Category: The Vampire Eldest Miss Thinks I Like Her

Chapter 57: Bonus

As Jasmine had expected, the moment the human workers saw Adele, their eyes widened in surprise, and they turned to look at her one after another.

This scene wasn’t as synchronized as when vampires had stared at Jasmine. After all, humans couldn’t sense Adele’s presence before she entered and instantly turn their heads in unison the moment she opened the door, creating a horror movie atmosphere.

They were all quietly eating their meals, only turning their heads to see what was happening when they heard gasps or surprised murmurs from others.

Upon noticing Adele, they also reacted with surprise, alerting others to the unusual event.

Adele, however, was unfazed by their stares. She even looked around with interest. The servants’ dining hall in the manor seemed clean enough, but it couldn’t compare to the dining halls at the school or the Blake castle. Mainly because there was no segregation, with men and women eating together, and the space was small and cramped.

Jasmine didn’t see these as problems. As long as the environment wasn’t dirty and chaotic, it was fine. On the contrary, the place was clean, showing that the manor servants were diligent. She walked towards the serving window, Adele following closely behind, curiously observing her actions.

Jasmine picked up a wooden tray and approached the window. The middle-aged woman inside served her a set meal. In this resource-scarce area, there were no choices for Jasmine. She could only accept whatever the woman served her. Although Jasmine called her “auntie,” the woman was actually only around forty years old.

After receiving her meal, Jasmine carried the tray and found an empty table to sit down. Adele followed and sat beside her.

Bella was efficient and had probably already arranged the shift rotations, so the dining hall wasn’t crowded. There were plenty of empty seats, so they didn’t have to worry about others losing their appetites upon seeing Adele at their table.

As a proper maid, Jasmine should have carefully wiped down the chair for Adele before she sat down. After all, this was where “lowly humans” sat, potentially carrying “human bacteria.” Fastidious vampires were particularly concerned about such things. But Jasmine was focused on eating and didn’t care about Adele.

Besides, Adele wasn’t the type to care about such things either.

Compared to whether the chair she was sitting on had been used by other humans, she was more interested in what Jasmine was eating. The wooden tray held several bowls. One bowl contained thick oatmeal, which was Jasmine’s staple food. To be honest, Jasmine didn’t like oatmeal, bread, or anything like that. She preferred white rice. But she had transmigrated to a world with limited resources. Forget about white rice, having oatmeal was already a luxury.

If this were a true medieval setting, she might be eating chaff.

Besides the oatmeal, there was a small bowl with two fishcakes. Although she hadn’t tasted them yet, Jasmine figured they wouldn’t be too bad. There was also a portion of stewed potatoes and pork, and some vegetables. The combination of meat and vegetables was quite good.

But in Adele’s eyes, it was completely unacceptable. The last time she had seen Jasmine eat was on the airship, when she had made things difficult for the manager, demanding human food in the vampire restaurant. Although Adele’s request had been unreasonable, the manager had fulfilled it. He had no choice. It was the Blake young lady’s order.

There were also human chefs in the vampire restaurant. When asked to prepare human food, he had readily agreed. He was a skilled chef, and the dishes he had prepared were both beautiful and delicious, with exquisite presentation.

Even the cutlery was a matching set of metal utensils.

In contrast, Jasmine’s bowls and spoons were made of wood. Unfinished wooden bowls were popular in Jasmine’s previous life, but here, they were considered low-class. And without the craftsmanship of her previous world, the bowls and chopsticks here were crudely made, with rough edges and splinters. The mushy food in these unattractive bowls looked even less appetizing.

Adele hesitated. She wanted to tell Jasmine not to eat it, but she didn’t know what else Jasmine could eat. She could only watch as Jasmine picked up a spoonful of oatmeal and put it in her mouth.

Jasmine ate the oatmeal with a completely neutral expression. After all, the quality wasn’t good, and she didn’t like it. If it had been mixed with milk or something, she might have enjoyed it a bit more. But it was just plain oatmeal with water. After a few bites of oatmeal, Jasmine tried a fishcake. The fish was probably just an ordinary river fish caught from a nearby river. The cake was made from barley flour. The combination was edible.

But compared to other chefs, the skill was definitely lacking. The same went for the stewed potatoes and pork. The kitchen auntie had used pork, and the pork hadn’t been properly treated. The strong smell… there were no seasonings to mask the gaminess. Jasmine took one bite and didn’t touch it again. She ate to enjoy herself, not to torture her taste buds.

After finishing her meal, Jasmine carried her tray to the designated area. As she turned around, another maid also came over with her tray. The maid glanced at Jasmine’s untouched stewed potatoes and pork, and her expression changed dramatically.

Just from her expression, Jasmine could guess what she was thinking. She was probably thinking that people who served high-ranking nobles were indeed different, even leaving meat uneaten because they found the food unpalatable. This might cause misunderstandings and create a rift between Jasmine and the manor servants. The maid might even spread this around the manor, but Jasmine couldn’t force herself to eat something she didn’t like.

Jasmine simply nodded at the maid and then rejoined Adele, who was waiting for her.

Back in their room, Adele asked, “Was the food really that bad?”

Jasmine hesitated for a moment, then nodded, “Yes, it wasn’t good. The pork had a strong gamy smell. It was unpalatable.” Vampires also found pork unpalatable. Even if they ate raw meat, they chose beef, not pork. Hearing this, Adele sighed heavily and fell into deep thought.

What was she going to do with Jasmine, who was so delicate? If she didn’t like the food, she didn’t like it. She couldn’t force her to eat, just like she couldn’t force herself to eat things she didn’t like. But Jasmine had only eaten a little. She hadn’t eaten anything since last night. What was she going to do? And she wouldn’t be able to eat much in the future either, because she clearly didn’t like the food.

Adele wouldn’t force Jasmine. She herself was the type who would rather just drink artificial blood than eat something she didn’t like. How could she force Jasmine to eat food she didn’t enjoy?

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Although Adele hadn’t learned this saying, she understood the principle instinctively. If Jasmine knew, she would be very pleased. But what Jasmine didn’t know was that Adele was already considering finding a professional chef to cook for her. Or finding someone in the manor who was interested in cooking and sending them for training.

Adele, having come up with a brilliant solution, thought that Jasmine would just have to endure for a few more days. She took out a piece of paper and wrote a letter to the liaison officer her father had assigned to her, asking him to find a human chef. She was willing to pay a high price for it. After finishing the letter, Adele summoned Bella to discuss business.

When Bella was called to the room, she first nodded to Jasmine as a greeting. Jasmine nodded back and invited her in. They discussed matters in the drawing-room. It couldn’t be helped, as Adele’s small study was gone. Jasmine thought that the manor was so large, they could easily spare a room downstairs for meetings.

Adele explained her reward system to Bella in detail and said that the servants had done a good job these past two days. She wanted to reward them, starting with Bella, whom she praised and rewarded with a sum of cash. The amount wasn’t much, but Bella was stunned. Unlike Jasmine, who worked for a noble and actually received a salary, humans who served low-ranking vampires in remote areas probably never owned any personal property in their lives.

Her reaction confused Adele, “Do you think it’s too little?”

Adele was puzzled. The amount wasn’t much, but it wasn’t insignificant either. She had given Bella 20 yuan in cash, about half of what her mother usually rewarded their servants. When the servants performed well, the Blake lady would reward them with cash or other gifts. If it was cash, the amount was usually 400 yuan. This was a remote area, after all, and Oakham’s secret stash wasn’t that large. She felt that 20 yuan was appropriate, even a bit generous.

Hearing Adele’s question, Bella snapped out of her daze. She instinctively shook her head, “No… it’s just…” Bella hesitated for a moment, then decided to be honest, “Before this, I had never received a single penny. Oakham…” She struggled with how to address Oakham, finally deciding to err on the side of caution and add “Mister.”

“Mr. Oakham didn’t allow us to have personal property. Working for him was our honor, and we shouldn’t ask for more.”

In fact, many years ago, humans who worked for vampires didn’t receive any payment. But the Council of Elders, after listening to the suggestions of some human advisors, started giving humans wages to make them more loyal and dedicated to serving vampires. Over time, this system had become established and was widely practiced among nobles.

Seeing lowly humans groveling for a few pieces of paper pleased the vampires.

Jasmine actually felt that this was a good thing for humans. Being allowed to own personal property was a significant improvement in their status. Some members of the Human Resistance Army considered those advisors to be traitors for further improving the banking system and developing things like airships, but Jasmine felt that they might be fighting for humans in a different way.

After all, there was a saying in her previous life: “To be physically in Cao Cao’s camp, but with one’s heart in Han’s.”

***

T/N:

The saying “身在曹营心在汉 (shēn zài cáo yíng xīn zài hàn),” literally “body in Cao Cao’s camp, heart in Han’s,” is a Chinese idiom that describes someone who is outwardly loyal to one side but secretly supports another.

• Cao Cao (曹操): Was a powerful warlord during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was known for his ambition and ruthlessness.

• Han (汉): Refers to the Han dynasty, which was in decline during the Three Kingdoms period.

The idiom originates from the story of Xu Shu (徐庶), a brilliant strategist who was forced to serve Cao Cao but remained loyal to the Han dynasty in his heart.

Chapter 56: The Secret Stash

Adele was already prepared to open her private coffers and reward the servants, but Jasmine, in order to prevent the young miss from failing her internship and ending up in tears at the end of the semester, reminded her, “But Miss, school regulations prohibit using personal funds to subsidize the farm. It’s considered cheating.”

Reminded by Jasmine, Adele’s expression turned serious. “How could I forget such a thing? The rewards I mentioned definitely won’t be from my own money!”

Then what money would she use…

Jasmine wanted to laugh, seeing Adele’s confused expression after her indignant denial. But she couldn’t. It wasn’t because she was afraid of angering Adele, but purely to maintain her ice queen persona. Jasmine always believed that one could lose their head or their blood, but never their character.

Being a chuunibyou required faith. Without faith, one would be out of character.

She coughed lightly and reminded Adele, “Although you can’t use your own money, you can use the farm’s, Oakham’s…”

Jasmine merely mentioned Oakham’s name, and Adele immediately understood. Since Oakham was dead, all his money would be confiscated and become the property of the farm… Adele could even be unscrupulous and claim the secret stash for herself. But to reward the servants, she probably wouldn’t do that. She would most likely invest it all in the farm’s development.

Because Adele was a good girl.

Adele was excited and wanted to rush to Oakham’s secret stash and take all his money. But since she had promised Jasmine a tour of the manor, she could only be patient and explore the manor with her first. As they walked, she couldn’t help but fidget, clearly wanting to run off to the stash.

