Category: The Vampire Eldest Miss Thinks I Like Her

Chapter 67: Warming Up by the Fire

Jasmine’s words opened the floodgates for Adele, who had been holding back her frustrations. “Unbelievable! How could someone like that exist? A little girl, a weakling, yet she tries to use such methods to become my maid, even my blood slave!”

Adele emphasized the word “even” because, in the eyes of vampires, blood slaves were more important than maids or servants. They represented their life source, their sustenance. Moreover, becoming a noble’s blood slave wasn’t easy.

First, becoming someone’s blood slave meant being bound to that noble. No one else could drink their blood, or it would be seen as a challenge to their master. Therefore, vampires were extremely selective when choosing blood slaves, placing great importance on their personal qualities.

Otherwise, if they had to intervene because their blood slave had provoked someone, it would be very inconvenient.

Secondly, blood slaves were treated much better. They were exempt from menial tasks, and some even had servants attending to them. Their only duty was to wait for their vampire master to drink their blood each day.

Finally, not everyone could become a blood slave. Vampires were picky about blood, and most had a strong aversion to contamination. Once a human was bitten by a vampire, their scent would inevitably carry traces of that vampire. Non-blood slaves might be bitten by multiple vampires, especially in less reputable places. And vampires lost their appetite when they smelled the scent of another vampire on their prey. Therefore, a dedicated blood slave had to be untouched by other vampires.

Most importantly, a blood slave’s blood had to be delicious, right? Otherwise, why would a vampire drink from them regularly?

Many humans considered it an honor to be a vampire’s blood slave. After all, they didn’t have to work and had servants attending to them. There were rumors in the Hunter’s Association that the White family head’s blood slave was even served by low-ranking vampire maids, a privilege that even some impoverished nobles didn’t enjoy.

However, most people still didn’t want to be blood slaves. After all, being a blood slave was synonymous with a shortened lifespan.

Constantly being drained of blood would naturally reduce one’s lifespan. Most blood slaves didn’t live past twenty-five. A few might make it to twenty-six or twenty-seven. Even in this world where the average lifespan was short, this was still considered tragically short.

The term “blood slave” held a certain weight among vampires. Yet, many vampires never had a blood slave in their entire lives. The reason was simple: they were too picky and had a strong aversion to contamination. Take the Blake family, for example. There were four vampires in the family, but none of them had a blood slave.

Therefore, Adele considered the little girl’s wish to be nothing but a delusion.

Jasmine wanted to defend the little girl, thinking that perhaps she didn’t fully understand what being a blood slave entailed, maybe she simply thought it meant living a comfortable life… But then she heard Adele say, “Jasmine, if it were you, I would let you be my blood slave!”

Adele had completely shifted from her previous anger, a smile now on her face, her head held high, her expression saying, “Just ask, and I’ll let you be my blood slave.”

But Jasmine refused, “I don’t want to.”

“Eh? Why not?!”

Jasmine answered honestly, “Because blood slaves have short lifespans. The shortest I’ve heard of lived for only a year after becoming a blood slave, dying at around nineteen. Even the longest-lived ones only make it to twenty-five or twenty-six. I’m already nineteen. If I become your blood slave, I might die before you even graduate. I don’t want that.”

Adele was excited by Jasmine’s words. She uncrossed her legs, patted her chest, and promised, “I wouldn’t do that! Those vampires are ignorant of scientific advancements, constantly overexploiting their resources. If it were me, I would definitely take good care of my blood slave, only drinking a little bit each day… or each week!”

Jasmine believed Adele. She was a woman of her word, and since she didn’t drink human blood, she must have strong self-control.

But Jasmine still said, “I still don’t want to.”

“Why not?”

Jasmine didn’t answer, simply turning to look out the window at the snowy landscape. Adele was angry again. She snorted and turned her head away. But after a while, she turned back and looked at the same snowy scenery as Jasmine.

The reason for Jasmine’s refusal was obvious, wasn’t it? She wouldn’t even let Adele have a single drop of her blood, so how could Adele even think about drinking from her once a week? Jasmine had lived for nineteen years, and in those thirteen years, she had only given Adele a tiny bit of blood once, in the previous semester. And even then, Adele had been unconscious.

The carriage arrived at the port, and Adele stormed out. Jasmine followed behind at a leisurely pace. After walking for a while, Adele turned back and grabbed Jasmine’s hand, “You’re too slow!”

It was normal for humans to walk slowly in icy conditions, wasn’t it? Not only did Jasmine think so, but apparently, Adele did too. So, she didn’t walk very fast, and her grip on Jasmine’s wrist wasn’t very tight. But honestly, being dragged along by Adele wasn’t a pleasant experience.

Adele was wearing fawn leather gloves, cold to the touch. After being exposed to the freezing weather for so long, the gloves had become stiff. The sudden contact with Jasmine’s wrist made her flinch. She instinctively tried to pull away, but Adele tightened her grip.

Adele glanced at Jasmine, her expression seeming to say: Don’t be difficult.

She held onto Jasmine’s wrist, leading her through the snow. They soon reached the port. The airship hadn’t arrived yet, but the liaison officer was already waiting. Seeing Adele, he nodded and greeted, “Miss.”

Adele nodded in response.

Jasmine could feel the liaison officer’s gaze lingering on their joined hands after he had greeted Adele. She desperately wished he would say something, anything to make Adele let go of her. Because of Adele’s grip, Jasmine’s wrist was exposed to the cold. Although her strong constitution prevented her from freezing to death, she still felt cold!

But despite Jasmine’s hopeful gaze, the liaison officer simply looked away, saying nothing.

—That jerk!

Jasmine almost gritted her teeth in frustration. Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait long at the port. The airship slowly drifted towards them, creating a strong gust of wind that blew off Adele’s hood and billowed her cloak. Jasmine, unlike Adele, wasn’t as sensitive to the cold. She was only wearing thick clothes, not a cloak. Even so, when the airship landed and the wind swept over them, she felt chilled to the bone.

As the airship landed, a vampire staff member hurried over, greeting Adele with a smile and instructing other servants to carry her luggage. He said obsequiously that they had prepared a room for Miss Blake. Adele nodded curtly and, followed by Jasmine, entered the airship.

The suite was much warmer than outside. Adele took off her cloak, and Jasmine hung it on a hook. As she turned around, she saw Adele already sitting in front of the fireplace, warming her hands. There was a small fireplace in the living room, with a fire burning inside. A chimney vented the smoke, preventing the room from smelling smoky.

Jasmine thought it was a bit strange to have a fireplace on an airship. If a fire broke out, everyone on board would be doomed. But vampires had magic, so perhaps they had some special safety measures in place.

After warming herself by the fire for a while, Adele finally seemed to come back to life. She moved aside and patted the seat next to her, “Jasmine, come and warm up too.”

“…Okay.”

Adele felt smug, thinking she had done a good deed. But if she hadn’t been holding onto Jasmine’s wrist, Jasmine wouldn’t have been so cold. Still, it was nice to have a fire to warm up by. Jasmine sat down and, after a while, asked, “Miss Adele, can I take off my shoes and socks?”

“! Why would you want to take off…”

Adele turned around abruptly, a look of surprise on her face. Jasmine explained, “My shoes got wet from the snow earlier. I think my socks might be wet too.” Jasmine’s reason was perfectly valid, and Adele wouldn’t make things difficult for her. She nodded slowly.

Having received permission, Jasmine proceeded to remove her damp shoes and socks. As she had expected, her socks were indeed wet. She placed them on top of her shoes and moved closer to the fireplace to dry them.

She had changed into clean socks before leaving, so there shouldn’t be any odor.

After doing this, Jasmine sat back down on the floor.

There was a fluffy rug in front of the fireplace, and they were both sitting on it. Jasmine hugged her knees, her bare feet sinking into the soft rug. It tickled a bit, but the warmth from the fire was comforting. She felt Adele’s gaze on her feet and, feeling a bit self-conscious, curled her toes, crossing her ankles to hide them.

“Miss, what are you looking at?”

Adele was embarrassed to admit it and turned her head away, “I’m not looking at anything.”

Normally, no one would pay attention to someone else’s feet. They were usually hidden from view. Adele had occasionally seen Jasmine barefoot after she had showered, but she wouldn’t have stared at her feet. However, now that Jasmine’s feet were right there in front of her, Adele couldn’t help but look.

Strangely enough, perhaps due to her strong bias towards Jasmine, she actually found Jasmine’s feet quite pretty. But thinking this made her feel a bit perverted. She looked away, her gaze landing on Jasmine’s shoes. Unlike her own mid-calf leather boots, Jasmine was wearing ordinary thick cloth shoes, which would definitely get soaked in the snow.

Maybe… she should find an opportunity to get her a new pair of shoes.

Chapter 66: Heading Home

Jasmine abandoned her dramatic tone and said directly, “Miss Adele, in the eyes of the manor servants and myself, you’re different. Only at Spark Farm can they live like this. But if you graduate and Spark Farm gets a new master, everything will be ruined. Could you… buy Spark Farm?”

This was the first time Jasmine had sincerely asked someone to do something since coming to this world. Because she couldn’t achieve it on her own. The only way she could preserve this spark was to relocate everyone from Spark Farm to the Human Resistance Army base.

But that would mean the end of Spark Farm. Only the Human Resistance Army would remain.

But Jasmine was just Adele’s maid. What right did she have to say such things? She didn’t even notice that Adele’s eyes had glazed over. All she heard was “In my eyes, you’re different.” The phrase “and the manor servants” was completely ignored.

The point was, Jasmine really did like her. Adele had read in books that only when you liked someone would you find them unique and special, different from everyone else, as if they were glowing. You would be drawn to them, unable to take your eyes off them.

That was probably how Jasmine saw her too.

As for the rest of Jasmine’s words, by the time Adele snapped out of her thoughts, she only heard the final plea.

Could she buy Spark Farm? Of course, she would buy it. Although it was currently called “Spark Farm,” in Adele’s mind, its full name was “Jasmine Farm No. 1.” How could she possibly hand this farm over to someone else? She had to keep it for herself!

So, Adele nodded decisively, “No problem! Such a small matter. Leave it to me!”

Her answer was so straightforward that Jasmine couldn’t even use the rest of her prepared tactics. She had even been prepared to offer Adele some of her blood. But… only a little bit. Now, she didn’t even have to use that bargaining chip. It was a win-win situation for Jasmine.

