Chapter 82: The Foolish Miss
Jasmine’s blood smelled incredibly enticing. Even the fully conscious and well-fed Blake Lady had to struggle to suppress her urge to drink. What about Adele, who had been starved for almost half a month and was on the verge of losing her sanity?
The wound on Jasmine’s hand wouldn’t heal quickly. It might not even stop bleeding completely in such a short time. The sweet scent of her blood lingered in the air, and the starving beast wanted nothing more than to devour her. The moment Jasmine entered Adele’s room, she might be pinned to the ground, her throat torn open by fangs, her blood drained to the last drop.
The Blake Lady didn’t care whether Jasmine lived or died. She only regretted that she might never smell such delicious blood again. And she worried that if Adele tasted this exquisite blood, she might either lose control and indulge in a blood frenzy, or become unable to stomach any other blood.
The former was manageable, but the latter would be troublesome. Adele was already a picky eater, refusing to drink anything but artificial blood. Where would she find another source of such delicious blood if Adele developed a taste for it?
However, the Blake Lady believed that the former was far more likely. They were vampires, creatures driven by their thirst for blood. If they could resist the allure of such a delectable scent so easily, they would have become vegetarians long ago.
Vampires couldn’t resist the temptation of blood.
With this in mind, the Blake Lady closed her fan with a snap. She looked at Jasmine, who remained resolute even after being warned of the potential danger. She chuckled and said, “Since you’re pleading so earnestly, I’m not heartless. Fine, you may go.”
Hearing her agreement, Jasmine even dared to make another request, “I hope you will withdraw all the maids after I enter.”
The Blake Lady narrowed her eyes dangerously. Before she could speak, Jasmine added, “You know Miss Adele so well. Surely you understand that those monitoring her are an insult to her. Now that she’s lost her reason, after tasting blood, she might go on a rampage and eliminate those who have offended her.”
The Blake Lady’s gaze locked onto Jasmine, who met her eyes without fear or hesitation. The Blake Lady didn’t care whether those vampire maids lived or died, but as a leader, with other servants present, she couldn’t appear to disregard her subordinates’ lives over such a trivial matter.
Even if it were true, she couldn’t say it outright.
So, she chuckled and agreed.
With the Blake Lady’s permission, Jasmine’s path was clear. The Lady’s personal maid escorted her to Adele’s room. The vampire maids guarding the door looked at her with a mixture of pity and awe, as if she were Jing Ke*, embarking on a suicide mission.
Jasmine, however, was in a good mood. Her expression wasn’t even as gloomy as usual.
The vampire maid opened the door, and Jasmine stepped inside. She sensed the other maids withdrawing at the same time.
Adele usually kept the lights on because Jasmine disliked darkness. Although her night vision was excellent, on par with, if not better than, vampires, as a human, she still preferred well-lit environments. Because of Jasmine, Adele had become accustomed to living with lights on.
But now, her room was pitch black. Even the balcony windows were closed. Adele knew that opening them would reveal the two vampire maids standing guard outside, like pillars. But now, they were gone.
The moment Jasmine entered the room, she felt Adele’s presence: her voice, her scent, her breath.
Adele’s condition had worsened since Jasmine’s last visit. As the Lady had said, she was losing her sanity. The thirst for blood consumed her, tormenting her with insatiable hunger.
Perhaps sensing Jasmine’s scent, Adele emerged from her bedroom and entered the drawing-room. But her movements were unnatural. She didn’t walk through the door. Instead, she crawled across the ceiling, like a spider.
This meant Adele was in hunting mode.
Jasmine stared straight ahead, pretending not to notice Adele. She called out softly, “Miss Adele.” Adele, clinging to the ceiling above Jasmine’s head, froze. Her bloodshot eyes closed, then opened again.
Jasmine didn’t look up. Adele’s appearance must be quite frightening right now. Her mouth was probably agape, drool dripping down her chin… Her silver hair, like a spiderweb, hung down around her.
Come to think of it, Adele probably hadn’t showered in days. But there was no foul odor. Jasmine’s nose was sensitive. If there had been any stench, it would have driven her out of the room. But Adele’s room smelled clean, at least there were no unpleasant odors.
