, and she made the doctor pay the price…”
Adele, with the tension finally released, lost consciousness and fainted. She didn’t hear the maid’s words.
Jasmine reached out and brushed aside the hair that had fallen over Adele’s face. Adele’s neatly styled hair from the morning had been messed up during the fight, strands cut by the doctor’s sharp nails. Her hair had come loose, mixed with blood and sweat, clinging to her cheeks. Jasmine carefully brushed it away, revealing Adele’s beautiful face.
They shouldn’t be standing here idly. They should take Adele and leave immediately. Because Adele had told her to leave, to take the maid and run. Because Adele knew she was weaker than the doctor, all she could do was temporarily incapacitate him. Jasmine could see that flesh was already growing over the wound on Adele’s waist, regenerating at a slow, almost Lovecraftian pace.
The doctor, with lighter injuries, older age, stronger regenerative abilities, and having consumed a lot of blood, would recover even faster.
The maid didn’t seem to understand this. She assumed that the motionless doctor, like Adele, had lost consciousness, which was why she was casually chatting with Jasmine. However, Jasmine knew that the doctor would soon regain consciousness. She gently laid Adele down on the floor, making sure she was comfortable, and then stood up.
The maid looked at her with confusion. “What should we do now?”
A smile suddenly appeared on Jasmine’s usually impassive face.
Because she had seen that behind the maid, the seemingly gravely injured doctor was slowly getting to his feet.
It was like a scene straight out of a horror movie.
Jasmine couldn’t help but think this. It wasn’t her fault. The doctor’s white coat had been shredded by Adele, and his previously handsome face was now marred by burns from Adele’s fire magic, his hair singed and disheveled. Not to mention his clothes, torn and tattered in several places, bearing numerous marks from Adele’s nails.
He rose like a reanimated corpse. Who wouldn’t be scared out of their wits upon seeing this?
Perhaps sensing the strangeness in Jasmine’s gaze, the maid also turned around. Her reaction was straight out of a horror movie. Even just watching her from behind, Jasmine could feel her body stiffen, trembling slightly. Jasmine couldn’t see her expression, but she could guess that her face must be pale with fear, perhaps wanting to scream but unable to utter a sound due to the overwhelming terror.
The doctor, on the other hand, seemed to be in much better shape. He could even take a few steps, offering Jasmine and the maid a seemingly friendly smile. However, with his singed hair and battered face, the smile looked rather grotesque, adding to the horror movie vibe.
—Does Adele not know about the rule of not hitting someone in the face?
Looking at the doctor’s face, Jasmine thought about the basic rules of fighting. But then she considered the despicable things the doctor had done, and hitting him in the face seemed trivial in comparison. She should even praise Adele for a job well done. As the doctor smiled, he spoke, his words dripping with malice. “Jasmine, ah, is that your name? You’re here for your dressing change… I apologize for letting you see me like this. Come here, let me change your bandage.”
His words only intensified the horror movie atmosphere. Under these circumstances, even a fool wouldn’t go near the doctor. Approaching him would be like offering herself up as a blood bag for him to replenish his strength. As Jasmine thought this, she felt the doctor using mental magic on her. She finally understood his plan.
The maid snapped out of her panic, taking a step back and trying to pull Jasmine away. “Don’t listen to him, let’s go…” Before she could finish her sentence, she saw Jasmine, who had been behind her, step forward. She couldn’t see Jasmine’s expression, only her back as she walked towards the doctor.
The doctor, facing her, saw Jasmine walking towards him with steady steps and smiled.
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