Around dusk, Bibu came knocking again.
Fortunately, Adam hadn't spent long upstairs earlier, so the "sunscreen" was still working. No need to waste another application.
Adam opened the door. Through the crack, Bibu's aged face appeared.
"Hello… um, may I ask when Baron Yu Jia will be back?" Bibu's usual smile stretched across his face. The crow's feet around his eyes had deepened.
"Anything I can help with?" Adam asked.
"I bought some ingredients. Wanted to prepare a little welcome dinner for Baron Yu Jia tonight." Bibu gestured to the baskets behind him, filled with food.
Of course, Adam had paid for it all. But this wasn't Bibu's fault—if it weren't for these three, he probably wouldn't have a feast like this all year.
After all… it was a full gold coin!
Adam peeked out, smiling. "He should be back after sunset. Thanks for your thoughtfulness."
"Mm." Bibu nodded, smiling, though his expression looked a bit awkward. He still didn't know Adam's name, and their social statuses were different, making him uneasy.
They exchanged a few casual words before Adam closed the door. Wings spread, he leapt into the vertical shaft.
The basement was already fully arranged. Despite the sheer amount of stuff, Adam's strength—and the natural speed advantage of a vampire—had the entire space organized in no time.
At the center was a water pool with a sculpture. Low stone railings surrounded it. A stone table floated above the water, with three stone stools around it.
To the east: stone coffins for the three to rest, plus a bathroom and wardrobe.
To the south: small separated rooms for miscellaneous items and Yu Jia's experimental materials.
West side: a larger space housing tanks for the clones and processing machinery.
North: Yu Jia's private collection, including a washing machine and a small home generator he'd acquired from the First City.
With its underground water source and the small fish nourishing the clones, Adam could easily hide here. Even in bustling Athens, if he sealed the exits, few could ever find this secret base.
Everything a vampire could need was here—a complete secret lair.
"Wow… this is amazing! I don't want to leave if I can stay here," Yu Jia exclaimed. After all the running, he just wanted a place to live in peace. This place was perfect.
Yinling's eyes sparkled too.
If only they could stay here forever… though, sadly, Yu Jia was along for the ride. She glanced at Adam.
"All right, everyone rest a bit. Then we'll head upstairs for dinner," Adam said, sitting on the central stone chair.
"Dinner?" Yu Jia frowned.
"Yes. Yu Jia, bring your medicine. Baron Bibu invited the three of us. We just arrived—we can't refuse his hospitality. We have our medicine anyway, so let's eat."
"Sure!" Yinling cheered. After centuries without anything but blood, even a simple meal must have been a treat.
Finally, the sun set. The vampire trio opened the door, striding out. Bibu nearly jumped.
"Baron… Baron Yu Jia! You're back!" he exclaimed.
"Oh, just got back. You probably didn't notice," Yu Jia replied casually.
"Ah… oh." Bibu said, but inside, he couldn't figure it out. He had been waiting, yet never saw them enter. Had they really stayed in the room all day? What were they doing in there?
Strange… well, rich people were always weird.
Shaking his head, Bibu went to the kitchen to fetch the food he'd prepared. The table already had the cutlery ready.
Barons weren't exactly high-ranking nobility, but few actually cooked for themselves. Only in a place like Athens—a city where falling signs could kill ten people, six of them barons, leaving only viscounts and counts—would such a thing happen.
After a while, he finally brought out the dishes. He served everyone a bowl of thick soup and smiled politely.
"Baron Yu Jia, this food may not match your hometown tastes, but I made it myself. It should be close enough."
He didn't look noble at all; life had worn him down, leaving only loyalty to Corsica, like any ordinary old man.
The aroma of the soup made Adam's mouth water—he hadn't eaten in two thousand years. Yinling, too, hadn't tasted anything in five centuries. They immediately started eating, forgetting appearances.
The flavors weren't exactly what they remembered from home, but without Yu Jia's medicine, even familiar dishes would have made them sick.
Watching the two eat ravenously, and Yu Jia's gentle composure, Bibu sighed in admiration.
No wonder a baron had manners. He had mistaken Adam for the baron several times—Adam's attitude seemed more like the servant's. Now, it seemed he'd been overthinking.
"Hmm? What about Chenu? Isn't he joining?" Yu Jia sipped the wine prepared for him.
Adam had warned him to pay attention to this Chenu. The mansion was small—smaller than many homes. There wouldn't be distinctions for dining, yet Chenu wasn't here.
"He…" Bibu forced a smile. "He went out. Said some strange things. Please don't take it personally, Baron Yu Jia."
"No matter," Yu Jia waved generously. "Here, we rely on each other. After all, we're all Corsicans. Baron Bibu, won't you have a glass?"
"No, I don't drink much," Bibu replied.
But any real noble would drink. He'd bought only a small cask of wine, unsure how long Yu Jia would stay—he didn't dare waste it.
Adam ignored all this. He grabbed a cup, shouting, "Pour me some!"
He hadn't drunk in two thousand years. Back in Eden, he had invented wine—used it to tempt the apple, no less.
"I want some too!" Yinling yelled, raising her cup alongside him toward Bibu.
Bibu froze. Were these really servants? He glanced at Yu Jia—who didn't intervene.
Sighing, Bibu picked up the small wine jar and reluctantly poured.
The meal went smoothly, apart from Bibu's occasional daze. Adam and Yinling ate heartily, finishing even the portion meant for Chenu.
Afterward, Yu Jia casually told Bibu he wanted to walk outside and politely declined Bibu's offer to guide them. The three stepped out.
From a shadowed corner, a pair of hands waved at them.
"Hey… finally! I've been waiting forever." Low, cautious whispers came from Rat. This guy really took his work seriously—even waiting for someone, he had to be sneaky.