She played along with Adele, praising her, “As expected of Miss Adele, you’re truly amazing!”

Adele was floating on cloud nine, basking in Jasmine’s praise. After a while, she thought: Since this was Jasmine’s request, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for her to ask for a little something in return, right?

What could Adele ask for? Blood, of course. Just thinking about Jasmine’s blood made her mouth water. She had to swallow hard before saying, “Then Jasmine, since I’ve agreed to your request, could you let me drink your blood…” She asked this shyly. In her mind, since Jasmine had smiled at her even in this situation, it meant she would probably agree.

She nervously clutched her skirt, her face flushed, her eyes full of hope as she looked at Jasmine. Jasmine was beautiful. Soft black hair framed her delicate face, and because it was short, her snow-white neck was exposed. They were so close now. Adele only had to move slightly to sink her fangs into Jasmine’s neck.

Jasmine wasn’t surprised by Adele’s question. She even smiled. This was the second time Jasmine had smiled at Adele today, and Adele was almost completely smitten.

But Jasmine’s answer was merciless:

“No.”

She said it flatly, a smile still on her face.

“Eh? Why not?!”

Jasmine ignored Adele’s protests and said, “Miss Adele, I’m going to work now. Call me if you need anything.” After saying this, she entered Adele’s room. After a while, Adele’s ears twitched. She heard the sound of Jasmine washing clothes.

Adele slumped onto the sofa dejectedly. Jasmine’s scent lingered on it. Her heart felt heavy. Would she ever be able to drink Jasmine’s blood again…

As time passed, the weather grew colder each day. A letter arrived from the school, announcing the start of the winter break and that students could return home. They would return to school for a month or two in the spring before going back to the farms to continue their practical training.

Before leaving, Adele summoned the head maid, the steward, and the farm supervisors, holding a meeting and instructing them on how to manage the farm during the winter. After everyone confirmed that they understood, Adele had Jasmine pack their things, preparing to return to the Blake castle with the liaison officer.

Snow fell heavily in the north, quickly accumulating into thick piles. Adele bundled up in warm clothes, put on a fur-lined cloak and gloves, and carried her suitcase, ready to depart. Before they left, the little girl rushed out, wanting to hug Adele.

But Adele took a step back, even hiding behind Jasmine.

Adele was a germaphobe. She disliked physical contact with others, except for Jasmine, whom she had been inseparable from for twelve years. She had grown accustomed to it, no matter how much she disliked it. She looked at the little girl and asked patiently, “What’s wrong?”

The little girl’s face crumpled, tears welling up in her eyes. She sobbed, “Miss Blake, are you going home?” Jasmine truly disliked children, and not all children deserved to be liked. This little girl, for example, had clearly been influenced by the twisted thinking of this world. It wasn’t her fault, but it was a sad reality.

Adele didn’t understand why the little girl was crying. She simply answered honestly, “Yes, I’m going home.”

The little girl burst into tears, her sobs heart-wrenching. Adele felt a headache coming on. It was only because the little girl was so weak. If it were her younger sister crying like this, she would have already scolded her. But the second miss wouldn’t cry like this. She was a proud child, raised by her parents to never cry, especially not so unreservedly.

The little girl, however, believed that crying was her best weapon. During her time at the manor, the adults had doted on her. Even when she made mistakes, she could always get away with it by crying. This had led her to believe that she could achieve anything with tears.

Adele frowned, displeased, “Stop it.”

Her voice changed, turning cold. Even the little girl, still sobbing, paused, “I’m just going home. It doesn’t mean I’m not coming back. I’ll be back in the spring.”

The little girl thought her crying had worked. She wanted to push further, “Then… Miss Blake, can you take me with you? I’m very well-behaved, and I don’t eat much. I can do many things now. Please take me with you. Let me be your blood slave.”

Adele’s brow furrowed even deeper. She didn’t like this. She refused flatly, “No.” Hearing her rejection, the little girl pouted, about to cry again. This time, Adele couldn’t suppress her anger any longer. She was proud and had never been good with children. Even after rescuing the little girl, she had immediately handed her to someone else, not wanting to hold her herself, nor wanting Jasmine to hold her.

It was ridiculous to think that someone with her personality would take care of a child, especially a crying brat. Adele’s hearing was too good. The child’s shrill cries were torture to her. Her tone turned harsh, “I said stop it!”

The little girl was startled, her sobs gradually subsiding. She didn’t understand why her usual tactic wasn’t working. Looking up, she saw Adele’s cold gaze. Her crimson eyes, glowing faintly in the darkness, looked down at her, making her unsure whether to continue crying.

“Listen carefully. Jasmine is my only maid. It has always been this way, and it will always be this way. I won’t take any other maids, and I don’t need a blood slave.” She took a deep breath and looked at Bella, “Before I return, take her to the village and find a willing human woman to take care of her.”

Adele’s decision was swift and decisive. She even set a specific deadline. Jasmine didn’t know if this was a good or bad outcome for the little girl, but it was the best Adele could do. Simply put, she had tried her best. If the little girl had quietly stayed at the farm, Adele wouldn’t have bothered with her.

Jasmine looked at the little girl, thinking that this might be their last meeting. A pang of sympathy welled up in her heart. She wanted to do something for the little girl, but Adele had already stepped into the carriage and was calling, “Jasmine, what are you doing? We need to leave.”

Jasmine replied, “Yes, Miss.” She took a small pouch from her suitcase, pulled out a few banknotes, and handed them to Bella, “This is a small token of my appreciation.” Bella knew that the money was for the little girl. She didn’t refuse, simply nodding in acceptance.

Adele, still upset, urged impatiently, “Jasmine!”

Jasmine knew she couldn’t delay any longer. She turned and got into the carriage. The steward closed the door, glanced at the stunned little girl, sighed, and climbed into the driver’s seat. He flicked the reins, and the horse, with a swish of its tail, started moving.

The liaison officer had chosen to depart separately, heading directly to the port. So, it was just Jasmine and Adele in the carriage. Jasmine sat opposite Adele, her gaze fixed on the window. Only after the snow-covered trees obscured the manor from view did she turn her attention to Adele.

Adele had her arms crossed, her legs crossed, her chin held high, her expression screaming “I’m angry.” Jasmine tilted her head, wondering what Adele was angry about.

Unsure of Adele’s mood, but seeing her “Come and coax me” expression, Jasmine could only say, “Miss, don’t be angry anymore.”

Chapter 65: Mastering the Art of Seduction

So… Jasmine wasn’t exactly popular among the manor servants. They respected her because she was Adele’s maid, obeyed her orders, and even valued her words more than Bella’s. But objectively, they didn’t like her and even avoided interacting with her.

This was evident during mealtimes. The first time she had come to the dining hall with Adele, no one dared to sit at the same table as them. Back then, it was just Jasmine and Adele at the large table. But Adele no longer came to the dining hall. Logically, Jasmine should have made some friends, people she could share a meal with.

But the reality was that even now, Jasmine still ate alone.

However, today was a bit different. The little girl, carrying her tray with unsteady steps, walked over to Jasmine’s table. She placed the tray on the table

She placed the tray on the table and then climbed onto the chair.

To be fair, the little girl was very pretty. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been chosen by Oakham to be presented to a noble. Vampires were superficial. They believed that ugly people also had bad-tasting blood. So, even when choosing servants or blood slaves, they would look for attractive humans.

But the cute and pretty child didn’t evoke any warmth in Jasmine’s heart. She even knew that the little girl didn’t like her.

Jasmine tilted her head and took a spoonful of her soup. Today’s soup was cream of broccoli. Jasmine didn’t really like the taste, but after weeks of bland meals, it was considered a delicacy.

Seeing Jasmine’s silence and indifference as she calmly sipped her soup, the little girl couldn’t hold back anymore. After all, she was young and naturally less composed.

“Miss Jasmine,” she said, “I want to know more about Miss Blake. Can you tell me what kind of person she is and what she likes? And…” she even added a touch of shyness, “When does she usually eat?”

The first two questions were understandable, but Jasmine didn’t quite grasp the last one, “Why do you ask that?”

The little girl’s face flushed red. She seemed embarrassed but still asked, “Because I want to know when I should be ready. Am I still too young? Haven’t I grown up enough yet? When will Miss Blake come to drink my blood? When I’m as old as you, Miss Jasmine?”

Jasmine felt her appetite vanish. She put down her spoon and looked at the little girl with cold eyes. The girl probably didn’t realize how horrifying her question was. What livestock would ever ask a human, “I’m ready now. When are you going to eat me?”

This world was sick, twisted. Jasmine had never felt this strongly about it before.

She took a deep breath and placed her spoon on the table, “Why do you think it’s a good thing for Miss Adele to drink your blood?”

The little girl tilted her head, “Because that’s why Mr. Oakham bought me. I’m meant to be Miss Blake’s blood slave. My physical tests were all good, and the people at the childcare institution said my blood is very delicious. They said I would definitely win the favor of someone important.”

“You won’t be a blood slave.” Jasmine stood up, her hands resting on the table. Although she didn’t think it was good for the little girl to live a carefree and undisciplined life, which was why she had told Bella to assign her work, she also didn’t think it was right for the childcare institution to instill in children the idea that being a blood slave was an honor.

Hearing this, the little girl persisted, “Why not? My blood is delicious. Everyone says so.”

Jasmine felt her stomach churn. She looked at the little girl for a moment, deciding that she needed to have another talk with Bella about the girl’s education. She carried her tray, with only the cream of broccoli soup left, to the designated area.

Then she left the dining hall to find Bella. Bella was still working and would probably only eat after everyone else had finished. This way, she wouldn’t have to queue, saving time. Hearing Jasmine’s request and the shocking reason for it, Bella’s expression remained unchanged.

“She’s right to think that way.”

“?”

Perhaps sensing Jasmine’s surprise and confusion, Bella explained, “If her blood is delicious, it’s an advantage for her. Miss Blake is a kind vampire who treats humans well. Such vampires are rare. If she’s willing to take the little girl in, it would be a good thing for her. At least… it’s better than becoming someone else’s blood slave.”

Jasmine was silent for a moment. Her voice, when she finally spoke, was calm, “But there’s another option: not becoming a blood slave at all.”

Bella also fell silent, “That path is too difficult.”

