Chapter 112: Taking a Bite
Adele might be an idealist, but she didn’t believe everyone else was. She knew that in this world, most humans, otherworldly beings, and vampires prioritized their own interests above all else. These researchers were well-cared for by the Council of Elders. They didn’t have to worry about their basic needs, they had servants attending to them, and they could focus solely on their research.
They even lived to eighty years old, in a world where the average human lifespan was less than forty. Would they really abandon their comfortable lives and join the Human Resistance movement?
Adele was skeptical.
Jasmine reached out, gently tilting Adele’s head so she was sitting upright. “Of course, we can’t persuade everyone,” she said, “but there will be those who will join us.” Jasmine was confident. She had studied Adele’s textbooks, learning about vampire history and the hardships humans had endured before the implementation of the banking system and other reforms.
To put it bluntly, the humans under Oakham’s management had lived miserable lives, but before the bank and other institutions were established, humans had been treated worse than animals. They weren’t even considered worthy of being servants, relegated to the same level as livestock. Only those who possessed exceptional beauty, the kind that appeared once in a century, were treated with any degree of respect by vampires.
In that cruel world, some humans had risen above their circumstances, enduring scorn and accusations of betrayal, becoming collaborators with vampires, helping them build a more complex society, transforming them from savage beasts into civilized nobles.
Although this had resulted in more comprehensive exploitation of humans, their status had improved somewhat. They were no longer mere livestock, at least on par with some low-ranking vampires. Jasmine had read about this period in history. Even though the vampire who had written the textbook had used derogatory language to describe these collaborators, Jasmine could see through the bias.
They had simply been trying to find a way for humans to survive.
Of course, the current generation of humans was different from those pioneers. Thousands of years had passed, countless generations had lived and died. They couldn’t possibly be the same people. But according to the information gathered by the vampire traitor, most of these researchers were descendants of those early collaborators.
Their bloodline had continued, and Jasmine believed that their spirit would have been passed down as well. She was so convinced of this that she decided to visit the addresses listed in the documents.
Hearing that Jasmine was planning to go, Adele clung to her waist, refusing to let go.
“I want to go too! Take me with you!”
“No, Adele. You’re too conspicuous. Going there would only arouse the Council of Elders’ suspicions.”
It was true. Adele had just been reprimanded by the Council of Elders. If she now appeared at the location of these talented individuals, the Elders would be furious. They were afraid of death, and they were also afraid of their authority being challenged. They were incapable of creation, only destruction, so they kept these talented humans confined, like birds in a cage, fearing that they might be poached.
They claimed to be providing them with a comfortable life, but to Jasmine, it was nothing more than imprisonment.
Of course, Adele couldn’t go. She wasn’t strong enough to completely conceal her presence, and she would be easily detected. And going there openly was even more out of the question, as Jasmine had explained. So, this time, Adele had to stay at the farm, while Jasmine went alone.
But Adele was unwilling. She had rarely been separated from Jasmine for long periods. The longest separation had been when Jasmine had pretended to be sick. And in recent years, they had been practically inseparable. The thought of Jasmine leaving her was unbearable.
But Jasmine knew how to handle Adele. She gently lifted Adele’s arms from around her waist and, in one smooth motion, lifted her up, settling her onto her lap. Jasmine looked up at Adele. “Adele, kiss me.”
Adele swallowed hard. She had been acting spoiled, refusing to let Jasmine leave, but now their positions were reversed, and Jasmine was requesting a kiss. Adele couldn’t resist Jasmine, especially when she asked for a kiss like this.
Jasmine tilted her head slightly, her short hair shifting, revealing her delicate features. Her skin was fair, but with a hint of yellow due to her race. Thanks to the chef Adele had hired, her cheeks were rosy, like peaches.
Fruit was scarce in this world. No one bothered cultivating it. Vampires couldn’t taste the sweetness of fruit, so there was no point. But in recent years, the humans in Adele’s territory, striving for a better life, had transplanted wild fruit trees, and with Jasmine’s guidance, they had selectively bred and grafted them, producing various delicious fruits, including peaches.
