After visiting the garden I proceed to explore every room of the manor, well every room that was unlocked that is. I open another room and the maid whose name is Helen speaks up again

  Helen: This is another store room

  Julia: You guys sure do have a lot of store rooms

  That was the third store room I encountered. It's just filled with bags of grain and some eggs and meat

  Helen: There are a lot of mouths to feed

  Julia: Hmm

  I close the door and walk to the next one, but before I could open it the guard behind Helen cleared his throat

  Guard 1: Ahem…

  Helen: Ah yes. That's the living quarters for the male guards I recommend you do not open it

  Julia: Oh…

  At the end of the hallway there is another set of double doors simir to the ones of the library. Helen speaks up just when I open them

  Helen: That's the armory…

  There are more guards inside cleaning weapons and armor. They all suddenly look at me. It was a very uncomfortable experience. Before leaving my eyes go to a fg hanging from the ceiling. I close the door and turn to Helen

  Julia: What was that fg?

  Helen: That is the Cowper coat of arms

  That's kind of cool. I wonder how much power Cressida actually holds

  Julia: Hmm… By the way I need to take a bath can you take me there please

  Helen: Sure miss–

  Guard 1: Please wait here

  One of the guard leaves and comes back after a minute with 2 female guards in the same uniform/armor. Both the male guards leave and are now repced by female ones. Surprisingly considerate. I have also observed there seems so be an equal number of female and male guards, surprisingly progressive of Cressida considering we are in an ancient era

  Helen: Which bath would you like to use

  Julia: There are multiple!?

  Helen: Yes there are 2. The one on the upper floor is smaller while the one on the ground is bigger.

  Julia: Ummmmm….. Which one has hot water?

  Helen: They both do miss

  I sigh internally. Rich people…

  Helen: I’d recommend the ground one since–

  Julia: Let's go then

  Helen: Ok miss

  Julia: Please call me Julia, it feels weird when you call me that

  The maid looks at the ground blushing

  Helen: I possibly can’t. It would be very rude to refer to my dy’s guest by their first name

  Julia: Is that so? Then it’d be even more rude to ignore the wishes of my dy’s guest, right Helen?

  Helen: Um… yes… Julia

  She blushes even furiously now. God, she is so cute. Like a small puppy. I follow her through a maze of doors around the mansion until we finally arrive at the steaming bath that was the size of a small pool. My surprise is evident as I look around the grand room. Unlike the rest of the mansion this room featured more closeness to roman architecture with all the pilrs having been intricately carved.

  I look behind me and all 3 women are look right at me

  Julia: Can you girls turn around?

  The two female guards shake their head before answering

  Guard: Sorry but we’ve been instructed to not let you out of our sight

  Julia: Fine…

  I say with disdain to make my frustration clear. I turn away from them before stripping and handing my clothes to Helen. I slowly immerse myself in the pool which is surprisingly the perfect temperature

  Julia: Wow…*sigh* This feels nice

  I look towards the other end of the pool, there is a faint red light coming from there

  Julia: Hey Helen what's that?

  I point to the red glowing light

  Helen: That's a magic stone used to heat up water

  I look at her in shock. With everything I have seen I shouldn’t be shocked yet this pce still manages to surprise me

  Julia: A magic stone?

  Helen: Yes, it was my first time seeing one too when I came to work here. They are very expensive and only st a year

  I thought they just pumped hot water in from some hot spring like in those old roman baths… This world might not be as primitive as I thought before…

  After a good long soak and admiring the architecture more, I get out of the bath. Helen brings me a new gown. Thankfully this gown is less stuffy than the st one.

  Helen: Would you like to explore the upper floor now Julia?

  Julia: Sure, hopefully it's more than just some storerooms

  Helen: *chuckles* I think you’d find it quite interesting

  The first “room” she takes me is basically a balcony with walls made of gss, directly overlooking the garden. A variety of pnts line the ground around the gss walls. There is a small round table in the center with a single chair.

  Helen: Before, when my dy was less stressed, she would usually have her breakfast here

  Julia: … This is gorgeous!

