Avelina continued.
"I do not doubt that my father would disown . He will punish in the worst way possible. I don’t...I don’t know what to do."
"I’d love to go ho to see my mother and grandfather, but I am also scared. They have not seen in a year, and I don’t know what they would think if they found out I married one of the creatures they despise the most." She shook her head, helpless.
She said, "I am so scared, I don’t even know if I should return ho. I don’t know what will happen or how they will feel about having back. I am...confused." She buried her face in her palms, exhausted.
Aurora stared at her. She gave her gentle pats on the back, wanting to comfort her. "Avelina, can I ask you a question?"
Avelina nodded without raising her head.
"Would you rather stay with Draven or go back to your family? Who would you be happier with?" Aurora questioned, her expression serious.
Avelina slowly lifted her head. She glanced at her, gradually processing the question.
"What...do you an?"
Aurora looked at her and grabbed her chin to have her stare into her eyes. "Avelina, would you be happier going back to your family and being separated from the man you love, or would you rather stay and be with the man you love?"
"Your happiness is a priority, so whatever you feel will make you the most happy is your answer."
Avelina batted her lashes. She was listening to her heart, wondering what it would choose. All it scread was Draven. She knew she would be happier with him. She had never been happy with her family, so why exactly would she now?
Draven was the only man who had genuinely made her happy, the one man who showed her true happiness and a life filled with laughter and vigor. The one man who made her fall in love with him without even being aware of it.
Looking into her eyes, Aurora could already tell what her answer was. She chortled and stood up from the bench.
"You have your answer, Avelina. Human lives are short, so...make the most of it." She patted her head and began to walk away.
Avelina sat gazing at her fading figure. She clutched her chest and took a deep breath to calm her, beating heart.
What do I do? She pondered, completely lost. One confusion had been resolved, and now she was left with such a hard choice to make.
She rested back against the bench and raised her eyes to stare at the bright sky.
"What...should I do?" She shut her eyes, exhaling deeply.
How did I even fall in love with him? I’ve never been in love before. She buried her face in her palms, deeply inhaling and exhaling.
After a few monts of turmoil, Avelina raised her head, and a smile appeared on her face. She stood up from the bench and began to walk back to the quarter. All the while, the smile on her face never disappeared.
Arriving at the general foyer, she accidentally bumped into Valentine, whose hair looked disheveled as though he had woken up from a long, exhausting nap.
He was barefoot, clad in nothing but simple white pants and a loose nightshirt with opened buttons.
Avelina rubbed her arms, a bit of a painful expression apparent on her face. "I’m so sorry. I didn’t an to bump into you. Are you okay?" she asked.
She couldn’t tell if he was okay due to the annoyed look on his face.
Valentine ran his fingers through his hair and glimpsed her. "Sister-in-law." He half-smiled.
Not just his body language, but his face alone hinted at his enervation. What was wrong with him? What could have possibly made him so tired? Didn’t he get enough sleep?
Avelina was a bit concerned. "Are you...alright? Did I hit you too hard?"
Valentine flickered his erald eyes and began to chuckle all of a sudden, almost bursting into laughter due to the level of amusent he felt from her statent.
"Sister-in-law." He bead. "I may be skinny, but common, I am much stronger than you think. Please, haha, you don’t really think you can hurt , do you?" He laughed, his brow arched in anticipation.
Avelina fluttered her lashes and quickly averted her gaze, embarrassed. Of course, he would laugh! What was she even thinking?
No matter how slender and weak Valentine may appear, it was not his strength. He was a vampire, and the strength of vampires cannot be asured or told by their stature.
"I’m...sorry." Avelina cleared her throat, biting her lip, still abashed.
Valentine waved his hand. "No, it’s okay. I know that I look like I could pass out any mont from now on, but this is because I need blood."
"Blood? You didn’t have one?" Avelina genuinely probed. She could rember that Draven once told her that the vampires start to get weak without blood for three days, so she couldn’t help but assu that Valentine must not have had blood for that long for him to look that disheveled.
Valentine nodded at her.
"Yes. I haven’t had blood for a while now, so it got ... like this." He cackled.
"Why?" Avelina probed.
Valentine shrugged. "I just didn’t crave it. So many things are wrong with these days."
"Oh..." Avelina gave a nod. "You look like you are on the brink of death." She could not overlook his skin, which looked extrely pale.
Valentine smiled heartily and walked past her. "See you later, sister-in-law."
Avelina watched him as he disappeared out of sight toward the blood storage room. She grabbed her dress, lifted it a little, and began to proceed to the quarter.
Upon arrival, she extended her hand to open the door, but then she suddenly stopped before she could grab the handle. She lowered her head, abruptly grinning at herself for reasons unknown.
"Santino..." She turned to Santino, who stood by the side.
Santino looked at her. He bead politely. "Yes, my lady."
"Is Draven still asleep?" Avelina asked.
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