Adèle's mother received the news slightly later, but not by much—after all, she was the Lady of the Black family. She too learned of the White family's second young master's death. Lady Black was saddened, not by his death itself, but because her precious daughter now had one less eligible suitor.
She was also disappointed that the ball she had so meticulously planned had to be delayed. After all, one couldn't throw a party so soon after someone's death, even if the Thirteen Clans didn't always get along. Appearances still had to be maintained. Lady Black even spent two days at the Gordon family estate, discussing matters with her sister before returning.
By the time she returned and the Black family's ball finally commenced, nearly half a month had passed. Adèle sat in her room, being meticulously dressed by her mother's maids. Tonight, she was dressed more grandly than usual. Underneath was a complex formal gown, with a fitted bodice and a high-waisted, loose skirt that draped to the floor. Over it, she wore a cloak.
Although Molly wasn't particularly good with history, she happened to know the name of this cloak. It was called a mantle, a type of large, flowing cloak worn over formal attire during the Gothic era. The inner and outer colors were different, and when one walked with their head held high, revealing the inner lining, it added an air of majesty and elegance.
Adèle's mantle tonight was three-quarters circular, with the outer side black and the inner side a deep crimson—the vampires' favorite color combination. Molly was certain that Adèle looked stunning tonight, sure to attract many admiring glances.
Once Adèle was fully dressed, her mother entered the room, followed by a maid holding a black wooden box. With a smile, Lady Black opened the box, taking out a brooch and fastening it to Adèle's mantle.
Adèle's cloak was so voluminous that she had to hold up part of it with one hand to keep it from trailing on the ground like an automatic sweeper. She looked perfectly suited to the Gothic style—her otherworldly beauty accentuated by the eerie, mysterious, and regal fashion.
The dark red gemstone on the brooch matched Adèle's crimson eyes, ensuring she would be the brightest star at tonight's ball.
After securing the brooch, Lady Black nodded in satisfaction, brushing nonexistent dust from Adèle's shoulder. Her voice was gentle yet authoritative as she gave her instructions: "Adèle, my precious daughter, tonight you are the most beautiful rose. But remember, you are also the heir to the Black family, the future head of one of the Thirteen Clans. Beauty is important, but dignity is paramount. Do not do anything that would tarnish the Black family's honor."
"I understand, Mother."
Seeing that Adèle grasped her meaning, Lady Black nodded with a smile. As she turned to leave, she noticed Molly standing nearby. Yes, even though she wasn't needed, Adèle had still called Molly to her room. While the maids dressed Adèle, Molly stood quietly to the side, practically invisible.
When Lady Black turned and saw Molly, she didn't pay her much mind. She glanced at her briefly before saying to Adèle, "Let's go." Adèle glanced at Molly, her face lit with a smile, and mouthed the words, "Wait for me." She didn't speak aloud, but she knew Molly would catch her lip movements.
Their departure was telling—Adèle holding up part of her cloak to prevent it from dragging, while Lady Black linked arms with her daughter as one might with a gentleman.
The gesture looked as though she were holding the arm of a man, not her daughter. But it made sense—Adèle was the future head of the family, an elevated role. If Adèle had taken her mother's arm instead, it would have diminished her authority.
Indeed, many of the rituals of European etiquette were designed to make women appear more dependent and smaller.
Molly pushed aside these thoughts and simply bowed her head, seemingly to bid farewell to the two mistresses.
Molly had expected Lady Black to instruct her to stay in her room and not wander about. But upon reflection, it made sense that a noblewoman like Lady Black wouldn't bother with such instructions. Earlier in the evening, the head maid had gathered all the maids, particularly the human ones, to warn them to stay in their rooms and not wander around, lest they displease the vampire guests.
But just after the head maid gave these orders, Adèle had whisked Molly away, leaving the head maid's expression frozen in place. When Lady Black had glanced at Molly earlier, there had been a hint of warning in her eyes: "Don't think that just because Adèle favors you, you can do as you please. If you disturb the guests, there will be consequences."
But was Molly someone who could be easily intimidated? Of course not.
The more she was told not to wander, the more she wanted to explore. However, she couldn't let the guests or servants see her, or she would surely be thrown out.
