The basement was a small, dimly lit room.
There were two rows of bookcases, a sofa and a desk. The empty walls were covered by old newspapers and the desk was covered in dust. It did not seem to be used often.
Noble took a seat on the couch in one corner of the room and tilted his head slightly, motioning for me to sit across from him.
After I sat down, he scanned me from head to toe and asked in a cool voice, “Cecily, how was your first week at school?”
I was a little surprised that Noble would be concerned about my situation. I’d always thought a daughter like me was dispensable to him.
I was stunned for a moment before replying, “Not bad.”
I didn’t want to complain or ask for help from a cold father like him, so I adopted the most distant stance.
.
Noble frowned slightly and lit a cigar. “Have you been interacting with the vampires?”
I hesitated for a moment, but then said, “No. I’m just a regular officer’s daughter. Why would I have the chance to associate with a vampire? You know how prestigious vampires are in Rockefeller.”
Noble took a puff of his cigar, held it between his fingers, and nodded. “That’s good. I hope you don’t have any dealings with vampires in Rockefeller. You need to be careful with them.”
“…” I didn’t expect him to tell me this. It was exactly the same as what Grandpa told me.
Was he really concerned about me?
Then why did he want me to go to Rockefeller on behalf of his youngest daughter?
My heart turned cold at the thought.
Besides, thinking back to what had happened at school this week, my impression of vampires had changed.
In the beginning, my thoughts were similar to Noble’s. I thought vampires were a bunch of bloodthirsty demons who disregarded life and disrespected humans.
But after getting to know Elvin and the others, I realized that there were actually kind and upright people among the vampires.
Elvin, Yvette, Hazel, and Herbert didn’t hurt me. They always reached out to help me when I needed help.
As for Ansir… he was different story. Even though he didn’t hurt me, he was always messing with me. I didn’t want to classify him as a good person.
In Rockefeller, I actually received more help from vampires than from my human companions.
It was a little ironic.
I was silent for a long moment as I voiced my inner thoughts. “Father, I don’t think all vampires are bloodthirsty demons…” I paused before continuing. “There are kind vampires among them…”
“That’s enough!” Before I could finish, Noble interrupted me. His brows furrowed and his gaze became as sharp as a blade. “I don’t know who instilled these thoughts in you, but let me warn you, Cecily, these thoughts of yours are gravely mistaken!”
After Noble’s tirade, the atmosphere between us froze.
A strange anger surged through me.
I didn’t think Noble cared about what I thought or said. He’s just filling me in on his opinion. He’s not really caring or worrying about me. He definitely had his own intention.
My gaze dimmed. “If you don’t have anything else to say to me, I’m going back to my room.”
As if noticing the change in my mood, Noble calmed himself. His expression softened, and his sharp gaze shifted to a deep calm.
Noble let out a shaky breath and said in a deep voice, “Cecily, you’re still young. You don’t understand how terrifying vampires are. They’re the most terrifying and evil existence in the world…” He slowly stopped, his hands on the armrest of the chair clenched into fists, as if he could barely contain the anger rising in his heart. “Your mother was…”
Noble’s words had barely left his mouth when I turned to him with a shocked expression.
This was the first time he talked about his mother in front of me, and it was a topic related to vampires!
However, he seemed to realize that he had misspoken and did not intend to continue. Only his clenched fists were still trembling slightly.
I didn’t want to stop there, so I asked, “What did they do to Mother? Tell me!”
He was about to speak. However, when footsteps sounded outside the door, Noble stopped talking, alert, and sat up slightly.
I frowned and tried to identify it seriously. It was the sound of heels on the wooden floor.
Soon, the handle of the basement door turned lightly, and the door was opened from the outside. Adeline walked in with a smile on her face. “Darling, why did you come to the basement with Cecily…”
As she spoke, she glanced at me before looking back at Noble, who hadn’t said a word. The smile on her face deepened. “I just came back from the ball party. I have something to discuss with you. I didn’t interrupt your father-daughter conversation, did I?”
When Adeline finished, Noble’s face changed slightly. The change was brief, but I still saw it.
Noble’s change in expression after Adeline’s appearance puzzled me.
I’d thought he and Adeline were a loving couple. He’d even completely abandoned Mom and me just to be with Adeline.
But, from Noble’s behavior, it was clear that things weren’t what I’d expected.