“No, it will be easier. At least you agree that Adele is different.”

After saying this, Jasmine turned and left without another word. She had initially thought that Adele’s management of this farm would only last until she graduated, but she had to find a way to make Adele stay.

It was called Spark Farm, a spark that could ignite a prairie fire. How could she let it fade away like a fleeting firework?

Jasmine knew that her actions might seem incomprehensible to the little girl, who might even blame her. After all, there was an easy path before the little girl. As long as she rode on Adele’s coattails, she could become a favored maid. So why not actively offer herself as Adele’s blood slave?

But things weren’t that simple. First, Adele didn’t drink human blood. That path was completely blocked. And if the little girl did something to offend Adele, even if Adele didn’t punish her considering her age and weakness, she would still dislike her, making her life difficult.

Even if Adele did drink blood, and the little girl’s plan succeeded, becoming Adele’s blood slave and returning to the Blake family with her, would her fate be any better? No, most likely, she would become like the previous head maid, a human who sided with vampires and even felt smug about her situation.

But what had happened to the head maid in the end? And how could the little girl’s fate be any better?

Moreover, even if it were a good path for her, Jasmine still believed it was wrong. To submit to vampires was to throw away one’s dignity as a human, to let them trample on it.

Jasmine hated such people, just as she hated the head maid. They were traitors.

Jasmine returned to Adele’s room. Adele wasn’t in the drawing-room. Jasmine knew she was in her bedroom, so she walked over to the door and knocked softly. “Miss Adele, are you there?”

Adele didn’t answer, seemingly pretending not to be there. But this trick didn’t work on Jasmine. Adele’s scent emanated from the bedroom, and her breathing could be heard through the door. Jasmine lowered her hand and stood outside the door, her voice soft, “Miss Adele, there’s something I want to talk to you about. It’s been bothering me.”

There was a sound from inside. Jasmine watched as the door opened, revealing Adele with her hair slightly disheveled. “What is it?”

Jasmine knew that Adele liked her smile. She wanted Adele to buy this farm and keep the spark alive, so she had to please her a bit. She tugged at the corners of her lips, forcing a smile that wasn’t particularly beautiful. But to Adele, it was a good expression.

At least, judging from Adele’s surprised and blushing face, it was very effective.

“W-what… what is it?! Just say it, don’t just smile… It’s… it’s…” embarrassing.

Adele didn’t finish her sentence. Jasmine gently pushed the door open, took Adele’s hand, and led her to the drawing-room. She first made Adele sit down, then, while Adele fidgeted nervously, Jasmine brewed a cup of black tea for her and sat down beside her.

It was a bit embarrassing. Jasmine hadn’t expected that she would one day resort to using her beauty.

She didn’t think Adele was so smitten by her charm because she liked her. It was most likely because her blood was truly delicious, and Adele mistook her actions as a sign that she was willing to let her drink her blood.

Adele was tempted by delicious food, which was why she was flustered.

If someone were to present Jasmine with a feast of hot pot, spicy noodles, cold dishes, barbecue, roasted meat, and braised pork trotters, she would also be completely focused on the food, oblivious to what the person was saying.

Jasmine softly recounted what had happened at the dining hall. She had barely started, “After you left…” when Adele interrupted, “I was just passing by! Passing by!” She emphasized that she hadn’t deliberately lingered at the dining hall entrance. Jasmine didn’t know what Adele had actually been doing there. After all, Adele was a young girl with many whims. It wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

So, she agreed with Adele, changing her wording, “After you passed by the entrance, the little girl Oakham intended to offer you came to me and said these things…” After Jasmine finished, Adele looked displeased.

She had clearly caught the part about the little girl wanting Adele to drink her blood, and a disgusted expression appeared on her face, “What? Drink her blood? No way.”

—As expected, the little girl’s plan was flawed from the start.

But that wasn’t what Jasmine wanted to talk about. She just wanted Spark Farm to survive, not become another fleeting project that lasted only a few years.

Jasmine twirled a strand of her hair around her finger before letting it go. She decided to be more direct. She sighed, feigning a troubled expression, “Miss Adele, don’t you think it’s sad that she thinks this way? Spark Farm is thriving now. When she grows up, she will have a good life here. But for a child to be born and only dream of being a blood slave for another vampire… it’s truly tragic.”

Adele wasn’t stupid. She frowned and asked directly, “Jasmine, what are you trying to say?”

Chapter 64: Secretly Following

From Jasmine’s perspective, that was obviously the reason. What other reason could there be? The food at Spark Farm was bland, lacking in nutrition, and tasted awful. At first, the workers might have felt grateful for it, but after their basic needs were met, they naturally started to desire more.

In this situation, hiring a chef was the right decision.

Delicious food would further improve the workers’ happiness, which would lead to better rest and, ultimately, increased productivity. In short, hiring a chef would bring significant benefits to Spark Farm, a win-win situation.

However, after Jasmine’s affirmative answer, Adele’s expression became strange. She hadn’t expected Jasmine to accept her explanation so readily, without even giving her a chance to backtrack. Adele’s face stiffened, and Jasmine asked curiously, “Miss Adele, what’s wrong?”

“Humph!” Adele snorted and turned her head away, refusing to look at Jasmine. Instead, she sat down and opened the letter from the Blake patriarch, unfolding it to read.

The Blake patriarch didn’t say much. He simply inquired about her situation and told her when to return home after the semester ended. Her mother had something to discuss with her. Adele put the letter aside. Since there was nothing urgent, she planned to reply to her father after finishing her current tasks.

The semester was almost over. There was only about a month left. In January, the coldest month of the year, the school would announce the winter break. Students would submit reports on the farms they had managed, which would be reviewed and evaluated by hidden teachers. Then, the headmaster would assign the final grades.

Academic results and rankings would be sent to the students’ homes during the break. Only after returning to school the following year would the top student from the previous semester give a speech. Adele was doing very well with her internship. After she had implemented the new work and rest schedule, the farm’s productivity had not only not declined, but had actually increased significantly.

If Jasmine’s prediction was correct, Adele would be giving another speech as the top student next semester.

Jasmine stood beside Adele for a while. When it was almost time for dinner, she told Adele that she was leaving. But Adele, still sulking for some reason, only hummed noncommittally, neither forbidding nor allowing her to leave. Jasmine took the initiative, saying, “Miss, I’m going to dinner now,” and left.

Her decisive departure angered Adele. Not long after Jasmine left, Adele threw down her pen. She told herself, “I’m not going to see if Jasmine is enjoying her meal or not,” but she stealthily followed Jasmine, like a thief.

Adele thought her actions were flawless, but she didn’t know that she had already been exposed. Jasmine, unaware of what Adele was up to, simply continued walking, pretending not to notice. Adele, acting like a spy, would occasionally peek out from behind something. Jasmine, wanting to tease her, muttered to herself, “I feel like someone is following me,” and slowly turned around.

Her eyesight was incredibly sharp. The moment she turned her head, she saw Adele shrinking behind a decorative suit of armor. Even after turning around completely, she could still see a lock of silver hair.

“Strange, maybe I was mistaken.” Jasmine scanned the area, pretending to be nonchalant. Then she turned back and continued towards the dining hall.

Adele patted her chest, “Jasmine is so weak, but her senses are sharp. I almost got caught.” She emerged from her hiding spot, only to realize that while she had evaded Jasmine, she hadn’t evaded the maid working the night shift. The maid had been diligently cleaning the armor and, seeing Adele’s strange behavior, was momentarily frozen, not knowing what to do.

Adele also stiffened. She tried to act as if nothing had happened, flipping her hair and nodding at the maid, “Continue your work.” Then she quickly walked away, her face burning red.

—How embarrassing! I was seen by a maid!

She composed herself and reached the dining hall entrance. She couldn’t just walk in like this, so she peeked inside cautiously, holding onto the doorframe. She saw Jasmine queuing at the serving window, waiting for her meal, completely unaware of her presence. Adele breathed a sigh of relief. See, humans couldn’t possibly detect her!

However, while Jasmine hadn’t noticed her, the servants entering the dining hall were surprised to see her. They wanted to greet Adele, but before they could speak, Adele suddenly turned around, putting her finger to her lips and shushing them.

She absolutely couldn’t be seen by Jasmine!

As for being seen by others, it didn’t matter. She had already been seen, and her authority as the master had been compromised. She could just regain it later. Besides, even if the servants saw her acting strangely, they wouldn’t say anything. After all, she was their master.

Jasmine carried her tray, loaded with food.

The chef Adele had hired was truly skilled. While Adele had been working on her assignments in her room, the chef had prepared many dishes. Even with limited seasonings, the food smelled delicious. There were even desserts: a small wooden plate with several cream puffs.

Perhaps because she had seen Jasmine when she first arrived, knowing that Jasmine was Adele’s personal maid, the chef had given Jasmine three extra cream puffs to curry favor with her. Jasmine didn’t have the habit of saving dessert for last. She ate whatever she wanted, and right now, she really wanted to try the cream puffs.

She didn’t even use a spoon. She simply picked up a puff, put it in her mouth, and took a bite. They were truly delicious. Perhaps because sugar was scarce in the manor, the chef hadn’t used much, so the puffs weren’t overly sweet.

But to Jasmine, it was the perfect level of sweetness. The highest praise for a dessert was that it wasn’t too sweet!

The soft, creamy filling, with its subtle sweetness, melted in her mouth. It had been so long since she had eaten such delicious food that she was completely engrossed in her meal, forgetting all about Adele secretly following her.

Desserts could truly warm the heart. Jasmine ate happily, finishing all the cream puffs in no time. Then she turned her attention to the other dishes. She immediately spotted the stir-fried onions and meat. In this world where stews were the norm, she had actually encountered a stir-fried dish!

It wasn’t exactly a stir-fry. The meat was cut into large chunks and seemed to have been pan-fried first before being added to the pan with onions and stir-fried together. Lemon juice had been added to the seasoning, making it a more Western-style dish.

But it was still one of the most delicious meals she had eaten in this world. Paired with the perfectly textured bread, Jasmine felt incredibly happy.

At that moment, she felt a gaze on her. She finally remembered that Adele had been sulking for some reason and had been secretly following her. She must be peeking in from the doorway now.

