Chapter 115: What is Adele Doing?
How much difference could there really be? It was the same boiling water, the same brewing technique. Even if there were slight variations, it wasn’t as if one was heavenly and the other abysmal. But to Adele, the most delicious tea was the one brewed by Jasmine.
For years, she had only drunk tea brewed by Jasmine. In her mind, there was no better tea.
After finishing her tea with a frown, Adele put away the cup and teapot, then she went to find Bella, asking her to tidy up her room.
Bella was surprised. Adele had always insisted on Jasmine taking care of everything in her room. She never allowed any other maid to enter.
Did something happen last night? Is Miss Adele not feeling well?
As Bella entered the room to clean, she realized that Jasmine wasn’t there. She gathered Adele’s discarded clothes, preparing to wash them, but Adele quickly snatched them back, her ears twitching slightly. “I’ll take care of these myself,” she said.
Bella didn’t think much of it, assuming that Adele had always washed her own clothes. It was a bit strange, but not entirely out of character for Adele. But in reality, Jasmine had always washed Adele’s clothes. Even after they had become lovers, Jasmine had never let Adele do it herself.
Adele had never washed her own clothes. At Blake Castle, Jasmine had always done it for her. When Jasmine had occasionally taken sick leave, other maids had washed her clothes. At the time, Adele hadn’t felt any embarrassment, but after becoming lovers, she had become self-conscious, feeling that she couldn’t let others wash her undergarments.
She couldn’t explain why. It just felt… embarrassing. After all, Adele was a tsundere. Such awkwardness was to be expected.
But if she wouldn’t let Bella wash them, she had to wash them herself. She couldn’t just leave them piled up, waiting for Jasmine to return and do her laundry, could she? That would be treating Jasmine like a servant, not a lover. Although Jasmine was still officially her maid, their relationship was now more equal. Adele couldn’t bring herself to do that.
Besides, Jasmine was away on important business. If she returned and saw a pile of dirty laundry in the bathroom, and it started to smell… No, Adele couldn’t tolerate that! So, after learning to brew tea, she now had to learn to wash her own clothes.
Washing clothes wasn’t difficult, but Adele’s delicate undergarments required gentle handling. They were expensive, with lace trim meticulously hand-stitched. Too much force would damage them.
Jasmine had complained about this many times when she had first started washing Adele’s clothes. Adele hadn’t realized it, and she had ruined quite a few garments in the past few days. She couldn’t hang them outside to dry during the day, and she was too embarrassed to do it at night, so she could only hang them in the bathroom, waiting for them to air dry.
Clothes that dried without sunlight tended to have a musty smell. But it didn’t matter. The clothes Adele had washed were unwearable anyway, so the smell was irrelevant. Adele looked at the crumpled, misshapen garments, the lace trim snagged and torn. She was disheartened.
She couldn’t bear the thought of Jasmine returning and seeing the ruined clothes, her eyes filled with mockery and disdain. Just imagining that scene made Adele want to curl up in a ball of shame. So, to hide the evidence of her destruction, she simply burned the clothes to ashes.
Now that she was running low on undergarments, she had to place a new order.
Bella, noticing that Jasmine had been absent for several days, was curious. “Miss Adele, where’s Jasmine?” she asked. Adele was a kind and considerate mistress, which was why Bella dared to ask. If it were any other vampire, Bella would have simply kept her head down and pretended not to notice.
Adele, who had been writing furiously at her desk, paused. “I sent her to another farm on an errand,” she replied.
Bella was surprised. “Jasmine went alone?” Her meaning was clear: why hadn’t Adele gone with her? Adele, being intelligent, understood the implication. She felt a twinge of resentment. “Yes, she went alone,” she said.
She put down her pen. As a workaholic, she should have been working non-stop, but without Jasmine by her side, she felt unmotivated. If Jasmine were here, I could focus better… she thought.
“Hmph…” She walked to the window, gazing at the moon. “It’s all Jasmine’s fault.”
Jasmine, gazing at the moon, sneezed. She couldn’t possibly have caught a cold. There was only one explanation: Adele was thinking about her. Jasmine smiled, her heart warming. Adele must miss me.
