Chapter 46: Longing
They didn’t stay in the village for long. When it was almost time to leave, Adele carried Jasmine back up the mountain, princess-carry style. She even declared righteously, “I’m only carrying you to go faster. Don’t overthink it.”
Overthink what? Jasmine wouldn’t overthink anything.
The good news was that they didn’t have to take the second miss back with them. There were so many maids in the village, they would surely bring her home.
Halfway up the mountain, Adele stopped and put Jasmine down. She led Jasmine to a protruding rock with no leaves obstructing their view and pointed downwards. Jasmine was confused at first, not knowing what to look for, but Adele soon pointed it out to her.
“Over there.”
Oh… they were looking at the river lanterns.
Standing on the mountain, looking down, the village had become much smaller. Although they could still see the lights, with normal human vision, it was impossible to make out any details. After all, it was dark, and humans weren’t nocturnal creatures. But Jasmine’s eyes were different. She was certain that what she saw was almost identical to what Adele saw.
Beyond the brightly lit village, a winding river flowed like a silk ribbon into the distance. Scattered lights floated on its surface, like stars in the Milky Way. One here, one there, countless if you tried to count them all. The stall owner’s business was booming, with many humans buying river lanterns.
Longing was the most simple and common emotion among humans in this world.
Take Jasmine, for example. She had been taken from her mother at birth and raised in a childcare institution that resembled an orphanage. At the age of six, she had to part with the people there and was brought to the castle to work for the rest of her life. This was the reality for all humans in this world. From birth, they were destined for separation.
Jasmine remembered her mother in this world, but she didn’t have any real feelings for her. She had family in her previous life, loved ones she was deeply attached to. She couldn’t deny her previous mother and develop strong feelings for someone she had only met once.
But for most humans, the desire to find their mothers was a deep-seated yearning.
Sometimes, the maids in the castle would wipe away tears, thinking: Where is my mother now? Is she still alive? Is she doing well? What about the children who were in the institution with me? Did they become maids for other vampires, or did they end up working on the farms…
The stall owner’s river lanterns were bought by people filled with such worries and longing. When they heard that the lanterns could convey their thoughts to deceased loved ones, they bought them without hesitation. Because they knew that human lifespans were short, especially in this world, as fleeting as fireflies.
Perhaps… the person who gave birth to them had already passed away.
The river lanterns carried their longing, drifting into the distance.
Adele couldn’t help but ask, “Where have our lanterns gone?”
“I don’t know. Maybe they haven’t even left the village yet.”
Jasmine’s unromantic answer made Adele glance at her. She asked again, “Jasmine, do you have any loved ones you miss?”
“Yes.”
Her answer surprised Adele. Jasmine didn’t seem like someone with strong emotions. She always had a poker face, so Adele naturally assumed that Jasmine had just bought the lantern for fun. She didn’t expect her to actually be missing someone.
Jasmine’s eyes softened, just like back by the river. Her voice also became gentler, “How can anyone live in this world without attachments? I have loved ones I miss, but they’re no longer in the same world as me.” Even Jasmine, rarely affected by emotions, was softened by the sorrow in her heart.
Her expression touched Adele’s heart. She realized that Jasmine wasn’t a heartless person. There was a place in her heart, a soft spot that Adele couldn’t reach. For a moment, she wanted to say to Jasmine: I’ll help you find your loved ones. But then she thought, Jasmine said her loved ones were no longer in this world. Wouldn’t saying that hurt her?
Adele fell silent, just quietly watching Jasmine.
After a while, Jasmine sighed, “Let’s go back. It’ll be dawn soon.”
Adele nodded and picked Jasmine up again, this time holding her a little tighter.
Not long after the Blessing Festival, Adele had to return to school. The familiar routine of vintage car to airship, but this time there were no incidents on the airship. Adele had bought the tickets, and Jasmine once again enjoyed the delicious food in the vampire restaurant. After landing at the school port and transferring to the vintage car, they arrived at the school after a short drive.
As soon as they reached the school gate, Jasmine saw many young ladies carrying their own suitcases. After Adele’s speech at the end of last semester, they had not only started carrying their own suitcases, but they had also coordinated their outfits. Jasmine noticed that Miss Golden’s hat, scarf, and suitcase were all in the same color scheme, and she had even tied a checkered handkerchief to her suitcase.
