Chapter 90: Back Scrub
Under Jasmine’s curious gaze, Adele voiced her concern, her eyes wide with fear and sympathy. “Jasmine, were you… were you peeked at by some male creature while you were bathing?”
After asking this, she became indignant, her teeth gritted in anger. “Who was it? Which bastard dared to do such a thing?! Scum like that doesn’t deserve to live! I’ll grind their bones to dust!”
Of course, Jasmine had never been peeked at. With her sharp ears and sensitive nose, if anyone tried to intrude while she was bathing, she could wrap herself up tightly before they even entered, ensuring they wouldn’t see a thing. She could even give them a glimpse of hell.
But she disliked public bathhouses, so she had never encountered such a situation. However, after spending so much time in the outside world, she knew what went on in those places. She had rescued several young girls from public bathhouses while working with the Human Resistance Army.
Those male creatures didn’t barge into bathhouses simply to catch a glimpse of naked girls. They had ulterior motives. Jasmine wondered if those she had dealt with were regretting their actions in hell now.
Logically, Adele shouldn’t have asked such a question. Jasmine was too powerful to be subjected to such harassment. But in Adele’s mind, Jasmine was still a weak and vulnerable human. She hadn’t adjusted to the reality of Jasmine’s strength, hence her question.
Jasmine couldn’t help but retort, “Miss, can’t you have a little more faith in me?”
Her slightly harsh tone snapped Adele out of her delusion. Right, no male creature could possibly barge into a bathhouse while Lady Dawn was bathing. Realizing her foolish question, Adele blushed with embarrassment.
Jasmine had already checked the water temperature. She drew the curtains, secured the door, and told Adele to come over so she could help her wash up. Hearing this, Adele’s face turned even redder, and she became even more flustered. “I can do it myself. You don’t have to…”
But Jasmine interrupted, “You have a lot of dirt on your back, Miss. You can’t reach it yourself. Let me help you.” Perhaps because she was older now, Jasmine didn’t feel any shyness, even though she knew they both liked each other.
After all, she had already helped Adele bathe several times before.
Jasmine had thoroughly cleaned a large wooden basin and filled it with warm water. Adele knew she was dirty, and seeing the basin of hot water, she finally overcame her embarrassment and nodded. But she wrapped herself in a towel, and only after Jasmine’s urging did she turn her back to Jasmine, undress, wrap the towel around herself again, and carefully step into the basin.
As she settled into the water, some of it spilled over the edge, landing on the wooden floor. Jasmine ignored it and picked up a washcloth, preparing to scrub Adele’s back. She knew Adele was easily embarrassed, so she decided to just wash her back and hair, leaving the rest to Adele.
She dipped the washcloth in the water, poured some water from a nearby bucket over Adele’s head, and then gently washed her hair. Adele’s hair was soft and smooth. The dirt and leaves quickly came off.
After washing her hair, Jasmine lifted it, preparing to wash Adele’s back. She gathered Adele’s hair in her hand, letting it fall over her shoulder and onto her chest. She pulled down Adele’s towel slightly, exposing her back.
Actually, most of the dirt had already been rubbed off by the towel, revealing Adele’s smooth, pale skin. Vampires had pale skin, and Adele’s was particularly fair. As Jasmine touched Adele’s back with the wet washcloth, Adele shivered.
To be precise, she flinched, and Jasmine, with her sharp eyes, saw goosebumps appear on her neck and behind her ears. Only after the washcloth touched her skin did Adele relax slightly, but her back remained stiff.
Through the washcloth, Jasmine could feel how smooth and soft Adele’s skin was. The washcloth almost slipped off. This was the first time Jasmine had bathed Adele while she was conscious, and it was also the first time she realized that Adele had grown into a beautiful young woman.
Adele’s hands clutched the towel tightly against her chest, her slender neck, delicate shoulders, and smooth back exposed. A few strands of silver hair, escaping Jasmine’s grasp, clung to her back, damp and almost invisible. But once you noticed them, your gaze couldn’t help but linger.
