Hermione’s gaze dimmed slightly, clearly disappointed that her fantasy wouldn’t be fulfilled.

“… Alright then. I’ll go prepare breakfast.”

“You… just rest a bit more.”

“I’ll drive you to school later.”

Hermione had already made up her mind to personally see Adele safely to her classroom, preferably through a route that avoided Dorothy and the others. She couldn’t bear the thought of Adele falling into their clutches.

Just imagining that scene made her heart clench as if squeezed by claws, bleeding from invisible wounds.

Dorothy, I will win against you. And then, Adele will belong only to me… a true ‘forbidden treasure’. Not like you, Dorothy, who keeps such a rare gem but doesn’t know how to cherish her.

Hermione left the bedroom, leaving Adele to lie down again. “Resting due to illness” was the excuse, but in reality, Adele just wanted to fall back asleep.

There’s a special kind of bliss in falling back asleep, even though it often leads to those “oversleeping” incidents. You tell yourself just five more minutes, only to wake up to a horrifying time on your phone.

Oh well, I’m doomed.

But right now, Adele didn’t have to worry about the passage of time or the anxiety of being late. She could simply drift off to sleep, knowing Hermione and her breakfast would be her alarm clock.

The girl curled up, cocooning herself in the soft blankets, inhaling the lingering scent of Hermione on the sheets and pillows. Gradually, she drifted into a light slumber.

Who knows how much time passed? The aroma of delicious food finally lured Adele out of her dreams. It was a shame, really; it had been a good dream.

In it, Adele had stepped triumphantly on Dorothy’s proud, annoying face. Black silk seemed to be some kind of reward for her, and Hermione… she had put a collar on Hermione, symbolizing her belonging.

Hermione, hehe, my Hermione~

If it weren’t for school, Adele would have loved to see that beautiful dream through to the end. However, she needed to be careful not to let Sharon, a Sequence One with the ability to manipulate and even enter dreams, catch a whiff of it.

The consequences of having her dreams revealed to Dorothy and Hermione were too terrifying to contemplate.

Sharon was Dorothy’s follower, her abilities not considered particularly strong among the Sequence Ones. Even though they were all descendants of the True Ancestor, there were still differences in power. Some weaker Sequence Ones couldn’t even compare to a Sequence Two, or even a Sequence Three who had broken through their bloodline limitations.

Sharon was undoubtedly recognized as one of the weaker Sequence Ones. Many Sequence Twos didn’t even fear her. After all, manipulating dreams sounded intimidating, but it was only truly effective against lower-level vampires and humans.

Stronger, higher-level vampires possessed mental fortitude that she couldn’t break through. Not to mention those who could choose not to sleep or rest at all, rendering Sharon’s abilities useless against them.

However, in the original novel, Sharon was a cunning woman, skilled at playing the fool. She had been hiding her true, formidable mental power. If she wished, she could likely pierce the mental defenses of any Sequence One, catching them completely off guard.

It was a dangerous, almost deadly ability. Once the mental defenses were breached, she could either use the opportunity to strike a fatal blow or turn her target into a babbling, mentally shattered mess.

In short, Sharon was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

But she didn’t play a significant role in the early parts of the novel, always mistaken for a mere follower, a background character there for comedic relief. This made her later betrayal of Dorothy all the more shocking to the readers.

Adele’s impression of Sharon was primarily based on her later actions; she hadn’t paid much attention to her in the early stages. But now, she had to be extra cautious.

She couldn’t remember how she might have offended Sharon in the early parts of the story, leading to her eventual betrayal of Dorothy for Adele’s sake.

But even then, in the original ending, Adele never forgave Sharon for her past deeds. However, even as the “Blood Empress,” Adele didn’t kill her. Instead, she let Sharon choose her own fate.

The novel described Sharon’s “sorrowful smile” as she sealed herself within an eternal dream. At least in her dreams, she could have Adele’s heart.

