Chapter 88: Together With Her
The moon was bright tonight, but thick clouds drifted across the sky, obscuring its light. The already dim forest grew even darker without the moon’s illumination. But then the clouds shifted, allowing the moonlight to bathe the earth once more, falling upon Jasmine.
Adele had never seen Jasmine like this before. She didn’t even know what to say. They both fell silent. As the silence stretched, Jasmine’s eyes dimmed, and she began to lower her outstretched hand.
Although Jasmine called her a “foolish miss,” Adele was actually quite intelligent and perceptive. Just by observing Jasmine’s expression and subtle movements, she sensed the disappointment growing in her heart.
She didn’t want Jasmine to feel disappointed. Her body reacted before her mind could catch up. She stumbled towards Jasmine and grabbed her hand. “Okay,” she said, “Let’s elope.”
She didn’t understand why Jasmine had become Lady Dawn, but one thing was certain: Lady Dawn was powerful.
Hearing Adele’s agreement, Jasmine’s mood brightened considerably. She thought, First, we need to find a place to stay. This tree hollow won’t do. It was only big enough for Adele to fit inside. Was she supposed to stand outside and talk to Adele? And staying in this hollow would be dangerous for Adele when dawn arrived.
It wasn’t completely sealed. Although the forest was dark, sunlight would still penetrate through the gaps. If the sunlight touched Adele’s skin, it would burn her, leaving painful wounds. Besides, being exposed to sunlight wasn’t a pleasant experience for vampires.
Jasmine remembered Oakham’s agonizing screams when he had been exposed to the sun. She didn’t want Adele to suffer the same fate. So, she decided to take Adele somewhere safe. She explained this briefly to Adele, then, under Adele’s incredulous gaze, she swept Adele into her arms.
She was still carrying her suitcase, but lifting Adele felt like lifting a feather, effortless.
The sudden movement startled Adele, but the fact that Jasmine was holding her in a princess carry brought a blush to her face. She whispered, “This is the first time Jasmine has given me a princess carry…”
“Not the first time.”
“!” Adele froze, looking up at Jasmine, who explained, “I also carried you like this when you fainted during the first semester.”
—That doesn’t count. I don’t even remember it.
Without further ado, Jasmine leaped onto a tree branch, Adele still in her arms. Traveling through the canopy was much faster than walking on the ground. This was a lesson Jasmine had learned from her many secret excursions over the past thirteen years. Adele, to maintain her balance, had to hold onto Jasmine’s neck.
Adele’s mind was filled with questions. She was completely bewildered. She couldn’t believe that Jasmine was Lady Dawn. But now wasn’t the time to ask. So, she swallowed her questions. More than Jasmine’s identity, she was preoccupied with the sensation of being held in Jasmine’s arms.
In her mind, Jasmine had always been a frail human girl. Adele had assumed that Jasmine couldn’t possibly carry her. She was relatively plump, her weight hovering around 50 kilograms. It wasn’t a weight that Jasmine could easily carry.
Adele had imagined that even if Jasmine managed to lift her, she would be shaky and unsteady, likely to stumble. But Jasmine was carrying her as effortlessly as a kitten. And Jasmine’s embrace was warm and soft. Humans had higher body temperatures than vampires. It was still winter, and the cold wind chilled Adele’s face, making her want to burrow deeper into Jasmine’s arms.
Jasmine’s embrace was so comforting that Adele wanted to stay there forever.
Jasmine was incredibly fast. With her agile movements, they reached the airship port in just half an hour, bypassing it swiftly. Within an hour, they had left the Blake family’s territory.
This was already Jasmine controlling her speed. If she were alone, she could have crossed the Blake territory in fifteen minutes. Her speed was that astonishing. Worried about Adele getting cold, Jasmine even used threads to weave a blanket, wrapping it around Adele.
Her destination was clear: a lawless zone, where she would find an inn for Adele to stay in. Of course, a lawless zone meant chaos. There might be otherworldly beings lurking in the shadows, waiting to rob a seemingly wealthy vampire noble during the day.