Adele had never tasted a peach. She couldn’t taste its sweetness, and if she tried, she would only find it unpleasant. But she had seen Jasmine eat them often. Ripe peaches were white with a blush of pink, just like Jasmine’s cheeks now.
Jasmine always said that peaches were delicious. Adele didn’t know what they tasted like, but now she could kiss Jasmine’s cheek and imagine. She leaned in, opening her mouth, and gently bit Jasmine’s cheek. She didn’t bite hard, and if Jasmine hadn’t allowed it, her skin would have hardened like stone.
But to Adele’s surprise, Jasmine’s cheek felt as soft and tender as it looked, surely as delicious as a peach.
As she pulled away, she saw two teeth marks on Jasmine’s cheek. Oh no! They were from her fangs, which were sharp and pointed. Even among vampires, Adele’s fangs were probably top-notch. She rarely drank blood, relying on artificial blood instead, unlike those who indulged in blood daily, risking tooth decay.
To a vampire, that was the most vicious curse imaginable.
Adele looked at the teeth marks, her heart filled with remorse. “Why did you let me bite you? It left marks!” The marks weren’t deep. They would probably fade within a few hours on a normal human, but Adele was worried, afraid that Jasmine’s face would be permanently scarred.
Her reaction almost made Jasmine break character. Honestly, she had broken her ice queen persona countless times in the years she had been with Adele. One more time wouldn’t hurt. She poked her cheek, her expression unchanging, but Adele sensed a hint of amusement. “Look, they’re gone.”
Indeed, as she spoke, the teeth marks vanished instantly. Adele was relieved.
Jasmine had successfully changed the subject. Adele no longer wanted to tag along. She knew she couldn’t go. Not only would her presence arouse the Council of Elders’ suspicions, but there was also too much work to be done at the farm. Her trip to the Council of Elders had already delayed many things. She couldn’t just abandon her responsibilities.
She remembered Jasmine saying that she would only work for twenty or thirty years… It made sense. Working at this intensity for hundreds, even thousands of years… even a workaholic like Adele would find it unbearable.
Two days later, after Adele had fallen asleep during the day, Jasmine left the territory. She donned her Dawn Lady disguise after leaving the farm. She was incredibly fast, but she had taken a wrong turn and had to double back, wasting some time.
The Council of Elders had placed those talented humans far away from their headquarters, but the location was still within their direct jurisdiction, not belonging to any of the thirteen clans. Jasmine had departed at dawn, and when she arrived, the dew was still clinging to the grass.
The security in this city wasn’t as tight as at the Council of Elders’ headquarters, but it was still more robust than at Blake Castle. Jasmine decided to use Blake Castle’s security as a unit of measurement. This city’s security was about 1.2 Blake Castles, while the capital’s was 13 Blake Castles.
Good. Their favorite number again.
As she explored the city, Jasmine noticed something: there were quite a few humans here. There were also many low-ranking vampires and otherworldly beings employed by vampires, but very few true vampires. Only five vampires were patrolling the city in rotation.
The large population made it difficult for her to identify the key individuals. But it didn’t matter. Jasmine had a keen eye for detail. First, she ruled out the humans living in poverty on the outskirts of the city.
Of course, she wanted to save all humans, but there were priorities. To further disrupt the vampires’ modern society, those humans who were researching the banking system and developing new technologies were crucial. The others would have to wait.
It sounded cruel, but Jasmine wasn’t a saint. Her current priority was fulfilling her and Adele’s goals. Everything else was secondary. The most luxurious residences in this city might not belong to the researchers, but the third or fourth tier would likely be where they lived.
This city had also implemented the nine-to-five work schedule. As Jasmine observed, humans began to awaken with the sunrise, preparing for their day’s work. Like a silent nightingale, Jasmine stealthily entered the residential area she had identified.
Upon arriving at her destination, she didn’t immediately start searching for people. Instead, she observed, patiently and discreetly. Call her sneaky, but she had spent a considerable amount of time selecting a target who seemed most susceptible to persuasion.
It was a woman. Unlike most humans in this world, she was well-dressed, her clothes practical and well-fitting. And she was wearing glasses. Yes, glasses, in this technologically underdeveloped world.
This alone made her a valuable target for recruitment.
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