Chapter 84: Let’s Elope
Adele’s eyes finally landed on Jasmine’s neck, specifically, on the two bite marks. She seemed to realize something and touched her own fangs, her eyes widening in horror. After a moment, she let out another scream, “I… I drank your blood last night?!”
Her face turned pale, a mixture of horror and shame. She probably knew that she had lost control, driven by instinct, transformed into a monster. Jasmine couldn’t tell if Adele was more afraid of the potential consequences of drinking her blood or of the fact that she had scared Jasmine with her beastly behavior.
Facing Adele’s question, Jasmine nodded. “Yes, Miss.” She even described Adele’s actions, “You pinned me to the ground, sank your fangs into my neck, and drank my blood. I tried to resist, but you wouldn’t stop. I had no choice but to defend myself and knock you unconscious.”
Adele’s face flushed even redder with shame. She seemed most embarrassed by the fact that she had been so out of control. Jasmine thought she would ask how Jasmine had managed to knock her unconscious, but Adele didn’t. Jasmine guessed that Adele, with her overactive imagination, had already filled in the blanks.
And she was right. In Adele’s mind, the events of last night played out quite differently from reality. She imagined Jasmine entering the room, terrified, then being tackled to the ground by a crazed Adele, trembling in fear, calling out Adele’s name. Adele remembered Jasmine calling her name. For a brief moment, she had almost regained her senses, but instinct had quickly taken over again.
That part had actually happened, but not after Adele had tackled Jasmine. It was when she was clinging to the ceiling, about to pounce.
Back to the present, Adele could sense Jasmine’s call, but she had quickly lost control, acting purely on instinct. She had tackled Jasmine, pinning her down, and, despite Jasmine’s terror, had sunk her fangs into her neck, drinking her blood.
Jasmine must have been helpless and terrified. Adele had felt Jasmine tugging at her hair, a slight sting on her scalp. It must have been because Adele had hurt her so much. Jasmine had tried to resist, but not knowing how to make Adele release her, she had resorted to drastic measures.
Adele wouldn’t blame Jasmine. Jasmine was weak. She had only done it out of desperation. Adele didn’t remember what had happened after that. She only remembered a pain in her neck and head, then she had blacked out. Now that she thought about it, Jasmine must have hit her on the head with a vase or something to escape.
It must have been incredibly difficult for Jasmine to knock her unconscious while being pinned down and drained of blood. And after knocking her out, Jasmine must have felt guilty and scared. Adele had heard that humans felt numb and weak after being bitten by a vampire. Even in that state, Jasmine had managed to carry her to the bed… and even change her clothes…
Wait! She had changed her clothes!
The realization made Adele’s face burn even hotter. After all, to change her clothes, Jasmine would have had to… undress her first! And Adele felt clean and refreshed, so it couldn’t have been just undressing. She looked at Jasmine, her expression complex. Even before she had acknowledged her feelings, Adele had been shy about exposing her body to Jasmine. Now that she knew how she felt, she was even more embarrassed.
And she hadn’t showered or changed clothes in days. What if she had smelled bad?
A thousand thoughts raced through Adele’s mind. She asked hesitantly, “Jasmine… did you… while you were changing my clothes, did you also…” Before she could finish, Jasmine answered directly, “Yes, Miss. I also wiped your body.”
Seeing Adele’s flustered expression, Jasmine knew that waiting for Adele to confess was futile. With Adele’s stubborn personality, if Jasmine didn’t take the initiative, Adele might keep her feelings bottled up forever. So, while Adele was still flustered, Jasmine decided to strike. “Miss, I have a question for you.”
Adele, still lost in thought, asked absentmindedly, “What is it?”
“Why are you so against getting engaged?”
Adele’s mind went blank. She turned to look at Jasmine, her throat dry, unsure how to answer. She instinctively wanted to avoid the question. This wasn’t something she should discuss with Jasmine. She wanted to handle everything herself, to be with Jasmine only after she was strong enough to defy everyone.