  I want something like this in my house now too! I don’t care how much it costs I’m getting myself one of these. If I ever get back that is

  Julia: Wait… Isn’t sunlight deadly to vampires?

  I look back to Helen who looks at me in confusion

  Helen: I have never heard of something like that

  She then looks back at the 2 guards behind her. They shrug

  Guard 1: I like to go for morning walks, never felt anything bad

  Guard 2: Nothing for me as well

  Julia: Wait you guys are vampires?

  Helen: Not me, I am a human.

  I thought vampires were rare or something. Well, could be Cressida only hires vampires as guards. Makes sense considering how strong and fast they are

  Julia: Hmm

  These guards could be trouble if I need to run away from this pce

  ------

  Helen: And this is the music room.

  The room looks so… lifeless. Everything is neat and tidy like it hasn’t been touched for years. The grand piano in the middle of the room is clearly the highlight, but there are some other instruments lying around as well

  I press a key on the piano, and it lets out a short melody

  Julia: Cressida–Ah I mean the countess knows how to py the piano?

  Even after almost getting killed by the woman my tongue still slips up and calls her by her name

  Helen: She used to… before the death of the te count and countess…

  Julia: Her parents? What happened to them?

  She fiddles with her fingers looking at anywhere but me

  Helen: I-I… M-my apologies it isn’t my pce to speak of that

  Julia: That's alright

  When we go back outside a butler walks towards Helen whispering something in her ear. She gives him a nod before he turns to leave.

  Helen: My dy has summoned you to her study Julia

  Julia: Oh. Ok. Lead the way

  We reach her study which is the same room I saw her in yesterday. I see Cressida writing something with that cheap pstic pen I apparently “summoned”. She is wearing the same fancy outfit I saw her in this morning. All of us stand there in silence while she finishes writing up something on the letter. Aurel is there too, eyeing me suspiciously.

  When she finishes it up she folds it and keeps it to her side and finally looks up. Her beautiful green eyes lock onto mine just for a second before darting away. The sun had almost set yet this room remains bright thanks to plenty of candles lighting up the pce. She looks so gorgeous under the warm glow of candles. Wait what am I doing! She still might kill me!

  Cressida: I trust you had a pleasant day, Julia. Now then—Helen, did our guest here dispy any… suspicious behavior during her wanderings?

  Helen: She was curious about every room in the manor–

  Aurel: See, she is a spy–

  Cressida raises her hand gesturing Aurel to stop

  Cressida: Aurel, don't interrupt. Let her finish

  Aurel: Apologies my dy

  She then gres at me as Helen continues

  Helen: As I was saying before. She was curious but only as much as any commoner would be

  I think a saw a hit of small smirk forming on Cressida’s lips

  Helen: However there were a few odd things

  Cressida raises her eyebrow

  Cressida: go on

  Helen: She did not know our coat of arms

  Cressida: Understandable

  Helen: And she thought that Vampires were harmed by sunlight. That's about it my dy

  Cressida: Sunlight? Really?

  She asks looking at me.

  Julia: I don’t know. It was in some novels I read when I was young

  Cressida: So, you did know of the existence of vampires before meeting me.

  Julia: No! I thought they were just some made up thing. Just like… Just like that goose that id golden eggs

  Everyone in the room looks at me with a questioning look

  Julia: It's a bird that ys eggs of gold

  Cressida: Every time we speak, you manage to say something more bizarre than the st.

  She turns her eyes to the 2 female vampire guards in the back

  Cressida: And what about you? Did you notice anything suspicious about our new guest?

  Guard 1: Same as Helen my dy

  Guard 2: Yes, same as her

  Cressida: Except for Julia, the rest of you are dismissed.

  The 3 of them bow before leaving. After they leave Cressida eyes me up and down. Is she checking me out? No wait she probably wants some blood

  Cressida: This 'pen' you produced is remarkably convenient.

  She says rolling the pen between her fingers

  Julia: A-are you sure it wasn’t already there on the table m-my dy

  Aurel: No it appeared out of thin air, you are the only one who could’ve summoned it

  Cressida: Tell me, was that the first time you've ever used magic?

  Julia: Magic? I guess so?

  Cressida: Try it again.

