After waking with a start
Handel was a clever man. Baron Shire's behavior just now was enough to tell him that the man was tangled up with a vampire.
"Professor."
Mulan shot him a look, and Handel immediately fell silent. The servants of the baron's household, who had been dismissed so they could discuss certain sensitive matters, were now filing back in.
Breakfast was almost over anyway. Mulan and Handel soon stopped eating and let the servants clear away the dishes, while another manservant led them to their rooms.
The baron's residence was, of course, far better appointed than an ordinary home. They each had a room of their own and even maids assigned to look after them. Most importantly, there were proper toilets.
About half an hour later, Mulan and Handel met in the corridor.
"Professor, I just took a look around. There are plenty of servants here, and they all seem to be human."
Mulan twirled his cane in his hand like a pen, then looked out at the sunlight.
"I asked a servant. He said something urgent had suddenly come up for the baron, and he wouldn't appear until dinner, though lunch had already been arranged. Where do you think he is?"
Handel thought for a moment, glancing up at the ceiling and then down at the floor.
"Probably lying in a coffin in some secret chamber."
Mulan shook his head.
"That's the sad thing about him. At this stage, he loathes sunlight but isn't used to sleeping in a coffin either. It might help suppress his urges, but lying inside feels terribly oppressive. Do you think he can fall asleep just by climbing in?"
Handel looked slightly taken aback.
"Is that how it works?"
"Hahaha, actually, even plenty of true vampires aren't used to sleeping in