Jasmine, however, was mischievous. She deliberately walked slowly, occasionally stopping to comment on Oakham’s tacky collection of artifacts, as if they were culturally significant treasures. When they reached the main building of the manor, Adele’s desire to rush to Oakham’s room intensified. But Jasmine held her back.

Along the way, they encountered servants working the night shift. Each servant would stop and greet Adele, but their expressions were vastly different. Some were fearful, trembling as if afraid of being swallowed whole by the vampire before them. Others were grateful, their voices filled with joy. Still, others were overly obsequious, trying to catch the vampire’s attention and become her favorite.

Upon encountering other servants, Adele immediately straightened up, her desire to rush to the secret stash forgotten. She looked dignified and noble, her head held high. When greeted, she simply nodded slightly and continued walking with a confident stride.

In front of others, Adele was truly a reliable young lady.

Jasmine sensed that Adele’s patience was wearing thin and that she was about to explode, so she said, “Since we’ve seen most of the manor, let’s ask Bella and go to Mr. Oakham’s room.” Jasmine said this deliberately. They didn’t actually need Bella to go to Oakham’s room. As expected, Adele shook her head, “No need. I know roughly where Oakham’s room is. And Jasmine, don’t call him ‘Mister.’ He doesn’t deserve it.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Not only did Adele know roughly where Oakham’s room was, but Jasmine did too. The place with the strongest smell of blood in the entire manor had to be Oakham’s room. Although the servants had cleaned diligently, a lingering stench of blood remained. It wasn’t a smell that could be easily eradicated. It would probably take a long time to fade away.

And even though Oakham was dead, his terrifying image still lingered in the servants’ minds. Subconsciously, they hadn’t cleaned his room thoroughly, just going through the motions before quickly leaving. So, the smell in Oakham’s room was particularly strong, making Adele and Jasmine’s noses and heads ache.

Adele led the way, Jasmine following closely behind. Soon, they reached Oakham’s room. Adele’s brow furrowed deeply, and she instinctively covered her nose. At the door, she hesitated. The smell of blood emanating from inside was too strong and overwhelming. She didn’t know that Jasmine could block her sense of smell and assumed that the stench was just as unbearable for ordinary humans.

Adele didn’t want to frighten Jasmine. She paused, “Jasmine, you stay here at the door.”

Of course, Jasmine wanted to go in. She wanted to know how much money was in Oakham’s secret stash. But since Adele had said so, and she would surely show it to her later, Jasmine obediently agreed, “Yes, Miss.” Adele opened the door alone. Without the barrier of the door, the stench of blood rushed out, assaulting Adele’s senses.

At that moment, Adele’s face turned green.

Jasmine, standing beside her, saw Adele’s expression and felt a pang of sympathy. Although she had a keen sense of smell, she could choose whether to smell or not. Vampires, however, couldn’t. They could only smell, or smell even more intensely.

Adele almost fainted from the stench, but the thought of the seed money for the newly named Spark Farm, her “Jasmine Farm No. 1,” kept her going. She gritted her teeth, wrinkled her nose, and walked in. She scanned the room and found a large wooden chest locked with a padlock. Adele used her fire magic to melt the lock and opened the chest. Inside, it was filled with jewels, antiques, and an iron box. The iron box contained a bankbook from the vampire bank. Adele opened it and gasped at the number she saw.

Spark Farm was just a small, remote farm, but Oakham had saved up a lot of money, equivalent to three years’ worth of Adele’s allowance.

Adele took the chest and quickly left the room, dragging Jasmine back to their suite. Only after taking several deep breaths by the window did she finally relax. That room was truly unbearable for a vampire.

After calming down, Adele showed Jasmine what she had found, emphasizing the amount in the bankbook.

She had intended to show Jasmine how corrupt Oakham was, but she didn’t know that Jasmine was heartbroken.

Jasmine had actually considered stealing Oakham’s secret stash while Adele was asleep. After all, she was poor, and countless members of the Human Resistance Army needed food and resources. It was impossible for her not to be tempted by money. But then she thought, if Oakham didn’t have a secret stash, it wouldn’t make sense. And she knew that even if Adele took Oakham’s money, she wouldn’t keep it for herself. Instead, she would use it for the farm’s development, improving the lives of the humans on the farm and at the manor.

Taking from the people and using it for the people was a good outcome.

At that time, Jasmine had felt noble, thinking that there weren’t many people with such high ideals. But she hadn’t expected Oakham’s secret stash to be so much money! So much! She had imagined that Oakham would have a lot of money, but she hadn’t expected this much. Now, it was hard to say if Jasmine could maintain her noble ideals.

But no matter how much she regretted it, the money was already in Adele’s hands. She could only comfort herself: It’s fine.

Adele was the Blake family’s eldest daughter, after all. She wouldn’t be easily swayed by money. This was Oakham’s life savings, but to Adele, it was just three years’ worth of allowance. She put the bankbook aside, planning to have the liaison officer withdraw some of the money in a few days. Instead, she took out the jewels and cash from the chest and started organizing them.

Oakham must have treasured these items, as they were very clean. Although they inevitably carried a faint scent of Oakham’s blood, it was still tolerable to Adele.

After organizing everything, Adele began implementing her plans. First, she would reward the manor servants. Then, she would hire a professional construction team to improve the living conditions of the farm workers. The current few houses were definitely not enough.

While Adele was busy, Jasmine prepared black tea for her, this time with sugar cubes. Adele, having overused her brain writing her plan, was feeling hungry. This time, she didn’t ignore the tea but sipped it slowly. After making some progress with her plan, she remembered, “Jasmine, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? You haven’t eaten anything since last night. Aren’t you hungry?”

Jasmine wasn’t hungry, of course. With her physical constitution, she could probably go a month without eating or drinking. But the allure of food was too strong for a foodie like her. She nodded readily, “I’m hungry.”

Hearing Jasmine’s “honest” answer, Adele felt a bit embarrassed, “There have been so many things happening these past two days that you haven’t even had a proper meal.” She even cursed Oakham, who was now nothing but ashes, “It’s all that damn Oakham’s fault.” But to be precise, Oakham wasn’t the main reason. It was Adele.

Last night was one thing, but the reason Jasmine hadn’t eaten during the day was that they were sharing a room. If she had moved around, Adele would have woken up, and it would have been awkward if another misunderstanding like the shower incident occurred. And tonight, Adele had been dragging her around everywhere, so Jasmine hadn’t had time to eat.

But judging from Adele’s tone, she was probably about to tell her to go eat, and then she would be able to enjoy a delicious meal.

The thought of finally getting to eat lifted Jasmine’s mood considerably. Her entire aura seemed brighter. However, to her surprise, Adele said, “Then go eat, Jasmine. I’ve finished writing for now. I’ll go with you.”

Wait… she was going to eat in the servants’ dining hall. Why did Adele want to go with her? If Adele went with her, the other humans in the dining hall would probably lose their appetites. It would be awkward for her to be the only one enjoying a hearty meal while everyone else stared at them.

But Adele’s mind was made up. In the end, Jasmine had no choice but to take Adele with her to the servants’ dining hall.

Chapter 55: One Cup

“Eating hours will be as follows: breakfast from 8:00 to 9:00 am, lunch at 11:30 am, and dinner after work. We’ll assign dedicated personnel to handle everyone’s meals.” Adele continued explaining the contents of her plan, pausing midway to see if the supervisors had any opinions. However, everyone looked utterly bewildered and astonished.

Especially regarding the working hours. They thought they had misheard, “Did you say… from nine in the morning to five in the afternoon?!” Under vampire rule, humans had to work the same hours as vampires. Vampires rested during the day and were active at night. How could humans be any different?!

Adele didn’t realize this, assuming they hadn’t heard clearly, “Yes, from nine in the morning to five in the afternoon. This is the designated working hours for most of the staff. But there will be adjustments based on specific tasks. For example, the kitchen staff will obviously have different hours, otherwise, they wouldn’t have time to prepare the meals.”

“Additionally, we need to establish a small defense team, selecting ten men from among the human males on a rotating basis. They will operate in three shifts, with monthly rotations. Spark Farm didn’t have a defense team before, which is absurd. If otherworldly beings attacked, there would be no way to resist them. Although the defense team might not be able to defeat otherworldly beings, they can serve as a warning system, alerting us to danger and sending someone to the nearest vampire administrative office for help.”

After explaining her ideas, Adele saw that the supervisors still didn’t seem inclined to speak, so she asked, “Those are my current plans. Do you have any opinions or suggestions?”

Only then did the supervisors come to their senses. They all shook their heads. Being able to work during the day and only for eight hours a day was something they could only dream of. How could they possibly object?

Besides, even if they did have any objections, they wouldn’t dare to voice them. What if they said something wrong and angered the vampire before them?

Seeing that the supervisors had no opinions, Adele frowned, making them flinch. She sighed, realizing that it was pointless to expect them to speak up. She could only sit there patiently and continue.

“For now, I won’t be replacing any supervisors. You will remain responsible for your assigned tasks and report to me. As you can see, I’m a vampire. Although I have arranged for the general staff to work during the day, you will need to work at night when I need your reports. In return, you will receive better treatment than the other workers.”

She paused again, waiting for their response. But all they could muster was, “Yes, ma’am.” They had been oppressed and enslaved by Oakham for so long that they seemed less like humans and more like machines. Adele couldn’t understand why they were like this.

After explaining everything, silence fell over the room. After a while, the steward led all the farm workers to the assembled platform. Adele stood up, and the supervisors followed her. She repeated some of what she had just told them to the other workers.

But these workers were even more numb than the supervisors. They simply looked up at Adele with lifeless eyes, seemingly not hearing a word she said. Adele frowned and repeated herself, but their response remained the same. She could only sigh and tell them to go back to their rooms and rest. They would start working again tomorrow morning, led by their supervisors.

After the workers left, Adele assigned the most important tasks for the near future: cleaning and building new houses. Farming and livestock management were pushed back. After giving her instructions, Adele asserted her authority as a vampire, warning them, “If you do well, I will reward you. If you do poorly, you will be punished.”

Seeing that the supervisors didn’t object, Adele nodded in satisfaction and left with Jasmine, Bella, and the steward.

Back at the manor, she summoned Bella and the steward again and informed them of the new working hours, instructing them to make the necessary arrangements. Adele wasn’t the type to micromanage. Since she had a steward and a head maid, she wouldn’t do everything herself. If they couldn’t handle it, she would replace them.

