Molly's words sounded almost like a confession. Hearing them, Adèle struggled to hold back her emotions, wanting to respond: "Me too, I want to stay by your side. I want to say that I like you."
But Adèle couldn't do that now. She had to first handle her own affairs—at the very least, get her parents to abandon the idea of finding her a marriage partner. Only after that could she talk about things with Molly; otherwise, it wouldn't be a relationship, but a death sentence for Molly.
Even so, hearing that Molly wanted to stay by her side made Adèle's heart swell with joy. She thought, Of course, Molly likes me. Why else would she think being with me is better than being with her family?
Snapping out of her thoughts, Adèle, in a slightly proud tone, said, "Y-you don't have to like me that much!" Yet, the quiet joy in her heart whispered that she was delighted Molly would stay with her—that even if Molly found her family, they couldn't compare to Adèle. Molly wouldn't want to be anywhere else but by her side.
After saying this, Adèle took Molly back to the castle. As soon as they arrived, a servant of her father called Adèle away for something urgent. Adèle told Molly to rest in her room, and when she reached her father's study, she found him sitting behind his desk, his expression grim.
It was rare for Adèle to see her father look so serious. Although he usually wore a stern face, this level of severity was unusual. When Adèle entered, the head of the Black family lifted his chin slightly, indicating she should sit opposite him.
Adèle gracefully lifted her skirt and sat down.
Once she was seated, the Black family head opened a drawer and took out a letter, placing it on the desk. He pushed the envelope towards Adèle with his finger. "Take a look." As Adèle picked up the already opened envelope and unfolded the letter, her father added in a deep voice, "This is an urgent magical message from the White family to all the heads of the Thirteen Clans. They wouldn't have done this if it weren't a matter of great importance."
Adèle read quickly, and there weren't many words on the page. By the time her father finished speaking, she had already read the letter's contents.
It stated that the White family's largest gold-siphoning stronghold, their fifth base, the City That Never Sleeps, had been breached by the human resistance that morning. Furthermore, the second young master of the White family had died in battle, and a noble team had already been dispatched to investigate.
As Adèle placed the letter back on the desk, the head of the Black family asked, "Adèle, what do you make of this?"
What did she make of it? Honestly, when she heard the second young master of the White family had died, Adèle felt a sense of relief. Her mother had favored him as a marriage prospect, and now that he was dead, it was good news for Adèle.
Besides, his death in the City That Never Sleeps indicated he had frequently visited some of his family's enterprises, making him, in Adèle's eyes, a complete scoundrel. Although she had never been there, the secret intelligence her father had shown her before had given her a clear understanding of what that city was like.
In simple terms, it was a city of bullies, filled with sin.
Adèle felt nothing but satisfaction that the city had been destroyed, even wanting to applaud the human resistance. Adèle was a thoughtful adult who, under Molly's guidance from a young age, had developed a set of beliefs that, while dependent on the vampire system, existed independently from it. She knew that what the vampires were doing was wrong, and within her abilities, she tried to make changes.
She wanted to spread the welfare policies she and Molly had discussed and had even devised a plan to persuade her mother. Adèle admired the human resistance for their courage to stand against the strong, but she wasn't foolish. She knew that as a vampire, she couldn't express these thoughts in front of her father. Otherwise, he'd think she was insane and might lock her up.
She paused to choose her words carefully before speaking.
"Father, from the perspective of our fellow clans in the Thirteen Clans, this is an infuriating and sorrowful event. The human resistance must be dealt with cautiously. Over the years, our family has been forced to abandon many strongholds due to their attacks, causing our family's industries to decline, even to the point where some vampires see us as the weakest among the Thirteen Clans. Therefore, we should express our deep condolences and support to the White family."
The head of the Black family didn't miss the phrase "from the perspective of our fellow clans," and he sensed the subtext in Adèle's words. Intrigued, he pressed on, "But what if you're not speaking from the perspective of the Thirteen Clans?"