But with Jasmine there, any otherworldly being who tried to cause trouble for Adele would only end up regretting it. They arrived before dawn, and before entering the town, Jasmine draped a black cloak over Adele, concealing her identity.
She then transformed into the infamous Lady Dawn, right before Adele’s eyes. Adele’s gaze was unreadable, as if she were thinking: So, you’re not hiding it anymore? You’re doing this right in front of me?
Jasmine ignored Adele’s gaze for now. They had already eloped. It was too late for pretense. After changing, she took Adele’s hand and led her into the lawless zone.
This lawless zone had a name that clashed with Jasmine’s: “After Dusk,” signifying the approaching night, the time for nocturnal beings to come alive. It was the complete opposite of Jasmine’s “Lady Dawn” title used by the Human Resistance Army. But Jasmine wasn’t petty enough to destroy the entire town just because its name clashed with hers.
Adele walked behind Jasmine, her gaze fixed on their joined hands. Jasmine’s body temperature was higher than Adele’s. As a vampire, Adele was naturally colder than a human. It was still winter, and although spring was approaching, the air was still chilly.
Adele didn’t like winter, but if she could hold Jasmine’s hand and feel her warmth, she could tolerate it.
When Jasmine had first revealed her true identity as Lady Dawn, Adele had been completely stunned, unable to process the information. For a moment, she had even thought Jasmine was joking.
But being held in Jasmine’s arms, experiencing her strength and speed, Adele had realized that even if Jasmine wasn’t Lady Dawn, she was definitely not weak. She was powerful, her speed far exceeding Adele’s. And after traveling for so long, her breathing was still even, not even a hint of panting. This proved that Jasmine was truly strong.
Adele couldn’t explain how she felt knowing that Jasmine was a powerful being, but she wasn’t afraid. She didn’t fear that Jasmine would harm her.
Because Jasmine had always told her not to bully the weak. Now that Adele was weaker than Jasmine, according to Jasmine’s own principles, she wouldn’t hurt Adele. Jasmine was a good person, and Adele had always adhered to the lessons Jasmine had taught her.
Of course, this principle only applied to those who were truly weak, not villains. But Adele was a good child, not a villain. So, she firmly believed that Jasmine wouldn’t harm her. For a moment, she wondered: If Jasmine is so powerful, why did she stay by my side?
Many normal thoughts crossed Adele’s mind. For example: She’s at Blake Castle, the home of one of the Thirteen Clans. As a powerful member of the Human Resistance Army, her presence here must be for nefarious purposes. Perhaps she’s gathering information, or planning to overthrow our family one day.
But then she thought, If that were the case, she could have gone to any other family. Even though Adele was proud, she had to admit that the Blake family was the weakest among the Thirteen Clans. Why stay with them? Even if she couldn’t infiltrate the White family, the Golden, Green, or Yale* families would be better choices.
And if she was truly gathering information, why stay by Adele’s side, accompanying her to school and even to the remote Spark Farm? Although Adele had insisted on taking Jasmine with her, if Jasmine had claimed to be sick before or after their departure, Adele couldn’t have forced her to come along.
This meant that Jasmine had chosen to stay with her.
While being held in Jasmine’s arms, Adele pieced everything together. Eliminating all other possibilities, only one answer remained, shining brightly in her mind: Because Jasmine… truly loves me. Yes, what other reason could there be?
Adele’s face flushed. I knew it. Jasmine loves me.
This realization brought a sense of triumph. Jasmine had hidden her true identity at Blake Castle for so long, no one suspecting a thing. But hearing that Adele had run away, she had immediately come after her, even revealing her powers and her true identity.
Wasn’t this the best proof of her love?
This thought lifted a weight from Adele’s heart. She had never held any ill will towards the Human Resistance Army. In fact, she admired their courage. Adele could see things from an objective perspective. She knew that one day, humans would rise up.
It was an inevitable historical trend. As long as the oppressed reached their breaking point, they would eventually rise up and fight against their oppressors. The oppressors had only two choices: maintain their rule or be overthrown.
***
耶鲁 (Yē lǔ),” which is the Chinese transliteration of “Yale.” I guess it sounds a little like “yellow.
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