After Bella and the steward left, Adele felt deflated. Jasmine brewed a cup of black tea for her, but Adele was in no mood to savor it. She practically collapsed onto the sofa, abandoning her usual ladylike demeanor. With a hint of dejection, she asked Jasmine, “Am I doing a terrible job? They didn’t react at all when I explained the new rules. Am I really not suited to manage a farm?”

Jasmine noticed that Adele hadn’t even touched her tea. It sat untouched on the table, the sugar bowl beside it. She hadn’t even added any sugar cubes. Jasmine picked up the teacup and started drinking it herself. Adele, who had been wallowing in self-pity, was stunned.

Her gaze was so intense that Jasmine paused. Her first thought was: Could it be that the tea is poisoned, and that’s why Adele isn’t drinking it?

Then she thought, with her physical constitution and control over her body, even if it was poisoned, it wouldn’t affect her. And even if she did get poisoned, she could expel the toxins herself. Besides, she had brewed the tea herself. How could anyone possibly poison it without her noticing?

Jasmine calmly took another sip and saw Adele’s face flushing rapidly, “That! That’s my cup!”

“…” Jasmine understood what Adele was thinking. She replied softly, “I already washed it, and you haven’t touched it.”

Adele still looked like she was about to explode. Jasmine timely reminded her, “Miss, ladylike behavior,” causing Adele to suppress her urge to yell and straighten up from her slumped posture on the sofa.

She sat properly, her face still flushed. Adele looked at Jasmine for a long time, hesitant to speak. Finally, she couldn’t help but say, “You… even if you like me, you can’t use my cup… that’s… that’s…”

—Is she going to say “indirect kissing”?

Under Jasmine’s cold gaze, Adele didn’t continue. Instead, she stopped, covering her face in embarrassment. Jasmine sometimes wondered where Adele got these romantic notions. She had never taught her such things, and Adele wouldn’t have learned them from her private tutors or at school.

While cleaning Adele’s room, Jasmine had never seen any romance novels. So, she found it strange where Adele had learned these words. Perhaps it was a teenage girl’s secret talent to hide romance novels from their parents, but it was a bit much to hide them from her “peer” as well.

Jasmine finished the tea and then changed the subject, “Speaking of which, Miss, do you want to take a walk around the manor? With all the commotion yesterday, we haven’t had a chance to explore it properly.”

Adele’s attention was indeed diverted, but she wasn’t particularly interested in exploring the manor. She still felt that the place reeked of blood, making her uncomfortable. Jasmine, sensing her thoughts, continued before she could refuse, “Bella and the others have already cleaned the entire manor. They’ve also placed fresh flowers and sprayed perfume everywhere. Why don’t you go and inspect their work?”

Hearing this, Adele’s eyes lit up, but she still replied reservedly, “In that case, I suppose I’ll inspect their work.”

Adele got up from the sofa, her previous dejection gone. Jasmine stopped drinking tea and followed behind her as they left the room. Adele’s room was located in the southeast corner of the manor. It was well-ventilated, but because it was on a higher floor, it felt like the kind of room assigned to an unfavored daughter in a large family.

It took them quite a while to reach the ground floor. Adele, full of enthusiasm, didn’t seem to have considered this. But thinking about it from this perspective, Oakham probably didn’t want Adele to come, so he had resorted to these petty tricks.

It made sense. If it weren’t for Adele, he wouldn’t be dead. If Adele hadn’t come, he could have continued to be the tyrannical ruler of Oakham Manor. But with Adele’s arrival, he had to step down from his position and become a mere tool to assist her until she finished her internship.

This was unacceptable to Oakham. Being demoted from an emperor to a chancellor was something no power-hungry person would be happy about. But the difference in their status meant that Oakham couldn’t even utter a word of protest. He had to welcome Adele with a smile and couldn’t show any disrespect.

But he was still resentful, which was why he had arranged this seemingly decent but actually flawed accommodation for Adele.

Now, Oakham was nothing but ashes. Jasmine wondered if he was cursing Adele in the underworld.

She followed behind Adele, her thoughts a bit wicked.

Adele led Jasmine down to the main building on the ground floor. She cautiously sniffed the air and found that the smell had indeed dissipated considerably, masked by perfume and fresh flowers. She breathed a sigh of relief, “I thought I would be stuck up there like Rapunzel. Although there’s still a slight smell, it’s bearable.”

Jasmine seized the opportunity to take credit for Bella and the others, “This is all thanks to Bella and the others. I heard they didn’t even sleep during the day, working hard to clean the manor for you, Miss.”

Adele nodded, clearly pleased, “Such dedicated servants deserve to be rewarded.”

Chapter 54: Nine to Five

“Work under the sun?”

Adele raised her hand, the end of the pencil resting against her lips. She clearly didn’t understand. As a vampire who was inherently averse to sunlight, Adele naturally assumed that no creature would enjoy working under the sun.

There were so many otherworldly beings in this world. Not just vampires, but also werewolves, medusas, liches, gargoyles, and other such creatures, all of whom preferred to be active at night rather than during the day. So, Adele found it hard to comprehend. She even thought that humans were also nocturnal creatures.

It was just that unlike vampires, they weren’t killed by the sun, similar to werewolves and other such beings.

“Do humans actually like sunlight?”

Adele murmured. After receiving Jasmine’s confirmation, she made a mental note of it.

Of course, humans loved daytime, and sunlight was very beneficial to them. If you were feeling down, just bask in the sun. The warm rays would dispel the coldness and bring warmth to your heart. If you had osteoporosis or were in poor health, just bask in the sun. In short, sunlight was like a panacea. Basking in the sun was good for your health.

Conversely, if you stayed in dark corners all day, avoiding the sun, you would eventually get sick.

After learning this, Adele immediately added it to her notebook. She didn’t even consider what she would do when she needed to inspect the farm if the humans’ working hours were shifted to daytime.

In Adele’s mind, those were minor details. Although she couldn’t go out during the day, she could have the supervisors report to her at night. She wasn’t embarrassed by this, because in her plan, the supervisors would receive better treatment, so sacrificing some of their time was understandable.

Only one question bothered Adele, “But what about the manor? I’m only active at night. If the servants all work during the day and sleep at night, who will serve me?” As a noble, although she had compassion for the weak, she still believed that a noble needed servants to attend to her.

This, too, was easily solved.

“Miss Adele, you don’t actually need much help on a daily basis. To be precise, I’ve been the only one taking care of you. I can adjust my schedule to match yours. You don’t have to worry about that. I understand that as a noble, you need more servants around you, but in reality, you don’t use that many. For this, we can arrange a three-shift system.”

Adele blushed when Jasmine said, “I’ve been the only one taking care of you.” She thought about it, and it was true. Basically, only Jasmine was always by her side. At school, it went without saying. The school only allowed students to bring one attendant, and she had only brought Jasmine.

Even at the castle, Adele didn’t need that many servants. She was mostly looking for Jasmine anyway.

After recovering from her momentary embarrassment, she became very curious about the “three-shift system” Jasmine had proposed.

“What is a three-shift system?”

Jasmine explained simply, “It’s a rotating shift system with day, evening, and night shifts.” With this arrangement, there would always be servants working at the manor, regardless of the time. Although there would only be one-third of the staff on duty at any given time, and even fewer after accounting for those on break, it would be enough in practice.

Adele felt that Jasmine’s proposal was excellent. After thinking about it, she nodded, “I think this plan is feasible. I’ll refine it further and discuss it with the manor servants after returning from the farm.”

While they were talking, the steward had prepared the carriage, and Bella came to inform Adele that they were ready to depart.

Adele left with Jasmine, and the three of them, including Bella, got into the carriage. The steward sat in front, driving the carriage. The farm wasn’t far from the manor. After traveling on the relatively smooth road for about twenty minutes, they could see the farmland. After another fifteen minutes on the road through the fields, they reached the area where the human farm workers lived.

As they entered the farmland, Adele saw humans working in the fields through the carriage window. They were bent over, tending to the crops. Seeing the carriage passing by, they stopped their work and bowed deeply.

Oakham must have really enjoyed seeing others bow before him. Otherwise, these humans wouldn’t have done such a thing. They probably wished they could be invisible to him.

Besides those working in the fields, there were also people tending to the livestock. Each person looked different, but they all had one thing in common: they were all thin, their eyes dull and lifeless.

The carriage arrived at the center of the farm, where the human workers lived. The houses were lined up in rows, resembling shipping containers. The living conditions for humans at Spark Farm were even worse than in other places. Jasmine had been to many farms. The one near the school, for example, was much better than Spark Farm. Yuan Hang, a member of the outpost, even had his own small house.

But here, there were over a hundred and twenty humans, yet only about twenty small, box-like houses. This meant that at least six people had to share each house.

However, there was one house that was grand and luxurious, built in the same style as Oakham’s manor. The steward explained that this was Oakham’s office. Jasmine sighed. No wonder it looked so extravagant. It was definitely built by Oakham for himself.

Adele wrinkled her nose. She had been feeling uncomfortable ever since they arrived at the farm. The smell was simply unbearable. Not only was there the stench of animal manure, but the human workers also reeked. Jasmine timely reminded her, “People get sick if the environment is too dirty and unsanitary.”

Adele was alarmed. She told Jasmine to stay in the carriage and even wanted the steward to take her back to the manor. But Jasmine disobeyed and jumped off the carriage, following Adele. Adele had no choice but to decide to finish their business quickly and then leave. She couldn’t let Jasmine get sick.

She also thought that they had to improve the environment. Otherwise, not only would the humans get sick, but Jasmine, who often accompanied her, might also be infected.

With this thought in mind, Adele didn’t even bother going to Oakham’s office. She could already imagine the strong smell of blood inside. She asked the steward to set up a platform at the farm and summon the supervisors first, then call for the other farm workers later.

The steward was efficient. He quickly set up a platform and even brought over several new chairs that didn’t smell. Soon after Adele sat down, the farm supervisors arrived. To be honest, although they were called supervisors, their mental and physical conditions seemed no different from those of the ordinary workers.

Adele, sitting in her chair, told the people before her to sit down as well. They looked apprehensive and even trembled when they heard Adele’s words. Adele was a typical vampire in appearance: silver hair, crimson eyes, pointed ears, and an exceptionally beautiful face, all clear signs of her vampiric nature.

The humans working on the farm couldn’t tell the difference between low-ranking vampires and nobles, but they knew that both the farm manager and the young lady before them were fearsome vampires. Now that Adele was asking them to sit down, they not only didn’t dare to move, but they were also afraid that the moment they sat down, this monster would chop off their heads.

