Chapter 119: Stirring the Waters
The vampire lady continued applying powder to Miss Golden’s face, using a puff. This line of cosmetics was produced by one of Adele’s companies, and its products were highly sought after by nobles for both their quality and price. Of course, “good price” in this context meant “exorbitantly expensive.” Nobles valued exclusivity, and high prices were a symbol of their status.
They didn’t find Adele’s pricing unreasonable. On the contrary, they believed that such prices were befitting of their stature.
The products were also undeniably effective. Nobles weren’t foolish enough to pay exorbitant prices for useless items. They only spent money on things of true value.
The vampire lady, hearing Miss Golden’s question, wasn’t surprised. She had been so focused on her task that she hadn’t even noticed the arrival of the Blake heiress, let alone her maid. But since her current client had asked, she simply offered a plausible explanation.
“Is that so? I’ve heard that some humans retain a youthful appearance. They’re quite popular among nobles, and their blood is said to be more delicious. I believe they’re called ‘baby-faced’? Perhaps that maid is simply one of those humans.”
“Is that so?”
Miss Golden was still skeptical, but there seemed to be no other explanation. After all, that maid was definitely human. Of this, Miss Golden was certain.
Adele had been at Golden Castle for a week. Many guests had arrived during this time, including some of her former classmates, who, after greeting Miss Golden, would also visit Adele. Adele was starting to feel restless. She preferred to be back at her farm, checking on the progress of the counterfeit banknotes, rather than attending social events, forcing a smile and making small talk with vampires.
The researchers at the institute were truly talented. Besides working on the counterfeiting operation, they were also improving the firearms and refining the farm’s work system, making it more efficient and practical. Adele’s workload had decreased significantly thanks to these talented individuals.
At this rate, she would be able to retire with Jasmine in less than twenty years.
Although Adele was a workaholic, she knew that Jasmine valued leisure. She didn’t want to be stuck working while Jasmine was enjoying retirement. And Jasmine’s absence during her recent trip had proven that Adele couldn’t focus on work without her. So, retiring together was the best option.
As Adele anxiously awaited the end of her social obligations, the engagement party finally arrived. The Blake Lady, knowing Adele’s temperament, had expected her to bring only Jasmine as a maid. But Jasmine wasn’t skilled at styling hair or makeup, so she had sent her own maids to help Adele dress and prepare for the event.
Tonight’s focus was on Miss Golden and the young Green boy, so Adele couldn’t outshine them. But as the future head of the Blake family and a current lord, she couldn’t appear too casual either. Her attire had to reflect her status.
Adele’s gown had been brought from her farm. It was a rich reddish-brown color, with a metallic corset cinching her waist, the hem of the skirt adorned with layers of dark gold embroidery and delicate feathers, a feather embellishment also dangling from her waist. The design was bold, but undeniably beautiful and imposing.
It was Jasmine’s design. She had always enjoyed playing dress-up games in her previous life, and the gowns in this world were mostly gothic in style. As the most sought-after newly appointed lord, Adele needed something different to stand out in social circles.
Even the Blake Lady was impressed by Adele’s gown. It was simple, elegant, beautiful, and authoritative, emphasizing Adele’s figure more than the current fashion trends. The Blake Lady was tempted. She even raised her feather fan, covering half her face, and whispered to Adele, “Your seamstress is quite talented. Have her come to the castle and make me a few dresses.”
“Mother, just give me your measurements. I’ll have someone deliver the dresses to you.”
The Blake Lady felt slightly offended, but she agreed. The gown was truly stunning.
For her hair, Adele kept it simple, her hair swept to one side, adorned with a few reddish-brown flowers tucked behind her ear. With her makeup done using her company’s products, Adele looked absolutely radiant. If it weren’t for the task ahead, Jasmine would have kissed her, savoring her lipstick.
After getting ready, Adele winked at Jasmine and left with the Blake Lady’s maids. It was time for the party.
Adele hadn’t endured this week of socializing at Golden Castle solely for Miss Golden’s sake. She had a more important goal: to subtly plant seeds of doubt among the nobles, making them worry about the bank’s blood reserves.