Adele’s “shush” had made most of the servants instinctively hold their breath and pretend they hadn’t seen their master’s strange behavior. But there were always exceptions. The manor’s most unique resident, the little girl, ran over to Adele. Not understanding Adele’s gesture, she asked, “Miss Blake, are you playing hide-and-seek?”

Even Adele, who couldn’t get angry at the weak, couldn’t help but want to cover the little girl’s mouth. She instinctively glanced at Jasmine, hoping that Jasmine hadn’t heard the little girl’s voice. But the dining hall was so quiet, and the little girl’s voice was both loud and shrill. How could Jasmine have missed it?

So, when Adele turned back, she saw that Jasmine, who had been facing away from her, had turned around and was looking towards her with a puzzled expression in her usually calm eyes.

Adele, whose face was already flushed, couldn’t control herself any longer. She vanished in a flash. Everyone was surprised by her sudden disappearance. Only Jasmine knew that at that moment, Adele’s speed had exceeded her usual limits. She hadn’t expected Adele to be so fast.

Adele was gone. Jasmine turned back and continued eating her meal. She was very devoted to food, especially delicious food. She would sit down and savor it carefully, finishing all the good parts and leaving the rest.

Jasmine knew that resources were scarce in this world, but she had come from a highly developed world and had never suffered any hardships, thanks to her cheat abilities. So, it was understandable for her to be a bit picky… Of course, it would be better if she could send the food she couldn’t finish to the Human Resistance Army. But that was impossible for now, so she would just do her best.

She had heard the maids whispering about her pickiness before. “Is Miss Jasmine really that delicate? She’s so picky. If she doesn’t like a dish, she won’t even touch it.”

“Well, she’s Miss Blake’s maid. Miss Blake dotes on her. She can afford to be picky.”

“I don’t know what she’s so proud of. She’s just a human, like us.”

Jasmine had been leaning against the wall in a corner when she heard those words. She could have confronted the maids, and they wouldn’t have dared to say another word. But Jasmine didn’t want to make things awkward. Besides, it was true that she was picky, and it was precisely because of Adele’s favoritism that she could afford to be so.

Since they were speaking the truth, there was no need to correct them.

Jasmine also knew that she had a difficult personality. As someone who had transmigrated from a developed world, someone born with cheat abilities, even if she didn’t want to admit it, she had to acknowledge that she looked down on ordinary humans, vampires, and even otherworldly beings.

Chapter 63: The New Chef

Jasmine sighed, knowing that Bella wouldn’t understand unless she explained it clearly. She said, “Although I know she’s destined to be a maid, she’s only seven years old. Making her work at this age… is too cruel. There’s not that much work anyway. She doesn’t need to work. Didn’t you say that we don’t have to work so hard and should slack off when we can?”

That was true, but it wasn’t how things worked in this world. In her previous life, a seven-year-old child wouldn’t even have to lift a finger. Parents would dote on them, showering them with love and affection. They would be treated like little princesses.

But this world was cruel to humans.

What else could a seven-year-old do besides work? Even Jasmine, with her cheat abilities, had started working at the Blake castle at the age of six. She had even been punished by the head maid, who disliked her, and made to stand outside in the freezing winter during her first year at the castle. If it weren’t for her superhuman constitution, Jasmine might have died. Such experiences were common among humans, and Jasmine’s case was considered relatively good.

She wanted to create a world where children could live carefree lives, but the current environment was making the little girl develop bad habits. The adults might find comfort in seeing her carefree, but it wasn’t good for her.

Jasmine’s gaze was cold, making Bella flinch. She instinctively took a step back.

Jasmine continued, “If she were a vampire child, she could certainly live a carefree life, doing no work and growing up happily. But she’s human. She doesn’t have that privilege in this world. It’s normal for a seven-year-old child to work. I don’t believe you didn’t do any work when you were her age. Being kind to her isn’t helping her. It’s harming her.”

“Miss Adele is a student. She’s only here for her internship. In a few years, when she graduates, another vampire will take over this farm. Do you think that vampire will tolerate a child who can’t do anything living in his manor?”

Her words not only shattered the little girl’s dream of a carefree life, but also Bella’s fantasy of staying with Adele forever. Bella’s face darkened, but Jasmine had to do this. Otherwise, Bella was merely living in a fantasy world, imagining that she had escaped a cruel reality and entered a utopia. This illusion would eventually be shattered.

After saying this, Jasmine didn’t elaborate further. She simply turned and left. From that day on, the little girl appeared less frequently before Adele. She had a lot of work to do. Although it seemed like a lot of work to the little girl, in Jasmine’s eyes, it was very little, much less than what she had done at that age.

But the little girl didn’t think so. After all, she hadn’t had to work at all initially. The only consolation was that Bella didn’t assign her night shifts. She was still too young and needed to rest at night. This also meant that she rarely saw Adele, only occasionally encountering Jasmine during the day.

The little girl’s gaze towards Jasmine wasn’t innocent. There was even a hint of resentment. It was understandable. She probably knew, to some extent, that she was working during the day because of Jasmine. Even if no one told her, she could figure it out from subtle clues. One evening, as Adele, bundled up in warm clothes, was taking a rare walk in the hallway, she saw the little girl carrying a small bucket of water towards the kitchen.

The little girl’s face lit up when she saw Adele. Her eyes were filled with adoration. After all, Adele was her savior. Adele, with Jasmine trailing behind, approached the little girl. The little girl put down the bucket and curtsied. Adele yawned, “There’s no need for that.” She didn’t like the feeling of people bowing to her wherever she went.

The little girl, however, mistook it for special treatment from Adele. She looked up happily, her voice sweet as she reported what she was doing, “I… I’m fetching water. Miss Bella assigned me some tasks. I’m also contributing to the manor now!”

Her words sounded righteous, but her voice betrayed a hint of grievance. To be able to speak so eloquently at such a young age, this little girl was clearly intelligent. Unintelligent children wouldn’t survive. They would be sent to farms or banks, not adopted by vampires.

It was just that the little girl was unlucky to have been adopted by someone like Oakham. But fortunately, she had met Adele.

She wanted to complain, but Adele didn’t pick up on it. She even nodded and praised the little girl, “Good job. Keep it up.” The little girl was stunned, clearly not expecting this reaction from Adele.

—What other reaction could she have? Would she say with pity, “Oh, you poor thing. Who made you work? Tell me, and I’ll bring them to justice”? Don’t be silly. That would only happen to a vampire noble child.

Adele didn’t care whether the little girl had work or not. In her mind, it was only natural for the little girl to work. She provided humans with protection and wages, and humans worked in return. It was a fair exchange. So, Adele simply encouraged the little girl and continued her walk with Jasmine.

Jasmine glanced back at the little girl. When Adele called, “Jasmine, what are you doing? Come here,” she replied, “Yes, Miss, I’m coming.” She caught up with Adele, leaving the little girl behind.

Bella wouldn’t assign night shifts to the little girl, so she had deliberately come to Adele at this time, hoping to gain her sympathy.

They strolled around the manor, and when it was time for dinner, Adele accompanied Jasmine to the dining hall. The servants greeted Adele with smiles, instead of bowing deeply. Adele nodded curtly in acknowledgment.

Jasmine carried her tray and sat down. Although the food here was still unpalatable, she had gotten used to it. Adele, however, looked a bit smug. Finding a skilled chef willing to work in a remote area was very difficult. Even human chefs had the right to refuse. After a month of searching, the liaison officer Adele’s father had assigned to her had finally found a human chef with good culinary skills who was willing to come to this remote area. He would be arriving in two days.

Thinking of this, Adele was very happy. But to surprise Jasmine, she had kept it a secret.

Two days later, the liaison officer arrived with the chef as scheduled. He also brought a letter from Adele’s father. Adele took the letter but didn’t open it immediately. Instead, she put it aside. She summoned the liaison officer and the human chef. The liaison officer, being a vampire, was very respectful towards Adele, knowing that she would one day become the new head of the Blake family.

“Miss Adele, this is the human chef I found. She can cook many dishes, and her specialty is desserts. She’s highly praised even among vampires.” Hearing this introduction, Adele was surprised, “Highly praised even among vampires?” This meant that the chef didn’t just serve humans. She also served vampires.

Such a chef’s salary wouldn’t be low. But for her to be willing to give up her current job and come to this remote area despite the high salary Adele had offered and the working environment, it was intriguing.

Perhaps sensing Adele’s confusion, the chef trembled and explained, “Actually, I came here voluntarily. I heard you were looking for a chef to cook specifically for humans… I… I…” Facing two vampires, both high-ranking, the chef’s voice trembled. She swallowed hard and, gathering her courage, said, “I don’t want to cook for vampires anymore. That’s why I came here.”

If that was the reason, it made sense.

The liaison officer looked offended. Jasmine thought to herself, he’s probably thinking: It’s your honor to cook for vampires. How dare you be so ungrateful.

Well, the chef didn’t want this “honor.”

Jasmine also hadn’t expected Adele to hire a chef specifically to cook for humans. But thinking about it, it made sense. The food, both at the manor and on the farm, was truly terrible. Although they had enough to eat, anything beyond basic sustenance was out of the question. Jasmine herself couldn’t stomach the manor food. Eating it felt like chewing on wax.

The liaison officer had said that this new chef was skilled at making desserts. Could she look forward to that?

Although the liaison officer felt offended, Adele, as the master, didn’t. After spending so much time at the farm, Adele had realized one thing: most humans didn’t like vampires. Fear and awe were the dominant emotions, while fondness was rare.

She spoke briefly with the liaison officer and then dismissed him. The liaison officer took off his hat and bowed, “Yes, Miss Adele. I wish you a pleasant stay. I will take my leave now.” He usually stayed in the nearby village and rarely came here except to deliver letters. Now, he planned to return to the village directly.

After he left, Adele summoned Bella and introduced the chef to her.

“This is the new chef. She will be responsible for preparing your meals and training the current kitchen staff. Take her on a tour of the manor and arrange her accommodation.”

Bella accepted the order and left with the chef. After everyone else was gone, leaving only Adele and Jasmine, Adele tried to suppress a smile and turned to look at Jasmine. Her “Humph, humph, humph” expression was almost impossible to hide. Her face screamed “Praise me.”

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I didn’t hire a chef just for you. It’s for everyone in the manor and on the farm, to improve their diet and nutrition. It’s definitely not because you can’t stomach the food here!”

“Yes, Miss.”

Jasmine’s indifferent response made Adele pause and let out an involuntary “Eh?”