It was Bella who spoke up, “Sit down. Miss Blake will be displeased if you don’t.”

Only then did the supervisors cautiously sit down. Although Adele felt that this forceful approach wasn’t ideal, since they had all obediently sat down, she wouldn’t criticize them.

She first confirmed the information the steward had reported to her with the supervisors, getting their confirmation and correcting some minor details. Then, satisfied, she nodded.

Adele got straight to the point, telling the supervisors her identity, “My name is Adele Blake. You can address me as Miss Blake, just like Bella. I will be managing the farm for the foreseeable future. The former manager, Mr. Oakham, has been sentenced to death for violating vampire regulations. If you feel that I’m doing anything wrong, you can appeal to the Council of Elders.”

They were already shocked to hear that Oakham had been sentenced to death. And then she said they could appeal to the Council of Elders if they felt she was doing something wrong… They wouldn’t dare! Oakham, that terrifying monster, had been killed by this woman before them. How could they possibly resist her?

They could only tremble and lower their heads. Even saying “We wouldn’t dare” was something they wouldn’t dare to do.

Adele didn’t care whether they would actually appeal to the Council of Elders. She continued, “Also, I have changed the name of the farm from ‘Oakham Farm’ to ‘Spark Farm.’”

Since the former manager was dead, whether the farm’s name was changed or not didn’t really matter to these humans. This time, they nodded, indicating that they understood and were listening to Adele.

After finishing with the formalities, Adele got down to business, “Based on my understanding, Oakham’s previous management system was flawed and inefficient, with unclear division of labor. So, I will be changing his management system.”

Hearing something directly related to their lives, the supervisors perked up, afraid of missing any information and also fearing harsher treatment. But as Adele spoke, they felt that either their ears were deceiving them, or this vampire was crazy.

Listen to what she was saying:

“Sixteen-hour workdays are too long. You can’t possibly get proper rest with such a schedule. I’m changing it to eight hours. You will start work at 9:00 am and finish at 5:00 pm. You will also have two days off each week.”

Chapter 53: A Good Job

She was truly easily swayed by Jasmine’s diversions. Adele belatedly realized this.

After appointing Bella as the new head maid, she led Bella and the steward to the drawing-room in her suite. Jasmine, being efficient as always, had almost finished cleaning.

She seemed to be airing clothes in her room now.

Adele shifted her focus, trying not to think about Jasmine. Instead, she turned to the two people before her, “I’ll be heading to the farm soon to assess the situation. As my companions, I’ll need your help, as I’m not very familiar with Oakham Farm.”

Adele’s tone was polite, unlike their previous master, Oakham, which made the two feel a little flattered. The steward quickly replied, “You’re too kind, Miss. It’s our duty…”

“Just give us your orders, and we will do our best to assist you,” Bella said sincerely. If it weren’t for Adele, she would still be under Oakham’s tyranny.

Adele was pleased with their cooperation. She nodded and then voiced the thought she had in the bathroom, “However, I find the name ‘Oakham Farm’ truly awful. Oakham has been sentenced to death, so it’s inappropriate to continue using his name. I suggest we rename it ‘Jasmine…’”

“Please don’t do that.”

Jasmine interrupted Adele. Initially, she hadn’t planned on joining them, as she could hear their conversation clearly from her room. But then she realized that with Adele’s personality, even a passing whim could become reality if she set her mind to it.

As soon as she heard “the name is awful,” Jasmine had rushed out, arriving just in time to interrupt Adele before she finished her sentence. However, Adele was indignant. She even ignored Jasmine’s interruption and continued, “Isn’t ‘Jasmine Farm’ a lovely name? Much better than ‘Oakham Farm’!”

It might be a lovely name, but it was too embarrassing. Hearing it made Jasmine want to dig a hole and bury herself in it.

The problem was, with her cheat abilities, she could probably dig a hole big enough to be a basement. Her toes were that powerful.

Their exchange made Bella and the steward realize that the Blake young lady’s maid was named Jasmine. They also understood how important and favored Jasmine was in Adele’s heart. Why else would she want to name the farm after her?

Seeing Adele’s righteous indignation, Jasmine calmed down. She remembered Adele’s personality. She was a tsundere, a stubborn one at that. If Jasmine outright refused and went against her, Adele might get even more determined to name it “Jasmine Farm.”

With a tsundere young lady like this, one had to go with the flow, not against it.

Jasmine thought for a moment before speaking, “But Miss, we won’t be staying here forever, and this won’t be the last farm you manage. If we name it ‘Jasmine Farm,’ what will we name the other farms in the future? Besides, naming it after me and then leaving it in such a remote area… Miss, do you hate me?”

Jasmine, who always had a poker face, now showed a hint of sadness and grievance. To Bella and the steward, it seemed a bit exaggerated, too superficial. But it was very effective against Adele. She exclaimed, “Ah!” and quickly explained, “I don’t hate you! I just thought naming the farm ‘Jasmine’ would be nice.”

“But you’re right. Then, if we encounter other farms later, we’ll call them ‘Jasmine Farm No. 2,’ ‘Jasmine Farm No. 3,’ and so on.”

—Please spare me. Don’t do that.

Considering the Blake family’s assets, Adele would probably inherit hundreds of farms in the future. If there were places with strange names like “Jasmine Farm No. 108,” Jasmine would really abandon her identity out of shame.

She sighed, “Miss, in that case, why don’t you let me choose the name?”

Adele pouted. She still wanted to name it “Jasmine Farm,” but seeing how unhappy Jasmine was just now, would she be upset again if she insisted? She could only suppress her desire and decided to wait until they encountered a nice farm in the future to name it “Jasmine Farm.”

“Then tell me what you have in mind.” Although she had decided to give in to Jasmine, as a tsundere, Adele still spoke haughtily, as if she would reject Jasmine’s suggestion if she wasn’t satisfied.

Many names flashed through Jasmine’s mind. Finally, she said, “Let’s call it ‘Spark Farm.’”

“Is there any special meaning behind it?”

Of course, there was. A single spark can start a prairie fire.

But it was better not to tell Adele such a revolutionary meaning. So, Jasmine just shook her head and said softly, “No, not really.”

Adele made a noncommittal sound. She didn’t seem particularly satisfied but still agreed to Jasmine’s suggestion, “Alright, since you like this name, let’s call it that.” It was just a farm name. In the future, she would have Jasmine Farm No. 1, Jasmine Farm No. 2, Jasmine Farm No. 3…

But in her heart, this farm would always be “Jasmine Farm No. 1.”

After settling the name, Jasmine asked the steward about Spark Farm’s situation. As a remote farm, it didn’t have a large population. “There are a total of 123 people on the farm, including 75 men and 48 women. The farm engages in both agriculture and livestock farming. Currently, there are five oxen, ten pigs, thirty sheep, and a number of chickens and ducks.”

The steward reported the figures to Adele, who jotted them down on a piece of paper. Although vampires had excellent memories, Adele still felt that writing it down would be clearer. Based on the farm’s situation, Adele asked a few more questions, such as working hours and treatment.

The school had taught them that humans could only provide high-quality blood when they were healthy. But the information the steward reported made Oakham’s previous claim of “always providing high-quality blood” seem dubious.

The steward told Adele that the humans on the farm worked an average of sixteen hours a day, excluding meal times. He also informed her of the farm workers’ food rations, which consisted mainly of vegetables and almost no meat.

Adele frowned, “This won’t do. They can’t possibly provide high-quality blood under these conditions. Was Oakham lying?”

The steward remained silent, but Bella spoke up, “There is indeed high-quality blood, but it’s not from humans. While the farm workers are subjected to intense labor, the livestock are well-cared for. Their blood quality is indeed much better.”

Adele couldn’t help but comment, “This is absurd.”

Jasmine agreed. But from a vampire’s perspective, it didn’t seem to matter. After all, in their eyes, was there any difference between humans and livestock? They were all just lambs waiting to be slaughtered. At most, humans were slightly more useful, as their blood was palatable, and they could help manage the other livestock.

After understanding Spark Farm’s current management practices, Adele asked the steward to prepare the carriage. She wanted to visit the farm. The steward left to make arrangements, and Adele began studying how to manage the farm, pen and paper in hand.

What they had learned at school was all theoretical and not applicable to the current situation. Adele was facing a nightmare scenario. She had to take over a farm that seemed to be doing well on paper but was actually a mess. And unlike other vampires, she wasn’t the type to prioritize efficiency at the expense of mistreating humans.

Jasmine stood behind Adele, watching her write down and revise numerous things in her notebook. The things Adele wrote seemed surreal to Jasmine, such as: eight-hour workdays, five-day workweeks, and two days off each week. There were also provisions for sick leave, paid leave, and other benefits.

It all seemed so familiar. A memory surfaced in Jasmine’s mind.

Adele had once asked her what she considered a good job. They were both only ten years old then. Without hesitation, Jasmine had described her previous life’s work culture: “First, working hours. The daily working hours must not exceed eight hours. Only with enough rest can I have the energy to face work. Also, there must be weekly breaks, at least two days off. But since the castle needs people every day, a rotating shift system is the best solution.”

Jasmine had also talked about social security, housing funds, and other benefits, but those were things she would never have in this world. In this world, forget about 9-to-5 jobs with weekends off. Even 996 work schedules* were considered a blessing. Here, it was 007* all the way. Not only 007, but even after death, their blood would be extracted. And resignation wasn’t even an option.

But Jasmine hadn’t expected that Adele would take her casual words to heart and, given the opportunity, seriously consider implementing them. Jasmine was stunned for a moment, then she heard Adele ask her, “Jasmine, what kind of job do you think is a good job for humans?”

Jasmine remained silent for a while. Adele looked up at her. From her perspective, Adele looked like an ordinary girl, full of innocence and kindness. Her brow was slightly furrowed as she asked, genuinely wanting to improve the lives of the farm workers.

Jasmine had to admit that Adele was different from other vampires, but she hadn’t expected her to empathize with humans to this extent. Jasmine opened her mouth, then closed it again. Facing Adele’s sincere and earnest gaze, she couldn’t bring herself to spout nonsense like she had when they were younger, treating Adele like a naive child.

She hesitated for a moment, then spoke her true feelings.

“If I had to say, it would be a job where they can work under the sun. To see the sun, to work during the day and rest at night.” She stopped trying to deceive Adele and told her what humans in this world desired the most.

***

T/N:

996 work schedules: The 996 working hour system is a work schedule practiced illegally by many companies in China. It derives its name from its requirement that employees work from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, 6 days per week; 72 hours per week, 12 hours per day.

