The Vampire Prince's Blindfolded Bride
Chapter 353: He played with me!

Chapter 353: He played with me!

The entire journey back to her house was a blur for Venus, her mind consumed by a single, bewildering thought—why had Odin kissed her? No matter how many times she replayed the scene in her head, she couldn’t make sense of it. His actions contradicted everything he’d ever said or done, leaving her more confused than ever.

As the carriage rolled to a stop, the coachman opened the door and spoke, his voice cutting through the fog of her thoughts. "We’ve arrived, Miss."

"Huh?" Venus blinked, suddenly snapping out of her daze. She glanced around, realizing they had indeed reached her home. "Oh. We have arrived," she murmured, more to herself than to the coachman. She descended from the carriage, her legs feeling oddly heavy.

As Venus entered her home, her eyes were drawn to the living room, where she found her mother resting on the sofa, a ledger open in her hand.

Her mother looked up briefly as Venus entered, her eyes soft with a hint of weariness. "You’re back, dear," she said with a gentle smile, though her attention quickly returned to the numbers in front of her.

"So, did you deliver the basket to Odin?" her mother asked absently, her eyes still scanning the ledger, unaware of the turmoil in her daughter’s heart.

"Yes... I did," Venus replied. She forced a smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes, and walked further into the room. She sat down on the armchair opposite her mother, her hands fidgeting in her lap as she tried to push away the thoughts of Odin’s kiss, but it lingered at the forefront of her mind.

"Where’s Father?" Venus asked, her voice soft but carrying a hint of curiosity.

"He’s gone out for some drinks with his friends," Rhea replied, closing the ledger with a satisfied sigh as she finished her calculations. She set it aside, finally giving her full attention to her daughter. There was a warmth in her eyes as she looked at Venus, a comforting presence amidst the disarray of emotions her daughter was trying to conceal.

A servant entered the room, carrying a glass of water on a tray. Venus accepted it with a polite nod, thanking him before taking a few slow, measured sips. The cool water helped calm her racing thoughts, if only for a moment.

"Would you prefer to have lunch in your room or in the dining hall?" Rhea asked, her tone gentle and considerate, aware that Venus seemed more subdued than usual.

"The room will be better, Mother," Venus replied, setting the glass back on the tray. She wasn’t in the mood for company, needing the solitude of her room to process everything that had happened.

"Alright," Rhea agreed, turning to the servant and giving the instruction to prepare lunch for Venus in her room. The servant nodded and left the room to carry out the order.

Venus offered her mother a faint smile before excusing herself and heading upstairs. Once in her bedroom, she kicked off her heels, letting them fall carelessly to the floor. Without bothering to change out of her clothes, she collapsed onto the bed, her body sinking into the softness of the mattress.

Staring up at the ceiling, Venus let out a long, slow breath. Her mind kept drifting back to Odin, to the kiss, to the way he had looked at her just before disappearing.

Venus touched her lips, still feeling the touch of his lips.

’Don’t think about me. We are enemies, remember?’ Odin’s voice rang in her head like a reminding bell. She tightly shut her eyes and covered her ears.

"He played with me!" Venus muttered in frustration.

~~~~~

"Congratulations, Sister Lillian, on your upcoming marriage," Alora said warmly, stepping forward to embrace her. Her arms wrapped around Lillian in a gentle hug, conveying her genuine happiness.

"Thank you, Alora," Lillian replied, her voice soft as she returned the hug briefly before pulling away. A faint smile played on her lips, but there was a trace of something bittersweet in her eyes. "You’ll no longer be bothered by my presence since I’ll be leaving the palace in a few days," she remarked, trying to keep her tone light, though there was a hint of sadness beneath her words.

Alora frowned slightly, shaking her head in earnest. "Sister Lillian, please don’t say that," she insisted, her voice filled with sincerity. "I was never bothered by your presence. You’ve always been a part of this palace, and I’ll miss you when you’re gone."

Lillian’s smile softened at Alora’s words. "I was jesting. You’ve always been kind, Alora," she said gently. "But it’s time for me to start a new Chapter in my life."

Alora nodded, though her heart felt heavy at the thought of Lillian leaving. "I wish you all the happiness in the world, Sister Lillian. You deserve it," she asserted.

"Thank you, Alora. Take a seat, please," Lillian said.

Alora settled on the plush sofa chair and placed her clasped hands together in her lap.

"Brother Magnus is kind of upset with me. I hope you put a word for me. I apologize to him for what I said to him a few days ago. I should have been mindful," she said.

Alora was unaware about any such matter between these two siblings, so she was quite puzzled.

"Alora, you see, I always compelled the vampires to speak their mind in front of me. This is my special ability. And I used to do it in my first meeting with the men usually. From then onwards, I developed a fear to select any suitable groom for me," Lillian confided in Alora.

"Everyone has insecurities, Sister Lillian. You did that to make sure you weren’t fooled. In that process, you forgot to trust people easily. I understand that. It’s good to find that Lewis is different from all those men you encountered all these years," Alora said with a comforting smile.

"Yes. I’m grateful to Brother Magnus too. I hope he forgives me soon," Lillian said.

"He will," Alora assured her and decided to talk to Magnus once he would return.