Chapter 62: Changes on the Farm

A month had passed since Adele and Jasmine arrived at Spark Farm. Under Adele’s leadership, the farm workers, who had been thin and gaunt, had put on some weight. Initially, they had been apprehensive, fearing that Adele was feeding them more and better just to sell them at a higher price.

After all, that was how Oakham had treated the pigs, cows, and sheep on the farm. He exploited the workers to raise the livestock, not for their well-being, but to slaughter them when the time was right and exchange them for money. They assumed… Adele was the same, but even more terrifying. She had shifted her target from livestock to them.

They trembled, not daring to eat too much. However, some couldn’t resist the temptation. One worker stood up and declared, “We’re going to die anyway, whether we eat or not. Might as well die with a full stomach!” Hearing this, the others thought: He’s right. What difference does it make? Their fate was sealed anyway. Instead of living in fear and hunger, they might as well indulge and die with a full stomach.

With this thought in mind, they soon started eating until they were full.

During this time, not only had their food improved, but their living conditions had also been upgraded. The new master had hired a construction team to build new houses for them. As the houses were gradually completed, people moved in. After a month, all the houses were finished, the construction team had left, and everyone had a new place to live. The weather was getting colder, and the new houses were warm and draft-free. They were also two-person rooms, a significant improvement compared to their previous living conditions.

With enough food, enough rest, warm houses, and new clothes, the farm workers’ spirits were lifted. They started to have their own hopes and dreams. Now that they were living a better life, they no longer wished for death but wanted to live longer.

But winter was approaching. Would the new master really let them live? This was an unanswered question in everyone’s hearts. The previous master, to prepare for winter, would select some healthy humans and sell them to the blood bank. To Oakham, healthy humans represented more food. During winter, food was scarce, so if he let them continue eating, he would have to starve even more of his “livestock.” And healthy humans were easier to sell.

As for whether there would be enough workers in the spring… Oakham wasn’t worried. He could always buy more humans.

The workers were afraid that the new master would be like Oakham. They were anxious, fearing that they would be chosen to be sold. By Oakham’s standards, every one of them was now eligible to be sold. While they were living in fear, Jasmine had already changed into warm clothes. Sitting in front of the fireplace, she couldn’t help but complain, “Why is it so cold here?”

Jasmine added more firewood to the stove, “Miss, it’s normal for it to be cold. This is a remote area in the north. It’s naturally colder than the south.” And they had arrived in November. After a month, it was now December, the heart of winter.

Jasmine assumed Adele knew this. After all, she had admired the camellias just a while ago. And camellias bloomed in November.

But seeing how miserable Adele looked from the cold, Jasmine stopped teasing her and told her to stay inside. She brewed black tea for Adele, adding artificial blood sugar cubes. Adele took the cup, sipped the tea, and finally felt some warmth returning to her body. Vampires weren’t suited for cold climates. They might even hibernate when it was too cold. Many vampires chose to sleep through the winter, waking up only when spring arrived.

But as a student, how could Adele sleep now? She had to study and complete her assignments. So, she could only suffer, huddled by the fireplace, sipping hot tea.

As she was lamenting the cold weather, the door opened, and the little girl entered, bringing a gust of cold air with her. Adele couldn’t help but shiver. Seeing the little girl enter, Jasmine discreetly took a step back. She was genuinely uncomfortable around children.

She hadn’t liked them in her previous life, and she still didn’t like them after the Blake family had their second daughter. She didn’t even like the noble second miss, whom she saw almost every day, let alone this random child. This was the little girl Oakham had tried to offer to Adele. Adele, of course, hadn’t eaten her and had instead kept her, asking Bella to take good care of her.

There were no cruel vampires in the manor now, and the humans were patient and tolerant towards the child. In just a month, the little girl had transformed from her previous numb state to a cheerful and lively child.

It was good, as long as she didn’t cling to Jasmine.

The little girl wanted to rush to Adele, but Bella stopped her and made her curtsy properly. The little girl pouted but still lowered her head and curtsied respectfully to Adele. Only then did she cheerfully approach Adele, holding out her hand to show her a camellia flower she had picked.

There was still a bit of snow on the camellia, seemingly freshly picked. Seeing the plucked flower, Adele’s expression stiffened.

She loved flowers, especially white camellias, which looked so delicate and fragile, reminding her of Jasmine.

But she only liked flowers when they were blooming on the branches. Seeing a flower plucked made her feel a pang of sadness. Therefore, seeing the camellia, Adele wasn’t happy but rather displeased. However, Jasmine’s constant reminders to “not be too harsh towards the weak” prevented her from getting angry at the delicate little girl. She could only suppress her anger and ask, “Why did you pick it?”

The little girl was stunned, seemingly realizing that Adele was unhappy. Children were actually very sensitive to adults’ emotional changes, but many people didn’t realize this, assuming they were truly innocent and naive.

Hearing Adele’s question, the little girl replied timidly, “Miss Blake, don’t you like flowers? I… I often see you looking at them in the garden, so I thought you liked them. I thought it’s so cold now that you rarely go outside, so I wanted to pick it for you so you could see it in your room.”

Her intentions were good, but seeing the delicate flower plucked from its stem made Adele feel sad. She shook her head, “But you picked it, so it’s dead now. It’s truly beautiful when it’s blooming on the branch.”

Adele wasn’t sure if the little girl understood, but her tone was so serious that the girl could only nod and say she understood. From then on, she didn’t pick any more flowers for Adele. But Jasmine knew that this was just the little girl trying to please Adele.

In reality, if Adele had liked her gesture, she might have destroyed the entire garden. And although the little girl behaved well in front of Adele, once she was out of Adele’s sight, she became unruly. In Jasmine’s eyes, she was well on her way to becoming a spoiled brat. Jasmine didn’t want to deal with brats, but at this point, she had to remind Bella.

After her “laziness manifesto,” the manor servants were increasingly behaving as Jasmine had hoped, working at a leisurely pace. They had even developed their own hobbies. The sheep on the farm were indeed well-cared for. The high-quality wool was sold, but the lower-quality wool was kept. The servants bought some from the farm, brought it back to the manor, and spun it into yarn balls. During their free time, they knitted sweaters for themselves.

This was how it should be. With so many servants in a manor, how could they all be constantly busy? Finding opportunities to slack off and pursue their own interests during their free time was, in Jasmine’s opinion, the ideal state. Bella had also realized that Jasmine was right. She relaxed, no longer acting like Adele’s overzealous fan, and adopted a more balanced approach.

With their moods improved, they became even more tolerant towards the little girl. She was the only child in the entire manor and farm, so everyone naturally doted on her. But it was precisely because of this doting that she was becoming so unruly.

Honestly, Jasmine felt that Adele was also a bit too kind to the little girl. At the Blake castle, even with the second miss, if she did something Adele disliked, Adele would reprimand her directly. Although the second miss was a child, in Adele’s eyes, she was undeniably strong, definitely stronger than Jasmine. This was why Adele wasn’t as affectionate towards her younger sister.

But this little girl was different. She was human and weak. Adele couldn’t be harsh towards her.

With the master setting such an example, the servants were even more indulgent.

Seeing Jasmine looking for her, Bella put down her work and led her to a secluded corner.

“Is there something you need?”

Jasmine nodded. She thought about the little girl and said directly, “It’s about the little girl in the manor.” The little girl’s situation was a bit awkward. Oakham hadn’t given her a name, intending to let Adele name her after he presented her to her. But now that she was with Adele, Adele didn’t want to give her a name.

Jasmine didn’t understand the reason. Adele, however, felt that her reason was perfectly valid: she only named Jasmine. She didn’t want to name anyone else.

But she couldn’t tell Jasmine this. She would only say, “I don’t want to name her, and that’s that.” So, the little girl still didn’t have a name, which was quite awkward.

Hearing Jasmine bring up the little girl, Bella was even more confused, “What about her?”

Jasmine didn’t beat around the bush. She stated her thoughts directly, “Aren’t you all spoiling her too much? As far as I know, she hasn’t done any work since you started taking care of her. And everyone, both in the manor and on the farm, is doting on her. It’s a bit excessive, and it’s not good for her.”

Bella still looked confused, clearly not understanding why it wasn’t a good thing.

Chapter 61: How Daring!

The two of them debated for a long time about whether Jasmine had smiled or not. Finally, Jasmine changed the subject, coughing lightly, “Miss, if you don’t return to your room soon, it’ll be dawn.” Adele couldn’t stay there and argue about this any longer. She could only toss her head huffily and march back to her room in the manor.

Even after returning to her room, being urged by Jasmine to take a bath and freshen up, Adele still seemed unconvinced, wanting to continue the discussion about whether Jasmine had smiled.

Jasmine, however, knew how to handle Adele. She patted the bed, “Miss, lie down. I’ll dry your hair for you.” To distract Adele, Jasmine even resorted to the “knee pillow” tactic.

Adele’s attention was indeed diverted. Seeing Jasmine sitting on the bed, she realized that if she wanted Jasmine to dry her hair, she would have to lie down at the foot of the bed, resting her head on Jasmine’s lap, so Jasmine could reach her hair.

—What a bold seduction technique!

Adele was completely smitten by Jasmine’s trick. She let out a dazed “Ah” and slowly walked towards the bed before finally lying down. Adele rested her head on Jasmine’s lap. Jasmine had placed a towel on her lap beforehand for comfort.

After Adele settled down, Jasmine used another towel to gently dry her hair.

Lying on Jasmine’s lap, Adele noticed that Jasmine’s scent was even closer now.

She smelled nice, a faint, refreshing fragrance enveloping her. The scent was intoxicating, teasing her nostrils, making her unconsciously tense. Her hands, resting at her sides, were now clasped together on her stomach. As Jasmine’s fingers moved through her hair, her grip tightened.

Adele closed her eyes. Her eyelashes, also white, rested on her eyelids, resembling fluttering butterfly wings. Yes, Adele’s eyelashes were trembling. She was so nervous that not only were her hands clenched, but her eyelashes were also fluttering uncontrollably.

Anyone who didn’t know the situation would think Jasmine was doing something inappropriate to her…

Jasmine paused, banishing the strange thoughts from her mind. What was she thinking? She couldn’t let Adele influence her. They were both girls. How could anything happen between them? It was all Adele’s fault for constantly saying that Jasmine liked her. When asked why she thought so, Adele wouldn’t give a clear answer. Now, Jasmine was starting to have strange thoughts as well.