007 : Work from 0am to 0pm 7 days per week, in other words, 24 hours a day.

Chapter 52: Changing the Subject

The problem was that Adele, for some reason, was still pretending to be asleep. Jasmine was a bit baffled, not knowing what to do. Should she expose Adele’s act or pretend not to notice and leave?

After considering her options, she decided that the latter was safer. She would let this awkwardness pass. After all, there would be countless similar situations in the future. Until they left the farm and finished their practical training for the semester, Jasmine would have to sneak into Adele’s room to shower.

Jasmine decided to pretend she hadn’t noticed Adele was awake and was about to leave the room. But Adele clearly wasn’t on the same wavelength. Just as Jasmine decided to leave, Adele threw off the covers and sat up in bed. Her crimson eyes were striking in the darkness. She ignited a small flame at her fingertips, illuminating the room.

—There’s no escape now.

Jasmine realized this.

Adele finally got a clear look at Jasmine. In her memory, Jasmine always wore a neat and proper maid uniform. She had never seen her like this before.

Jasmine, having just showered, was wearing a thin nightgown that clung to her delicate frame, making her look particularly endearing.

Her slightly curly, shoulder-length hair was now straighter and seemingly longer after being washed and dampened. It hung down to her shoulders, making her look even more innocent than usual. The flickering firelight danced in her eyes, making them resemble those of a fawn.

Adele was so stunned that the flame in her hand extinguished. She stammered, “Y-you… you…” She pointed at Jasmine, her face flushing pink.

“Why are you dressed like this in my room while I’m sleeping?!”

“…”

Seriously? You knew when I came in, and you listened to my entire shower. Miss, you clearly know that I was properly dressed when I arrived. But Adele’s implication was that Jasmine had deliberately come to seduce her.

Well, in the young miss’s mind, Jasmine liked her, so it wasn’t entirely illogical that she would try to seduce Adele early in the morning.

“Let me explain.” Jasmine had barely uttered these words when Adele covered her eyes, as if to avoid seeing something indecent.

But the thing was, there was nothing indecent about Jasmine’s attire.

She was wearing a white camisole nightgown. It sounded alluring, but Jasmine’s chest was really not big. If categorized by her previous life’s standards, she would be a B-cup, barely able to fit into an A-cup bra. This was the reason her plan to become a busty, cool, and mature woman had failed. So, even if she didn’t want to admit it, Jasmine had to face reality. Her figure was simply the innocent type.

Adele, on the other hand, was… well-endowed. In a couple of years, when her face matured, she would definitely become the mature woman Jasmine envisioned. And she was also only wearing a lacy camisole nightgown. In the dim light, Jasmine could even see the outline of her cleavage. In this situation, she should be covering her chest, not her eyes.

“No need to explain!” Adele was lost in her own thoughts, refusing to listen to Jasmine. “Even… even if you do this, nothing will happen between us! Besides, besides, we’ve only just come of age. What you’re doing is wrong!”

Her words weren’t wrong, but they sounded strange.

Jasmine didn’t want to give Adele the opportunity to spout nonsense, so she said directly, “There’s no bathroom in my room, so I had to come to yours to shower. If you don’t want me to shower here, then I’ll have to use another maid’s bathroom. Or… maybe after Oakham’s room is cleaned up, I can use his?”

How could Adele allow such a thing? She considered Jasmine her possession. She had even taken the little girl out of Jasmine’s arms because she couldn’t stand seeing someone else touch her. So, how could she possibly let Jasmine shower in someone else’s bathroom? If that happened, wouldn’t it mean that someone else would hear Jasmine showering and see her walking out in her

“No way!” Adele rejected Jasmine’s suggestion without hesitation. She lowered her hand from her eyes, looking conflicted. “Fine, you can seduce me.”

—Once again, she, Jasmine, Lady Dawn, was not seducing anyone!

Before Jasmine could protest, she heard Adele’s voice, barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz, “Only someone as noble as me can resist temptation. If anyone else were in my position, Jasmine would have nowhere to cry if something happened.”

Jasmine was speechless. She decided to bring a robe next time she came to shower, so Adele wouldn’t see her bare shoulders. She thanked Adele for letting her use the bathroom and then quickly left. After she was gone, Adele realized that she had been tricked by Jasmine.

Adele felt annoyed. Jasmine was truly a cunning person, easily changing the subject. She sat on the bed, wanting to roll around, but she desperately suppressed her unladylike urge. Then she thought of how Jasmine had looked just now.

Vampires had excellent night vision, no different from daytime vision. She had seen Jasmine clearly. Jasmine’s skin wasn’t as fair as hers, with a yellowish tone like that of other ethnicities, but Adele found it pleasing to the eye.

Especially since Jasmine had just showered, her body still slightly damp, her face flushed and rosy, like a freshly peeled egg. Adele had never eaten an egg, but she had seen Jasmine eat them, and the egg white looked just like that after being peeled.

Adele finally came to a conclusion: Jasmine was trying to seduce her!

This thought kept Adele awake. She tossed and turned in bed for a long time before finally falling asleep. When she woke up again, it was already dark. She heard the sound of Jasmine boiling water in the living room. Adele, sleep-deprived, yawned and got out of bed.

She changed her clothes, taking off her nightgown and putting on a black dress. She styled her hair and tied it with a ribbon. It wasn’t a complicated hairstyle, something Adele could do herself. Among vampire young ladies, she was definitely the most independent.

As she stepped out of her room, she saw that Jasmine had already brewed tea, adding several sugar cubes made from artificial blood. Adele sat on the sofa, and Jasmine placed the teacup before her. Adele picked up the cup, holding it gracefully, and gently blew on the reddish-brown liquid. The refreshing aroma of tea filled her nostrils.

It smelled wonderful. The black tea provided by the Blake family was of excellent quality, and Jasmine was skilled at brewing it. Combined with the tasteless artificial blood sugar cubes, this cup of tea was Adele’s favorite drink.

She took a sip, the sweetness and tea flavor filling her mouth. The artificial blood also provided her with the energy vampires needed. Although the energy wasn’t pure and the amount wasn’t large, it was still a good supplement for Adele, who was chronically lacking blood.

Thinking of this, Adele couldn’t help but look at Jasmine as she sipped her tea. Speaking of good supplements, Jasmine’s blood was the best.

After the incident with the doctor, although Adele had been unconscious, the feeling of satiety she had felt upon waking up was real. Her stomach had been full for several days, and she hadn’t even needed to consume artificial blood.

If only she could drink Jasmine’s blood again…

Adele put down her teacup and asked Jasmine, “Jasmine, can I drink your blood?”

The maid turned to look at her, her expression impassive. She calmly rejected Adele, “No.”

Although she had expected Jasmine to refuse, Adele still couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Her expression even showed a hint of feigned sadness, “Why not? Why can’t I? I was so uncomfortable yesterday, and I still can’t have any today…”

“Speaking of which, the manor servants seem to be waiting for you, Miss. They’re a bit lost without their master.” Hearing this, Adele realized that she had work to do. She quickly finished her tea, accidentally burning her tongue in the process.

She stuck out her tongue and fanned it with her hand, then quickly got up and headed to the hall to meet the servants. Jasmine didn’t follow her because she still had to clean Adele’s room. Adele actually wanted to take Jasmine with her, but that would mean entrusting her clothes and room to someone else.

Adele thought about it. Between having someone else touch her belongings and temporarily being apart from Jasmine, she could only choose the latter.

“Jasmine, come over quickly after you’re done.”

“I understand, Miss.”

Adele hurried off, wrinkling her nose, trying to locate the servants. She had braced herself for the stench of blood, but to her surprise, the smell in the manor had lessened considerably, becoming barely tolerable.

Adele was surprised. When she reached the hall, she saw the manor servants standing in neat rows, bowing in unison as she approached. Adele raised her hand, stopping them, “There’s no need to bow every time you see me. Just a nod will suffice. Wasting so much time bowing is inefficient.”

She walked up the stairs, stood before the servants, and looked at Bella. Before she could speak, Bella started reporting what had happened during the day and presented the cloth containing the ashes, “Miss Blake, these are Oakham’s ashes.”

No matter what they were like in life, whether low-ranking or noble, all vampires turned into the same ashes after death. Like… the grayish-black residue left after burning paper. Adele examined the ashes and nodded, then appointed Bella as the new head maid. To establish Bella’s authority, she even emphasized, “If anyone objects, speak now.”

The servants all lowered their heads, remaining silent.

Adele nodded in satisfaction. For some reason, she suddenly thought: Had she been tricked by Jasmine again back in the room?

Chapter 51: As If They Could Live

It was a harsh reality. No farmer would keep old livestock. They would either slaughter them in their prime or, if they had a conscience, simply abandon them. For farm managers, all that mattered was squeezing every last drop of value from the humans on their farms.

Hearing Jasmine’s words, everyone lowered their heads. They all knew she was telling the truth.

If they escaped, they might have a chance to live. But if they continued to be oppressed by vampires, they would surely die.

They weren’t necessarily unaware of these truths, but they had buried them deep down, subconsciously ignoring them. Under vampire rule, they at least had shelter, food, and protection. But if they escaped, they would have to face a harsh environment and the threat of otherworldly beings. These were things they didn’t want to think about.

But now that Jasmine had shattered their illusions, they realized that even if vampires provided them with a safe environment, they wouldn’t live long anyway.

Bella took a deep breath and was the first to agree with Jasmine, “I agree with you. I’m going to kill him now, take him outside, and let him bask in the sun.” Bella tightened her grip on the rope and continued to struggle, trying to drag Oakham outside. But this time, someone stepped forward to help her. It was the maid who had tried to stop Bella the night before.

She walked over and grabbed the rope as well.

“I’ll help you. I want to kill him too. I’ll never forget how my sister died under his fangs.” She clenched her hand and, together with Bella, started dragging the “dead pig” outside. Following her lead, two or three more maids stepped forward. Perhaps they also thought of their loved ones who had died tragically at Oakham’s hands.

Now that the opportunity was right before them, why would they give up on revenge?

With the first, the second, and the third, more people joined in. It was like a flame ignited on a desolate prairie, spreading with unstoppable force. Soon, all of Oakham’s servants were working together, dragging him outside. Someone even did the same thing as Jasmine, kicking the “dead pig” with their foot.

They used much more force than Jasmine, and the “dead pig” twitched.

With everyone working together, they easily dragged Oakham outside. As Adele had ordered the night before, they found a tree facing the rising sun and tied him to it. The sky was already turning a pale gray, but the sun hadn’t risen yet. The light hadn’t reached the ground, so Oakham could still cling to life for a while longer.