—”It was the gentlest dream she had ever experienced in her nightmare-filled life.”

—”She could finally… sleep peacefully.”

Even that was heartbreaking!

………………

“What are you thinking about?”

Hermione returned, carrying a steaming bowl of nutritious seafood porridge and a cup of hot ginger tea brewed with brown sugar. Both were prepared by her own hand. Hermione’s cooking skills were quite good, but she usually only cooked as a hobby.

This, preparing a meal specifically for someone, was a first for her… Yet, she felt surprisingly content, even happy to be needed.

Adele is anemic; she needs to replenish her blood.

In the past, Hermione would have scoffed at the idea of food replenishing blood. But now, she was more willing to believe it, mainly because she had someone precious to care for.

“N-Nothing…” Adele struggled to sit up in bed, still looking weak.

Seeing this, Hermione quickly set the tray with the porridge and tea on the bedside table and rushed to Adele’s side, helping her up.

“…”

You really didn’t have to do that. Adele wanted to say. She just had a fever, she wasn’t completely incapacitated.

But who would refuse such care and pampering from Hermione?

“Thank you, Hermione.”

“…It’s fine. I just don’t want Dorothy badmouthing me, saying I made you sicker.”

Adele smiled faintly, used to Hermione’s tsundere act by now. She lifted the blanket with Hermione’s help and got out of bed.

The first thing that caught Hermione’s eye was the sight of Adele’s slender legs clad in pristine white knee-high socks. In the soft morning light, her knees and ankles glowed with a delicate pink hue, a perfect contrast against the intricate white knit.

And above the socks… it seemed Adele hadn’t even had time to put on her skirt, only managing to throw on a loose T-shirt. This left a tantalizing expanse of snowy-white skin exposed.

Noticing Hermione’s gaze, Adele feigned a flustered expression, as if just realizing her state of undress.

“I-I’m so sorry! After I showered yesterday, the maid said she needed to take my uniform and skirt for dry cleaning…”

“I-I didn’t have anything else to wear, so I just grabbed something from the closet…”

“I’m really sorry for not asking for your permission first, Hermione!”

“…”

Maid, you are amazing! Hermione wanted to cheer. Little did she know, it had been Adele’s doing all along. She had instructed the maids to take her uniform for cleaning. It had been stained with her own blood, all thanks to Celeste.

Seeing Hermione’s silence, Adele adopted an even more pitiful expression, afraid of being scolded.

“I-I’ll go change right now and give them back to you.”

“Please don’t be mad, Hermione!”

“!?”

Now that’s an offer I can’t refuse.

Ahem, no, no, I can’t. Adele is running a fever. How could I, for my own selfish desires, let her catch a chill?

“It’s fine, I’m not mad.”

“Hurry up and have your porridge. You’ll be late for school.”

“Okay.”

Adele obediently went to the table where the tray was placed. The silver spoon gleamed under the light. Picking it up, she scooped a spoonful of the pure white, steaming seafood porridge and brought it to her lips.

But the moment her pink tongue touched it, she recoiled as if shocked.

“Hot! It’s hot!”

Hermione immediately looked concerned. Without hesitation, her right hand shot out to grab the edge of the scorching bowl. A searing pain shot through her fingertips, but she gritted her teeth and endured it.

Slowly, the porridge in her hand began to cool, until it reached a comfortable, edible temperature. Only then did she withdraw her slightly reddened hand and hide it behind her back.

If anyone found out that the Ice Queen had burned her fingers, they would likely assume she’d had a duel with a powerful fire-elemental Sequence. The truth, that she had burned herself cooling a bowl of porridge for Adele, was far less impressive.

“Hermione! Are you okay? How’s your hand?”

Hermione turned her face away, cheeks slightly flushed, avoiding Adele’s worried gaze.

“…It’s nothing, don’t make a fuss.”

“I just don’t want you to eat too slowly and be late for school!”