Jasmine felt a bit resentful, her hand moving a bit roughly through Adele’s hair.

Adele winced in pain and opened her eyes. Her white eyelashes stopped trembling and fluttered open like tiny fans, revealing her crimson eyes, gazing intently at Jasmine. Adele was truly beautiful.

Ancient vampire texts mentioned that in ancient times, before vampires became rulers, they relied on their beauty to lure humans and obtain blood. Now, it seemed that if Adele had lived in ancient times, she wouldn’t have gone hungry.

Instead, she might have starved to death because she was too picky and didn’t want to eat the readily available food.

Jasmine’s mind wandered, while Adele was also lost in thought. She looked at Jasmine, who was drying her hair with her head lowered. Her slightly curly, black hair framed her delicate face, making her look even more charming. Just based on her appearance, Jasmine was the type of pure and innocent beauty, but her usual icy expression diminished her innocence, adding a touch of coldness.

Adele looked at Jasmine from a low angle, a rather unflattering perspective for most, but beautiful people looked good from any angle. Adele also had a filter for Jasmine, so she only saw the beauty in Jasmine diligently drying her hair.

To be honest, Adele was wavering. In her heart, Jasmine liked her, but they couldn’t be together. She had the Blake family to inherit, a duty to fulfill as the heir. If she were with Jasmine, she wouldn’t be able to fulfill her obligations. So, Adele kept telling herself that she and Jasmine were impossible, that it was just one-sided love from Jasmine.

But perhaps the atmosphere tonight was too good, and they had talked so much. At this moment, Adele wavered: Was there truly no possibility between them?

She reached out, her fingers touching Jasmine’s cheek, as carefully and gently as when she had held the camellia flower in the garden. The atmosphere was good, even a bit intimate. But Jasmine, being Jasmine, probably didn’t understand these romantic nuances.

She straightened up, put down the towel, and said to Adele, “Miss, your hair is dry now. I should go take a shower.”

As if jolted by electricity, Adele retracted her hand and sat up abruptly. Her freshly dried hair was a bit messy, sticking out like a startled cat’s fur. Jasmine thought Adele looked cute like this, but her priority was to take a shower.

Hearing Jasmine getting up behind her, Adele stiffly turned her head and asked, “What are you doing?”

“…” Was Adele’s hearing so bad that she couldn’t understand what Jasmine had just said? Jasmine could only repeat, “Miss, I’m going to take a shower.” Hearing this, Adele finally nodded in understanding.

After Jasmine entered the bathroom, the sound of running water could be heard, but she didn’t start showering immediately. Instead, she started washing Adele’s clothes.

Adele, outside, listened to the sounds coming from the bathroom. They didn’t sound like showering. She instinctively walked to the bathroom door and knocked, “Jasmine, what are you doing in there?”

The water stopped. Adele heard Jasmine say, “Miss, I’m washing clothes.”

Adele’s face instantly flushed. Jasmine was washing clothes… What clothes could she be washing? It had to be her clothes… her undergarments. Before, Adele hadn’t minded Jasmine washing her undergarments. After all, Jasmine was her maid, and washing clothes was part of her job. She wouldn’t blush just because Jasmine was washing her undergarments. But the atmosphere earlier had been too intimate, making Adele’s heart flutter with romantic thoughts. Now, hearing that Jasmine was washing her clothes, she couldn’t help but blush.

Someone who liked her, washing her clothes… would she have inappropriate thoughts when seeing her undergarments?

The more Adele thought about it, the more flustered she became. She used all her willpower to suppress the urge to barge into the bathroom. She quickly walked back to the bed and sat down, her arms wrapped around herself, her gaze drifting towards the bathroom before she quickly pulled it back.

The sound of running water was incredibly distracting. The sound of scrubbing couldn’t be blocked by the door, reaching Adele’s ears clearly. She wondered, was this what it sounded like when she was showering? Did Jasmine, outside, also hear her showering so clearly? But then she shook her head, knowing that wasn’t the case. Jasmine’s hearing couldn’t compare to hers.

Although this door couldn’t block her own hearing, it could block Jasmine’s. Jasmine definitely couldn’t hear her showering. Adele nodded, convinced by her own reasoning.

The sound of scrubbing continued for a long time before finally stopping. Then came the sound of clothes being shaken. What was Jasmine doing? Was she wringing out the water? Adele had never really washed clothes herself, so she didn’t understand the steps, but she could more or less guess what was happening.

After a while, the sound of running water from the sink stopped, and the shower turned on, the sound of water hitting the floor filling the room. It sounded like rain. After another while, Jasmine took off her clothes and stepped into the shower, starting her bath.

Adele’s pointed ears twitched, her face burning red. She even covered her face with her hands, but the sounds still reached her ears clearly. Uncontrollably, she started to imagine the scene in her mind. In the steamy bathroom, Jasmine had taken off all her clothes and stepped under the shower, raising her arm to wipe away the water droplets on her face…

But in Adele’s imagination, Jasmine’s private parts were obscured by the rising white steam. It wasn’t that Adele couldn’t imagine it. She had never seen Jasmine naked. She tried to banish the image from her mind, lying down on the bed, pulling the covers over herself, and covering her ears with her hands.

—Damn Jasmine! Using such tactics to seduce her! She wouldn’t fall for it!

Adele curled up in the blankets for a long time. Hearing the bathroom door about to open, she instantly shifted from an ostrich hiding its head in the sand to a normal sleeping position. Adele pretended to be asleep. She could still hear Jasmine’s footsteps, and Jasmine’s scent lingered in the air. Jasmine smelled nice, a faint, refreshing fragrance. As she walked, Adele could feel the scent getting closer.

It wasn’t just the faint fragrance, but also a hint of dampness, like flowers wet with morning dew. Adele had never been outside in the morning, but sometimes when she slept late, the maids would bring flowers to her room, and she would see the glistening dew drops on the rose petals.

At this moment, Jasmine gave her that same feeling. But it wasn’t the scent of roses, but of jasmine.

Jasmine walked to Adele’s bedside. Adele tensed up, hearing Jasmine murmur, “Miss, are you asleep?”

Yes, yes, I’m asleep! So, go away quickly!

Adele screamed in her heart. But after Jasmine actually left with her clothes, Adele felt a bit dissatisfied: Why did she leave so easily?!

Chapter 60: A Name’s Meaning

Oakham’s little garden was truly beautiful. The variety of flowers in this remote area wasn’t vast, limited to those that were easy to cultivate. But his garden was filled with blooming white camellias, and they were thriving. While camellias weren’t particularly delicate or difficult to grow, it was a different story in this remote location.

Most vampires preferred to live in the warm south, but Spark Farm was located further north. In the north, camellias were definitely not easy to cultivate. Moreover, camellias were shade-loving plants. The seedlings couldn’t be exposed to direct sunlight and needed diffused light. But the manor servants couldn’t work during the day. How could they have taken care of the camellia seedlings and made them bloom so magnificently?

It was clear that Oakham had put a lot of effort into making the camellias thrive.

Jasmine hadn’t known much about plants in her previous life. She could barely take care of herself, let alone plants, flowers, or small animals. Her main goal had been survival. But now, as a maid for the Blake family, she had learned a lot about essential floral knowledge.

Come to think of it, she had the former head maid to thank for this knowledge.

Jasmine could tell how much effort Oakham had put in based on the state of the camellias, but Adele only saw, “These flowers are just like your name.” Captivated by the beauty of the white camellias, Adele couldn’t help but sigh.

Hearing this, Jasmine was baffled.

Seriously? Her name was Jasmine, not Camellia. Apart from both being white, how were they alike? Jasmine wanted to retort. And she didn’t think Oakham had intended to grow white camellias. Generally, camellias were red, and vampires loved red. Flowers like roses and hybrid teas, with their deep red hues, were vampire favorites.

Red camellias were also popular among vampires. Because of the nobles’ preferences, red camellia seeds were much more expensive than white ones. White camellia seeds, which were relatively rare in Jasmine’s previous life, were now worthless in this world.

Perhaps Oakham had been scammed when buying the seeds. The seller might have told him they were red camellias, but they turned out to be white. But at this point, he couldn’t just uproot the flowers he had painstakingly cultivated. He could only console himself: White is also beautiful. It’s the color of the moon.

Although Jasmine didn’t know what Oakham was actually thinking, she figured that was probably his thought process.

Adele, oblivious to Jasmine’s thoughts, reached out as if to caress a camellia blossom. A gentle smile appeared on her face, “The first time I saw you, I thought you were perfect for this kind of white, delicate-looking flower. That’s why I named you Jasmine.”

Jasmine was stunned. This was the first time she had heard Adele say this. She knew that the Blake family had given her the name “Molly,”* but she hadn’t realized it was Adele who had chosen it. Everyone usually called her “Molly,” and Jasmine had always assumed that Adele was saying “Molly” as well.

“茉莉 (Mòlì)” was a more accurate transliteration of “Molly,” but she hadn’t expected Adele to have the same thought as her. Jasmine asked softly, “If it’s Jasmine, wouldn’t it be better to use the original word for jasmine?”

The language in this world was somewhat similar to English in her previous life. Jasmine was certain that the original word for “jasmine flower” wasn’t “Molly.” So, she had always thought that she had chosen the name Jasmine for herself.

But Adele said, “The original word for jasmine doesn’t sound very nice. I’ve read some ancient books, and they mentioned that ‘Molly’ also means jasmine in a certain human language. That’s why I chose this name for you.”

Jasmine was speechless. Should she point out that Adele had terrible taste? What kind of eyes could see her as a jasmine flower?

But Adele couldn’t forget the first time she had seen Jasmine. In the bustling childcare institution, the other children were full of anticipation, eagerly hoping to be chosen. But only Jasmine stood there quietly, showing no emotion.

She wasn’t like the other children, either cowering in fear or desperately trying to stand out to be noticed. Only Jasmine stood there, towards the back, holding a toy rabbit and pulling its ears, letting it dangle.

She seemed to cherish that toy rabbit. It was very clean, cleaner than most of the human children in the institution. Adele had seen Jasmine, and she admitted that her immediate thought was: I want her.

