Adele nodded, signaling that it was enough, and quickly led Molly to the room that Oakham had prepared for her. The stench was so overwhelming that Adele felt like she was going to pass out, her mind reeling from the intense smell. Fortunately, the room Oakham had prepared was on the windward side, and once they opened the windows, the fresh air quickly carried the foul odor away.
As the smell dissipated, Adele finally breathed a genuine sigh of relief.
Seeing that Adele was somewhat satisfied, Oakham excused himself, saying, "Rest assured, Miss Black, I will make sure your maid is properly accommodated."
From the way he spoke, it seemed he intended for Molly to stay in the servants' quarters. However, Adele's brows furrowed again, and she insisted, "No need. I'll have Molly help me clean up the room first."
Oakham had no choice but to oblige, showing Adele around the suite and introducing the various rooms. The suite was indeed spacious, perhaps even larger than Adele's room back at Black Castle. The castle was old, with many rooms designed to accommodate a large number of inhabitants back in the day, so even the suites were relatively small.
As a result, many suites in Black Castle were now unused, only being cleaned up when relatives from the Golden family came to visit.
Oakham's estate, on the other hand, was clearly newer, and it seemed he was unmarried and childless. For a low-level vampire like him, getting married was likely a challenge. As the manager of a remote farm, he looked down on other low-level vampire maids, while other managers looked down on him.
Though he might have liked to marry a low-level vampire maid from a noble family, they would rather remain single than marry a greasy, overweight man like him. Vampires were known for their vanity, and the purer the bloodline, the more beautiful the vampire. It was said that in ancient times, vampires used their looks to seduce humans and drain their blood.
If they were ugly, they wouldn't succeed.
So, most vampires were beautiful, though there were exceptions, especially among those with less pure bloodlines. As for why their bloodlines became impure... Molly wasn't a geneticist and couldn't say. While different species typically couldn't reproduce together, vampires couldn't have children with humans either. It wasn't as if drinking too much human blood caused impurities in their own blood, was it?
Since the estate was large and the suite prepared for Adele had many spacious rooms, Adele made her intentions clear: "Convert this small study into a room for Molly. She'll stay with me during our time at the farm."
Oakham looked troubled. "Miss Black, isn't that against the rules?"
Adele stood in the small study, facing the balcony. The moon hung high in the sky, casting its cold light on her. She turned in the darkness, her blood-red eyes gleaming ominously.
"You promised to assist me, didn't you?"
Oakham was startled and quickly responded, "I would never forget that."
"Then do as I say."
With no other choice, Oakham summoned the servants to clear out the study, replacing the furniture with a bed and wardrobe for Molly. After everything was done, he humbly asked, "Miss Black, is there anything else you need?"
This time, Adele simply waved him off, signaling that he could leave.
Once Oakham was gone, Adele asked Molly to clean the room thoroughly, especially to spray some perfume. The stench on Oakham had nearly destroyed her sense of smell. Molly didn't need to be told; her sense of smell was even keener than Adele's, and she found the smell equally unpleasant.
However, Molly could endure it. She had trained herself to ignore the scent once she realized how foul it was, so she showed no sign of discomfort.
Molly nodded and got to work, diligently cleaning the room and even replacing the bed linens Oakham had provided with her own. Once Molly finished, Adele finally relaxed and sat down on the bed.
"Molly, the smell here is unbearable. How much human blood has Oakham drunk to reek like that? And those human servants—he's clearly using them as blood bags, not servants." Adele complained as she took off her shoes and socks, placing her pale feet on the bed.
Molly carefully set aside Adele's shoes and socks, then brought her a pair of slippers.
Adele let herself fall back onto the bed, grateful that Molly had brought their own bedding. Otherwise, her slight germophobia would have kept her awake even during the day.
Molly figured it wouldn't be long before Oakham summoned them for dinner. After such a long journey, a man like Oakham, who was skilled at flattery, was unlikely to miss the opportunity to host a grand dinner.
Adele, however, would have no appetite. Before they left, they had made sure Adele had enough artificial blood. The artificial blood was a powdery substance, white like milk powder. Adele's luggage contained several large bags of it, and more would be sent from Black Castle later.
As Molly expected, it wasn't long before someone arrived at the door. When the knock came, Molly pretended not to notice until Adele called her to open the door. She then acted as if she had just realized someone was there and went to the front room to open the door.
A pretty human maid stood outside, smiling politely as she spoke in a cheerful tone, "The master invites Miss Black to dine in the dining hall. I will guide you there." The maid seemed lively—if one ignored her lifeless eyes and gaunt face.
Her overall condition was poor, her eyes filled with despair, and her body thin and fragile, like a candle about to be snuffed out by the wind. Yet, despite these signs, she appeared otherwise normal.
Molly had seen too many humans like this in this world. She knew exactly what was happening.
This maid was like a doll, carefully maintained on the outside, but her soul was nearly extinguished. If she didn't find a new source of light, she would soon die.
Molly wasn't going to let her die so easily. She would try to rekindle the flame in her heart. That was Molly's mission. She had a bit of a hero complex—she didn't see herself as a savior, but having found herself as a powerful human in this world, she felt she had to do something. Otherwise, it would be a waste of her abilities.
Of course, she would only try. If the maid reached out for her help, Molly would guide her toward the light. But if she chose to give up, Molly wouldn't force her.
For now, Molly didn't do anything out of the ordinary, just nodded to indicate she understood. The maid's stiff smile remained unchanged as she nodded in return and stood aside, waiting for Adele. At that moment, Adele emerged from her room, now dressed in fresh clothes and wearing her shoes.
She had changed because her previous outfit had gotten dirty during the journey. Despite her distaste for Oakham, as a noble, Adele needed to maintain her appearance. She told Molly, "I heard everything. Let's go."
She didn't take Molly's hand as she usually did because they were on someone else's turf. Adele was being cautious, aware that something was off with Oakham, and didn't want to reveal too much about how important Molly was to her.
The maid bowed and said, "Please follow me." She led the way, with Adele following close behind and Molly trailing a few steps back. The dining hall was neither too close nor too far from Adele's room, about a three-minute walk.
As soon as they entered the dining hall, Adele's eyebrows furrowed even more tightly than before, almost as if she could crush a mosquito between them. The long table was covered with dishes drenched in crimson blood, the overwhelming stench nearly causing Adele to faint on the spot.
Her cheek twitched as she suppressed the urge to lash out at Oakham. Following the maid's guidance, she took her seat at the table.
Once Adele was seated, Oakham took his place across from her. He even had the audacity to boast, "Miss Black, although our farm is located in a remote area, we produce high-quality blood that has earned the respect of the regional bank."
Adele's gaze settled on the cup and plate before her. The cup was filled with crimson liquid, and the plate held a piece of raw meat, dripping with blood as a garnish. Most vampires would have eagerly devoured such a meal, but Adele felt her stomach churn: she wanted to vomit.
She took a deep breath, exhaling the foul air, and glared at Oakham. "Is that so? All I can say is that your food smells revolting… The stench is so thick it's clogging my nose. Can't you smell it?"
"Human blood curdling in fear as they die—how can you stomach such blood?"
Oakham looked at Adele, initially puzzled, then smiled. "As expected of Miss Black, your standards for blood are high. To satisfy you, I've prepared a special treat."
He clapped his hands, and from the corner of the dining hall, two maids led a small girl into the room.
Even Molly couldn't help but widen her eyes, and as for the more expressive Adele, she clenched her fists in anger. Oakham, however, mistook Adele's reaction as approval.
"This servant just turned seven this year. I brought her from a breeding facility last year. She hasn't been touched by fangs yet."