Seeing Adele arrive, Golden immediately approached, her maid following behind, carrying only one large suitcase.
“Hmph, it’s not that difficult to dress like this. This time, I look much more ladylike than you, and even my maid is superior to yours.”
Golden’s tone was mocking, but Adele was not to be outdone. She quickly retorted, “You, more ladylike than me? Your maid superior to our Jasmine? Don’t be ridiculous.” She pointed at Jasmine, specifically at her small suitcase.
At the end of last semester, Adele had already anticipated that Golden would make changes this time, reducing the number of suitcases she brought. She had known Golden for a long time and knew her personality. There was no way Golden would come to school unprepared.
Golden followed Adele’s finger and saw Jasmine carrying a very small bag… It was only about thirty centimeters long, twenty centimeters wide, and twenty centimeters deep. If Golden hadn’t known it was Jasmine’s suitcase, she would have thought it was a picnic basket.
But she had to admit, a maid carrying such a small suitcase didn’t look like she was coming to school, but rather going on a picnic.
Elegant, truly elegant.
Adele’s suitcase wasn’t large either, just a normal-sized suitcase, not much different from Golden’s. However, it had to be said that in terms of elegance, Adele’s maid was superior.
But Golden still couldn’t believe it. She even exclaimed, “Impossible! How much can you possibly fit in such a small suitcase?! You’re only bringing so little just to make your maid look elegant. How will she change her clothes later? You’re depriving your maid of clothes to change into for your own selfish desires! That’s not noble at all!”
“Humph, humph.” Adele snorted proudly and said in a triumphant tone, “As a role model for young ladies, how could I not be noble? You’re just narrow-minded!” She then explained, “Even at school, I receive letters from my parents. But it’s too wasteful to have a vampire travel back and forth just to deliver a letter. I can contact the maids at home and have them prepare a small suitcase with my belongings, which they can deliver when they come to deliver the letter.”
“Similarly, when I need to return home, I can have my luggage sent back in batches beforehand. That way, there will never be an unladylike scene!” This method was taught to her by Jasmine.
Jasmine had only mentioned it casually, but Adele had put it into practice.
This was probably an early form of express delivery…
Hearing Adele’s explanation, the other noble young ladies gathered around, praising her.
“Miss Blake is right. We can definitely do that.”
“Wow, Miss Blake is so clever. If we do that, we won’t have to carry so many bags back and forth from home.”
“I’ve learned something new. I’ll have my luggage sent back with the messenger servant before the end of the semester.”
They chattered excitedly, but those surrounding Adele were mostly first-year students and girls her age. The older noble young ladies kept their distance but were clearly intrigued by Adele’s words, listening attentively.
Once again, Adele emerged victorious. She entered the dormitory with Jasmine, her head held high. Jasmine helped Adele unpack and then said she was going back to her own room. Adele nodded, and Jasmine left, returning to her small room.
After the long break, the unoccupied room was indeed dusty. But while cleaning Adele’s room earlier, Jasmine had noticed that it wasn’t very dusty. That was because the school also had staff who would clean the students’ rooms before they returned.
As for Jasmine, she didn’t have that privilege. She ran her finger across the table, and as expected, it came away covered in dust.
It seemed like a thorough cleaning was in order.
Jasmine fetched water, dampened a cloth, and meticulously cleaned her entire room. An ordinary person would have been exhausted by such a task, but Jasmine found it easy. In no time, her room was sparkling clean.
After cleaning, Jasmine didn’t go out. Instead, she sat in her room for a while, lost in thought. She heard footsteps outside and only got up when someone knocked on the door. Opening the door, she saw Helen standing there. Her ocean-blue eyes were bright, and even after a semester apart, she didn’t seem the least bit distant.
At Jasmine’s invitation, she entered the room. Servants’ rooms were small, with barely any space to sit, so Jasmine offered Helen her chair while she sat on the edge of the bed.
“Is there something you need?”
“Yes!” Helen said excitedly, “After returning to my master’s house, I didn’t slack off on my training. The other maids were curious, so I taught them the exercises!”
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