The efficiency of the vampires was astonishingly high. On the evening of the next day, when Adele attended the first-year end-of-term assembly, the grade director had already begun announcing the students' results. With only a few students, the director could afford to read out each name individually. If there had been as many students as in Molly's previous life, perhaps three or four hundred in a grade, the director might have been reading names all night.
Yes, Molly had attended the assembly, just as she had during the welcome ceremony. She was sitting on the same beam in the same spot, her legs casually crossed.
As the director called out the rankings from the lowest to the highest, Molly realized that grades were just as important in vampire society. Good grades would earn rewards upon returning home, while poor grades wouldn't necessarily result in a spanking—after all, these were noble families, and it would be embarrassing to spank older children. If a noble child got a mixed beating and a maid overheard and gossiped, the student might never be able to hold their head up at school for the next six years.
There would be no beatings, but a good scolding was inevitable.
Adele, being a top student, didn't have to worry about that. Molly had a good memory, just like the vampires, and although she hadn't memorized all the names of the first-year students, she knew the number of students well enough to count along as the director read the names. When Gordon's name was announced as the second place, Molly knew Adele must have taken first place.
She glanced down at Adele; although she couldn't see Adele's expression clearly from her angle, Adele's posture and straight back indicated that she was undoubtedly feeling very proud. In contrast, the atmosphere around Gordon was noticeably gloomier.
As expected, when the director announced Adele's name as the top student and invited her to speak on stage, Adele stood up and walked to the podium, smiling and composed as she began her speech.
Adele had prepared her speech for being first place the night before. She knew the school had this tradition, so she had put in extra effort, never doubting she would be the top student and determined to give the speech.
And she did win first place, standing at the podium and addressing all the first-year students about her hard work this term. Molly wondered if the second-place Gordon had ever thought she might take first place and whether she had prepared a speech the night before.
If not, it would suggest that Gordon was self-aware and knew she couldn't surpass Adele. If she had prepared a speech, it would have been in vain, and Molly would only feel schadenfreude. Although Gordon's maid hadn't tried to bully Molly, whenever they crossed paths in the cafeteria, the maid always looked down on others with her nose in the air.
Seeing her master get outdone now only made Molly happy.
And, of course, she was pleased that her own lady had secured first place. She felt a touch of maternal pride for Adele, relieved that Gordon hadn't surpassed her. Molly even wanted to applaud on the spot, but she couldn't make a sound. Vampire ears were sharp, and the grade director was present—an elder vampire who had lived for who knows how many years, a being of immense power.
Molly could only clap quietly when Adele finished her speech and the other vampire students began applauding, making sure her claps didn't make a sound.
After the speech, as the students bid each other farewell, Adele would return to her room to prepare for leaving. Molly, seeing this, left the chapel early and returned to the room. She placed her suitcase alongside Adele's and sat in the living room, waiting for Adele to come back.
It wasn't long before Molly heard Adele's footsteps. Adele returned to the room and immediately changed her clothes. Now that they were leaving the school, she was eager to ditch her uniform. She didn't want to be seen running around in a school uniform anymore. After changing into her own clothes, Adele looked at Molly.
Molly had also changed into casual clothes, though her outfit still resembled a maid's uniform, primarily black. Adele's wardrobe also featured mostly black clothing, a color she favored not only because her family name "Black" literally meant "black" but also because she genuinely liked the color.
And... Molly's hair and eyes were also black.
Molly was about to pick up both of their suitcases when Adele, after packing her school uniform into her suitcase, picked it up herself. Molly's suitcase was, of course, light—just a few sets of clothes and personal items. The suitcase weighed nothing to her.
But to Adele, Molly represented frailty itself, and the idea of making such a delicate human carry two large suitcases would weigh on her conscience. As they walked out of the room, they passed several other students and maids preparing to leave.
They were the most peculiar pair among them. Other maids were lugging around two large suitcases, and some students had so much stuff that their maids were carrying their luggage on their shoulders, with more trips to come. But in this pair, Adele was carrying a large suitcase herself.
