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Chapter 15: Pretty Good
After being invited into the parlor and seated on the sofa, the doctor's human maid began to brew some tea, adding several cubes of sugar to the cup. When the maid served the tea to Adele, she politely said, "Thank you," but made no move to drink it.
The doctor across from her might think Adele was too proud and picky, assuming the tea wasn't up to her standards. In reality, Adele wasn't particular about the quality of the tea. She simply didn't want to drink tea with sugar cubes in it. The doctor's sugar cubes were mixed with human blood, possibly the blood of the maid standing before her, and Adele couldn't bring herself to drink it.
Adele was extremely particular about blood; she would only drink Molly's blood and had so far survived on artificial blood.
"Miss, is there something you need from me?" the doctor asked.
"Yes..." Adele nodded. "Yesterday, my maid was injured, and she told me it was thanks to you that her wound was treated. I came specifically to thank you." Adele was always polite, but her politeness was accompanied by a certain haughtiness. Although her words were humble, she sat with her back straight and her head slightly raised, a posture full of arrogance.
Even though the Black family was the lowest-ranking among the Thirteen Clans, they were still equals in status within the Thirteen Clans. Except for the Council of Elders, she didn't have to bow to anyone, which gave her the confidence to be proud. Just from Adele's demeanor, the doctor could tell that she wasn't from a fallen noble family, yet she had brought along a human maid.
There was likely only one reason for this: she was very fond of that human maid's blood. It wasn't surprising. The doctor had smelled the sweet blood yesterday; even though it had dried and clotted on the arm, he could still detect the fragrance. If he could obtain it, he would undoubtedly keep her close at all times, ready to drink her irresistibly alluring blood whenever he wished.
The doctor also realized something else: this noble lady hadn't come just to express gratitude. He could see it in her expressionless face and her strikingly bright crimson eyes. All vampire eyes were red, but this young lady's eyes were particularly vibrant, almost glowing in the dimly lit room.
—She had come to warn him...
"I heard you'll need to change her bandages later. Thank you for taking care of that," Adele continued.
The doctor forced a smile and replied, "You're welcome."
This vampire had a noble bloodline, far above his own. But she was still just a child, barely an adult. In another hundred years, the doctor might not even have the courage to look her in the eye. Adele stood up and glanced at the untouched tea on the table. She thanked him again for the tea and made to leave.
The doctor's human maid instinctively followed to see her out, preparing to close the door once Adele had exited. But just as she reached the door, Adele turned back, her crimson eyes locking onto the maid. The maid froze, trembling at the sight of those eyes, which reminded her of the times the doctor had fed on her.
Adele raised her hand slightly, covering her nose. "Perhaps you're in some trouble? If someone is feeding on you against your will, you can report it to the administration. I believe the school rules prohibit non-consensual feeding."
The maid trembled but lowered her head, replying, "Have a safe trip."
Adele left the house, displeased by the maid's scent—a smell of blood mixed with despair. It felt to Adele like the maid's blood was thick, black, and dirty, yet even so, Adele had said what she did.
Adele was too young and somewhat naive. The rule against non-consensual feeding was meant to protect weaker students from being preyed upon by stronger ones. Vampires would feed on other species and even cannibalize their own kind.
At school, the teachers would step in to prevent such behavior and protect the weaker students. But if the victim was human... it was of no concern to them. Even if a human died, the teachers wouldn't shed a tear. But if the human's master complained, the teachers would mediate and require compensation from the offender.
Adele had no idea that after she left, the doctor, feeling threatened, took out his anger on the maid, subjecting her to a brutal beating, whipping, and feeding on her. He bit his nails in frustration. "A newly turned vampire dares to lecture me? She's just a human maid, yet she makes a fuss in front of me! Even if I kill her maid, what's the worst that could happen? A fine?"
Then he muttered to himself, "No, no... I can't kill her. Her blood is too sweet. It would be a waste not to use her for feeding... She's a new student. I have six years to savor this delicacy..."