  Julia: Ok…

  I raise my hands in front and shout

  Julia: PEN!

  Nothing happened

  Julia: PEN I SUMMON YOU!

  Again nothing

  Julia: PEN COME TO ME!

  I stop when I heard some giggling. Cressida was trying her best to hide her ughter. God did she look cute while ughing. I think I even saw Aurel smile a little. I am so embarrassed with myself right now… And it isn't even my fault!

  Julia: Don't ugh! It's already embarrassing as it is

  Cressida: Forgive me, Julia, but *ughs quietly* it’s quite amusing.

  Julia: I’m doing this only cause you asked me to

  Aurel shakes her head and looks at me with a bit of pity now

  Aurel: In the library, before you used magic, you muttered something. If I recall correctly, it was, “I wish I had a pen”

  Julia: Ok let me try that

  I raise my hands again and shout

  Julia: I WISH I HAD A PEN

  To my surprise, it actually works! A pstic pen drops to my feet

  Julia: Did you see that! I can actually do magic! I can’t believe this

  I pick the pen at my feet and look at it closely. It looks like a replica of the pen I saw in the morning

  Cressida: Try again, but this time—no hands, no screaming.

  Julia: Yes my dy!

  I say excitedly. I. Can. Do. Magic!!! AHHHHHHH!

  Julia: I wish I had a pen

  Another pen appears right in front of me and falls to the floor. There were no lights, no dramatic sound effects, none of the theatrics that happen in movies when people perform magic. It just appears in a split second

  Julia: Did you see that!?

  Cressida: Yes we saw that. Hand it over

  I am practically jumping with joy holding the pen. She takes both the pens and examines them, handing one over to Aurel. After the euphoria passes I think about it some more… isn’t my ability kind of me? I can only summon cheap pstic pens… but looking at the state of this world I can sell these to rich people and make some good money

  Cressida: I wonder... are you capable of summoning paper as well?

  Julia: Lets see… I wish I had some paper

  A standard sized white paper sheet materializes in front of me slowly falling to the ground. I pick it up and hand it over to Cressida. While her expression remains neutral, Aurel looks shocked

  Aurel: This is incredible! It's so high quality

  Her reaction makes sense considering the paper I saw in the library was all yellowish

  Cressida: Do you think you can make more?

  Julia: Maybe… I wish I had a bundle of paper

  A heavy packet of A4 sheets falls to the ground with a thud. I open the packet before putting it on Cressida’s table

  Cressida: Not only are you delectable, but you also prove to be quite useful.

  Ah that bite, it comes back to my mind. Is it strange I want to experience it again even though it was painful and probably dangerous. Her sharp canines, I want to see them again. I want to hold her hand, feel her skin… Wait no she will kill me. Julia stop romanticizing a dangerous vampire and focus… Wait… If I really am in a different world how will I get back? Is there even a way to get back?

  Julia: My Lady

  Cressida looks up from examining the sheet of paper. Her beautiful green eyes lock onto mine.

  Julia: I still have some questions

  Cressida: As do I, Julia... as do I.

  Cressida: Aurel, lock the study. You, follow me

  She gestures toward me and I follow her, I thought we were going back to the room I woke up in, but she unlocks the door opposite to it. A maid who is already in the room bows slightly when we enter.

  Cressida: This is my bedroom

  Her room was absolutely massive. It was as well lit as the study and much bigger than the bedroom I was in. It still had that old regal vibe to it to match the house. The maid walks behind her and starts to undo the strings on the back of her beautiful gown. I immediately turn around covering my eyes when I realize what's happening. A warning would have been nice

  Cressida: I have an inkling you’re not of noble blood, Julia, but humor me, are you from nobility?

  Julia: Nope, my country didn’t have nobles… just rich people

  Cressida: A republic, you say? Was your family among the wealthier ones then?

  Julia: Nope, I was in the Air force, my mother is… was the only family I have

  Cressida: I see…

  There is a long silence before she speaks up again.

  Cressida: You can turn around now

  I turn around to see her dressed in a loose night gown. Somehow she manages to look regal even in a simple night gown. She sits in front of a mirror while the maid undoes her hair and starts brushing it. She looks gorgeous with her hair down… Well to be honest she looks gorgeous in any hairstyle.

