Chapter 89: Don’t Tell Me…
Adele was a rational person. She didn’t believe that vampire rule could continue smoothly forever. The most important reason was that the vampires had overextended themselves. Just like Spark Farm, there were so many humans, yet they were managed by a single incompetent, low-ranking vampire.
After Adele had crippled Oakham, the humans could have easily overthrown him if they had worked together. The same applied to other farms and blood banks.
The vampire population was too small, the human population too large, the land too vast, and otherworldly beings were lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity. From Adele’s perspective, it was only a matter of time before something went wrong.
This wasn’t the first time humans had rebelled. Throughout history, there had been countless uprisings, but they had mostly been isolated incidents, small-scale rebellions at individual farms or blood banks, quickly quelled by the vampires.
The vampires’ overwhelming power had always crushed these feeble attempts at resistance, followed by even harsher oppression. But this Human Resistance Army was different. In Adele’s eyes, previous rebellions had been disorganized and fragmented, but this time, they were united, their actions planned and coordinated.
More importantly, they had grown in scale, no longer just a nuisance.
Could the vampires continue to suppress them and maintain their rule? Even if they could, what about the next time? And the time after that? When dealing with otherworldly beings, vampires could simply kill them all, wiping out entire races.
But they couldn’t do that with humans. There was a delicate symbiotic relationship between them, or rather, a parasitic relationship where vampires relied on humans. Vampires needed human blood. Among all species, human blood was unique to vampires. It was not only delicious but also enhanced their powers.
If they only drank the blood of other animals, like pigs, cows, or sheep, their magical abilities and healing powers would be halved. Their advantage over otherworldly beings would vanish. Therefore, vampires couldn’t afford to kill all humans. If they did, their own extinction wouldn’t be far behind.
Moreover, among the countless books in the Blake family’s library, some ancient texts mentioned that tens of thousands of years ago, in ancient times, humans weren’t slaves to vampires. On the contrary, they had been the rulers of the world. Many vampires scoffed at these records, refusing to believe that humans could ever have been powerful enough to rule over vampires.
But if one carefully examined the current structure of vampire society, one could find evidence supporting these claims. Many aspects of vampire culture, their social structure, and even their most important system, the blood bank, had been created by humans.
The seemingly stable vampire rule was actually teetering on the brink of collapse, both internally and externally.
Besides, Adele personally disliked this oppressive rule. She didn’t care if others called her a rebel or a traitor. She simply hated this forceful subjugation.
Perhaps because she had spent so much time with Jasmine, she wanted to stand beside her, as an equal. After realizing her feelings, she knew she didn’t want to be Jasmine’s master, but her lover.
She longed for a peaceful society, a world where she could walk hand-in-hand with Jasmine without facing prejudice, a world where they could openly declare their love.
This might sound naive, but it was Adele’s true desire. Previously, she hadn’t known that Jasmine was Lady Dawn of the Human Resistance Army. She had thought Jasmine was weak and vulnerable. So, she had shouldered all the responsibility, trying to carve a path where she could protect Jasmine and ensure her happiness.
But now, knowing that Jasmine was the leader of the Human Resistance Army, a powerful individual, she could choose to share the burden, to work together with Jasmine to create the world she dreamed of. Having realized this, Adele no longer hesitated, following closely behind Jasmine, afraid of being left behind.
Of course, Jasmine wouldn’t let go of her hand. She led Adele into “After Dusk.” Their combination didn’t attract any attention. Jasmine had masked her scent, making her race undetectable. Even though she looked human, her unusual scent prevented others from perceiving her as such.
And while she couldn’t completely mask Adele’s vampiric scent, the presence of a vampire in “After Dusk” wasn’t unusual. Vampires had their own laws, and those who broke them faced punishment, even execution. Some vampires, to avoid capture by the Council of Elders, would flee to lawless zones like this.
Actually, the Council of Elders was quite lenient towards lawbreakers, deliberately giving them time to escape. Even their pursuit was mostly for show. Unless a vampire committed a serious crime, like killing another vampire, they wouldn’t be relentlessly hunted down. Of course, “killing another vampire” referred to subordinates killing their superiors. No one cared about Adele killing the school doctor in self-defense.
