Adèle knew that Molly was inside the room. In fact, she had already been here once, just last night. During that visit, she stood outside the door, unable to hear a sound or detect any scent, so she entered the room.
Her sense of smell was exceptionally keen, and she could tell that Molly's scent was almost entirely absent from the quarantine cottage, indicating that Molly hadn't stayed there for the past few days. This realization puzzled Adèle—where had Molly gone? She also began to wonder: When Molly was supposedly sick before, was she really staying in the cottage?
Despite the rising doubts in her heart, Adèle didn't raise an alarm when she returned to the castle. Instead, she decided to come back to the cottage today. This time, unlike before, she could smell Molly's scent and hear sounds inside, confirming that Molly was in the room.
The two stood in silence on opposite sides of the door for a long time before Adèle knocked. Perhaps lost in thought, she hadn't realized how Molly had detected her presence and come to the door. A normal human wouldn't have noticed her standing there, as a vampire's footsteps were light and undetectable through a door.
When the knock sounded, Molly quickly opened the door. She looked at Adèle outside with a calm expression. "Miss Adèle, why are you here?"
Adèle didn't answer and instead moved to enter the room. Molly simply stepped aside, letting her in. The cottage, which had lost most of Molly's scent the night before, was now filled with it.
This calmed the irritation that had been gnawing at Adèle. She sat in the only chair in the room and gestured for Molly, who was standing, to sit down. With nowhere else to sit, Molly sat on the bed. Adèle disliked beating around the bush, so she asked directly.
"Molly, where did you go in the past few days?"
Just as Molly had anticipated, Adèle wasn't coming to the cottage for the first time. Molly hesitated, unsure how to respond. If she made up an excuse now, it would likely be full of holes. So, she remained silent, lowering her head.
She thought to herself that if things came to a head with Adèle, she would have no choice but to go to the human resistance base. But deep down, she didn't want to break things off with Adèle. The thought that had suddenly emerged from her heart had now become a dominant feeling: She would be heartbroken if she had to leave Adèle.
Molly had spent nineteen years in this world, thirteen of them with Adèle, almost inseparably. Before she was six, Molly had no real goals, just surviving day by day. Though she had powerful abilities to ensure her survival, this cruel world didn't seem like a place worth staying.
As the saying goes, "Having seen the light, one cannot bear the darkness."
That was Molly's situation.
True, the world she had lived in before also had many flaws, with disparities in wealth, hatred, and even war. But undeniably, that world—at least the environment she lived in—was far better than this one.
At the very least, she was free.
Setting aside the pleasures, the food, and the technology, freedom was something this world couldn't compare to. She also had the dignity of being human; she couldn't sincerely bow her head to the vampires or endure the humiliations they imposed. On the other hand, Molly, who had lived a relatively smooth life before, couldn't truly endure hardship, living on the run and in the wild every day.
It wasn't until she met Adèle that Molly found a somewhat acceptable path. After all, when she first met Adèle, she was just a child. Although Molly didn't particularly like children, she couldn't bring herself to ignore one who hadn't made any mistakes. Lowering her head to take care of her in exchange for food and work wasn't something she couldn't accept.
But Adèle was different. The more time Molly spent with her, the more she confirmed this. Adèle was unlike all the filthy, despicable vampires of this world. She was like a lotus flower, pure and unstained by the mud.
Molly couldn't deny that her feelings for Adèle were unlike those she had for anyone else in this world. Her only place of belonging in this world was by Adèle's side.
But now, she had a new goal, one that would eventually make her Adèle's enemy. Perhaps today was the day they would have to part. Swallowing the bitterness in her heart, Molly decided to tell Adèle the truth. The thought of separation brought a sorrowful note to her voice as she began to speak.
But before she could say much, Adèle interrupted her. "Molly, did you fake being sick and leave to find your family?"
"Huh?"