However, Adele seemed to have lost her reason, transformed into a bloodthirsty beast. She had looked so innocent and harmless while sleeping. Who would have thought she would become like this when she woke up? Jasmine sighed. She could sense the beast preparing to attack, its sharp claws twitching.
So, before Adele could pounce, Jasmine spoke, “Adele.” Her voice was soft, gentle, even dropping the honorific “Miss.” Her words carried no magic, no hypnotic power like a vampire’s.
But her voice still reached Adele, making her pause. However, the pause was brief. A moment later, as if provoked, the beast leaped from the ceiling, tackling Jasmine to the ground. Jasmine fell backwards, her head hitting the soft wool rug… or rather, she had deliberately chosen this spot, ensuring a cushioned landing.
But even without the rug, Jasmine wouldn’t have been injured. Her cheat abilities were that good. It was just that as a “normal human” maid, she would have gotten a concussion without the rug. She lay on the rug, Adele on top of her.
Adele’s usually well-groomed silver hair was now a tangled mess, covering her head like a rag. Her bloodshot eyes, gleaming with predatory hunger, stared intently at Jasmine through the tangled strands. Her clothes were also disheveled, her lace off-shoulder nightgown wrinkled and twisted.
Adele didn’t look like a young lady. She looked like a beggar.
Jasmine couldn’t help but chuckle. If Adele saw herself like this, pinning Jasmine to the ground with her clothes disheveled, would she be so mortified that she wanted to dig a hole and bury herself? Adele was so concerned about appearances, and yet here she was, looking so pathetic.
Her crimson eyes, piercing through her tangled hair, and her faintly visible fangs, revealed the beast’s bloodthirsty nature. Any other human would have been terrified. If any other vampire had shown Jasmine this side of themselves, she would have sent them straight to hell.
But… Adele was different. She wasn’t just a different kind of vampire. She was special to Jasmine.
Thinking about Adele’s potential reaction, Jasmine felt a pang of pain, not sharp or sudden, but a dull, persistent ache, like a drizzle. The rain wasn’t heavy, but it soaked through your clothes. That was how Jasmine felt.
This pain was called heartache.
Adele was conflicted. Her mind was consumed by the urge to feed, her thoughts dominated by a single desire: “I need blood.” But even though she had pinned Jasmine down, she hesitated.
Just like Jasmine’s voice had reached the depths of her soul, Adele seemed to be thinking, “I can’t hurt her.” Jasmine saw the struggle in Adele’s crimson eyes.
She sighed softly and raised her hands. As the beast froze, her fingers brushed past the tangled hair, touching Adele’s cold cheek. Perhaps because she hadn’t felt human warmth in so long, Adele flinched slightly, then leaned into Jasmine’s touch, craving her warmth.
Sensing Adele’s yearning, understanding her inner struggle, Jasmine couldn’t help but murmur, “How did you end up like this…”
She wasn’t asking a question. It was a lament. Did Jasmine really not know why Adele was like this? She had a hunch. Adele didn’t want to get engaged. And why didn’t she want to get engaged? Was it because the other party was just an eight-year-old boy? No, that wasn’t the reason…
If she thought about it carefully, the answer would become clear.
Because Adele had someone she liked.
And who was that person? Did Jasmine need to think about it? No. She had observed Adele’s every move. Jasmine might be a chuunibyou, but she wasn’t stupid or blind. Adele’s feelings were too obvious. And Jasmine was far more mature than Adele. How could she not know?
She had simply been unable to understand her own feelings, so she had also ignored Adele’s actions. Now that her own heart was clear, how could she pretend to be oblivious to Adele’s true feelings?
“You’re a foolish miss.”
Jasmine’s fingers brushed against Adele’s fangs. They were white, pearly white, perhaps because she had barely drunk any blood. They looked healthy. These fangs, which had never been used, might finally serve their purpose today.
T/N: Jing Ke was a Chinese assassin . He is famous for his failed attempt to assassinate Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China.
Jing Ke’s story has been retold and romanticized in many Chinese novels, plays, and films, and he is often portrayed as a heroic figure who was willing to risk his life to protect his country and people.
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