Humans didn’t have good night vision. Someone lit a torch, and then one by one, more torches were raised. The crackling sound of fire filled the air, but the people remained silent, watching the scene before them. If possible, Jasmine even wanted to drag Oakham to the farm and let all the farm workers witness his demise, to shatter their belief in the invincibility of vampires.

But she decided to take it one step at a time. There was no rush.

The light from the torches was stronger than the sunlight, but gradually, the sun rose, casting its rays on Oakham. He let out a piercing scream. Flames erupted from his body, and he writhed as if engulfed in fire. But no matter how much he struggled, no one pitied him, let alone tried to untie him from the tree.

Under the scorching sun, he was reduced to ashes. The expressions on everyone’s faces were complex. Jasmine saw relief, vengeance, and even tears of joy. The heavy burden on their hearts had been lifted, and from this day forward, a flame of hope would burn within them.

After Oakham was completely incinerated, Bella took a piece of cloth and carefully collected the ashes. She turned to Jasmine, “I’ll deliver the ashes to Miss Blake tonight. What should we do now?”

Jasmine remembered Adele’s mutterings in the bathroom. She was disgusted by the smell of this manor, and so was Jasmine. So, she said, “Clean the manor thoroughly. Open the curtains and windows to air it out. Throw away or burn all of Oakham’s useless belongings. Give the manor a fresh start.”

Bella nodded and led the other servants back to the manor, starting their work. Bella’s eyes were no longer filled with despair and death, but with hope. She was the brightest spark in the manor, and as long as she was alive, she would ignite others as well.

Jasmine stood by the tree for a while. Vampires were probably the most cursed creatures in this world. After Oakham’s death, nothing remained except a pile of ashes. Even the tree showed no signs of being burned.

When she returned to the manor, Bella was already enthusiastically leading everyone in cleaning. Seeing Jasmine, she approached her and asked, “What kind of blood does your master, Miss Blake, prefer? Sheep blood, cow blood, or chicken blood? The quality of our livestock is excellent. She can try some.”

Bella had keenly noticed that Adele didn’t like to drink human blood. But in reality… she didn’t like to drink any kind of blood. Jasmine hesitated for a moment before telling her, “Don’t bother preparing any. She… doesn’t drink those things.”

Bella thought of something terrible and looked at Jasmine with pity, “Have… have you been mistreated?” She couldn’t believe that Jasmine, who had just inspired everyone, was being abused in private. But Jasmine shook her head. To convince the doubtful Bella, she even pulled down her collar and sleeves, showing her that there wasn’t a single bite mark on her body.

“She’s a bit special. She doesn’t like to drink blood. But she does drink artificial blood.”

“I’ve heard of artificial blood. Oakham bought some before, but he found it unpalatable and threw it away after a single sip.”

—As expected of a corrupt official, wasting such expensive artificial blood.

Jasmine made a mental note, then said to Bella, “Anyway, just prepare some human food for me. You said the quality of your produce is excellent, so I’m looking forward to it.” Bella smiled, a genuine smile, unlike the doll-like smile she had worn before, “Okay, just wait and see!”

She nodded, then asked, “Aren’t you going to sleep? You haven’t rested since last night. Don’t you want to sleep for a while?”

Bella smiled and shook her head, “No, I’m feeling very energetic now. I feel like I have boundless energy. I want to move around more.”

Jasmine didn’t say anything else. She simply acknowledged Bella’s words and returned to her room. She had seen this kind of behavior before. Bella was simply too excited to feel sleepy. When the exhaustion caught up with her, she would naturally want to rest. Jasmine was careful not to make any noise as she returned to her room. After confirming that Adele was still asleep, she entered her own small room.

The room Adele had chosen for her was indeed well-located, facing the sun and with a small balcony. It was now fully daylight, and the sunlight streaming in made the room feel warm. Jasmine threw herself onto the bed and kicked off her shoes. No matter what, she was exhausted. She had spent half the night being jostled in a carriage, then been assaulted by the stench of blood upon arriving at the manor, and then all these things had happened.

Although her body wasn’t physically tired, she felt mentally drained. But she couldn’t sleep just yet. She needed to take a shower. After lazing in bed for a while, Jasmine reluctantly got up, only to realize, after grabbing her change of clothes, that since her room had been a study, it didn’t have its own private bathroom like the rooms at the school or the castle. The only bathroom in the entire suite was in Adele’s room.

This meant that if she wanted to take a shower, she had to go to Adele’s room.

Jasmine’s lips twitched. Although she could go outside and find another room to wash up, it would either be another maid’s room or one that Oakham had used. After considering her options, she decided to just use Adele’s bathroom. Carrying her clothes, she stealthily entered Adele’s room, then realized that as an ordinary human, it was impossible for her to move completely silently.

So, she had to resume her normal pace, making some noise when opening and closing the door. Jasmine clearly saw Adele’s pointed ears twitch. She must have been awakened by the subtle sounds but was pretending to be asleep, lying still in bed.

Jasmine knew that it was because Adele had smelled her scent. If it were anyone else, she would have already jumped up and attacked.

Holding her clothes, Jasmine opened the bathroom door and went in. She didn’t use the bathtub, just took a quick shower. Then, standing in front of the mirror, she dried her hair with the towel she had brought and left the bathroom.

As she walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, Jasmine saw that Adele had turned over. Unlike before, when she had been facing away from Jasmine, she was now facing her. Although it was daytime, the curtains in Adele’s room were tightly drawn, blocking out all sunlight. In such a dim environment, it was usually difficult to tell if Adele had moved. But Jasmine’s eyes were sharp and observant. She immediately noticed the difference.

This girl… could she be awake?

Jasmine, her body still slightly damp, wasn’t sure. She thought for a moment and decided to test Adele, “Miss Adele, are you awake?” She deliberately spoke softly. Adele didn’t respond, but Jasmine clearly heard her breathing hitch. This girl was definitely awake!

Thinking that Adele had been listening intently while she was showering, Jasmine felt a wave of embarrassment. Although she often sat outside while Adele was bathing, even listening to her entire shower earlier that morning, including her nonsensical talk about “Jasmine Farm,” it was different when the roles were reversed.

Being heard showering by Adele made Jasmine feel extremely uncomfortable.

Embarrassed, so embarrassed.

Chapter 50: Like They Could Live

Adele finished her bath and called Jasmine to help dry her hair. The young miss couldn’t dry her own hair; she was completely helpless without Jasmine. As usual, Jasmine sat on the chair beside the bed, letting Adele lie down. She wrapped a towel around Adele’s hair, making sure she was comfortable, and used another towel to meticulously dry every strand.

Adele wrinkled her nose, probably smelling the air. The scent of Jasmine and the shampoo from her bath filled her nostrils. No longer enveloped by the stench of blood, Adele relaxed, closing her eyes and letting Jasmine take care of her.

Halfway through drying, Adele seemed to remember something and suddenly said, “Jasmine, you mustn’t go watch the execution out of curiosity.”

“Why not?”

Adele replied righteously, “Because it’s too cruel. Oakham will definitely plead and curse before he dies. If you see it, you might have nightmares. So, don’t go.” In Adele’s mind, Jasmine was synonymous with weak, helpless, and pitiful.

For vampires, witnessing a sun gazing execution was a cruel experience. Adele had witnessed one with her parents when she was twelve. Because the execution took place during the day, her mother had carefully covered her from head to toe in a black dress, black gloves, and a hat with a black lace veil. They had to stay inside and watch from afar through the window. Once they confirmed that the vampire had turned to ashes, they immediately closed the curtains.

Even so, for twelve-year-old Adele, just watching from afar during the day had made her eyes ache terribly.

Her parents had stood beside her, sternly telling her, “Adele, vampires must never be exposed to sunlight. It’s the sun’s curse and the moon’s blessing upon us. But if a vampire commits an unforgivable crime, they will be punished with this ultimate punishment.” Adele had been somewhat confused but still nodded.

When she had sentenced Oakham, she hadn’t felt much. And as a subordinate, she should have witnessed the execution. But the smell in this manor was so overwhelming that she felt dizzy and couldn’t bear to stay outside during the day. So, she could only miss it.

But she remembered that under the sun gazing punishment, vampires would become terrifying. If Jasmine actually saw it, she would probably tremble with fear, not only unable to sleep well but also possibly falling ill. Humans were weak, and some might even develop a fever from fright. Adele didn’t want that to happen to Jasmine.

Jasmine agreed on the surface but didn’t take it to heart.

It wasn’t just witnessing. Jasmine had personally tied several vampires to stakes and watched them burn to ashes. And she had also decided that after Adele fell asleep, she would sneak out and see how Oakham died.

Jasmine finished drying Adele’s hair, and Adele started to feel drowsy. Jasmine estimated the time, figuring that the sun would be rising soon. Sunrise and sunset times varied in different regions, but vampires clearly preferred places with shorter days and longer nights. Oakham Farm, however, had longer days, which was why it was in a remote area.

After Adele fell asleep, Jasmine quietly slipped out of the room. She tiptoed like a cat, making no sound. Even opening and closing the door, she was careful not to wake Adele. Only after she was far from Adele’s room did she resume her normal pace.

The entire manor was silent, with only a faint murmur in the distance. Jasmine perked up her ears but couldn’t make out the sound clearly from so far away. She reluctantly unleashed her sense of smell. Instantly, various odors assaulted her nostrils, especially the strong stench of blood. Jasmine fought back the urge to faint and carefully sniffed, identifying the location of the humans before quickly shutting off her sense of smell.

No wonder Adele had been so irritable and uncomfortable since arriving at this manor. The smell was truly unbearable.

Jasmine walked towards the humans. She could sense that they were gathered together, which explained the silence in the manor. Upon reaching their location, she realized it was the hall they had passed through yesterday. Standing on the second-floor stairs, she saw Oakham, tied up like a dead pig, lying in the middle of the hall.

Bella was tightening the ropes, preparing to drag the “dead pig” outside to be exposed to the sun. Many people were gathered around, but they only watched from a distance, whispering among themselves. No one offered to help Bella. Jasmine sighed, knowing this would happen. Fortunately, at least no one was helping Oakham or trying to stop Bella.

If it were the previous head maid, she might have stepped in to do just that. Although she was human, her mind had been completely indoctrinated by vampires.

Of course, it could also be because the order had been given by another, more powerful vampire.

