Volume 1, Chapter 21 – The Method of Salvation

“Have they not been provided with food?”

Ignoring the girl’s plea, Yisi tilted her head to glance at Camilla behind her. Even witnessing such a scene, Camilla remained expressionless. A thought crossed Yisi’s mind—if she ordered Camilla to abuse the blood slaves, would she comply? The answer was likely yes. A chill ran down Yisi’s spine.

“They have been given two meals a day, as per orders.”

“But the portions are too small… Sister Naim always gives hers to me…”

A girl younger than the first lowered her head, her voice choked with sobs.

Camilla tilted her head in confusion before suddenly understanding.

“Perhaps the human servants delivering the meals held prejudices against vampires and deliberately reduced the portions. Onee-sama, shall I deal with this?”

“Leave it to you, Camilla. Those who defy my will must be punished.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Bowing deeply, Camilla took half a step back.

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Unsure of what to do next, Yisi silently scanned the group of blood slave girls. Though she could grant them freedom with a single word, doing so would not only contradict the habits of the Count’s eldest daughter but also spell disaster for the girls. Without any survival skills, their liberation would only lead them back into slavery or worse—prostitution. Moreover, their vampiric nature was undeniable. Humans feared vampires, and releasing them now would likely result in them being beaten to death by terrified mobs.

A pang of sorrow for the girls’ future welled up in Yisi’s heart, and she sighed.

“Camilla, are there any vacant rooms in the mansion?”

“Yes. The servants reside in the annex, leaving many rooms unoccupied in the main building.”

Yisi turned to the seven blood slave girls.

“Stand up. From now on, you will no longer live here.”

“Are… are we to be executed…?”

One of the blood slaves spoke up, and instantly, despair washed over all the girls’ faces. Some of the younger ones began to sob.

“No—” As Yisi pondered their future, she carefully chose her words. “You will live in a better place—no longer in this sunless dungeon, and no longer subjected to punishment.”

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The unexpected response made the girls lift their heads, their attention fixed entirely on Yisi. Unaware of their gazes, Yisi continued to rest her chin on her hand, biting her lip in thought.

“However, in exchange, you will have more work. You must master all the tasks expected of servants, and your primary duty of providing blood will continue. Unlike regular servants, you will not receive wages. Your only rewards will be warm bedding and three meals a day. Your blood tastes terrible—I want to see if improving your living conditions will make it more palatable. You have no right to refuse. And if, after this experiment, your blood still tastes the same, you will be sent back here.”

This approach would both free the slaves and provide a justification for her actions. If anyone questioned why she had suddenly improved the slaves’ living conditions, she could naturally reply that it was an experiment—to see whether better treatment would make their blood taste better. As for whether it actually improved… Well, the final judgment lay solely with her. After all, she was the only one who would taste their blood. Whether it was delicious or not was entirely her call.

“Is this… really true?”

“Warm bedding and three meals a day…?”

“All we have to do is the same work as servants…?”

The fear in the girls’ eyes lessened. Some of the younger ones even looked at Yisi as if she were a pile of gold coins.

After all, not just anyone could become a maid in a noble’s household. Take Yisi, for example—as the Count’s eldest daughter, her maids were often daughters of minor nobles. Commoners lacked even the qualifications to serve, left only to gaze from afar.

Moreover, pure-blooded vampires possessed an innate charm that compelled obedience from lesser vampires—a natural allure, like female birds surrounded by countless males during mating season. For these sunlight-fearing, low-ranking vampire slaves, Yisi’s offer to make them maids was nothing short of a divine blessing.

Just moments ago, they had been waiting to die in the dungeon. Now, with a single word from Yisi, they had been given a chance to survive—even if it meant being raised like livestock.

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Though this mindset was undeniably twisted, the girls now truly saw Yisi as their savior.

Yisi nodded.

“Exactly. And don’t forget—if your blood doesn’t improve, you’ll be sent back to the dungeon.”

“I’ll go!”

“Angel!”

“I’ll do my best to become tastier!”

…Was there something off about this?

Yisi raised an eyebrow slightly. Setting aside the fact that a vampire was being called an angel, “I’ll do my best to become tastier” sounded a bit too strange.

Watching the girls’ faces light up with hope, Yisi cleared her throat and schooled her expression into indifference. Her long white lashes fluttered twice.

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“Remember, this is your promise, and I have given you this opportunity. Camilla, wait here for them to gather their belongings, then take them to the mansion. I’ll go ahead.”

“Understood. However, allowing them to reside in the main building with you would be beneath your status. May they stay in the annex’s vacant rooms? Two per room should suffice.”

“Granted.”

Turning away, Yisi forced herself not to dwell on the sight of the girls embracing each other and weeping at their newfound hope. She strode out of the dungeon, ascending the stone steps back to the surface. The sun had broken through the clouds at some point, casting a faint warmth over her.

“Though I didn’t get any blood, I feel strangely pleased… Well, given how frail they are, drawing blood from them now would be unwise. Maybe I should visit the human world instead.”

Was human blood fundamentally different from that of vampires?

Yisi recalled the blood Camilla had fed her by mouth a few nights prior—a rich, slightly bitter flavor, as if blended with alcohol.

Was that taste unique to Camilla’s blood? Or was all human blood like that? If human blood carried an alcoholic note, did that mean the legendary champagne-flavored blood came from humans?

Lost in thought, Yisi stretched lazily.

“I’ll leave it for tomorrow.”