After stepping into the garden, the vampire lady closed the heavy doors behind Adele, leaving her in the enclosed garden. As Adele walked along the winding path, she instinctively looked up. The ceiling was incredibly high, resembling the height of two or three floors stacked together. Instead of a dark concrete ceiling, there was a vast starry sky above, twinkling with countless stars. Adele paused, realizing that the stars above were all made of magic stones.
Magic stones were incredibly valuable, so much so that the thought of them made Molly's heart ache. Yet, in this underground bunker, they seemed worthless, used abundantly to create a starry sky on the ceiling. Lowering her gaze, Adele noticed the camellias around her. They were in full bloom, beautifully maintained, which indicated meticulous care.
But in the underground, camellias couldn't naturally bloom without sunlight; they would die. Adele suspected that it was through magic and an endless supply of life force from magic stones that the camellias were kept blooming underground.
The winding path led Adele to the center of the garden, where there was a pavilion supported by Roman columns, topped with a beautiful dome. In the middle of the pavilion was a white iron table and chairs, with a lady already seated in one of the chairs, facing Adele.
The lady's appearance immediately left Adele in silent contemplation because—there was no doubt they shared the same bloodline.
The beautiful vampire lady wore a simple white gown, her long silver hair flowing down her back, nearly reaching the ground due to her seated posture. Her crimson eyes watched Adele with interest, her silver eyelashes and eyebrows along with her pale skin giving her an ethereal appearance, as if she might dissipate into the air at any moment.
Resting her head on her hands, which were propped up on the table, her silver hair draped over her shoulders. Below her hands was a cup of tea, still emitting steam. With a smile, she said softly, "Please, have a seat, my child."
Adele nodded and sat down across from the lady without hesitation. The lady personally poured her a cup of tea and even offered her some sugar cubes. "I know—you don't like sugar mixed with blood. These sugar cubes are made from artificial blood; you can drink it without worry."
Adele had been drinking artificial blood for years, but this was supposed to be a secret, known only to the maids in the castle and her family. The fact that the lady in front of her knew this must mean that her parents had informed her.
Not that it mattered. Adele didn't find drinking artificial blood shameful. Her parents, however, believed that if others found out, it would lead to scorn, which is why they kept it hidden. With composure, Adele added the sugar, stirred it gently, and waited for it to dissolve before taking a sip.
Afterward, she set the cup down and looked at the lady across from her. "So, how should I address you?"
The lady smiled. "In terms of hierarchy, I should be your grandmother."
Adele understood. This lady was the Black family's representative in the House of Elders. The House of Elders was made up of esteemed members of the Thirteen Clans, with the core being thirteen elders representing each clan. Beyond that, there were peripheral members, all from the Thirteen Clans as well.
But once someone became a member of the House of Elders, they essentially left their family, apart from retaining their clan surname. Adele's father was nearing a thousand years old, which meant that her grandmother must be close to two thousand years old—a true "old immortal," as Molly would say.
Whether she was one of the thirteen elders, Adele didn't know. The identities of the elders were never disclosed, presumably because they were terrified of death. Where once Adele might have thought it was to maintain mystery and authority, she now saw fear as the primary reason.
Adele nodded, acknowledging the lady's rank. However, she didn't address her as "grandmother" but instead said, "Lady Black, what exactly did the members of the House of Elders summon me here for?"
Lady Black chuckled softly. "No rush, I'm just here to chat with my adorable granddaughter."
Let's keep this small talk to a minimum.
Living in a fortress, never seeing the moon, and with members whose identities were kept secret, the elders were too terrified of death to summon an unproven granddaughter into their innermost sanctum just for a chat.
Seeing that Adele didn't believe her at all, Lady Black feigned a bit of sadness, wiping away non-existent tears. "My sweet granddaughter doesn't trust her grandmother at all. It's so heartbreaking. I even held you when you were born…"
Adele interrupted her with a blank expression, "Lady Black, I have an excellent memory. It's only been a little over twenty years, and I remember things very clearly. You didn't hold me." Her demeanor was remarkably similar to Molly's, her expression a direct imitation.
Lady Black wasn't angry at being exposed; instead, she sighed. "Vampires do have annoyingly good memories. But I've lived for so long—two thousand years—I can't remember everything from when I was born, unlike you."
Claiming to have lived too long, while exemplifying the phrase "terrified of death," Adele didn't know how to respond to her "grandmother."
After some small talk, Lady Black shifted the conversation. "Adele Black, why do you give humans far more than they deserve?"
Adele couldn't help but freeze for a moment. Her eyes briefly lost their sparkle, and her expression turned vacant. She nearly blurted out the truth. She began, "Because I want to create a…" But just as she was about to continue, Adele snapped back to her senses.
She braced herself against the table, gasping for breath, sweat dripping down her temple. Adele realized that Lady Black had just attempted to hypnotize her. The tea, the friendly conversation, all meant to lower her defenses.
Based on Molly's years of pretending to be hypnotized, she had developed a theory about vampire hypnosis: it wasn't much different from psychology back in Molly's world. Hypnosis wasn't a magical solution and wasn't as easy as simply putting someone under. The stronger a person's will, the more resistant they were to hypnosis. Among vampires, who already had a natural resistance, how could one increase the odds of success?
The answer was simple: create a comfortable environment, face someone they trust, and relax their mind. This way, the hypnosis would be much more effective. In battle, hypnosis wasn't strong, as shown when Adele easily broke free from the school doctor. In a tense situation, everyone's guard was up.
There were exceptions, though, like a vampire who was so powerful that their magical energy could overwhelm the other, allowing them to hypnotize with ease.
But clearly, the gap between Lady Black and Adele wasn't that large. Lady Black was strong—Adele wasn't one to deny it. Admitting that an "old immortal" who had lived for two thousand years was stronger than her wasn't something to be ashamed of. The fact that Lady Black almost succeeded in hypnotizing her while Adele was on high alert showed how terrifying her power was.
Had she let her guard down for even a moment, she might have been fully hypnotized and spilled all her plans.
For a brief moment, Adele regretted coming here, but then she reminded herself that she was also strong. Now that she was here, she just needed to hold out and avoid being hypnotized. Her resolve hardened, and she steadied her breathing. Adele looked up at Lady Black, who was sipping her tea casually. "I wouldn't consider someone who tries to hypnotize their granddaughter upon meeting to be a good grandmother."
Lady Black didn't care about Adele's remark and continued sipping her tea. After setting her cup down, she asked Adele, "If not through hypnosis, then as a member of the House of Elders, I'll ask you: Adele, what exactly are you trying to do?"
If she lied now, Lady Black would easily see through it, putting her in even greater danger. But only a fool would tell the truth in this situation.
So Adele opted for a half-truth: "I want to create a world different from the one we live in now." Lady Black remained silent, waiting for Adele to continue.
"A world where vampires and humans can coexist peacefully—at least not like it is now."
Lady Black chuckled softly. "But aren't you still exploiting humans? It's just that you've wrapped it in a sweet layer of sugar." Her gaze grew colder. "Adele Black, did you think no one knew what you were planning?"
Adele's heart skipped a beat, but she kept her face neutral, staring straight at Lady Black. Then she heard Lady Black continue, "You want to build a world that seems peaceful? But in everything you've done, the one who benefits most is you. You don't need me to tell you how much wealth you've amassed over the years, do you? You're truly audacious, trying to create a world centered around yourself."
"However, I do admire you," Lady Black softened her tone after reprimanding Adele. "The system you proposed is indeed effective. With a carrot dangled before them, humans have become much more industrious. I see great potential in you for joining the House of Elders, but you're still too young. You've laid all your ambitions bare."