Those strands of hair weren’t just on Adele’s back. They also tugged at Jasmine’s heart. At that moment, she had to admit that Adele was incredibly alluring. Her hand holding the washcloth twitched. She extended her index finger, placing it on top of the washcloth, and gently touched Adele’s back with her fingertip.
As she had imagined, Adele’s skin was incredibly smooth and soft, almost magnetic, making her reluctant to withdraw her touch.
Jasmine’s fingertip was warm, and Adele couldn’t tell if it was warmer than the water in the basin. But this touch, completely different from the washcloth, made her tense up again. Her grip on the towel tightened, and she shivered.
The tingling sensation from Jasmine’s fingertip spread through her body, making her feel like a startled cat.
Adele turned her head, her eyes accusing. Seeing this, Jasmine stopped teasing her and focused on scrubbing her back. After a while, she put down the washcloth, stood up, and said to Adele, “Your back is clean now, Miss. Can you handle the rest yourself?”
Adele nodded vigorously, eager for Jasmine to leave, not even bothering to turn around and speak. Her face must be bright red now. She didn’t want Jasmine to see it. And she refused to admit that she was blushing because of Jasmine. It was definitely because she had been in the hot water for too long!
Seeing Adele’s agreement, Jasmine left the room. She made sure that no one was passing by before opening the door and stepping outside. As she closed the door, she heard the sound of running water inside. Jasmine’s ears turned slightly red.
Adele had always been the shy one, blushing easily at Jasmine’s slightest actions or words. Jasmine, on the other hand, had always been calm and composed. After all, her persona was that of a stoic, aloof beauty. If she wasn’t calm, she wouldn’t be very “ice queen,” would she? So, she had always maintained her composure. Even outside her role, Jasmine’s true personality was largely defined by her calmness.
Combining both her lives, she was middle-aged now. Unlike the Lady, whose long life was merely an accumulation of experience, Jasmine had truly matured. Although her maturity was still layered with a touch of chuunibyou, even a vampire who had lived for hundreds or thousands of years might not be as mature as her.
And yet, this calm and composed Jasmine was now blushing because of Adele’s back.
—This makes me seem like a pervert…
Jasmine tried to deny it, but it was true. To hide her blush, she transformed into her Lady Dawn attire. She stood guard outside the door, her back straight. Occasionally, other guests passed by, glancing at the black-clad figure with the black veil.
Jasmine glared back at them. Lady Dawn’s aura was intimidating. These pathetic creatures, hiding in this rundown inn, couldn’t withstand her gaze. They scurried away, muttering under their breath. Jasmine snorted. Cowards.
If they had been stronger, the encounter might have escalated into a classic confrontation: What are you looking at? What are you going to do about it? Keep looking, and I’ll show you what I can do.
Jasmine let her mind wander, thinking about random things to distract herself from the sounds coming from inside the room. After a while, Adele finally called out, indicating that she was done. Jasmine opened the door and saw Adele sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing a soft nightgown.
It was one of the nightgowns Jasmine had brought from Blake Castle, made of smooth silk. Adele’s hair was still damp, wrapped in a towel. She was gently drying it. The sheets on the bed were also from Blake Castle, clearly expensive.
Despite wearing a simple nightgown, Adele’s inherent nobility clashed with the shabby surroundings. The room was rundown, with yellowed walls, decaying wood, and old, mismatched furniture. It didn’t suit her at all.
Jasmine walked in, picked up the basin of leftover bathwater, and was about to empty it when Adele bit her lip and asked shyly, “Jasmine, aren’t you going to bathe?”
—No, I’m not going to use your bathwater.
Jasmine conveyed her silent accusation with a look, just like Adele had done earlier. Adele coughed, realizing her question was nonsensical. “Come back soon,” she said.
Jasmine did come back soon. She had simply rinsed herself off in the public bathhouse and returned quickly. Firstly, the bathhouse was truly unpleasant. Secondly, some idiot had actually tried to barge in while she was bathing. The bathhouse had become a bloodbath, and Jasmine had even looted the perpetrator’s wallet.
The guests staying at this cheap inn weren’t wealthy.
Jasmine worried: How am I going to support Miss Adele?
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