Therefore, many vampire criminals still enjoyed a comfortable life, and many had fled to “After Dusk.” This lawless zone was a haven for them. They still had their money, and they could indulge their desires without fear of punishment.
There were no rules or regulations in “After Dusk.” It was a true jungle, where strength and wealth reigned supreme. Unfortunately, Jasmine wasn’t wealthy. She could only afford to take Adele to a cheap inn.
The innkeeper looked at them with indifference. When Jasmine said they wanted a room for two nights, he simply stated the price, “Ten silver coins.”
“…” Jasmine took a deep breath. At that moment, she even considered robbing the innkeeper. Did she look like she was rolling in money? Ten silver coins? He might as well be a highwayman! But she had no choice. Dawn was approaching, and they needed a place for Adele to stay.
Jasmine herself could sleep anywhere. She could even wander around and enjoy the sun during the day. But Adele couldn’t. She had to stay out of the sunlight, or she would die. And as a high-ranking noble of the Thirteen Clans, she wouldn’t hide in the sewers. Jasmine couldn’t afford a better place. Ten silver coins it was. She could still afford it.
As Jasmine was about to pay, Adele took out her bank card. Although she had left in a hurry, she hadn’t forgotten her card. But the innkeeper looked at her with a puzzled expression. This wasn’t a bank. What use was a bank card here?
Seeing Adele’s card, Jasmine’s eyes lit up. She knew that card must hold a fortune. She snatched the card from Adele, telling her to put it away, then took out a banknote from her own pocket and placed it on the counter.
The innkeeper took the money and handed them a key. It was old and greasy. Jasmine frowned as she took it. The innkeeper said, “Second floor, corner room on the left, third door.”
Jasmine led Adele up the stairs. The inn was truly rundown. As they climbed the stairs, Jasmine could hear the wood creaking, dust raining down on them. But this was the best she could offer Adele.
They found their room and opened the door. A musty smell wafted out. Jasmine thought for a moment, then cleared a chair for Adele to sit on before rolling up her sleeves and starting to clean the room.
Even though their feelings were now, to some extent, mutual, Adele was still accustomed to being served by Jasmine. So, she didn’t offer to help, simply sitting obediently on the chair, watching Jasmine work.
Jasmine stripped the bed, shoving the old bedding into a dilapidated chest. As she closed the lid, she could feel the hinges loosening, the sound grating on her ears. After disposing of the old bedding, Jasmine opened her suitcase and took out a set of clean sheets and blankets she had brought from Blake Castle, making the bed.
She clapped her hands, inviting Adele to grace the bed with her presence.
But Adele touched her hair, her face twisting in discomfort. “Jasmine, I want to take a bath.”
Jasmine shattered her illusion. “Miss Adele, there are no private bathrooms here. If you want to bathe, you’ll have to use the public bathhouse. And there are no guards here. Some male creature might barge in while you’re bathing.”
Adele’s face paled. As a sheltered young lady, she wasn’t familiar with such things. But… she was truly filthy. She had crawled through a tree hollow, and damp, decaying leaves clung to her clothes. She hadn’t noticed it before, but now that she was sitting still, the smell was bothering her.
Jasmine sighed, seeing the discomfort on Adele’s face. She knew what Adele was thinking. “Miss, wait here. I’ll fetch some water.”
She found a clean wooden bucket, borrowed a kettle from the innkeeper, heated some water in the kitchen, and returned to the room. Seeing her carrying the bucket, Adele sighed with relief. She had been truly worried that she would have to use the public bathhouse.
The idea of a public bathhouse was intriguing, but the thought of some male creature barging in made her skin crawl. She wondered anxiously, How does Jasmine know about these things? Don’t tell me… don’t tell me…
Unpleasant thoughts filled her mind. She looked at Jasmine with an unreadable expression. Jasmine, having just checked the water temperature, turned around and saw Adele’s gaze.
She couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “?”
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