Chapter 116: Beauty is a Distraction
To be honest, Jasmine hadn’t expected Adele to be waiting for her. It was dusk, the sky not yet fully dark. The sun clung to the horizon, reluctant to set, casting long shadows across the land.
Adele stood in the shadow of the manor, hidden from the sun, but still uncomfortable. That was how vampires were. Even indirect sunlight made them feel uneasy. The setting sun illuminated the western side of the manor, its shadow stretching towards Jasmine, the tip reaching her feet. She stood on the boundary between darkness and light.
Adele’s crimson eyes glowed faintly in the shadows. She was wearing a thin silk nightgown, a shawl draped over her shoulders, her arms crossed, clutching the shawl tightly. Her face was pale, probably due to the lingering sunlight.
The eastern sky was already dark. Adele only had to wait a little longer for night to fall. Jasmine didn’t understand why she had woken up early and was waiting for her here. She swallowed, about to speak, when she saw Adele running towards her.
Without hesitation, Jasmine stepped into the shadow, moving towards Adele. She reached out, catching Adele in her arms. Adele’s silver hair swirled around them, the shawl slipping from her shoulders, revealing her pale skin.
Jasmine froze, then she pulled Adele towards the manor, picking up the shawl and draping it over Adele’s head. She was worried. What if a stray ray of sunlight touched Adele?
Some of the maids who worked during the day were still finishing their tasks. Seeing Adele and Jasmine, they greeted them.
“Jasmine, you’re back!”
“Miss Adele, Jasmine is back!”
Such greetings filled the air, but Jasmine, who usually would have nodded in acknowledgment, simply walked past them, her face expressionless, pulling Adele towards their room. Only after entering the room, with the curtains tightly drawn, did Adele relax. Being outside without any protection had made her anxious.
Jasmine couldn’t help but scold her. “Adele, if you were so afraid, why did you go outside?”
Adele knew she was in the wrong. Her voice was sheepish. “I… I woke up early today for some reason. I asked Bella, and she said there was a lot of activity at the farm today. I knew you were back. But it wasn’t completely dark yet, and I couldn’t leave the manor, so I could only wait for you at the door.”
Her tone was almost pleading, but Jasmine wasn’t fooled. “It’s a good thing you didn’t run outside. Otherwise, I would have only found a pile of ashes when I returned.”
Her words provoked Adele’s stubbornness. She pushed Jasmine onto the sofa, then straddled her, her long silver hair cascading down, her crimson eyes gazing intently at Jasmine. “You’re so mean! You left me alone for so long! And now you’re blaming me!”
Her words silenced Jasmine. Because Adele was right. It was Jasmine who had left her. But despite her scolding, Jasmine was secretly happy. Adele’s actions proved how much she loved Jasmine. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have risked going outside to wait for her.
This thought softened Jasmine’s heart. And their current position was… very conducive to kissing. They had been together for so many years. The moment their eyes met, Adele knew that Jasmine wasn’t truly angry. And she also knew… that Jasmine wanted to kiss her.
Adele blushed, but her body was honest. She leaned down, her lips brushing against Jasmine’s, her eyelashes fluttering as she closed her eyes. It had only been a few days, but to Adele, it felt like an eternity.
Once again embraced by Jasmine, feeling her warmth, Adele’s heart, which had felt empty these past few days, was now full. Their kiss was long and lingering, filled with tenderness.
After a long time, they finally parted. Adele, the tsundere, confessed, “Jasmine, I missed you so much.”
Were there any words in the world that could make Jasmine’s heart flutter more than these? Probably not. She hugged Adele tightly, her voice soft, “I missed you too.”
After this heartfelt exchange, they naturally moved on to more… intimate activities. Adele had neglected her work these past few days. Every time she tried to focus, her thoughts would drift to Jasmine, making her restless and unproductive.
But as Jasmine’s kisses clouded her mind, she thought, Just one more day. After today, I’ll definitely work hard.
