Odel's eyes observed Clayton; the vampire looked different from his usual nerdy appearance in the library. Holding a pen, staring at his laptop, writing something in his notebook—he truly looked like a model student. One of his male classmates approached, glanced at his laptop screen, and his expression instantly changed.
"Clayton! Why are you looking at cooking recipes? Come on, let's find the references!" his groupmate scolded.
Hearing that, Odel was shocked; she shouldn't have expected too much from Clayton. Instead of working on the assignment, the vampire was busy looking for cooking tutorials. Letting out a small sigh and turning away, Odel continued with her own work. Her face turned sour after she had just thought Clayton looked a little cool.
"What's wrong, Odel? Is there something you don't agree with?" Adrian asked.
"Ah, no. The paper is fine; we just need to submit it," Odel replied.
"Yes, the content is good too. Ah, let me add a little more," said Fiona, who had an additional idea.
Odel began observing her friends; resting her chin on her hand, she started looking at Fiona, then Adrian. Her eyes moved from the assignment papers, up to their outfits, sitting postures, and Adrian's rather handsome face.
"Adrian is actually pretty decent, he's smart too... but unfortunately, I'll never be able to date normally for the rest of my life," Odel thought to herself.
Her face turned gloomy. Even after finishing the assignment, she only managed a small smile.
"It's done! Let me submit it; I'm heading the same way as the professor's office," Fiona said.
"Are you sure? I can go with you," Odel offered.
"No need, my driver is already waiting in the parking lot. I'll head straight home," Fiona replied.
Fiona left Odel with Adrian, and the two walked out of the library together. They looked up at the sky as raindrops fell to the ground, blending with the earthy aroma—it turned out it was raining.
"Wow, rain. Why so suddenly?" Adrian murmured.
"Yeah, what month is it?"
"February. I don't think it's supposed to be rainy season yet," Adrian answered.
"I didn't bring an umbrella," Odel murmured.
Adrian smiled, then swiftly took off his jacket and spread it wide over Odel's head.
"We can use this as an umbrella," Adrian said, his voice filled with concern.
His strong arm was raised, and the scent of his masculine cologne blended with the aroma of the rain. Odel fell silent, her heart pounding. The light drizzle around them made the atmosphere even more romantic. A warm feeling flowed within her, and she couldn't take her eyes off him, mesmerized by the way he protected her.
"What's wrong, Odel? Let's cross!" Adrian urged.
"Y-yeah," Odel replied shyly.
Just as she was about to step under Adrian's arm, a strong, cold hand stopped her.
"Odel!" Clayton called.
Odel turned around to see Clayton standing right behind her, holding a large black umbrella, placing it over her head.
"Let's go home together!" Clayton said.
Odel's expression changed instantly; she felt awkward in front of Adrian, especially now that he had lowered his jacket and was looking at her with disappointment.
"What are you waiting for, Odel? Let's go home!" Clayton urged again.
Odel didn't say anything. She looked up at the umbrella Clayton was holding over her, but she didn't accept his offer. Instead, she glared at him in frustration before turning away and walking off.
"Odel! Why are you walking in the rain?" Clayton called after her.
Ignoring him, Odel quickened her pace. The drizzle soaking the campus park left her hair completely wet.
Clayton ran after her, offering the umbrella once more.
"Here, use this!" he said.
"Just leave me alone! Why do you always interfere and show up at the worst times?" Odel snapped.
She walked to the bus stop and boarded a city bus, half of her body drenched. Sitting in the front seat, her expression was cold, as if she didn't want anyone to sit next to her.
Realizing that Odel was upset, Clayton sat behind her, feeling awkward. They remained silent throughout the ride, acting like strangers.
Odel's earlier reaction made it clear that she probably had feelings for Adrian, but with her situation—being engaged to three vampire nobles—she felt trapped.
Clayton, realizing this, felt a tightness in his chest, a mix of sadness, frustration, and guilt. Yet, he didn't realize that his sadness was actually the beginning of love.
Upon arriving home, Daffin and Emilio immediately greeted them. Seeing Odel soaking wet, they panicked.
"What happened? Did you get caught in the rain?" Daffin asked.
"Clayton! What happened? Oh my God, why are you wet too? You had an umbrella! Was the rain that heavy?" Emilio looked confused.
Without answering, Odel headed straight to the bathroom. The rain had chilled her to the bone. A warm shower was her first escape. However, despite the hot water touching her skin, the cold inside her didn't fade. In fact, her body felt even weaker.
When Odel stepped out of the bathroom, she was shivering violently, her head spinning, and she sneezed repeatedly.
"Odel, are you okay?" Daffin's voice came from the living room, followed by Emilio's concerned voice.
Odel sat on the sofa, trembling. "Blanket! I'm freezing!" she said weakly.
Daffin and Emilio exchanged panicked looks. They rushed to Odel's room, each grabbing blankets and wrapping her up like a cocoon.
"Oh no, she has a fever! She's burning up; my hand feels like it's on fire," Daffin said in alarm.
"We have to do something!" Emilio responded anxiously.
Panic ensued—Daffin grabbed multiple pillows and started piling them on top of Odel, while Emilio mixed water with ice and urged Odel to drink it.
Odel looked at them with a bewildered expression. "You two... I said I was cold, but what you're doing is just making it worse," she replied, her voice sounding nasal due to her stuffy nose.
Daffin quickly removed the piled-up pillows, while Emilio rushed to dispose of the ice in the sink. While the two were still flustered, Clayton arrived carrying a cup of warm tea and a box of medicine. The vampire walked closer with calm steps, his face looking softer than usual.
"This is for you," he said gently, handing her some cold medicine that could help bring down her fever.
Odel was impressed—compared to the other two vampires, Clayton was indeed the most reliable. She immediately took the medicine and began to see Clayton in a different light.
"Get some rest. For now, you can sleep in the living room, and we'll take care of you," he said softly.