Blood was essential for vampires, more important than anything else. Their power came from blood. It was their sustenance, their life force. If they didn’t trust the Council of Elders and the banking system that had been in place for a thousand years, they wouldn’t sell their blood to the bank in exchange for paper money.
If the banknotes issued by the bank could no longer be exchanged for blood, if the equation between paper and blood collapsed, the entire banking system would crumble. And the Council of Elders’ authority and credibility would be severely damaged.
Adele’s task was to lay the groundwork. She wouldn’t blatantly claim that money might soon be worthless, unable to buy blood. That would be foolish. She would simply raise a subtle question, a seed of doubt that would eventually grow into a storm.
The party began. Miss Golden, arm in arm with the young Green boy, entered the ballroom, their graceful dance captivating the guests. The young Green boy had matured, now a handsome young man. But he was still shorter than Miss Golden, who was tall and slender, her black gown and high heels adding to her imposing presence. He was overshadowed by her in both stature and aura.
But no one found it strange. After all, he was marrying into the Golden family.
After the dance ended, Miss Golden and the young Green boy made their rounds, greeting the guests. They soon arrived at Adele’s side. Seeing that Adele’s hands were empty, Miss Golden asked a servant to bring her a glass of wine. The warm red liquid swirled in the glass, clearly infused with blood. Adele accepted the glass, but she didn’t drink, simply holding it as she chatted with Miss Golden.
The young Green boy noticed. Vampires held grudges. He was probably still resentful that Adele had rejected him years ago. He was the young master of the Green family, a noble of the Thirteen Clans. Countless vampire ladies would have been happy to marry him. And at that first ball, his mother had even hinted that both future heads of the Thirteen Clans were interested in him. He had been so proud. But contrary to his mother’s claims, neither of them had shown any interest in him. They had both wanted to escape.
He had even cried secretly, only to be discovered by Miss Golden, who had listened patiently to his complaints. She had hesitated, then finally confessed, “I don’t like your hair color.” And yet, here they were, engaged to be married.
But that was a story for another time. The Blake heiress’s slight had to be avenged! Seeing that Adele wasn’t drinking, he said snidely, “Miss Blake, does the wine not suit your taste? I heard that the blood produced in your territory is of exceptional quality. No wonder you look down on the Golden family…”
Adele’s expression remained unchanged, as if she hadn’t been offended. Because she knew that Miss Golden wouldn’t let it slide. Miss Golden glanced at her fiancé, then reached out and pinched his ear. Ears were one of the most sensitive parts of a vampire’s body. The young Green boy immediately shut up, glaring at Miss Golden.
Miss Golden ignored him, turning to Adele. “I apologize for his rudeness. I haven’t taught him proper manners.”
“It’s alright.”
The two future heads of the Thirteen Clans maintained their composure. Miss Golden took the young Green boy away to greet other guests. After they left, a young lady who was close to Adele approached, seeing her swirling the wine in her glass. “Miss Blake, aren’t you going to try it? The quality is quite good this time.”
She wasn’t referring to the wine itself. Whether the wine tasted good or not was irrelevant to vampires. What mattered was the quality of the blood. Would they even serve wine without blood at a gathering of the Thirteen Clans? Would they dare to use low-quality blood at such an event?
The wine provided by the Golden family must contain a significant amount of high-quality blood. But Adele simply chuckled, her expression haughty. “Is that so? But I find that the quality of blood has declined recently.” Her words resonated with the young lady beside her. “Yes, high-quality blood is so expensive these days. It’s getting more and more expensive.”
This was actually understandable. The young researcher at the institute had explained to Adele that as time passed, the purchasing power of banknotes would gradually decrease, leading to inflation. But at the same time, the amount of money nobles earned would increase. Although the value of money had decreased, they had more of it to spend. However, most vampires didn’t understand economics. To them, it simply meant that blood was becoming more expensive.
“But the bank’s purchase price hasn’t increased much.”
Adele sighed, her expression conveying the worries of a farm owner. Her words were overheard by other vampires nearby, who exchanged glances and joined the discussion.
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