But to Adele’s surprise, Jasmine asked, “Is it because you like me?”
Normally, Adele would have retorted with a “What are you thinking? Don’t be ridiculous! Just focus on your duties!” But at this moment, when she was desperately trying to avoid being forced into an engagement, she couldn’t bring herself to say those words.
Sometimes, silence was the best answer.
Jasmine’s usually hard heart softened. Her proud, beautiful miss, being so honest at this moment… Jasmine voiced the plan that had been forming in her mind. For someone with her combat abilities, it was a simple, impulsive plan.
She said, “Let’s elope.”
Adele’s eyes widened. They had returned to their usual crimson hue, no longer dark and menacing, but beautiful, like red flowers. Her wide-eyed expression made her look a bit silly, but to Jasmine, it was adorable.
Adele seemed to be taken aback, as if she had never considered this possibility. The moment the suggestion entered her mind, it was incredibly tempting. For a brief moment, Adele truly wanted to abandon everything and run away with Jasmine.
The idea filled her with excitement. But after the initial rush subsided, she had to consider the practicalities. If it were just her, she wouldn’t mind leaving the Blake family and living a life of hardship. She could give up her luxurious lifestyle, her expensive artificial blood, and even force herself to drink chicken or duck blood if necessary.
When it came to survival, pride was a luxury she couldn’t afford.
With her abilities, finding a quiet place in the countryside to live wouldn’t be a problem. But taking Jasmine with her was a different matter. Jasmine was human, a young woman who had lived in the castle since she was six, never experiencing life outside its walls. Adele could handle otherworldly beings on her own, but with Jasmine, she would be hampered, unable to fight effectively.
Her encounters with the school doctor and the otherworldly beings on the airship had taught her that she wasn’t yet strong enough to protect someone completely. Moreover, if they eloped, they would surely be pursued by the Blake family, making their already difficult journey even more perilous.
And she was the Blake heiress. The family had raised her for so many years. She couldn’t simply abandon them without a word. It went against her principles.
Jasmine’s suggestion was tempting, but after careful consideration, Adele shook her head and declined.
“I… I can’t do that.”
She couldn’t even look at Jasmine as she said this, afraid of seeing disappointment in her eyes. Jasmine had surely summoned all her courage to make this suggestion. And Adele had rejected it. She felt terrible.
As Adele was berating herself, she heard Jasmine say “Oh.” Jasmine hadn’t expected Adele to agree immediately. After all, it was a very bold proposal.
But the silence that followed was awkward. Jasmine didn’t speak, and Adele didn’t know what to say. After a while, driven by guilt, Adele finally spoke, “Jasmine, how did you get into my room?” She remembered how Jasmine had managed to knock her unconscious while being completely helpless.
Jasmine knew that Adele was deliberately changing the subject, but her attempt was a bit too obvious. But it didn’t matter. If Adele wanted to change the subject, so be it. Her previous proposal had been rejected, so it wasn’t important anymore.
Adele’s expression became serious. “You can’t do that. It’s too dangerous. You haven’t experienced it, so you don’t know. If vampires don’t get enough blood, they become bloodthirsty monsters. They lose all reason.”
—No, I have seen it.
Jasmine had seen such vampires, those captured by the Human Resistance Army for experimentation. They had been starved for so long that their eyes were bloodshot, their minds completely gone. They looked even more beastly than Adele had yesterday. They had forgotten how to use weapons, how to use magic. Jasmine had even witnessed their gruesome deaths from extreme blood deprivation.
But Adele seemed genuinely worried, so Jasmine reassured her, “If it weren’t you, I wouldn’t have come in.” Her words made Adele blush, then she asked, “Jasmine, how did you get in?”
Confined to her room for so long, Adele had lost track of day and night, but she instinctively felt that Jasmine had come during the night. Her mother’s maids were guarding the door. How could a weak human like Jasmine bypass their surveillance?
Facing Adele’s question, Jasmine answered, “I pleaded with the Lady. I told her I could convince you, so she let me in.”
Leave a Reply