Chapter 92: A Kiss, Please
Seeing Jasmine’s silence, Adele realized that Jasmine herself hadn’t figured out the answer.
Adele’s grip on Jasmine’s hand tightened. Following her heart, she poured out all her thoughts, “Jasmine, I don’t care. I don’t care if you’re Lady Dawn, or what your position is in the Human Resistance Army. No matter who you are, the thirteen years you’ve spent with me are real.”
“You asked me before if I liked you. You know the answer now, don’t you? So now, I want to ask you, do you like me?”
Adele looked at Jasmine, her face calm, not a trace of her usual blush. Jasmine knew that Adele was a tsundere. For her to say so much in one breath was already pushing her limits. There was only one reason she could do this: she was afraid of Jasmine leaving her.
Adele’s eyes were sincere, and under that gaze, Jasmine couldn’t lie. “I like you,” she admitted.
Adele visibly relaxed, but before she could fully let go of her anxieties, Jasmine continued, “But there are many things between us. I can’t abandon the Human Resistance Army. Humans have been oppressed for far too long. I can’t let them continue suffering. Adele, we’re on different sides. As long as I live, I will continue to fight against those who oppress humans, including vampires. You have no idea how many vampires have died by my hand.”
Adele didn’t understand. “How are we on different sides?”
Jasmine was taken aback by her question. “But I’m human, and you’re a vampire…”
“Just because we’re different races, you assume we’re on different sides?!” Adele was indignant. “We’ve been together for thirteen years, practically inseparable since we were six years old. Don’t you know me at all?!” She snorted. “At Spark Farm, I’ve been working to improve the lives of humans. Don’t you see that? Jasmine, I have my own thoughts and beliefs. I choose my side based on my own judgment, not on my race. Aren’t there humans who side with vampires for personal gain?”
—Not only are there, but there are many.
Jasmine looked at Adele, speechless. Because—Adele was absolutely right! Even in her previous life, throughout human history, there had been countless wars where individuals had transcended national and social boundaries, fighting for the oppressed, even against their own countries.
Even when their own nations were at their weakest, there had been international allies offering support. If people only chose sides based on their own backgrounds, there wouldn’t have been so many heroes in history. Jasmine hadn’t expected Adele to become such a hero. After a long silence, she finally spoke, “Adele, are you saying… you want to help the Human Resistance Army fight against vampires?”
Adele hesitated, then she shook her head. “I can’t directly attack vampires. If they haven’t done anything wrong, they’re no different from the oppressed humans in my eyes. But I can offer you a safe haven, a place where you can grow and thrive. Perhaps… Jasmine, you could also give vampires a chance, to see if peaceful coexistence is possible?”
Jasmine’s immediate reaction was disbelief. Vampires were parasites, feeding on humans. How could they possibly coexist peacefully? But Adele had a different perspective. “Actually, there are many low-ranking vampires in our society who don’t hold positions of power like Oakham. Many are just maids or servants, performing the same tasks as humans. Compared to high-ranking vampires, they lack power and longevity. Apart from a few minor physical differences, they’re essentially no different from humans.”
“And there are other weak, otherworldly beings as well. Like the rabbit people, who have very little ancestral blood left. They’re essentially human, except for their rabbit ears. And as far as I know, many otherworldly beings can interbreed with humans, producing half-breeds.”
Adele argued passionately, her words sounding idealistic to Jasmine. Jasmine had only been focused on humans, devoting all her free time to uniting them and forming the Human Resistance Army. She hadn’t considered uniting low-ranking vampires and otherworldly beings, but they were indeed oppressed, just like humans.
“Jasmine, you said that the strong should protect the weak. Aren’t they also weak? I believe that humans can coexist peacefully with these low-ranking vampires and otherworldly beings.”
Jasmine swallowed hard. She thought Adele’s ideas were naive, but she couldn’t help but admire her idealism. She opened her mouth to speak, but Adele beat her to it. “Jasmine, don’t reject me outright. Give me a chance. Let’s try.”
