Chapter 122: Spicy Blood Curd Strikes Back
Jasmine hadn’t forgotten about Adele touching her ears. Even if it was her wife, she couldn’t let it slide. She was a grudge-holder. She deliberately ate the spicy blood curd with gusto, while Adele, looking at the blood clots, was lost in thought: Why is Jasmine eating blood? And it’s fully cooked. It smells strange.
Seeing Jasmine enjoying it so much, Adele hesitated. “Jasmine, is it good?”
Adele had never tasted anyone else’s blood besides Jasmine’s. But humans didn’t drink blood. If even a human who didn’t drink blood could find this dish so delicious, perhaps… she could try it too?
Jasmine, noticing Adele’s interest, maintained her stoic expression, her inner mischief bubbling to the surface. She nodded subtly, as if confirming the deliciousness of the blood clots.
Adele’s curiosity grew, but Jasmine pretended not to notice. As a tsundere, Adele couldn’t possibly say, “Give me a bowl of spicy blood curd too.” So, she discreetly tugged at Jasmine’s clothes under the table, trying to get her attention.
The dining hall was mostly empty. Otherwise, Adele wouldn’t have even hinted at it. The night shift workers hadn’t started their meal break yet. After the researchers had optimized the farm’s work schedule, the mealtimes had also been adjusted. Only Jasmine, as Adele’s personal maid, disregarded the schedule, following Adele’s routine. That was why the cook had prepared her meal in advance.
Thankfully, there weren’t many people around, allowing Jasmine to indulge in a little mischief. After Adele had tugged at her clothes several times, Jasmine finally turned to look at her. “Miss, would you like to try some?”
Adele nodded. “Yes.”
Jasmine sighed theatrically, as if she couldn’t refuse her mistress’s request. She picked up a blood clot with her fork and held it out to Adele. Adele, wanting to maintain her dignity, looked around cautiously, making sure no one was watching, then she opened her mouth and swallowed the blood clot.
The next moment, her expression contorted in agony.
Vampires couldn’t taste food, but blood was an exception. Even black tea was tasteless to vampires unless it was infused with blood sugar cubes. Only then could they savor its flavor. But the taste might be different from what humans experienced.
After all, humans didn’t know what blood-infused black tea tasted like. Jasmine imagined it to be quite unpleasant, knowing that blood had a metallic taste. And the blood of pigs, cows, and sheep must be pungent and gamey. How could it possibly taste good in tea?
But right now, Adele was clearly experiencing the spiciness of the blood curd. Her face was contorted in pain, her eyes watering. Like a startled cat, she jumped up, attracting everyone’s attention. But Adele, ignoring their stares, grabbed Jasmine’s hand and dragged her away.
Jasmine let herself be dragged away, her gaze lingering on the abandoned bowl of spicy blood curd. Even with her expressionless face, everyone could read her thoughts: My spicy blood curd…
Adele led her to a secluded corner, then pressed her against the wall. Her crimson eyes were fixed on Jasmine, but Jasmine couldn’t help but find her… adorable.
Adele was clearly overwhelmed by the spiciness, her face flushed, her eyes brimming with tears. She looked so pitiful. In front of others, she had managed to maintain a semblance of composure, but now, in private, she could no longer hold back. She gasped, trying to cool her burning tongue, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
Jasmine couldn’t help but chuckle. Adele glared at her, her eyes wide. “Jasmine! You’re laughing! What should I do?!”
She stuck out her tongue, fanning it with her hand, as if that would help.
The proper solution was to drink water or something soothing, like soy milk. But there was nowhere to find such things at the moment.
Jasmine remembered a scene from a movie she had watched in her previous life, where the female lead had done the same thing, her intention being: to get the male lead to kiss her. Of course, Adele didn’t have that intention, but Jasmine could use the same method to soothe her burning tongue.
She leaned in, capturing Adele’s tongue with her own, silencing her. A kiss wouldn’t alleviate the spiciness, but Jasmine had other methods. Her tongue gently grazed Adele’s fangs, and a moment later, a trickle of sweet blood flowed into her mouth.
Jasmine was stingy. She only gave her a little. But that little bit was incredibly sweet, washing away the burning sensation in Adele’s throat. Adele, being a mischievous child, once tasted the sweet nectar, craved more.
But Jasmine refused.
Their tongues tangled for a while, then Jasmine finally released her.