For a noble lady, Adele's luggage was minimal, but it still far exceeded Molly's. So, while Adele carried a large suitcase, Molly was left with a small one. If people didn't recognize Adele and couldn't tell their social positions by their clothing, they might have thought Molly was the pampered lady.
When Miss Gordon saw this, she flipped her golden hair dramatically. "A lady of the Black family carrying her own suitcase? Does your family have no servants? Oh, I forgot, your servant is just a fragile human who can't possibly be as capable as my maid, who can carry five suitcases by herself!"
Molly's gaze shifted to the maid standing behind Gordon.
When Miss Gordon said "five suitcases," she wasn't exaggerating. Her maid was indeed carrying five suitcases, stacked so high that they completely obscured the maid's figure. Molly had only seen scenes like this in anime before; she hadn't expected to witness it in real life.
Molly tilted her head up, almost expecting the stack of suitcases to reach the ceiling.
Adele naturally had to retort to Gordon's provocation. She had her own logic, and she scoffed, "A noble lady should also care about how her maid presents herself. If your maid's face can't even be seen, anyone who doesn't know might think the Gordon family can't afford a maid and has to pile all their luggage on one."
"And how embarrassing it is, too. A noble lady should be followed by an equally elegant maid, not a walking pile of luggage. It's laughable."
Adele's logic might have sounded odd, but it actually made sense. Imagine a poised young lady striding ahead, followed not by a similarly graceful maid but by a walking pile of suitcases—such a scene would indeed be amusing.
In Adele's description, Gordon seemed to realize this as well, her face turning red. But Adele wasn't done. She waved her free hand toward Molly, indicating that Gordon should look at her maid.
"Look, this is my maid!" Molly, holding her suitcase in both hands, stood there demurely, dressed in a simple black outfit with neatly styled hair and a clean, delicate face. When Adele gestured for Gordon to look, Molly cooperated by lowering her gaze slightly. Her movements and posture were those of the perfect maid.
"And now, look at your maid!" Adele continued, waving her hand toward Gordon's maid. "My goodness, is that even a maid? It's more like a walking suitcase rack. Gordon, how pitiful, how utterly pitiful. You fancy yourself a noble lady, yet your maid looks like this."
Gordon's face darkened, but she tried to resist. "Black! And you think carrying your own suitcase looks dignified?!"
Adele tossed her silver hair over her shoulder, letting it flow behind her while holding the suitcase naturally at her side. "Gordon, your question shows a complete lack of class. A noble shouldn't walk around with empty hands; it looks improper. We carry a school bag on regular days, and when traveling, we should carry something appropriate for the occasion. My suitcase is an accessory!"
Upon hearing Adele's words, the surrounding noble ladies seemed to be swayed. Because what Adele said—actually made sense. The maid following them was a reflection of their own status, and she needed to carry herself with the dignity of a maid, not turn into a luggage cart. Moreover, the way Adele carried her suitcase was indeed graceful; she didn't look like she was carrying luggage but rather holding a handbag.
Combined with her travel-appropriate outfit, the large suitcase made it clear she was a noble lady on a journey. It was both fitting and elegant, perfectly striking a chord with the other ladies.
After some whispered discussions, some ladies with maids carrying two bags quickly snatched one from them. Those with three suitcases, after taking one away, realized that it looked odd for their maid to be left holding two, so they decided on the spot that they would only bring one suitcase next term.
The ladies didn't know why it looked odd, but if Molly had to explain, it was because carrying one in each hand made it look like they were holding dumbbells, or gave off a "one chicken in the left hand, one duck in the right" vibe. How could that look elegant?
Miss Gordon's maid still carried five suitcases, and even after Gordon removed two, it didn't make the maid any more graceful. So Miss Gordon gave up on the idea of carrying her own luggage. She gave Adele a cold huff and turned to leave.
Molly figured that next term, Miss Gordon's luggage count would likely decrease.
Molly: Are you vampires seriously out of your minds? Is this really a thing?
Adele: Hmph, not bad, right? (Proud look)