Take a Sniff

Adèle vented her frustrations about Golden while downing several sips of tea, only to burn her tongue in the process.

Jasmine waited until Adèle finished wincing before calmly reminding her, "Miss, be careful—it's hot." Adèle shot Jasmine a pitiful look, one that clearly said, "Why didn't you warn me sooner?"

If she had, Jasmine wouldn't have had the chance to see Adèle's teary-eyed reaction to being scalded. Jasmine could be quite mischievous that way.

She added some hot water to Adèle's cup, along with a couple of sugar cubes, and offered a bit of reassurance to the ruffled vampire. "Miss Adèle is capable of anything. Of course, you'll get first place in the next exam."

Upon hearing this, Adèle's prideful demeanor returned, and she perked up immediately. "Of course! I'll keep her under my thumb, making sure she's always stuck in second place. It's her bad luck to be in the same year as me. For the entire six years of school, she'll only be able to watch me take first place, eating my dust!"

Adèle's prideful expression was impossible to hide—she looked quite adorable in her moment of triumph. After spending so much time together, Jasmine knew this side of Adèle well. In front of others, she was the dignified and proud young lady, but in private, she was more prone to acts of affection, her warmth often outweighing her haughtiness.

After recounting her day, Adèle took another cautious sip of her tea, blowing on it first. "Jasmine, how have you been getting on these past two days? Has anyone bullied you?"

Jasmine thought for a moment, recalling the events of the past two days. Without missing a beat, she lied, "No, everyone in the servant quarters has been very kind."

Relieved by her words, Adèle let out a small sigh, though she quickly tried to cover it up. "I'm not worried about you," she insisted, her tone defensive. "It's just that as a maid of the Black family, if anyone dared to bully you, I'd have to step in. Don't get the wrong idea—I'm not harboring the same feelings you are. There's no way anything could ever happen between us."

Jasmine simply nodded.

Her mistress was wonderful in many ways, but she had this strange belief that Jasmine harbored romantic feelings for her. Jasmine had no idea where Adèle got this idea, but it didn't interfere with her job, so she didn't bother correcting her. Besides, Jasmine knew their relationship would never evolve into anything more.

For Adèle, as a young lady of the Thirteen Clans, a marriage to another pureblood vampire was inevitable. It was her duty to ensure the continuation of the Black family line. Even though she had never tasted human blood, she was still a vampire, and one day, she would drink human blood, ending whatever bond they had.

As for Jasmine, she never felt much of a connection to this world. She helped humans only because they were the same species as her and because it was fulfilling to leave a lasting legacy. She didn't belong to this world, so she couldn't form attachments to its inhabitants. Even though she had grown up alongside Adèle, Jasmine could never develop feelings for a "paper person."

Even if Jasmine somehow did feel connected to this world, she would never develop anything more with Adèle. Adèle was a vampire, inherently opposed to humanity. How could Jasmine ever fall for someone like that?

But Adèle's suggestion made Jasmine's expression crack for the first time, revealing a look of shock that seemed to ask, "What are you talking about?!" or perhaps, "How could you think of something so strange?!"

Adèle knew her request was odd, but she really loved the scent Jasmine carried. It was a light, floral fragrance, just like her name, and it was the only scent Adèle found pleasant. Her heightened sense of smell often left her overwhelmed by the myriad of smells around her, none of which she liked—not the scent of other humans and certainly not the metallic tang of blood that clung to other vampires.

Only Jasmine's scent was different, and that was why Adèle was so curious about what her blood might taste like. It wasn't bloodlust; it was pure curiosity. She wanted to know if Jasmine's blood was as unique as her scent.

But if drinking was out of the question, then at least she could ask to sniff.

Seeing Jasmine's obvious reluctance, Adèle's eyes softened into a pleading look. "You won't let me drink your blood. Can't I at least have a sniff?"

Jasmine remained stone-faced, but Adèle persisted. "I promise I won't bite. I'll just smell it."

Honestly, Jasmine found the request a bit creepy, but when she thought about it, it seemed less disturbing than asking to drink blood. So, with some hesitation, she set conditions to make Adèle back down. "You can't smell my neck. No teeth allowed, and only the back of my hand." Jasmine figured this was the most she could compromise.

Adèle agreed without a second thought, "Deal."

She agreed so quickly that Jasmine almost regretted her decision. Allowing Adèle to sniff her hand still felt like giving too much, but Jasmine had already negotiated the terms, and backing out now would be embarrassing. So, reluctantly, she held out her hand.

Adèle behaved, just as she promised. She didn't bite, didn't bare her fangs. She simply held Jasmine's hand close and took a sniff.

It was an odd sensation, seeing Adèle bend down before her, gently holding her hand and raising it to her nose. She didn't press her nose directly against Jasmine's skin, hovering just above it instead. Adèle's breath, cool like all vampires, tickled Jasmine's hand, making her skin prickle.

The sensation was strange, a mix of ticklish and tingly, but bearable. And from this angle, Jasmine had a rare view of Adèle. Usually, Adèle held her head high like a proud swan, her gaze fixed above others.

In this posture, however, with her head bowed and her long eyelashes casting soft shadows, she looked different—almost delicate. Her pale eyelashes matched her hair, eyebrows, and eyes—a soft, silvery color with a hint of brown. Normally, it was hard to see just how long and thick her lashes were, but from this perspective, they looked like tiny fans.

The room was so quiet that the sound of Adèle's gentle sniffing was pronounced. It reminded Jasmine of how a small dog might nuzzle against something it liked. She half expected Adèle to suddenly lick her hand like a puppy.

For Jasmine, it wasn't exactly a pleasant experience, but for Adèle, it was a different kind of struggle.

Jasmine's hand was right there, her skin not as pale as Adèle's but slightly darker with a hint of yellow. Her long fingers and the faint blue veins beneath her skin caught Adèle's eye. She could feel the pulse of Jasmine's blood through her veins—so full of life, so alluring. Adèle could almost imagine sinking her fangs into Jasmine's skin, feeling the warm rush of blood in her mouth, its sweetness spreading through her as it became a part of her.

If it were anyone else, Adèle wouldn't hesitate. She was a pureblood vampire, raised to believe that humans were lesser beings, natural prey meant to serve the noble vampires.

But with Jasmine, it was different. Adèle couldn't see her as a lesser being. To her, Jasmine was just Jasmine—not inferior, not livestock, but someone who had grown up with her, someone special.

The faint scent of Jasmine's skin wafted into Adèle's nose. It was delicate and fragrant, a scent that stirred something deep within her. She inhaled deeply but quickly realized she was reaching her limit. Fearing she might lose control, Adèle reluctantly released Jasmine's hand.

Adèle visibly swallowed, her thirst evident.

But she could only look, not touch. Trying to maintain her composure, she turned her head away and muttered, her voice shaky, "Hmph, it's not that great. Nothing special."

If only she could take her eyes off Jasmine's hand, her words might have been more convincing.

It wasn't that Jasmine wanted to tease her, but Adèle's words lacked conviction when she continued to stare at her hand as if entranced. She was clearly craving Jasmine's blood, but Adèle was a good kid. She held herself back.