Chapter 70: Adele’s True Feelings
As this thought took root in her mind, all other voices faded into a distant blur, leaving only this one thought spinning relentlessly. It was like a whirlpool, dragging Adele down, down, suffocating her, squeezing her heart tightly.
The voice in her head was right. Jasmine was hers, always had been. Sending Jasmine to the village to marry and have children with a human man was unacceptable. Adele had uttered those noble-sounding words so many times that she had almost convinced herself.
But the truth was, she could only accept one outcome: Jasmine staying by her side. Adele had to admit, the moment she realized Jasmine’s feelings, a part of her had rejoiced. See, she belongs to me, body and soul.
This possessive thought lingered in her mind, but the responsibility instilled in her by her parents since childhood prevented her from even considering a future with Jasmine. Yet, when her mother finally pushed the issue of marriage, Adele realized that her feelings for Jasmine were far from innocent.
She could only be with Jasmine, just like the past thirteen years, almost inseparable every day, and it would remain so in the future. Adele affirmed this possessive desire. No matter what, she would keep Jasmine by her side.
But… what about her fiancé?
This question surfaced again. If Adele were a truly cruel vampire, she could keep her engagement a secret from Jasmine, buying herself at least five years. After five years, she could make Jasmine her blood slave, granting her better treatment and explaining that her relationship with her fiancé was purely a political marriage, devoid of love.
Such arrangements were common among vampires. Having lovers outside of marriage was considered normal.
But Adele couldn’t do it. She was a righteous vampire.
She was a righteous child, raised by Jasmine. She couldn’t deceive Jasmine, and if her lie were exposed, she wouldn’t be able to handle Jasmine’s tearful accusation: “I never thought you were this kind of person, Miss!”
The only solution Adele could think of was to go through with the ball, and after it was over, tell her mother that she didn’t want a fiancé. She could shoulder the responsibility of the Blake family, but marriage and childbirth should be left to her younger sister – if her sister was willing, of course.
If that didn’t work… her parents could have another child.
Come on, the White family had three daughters, and the eldest was even a year older than her. It wasn’t unreasonable for her parents to have another child. As long as they had enough children, there would be one willing to marry, have children, and inherit the family.
As for confronting her mother before the ball and calling it off, that was impossible. Even if Adele had no intention of getting married, there was still Miss Golden. She needed to find a husband. Adele couldn’t ruin Miss Golden’s chances just because of her own desires.
Although she and Miss Golden didn’t get along, she wouldn’t sabotage her chances.
Having made up her mind, Adele felt less distressed. She ran her fingers through her hair and sat on the edge of the bed, one leg dangling to the floor, her hands supporting her weight. Now she had to figure out something else: her true feelings for Jasmine.
Those overwhelming, possessive emotions that had filled her mind earlier were definitely not something one would feel for a mere maid. Even her most complicated fantasies included making Jasmine her lover. The idea of a relationship disguised as a blood bond, secretly being with Jasmine behind her non-existent fiancé’s back, was incredibly alluring.
Adele had to admit, she had those feelings for Jasmine. The desire to be with her forever, just the two of them, inseparable, had always been there. Thinking about this made her feel shy. She raised her hand and touched her hair.
She wanted to find Jasmine and confess her feelings.
But her mind was too chaotic today. There was no rush. Besides, how to confess was another problem. In Adele’s ideal scenario, Jasmine would confess first: “Miss, I’ve always loved you.” Then Adele would gracefully accept, and they would live happily ever after.
Imagining Jasmine’s passionate confession made Adele blush. But then her face turned pale as she realized: she had repeatedly told Jasmine, “There’s no possibility between us,” “Don’t get your hopes up,” “I know your feelings, but it’s ultimately futile.”
“Ah…” Adele realized she had made a grave mistake. Jasmine must have been hurt hearing those words. Perhaps she had even cried herself to sleep. After being repeatedly rejected, Jasmine would have buried her feelings deep down, too afraid to confess.
