Chapter 7 : Chapter 7
Chapter 7. What About the Steam Explosion?
The moment the words left her mouth, Eve’s pupils shrank again. Only then did she finally connect the girl standing before her with someone from her memories.
No way...
Meanwhile, on the other side, the red-haired girl had originally been half-asleep. First she looked confused, then gradually began to understand what was happening, and in an instant she woke up completely.
“Per—mmph!”
But Eve moved faster than the girl could finish speaking. In the blink of an eye, she had already closed the distance.
One hand pressed against the girl’s neck while the other covered her mouth, her entire body leaning forward to pin her down.
The girl beneath her was forced down onto the toilet. She had not even had time to pull up her underwear yet. Her eyes were filled with terror as she shook her head frantically, making muffled “mmph mmph” sounds.
Of course, Eve herself was not in much better shape.
The collar she had torn open earlier had lost its buttons somewhere in a corner. Her loose clothing slipped down, exposing her fragrant shoulders and the upper half of a generous chest wrapped in black fabric.
“Mmph! Mmph!”
“Young Lady, please calm down. I mean you no harm,” Eve said calmly, trying to reassure her, though she had no time to care about the strange atmosphere between them.
“Mmph… mmph…” The girl initially continued struggling and shaking her head, but gradually she began to calm down. Even so, her eyelashes still trembled uncontrollably.
Just as described, this red-haired girl with a cute face and petite figure was the second daughter of the Hessein Family and the owner of Morninglight Manor.
Vivian Hessein.
In the eyes of outsiders, she was an unruly yet naturally intelligent noble young lady. From what the other maids in the manor said, she was a domineering and unreasonable master.
But in Eve’s impression… to be honest, she hardly had one. She had only been here for a week, and the number of times she had met the girl could be counted on one hand.
All she knew was that the girl was very beautiful. Eve had to admit that she was not inferior to herself at all.
While other noble youths were still racking their brains trying to get close to Vivian, she had already won at the starting line.
Just ask—who else in this world could watch Vivian through the entire process while she was using the bathroom and even get this close to her?
As for the price of that… well, do not ask.
Eve herself was already trying to figure out how to resolve this misunderstanding. To be fair, it was not entirely her fault, was it?
If she had not come in, how would she have seen anything?
But obviously, she could not say that out loud. Her mission clearly required long-term contact with the Hessein Family. She could not let such a [small matter] ruin it.
At this moment, her palm was still pressed against the girl’s uneven breathing. Though she could not fully judge her condition from the warm breath brushing against her hand, the girl had stopped struggling.
Eve cautiously loosened her grip slightly.
“You shameless—mmph!”
“Tsk…”
This girl was really troublesome. The moment Eve loosened her hand, she tried to shout again, forcing Eve to cover her mouth once more.
Yet as soon as Eve covered it again, the girl quieted down.
Eve’s lips twitched. It felt like playing with a wind-up toy. She had already lost count of how many times she had sighed tonight.
She was tired.
A faint chill slipped through the crack of the window. Combined with the night’s temperature drop, it did not bother Eve much—the body of a Vampire was not that fragile.
But she could clearly feel the girl beneath her shiver slightly.
Eve instinctively lowered her gaze toward the girl’s thin nightdress and bare feet. The cute underwear was secondary.
Vivian noticed her gaze. The shame and anger in her eyes deepened immediately, but with her legs pinned she could not close them.
Ignoring the angry stare, Eve turned her head toward the bathroom door. Slowly pushed by the wind, it drifted shut.
Click.
Good. Now she could only pray that no third person had noticed.
Otherwise, even jumping into a river would not wash this situation clean. What kind of rumor would that become? “The new maid pinned down the Young Lady”?
If someone heard that, they would think you were performing some bizarre abstract art.
But Eve could not laugh right now.
She shut her eyes heavily, then opened them again, meeting the girl’s gaze.
“Young Lady, I guarantee that this is all a misunderstanding. Could you calm down and listen to my explanation?”
Vivian did not respond.
“The weather is cold. If we remain like this, your health may suffer.”
Still no response.
“Tsk…” Eve was out of options.
Suddenly she understood why the girl’s reputation was so extreme. Since gentle words did not work, she would have to deal with her the way she handled stubborn opponents.
Taking a deep breath, Eve spoke in a calm but deadly tone.
“My patience is considerable. I can remain like this indefinitely. If you do not wish for others to discover…”
Eve deliberately paused.
“…the scene of you and me in such disheveled clothing. If you are not afraid of rumors concerning your reputation, you may continue resisting.”
After two and a half seconds of silence, Vivian finally nodded.