“Still spicy?”
After all these years, Adele’s blood intoxication hadn’t improved. She was now dazed, her face flushed. This blush was different from the redness caused by the spiciness. The spiciness had made her entire face flush, as if she were about to burst into flames. But the blood intoxication blush resembled shyness, a delicate pink tinge on her cheeks, making her look even more adorable.
“Not spicy anymore…” Adele, in her intoxicated state, was honest and obedient, answering all of Jasmine’s questions. Seeing that she was no longer suffering, Jasmine leaned in and kissed her eyelid. Adele had been on the verge of tears, her crimson eyes shimmering with moisture. She had looked so pitiful.
As Jasmine kissed her, Adele, emboldened, wanted more. She reversed their positions, pinning Jasmine against the wall and kissing her. But her fangs, pressing against Jasmine’s tongue, couldn’t pierce her skin. It was a stark contrast to the previous incident, where the slightest touch had drawn blood.
Adele understood. Damn Jasmine! So stingy!
She recovered from her blood intoxication and stormed off, still annoyed. Jasmine sighed. She had lost both her spicy blood curd and some of her precious blood, and Adele, instead of being grateful, was still angry.
In the following days, the institute worked tirelessly, producing counterfeit banknotes to further their plans. Adele also started distributing the fake money. She summoned the vampire traitor, engaging in a large transaction, then, when it was time to pay, she used the counterfeit banknotes.
The vampire traitor, without even checking, happily accepted the money and left, unaware that he had just received fake money. Jasmine was sure that he would quickly spend it. She had also used the Hunter’s Association to distribute some of the counterfeit banknotes, posting high-paying bounty missions to put money into the hands of otherworldly beings.
Moreover, Adele and Jasmine had employed a more unconventional method. Jasmine, carrying a large suitcase, would discreetly deliver it to the rooms of minor nobles during the day, when no one was watching. These minor nobles were called “minor” for a reason: they were poor. Finding a suitcase full of money, they wouldn’t turn it over to the bank or try to find the owner. They would keep it, praising the Moon Goddess for her blessing, and then spend it discreetly.
Without exception.
Jasmine was once again reminded of vampires’ selfishness and greed. They didn’t question the source of the money, or whether it might bring them harm. They simply believed that once money was in their hands, it was theirs to keep.
Initially, they had been hesitant to spend it, but after realizing that no one was looking for the missing money, they had started spending it freely. A few months later, even Adele, while conducting business, received counterfeit banknotes.
Although others couldn’t tell the difference between real and fake, Adele, examining the ink, knew that these banknotes had originated from her institute.
This was good news. It meant that the counterfeit banknotes were circulating in the market. Jasmine, without fanfare, distributed another large batch. Then, when Adele returned to the castle for Blessing Day, she saw some interesting information on her father’s desk.
In short: the sudden appearance of large amounts of money from unknown sources had attracted the attention of the Thirteen Clans. They had discovered that even low-ranking vampires on their farms had received this money, and eventually, these banknotes had ended up in the hands of the clan heads.
These banknotes hadn’t been voluntarily offered. They had been confiscated by vampires sent by the clan heads to inspect the farms. Jasmine even saw the suitcase she had personally delivered. It was much lighter than before. The farm owner had spent some of it, but the inspecting vampires had surely pocketed a significant portion as well.
The Blake patriarch was now facing a dilemma: should he report this to the Council of Elders?
He wasn’t sure what to make of this situation. He hadn’t even considered the possibility of counterfeiting. Come to think of it, no one would suspect such a thing. Because it made no sense. Why would anyone counterfeit banknotes? In Jasmine’s previous world, counterfeiters did it for profit, to acquire more money and goods. But Adele and Jasmine, besides the initial payment to the vampire traitor, hadn’t used any of the counterfeit banknotes themselves. They had distributed them all.
What benefit did this bring them? Outsiders couldn’t possibly comprehend their motives.
Because they had never encountered counterfeiting, and they couldn’t understand the purpose behind it, the Blake patriarch was completely clueless.
Jasmine put down the documents and left his study. It didn’t matter if the Council of Elders found out. This was a conspiracy in plain sight. Producing counterfeit banknotes was costly, and as long as they were identical to genuine banknotes, who could tell the difference, besides Adele’s institute? As long as Adele didn’t foolishly reveal the truth, these banknotes were as good as real.
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