Poor Jasmine. She must be suffering.
Perhaps because of Adele’s harsh words, Jasmine wouldn’t dare to confess her burning love face-to-face. Adele regretted being so blunt. Now Jasmine would never confess.
But for Adele to confess… she couldn’t do it. Her face burned even hotter as she imagined confessing to Jasmine. Should she follow the script from those romance novels, cornering Jasmine in a secluded spot, pinning her against the wall, and declaring, “Human, I love you”?
That was too embarrassing!
Adele’s face was so hot it could boil water! She waved her hands frantically, trying to dispel those thoughts. She would never do something so humiliating! As a noble vampire, how could she do something so shameful? It was better for Jasmine to confess first. That would be more proper.
Adele had it all planned out. She wanted to talk to Jasmine about it. But two days later, when she went to find Jasmine, she discovered that Jasmine wasn’t in the castle. Adele was stunned. She found the head maid and asked where Jasmine was.
The head maid replied respectfully, “Miss Adele, Jasmine fell ill two days ago. She went to the village at the foot of the mountain to recuperate. She should be back the day before the ball.”
“She’s sick?”
Adele was surprised, then she remembered. Unlike vampires, who rarely fell ill, Jasmine was just an ordinary human. It was normal for her to get sick. When they were younger, Jasmine would occasionally fall ill, maybe two or three times a year. But in the past year, Jasmine hadn’t been sick at all, making Adele forget about it.
The castle’s policy for sick maids was simple: send them to the village at the foot of the mountain, give them some medicine, and leave them to fend for themselves. If they recovered, they could return to work. If they died, that was it. So, Adele always worried when Jasmine got sick.
But ever since they were young, Adele’s family wouldn’t let her visit Jasmine when she was sick. Firstly, Jasmine was in the village, not the castle, and the vampire maids didn’t want Adele wandering off alone. Secondly, although humans and vampires didn’t share any diseases, and vampires had strong immunity, it was still better to be safe than sorry. No one wanted Adele to get infected.
As Adele grew older, she had wanted to visit Jasmine when she was sick, but Jasmine’s illnesses became less frequent. And Jasmine herself didn’t want Adele to see her when she was sick. Her usually indifferent eyes would dim, and she would whisper, “I don’t want Miss to see me when I’m sick.”
Adele knew that humans looked haggard and unattractive when they were sick. That was probably why Jasmine didn’t want her to see her. And based on past experiences, Jasmine’s illnesses weren’t serious, usually just colds or fevers. She would always recover after a few days.
Over time, Adele had learned to let go of her worries and simply waited for Jasmine’s return. But now, she desperately wanted to see Jasmine. She wanted to see her right away, to confess her feelings. However, her mother’s maids summoned her. The ball was approaching, and her mother needed her help with many things.
Trying on dresses, memorizing the guest list, and even studying the profiles of eligible bachelors her age. Although Adele had decided to tell her mother after the ball that she was a firm believer in non-marriage, she still had to play the part for now. So, she obediently reviewed the lists and documents.
Yes, she wasn’t going to tell her mother about her desire to be with Jasmine. It sounded too ridiculous. Although Adele was a righteous vampire who didn’t like to lie, it didn’t mean she was inflexible. She would still use white lies when necessary.
Like telling her mother that she didn’t believe in marriage instead of revealing her feelings for Jasmine. After all, she was still young, a growing vampire. She couldn’t handle her parents, who were old and cunning. Most importantly, Adele wasn’t confident that she could protect Jasmine from them.
They wouldn’t harm her directly. At most, they would confine her and lecture her. But if they knew about her relationship with Jasmine, they would definitely take action against Jasmine, and she wouldn’t live to see the next sunrise.
Adele didn’t want Jasmine to die because of her own recklessness. So… she would lie. White lies were forgivable.
But Jasmine was still recovering in the village. Adele couldn’t help but sigh. She wondered how Jasmine was doing. After realizing her true feelings, Adele couldn’t stop thinking about Jasmine.
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