Jasmine was well-behaved, her long black hair framing her small face like green leaves. Her face was pale, and her black eyes looked at her, just like a jasmine flower. White blossoms dotted among large green leaves, pure white, yet delicate and soft.

If she left this child here, she would definitely be bullied. That was what six-year-old Adele had thought. She didn’t want to see the jasmine flower fall from the branch and be trampled in the mud, so she tugged at her parents’ sleeves, pointed at Jasmine, and said, “I want her.”

And so, Jasmine became Adele’s maid. But before that, she had to stay at the institution while the paperwork was processed. Only then would the Blake family bring her to the castle. On the way home in the vintage car, the Blake lady asked Adele, “Have you decided on a name for her?”

Adele was stunned, “Do I have to give her a name?”

“Yes, you do. She didn’t have a name before, only a number. But since she’s your maid now, you should give her a name.” It was the first time Adele had to name someone, and she felt like she had been given a very important task.

Because names were very important.

Her parents had put a lot of thought into her name before deciding on “Adele.” They told her that the name meant “noble,” and they hoped that she would become a noble vampire.

So, she had to choose Jasmine’s name carefully. She had read many books before settling on this name. To others, it was simply “Molly,” a simple, safe, and easy-to-remember name. But in Adele’s heart, it represented the pure white jasmine flower.

To be honest, she had only ever named Jasmine. She had insisted to her parents, “I want her.” She had been adamant, and apart from Jasmine, no other maid had ever served her personally.

Hearing Adele’s words, Jasmine felt a touch of emotion. Although Adele had terrible taste, her thoughts were somewhat aligned with hers. At least… she had thought of “Molly” as a translation.

Seeing Jasmine fall silent, Adele became nervous. She didn’t even dare to look at Jasmine, her hand holding the camellia trembling slightly. She pretended to be calm and collected, taking a deep breath before asking, “What do you think of the name Jasmine?”

She thought she had hidden her emotions well. After all, Jasmine was just an ordinary human. She shouldn’t have noticed the subtle changes in her demeanor. But she was unaware that her every little action was obvious to Jasmine.

Hearing her cautious question, Jasmine almost wanted to laugh, “It’s a nice name. I like it.” She genuinely liked the name Jasmine. And Adele had put thought into it. It was much better than names like Cuihong, Liulv, or Yingge. She disliked even more those common local names like Anna, Bella, or Helen.

So, overall, she was quite satisfied with the name Jasmine.

Hearing Jasmine say that she liked the name, Adele was thrilled. She even dropped the flower and turned to look at Jasmine, a smile blooming on her face, “See, I spent a long time choosing this name. I think it’s a good name too.”

The pride on her face was evident. She was practically begging for praise. Jasmine had seen this expression before, when Adele had asked her to guess her exam score last semester. In Adele’s mind, being told that she had chosen a good name was as praiseworthy as getting first place in her exams.

Maybe she was even more proud of choosing this name than getting first place.

Thinking of this, Jasmine’s expression softened, and a smile unconsciously touched her lips. Adele, who had been staring at Jasmine intently, didn’t miss this smile. She was stunned.

Jasmine rarely smiled. Although rare, she did smile. She was an ice queen, not a literal iceberg. Smiling was human nature. But Jasmine smiled so rarely, and genuine, soft smiles like this were even rarer. So, it was understandable that Adele was mesmerized.

Jasmine, noticing Adele’s intense gaze, was surprised and quickly erased her smile. Adele, however, protested, “Jasmine, why did you stop smiling?” Her question stunned Jasmine. She instinctively touched her face, thinking incredulously: Did I just smile?

She hadn’t even realized how gentle her smile had been.

Adele even took a few steps closer, standing before her. She said, “Your smile just now was beautiful. Smile again, let me see.” Her words sounded like those of a street thug, harassing a girl.

Jasmine turned her head away, “You must have been mistaken, Miss. I wasn’t smiling.”

How could she be out of character? She had faith in her chuunibyou persona.

Adele, refuted, widened her eyes in disbelief, “!” Her voice even rose slightly, “You’re lying! You were clearly smiling! Unlike you humans, I can see perfectly in the dark. You were smiling!”

Jasmine refused to admit it, “No, you must have seen wrong, Miss. I wasn’t smiling. Don’t I know if I’m smiling or not?”

“Ah, Jasmine, you’re being unreasonable! You were smiling!”

***

-茉莉 (Mòlì): This is the protagonist’s original name in Chinese. It directly translates to “Jasmine” in English. 

-When they use “Molly”, they mention it in English, not in Chinese.

-Basically, Adele named the protagonist 茉莉 (mòlì), which means Jasmine, but the protagonist thought she was being called “Molly” without any meaning, and this chapter clears it up.

-I will maintain her name in English(Jasmine).

Chapter 59: Embrace Laziness

There were many ways to take an unconscious person back to their room to sleep. One could carry them, or two people could lift them together. However, carrying them over one’s shoulder like a sack of rice was definitely not one of those ways.

Jasmine was strong enough to carry Bella in a princess carry.

But whenever she thought about carrying Bella like that, the image of Adele carrying her in the same way would pop into her mind. It was… embarrassing. So, Jasmine decided to sling Bella over her shoulder like a sack of rice and carry her back to her room.

She didn’t know where Bella’s room was, so she had to ask along the way. She finally found it after asking several servants. The room had no lock, not in the sense that it wasn’t locked, but that it didn’t have a lock at all. This meant that these servants had no personal space whatsoever.

Jasmine turned the doorknob, opened the door, and entered the room. It was a four-person room, very small and cramped. Four narrow single beds took up most of the space, leaving little room for anything else. There was no closet, and the toilet was probably located at the end of the hallway.

It reminded Jasmine of her middle school dormitory in her previous life, but the conditions here were even worse. At least the dormitory rooms had desks and windows. Here, there was only a small porthole high up on the wall, probably only letting in a sliver of light during the day.

Jasmine could guess the reason: glass was expensive. For servants’ rooms, a small window was enough to ensure they didn’t suffocate. Why waste money on large panes of glass? That was probably Oakham’s thinking.

This shattered Jasmine’s plan to borrow a maid’s bathroom instead of using Adele’s.

Jasmine was speechless. She should have known that with Oakham’s personality, he wouldn’t give the maids single rooms with private bathrooms. She couldn’t bring herself to use a communal bathroom. It wasn’t because she was shy about showing her body in front of other women. It was just that if she had a choice, why would she choose a communal bathroom over a private shower?

And this wasn’t some luxurious bathhouse where she could relax and socialize. It was just a place to wash up.

Jasmine, her plan abandoned, carried Bella into the room. One of the narrow beds was already occupied. With the manor’s current three-shift system, someone else was currently resting in the room. She wasn’t sleeping soundly either.

It was understandable. The bed was only about 90 centimeters wide, more like a camp bed than a single bed. It was so narrow that Jasmine was afraid she would roll off if she turned over. After placing Bella on the bed, the other maid, awakened by the commotion, looked up at Jasmine sleepily.

Upon recognizing the visitor, she sat up in surprise, “Y-you, what are you doing here?”

“Bella fainted from lack of sleep, so I brought her back. Don’t worry about her. Let her sleep until she wakes up.” Jasmine’s control over her strength was precise. She hadn’t used much force, but she had chosen the right angle and moved quickly. She could guarantee that Bella was only knocked unconscious and would have no aftereffects when she woke up.

Hearing Jasmine’s explanation, the maid nodded and yawned. Jasmine didn’t linger. She greeted the maid and left the room. She thought about checking out the communal bathroom but turned around as soon as she entered.

How should she put it? Compared to Adele’s bathroom, the conditions here were truly abysmal. Oakham didn’t care about his servants’ living conditions and wouldn’t give them time to clean their own quarters. Plus, these servants had been living in despair and didn’t care about the cleanliness of the bathroom either.

One could imagine how dirty and chaotic it was.

This wouldn’t do. Living in such an environment, they would definitely get sick. Jasmine frowned. She gathered all the servants who were currently working in the hall and, based on what she had seen and the current workload in the manor, assigned tasks.

Her authority to do so was questionable, of course. After all, Bella was the head maid. What was she? But as Adele’s maid, her status in the eyes of the servants was probably even higher than Bella’s. So, they readily accepted the tasks she assigned.

After finishing with the task assignments, Jasmine began her more ambitious plan: to promote the gospel of laziness.

She even forgot about her ice queen persona as she spoke passionately, “Everyone, what I want to say is this: you don’t have to work so hard. Think about it, there are three shifts, and you’re only one of them, the one working the hardest, at night. And there’s so much work, it’s impossible to finish it all in one day. So, why not be more organized, slow down, and work together to finish it in ten days or half a month?”

“You’re already exhausted. You’ve worked so hard for Oakham for so long. Now that he’s dead, why can’t you rest properly? You all know that your new master, Miss Blake, has implemented a work schedule with breaks. She wants you to rest. So, why are you still working so hard, trying to finish everything in one day?”

“Therefore, we should rest and not work too hard. Working too hard will shorten our lifespans!”

Jasmine was truly concerned for these servants. She didn’t think anything she said was wrong. In her previous life, her words would have been considered toxic positivity, offering no real solutions, only negativity.

But lazy netizens would have treated them as gospel. If reality allowed, who would want to work? One should embrace laziness. Work is never-ending. Every minute you slack off is a minute you earn from your boss.

Jasmine had no qualms about instilling this “unhealthy” ideology in the servants. After her pep talk, she even practiced what she preached, forcing those who were obviously overworking to rest. “What did I just say? Don’t work too hard. Why are you pushing yourselves so hard? You’re still young. Working like this will shorten your lifespans. You don’t want to die before you’re thirty, do you?”

In the past, they would have thought Jasmine was talking nonsense. Dying before thirty… could they even live that long? Even if Oakham hadn’t worked them to death, they would have chosen to die because of this hopeless world.

But things were different now. They had hope. They realized that under Adele’s rule, they would have a better life than before. Maybe… they could actually live that long.

Jasmine happily wreaked havoc, even going to the kitchen to teach the auntie how to cook. But the problem was that she herself knew nothing about cooking. And with the limited ingredients in the servants’ kitchen, she couldn’t do much. She could only sigh and accept reality.

Jasmine stayed downstairs until she finished her second meal before going upstairs to find Adele. Adele had been writing diligently. The tea Jasmine had brewed before leaving was gone, the teapot empty. Although Jasmine’s expression remained neutral, a corner of her heart sank.