Jasmine watched for a while. Seeing Bella struggling to pull the rope, she finally spoke, “Are you all just going to stand there and watch?” Her voice made everyone look up at her. Jasmine, the maid who accompanied Adele, was now known to all of them. She slowly descended the stairs, her hand resting on the railing. Despite being a human, just like them, she exuded an air of elegance.

Seeing her coming down, everyone unconsciously made way, allowing Jasmine to approach the “dead pig.” After a night of wailing, Oakham had lost most of his strength due to blood loss. Jasmine nudged him lightly with her foot, and he twitched. She looked up at the surrounding crowd, her gaze making them take a step back.

“Are you just going to watch Bella drag him out alone?” Jasmine’s question made everyone lower their heads. She didn’t say anything else, just uttered two words softly, “Cowards.”

Those who wouldn’t dare to raise their voices in front of Adele or Oakham were suddenly emboldened before Jasmine. The man who had been singled out by Adele yesterday to execute Oakham stepped forward and shouted, “What did you say?!”

“I said you’re cowards.” Jasmine repeated nonchalantly. The two men were furious, but they only clenched their fists and gritted their teeth, not daring to do anything rash. The others also looked indignant. Jasmine, however, wasn’t angry. Instead, she thought: Not bad, at least they’re not so numb that they can’t even get angry.

She continued to fuel their rage, “What else are you if not cowards? The chance to resist is right before you, yet you hesitate, too afraid even to take revenge.” Jasmine’s persona wasn’t one to speak out of turn. She wasn’t Jasmine now, but Lady Dawn. She kept inciting them, stirring their emotions.

Under Jasmine’s eloquent speech, someone finally snapped, “Enough! We know it’s cowardly of us to not do anything to him even though he’s like this!” The man who had questioned Jasmine earlier stepped forward again, his fists clenched tightly. He couldn’t help but retort, “But… what’s the difference between your master and him?! Even if your master is different, a good master who treats us well, we all know she’s just a student here for training. When her training is over, she’ll leave, and another vampire will come. What if that vampire is even worse than Oakham? What will we do then?!”

Oh… those were their true feelings.

Jasmine wasn’t angry. Instead, she felt that the man had a point. She looked at the others and saw agreement on their faces. They had become accustomed to Oakham’s oppression and felt resigned to their fate. They were afraid of change. If the next manager was even worse than Oakham, how would they endure it?

Yes, all they had ever thought about was enduring.

Facing their righteous indignation, Jasmine said calmly, “Then kill him.”

Her words were so calm that everyone fell silent. Even Oakham, who was as good as dead, widened his eyes, looking at the woman who dared to utter such words. Jasmine didn’t care. She continued, “Are low-ranking vampires really that difficult to deal with?” She pointed at Oakham, “Haven’t you noticed that he’s actually quite easy to handle? How different is he from a human? He’s not like a high-ranking vampire. He’s just a low-ranking one, without strong healing abilities. After his hands were severed yesterday, he’s become like a helpless pig.”

“And you, can’t you even do something like that?” Her voice gradually rose, “If one person can’t do it, then a group of you can. If you can’t do it with your bare hands, then use a knife. If you can’t defeat him head-on, then poison him. If he dares to oppress you, fight back!”

Jasmine’s voice was powerful, and the people present were stirred by her words. Gradually, they realized that what she said was true. This low-ranking vampire… didn’t seem that difficult to deal with. It was just that for so long, he had seemed like a monster, immortal and blood-sucking. And because of his tyrannical rule, they hadn’t dared to resist.

But in reality, if they really wanted to deal with him, maybe… perhaps… it wasn’t that difficult?

But someone still voiced their concerns, “But what if we kill this low-ranking vampire, and they send a stronger one, as strong as your master? What will we do then?”

Hearing this, Jasmine felt a headache coming on. They were like sheep raised in captivity, too afraid to escape even when the gate was wide open. But it didn’t matter. It was her mission to bring them the spark of hope. She looked at the person who had asked the question with exasperation,

“Are you stupid? Can’t you run? After you kill the low-ranking vampire, just run away! This is a remote area. No vampire will come looking for you if you run far enough.”

“Huh?” The person hadn’t expected this answer and was stunned, “But… if we run away, how will we survive?”

Jasmine laughed, a mocking laugh, “You make it sound like you can survive under their rule.” After she said that, she saw everyone’s faces turn pale. Yes, they wouldn’t live long anyway.

Chapter 49: Sun Gazing

What the heck?!

At that moment, Jasmine really wanted to punch Oakham and send him flying. But she knew that she didn’t need to act now because Adele was there. Although she often thought that in a hundred or two hundred years, Adele might become no different from these other vampires, right now, Adele was different.

She had grown up under Jasmine’s influence and was a vampire who could empathize with humans.

Adele was furious. She looked at the little girl, who was only seven years old, her face full of innocence. When Oakham reached out to her, she even instinctively threw herself into his arms. She didn’t seem to have suffered any abuse. She was wearing a pretty dress and was well-groomed.

Oakham had raised her well. Her face was chubby, and her skin was rosy.

That was because… Oakham wanted to raise her to be beautiful and healthy, a prime blood bag to be presented to someone important like Adele, a gift to curry favor with higher-ranking vampires and pave the way for his own future.

The little girl buried her head in Oakham’s arms, his large belly separating them. He stroked her head as if petting a puppy.

He even had the audacity to boast, “She’s definitely a top-quality specimen. My judgment is never wrong. Although she was thin and small when I got her from the childcare institution, I’ve been raising her for a year now, and her blood must be delicious. And I haven’t even touched her yet. The first taste of her blood should belong to someone as distinguished as you.”

Every word he uttered struck a nerve with Adele. She exerted all her willpower to suppress the urge to kill him, pushing down her anger and letting reason prevail. She asked through gritted teeth, “According to the Sustainable Development Guidelines established by the Council of Elders, vampires are forbidden from harming humans under the age of twelve.”

Oakham seemed unconcerned.

Jasmine could guess that this guideline was rarely followed. The Blake family had brought her to Adele at the age of six, wasn’t it precisely to make her Adele’s blood bank?

Countless nobles did the same, as long as they had the means.

But Adele had never violated the guidelines. She even went beyond what was required, not because she wanted to follow the rules, but simply because she didn’t want to bully the weak.

Oakham’s expression fueled Adele’s rage, almost pushing her over the edge. And his next words were even more unbearable, “But here, only you and I know. I would never tell anyone what you do.”

“We’re accomplices.”

—Oh, Jasmine had said those words before too.

Hearing Oakham say this, Jasmine’s expression momentarily twisted as if she had swallowed a fly. She had thought those words sounded cool when she said them to Freckles, but hearing Oakham say them made her want to vomit.

Adele didn’t want to waste another word on him. As a strong individual, she naturally classified Oakham as belonging to the side of evil. Before Oakham could react, Adele’s fingers extended into sharp claws, and her figure blurred like a black thread. The next moment, she appeared behind Oakham, grabbing the little girl.

Oakham was still dazed when he realized that the arms he had been holding the little girl with had been severed. Blood gushed out, and he let out a horrifying scream. Hearing his scream, the surrounding servants were stunned, momentarily forgetting how to react.

But a moment later, Jasmine saw a flicker of vindictive satisfaction on their faces…

Adele shielded the child in her arms, covering her eyes, and called for Jasmine. Jasmine jogged over at a normal human pace. As soon as she reached Adele, the child was thrust into her arms. Adele then turned to Oakham and declared righteously,

“In the name of the thirteen clans’ Blake family, I pronounce you guilty of violating the Sustainable Development Guidelines. You are hereby sentenced to the ultimate punishment: sun gazing.”

Sun gazing sounded pleasant, but it was a nightmare for vampires. It simply meant exposing them to sunlight. Adele looked at Jasmine. She had initially wanted Jasmine to witness the execution, but she felt that Jasmine, as a weak and helpless human, shouldn’t have to face such a cruel scene.

She looked around, confirming that none of the humans present would object to her orders and that they would carry them out. She then chose two seemingly strong male attendants, “You two will guard him. Tie him to the stake facing the rising sun tomorrow morning. When I wake up, I want to see his ashes.”

The two human males were stunned when Adele pointed at them. They instinctively shook their heads. Fear of their master was deeply ingrained in them.

At most, they would only dare to secretly reveal their vindictive satisfaction when Oakham wasn’t looking.

Seeing how useless they were, Adele was about to say something when Jasmine spoke.

“This is your only chance. If you don’t do it, my master won’t punish him any further. After we leave, who will help you?”

“Think about your families, your friends, your loved ones, your descendants. They will be tortured by this bastard for eternity.” Jasmine’s voice was cold and clear, yet it carried a strange weight. Her words silenced the room.

But even so, no one dared to step forward and volunteer for the execution.

Jasmine wasn’t worried because she knew that some of these servants were already in despair. When someone drowning in despair suddenly saw a glimmer of hope, they would grasp it with all their might. So, someone finally stepped forward.

It was the maid who had led them here, Bella. Before she could fully step forward, the people beside her sensed her intention and tried to stop her, urging her not to be the first to volunteer. But Bella shook off their hands and stepped forward, standing before everyone.

She still seemed timid, but her eyes were completely different from when she had come to summon them. Her eyes were now filled with light, a mix of cautious hope and hatred for Oakham. She asked softly, “Can I do it?”

—Actually, not really.

That’s what Jasmine thought. Bella was quite thin and frail, her cheeks sunken. Such a small girl could never drag Oakham, a mountain of flesh. But Adele said, “Yes, you can. You will be responsible for carrying out his sentence.”

Hearing this, Bella’s eyes lit up like stars. Her face was filled with genuine joy and gratitude. She thanked Adele, “Thank you so much! I will definitely do it well!” Adele waved her hand dismissively.

While all this was happening, Oakham had been screaming non-stop. He started with pleas, then, realizing that the servants didn’t dare to touch him, he began to threaten them loudly. This was why the humans hadn’t dared to step forward. When Bella volunteered, he shouted her name, “Bella!”

Finally, realizing that Bella was only looking at Adele, waiting for her orders, and ignoring him, he started begging again. Adele ignored him completely. Oakham then claimed that he had done nothing wrong, and even if the Council of Elders found out, they wouldn’t let Adele off the hook!

Hearing this, Jasmine wanted to laugh. How could the Council of Elders possibly do such a thing? As long as Adele didn’t threaten them or harm another member of the thirteen clans, she would always be safe. Even killing the school doctor had earned her praise from the teachers and principal, who commended her for being young and promising.

What was a mere farm manager in a remote area? She had only eliminated him to consolidate her authority during her internship. This reason was completely irrefutable in the eyes of the Council of Elders.