Adèle looked at her father and gave the answer he most wanted to hear. "From the Black family's perspective, Father should be pleased. Though the human resistance has troubled our family, they've never managed to breach one of our major strongholds. This time, however, the White family's fifth stronghold was breached. For the White family, which is rumored to be the leader among the Thirteen Clans, this is a significant blow."
"Moreover, with the death of the White family's second young master, they'll be more determined than ever to retaliate against the human resistance. Letting them fight it out while you watch from the sidelines—and perhaps even finding profitable opportunities in the ruins of the White family's assets to grow our family business—would be the best course of action."
As Adèle analyzed the situation, her face remained expressionless, like a precise machine reciting a pre-written script. She knew exactly what her father wanted to hear and had prepared the perfect response.
Hearing her words, the stern face of the Black family head relaxed into a smile as he praised her, "Very good. As expected of my daughter, you're absolutely right. As members of the Thirteen Clans, we must express our anger, sympathy, and sorrow. But as the head of the Black family, this incident is an opportunity for us, and we must seize every chance to make our family more prosperous."
He visibly relaxed, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest of his chair as he looked at Adèle with satisfaction. He seemed to be thinking that his daughter was growing into the worthy heir he had hoped for. Once she graduated, he could start entrusting her with some of the family business, gradually transitioning everything to her.
Then, he could take it easy for a century or two before joining the Council of Elders, taking over from his father as one of its leaders.
The Thirteen Clans might be an alliance, but since each member belonged to a different family, their first priority was always their own family's interests. Ultimately, what mattered most was personal gain. Making their family stronger would make their own lives better, and every vampire understood this.
Even though the Thirteen Clans formed a united front, internal conflicts were common. For example, despite the marriage ties between the Black and Gordon families, they were often at odds when it came to their interests. Did the Gordon family head target the Black family head just because he married his sister? Not entirely. If he truly wanted his sister to live well, he would have supported her instead of undermining her.
Even inviting the Gordon family's daughter to the ball organized by Lady Black wasn't out of a genuine preference for Adèle. She was the future head of the more powerful Gordon family. In similar circumstances, arranging a marriage between her and the Black family would have been more beneficial.
Lady Black wasn't ignorant of her sister's scheming, but she needed the Gordon family's name to attract more vampire nobles to the event. After all, two young ladies seeking marriage prospects would be more appealing than just one. Even if one didn't find a match, there was still the other—more chances for success.
It all came down to self-interest.
Adèle was a smart woman; she understood the undercurrents in vampire society. That's why she could say things that pleased her father so much. After discussing the issue, the head of the Black family inquired about Adèle's internship at Spark Farm. When she explained the benefits of the "three-shift" system she implemented, he showed interest.
However, compared to the opportunities arising from the White family's misfortune, these gains seemed trivial. After a few more compliments, he dismissed Adèle. Once she returned to her room, Adèle couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
Seeing things so clearly made her aware of the darkness in their hearts. Adèle didn't really like her father. She respected him because he was her father, but her reasons for disliking him were clear: He was a thorough egotist, no different from Ocán, both exploiting the weak to strengthen themselves.
Adèle couldn't bring herself to oppose her father directly, as he was the one who had raised her. Instead, she employed a strategy of appeasement, planning to replace him as the head of the Black family and reshape it in her vision.
She felt a certain disdain for her own compromise, knowing it was due to her weakness. But it didn't matter—she would grow stronger. Just as Molly had said, she would become powerful, strong enough to surpass her parents and protect Molly under her wing.
Adèle looked out at the moon, its light fractured into a kaleidoscope of colors by the stained glass of the Gothic window. She reached out to touch the rough surface of the window, gazing at the cold moon hanging in the black sky beyond.
With heaven as her witness, she would become so strong that she would never have to bow to anyone, a strength that would allow her to fulfill her ideals.