Because Adele was working so hard for the sake of humans.

If it were just for her internship, she wouldn’t have to go to such lengths. As Oakham had said, Spark Farm’s original plan was good, and it was doing well, at least in the eyes of the vampire blood bank. If Adele had simply cooperated with Oakham and, with her family’s support, further developed Spark Farm, achieving good results would have been easy.

But Adele hadn’t done that. Not only had she not done that, she had even killed Oakham and started from scratch, practically ruining a good hand. That was the kind of person Adele was. She couldn’t collude with someone like Oakham. She would stand up for the weak and wouldn’t sit idly by.

Again, Adele was truly a good girl.

Seeing Jasmine return, Adele put down her pen and massaged her temples, “Jasmine, how was your time downstairs? Did you have fun?” Jasmine nodded. She had had fun. Seeing her response, Adele smiled slightly.

“I think you’re the one who needs to go out for a walk, Miss. You’ve been cooped up in this room for too long.” Jasmine suggested. Adele was stunned, “But it’ll be dawn soon.”

“Then make it quick.”

Adele muttered, “I’m only agreeing because you asked so nicely,” but she still obediently got up from her seat. Since Jasmine had said “make it quick,” Adele thought about how to be faster. Her solution: jump out the window.

Unlike the castle, the manor wasn’t built on a mountain. It was on flat ground. And although Adele’s room was on an upper floor, the manor only had three floors. This height was nothing to Adele.

Jasmine hadn’t expected Adele to be so direct, nor had she expected to be dragged along for a walk. When Adele scooped her up in a princess carry, she suppressed the urge to resist, wrapping her arms around Adele’s neck, feeling a bit bewildered.

Only when Adele stepped onto the windowsill and jumped out like a bird did Jasmine realize what she was doing.

Adele had expected Jasmine to be frightened by the sudden lift and the jump out the window, maybe even scream. But in reality, Jasmine was incredibly calm, so calm that she remained expressionless even after landing on the ground.

“Jasmine, you’re really no fun.” Adele commented, but she still gently placed Jasmine on the ground. After Jasmine steadied herself, Adele snorted and walked ahead. Jasmine tilted her head, wondering what the young miss was being tsundere about, but she still followed behind.

Their destination was the manor’s small garden. Oakham had been very meticulous about its upkeep, probably wanting to show that he also had a touch of nobility. But in the end, this beautiful garden was left to someone else.

Chapter 58: Enforced Rest

Although this policy had been implemented among vampires for a long time, even before Jasmine was born, many humans had never received any personal wages. They didn’t even have a single penny to their name. This was because of vampires like Oakham, who believed that humans didn’t deserve money and that all wealth should belong to them.

They deprived their workers of their earnings, making them work for free, and even felt smug about it, “Those humans have no time or opportunity to spend money anyway, so why bother paying them? The higher-ups won’t send anyone to investigate. Paying humans is just a waste.”

That’s why Bella had never received a single penny. She looked at Adele with calm eyes, her voice steady and devoid of resentment as she said, “Oakham didn’t allow us to have personal property.” Adele took a deep breath. Jasmine knew she was trying to calm her anger. Otherwise, she would probably dig up Oakham’s ashes and beat them up again.

“Then congratulations. From today onwards, you have earned your first personal income.” Adele smiled kindly and handed the 20 yuan to Bella.

Bella’s calm facade crumbled. A conflicted expression appeared on her face. After a moment, she reached out and took the banknote. It seemed like this was the first time she had ever seen money. She carefully examined the banknote, then took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket. She folded the banknote neatly, placed it in the center of the handkerchief, and wrapped it carefully. Only then did she put the handkerchief back in her pocket.

The atmosphere around Bella relaxed. She was genuinely happy.

Adele added, “I saw a small village not far from here when we were on the carriage. It doesn’t have many people, but there are some shops. However, I’m guessing those shops only open at night. If you have time off, you can go there together. You might find something interesting.”

Bella expressed her gratitude and agreed.

Hearing this, Jasmine felt a pang of envy. She was a 007 worker, working 365 days a year, with only the Blessing Festival as a day off.

Seeing Bella agree, Adele continued, asking about the shift arrangements for the servants. Then she mentioned that she planned to set their wages and asked Bella what she thought was a reasonable amount. Bella didn’t know, so Adele turned to Jasmine and asked about her monthly salary.

Jasmine wanted to exaggerate, but if Bella and the others earned more than her, the money-hungry Lady Dawn might get jealous. Besides, Adele could easily find out the exact amount by asking any maid when she returned home. So, it was better to be honest now.

“It’s 120 yuan.”

Jasmine gave the exact figure. That was her monthly salary, and she didn’t even get bonuses. Only those who were close to the lady received bonuses. She hoped Miss Adele would remember her dedicated service and give her a bonus.

But Adele wasn’t focused on her right now. Her attention was on Bella. Hearing the exact amount, she nodded and said to Bella, “Jasmine is my maid, and her salary is paid by the Blake family, a member of the thirteen clans. She earns more than ordinary human maids. Your wages can’t possibly be the same as hers. I’m setting your wages at 40 yuan for the first three months. After that, your salary will be adjusted based on your performance, ranging from 40 to 60 yuan, divided into three tiers.”

Bella wouldn’t be dissatisfied. After all, receiving any wages at all was a pleasant surprise for them. They had never had any money before. So, Bella quickly agreed and asked about the evaluation criteria. To her surprise, Adele said, “You, as the head maid, will be responsible for the evaluations. I won’t be involved in the specifics.”

Bella probably hadn’t expected to have such authority. She swallowed nervously, then agreed. After finishing their discussion, Adele dismissed Bella and summoned the steward. With the steward, she focused on farm matters. “I can’t visit the farm frequently. The farm workers are now working during the day, so I need someone to manage the farm on my behalf. I think you’re doing a good job, and I want to entrust you with some important responsibilities.”

Hearing this, the steward straightened his back, looking eager to please, “As you wish, Miss.” Adele gave him many detailed instructions, from setting a base salary of 10 yuan per month for the farm workers to contacting a construction team to build new houses.

The steward hadn’t expected wages to be involved, but he was older than Bella and more adaptable. Hearing about the wages, he wasn’t surprised at all. His eyes darted around, and he immediately agreed, even thanking Adele enthusiastically.

However, he seemed hesitant about contacting a construction team. He didn’t know how to find one. Adele reminded him of the nearby village, saying that he could definitely find contact information for a construction team there. The steward agreed, seemingly familiar with the village.

Adele was a bit surprised. She asked, “You know about that village?”

“Yes, I do. Mr. Oakham used to send me there to purchase supplies. But I didn’t know there were construction teams there.” He quickly explained, afraid that Adele would think he was withholding information.

Adele nodded. She had nothing else to discuss with the steward. Finally, she instructed, “Bella will be in charge of the manor from now on. You, steward, will be responsible for the farm.” After the steward understood, Adele dismissed him.

After finishing her business, Adele stretched. She continued working on her plans for the farm. Jasmine, however, had nothing to do. Seeing how bored she was, Adele told her to go out and explore. Jasmine brewed a pot of tea for Adele and left, taking a walk around the manor.

She actually wanted to chat with Bella. She wasn’t a talkative person, but it would be a waste not to chat with someone as promising as Bella. She wandered aimlessly around the manor and found that every maid was busy with their work. Perhaps because the rotating shift system had just been implemented, the first batch of servants working the night shift were incredibly busy, like spinning tops.

They had already cleaned the manor during the day, but a faint smell lingered. They were clearly trying to completely eradicate the odor. Jasmine noticed the exhaustion on their faces. She didn’t think this was the right way to work.

She found Bella and, before they could chat, she pointed out the servants’ condition.

But Bella seemed unconcerned, “They can rest during the day tomorrow. They have sixteen hours of rest. Isn’t that enough?” Hearing this, Jasmine was speechless. This was a true workaholic.

In her previous life, Jasmine hadn’t disliked workaholics that much. After all, they were only working themselves to the bone. As long as she was lazy enough, no one could force her to work harder. But in this life, it was different. Workaholics could truly affect her, especially a workaholic head maid like Bella, who could make her subordinates’ lives miserable.

Bella herself was also working tirelessly. She probably hadn’t rested at all since last night. There were dark circles under her eyes, but her eyes were bright, clearly full of energy. Jasmine guessed that Bella was currently driven by a sense of loyalty to Adele, but Jasmine didn’t want to see this.

Setting aside the fact that she had proposed the three-shift system and deserved some credit, Adele herself wouldn’t want to see this either.

Seeing that Bella was about to go back to work after their brief conversation, Jasmine grabbed her wrist. Bella was stunned and asked, “Is there something you need?”

“Have you considered that there’s always more work to be done? And not only you, but the other servants haven’t rested much either. You’re all in poor health. This will shorten your lifespans.”

Bella paused, her lips pursed as she thought for a moment. Then she said, “But things are much better now. They should be grateful to Miss Blake. It’s their honor to work for her. I’ve never met such a kind vampire. Don’t you think it’s fortunate to serve her?”

To be honest, Jasmine did think so. Being Adele’s maid, rather than any other vampire’s maid, was indeed fortunate. Not only for Jasmine, but also for Adele. If someone else were Jasmine’s master and did the same things as Oakham, Jasmine would have dealt with them before they even had a chance to bite her.

She truly felt that Adele was a good vampire, different from others, but not to the extent that Bella was behaving. Bella was basically acting like an overzealous fan after being saved by Adele!

Jasmine decided to correct her behavior. She pointed out bluntly, “Working for her is a good thing, but before being her servant, you are yourself first.”

Bella looked confused, as if she didn’t understand what Jasmine was saying. Jasmine sighed, “Your well-being should be your priority. The same goes for the other servants. Only when you’re healthy can you live a better life. How can you work if you’re not even healthy?”

“Miss Adele is kind, but she’s just your master, not your entire world. Don’t treat her like a goddess or a savior just because she indirectly saved you. Don’t tie your life to someone else, Bella. You are the most important person in your own life.”

“You’re exhausted. The most important thing now is to rest.”

Jasmine didn’t care if Bella understood. She chose to use physical means to make her pass out. Before Bella could react, Jasmine knocked her unconscious. Bella didn’t even realize who had done it. She collapsed towards Jasmine, who caught her effortlessly.