Verdant Flame： Roseheart: The Vampire's Ultimate Romance

Fox Town is truly a strange place. It's unlike London, New York, or any other place Vanessa has been to. As she looks out the car window at the blue-gray sky, she thinks it's as if the town has its own unique filter. While listening to Officer Swan's ramblings, Vanessa stares at the red light flickering above his head, her mind wandering. Vanessa has a secret: she can see "fire" in humans. For example, the color and size of someone's "fire" change when they are happy or angry, young or old. Therefore, Vanessa sometimes values a person's fire more than the person themselves. Perhaps this is why she was known as the "Arrogant Rose" in London's social circles? This nickname was not a friendly tease but a real mockery, as before this, Vanessa was known as the "Foolish Rose." Indeed, in her youth, Vanessa was considered a naturally intellectually deficient child due to her overly dull demeanor — simply put, mentally challenged. Her father despised her for it, and her mother died early from "exhaustion," while others' ridicule and malice were mercilessly directed at her. All this was merely because she often lived in "another world." Vanessa sighed, thanking Officer Swan for escorting her to the residence. "No need to thank me, uh, Miss Vanessa." Giving up on pronouncing her foreign surname, the man in front of her looked at Vanessa, who was about his daughter's age, and felt an unusual warmth. "Though Fox is small, I mean, the folks are simple, but for a pretty girl like you, it's still best not to go out at night." "Thank you for the advice, Uncle Officer," Vanessa responded sweetly. Her caring and cute tone added a touch of liveliness to her almost unapproachable beauty, "You can just call me 'Vanessa.'" Watching the honest-looking man walk away, Vanessa took out her keys and opened the door to the small villa. Fortunately, even though he didn't like her much and left her to fend for herself in the countryside, that man didn't neglect her in material terms. Fox Town sounds somewhat familiar... But compared to the messy human relationships in London, it's quieter here, simpler, suitable for retirement. The house is well-equipped with everything, pots and pans included. Officer Swan, during her escort, also prepared many fresh ingredients following instructions; theoretically, Vanessa shouldn't starve— However, they didn't consider that Vanessa wasn't very skilled in cooking. After tidying up and taking a bath, Vanessa began to eat bread alone against the night sky. Although the villa isn't large, being alone in this empty house is somewhat frightening. Maybe hire a nanny? This new idea lingered in Vanessa's mind, hard to dispel. Biting into the dry white bread fiercely, Vanessa couldn't imagine that one day she would fall so low as to worry about her livelihood. After washing up, Vanessa lay in bed but couldn't fall asleep immediately. Even though coming to this constantly rainy town was her choice, Vanessa was still somewhat frightened. Strange people, strange environment, strange country. And she was a semi-exiled "orphan." Waking up the next day, Vanessa's mood was still not wonderful due to the dream from the night before. She dreamed of her previous life in another world, existing almost like a wandering soul. Even if the content of the dream wasn't so clear, it still evoked Vanessa's not-so-pleasant memories. Irritably brushing her teeth, Vanessa spat out a mouthful of foam in front of the mirror, increasingly resenting the upcoming school classes. As a mixed-race child, a child whose parents themselves were very good-looking, Vanessa's beauty surpassed even her parents'. Her beauty was sharp and dazzling, not like the gentle and delicate spring breeze, but a glorious and mysterious beauty of a nocturnal rose, striking, obvious, and indisputably beautiful. Especially her eyes. A pair of peach blossom eyes filled with endless charm. For instance, her good friend Leo once said: "My little rose, you must never look at people with that gaze when you're alone outside — Yes! Just like the look you're giving now —" The deep gray-blue pupils were filled with unintentional coldness and arrogance, and when she occasionally glanced at the noisy crowd, there was an unknowing mockery, as if the others were no more than trash in her eyes. ...And the non-recyclable kind. "Rein it in a bit, or I'm really afraid you'll be bagged and beaten to death one day without anyone noticing." But because of her unique experiences, Vanessa's personality has always been flamboyant, dramatic... and ridiculously silly. Like now, she changed into a British-style dress and put on a coat warm enough before picking up the car keys of her "old clunker" bought yesterday, heading to school. The weather forecast said that today would be a rare sunny day for this rain-soaked town, so there was no need to worry about dressing too lightly. Vanessa looked sadly at the sky, picked up her backpack, and threw it into the car. How did the Chinese teachers say it in class? Oh, right, "using a joyful scene to highlight sorrow." The desire to skip class grew stronger in Vanessa's mind, and a plan gradually formed. Due to its remote location and constant rain, Fox Town has always been sensitive and excited about newcomers. Almost the second Vanessa stepped into the school, the envious and curious gazes of the girls and the eager looks