With this thought in mind, she clung to Jasmine’s neck, urging her on. After a night of passion, Adele woke up the next day, facing a mountain of work in her study. Beauty is a distraction, she thought ruefully.
Jasmine, who had gone to check on the researchers at the Commander’s base, sneezed, startled by Adele’s mental grumbling. The Commander asked with concern, “Dawn Lady, do you need to rest? You just returned last night. You should get some sleep.” She had learned from the researchers that Dawn Lady had been running back and forth non-stop, and she was worried.
Jasmine wasn’t wearing her Dawn Lady disguise. She had come in her maid uniform. After all, the Commander wasn’t stupid. After comparing Jasmine’s and Dawn Lady’s schedules over the past few years, she had figured out that they were the same person. So, Jasmine’s secret identity had already been exposed to the Commander.
Being exposed in front of the Commander was far less embarrassing than the “Deli” farm situation. Jasmine had even endured the name “Deli.” Losing her secret identity was nothing. Some members of the Human Resistance Army had struggled to accept it. After all, in their minds, Dawn Lady was a mature, intelligent, and aloof beauty. Discovering that she was actually Jasmine, the little maid, had been a shock, causing some to question her leadership.
But it didn’t matter to Jasmine. Whether they accepted it or not, she and Dawn Lady were one and the same.
The Commander had arranged for the researchers to be well-cared for. After all, she was the Commander. If she could lead the entire Human Resistance Army, surely she could handle a few researchers. Reassured, Jasmine prepared to leave.
Adele was also working on securing funding for the researchers, preparing to build a new research institute. And she had to do it secretly. Her farm wasn’t a fortress. There were definitely informants planted by her father, other clans, and even the Council of Elders.
These informants weren’t just low-ranking vampires. There were even human informants. However, human informants were easily detected and converted. They enjoyed better treatment at Deli Farm than they had received from their previous masters. Most importantly, they experienced true equality and respect. There was no oppression from other races. They could even find partners and raise families here.
Many had held a newborn baby for the first time after arriving at Deli Farm, watching the tiny hand grasp their finger, and they had finally understood what it meant to have hope for the future. And the Human Resistance Army’s ideological education, promoting concepts like equality and rebellion, made it even easier to convert them.
However, low-ranking vampire and otherworldly being informants were harder to detect and convert. So, the Human Resistance Army’s activities, including Adele’s plans for the research institute, had to be kept secret, conducted in a hidden location, away from prying eyes.
When Jasmine returned to Adele’s study, she saw her working on the budget for the research institute. Jasmine was surprised. Adele had been working on this before she left. Given Adele’s workaholic nature, she should have already secured the funding and was waiting for construction to begin, not still calculating costs.
Curious, Jasmine casually flipped through the documents on Adele’s desk. Adele seemed nervous, which only deepened Jasmine’s suspicion. She decided to take a closer look at what Adele had been doing these past few days. Then she saw a new purchase order, processed through official vampire channels.
It was for clothes. Undergarments, to be precise.
Adele was wealthy. What was wrong with spending a little money on clothes? Who would dare to question her? Even Jasmine had no control over Adele’s personal spending. Adele was willing to fund the Human Resistance Army, a testament to her admirable pacifism and internationalist spirit. But if she chose not to, no one could say a word.
But as Adele’s maid, Jasmine had to say something. If she remembered correctly, Adele’s wardrobe wasn’t lacking in undergarments. She had just bought a new batch in the spring. There was no reason to buy more now. Confused, Jasmine asked, “Adele, why did you buy more…”
Before she could finish her sentence, she saw Adele blushing furiously.
Something’s wrong. Very wrong.
Jasmine waited for an explanation. Adele, overwhelmed by guilt, became defensive. “I just wanted to buy them! It’s not like I spent a lot of money!”
“Adele, don’t change the subject. You wouldn’t normally buy these.”
No one knew Adele better than Jasmine.
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