She couldn’t wait to return to Adele’s side, but her current mission was more important. She had to be patient. Fortunately, Barbara didn’t keep her waiting for long. She had said a few days, and she meant it, keeping it to single digits, never exceeding ten days.
On the sixth day, Barbara sent word. Jasmine arrived at Barbara’s room at the appointed time and saw a group of people standing there: men and women, young and old. She wasn’t exaggerating. The youngest was perhaps thirteen or fourteen years old, wearing thick glasses, his face serious. The oldest was probably in his sixties, nearing the end of his natural lifespan in this world. In Jasmine’s hometown, he would be considered old enough to do whatever he wanted without facing any consequences.
There were people of all ages. Jasmine was impressed, but she didn’t show it. She maintained her usual stoic expression, greeting the researchers with respect.
Barbara, on the other hand, seemed a bit embarrassed. “I’ve been testing the people at the institute these past few days,” she explained. “I only brought them here after confirming their loyalty.”
Jasmine nodded, indicating that she understood. Then the elderly man asked, “Dawn Lady, how will we leave this place?” Jasmine replied, “Human transportation.”
“?”
The researchers soon understood what she meant, witnessing firsthand Dawn Lady’s extraordinary power. Jasmine effortlessly carried them, one by one, bundled up in thick clothes, like chicks, transporting them to the nearest Human Resistance Army outpost.
From there, she would transport them in batches to Adele’s territory. They were amazed by her strength, unaware that she wasn’t even using her full speed. She was actually moving slower than when she carried Adele. Even so, it was like riding on the back of a motorcycle speeding at 180 kilometers per hour.
As she returned to Barbara’s room for the last time, taking the final two people with her, she looked at Barbara, her expression hesitant. Taking so many people at once… the vampires guarding the institute weren’t fools. They would surely notice something. And Barbara’s recent behavior had been suspicious. They might target her.
If it were just surveillance, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but vampires didn’t value human life. They might simply kill Barbara if they found her inconvenient. Jasmine reached out to her. “Come with me,” she said, her tone firm. She briefly explained her concerns, but Barbara shook her head.
She smiled at Jasmine. “Didn’t I say I would be your informant? Don’t worry. I’ll get the information out.”
Her smile lacked its usual warmth. Jasmine’s expression also became serious. “Thank you for your contributions to the human cause,” she said.
Barbara didn’t reply. Her expression wavered, then she said, “Go.” She was afraid that if she hesitated any longer, she would give in to the pressure, abandon everything, and join the other researchers, continuing her work at the Human Resistance Army’s base… But if they all left, who would remain at the institute as an informant?
Jasmine departed, her figure resolute. Even if I die, Barbara thought, the researchers Dawn Lady took today will become a beacon of hope, a flame that will one day engulf the vampires.
Upon arriving at the outpost, Jasmine immediately took two people with her: the youngest girl and the oldest man. Due to their age and health, they needed to be removed from this dangerous environment first.
She was fast, but she had to adjust her speed, considering their frailties. She limited herself to about 100 kilometers per hour, carrying the old man on her back and the young girl in her arms. With her speed reduced, it took her half a day, with three rest stops at the outpost, to reach Adele’s farm.
Unfortunately, it was already dawn when she arrived. Adele must have already gone to sleep. Jasmine couldn’t see her. So, she left the two people in the Commander’s care, gave some instructions, and then departed, once again acting as a human transport, bringing the remaining researchers to the farm.
She could have entrusted them to her comrades in the Human Resistance Army, letting them escort the researchers to the farm at a slower pace. But that was too risky. The journey was long, and there were otherworldly beings lurking along the way. These researchers had no combat experience. If anything happened to them, Jasmine would be devastated.
Every researcher was a valuable asset to the Human Resistance Army. And they each specialized in different fields, all essential. To ensure their safety, Jasmine had to transport them herself.
She made several trips, finally delivering everyone to the farm after nightfall. Then she grabbed a suitcase, pretending to have just returned from a trip, and headed towards the manor where Adele was staying.
To her surprise, Adele was standing at the door, wearing her nightgown, as if waiting for her.
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