This time, Adele extended her hand towards Jasmine, just like Jasmine had done earlier at the tree hollow. After a long moment of contemplation, Jasmine finally took Adele’s hand.
As their hands met, Adele sighed with relief. She had been nervous, just like when she had been trying to convince her father in his study. She was now trying to convince Jasmine, with the same level of determination. But there was a difference: she was being completely honest with Jasmine.
This idea had taken root in her mind the moment she realized that Jasmine was Lady Dawn. She admitted that it had been a sudden, impulsive thought, but as Jasmine bathed, Adele had thought about it more and more, realizing its potential. Unlike Jasmine, who was solely focused on humans, Adele cared about all the weak and oppressed.
When Jasmine took her hand, Adele knew that she was equally important to Jasmine, that Jasmine was willing to give her a chance.
Now that they understood each other’s feelings, Adele’s mind raced with possibilities. She couldn’t help but ask, “Then… can I drink your blood?” Surely, Jasmine would agree this time, right? Although she had just drunk Jasmine’s blood yesterday and wasn’t hungry at all, having even hypnotized her mother and fought her maids before running away, Jasmine’s blood was so potent that she still felt energized and powerful.
She wasn’t hungry, but the thought of drinking Jasmine’s blood was intoxicating. She had even forgotten about her previous meticulous plans for each feeding.
Jasmine wouldn’t refuse her, right?
Adele, brimming with confidence, leaned in… and was rejected.
“No.”
“Eh???” Before Adele could protest, Jasmine reached out, her fingertip resting on Adele’s forehead. “Miss Adele, it’s getting late. If you don’t sleep now, it’ll be dawn soon.” Adele didn’t resist, letting Jasmine guide her back onto the bed.
Adele tossed and turned, hugging her pillow, then she couldn’t help but ask another question, “If I can’t drink your blood, can I have a kiss?” She was prepared for Jasmine’s rejection. After all, it was a bold request, one that Jasmine wouldn’t likely accept.
But she still asked, hoping for a miracle.
And to her surprise, the miracle happened. After a moment’s thought, Jasmine said, “Okay.”
“Eh???”
Adele was stunned again. But before she could fully process it, she saw Jasmine leaning towards her, her hand braced on the bed. Adele froze, unsure what to do with her hands. As she was panicking, Jasmine’s lips brushed against her cheek. Adele’s cheek was cold, but Jasmine’s lips were warm.
Her lips were so soft, so light, like a flower petal gently touching her skin. And as Jasmine leaned closer, Adele caught a whiff of her unique fragrance.
Then Jasmine pulled away, as fleeting as a dragonfly skimming the water’s surface. But Adele’s face instantly flushed crimson. She buried her face in the pillow, mortified. Jasmine, however, seemed unfazed. She patted Adele’s shoulder, then lifted the blanket and lay down.
Only then did Adele realize: I’m sharing a bed with Jasmine tonight!
It made sense. Jasmine probably didn’t have much money. She had almost gritted her teeth when asked to pay for the room. Ten silver coins was a fortune to her. So, it was impossible for them to get two rooms. The only option was to share a bed.
Adele had been kissed, and she was sharing a bed with Jasmine. She thought she wouldn’t be able to sleep. But Jasmine’s faint fragrance filled her senses, lulling her to sleep. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she finally drifted off.
She even had a dream. In her dream, Jasmine kissed her cheek, just like before. But the setting was much more romantic: an elegant restaurant with soft lighting, a table laden with Jasmine’s favorite foods. Jasmine, filled with gratitude, had kissed her cheek. As Adele dreamed this, she realized that their first kiss had happened in such a shabby place!
And…
Even in her sleep, she couldn’t help but mumble, her dream mirroring reality, “A kiss… a kiss on the cheek is too perfunctory…”
Jasmine, lying beside her, opened her eyes. “You foolish girl…”
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