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.