7 Marietta Edevane

Melissa had no money. She had to return to Edevane castle and use her pieces of jewelry to pay the shop owner. Thankfully the latter was very willing to cooperate and was okay with bartering. The little magic she performed in his shop must have left a deep impression on him so, in just a few hours, the carts loaded with 'precious stones' reached the address Melissa gave.

To be honest, there was no warehouse in the said location, only a vacant lot surrounded by towering trees. But the workers were smart enough not to question the orders they received. They left after unloading everything.

"Hah... I exchanged a set of accessories with a hundred thousand gold worth of fake precious gems.:

A giggle escaped her lips. She was the only one left in the area. Melissa was sure that if her mother, the current Countess Edevane heard of her deeds, the latter would explode in anger and lock her up somewhere for an entire year.

"What should I do next?" She wondered with a thoughtful look on.

A moment later, the vampirette exclaimed. "Ah. Of course, these babies won't magically turn into fine, genuine-looking pieces of jewelry and reach the hands of my fellows from the royal faction. I need people. Lots of people."

"They must be those who had enough of being oppressed by those nobles. Or just anybody who hated those corrupted ones in power."

She instinctively narrowed her eyes as she fell into deep thoughts. The venture she was planning to take needed not only huge manpower but also capable managers. They had to be people who would be careful and resourceful when transacting with the suppliers from the human territory, as well as decisive and swift when transporting the items to Estania.

Thankfully, her memory did not fail her.

Melissa acted right away. She sold two more boxes full of diamond accessories to gain a huge sum of money which she used to hire helpers and sign contracts with artisans and smiths.

The majority of the transactions had required her to employ the same tricks she used on the seller of fake gems. It was not because money was the problem, but because some of the artisans were so snobbish that only the prestige of a 'Vampire Hunter' managed to humble them down.

Everything happened while the sun was shining above their heads. Melissa had not gotten a single moment of rest. As a True Vampire, she did not really fear the sun. But this did not mean that the rays it shone totally had no effect on vampires like her. It could still make them lethargic and would also double the amount of mana needed to cast their magic. This meant that under the sun, the rate at which they deplete mana was doubled. With the lack of sleep, plus the number of people she talked to today, Melissa felt really tired.

'I'm such an idiot... I forgot my body has never been in the best shape because I refuse to drink human blood.'

She berated herself as she flew back home in her bat form.

The afternoon sun was as strong as ever when the girl entered the Edevane castle.

Melissa became further annoyed when she ended up receiving a summon from her mother who was in the garden just when she had reached her room.

"Why is my good mother at that place at this hour instead of sleeping in her comfortable coffin?" The tone she used was a calm one. But deep inside, the vampirette was about to flip the table before her.

The trip from the border took her hours so she was truly exhausted and wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and get a good rest. Couldn't Georgia wait a few more hours before bothering her? It was still freaking' daytime!

"Milady, the Countess has yet to sleep after hosting a gathering," answered her personal attendant, June.

"Then tell them your master has fallen asleep due to fatigue." Melissa took off her coat which her other attendant, Rina, accepted. "They will know it's because I worked hard to train my abilities."

"But..."

Melissa simply glanced at the attendant.

"Yes, milady," answered June as she bowed her head.

Unfortunately, the vampire servant had yet to leave the room when somebody forcibly opened the door from the outside.

Melissa was expressionless when she turned her head to look at the disrespectful visitor that barged into her private space. It was a beautiful brunette with soft facial features and eyes that were closer to navy blue in color than violet, dressed in a blood-red gown. She shared a great resemblance with Georgia. The female vampire looked like she just attended a party, with her make-up on and her cumbersome hair decorations.

"Melissa Edivane!" The voice that came out of the visitor's throat would remind one of fruit, mellow and sweet. Yet her tone was exactly the opposite of that.

Melissa's tone was flat when she replied to the other party. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your sudden visit at this hour, eldest sister?"

The elegant woman who called her out with a fierce look on was her eldest sister, Marietta Edevane, second-in-line to the succession of their House. The woman's visit was truly sudden. The two of them did not have a pleasant relationship because even though they were blood-related sisters, the other party clearly hated Melissa who suddenly appeared and joined the succession race.

So why was she here despite hating seeing her face? Was this her new form of harassment? To bother somebody who was about to sleep?

Melissa was shaking her head inwardly at the not-so-amusing thought when something abruptly crossed her mind. A wary glint flickered across her eyes.

'Now that I remember it... It seems this pretty sister of mine... has some friendship with Leonora and her cronies...?'

After she graduated, the thought had disappeared from her mind, but when she was still attending the academy, she frequently lamented why Leonora and the others were hellbent on making things hellish for her.

'So is that the reason?'

In the next moment, the answer to the puzzle presented itself. Marietta Edevane did not respond to her. She just suddenly released her vampiric aura and coldly looked at her younger sister.

Marietta's facial expression said it all.

She was here not to discuss anything with her younger sister.

She was here because she wanted to crush Melissa through her command over their bloodline!