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.
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