Aria spent several days with Elizabeth as her main maid.

For Aria, those days turned into a complete nightmare due to her body's reaction to the presence of that vampire.

Even though this was the first time she had experienced something of this level, she made an effort to adapt as best as possible to survive the vampire's presence.

Aria played her role perfectly, pretending to be unaware of Elizabeth's true identity. But as the days passed, more servants with that strange aura lurked around the mansion.

What should she do?

This situation completely overwhelmed Aria.

◇◆◇

"I'm back," whispered María as she entered Aria's room.

Aria felt great relief upon hearing María's voice, and this relief increased when she realized that María's aura remained the same as always.

She hadn't changed!

"You're late," reproached Aria as she got up from her bed. Aria briefly considered that maybe with María, she could find a solution.

"Sorry, I was talking with Elizabeth. She asked me for help with something," explained María.

"What did she want?" Aria asked immediately.

María closed her eyes, trying to remember the conversation, but unfortunately, she had forgotten much of it.

"Don't worry, it wasn't important," said María, scratching her head.

Aria reflected on those words.

Had nothing really happened?

She observed María carefully, but everything about her seemed normal.

What had María done to not change?

"María," said Aria.

"What's up?" María asked, bewildered by Aria's behavior.

"What do you think about the atmosphere in the house? Do you notice anything strange?"

Aria awaited María's response expectantly.

"Well... I've just returned, but..."

"But?" Aria asked, impatient due to María's slow speech.

"Wait a moment, Aria. It's not an easy question, you know? Not everyone responds as fast as you do..."

María took a breath.

"Just answer."

"Let's say I'm getting used to this new environment," replied María. She felt the pressure from Aria and wasn't good at situations that required quick answers to such complex questions.

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"Could you explain more?"

María tried to reflect, but Aria's intense gaze made her blurt out what came to her mind.

"There are several new faces... and some behave somewhat strangely. I didn't expect the staff to change so much during my vacation. If I'm honest, I'm a little afraid of losing my position, but I'll do my best to prevent that!" María didn't even know what she was saying, but she hoped it was enough to convince Aria.

"Why did that happen?"

"I don't know. I just returned from my vacation, Aria. Did something happen to make you like this?"

Aria sat on her bed in silence.

For the first time, she hesitated to say anything because of the fear she felt towards those vampires. But if she wanted to increase her chances of survival, she had to share what she knew to see if she was wrong or not.

"Are vampires good?" Aria asked in an attempt to obtain useful information.

María was surprised by that question and, with a passionate smile, began to explain.

"Listen to me carefully, Aria. If you ever encounter a vampire..."

"Yes, I know. I have to run away or bow my head to see if they can forgive me. Vampires can be cruel, but they are also creatures open to negotiation... I have to be strong if I want to fight them. But what I asked is if there are good vampires," Aria said reluctantly.

The smile disappeared from María's face. She placed her hand on her chin, thoughtful.

"It's... kind of hard to answer," said María as she took a seat next to Aria.

"Well, start answering," said Aria, annoyed.

After taking a deep breath, María began to speak.

"There are stories about love between humans and vampires, as well as tales of vampires who have acted for the benefit of humans and..."

Seeing María not progressing, Aria interrupted.

"What would you do if I told you we're surrounded by vampires?"

The sudden question left María frozen.

What?

Several seconds passed during which María simply observed Aria's impassive face even after such a startling statement.

Vampires were dangerous creatures, with extremely variable powers depending on their experience and skill, making them unpredictable and fearsome opponents.

To be surrounded by them, unprepared, was almost a death sentence or a perpetual submission.

Normally, María would have taken that as a joke, but with everything Aria had shown her, this declaration couldn't be taken lightly.

"How could you even think of that?" asked María nervously, trying not to panic.

She had only gone on vacation for a few days, and now she was receiving this kind of news!

María had dreams to fulfill, and things to do, and she refused to accept that her fate would be to die or serve vampires for life.

"One way to identify a vampire is by observing how they alter the mana around them, and Elizabeth... Haven't you noticed how she does it? The same goes for..."

"Can you see that?" asked María, shocked, gripping Aria's shoulders.

"What? Couldn't you see it?"

"You need to cast a spell to see that!" explained María.

"Then do it and check. I think you can perceive it with the servants who fix the garden every morning. They should be there right now," indicated Aria, pointing towards her window.

Quickly, María stood up and recited a spell to enhance her vision.

Several minutes passed as María carefully observed those servants and to her surprise...

It was true!

The garden caretakers possessed a strange aura that repelled the surrounding mana.

María's legs began to tremble.

At that moment, she could only think of one thing:

She wanted to flee!

María deeply regretted returning to that mansion and leaving her home to pursue her dreams.

What should she do now? If she ran away, it meant leaving Aria behind, the girl who had helped her detect the problem.

Could she abandon the child who, despite her character, had informed her of the problem selflessly?

María chuckled to herself as she crouched down to sit on the floor.

The situation was dreadful.

How was it possible that no one had noticed this before?

"We should tell Lucía. Perhaps if we discreetly ask for help, we might..." María began to say.

"Yesterday, Lucía's aura changed when she visited me," Aria interrupted dryly, watching María.

Those words hit María as if a dagger had been thrust into her heart. This could only mean one thing: Lucía had been turned into a vampire.