Relieved, Eve removed her hand. She braced one arm against the wall beside Vivian’s ear, though she still did not stand up.
“You are still not getting up?” Vivian asked irritably, frowning deeply with her arms crossed over her chest. “Do not tell me you are secretly pleased that your threat forced me to give in. Let me tell you—keep dreaming.”
“But did you not still nod, Young Lady?”
“I—I was cold!” Vivian’s face flushed red as the white-haired maid obediently nodded, though the gesture carried no real conviction.
Grinding her teeth, she spoke each word clearly.
“Tell me your name. After your explanation, I might show mercy and allow your gravestone to bear your name.”
Eve could not help laughing softly. She thought the girl was rather considerate—she would even provide a gravestone.
But that was beside the point.
Eve had never been threatened before. In fact, the grass growing on the graves of those who had threatened her had long been harvested to feed sheep.
“Why are you laughing? Do you think I cannot do it? Believe it or not, I can call someone here right now to arrest you!”
“I believe you,” Eve replied calmly. “But before that, Young Lady must make a wager—whether help arrives first, or I act faster.”
“You—!”
Vivian was momentarily speechless. Reason began to return, and she started to wonder if this woman’s mind was broken.
“How dare you behave like this? Do you know who I am?”
“I do.”
“And you still act like this?!”
Eve shook her head.
“I said before that this is a misunderstanding. Before you entered, you overlooked the fact that someone was already here. That is how the situation became what it is.”
“So now you are blaming me?”
Only then did Vivian notice that Eve’s clothing matched the standard uniform of the Hessein Family.
Before Eve could continue speaking, Vivian curled her lip disdainfully.
“I do not recall seeing you before. Are you new?”
“Yes. I arrived a week ago.”
“You have only been here for a week, yet you dare pin me down and threaten me. Are you trying to die, or are you simply tired of living?”
Another verbal attack.
Eve’s expression remained unchanged. She had already said she had plenty of patience.
“It was merely a method to calm you down, Young Lady. I hope you can understand.”
“I guarantee that I will keep silent and never speak of what happened tonight.”
Vivian scoffed.
“Do you not know that only the dead are truly silent?”
She looked closely at Eve’s face, disappointed. There was none of the fear or lingering dread she had expected.
Did this woman truly feel no pressure at all?
“You are not afraid?”
“I am not.”
“Why not?”
“Because I am not,” Eve replied calmly. If not for the faint rise and fall of her breathing, one might have thought she was a lifeless object.
“I believe that Young Lady is broad-minded. Therefore… could we pretend none of this ever happened?”
Flattery was often effective.
Combined with Eve’s flawless, cold beauty and the way she lowered her head slightly, it naturally stirred a strange sense of conquest.
Vivian felt it too.
Interesting.
When had Morninglight Manor gained such a rare specimen?
Where the girl got her courage was another matter. The fact that she could remain calm without revealing any weakness suggested her loyalty was not yet complete. Vivian could not tolerate someone disobedient remaining here.
On the other hand, Vivian enjoyed seeing people bow before her.
Yet this woman had not done so.
Or rather, not enough.
“Heh. Pretend it never happened? You may have a pleasant face, but the thoughts in your head are so naïve that they make me laugh.”
Eve glanced again at the underwear the girl had not yet put on. Ultimately, she had caused this situation herself.
She had to admit some fault.
“Does it look good?”
Eve’s expression turned serious.
“You misunderstand again. I am not a frivolous person.”
“You have looked at it no fewer than three times since just now.”
“The night is cold. I was merely concerned for your health.”
Eve could swear to God that she had no interest in a child with such an unimpressive figure—and a terrible temper to match.
Besides, God governed humans. What did that have to do with Vampires?
Vivian rolled her eyes.
“Smooth talker… Get up, before I change my mind.”
Eve hesitated for a moment. To be honest, she was gambling as well.
In the end, she obeyed.
She stood up and stepped aside, then asked casually,
“What kind of thought?”
Vivian sneered but did not reveal that she thought the woman would make a very suitable pet. That would require training first.
She stepped off the toilet as well.
The pure white underwear naturally slid down to her ankles.
Yet she ignored it.
Planting her hands on her hips, she raised her chin and glared fiercely at the much taller Eve.
“I have not said I forgive you. And who allowed you to stand while speaking to me? Kneel.”
“Young Lady has not finished dressing.”
“Tsk!”
Vivian nearly laughed in exasperation. Even she had not cared about it, yet at a moment like this the woman was still paying attention to her underwear.
All she could think about was forcing Eve to kneel.
She quickly bent down, grabbed the underwear, pulled it back into place, and straightened up again.
“Now you can kneel, right?!”
“I refuse.”
“?”