The Vampire Prince's Blindfolded Bride
Chapter 357: You hate me

Chapter 357: You hate me

"Why did you do that? I don’t understand your teasing. Don’t tell me you fell for me," Venus said, her voice laced with frustration as she crossed her arms tightly across her chest, her eyes narrowing as she awaited his response.

Odin’s expression remained impassive, his gaze as cold as ice. "I did that to keep you away from me," he replied in a low, measured tone. "You were the one who approached me first, Venus. You walked into that bar knowing full well it was meant for vampires only. And you hurt me, too. You made it clear that you would never fall for a so-called ’evil vampire’ like me. That’s why I did what I did. Now that you have your answer, you can leave."

The sharpness of his words hit Venus like a physical blow. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words lodged in her throat, refusing to come out. For a moment, she stood there, stunned, as his cold dismissal echoed in her ears.

"Arthur!" Odin called out, his voice echoing through the grand hall as he summoned the house butler.

"Wait!" Venus suddenly burst out, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and desperation. She took a step forward, fixating her gaze at him. "Do you even have any idea what you’ve done to me?" Her voice cracked as she tried to keep her emotions in check.

Without warning, she shoved Odin away in a surge of anger, but he quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back with a forceful yet controlled grip. They stood inches apart, their breaths mingling as they locked eyes, the air between them crackling with tension. Neither spoke, but the intensity of their shared gaze said everything their words couldn’t.

"Let me go!" Venus demanded as she struggled to free herself from Odin’s grasp. "I get that I’m nothing in your eyes, just a culprit who tried to kill her own sister," she added, her voice trembling with the weight of her pain. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment.

Odin’s expression darkened, his grip tightening slightly as he leaned in closer. "And what am I in your eyes, Venus?" he asked, his voice low and edged with fury. "What evil have I done to you? I’ve always protected you, at least after you left that prison." His anger was palpable, his fangs beginning to show as his control slipped.

Venus let out a bitter chuckle, shaking her head at his words. "Protected me? You’ve always made me feel small, made me feel worthless," she shot back, her voice rising with every word. "I never asked for your protection, Odin. Just admit it—it was because of Prince Magnus that you had to protect my family. If it weren’t for him, you would never have bothered."

Odin’s eyes flashed with a mixture of anger and something else—something unreadable. For a moment, they simply stared at each other.

Arthur entered the living hall, his footsteps almost silent on the polished floor. His eyes widened in surprise as he took in the tense scene before him—his master, Odin, holding the young lady, Venus. Sensing the awkwardness of the situation, Arthur quickly averted his gaze and cleared his throat softly, a signal of his presence.

"You should leave, Arthur," Odin commanded. The butler hesitated for a fraction of a second, noting the tension in his master’s tone, before he nodded obediently and turned on his heels, swiftly exiting the room. He understood all too well that Odin was not in the mood for any interruptions.

As the door clicked shut behind Arthur, Venus seized the moment. "What now?" she spat, her voice thick with anger and frustration. "Let me go. I get it—you hate me. You love to toy with my heart because that’s the only thing you can do to a broken-hearted woman like me." She tried to pull her arm free from his grip, but Odin held her fast.

A flicker of something dangerous danced in Venus’s eyes as she added, "Don’t make me go to my sister and ruin you." She warned him this time.

Odin threw his head back and laughed, a deep, chilling sound that echoed through the room. The cold amusement in his eyes only deepened as he released her arm, letting it fall away as if she were of no consequence. "Don’t talk back now," he said with a sharp edge to his voice, "and leave my sight."

But Venus wasn’t ready to back down. Her eyes flashed with defiance as she squared her shoulders. "I won’t do that if you stop playing these games with me," she countered, her anger still simmering just beneath the surface. The fire in her voice made it clear she wasn’t going to let him have the last word without a fight.

"I told you not to talk back to me," Odin said sharply, his voice cutting through the tension as he closed the small distance between them. Venus’s eyes widened slightly, and she instinctively took a step back, confusion and apprehension swirling in her gaze. She couldn’t quite understand what was driving his behavior today.

"I-I won’t if you promise me not to bother m-me like this," Venus stammered.

Odin’s expression hardened as he took another step forward, closing in on her. "I never asked you to come here. You came into my domain of your own volition. Many others bother you, yet you don’t rush to their houses."

Venus shook her head in frustration, her eyes flashing with defiance. "Because others don’t mock me or kiss me like you do," she snapped, her voice rising with emotion. "I don’t wish to talk to you anymore."

As she turned to leave, a flicker of something—perhaps a mix of mischief and resolve—crossed her face. She reached out and grabbed Odin’s overcoat, pulling him down to her level. His eyes widened in surprise.

"What do you want now?" Odin’s frown deepened.

Without a word, Venus leaned in and kissed him, her lips pressing against his with a forceful insistence. Odin’s eyes widened in shock, and he quickly pushed her away, his hand coming up to cover his mouth as if to ward off the lingering sensation.

"Now, you should stay bothered the entire day and night," Venus remarked with a smirk, her eyes glinting with a mix of triumph and defiance. With that, she turned and fled, leaving Odin standing alone.