This was a harsh reality. No farmer would waste resources on raising old livestock. They would either slaughter them in their prime or abandon them. For farm managers, the goal was to squeeze every last drop of value from the humans on their farms.
Hearing what Molly said, everyone lowered their heads, understanding that she was telling the truth.
Running away might offer a chance at survival, but staying under the oppression of vampires would lead to certain death.
They knew these truths deep down, but had buried them, choosing to ignore them. Under vampire rule, they had shelter, food, and the vampires' protection. But if they ran, they'd face a harsh environment and the threat of other creatures, things they didn't want to think about.
But now, Molly had shattered their comforting illusions. Even under the vampires' care, they wouldn't live long.
Bella took a deep breath, the first to agree with Molly: "I support what you're saying. I want to kill him now, drag him outside, and let him bask in the sun." Bella tightened her grip on the rope, struggling to pull Oakham outside. But this time, someone stepped forward to help—a maid who had tried to stop Bella the night before.
She joined Bella, gripping the rope.
"I'll help you. I want him dead too. I'll never forget that my sister died under his fangs." She clenched her fists and, along with Bella, started dragging the "dead pig" outside. Others followed suit, remembering their loved ones who had fallen victim to Oakham.
With the first, second, and third stepping up, more would follow. Like a wildfire on a barren plain, the flames of rebellion quickly spread. Soon, all of Oakham's servants were helping, dragging him outside. Some even kicked the "dead pig" with a force that made him twitch.
Together, they easily dragged Oakham outside. Following Adele's instructions from the night before, they tied him to a sun-facing tree. The sky was already growing light, but the sun hadn't risen yet, so Oakham had a little more time to live.
Humans don't have great night vision, so someone lit a torch, and soon, several torches were raised. The crackling of the fire filled the air, but no one spoke. If Molly had her way, she would've dragged Oakham to the farm, making sure every worker there saw his demise, breaking their belief in the vampires' invincibility.
But it was a step-by-step process, no need to rush.
The torchlight was stronger than the first rays of the sun, but as the sun rose, its light began to hit Oakham. He let out a piercing scream as flames erupted from his body, writhing in the agony of burning alive. But no matter how he struggled, no one showed him any mercy, let alone released him from the tree.
Under the sunlight, he burned to ashes. The expressions on the faces of those present were complex. Molly saw relief, a sense of justice served, and even tears of joy. The heavy weight on their hearts was lifted, and they began to kindle a fire within themselves.
When Oakham was nothing more than ashes, Bella gathered the remains in a cloth and turned to Molly: "I'll present the ashes to Miss Black tonight. What should we do now?"
Molly recalled Adele's complaints in the bath—about the unbearable stench of the estate. Molly disliked it just as much. So she said, "Let's clean the estate thoroughly, draw back the curtains, open the windows, and let some fresh air in. Throw away and burn anything of Oakham's that's useless. Let's give this place a fresh start."
Bella nodded and led the others back inside to start working. Bella's eyes no longer held the dullness of death, but rather, a bright spark of hope. She was the strongest flame in the estate now, and as long as she lived, she would light up the others as well.
Molly lingered by the tree for a while, reflecting on how vampires might be the most despised creatures under heaven. After Oakham's death, nothing was left of him but a pile of ashes. Even the tree showed no signs of being burned.
When she returned to the estate, Bella was already hard at work, rallying everyone else to clean. Seeing Molly, she approached and asked, "What kind of blood does your master, Miss Black, prefer? Sheep, cow, or chicken? The produce from our farm is top quality; she should give it a try."
Bella had noticed that Adele didn't seem to enjoy drinking human blood, but in reality... she didn't like drinking any blood. Molly hesitated before replying, "You don't need to prepare anything. She... doesn't drink that stuff."
Bella's face showed a mix of surprise and sympathy as she looked at Molly: "Are you... being mistreated?!" She couldn't believe that the same Molly who had just inspired everyone might be suffering herself. But Molly shook her head and, to dispel Bella's concerns, pulled down her collar and sleeves to show her body, free of any bite marks.
"She's... unique. She doesn't like drinking blood. But she does drink artificial blood."
"I've heard of that. Oakham tried it once, but he said it tasted awful, so he threw it out."
Of course, he did, Molly thought, mentally cursing Oakham's wastefulness. Artificial blood wasn't cheap, and he'd just discarded it.
Molly nodded and said, "Just prepare some food for me. You said the produce here is good, so I'm looking forward to it." Bella smiled genuinely this time, not like the doll-like smile from before: "Sure, just leave it to me!"
She nodded, then asked, "Aren't you going to sleep? You haven't rested since last night, have you? Shouldn't you get some sleep?"
Bella smiled and shook her head: "No, I'm too energized to sleep. I feel like I have endless energy, and I just want to keep moving."
Molly didn't push further, knowing that Bella's excitement would eventually give way to exhaustion. She returned to her room, moving quietly to avoid disturbing Adele. Satisfied that Adele was still asleep, she went into her small room.
Adele had chosen a nice spot for her—sunny, with a small balcony. The sun was fully up now, casting a warm glow across the ground. Molly flopped onto her bed, kicking off her shoes. She was tired, both physically and mentally, from the long night, the blood-soaked stench of the estate, and everything that had happened.
Her body wasn't exhausted, but her mind was. But before she could sleep, she needed a bath. After lying in bed for a while, she reluctantly got up and grabbed her clothes, only to realize that since her room was originally a study, it didn't have its own bathroom. The only bathroom was in Adele's room.
Molly sighed. She could either use one of the other maids' bathrooms or use Oakham's, neither of which appealed to her. After weighing her options, she decided to use Adele's.
Molly grabbed her clothes and sneaked into Adele's room. Realizing that as a normal human, she couldn't move completely silently, she deliberately made some noise as she walked and opened and closed doors. She noticed Adele's pointed ears twitch, likely awakened by the subtle noises Molly was making, yet pretending to be asleep.
Molly knew that Adele had caught her scent; if it had been anyone else, Adele would have attacked by now.
Molly, carrying her clothes, entered the bathroom. She skipped the bathtub and quickly showered, then stood at the mirror, drying her hair with a towel before stepping out.
When she exited the bathroom and returned to the bedroom, she noticed Adele had rolled over, now facing her, a different position from when she had entered. Although the room was dark with heavy curtains drawn to block out the daylight, Molly's sharp eyes caught the change immediately.
Could she be awake? Molly wondered.
Molly, dripping with water, wasn't sure. She decided to test Adele: "Miss Black, are you awake?" she asked softly. Adele didn't respond, but Molly clearly heard her breathing pause for a moment. She's definitely awake!
The realization that Adele had been listening while she showered filled Molly with an embarrassing sense of awkwardness. Even though Molly often sat outside listening when Adele bathed, and had even heard her earlier that morning, the tables had turned, and it felt... different.
Embarrassing, very embarrassing.
Molly: How could you listen to me showering?
Adele: You haven't done the same?