As a Stronger Being

Vampires have excellent memories, and Adele, now eighteen, clearly remembered the events of her life, including the first time Molly was punished by the head maid after she arrived at their home.

On that day, it snowed heavily, and all the vampires in the castle were drowsy. Vampires disliked cold places, as extreme cold made them feel like hibernating. Therefore, they typically lived in warm, humid regions.

However, even in such places, winters could sometimes be bitterly cold, just like the year Molly came to live with them. Snowflakes fell thickly from the sky, blanketing the ground in a thick layer of snow. Adele wasn't sure why Molly had angered the head maid, but she knew the head maid had never liked Molly.

Molly was punished to stand outside in the snow, wearing only her thin maid's uniform. The black night, coupled with the snow-covered ground illuminated by the moonlight, made everything look particularly bright. Young Adele stood on her tiptoes, peering out of the window at the figure standing in the snow below. That was the child she had brought back, her first maid. How could she be punished like that?

Annoyed, Adele donned a thick cloak and went downstairs to find Molly. She took Molly's hand and felt how cold it was. In Adele's understanding, human hands were supposed to be warm, warmer than a vampire's. But that day, Molly's hands were so cold that even Adele found it unacceptable.

She pulled Molly back to her room, where the fireplace had been lit, filling the room with warmth. Only in such an environment did Adele feel more comfortable. In the firelight, Adele asked Molly, "Why did she punish you?"

They both knew "she" referred to the head maid without needing to say it outright. The young maid rubbed her hands together, exhaling warm breath onto them before answering, "Perhaps it's because bullying the weak makes her feel like she's strong."

Adele didn't understand. She wrinkled her little nose, thinking hard for a while. "Why would bullying the weak make someone feel strong?"

Molly's dark eyes reflected the firelight, the flames twisting into various shapes in the fireplace. The crackling sounds filled the room as Molly replied, "Indeed, why would a strong person bully the weak?" She chuckled softly, "A true strong person should protect the weak. The greater the power, the greater the responsibility. If someone uses their power to bully the weak, they're not truly strong—they're just a despicable coward."

Molly's words were too profound for Adele to fully grasp, but she instinctively didn't want to be the "despicable coward" Molly described. In a small voice, she said, "Molly, I'll become very strong. Even though I'm only six now, my parents said that when I grow up, I'll be very powerful. After all, I'm a pureblood noble!"

"Haha..." Molly laughed softly, "Then remember, when you're strong, you must protect the weak." She turned her head, the dim room lit only by the flickering fire, casting a warm orange glow on the side of her face near the fireplace.

Adele still remembered what Molly had said: "And don't forget to protect me, too."

Adele promised, "I will protect you because I'm your master, and you're my maid. It's my responsibility as a master to protect you."

Her parents had said something similar, though it was about the entire Black family. Adele believed that the maids were part of the Black family, that they were its possessions. Over time, Adele had equated "the weak" with "Molly," and she had always kept this in mind.

Adele remembered that she needed to protect the weak. It was the responsibility of the strong. If someone had to bully the weak to prove their strength, they weren't truly strong—they were just despicable. She couldn't tolerate Molly being bullied, nor could she tolerate any weak person being bullied like Molly.

Her crimson eyes darkened, filled with resolve. She wouldn't allow herself to be defeated by a despicable person.

But unfortunately, Adele was at a disadvantage compared to the doctor. She had to protect the maid behind her, and as the fight dragged on, the doctor became increasingly enraged. By the time Molly arrived, the scene was already dire. Adele was severely injured; even her remarkable healing abilities couldn't keep up with the damage.

Although the doctor was also lying in a pool of blood, temporarily incapacitated, his injuries were far less severe. Seeing that Molly was unharmed, Adele finally relaxed a little. She pointed to the maid and, with great difficulty, said, "Take her away." She had managed to protect the weak, not just Molly but the maid as well.

Molly felt a deep, sudden emotion stir within her.

