The Vampire Prince's Blindfolded Bride
Chapter 376: Odin’s Confession 3

Odin gave her a steady look before replying, "That’s your decision to make. Now go in—it’s already late."

Venus nodded, turning away with a soft smile. But before she could take a step, she felt a firm grip on her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. Startled, she glanced back at Odin, curiosity swirling in her eyes.

Without a word, Odin leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss, taking her by surprise. This time, he didn’t pull away as quickly as before.

Instead, he lingered, silently urging her to respond. Venus hesitated for a moment, her heart racing, before she finally began to move her lips against his, tentatively at first. Her fingers curled into themselves, fidgeting with nervous anticipation as she slowly gave in to the kiss, matching his rhythm with a newfound confidence.

Suddenly, Venus remembered they were standing right in front of her house and quickly pulled away from the kiss. "We’re outside," she whispered urgently, her eyes wide with concern. "The guards might be watching us."

Odin raised an eyebrow and glanced toward the gate, scanning the area. "Are they?" he asked, but saw no one. It seemed they had hidden before he could spot them.

Venus couldn’t help but smile at his reaction. It was rare to see Odin so unguarded. With a playful glint in her eyes, she finally decided to head inside. "I’ll give you a proper kiss when you ask for my hand," she teased, gently slipping her hand from his grip. Taking a step back, she bit her bottom lip and added softly, "You should go now, Lord Odin."

The respect was from the bottom of her heart. Without waiting for a response, Venus turned and hurried inside, her heart still racing.

Odin watched her retreat with a small smile playing on his lips. As she disappeared from view, he instructed the coachman to drive him home, then climbed into the carriage.

Meanwhile, as Venus entered the living hall, she was greeted by her mother’s loud, worried voice. "Where were you? Why did it take so long for you to return?"

Venus stopped in her tracks, her thoughts still lingering on the kiss. "I ended up watching more shows in the festival," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant, though she couldn’t quite hide the lingering blush on her cheeks.

Rhea shook her head, her initial worry melting away. "Go to your room and freshen up," she instructed gently. "Then we’ll have dinner. Your father has been waiting for quite a while."

"Hmm," Venus nodded before hurrying upstairs to her room.

As Venus disappeared from view, Rhea murmured to herself with a small smile, "She looks so happy." She realized that sending Venus out had been the right decision.

Upstairs, Venus splashed cold water on her face, hoping to calm the excitement still buzzing in her veins. As she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she noticed something she hadn’t seen in a long time—a genuine smile. It felt foreign yet welcome. She dried her face with a towel, changed into a comfortable gown for the night, and soon made her way downstairs to join her parents for dinner.

"Good evening, Father!" Venus greeted Norman cheerfully as she entered the dining room. Her father was seated at the head of the table, and her bright demeanor caught him off guard.

Norman blinked in surprise at his daughter’s unusual joyfulness. He exchanged a glance with Rhea, silently asking if she knew the reason behind Venus’s sudden cheerfulness. But Rhea shook her head, equally mystified yet pleased to see their daughter in such high spirits.

"The meal looks so delicious," Venus remarked, her eyes sparkling as she took in the spread before her. She then turned to her mother with a warm smile. "Thank you, Mother, for being so lovely and cooking so many dishes."

Both Norman and Rhea exchanged glances, surprised by Venus’s unusually cheerful demeanor.

Norman, unable to contain his curiosity, finally asked, "Venus, it seems you had a lot of fun at the festival. Is that why you’re so happy?" He was eager to understand what had brought about this change in his daughter.

Venus bit her lip, feeling a rush of excitement she could no longer hold back. She looked at both of her parents, her heart swelling with joy. "Umm... Father, Mother, I’m so happy," she began, her voice brimming with emotion.

"We can see that, dear," Rhea replied, smiling warmly, though clearly curious about the cause.

Venus took a deep breath before finally revealing, "Odin likes me, and it’s genuine. I... I like him too," she confessed, her face lighting up with a bright smile.

"What did you say?" Both Norman and Rhea were shocked to hear her. They were so clueless about their affair. "That’s such a wonderful news!" Norman said with a laughter.

Even Rhea started giggling along with her husband; tears of joy formed in her eyes.

"But are you sure this time, dear?" Rhea asked after a moment of silence, her tone laced with concern. "We know Odin is a good man, but he’s a vampire. You understand what that means, right?" Her eyes searched Venus’s face, hoping to convey the seriousness of her question.

Venus met her mother’s gaze, her own expression soft but resolute. "Yes, Mother, I’m sure this time," she said. A rosy blush spread across her cheeks as she continued, "Odin is the one who proposed to me first. He said he would like to have me as his woman."

Rhea’s eyes softened as she saw how much this meant to Venus. The depth of her daughter’s feelings was clear, and the sincerity in her voice left no room for doubt. Venus’s happiness was everything that mattered to both of them.

"Since the two of you have decided this mutually, we have no objections," Norman stated, his voice calm but firm. "But we will wait for the formal proposal to come from his side."

"Of course, Father," Venus agreed, her smile growing wider with each passing second. Relief and happiness radiated from her as she began to eat her meal alongside her parents.

After they finished dinner, Venus excused herself and went to her room. But even as she lay down, she knew sleep would elude her tonight. What had transpired today felt like something out of a dream—something she had never dared to imagine.

As she lay in bed, Venus found herself replaying every small incident that had occurred between her and Odin. Each moment felt precious, and the memory of his kiss lingered on her lips, making her heart flutter all over again.

She smiled to herself, knowing that her life was about to change in ways she hadn’t expected, and for the first time in a long while, that thought filled her with nothing but hope to be happy once again.

Venus was tightly hugging her pillow, lost in her thoughts, when she suddenly heard a soft thud on the balcony. Her heart skipped a beat as she sat up, wondering what could have caused the noise. Curiosity and a hint of worry drove her to the balcony, and as she pushed open the doors, she froze in place, flustered to see Odin standing before her.

"You didn’t leave!" Venus exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.

Odin’s gaze was intense as he looked at her. "I couldn’t go back," he replied, his voice low and steady.

"Huh? Why?" Venus asked, her confusion growing.

Odin took a step closer, his expression serious. "You are the reason," he confessed. "I’ve been devoid of these feelings for so long... For so many years that suddenly, the hunger in me has returned," he asserted, his voice thick with emotion. His eyes never left hers, as if searching for a similar longing in her gaze.

Venus felt her heart race at his words, the intensity of his feelings leaving her breathless. She hadn’t expected this, and yet, something about his confession stirred something deep within her as well.

A smile spread across Venus’s face, reaching her eyes, and she lowered them for a moment, overwhelmed by the depth of emotion in Odin’s words.

"I’ll ask for your hand from your parents now," Odin declared, his voice filled with urgency. "Let’s get married soon. I think we should live together."

The desperation in his voice was evident, revealing just how much he longed to have her by his side.

Venus gently shook her head, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "Odin, my parents have probably fallen asleep by now. Let’s wait until tomorrow," she suggested.

Taking a step closer, she wrapped her arms around him, pressing her body against his, her eyes closed as she savored the moment. "So, this is what a man and woman feel when they hug each other," she murmured, almost to herself.

Odin’s hand moved to rest on her back, pulling her closer. "Yes," he replied softly. "A strange warmth that leaves you wanting more."

They stood there in silence, wrapped in each other’s embrace, as the night air whispered around them.