When night fell once more, Molly followed her usual routine and headed to Adele's room. However, she couldn't enter the room directly. As she tried to open the door, she realized it was locked from the inside. After knocking and receiving no response, she simply stood outside and waited.
In fact, even before she tried the door, Molly had already heard the sounds inside and smelled the scent of vampires that didn't belong to Adele.
It was clear that the school administration had already found Adele.
Their efficiency was truly impressive, moving at rocket speed. For beings that were practically immortal, they sure worked fast. Were they in a hurry to reincarnate?
Molly waited at the door, her mouth firmly shut, but her mind was buzzing with thoughts. She focused her ears on the conversation inside.
When she knocked, the conversation inside stopped, as if everyone had turned their heads to figure out what the noise was.
After a while, there was a soft sound at the door, as a vampire approached to check who was outside. After peeking through the door, the vampire returned to the sitting room to report.
"It's Lady Black's maid, a human."
The one being reported to nodded and turned his attention back to Adele, who was sitting on the sofa, wearing a coat and looking somewhat pale.
"We apologize for disturbing you at this time. I've heard that yesterday you suddenly claimed to feel unwell and left the classroom. Is that true?"
Adele sat upright on the sofa. Although she had been gravely injured just the day before, she held herself with poise, her expression still proud. Her demeanor earned the admiration of the school's teachers: As expected of the Black family's eldest daughter, she never loses her composure.
Adele didn't hesitate to admit, "Yes, that's correct."
—Such poise, truly admirable. Even in front of so many teachers, she doesn't bother to lie.
The teacher continued, "Then, Lady Black, are you aware that at the same time, the teacher who serves as the school doctor met with an accident and unfortunately passed away?"
Adele was genuinely surprised. She hadn't thought she could actually kill the doctor. The previous day, she had fought with all her strength and only managed to severely injure him. She had been worried about what might happen if the doctor had stood up and harmed her maids afterward. Thankfully, she vaguely remembered waking up at some point and seeing Molly. When she fully awoke later, she found that her clothes had been changed and the dirt on her body had been cleaned away.
If not for her memories, Adele might have thought the events had been a mere dream. But she was certain that she had fought the doctor and that both had been gravely injured.
Now, hearing that the doctor had died, she was somewhat confused. She recounted the previous day's events truthfully: "I discovered that he intended to harm my maid, something I couldn't tolerate, so I went to confront him. We argued, and it escalated into a fight. Before I lost consciousness, I vaguely recall that we were both seriously injured."
The teacher nodded. "Then it's clear—you were the one who killed the doctor. When we arrived at the scene, we found the doctor's office filled with the scent of blood. By the time we got there, we found the doctor had already turned to ashes. We deeply regret this and will collect his ashes to return them to his family."
Adele didn't know what to think. Her feelings were complex. She instinctively asked, "What about the doctor's maid?"
"We investigated, but the doctor's maid is missing. It's possible she was killed in your fight. Lady Black, you were gravely injured in your battle with the doctor, but you've already healed. It's possible that after you killed the doctor, you might have unconsciously fed on his maid..."
"No..." That's impossible.
Adele swallowed the rest of her words. She didn't believe she could have killed the maid, not even in an unconscious state. And she clearly remembered seeing Molly by her side, yet the teacher hadn't mentioned Molly being there.
Adele wasn't foolish. She instinctively felt it was better if Molly wasn't linked to the incident. No matter how many questions she had, she kept them to herself. After a moment of silence, Adele asked, "So, what punishment will I receive?"
"Punishment?" The teacher looked puzzled, even smiling as he replied, "Why would Lady Black be punished? The doctor brought this upon himself by coveting your possession, which led to your confrontation. A despicable vampire who covets what belongs to others is no loss. Lady Black, you should be commended as a role model for us all."
He said this because the person who had killed the doctor was a student and, more importantly, a member of the Black family. She was like an unbloomed flower in a rose garden, but this incident showed the promise of her future brilliance. The Black family had been in decline for a century, but with an heir like her, to cross her would be to cross the entire Black family.