She had always known that Adele was different from other vampires, but she had assumed this difference stemmed from the naivety and innocence of a teenage girl. She thought that after many years, Adele would become just like any other vampire. But today, Adele had shown her through her actions that she was truly different from all other vampires. She wouldn't stand by and let humans suffer.

Just by looking at the scene, Molly could piece together what had happened. The human maid had also come over to them. Her usually lifeless eyes were now filled with complex emotions. In a soft voice, she said, "She... she protected me." The maid mustered the courage to explain what had happened.

"She could have just left, avoiding any conflict. But the doctor, in his anger, decided to attack me. She heard my scream and turned back to protect me. Even during the fight, she kept protecting me, which is why she was at a disadvantage. Even so, she didn't give up on protecting me and made the doctor pay the price..."

As the tension finally released, Adele's consciousness faded, and she lost consciousness. She didn't hear the maid's words.

Molly reached out and gently pushed the hair stuck to Adele's face aside. The hair that Adele had carefully combed in the morning had been cut by the doctor's sharp nails during the fight, and now it was a mess, mixed with blood and sweat. Molly carefully tidied it, revealing Adele's beautiful face.

In truth, they shouldn't be standing around here. They should be getting Adele out of there, as she had instructed—taking the maid and leaving quickly. Adele was well aware that she was weaker than the doctor and that she could only temporarily incapacitate him. Molly could see the wound on Adele's waist, with new flesh growing over it, healing in a particularly gruesome way.

Given that the doctor's injuries were less severe, that he was older, had better recovery abilities, and had consumed a lot of blood, he would undoubtedly recover even faster.

The maid, not understanding the situation, assumed the unconscious doctor was as incapacitated as Adele, which is why she felt safe talking to Molly here. But Molly knew better—the doctor would regain consciousness soon. She gently laid Adele on the floor, making sure she was comfortable, and then stood up.

The maid looked confused. "What do we do now?"

Molly, who usually kept a calm expression, suddenly broke into a smile.

Because she had just noticed that behind the maid, the doctor, who had appeared severely injured, was slowly getting back on his feet.

This was like a scene straight out of a horror movie.

Molly couldn't help but think this as she watched the doctor. His once-white lab coat was now shredded from Adele's claws, and his face, previously passable, had been charred by Adele's fire magic, leaving him looking terrible. Not to mention his clothes, which were tattered in various places, covered with Adele's claw marks.

He stood up like a zombie, which would scare anyone out of their wits.

Sensing Molly's strange gaze, the maid couldn't help but turn around. Her reaction was straight out of a horror movie, too. Even from behind, Molly could tell her body had gone rigid with fear, trembling slightly. Molly couldn't see her face, but she could guess that the maid's face had likely gone pale, and she might want to scream but was too terrified to make a sound.

On the other hand, the doctor seemed much better off. He even managed to take a few steps, smiling warmly at Molly and the maid. However, with his burned hair and battered face, his smile looked more menacing than friendly, adding to the horror.

—Does Adele not know the basic rule of fighting not to hit the face?

Molly thought about the basic fighting principles as she looked at the doctor's face. But then, recalling all the vile things this doctor had done, she figured hitting the face was the least of his deserved punishments. Instead, she felt like praising Adele, saying she had done a good job. As the doctor smiled, he began speaking in that repulsive tone, "Molly... is it? You're here for a bandage change... Sorry to have you see me like this. Come over here, and I'll take care of it for you."

The moment he spoke, the scene felt even more like a horror movie. At this point, even a fool wouldn't approach the doctor. Going to him would be like walking into a trap, letting him drain your blood to replenish himself. As Molly thought this, she realized the doctor was using mental magic on her. So that's his plan, she thought.

The maid, regaining her composure, took a step back and tried to pull Molly away. "Don't listen to him, let's get out of here..." But before she could finish, she noticed Molly stepping forward. From her position, she couldn't see Molly's face, only her back as she moved toward the doctor.

The doctor, seeing Molly walk toward him with such determination, couldn't help but smile.