When the ball had been delayed, Molly had been curious about the reason, so she had sneaked into the Black family head's study to search for any letters. This time, he had cleverly hidden them using the principle of "the most dangerous place is the safest place," leaving them right on the desk, weighed down by a book.
Molly had searched the room thoroughly and hadn't found anything, but she eventually discovered the letters using her keen sense of smell. Only the area around the desk carried the scents of both the Black family head and Adèle. Suspecting something was amiss, she focused her search there and, sure enough, found the hidden letters.
Ha, as if such a simple trick could fool her!
Molly quickly read the letters and learned that the death of the White family's second young master was indeed big news, explaining why the ball had been postponed. Since she was already there, she found a few more pieces of information hidden in other corners of the room. These included reports on investigations into the human resistance's strong figures and a suspected traitor within the vampire ranks.
The Thirteen Clans suspected that the powerful figure in the human resistance was their famed Lady Dawn. In the years that the human resistance had been attacking vampire strongholds, things hadn't always gone smoothly. If they could contact Molly, things went well, but when they couldn't, they often had to proceed on a tight schedule, leading to failures. When vampires captured survivors, they attempted to extract information through hypnotic magic.
However, the human resistance fighters were strong-willed, ready to sacrifice themselves for the cause of humanity's resurgence. Even under hypnosis, many of them remained unyielding, rendering the vampires' magic ineffective. Still, not everyone's resolve was unbreakable, and a few succumbed.
From these captives, the vampires learned about Lady Dawn, a figure revered almost as a symbol of hope within the human resistance.
Based on the descriptions provided by these captives, the vampires connected her to the mysterious woman on the airship, leading them to suspect that this mysterious figure was Lady Dawn—the same woman who had recently led the attack on the City That Never Sleeps.
Molly had wondered how the news had spread so quickly, but then she found the answer in one of the letters. The White family had sent two letters to the head of the Black family—one carrying Adèle's scent, the other not.
The letter without Adèle's scent read: "The moment the contract gem in our family shattered, I realized something had happened to the Eternal Night Orb and immediately sent someone to investigate. Unfortunately, my second son has been confirmed dead. I had mentioned a marriage arrangement with your daughter before, but it seems that won't be possible now."
Molly hadn't known that the second young master had been a potential fiancé for Adèle. For a moment, she was so shocked that she almost crushed the letter in her hand. In her eyes, Adèle was still a child—after all, she was only nineteen, hardly old enough for marriage.
But now that she thought about it, vampires did tend to arrange marriages quite early.
Molly knew that Adèle would eventually have a fiancé. As the heir, she wouldn't have the luxury of choosing her own partner—her marriage would be a bargaining chip in the balance of power. But she hadn't expected this day to come so soon.
Still fuming, Molly returned to her room. The second young master had been no good—frequenting places like the City That Never Sleeps and consorting with low-rank vampires. Molly could easily guess what had happened: He had likely boasted about the family's gem to a low-rank vampire, then taken her to the high tower room. Flattered by her praise, he had succumbed to his desires, leading to his demise.
How could they even consider such a man as a potential match for Adèle?
The more Molly thought about it, the angrier she became. In hindsight, she was glad she had acted decisively. She should have made his death even more painful! Molly began to doubt the Black family head's judgment in choosing men. No, she would have to keep a close eye on things herself.
Under the cover of night, she changed into her Lady Dawn attire and slipped past the vampire guards to the ballroom. Like a spider, Molly dangled upside down from a single thread outside the rose window. She masked her presence, ensuring the vampires wouldn't notice her.
Thanks to the Gothic-era rose window, with its intricate design, even vampire eyes couldn't spot her hidden form.
Peering through the stained glass, Molly saw the ballroom lit brightly tonight. She watched as Lady Black, dressed in her finery, linked arms with Adèle. After greeting everyone, Lady Black finally allowed Adèle to choose her first dance partner.
But Adèle seemed rebellious. Instead of choosing anyone, she descended the stairs alone and stood in the center of the stage. With a graceful bow to the guests, she raised her hand, signaling the orchestra to begin.
As the music flowed, Adèle stood in the center, performing a solo dance meant for two.
Molly: I really did a great job!