  Cressida: What exactly is this “Air Force” you keep mentioning?

  Julia: It's a branch of the military. We fly pnes… I mean protect the skies.

  She suddenly looks back with shock in her eyes

  Cressida: Your country has managed to tame dragons or wyverns?

  Julia: Those things exist here too!?

  Cressida: Of course, although they are rarely seen in this region

  Julia: We don’t fly on dragons or something like that. We use mechanical birds to fly

  Cressida: Mechanical birds?

  She gives me a curious look. I have a feeling what she is imagining is much different than a fighter pne. But I can’t really expin the concept of a fighter jet to her if she has never even seen a pne

  Julia: Yes.

  She turns back to look in the mirror letting the maid continue brushing her hair

  Julia: My dy… I-I wanted to ask, where did you find me?

  Cressida: You were unconscious and covered in mud, lying right in the middle of the road, blocking the path of my carriage.

  Julia: Where was this road?

  Cressida: It was a secluded one, inside the forest. Maybe half a day away from here by horse

  I walk to bed and sit at the edge.

  Julia: Cressida…

  The maid looks at me in surprise while Cressida turns to gre at me

  Julia: I-I mean my dy… I don’t think I am of this world

  Cressida: That’s absurd! What makes you think that?

  Julia: W-well, my world didn’t have any magic, also in my world humans were the only species that existed and vampires, elf and stuff were just fictional.

  She looks deep in thought before replying

  Cressida: It could be that someone had drugged you, or perhaps a magician tampered with your memories… which would be quite concerning if a magician with such abilities exists.

  Julia: That's impossible. Wait! My clothes! They are the proof that I am from another world

  Cressida: Your clothing, I must say, was rather peculiar.

  She puts a hand on her chin and looks like she is contempting something. Before speaking up again she gestures the maid to leave

  Cressida: Well whatever the case might be, you are now here in this world. I will now give you 2 choices give me an answer by tomorrow morning. Your first option: start working for me as my personal attendant, I’ll drink your blood sometimes, and you will assist me any way you can with your magic—

  She pauses for a moment

  Cressida: Wait can you read and write?

  I nod in silence

  Cressida: Excellent. You will aid me by reading letters, going over documents, and managing tasks I delegate. Of course, I’ll pay you handsomely for your services. Your second option: you leave for the nearest town and try to start out a new life there. Be warned—it takes days to reach the town on foot, the route is dangerous, and whatever work you do find there will hardly pay as generously as I will.

  She gets up from her chair and walks over to me. The slender vampire towers over me, looking at me with those piercing green eyes

  Cressida: Have your answer ready by tomorrow

  I take a deep breath and nod. Is she trying to seduce me or something, cause if she is, she’s definitely succeeding. When I reply to her my voice is nothing but a whisper

  Julia: I think I will work for you

  A smile forms on her face

  Cressida: Wonderful! I was hoping for that. Just the taste of your blood is enough reason to keep you here, but you being literate and a magician? That’s simply the cherry on top.

  She takes a seat beside me

  Cressida: Now, are you pnning to spend the night in my chambers, or do you need me to show you to your own?

  A blush forms on my cheeks almost instantly

  Julia: I– Well I… thought you wanted to…

  My voice becomes very low when I say the st part

  Julia: …drink my blood

  She furrows her brows

  Cressida: Do you have a death wish? You are not bonded so I can only drink from you once every 2 or 3 months

  Julia: Bonded?

  Cressida: *sigh* I’ll expin to you tomorrow

  Julia: Ok…

  I stand up and look into those beautiful green eyes. I could get lost in them forever

  Julia: Good night my dy.

  Cressida: Hmm

  After going to my room I flop onto the bed and scream into the pillow. God, why am I so… hopeless. Admiring my future boss’s eyes, really Julia? I look onto the dark room which was only lit by the moonlight entering through the window

  Julia: Why do you have to be so beautiful Cressida?

  I whisper into the pillow. Ugh getting worked up over this won’t help anything I should just go to sleep