After a few more pleasantries, the staff from the administration finally took their leave. They were aware that Molly had been waiting outside for some time and didn't react when they saw her standing at the door. They simply held their heads high, like roosters, as they walked past her.
They didn't spare Molly a glance. To them, she was just an insignificant human.
Once they were gone, Molly entered the room, closing the door behind her. She looked at Adele, who, after a day of rest, looked much better than before. Adele, dressed in her nightgown with a soft coat over it, sat on the sofa. When she saw Molly enter, she patted the spot next to her. "Molly, come sit here."
Molly obediently sat next to Adele, her back straight. Adele soon leaned against her, and the gesture reminded Molly of the cat she had in her previous life. Every time she sat on the sofa, it would snuggle up to her just like this. Molly considered pushing Adele away, but seeing how Adele still seemed a bit weak, and remembering why she was injured, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
The room fell silent, with Adele and Molly quietly sitting side by side. It was Adele who finally broke the silence.
She asked, "Molly, was it your blood I drank that day?"
Molly didn't really want to admit it, but Adele's voice was soft, almost pleading. She had also overheard what the administration had said, suggesting that Adele might have drained the maid and killed her... Although they hadn't discovered the maid's disappearance, which was a relief, they were falsely accusing her young mistress, which Molly found unacceptable.
After a moment of thought, Molly replied, "Yes, it was my blood."
Adele's body relaxed, and she leaned more heavily against Molly. Although Adele had subconsciously believed she wouldn't do such a thing and remembered seeing Molly, the administration had spoken so confidently that she had started to doubt herself.
Now, hearing Molly's confirmation that she had indeed drunk Molly's blood instead of the maid's, Adele felt a wave of relief wash over her. But soon, a new question arose in her mind. She shifted slightly, moving away from Molly and sitting beside her, turning to look at her directly.
"What about the maid? Is she okay?"
Adele could only ask Molly, knowing that the administration hadn't found the maid. But now that the doctor was dead and she was unharmed while the maid was missing, she couldn't help but worry. Her concern seemed genuine, and Molly knew that with Adele's acting skills, she wasn't faking it.
Molly answered, "She's fine."
That answer led to another question: If she's fine, where is she? Adele asked this, too, but Molly didn't respond immediately. Instead, she fell silent.
Molly now knew that Adele was different from other vampires, but how different was she? Molly couldn't be sure. While she didn't know why the administration had concluded the maid was dead, she knew that this was good news for the maid.
Would it be wise to tell Adele? What if she regretted it one day and hunted down the maid? Molly felt a flash of worry, but she quickly pushed it aside. She would protect that maid, protect any human struggling to survive in this world because that was her plan.
So Molly replied, "She ran away. Not just her—another maid who suffered under the doctor's abuse escaped with her."
Hearing this, Adele sighed in genuine relief. "That's good to hear..." Her expression was complex, and Molly didn't quite understand it. But she could sense Adele's emotions—relief, comfort, pity, and a hint of melancholy...
After these small questions were answered, the room fell silent again. After a moment, Molly noticed Adele timidly reaching out, her fingers brushing against hers. Vampires had lower body temperatures, so Molly felt a slight chill when their fingers touched.
The next moment, she heard Adele's voice: "Molly, you were at the scene that day, weren't you?"
How should she respond? Should she deny it? The administration wouldn't find out she was there because she had concealed her scent when she arrived. They couldn't detect her. They only knew the maid and the little freckled girl had been there, but not her. Admitting it would bring her trouble.
These thoughts swirled in Molly's mind, but the words of admission still came out: "Yes, I was there." Before her mind could make a decision, her body had already trusted Adele. She believed Adele wouldn't betray her.
Hearing Molly's answer, Adele grew serious. "Molly, don't tell any vampires or anyone else about this. The matter with the doctor ends with me."
Administration: She's amazing, killing a vampire so much older than her!
Adele: No, I'm not, I didn't...
Molly (covering her mouth): It was you, you're amazing.