of the boys never ceased. "Is this the new student?" Jennifer hid her jealousy: "Isn't it a bit too extravagant to dress like she's going to a fashion show?" Her companion Katie nodded noncommittally, then excitedly said: "But you have to admit, her dress is really pretty! Her outfit is quite nice!" The boys' conversations were more straightforward. "Hey! Do you think I stand a chance if I hit on her?" "Forget it, man, you're not even the same species as her!" Then, the topic diverged among them. "Don't you think her pale complexion and gaze look very familiar..." "This isn't another Karen, is it?!" "Oh my god! I can't imagine how God created such an astonishing appearance! Unless her last name is Karen!" Vanessa heard some of these comments as she passed by. She twitched the corner of her mouth. Where she lived before, whether in China or England, people were conservative and subtle. Now, she obviously wasn't very accustomed to the excessive enthusiasm and exaggeration here. But "Karen"... Vanessa felt it sounded familiar. It seemed to appear in some chaotic dream last night. Thinking about this, Vanessa politely inquired among the crowd and finally confirmed the location of the registration office. The school actually had a back door that led directly to the registration office, but Vanessa, being new and directionally challenged, wandered around the school for a long time without finding this back door. Today was the first day of school, and almost all the students had already registered and received their textbooks. Compared to the bustling school gate, the registration office was exceptionally quiet. Vanessa didn't go straight in. Standing a few meters from the door, she thought for a while, then took out her portable diamond powder compact, pressed it against her lips, followed by a colorless lip balm smeared around her lips, and finally blotted with a napkin before heading towards the registration office. Her entire operation was smooth and practiced, causing Alice Karen, who had just come out from the registration office, to be curious about what the girl was up to. As a vampire, she never wanted to compromise herself except for food. So, following her curiosity and utilizing her unique racial advantage, she hid near the registration office, secretly listening to their conversation— "… So, I just signed here, and is that?" "Yes, my girl." Mrs. Smith wasn't very fond of this fashionably dressed, sharp-edged girl at first glance, but after a brief interaction, her respectful and polite tone, along with her gentle and charming eyes, changed her mind. Normal students would have won a word of concern from her with their pale faces, let alone a slightly ill-looking new beauty. Mrs. Smith even felt a twinge of guilt for her initial narrow-minded thoughts. "You don't look very well. What's wrong, Vanessa?" "Oh, sorry, Mrs. Smith, I might be a bit unaccustomed to the climate here." Vanessa bit her lower lip, trying to appear a bit more pitiful and less sharp. "But I won't let it interfere with my courses…" Seeing the beautifully shaped redness at the corners of her eyes and her pale lips, Mrs. Smith's loving instincts erupted: "It's okay, child, I've seen your records from England, and you're excellent. Don't worry about classes." "Go back and rest if you're not feeling well." "Don't worry about missing classes, dear, I'll notify them for you." In the end, Vanessa was almost chased out of the office, with Mrs. Smith insisted she rest as soon as possible. Vanessa was thrilled inside; she was practically given a royal decree to skip class. Such sunny weather is indeed meant for sleeping! Alice, who had observed the whole process: … Truly an impressive maneuver. And indeed, a fascinating girl. Having been so long since her own high school days, Alice couldn't remember if she ever exploited loopholes like this. She could only see the girl's back from her perspective, but it wasn't hard to imagine that she was a beauty. She just wanted to formally take a day off for her family but unexpectedly stumbled upon such an amusing incident. Alice thought with pleasure, she could share this interesting story with Jasper later. Vanessa, feeling somewhat aware of the tree, looked back, but saw nothing but swaying tree shadows. ...Surely, she was just being overly sensitive. Alice, who almost exposed herself, blinked her golden eyes. Wow, an unexpectedly sharp little beauty. The girl's outfit and the glimpses of her delicate profile, which resembled a 19th-century aristocratic young lady, were very much to Alice's taste... perhaps, we would have become friends in the past. When I was still alive,Thinking about this, Alice felt a bit of regret but didn't linger, using the trees to quickly head home. After all, the sun was about to come out, and it was better not to stay long. "The new student is absent due to health reasons." When Mrs. Cardale announced this news during biology class, the classmates, who were eagerly anticipating the arrival of the beautiful new student, were greatly disappointed. After all, it was the rare addition of a new student. However, someone suddenly noticed that there were not just one, but several empty seats in the classroom... The crowd excitedly exchanged gossip-filled glances. Hey! Not only do they resemble each other in appearance, but their schedules are similar too! Could it be that the new student is really from the Karen family!