Molly hadn't expected Adèle to bring up this topic, but as she considered it, she realized that instead of revealing the truth and leaving... she still wanted to stay by Adèle's side. With a hint of hesitation and because of the little secrets in her heart, Molly agreed with Adèle's assumption.
"Yes... you saw through me..."
Adèle's crimson eyes sparkled in the darkness, and she nodded, speaking with a touch of pride. "Did you think you could fool me, Molly? I noticed during last year's Blessing Festival that you must miss your family dearly to go to such lengths to find them."
"Were your previous sick leaves for the same reason?"
Faced with Adèle's question, Molly was silent for a moment before answering truthfully. "No." At least initially, she had only pretended to be sick, and she certainly hadn't gone out to find any so-called family. She didn't have strong feelings toward her mother in this world; in her heart, she only had one mother, whom she had no hope of seeing again.
Who knows what Adèle was imagining, but she nodded as if she understood.
—No, what exactly do you think you understand?
Before Molly could ask, Adèle continued, "Did you find your family?"
The answer, of course, was no. Molly didn't say anything, just shook her head. Adèle sighed, "It must be hard to find them..." Judging by Adèle's expression, Molly realized she might be thinking that Molly's mother was probably dead, given that nineteen years had passed. No matter how hard she searched, she might never find her.
Adèle seemed saddened, unwilling to voice her suspicion that Molly's mother might have passed away. Instead, she smiled encouragingly at Molly. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about this. If you need help, I'm here for you!"
In Adèle's mind, Molly, as an ordinary human who couldn't even use transportation, couldn't have gone far in five days. She probably only reached a nearby town and asked passing human servants for information.
All those years of effort had been in vain, and Molly must feel terrible about that. Adèle felt she should be sad for Molly. After all, she was a vampire with a strong sense of empathy. Otherwise, a small incident at the Blessing Festival over half a year ago wouldn't have stayed with her until now.
Adèle couldn't forget Molly's expression that day. Usually so serious and cold, Molly had looked at a river lantern with such gentle eyes. Now that Adèle had figured out her feelings, she couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy when she recalled Molly's expression.
She envied the river lantern, which had been looked upon so tenderly by Molly. She envied Molly's family, who were remembered so fondly. So, combining this with Molly's secret excursions, Adèle guessed that Molly must have been searching for clues about her family. Molly was inherently gentle; it made sense that she would keep looking for her family for so many years.
But deep inside, Adèle felt a surge of fear as she realized that her hold over Molly wasn't as strong as she thought. Molly had faked illness and sneaked out many times over the years—what if she didn't come back one day? What if she found her family and stayed with them?
This unspoken fear gripped Adèle's heart, making her offer help out of concern. Yet, she couldn't be forceful with Molly, so she phrased it as, "If you need help."
Molly, hearing Adèle's offer, declined it. How could she possibly let Adèle help her? After all, she was actually attacking and sabotaging vampire strongholds. Even if Adèle was different from other vampires, she was still a noble of the Thirteen Clans. No matter how sympathetic she might be to humans, she wouldn't sacrifice her own interests to help them.
Seeing Molly's refusal, Adèle panicked slightly. The panic was fleeting, but Molly, with her sharp observation, didn't miss it. She wondered what was wrong with Adèle, watching as she clasped her hands tightly in her lap and then forced a smile.
With a hint of apprehension that she couldn't hide, Adèle asked softly, "Molly, if you find your family, will you want to stay with them?"
Molly hadn't even considered it and answered immediately, "No." After all, she had no intention of looking for family in this world, and it was impossible to reunite with her family from her previous life. So, faced with this question, she answered without hesitation.
Molly didn't expect that her thoughtless reply would make Adèle burst out laughing—a genuinely happy laugh. Adèle was first stunned, then, as if she couldn't believe it, muttered, "Really?" When she realized Molly was serious, Adèle couldn't suppress her joy, breaking into a wide smile.
"Of course, you'd rather stay with me."
Molly thought for a moment and admitted, "You're right."
Molly: You're quite perceptive.
Adèle: Proud.jpg