The doctor's thoughts turned back to Molly's blood, the sweet taste lingering in his mind. He collected himself and looked with disgust at the lifeless maid lying on the floor. "Go get Anna! Useless human, can't even do something as simple as finding out who her master is!"
When Molly saw Anna again, she immediately noticed the swelling on her face. Anna smiled and explained that she had accidentally bumped into something, but the excuse was as weak as the one Molly had used on Adele. Molly didn't believe it for a second and suspected the doctor was responsible.
It was possible that her master had done it, but based on Molly's observations over the past month, her master seemed to value Anna. She was usually given simple tasks. So, the most likely culprit was the doctor.
Time passed, and the wound on Molly's arm began to scab. She prepared to visit the doctor for another bandage change. The doctor was as gentle as ever, but the greed lurking deep in his eyes made Molly feel sick. As she was leaving, she couldn't help but ask the maid who was seeing her out, "Do you need help?"
The maid was in terrible shape, with more injuries than the last time Molly had seen her, and her eyes were even more vacant. She looked like a broken doll waiting to be discarded. Molly couldn't stand to see her fellow human treated this way and couldn't help but ask.
The maid trembled, forcing a stiff smile. She looked at Molly, hesitant, as if struggling with something. Her dead eyes flickered with a different emotion. She wanted to tell Molly that the doctor wasn't trustworthy, but thinking of Anna's plan, she ultimately said, "No, I'm fine."
But her eyes seemed to say: Please, save me.
The maid refused the hand Molly offered. Perhaps she believed that Molly couldn't help her. Molly watched her for a moment, then turned and left. If the maid had spoken the truth, Molly would have returned during the day and personally reduced the doctor to ashes.
But the maid refused, and Molly said nothing more. She would deal with the doctor eventually. After all, he had designs on her and had harmed humans, tricking innocent girls into greater suffering. Molly wouldn't interfere with consensual feeding, but this was clearly not the case.
Molly was waiting for the right moment. She wanted to see if Anna would awaken on her own. Anna already had a different consciousness than most humans who served vampires. She wanted to protect other humans, and for that alone, Molly considered her promising. However, Molly didn't like her methods. She wanted to see if Anna would realize the truth before the doctor made his move, preventing her from falling into the doctor's trap.
Before Anna could make her move, Adele showed up. Adele's sharp nose quickly detected that Molly had changed her bandages. Adele tilted her head and asked, "Is your wound healing?"
She sat on the sofa, her posture somewhat relaxed. Although Adele usually maintained a straight back in front of others, she couldn't help but relax around Molly. Though there was still a trace of noble pride in her demeanor, her posture was primarily comfortable.
Molly nodded at Adele's question. "I went to change the bandage today, and it's starting to scab."
Adele brightened up. "Oh, that's good." Then she asked, "Does that mean you won't need to see the doctor again?"
"Not quite. I'll need to go back one more time for a final bandage change."
Adele's smile froze for a moment. Her fingers twirled a lock of her silver hair, the smooth strands curling around her fingertips as she asked casually, "What do you think of the doctor?"
—Despicable, shameless, and disgusting. An old creep who deceives young girls just for a taste of their blood. He's utterly vile and deserves to be wiped off the face of the earth.
If Molly were honest, she would have vented all her anger, but in front of Adele, she had to maintain her persona. So she calmly said, "The doctor? He's pretty good. He's very gentle with me, and he handled the wound carefully."
Molly had her back to Adele, so she didn't see the brief flash of something off in Adele's expression. Although Molly's physical abilities far exceeded those of a regular human, she was still human at her core, so her eyes weren't on the back of her head. She didn't see Adele's expression.
But she sensed a fleeting moment of killing intent from Adele. When Molly turned around, she saw Adele calmly drinking her tea, showing no unusual expression. Adele put down her teacup and then headed to her bedroom to take a bath.