Adele ignored Oakham completely. After giving some instructions, she took Jasmine and prepared to leave. The smell here was too overwhelming, making her head spin. Her gaze fell on the child in Jasmine’s arms. She hadn’t noticed it before, but now that everything had settled down, Adele found the child’s presence in Jasmine’s arms rather irritating.

Jasmine was her possession. How could she be touched by others?

Adele took two steps forward, took the child from Jasmine, and pointed at Bella, “You, come here. Take care of her. Don’t let her wander around.” When Bella approached timidly, Adele placed the little girl in her arms, then took Jasmine’s hand and left.

Before leaving, she didn’t forget to remind them, “When I wake up tomorrow evening, I want to see Oakham’s ashes. Don’t forget to collect them.”

“Yes, Miss Blake.”

Bella bowed sincerely. Jasmine wanted to look back at Bella. She was a bit worried that after Adele left, they would be too afraid of Oakham to carry out her orders. But Adele’s grip on her hand was strong. As an ordinary human, she shouldn’t be able to resist.

Back in their room, the first thing Adele did was ask Jasmine to run a bath. She couldn’t stand the stench clinging to her anymore. After the bath was ready, Jasmine had barely stepped out of the bathroom when Adele rushed in. She could hear Adele undressing inside, so she pulled a chair over and sat down.

While Adele was bathing, Jasmine could hear her muttering, “Ugh, I can’t stand it. Everything in this manor is disgusting. The smell is so strong. I have to have Jasmine and the other maids clean the entire manor! This place is uninhabitable!”

Miss Adele had a point. Jasmine also found the manor too dirty and smelly. Because of that, she hadn’t let down her guard with her sense of smell, afraid of being overwhelmed by the stench.

The young lady was scrubbing herself inside, the sound of running water clearly audible, and her muttering continued.

“And the name Oakham Farm, it’s so awful! I have to change it… How about Jasmine Farm? Jasmine Farm sounds much better.”

Jasmine, being mentioned, felt a bit numb. She desperately wanted to plead with Adele, “No, please don’t do that.”

Chapter 48: The Meal

Adele nodded, signaling, “That’s enough.” Then, she quickly followed Oakham, with Jasmine trailing behind, to the room he had prepared for her. The pungent smell was so overwhelming that she almost fainted, her head spinning. Fortunately, the room Oakham had prepared was located upwind. After opening the windows, the wind carried away the offensive odor.

Feeling the air freshen, Adele finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing Adele’s seemingly satisfied expression, Oakham excused himself, saying, “Please rest assured, Miss Blake, I will arrange accommodations for your maid.”

His words implied that he had prepared a servants’ quarters for Jasmine. But Adele frowned and stopped him, “No need to rush. I need to inspect the room first and have Jasmine help me clean it.”

Oakham had no choice but to give Adele a tour, explaining everything. The suite was indeed quite spacious, with all the necessary amenities. It might even be larger than Adele’s room at the Blake castle. After all, the castle had a long history and had once been home to a large Blake family. With so many people living there, they had to prioritize having more suites, even if it meant smaller rooms.

As a result, there were many unused suites in the Blake castle, which were only cleaned and prepared when relatives from the Golden family visited.

Oakham’s manor, on the other hand, clearly didn’t have such a long history, and he didn’t seem to be married or have children… In a way, it was quite difficult for a low-ranking vampire like him to find a wife. As the manager of a remote farm, he looked down on other low-ranking vampires who worked as maids, and other managers looked down on him.

He would gladly take a noble’s low-ranking vampire maid, but they would rather remain single than marry a plump and greasy fellow like him. Vampires… were really superficial. The purer their bloodline, the more beautiful they were. It was said that in ancient times, vampires relied on their beauty to lure humans and obtain blood.

If they were ugly, they wouldn’t be able to deceive anyone.

Therefore, most vampires were beautiful, but there were also ugly ones. The less pure their bloodline, the uglier they were. As for why their bloodline became impure… Jasmine wasn’t a geneticist, and she didn’t understand. There were reproductive barriers between different species, and vampires couldn’t interbreed with humans. It couldn’t be because drinking too much human blood made their blood impure, could it?

Since the manor was large and the suite prepared for Adele had many spacious rooms, Adele clearly stated her request, “Convert this small study into a room for Jasmine. She will stay with me during our time at the farm.”

Oakham seemed hesitant, “Miss Blake, that’s a bit against the rules, isn’t it?”

At that moment, Adele was standing in the small study, facing the balcony. The moon, hanging high in the sky and emitting a faint glow, bathed Adele in its cool light. She turned around in the darkness, her blood-red eyes looking particularly eerie.

“Do you remember promising to assist me wholeheartedly?”

Oakham was startled and quickly replied, “I would never forget.”

“Then do as I say.”

Oakham had no choice but to summon the servants, have them empty the small study, and bring in a small bed and a wardrobe, converting it into a room for Jasmine. After doing all this, he once again asked obsequiously, “Miss Blake, do you have any further instructions?”

This time, Adele didn’t make any more requests. She simply waved her hand, signaling Oakham to leave.

After he left, Adele asked Jasmine to clean the room thoroughly, especially to spray some perfume. The smell of blood on Oakham had almost ruined her sense of smell… Even without Adele saying anything, Jasmine would have done the same. Her nose was even more sensitive than Adele’s. If Adele was suffering, Jasmine was definitely also feeling nauseous.

But Jasmine could endure it and control herself. Once she realized the smell was unbearable, she simply blocked it out, so she didn’t show any signs of discomfort.

Jasmine nodded, indicating that she understood, and then meticulously cleaned the room. She even removed the bedsheets and duvet cover Oakham had provided and replaced them with her own. Only after Jasmine finished cleaning did Adele relax and sit on the bed.

“Jasmine, the smell here is so strong. How much human blood has that Oakham fellow drunk to stink like this… And those human servants, they’ve all been sucked dry by him, haven’t they? He’s not looking for servants, but blood bags.” Adele muttered, taking off her shoes and socks. Her pale feet rested on the bed.

Jasmine put away her shoes and socks and took out a pair of slippers for her to change into.

Adele fell back onto the bed. It was a good thing she had brought her own bedding. Otherwise, with her slight germaphobia, she wouldn’t be able to sleep during the day.

Jasmine figured that Oakham would probably come to invite them for dinner soon. After such a long and tiring journey, a scheming person like Oakham would definitely host a grand feast.

Adele wouldn’t be able to eat anything, of course. They had checked before leaving, and Adele had enough artificial blood. Speaking of which, artificial blood was usually in powder form, white in color, looking like milk powder. Adele’s suitcase contained several large bags of artificial blood, and they would have the Blake castle send more when they delivered other supplies.

As Jasmine had expected, Adele didn’t stay in bed for long before someone knocked on the door. Jasmine pretended not to notice, and only when Adele called for her to open the door did she act as if she had just realized someone was knocking. She went to the living room door and opened it.

Standing outside was a rather beautiful human maid. She smiled and said in a cheerful voice, “Master invites Miss Blake to dinner. I will show you the way.” The human maid seemed quite lively—if you ignored her lifeless eyes and gaunt face.

Her mental state wasn’t good. Her eyes were filled with despair, and her physical condition was also poor. Like a candle on the verge of being extinguished, flickering precariously in the wind. But apart from that, she seemed like a normal, healthy person.

Jasmine had seen too many humans in this world. She understood what was wrong with this maid.

She was a doll raised by vampires, beautiful on the outside but with a soul almost extinguished. If no new spark ignited within her, she would eventually die.

Jasmine wouldn’t let her die like this. She would try to rekindle the flame in her heart. It was Jasmine’s mission. She was a bit of a chuunibyou, and although she didn’t see herself as a savior, with her extraordinary strength, she felt she had to do something. Otherwise, it would be a waste of her cheat abilities.

Of course, she would only try. She would try to pull her out of the bottomless abyss. If the maid grasped her hand, Jasmine would show her the light. But if she gave up, Jasmine wouldn’t force her.

For now, Jasmine didn’t do anything else. She simply nodded to acknowledge the maid’s words. The maid, with the same stiff smile she had worn since Jasmine first saw her, nodded slightly and stood aside, waiting for Adele. Adele then emerged from the room, having changed into a fresh outfit and put on her shoes and socks.

She had changed because her previous clothes had gotten dirty during the journey. Although Adele disliked Oakham, as a noble, she had to maintain her appearance at all times. Adele said to Jasmine, “I heard everything. Let’s go.”

She didn’t take Jasmine’s hand as usual because they were in someone else’s territory. Adele was being cautious. She had sensed something off about Oakham and didn’t want to give him any more information, revealing how important Jasmine was to her.

The maid, hearing Adele’s words, curtsied and said, “Please follow me.” She led the way, Adele followed behind, and Jasmine trailed two steps behind Adele. The dining room wasn’t far from Adele’s room. They reached it after walking for about three minutes.

The moment they entered the dining room, Adele’s eyebrows furrowed even deeper than before, as if she could crush a mosquito between them. The long table was laden with dishes, all drenched in crimson blood. The pungent smell of blood rushed into her nostrils, almost making her faint.

Her cheeks even twitched as she suppressed the urge to punch Oakham. Guided by the maid, she sat down at her designated seat.

Only after Adele was seated did Oakham sit opposite her. He even had the audacity to boast, “To be honest, Miss Blake, although our farm is located in a remote area, the blood we supply to the bank is of excellent quality and high yield. That’s why even the regional bank holds us in high regard.”

Adele’s gaze fell on the cup and plate in front of her. The cup was filled with crimson liquid, and the plate contained a piece of raw meat, drizzled with blood as seasoning. If it were any other vampire, they would probably dig in with gusto. But seeing this, Adele felt her stomach churn: she wanted to vomit.

She took a deep breath, trying to expel the foul odor from her nostrils, and looked at Oakham with displeasure, “Is that so? But I find your meal too smelly… The thick, pungent odor is almost clogging my nose. Can’t you smell it?”

“The pitiful cries of humans before their death, how can you stomach drinking this blood?”

Oakham looked at Adele, first with confusion, then with a smile, “As expected of the Blake family’s eldest daughter, your standards for blood quality are high. To satisfy you, I have prepared a secret weapon.”

He clapped his hands, and two maids emerged from a corner of the dining room, leading a little girl.

Even Jasmine’s eyes widened slightly, let alone the more expressive Adele, who clenched her fists. However, Oakham mistook Adele’s reaction for satisfaction with the human child.

“This servant just turned seven this year. She’s a fine specimen I brought from the breeding facility last year. She hasn’t been drained of blood yet.”