Adele was beautiful and graceful. Even though she danced alone, performing steps meant for a couple, she didn't look awkward. Her hand wasn't left hanging aimlessly in the air but was instead held up like a queen, while the other hand still clutched her cloak.
A dance typically lasts at least ten minutes, but Adele finished after just two minutes. She slowly lowered her right hand to the front, bowed casually, and only then did she lift her head.
When Adele chose to dance alone, Lady Black's expression turned exceptionally grim, as dark as the bottom of a cast iron pot. However, she had to maintain her noble composure in front of others, so Lady Black forced a smile.
The surrounding vampires had no choice but to applaud. They couldn't afford to offend Adele. Among them, Miss Golden, who usually didn't get along with Adele, seemed particularly pleased and genuinely applauded, clapping loudly.
Even Molly outside could hear her loud clapping.
Hanging upside down was uncomfortable for Molly, and even though she wouldn't die from a brain hemorrhage, she decided to change positions. She made a small swing out of some threads, which pinched her a bit, but she could tolerate it. Molly sat on the swing and clapped her hands along with the others, though her applause made no sound, just like when she secretly watched at school.
Sometimes Molly wondered, if this world were different, where humans and vampires were equals, would she be able to stand in the crowd like Miss Golden, clapping sincerely, making her applause heard by everyone?
After Adele finished her dance, Lady Black gave her a reproachful look. However, she didn't scold her in front of others; instead, she led her through the nobles. Some nobles chose to enter the dance floor with a familiar vampire, while others, more focused on their goals, waited for Lady Black and Adele to approach.
Eligible vampire bachelors weren't numerous, but they weren't few either. Still, finding someone who met Lady Black's standards wasn't easy. Molly watched as Lady Black introduced Adele to several noble ladies accompanied by men or to gentlemen who had married into other families.
From Lady Black's expression, Molly could tell these men weren't to her liking. From the letters Molly had seen, she knew Lady Black's first choice had been the second son of the White family. Now that he was dead, Molly wondered who her second choice was.
Soon, Molly had her answer. Lady Black's expression changed too obviously—it was the expression of a mother-in-law pleased with her future son-in-law. Molly glanced over, thinking she hadn't seen clearly, and looked again. She found this world somewhat crazy.
Lady Black's favored candidate was a mere boy, not even reaching Adele's shoulder, looking like a child. Molly doubted who was more age-appropriate, him or the second young lady. If the second young lady hadn't attended the ball, Molly might have thought this boy was a match for her.
The conversation between the four of them drifted into Molly's ears.
"This must be the youngest son of the Green family?"
Lady Black spoke, with Adele standing beside her, expressionless. Adele looked like a woman forced into a blind date, clearly unwilling but with no choice but to attend. She wore a sour expression, hoping it would drive the other party away.
The little boy didn't even know what love was. He simply admired the cool adults, and in his mind, Adele, who had just danced alone, was quite impressive. So, with curiosity and enthusiasm, he tugged at his mother's skirt and asked, "Is this Miss Black?"
Lady Black paused, then smiled. "Yes, she is. Isn't Adele a fine lady?"
Vampires were particularly protective and fond of children, so Lady Black was very kind in her tone. Across from her, Mrs. Green lightly covered her face with a feathered fan. Unlike the seemingly warm Lady Black, Mrs. Green was more reserved. After all, besides Adele, there was also a Miss Golden on the scene, who was also looking for a marriage partner.
Originally, the second son of the White family was supposed to be the main focus of this ball, but since he had died, Mrs. Green's son was now the most sought-after. She needed to be cautious and make sure her son would bring the most benefit to the Green family.
Adele remained expressionless throughout, and after a while, she found an excuse to slip away. But Molly, on the other hand, was still happily watching the two ladies converse. Listening to them discuss marriage prospects for their children, Lady Black was proactive, but Mrs. Green was playing it cool.
Seeing Lady Black get frustrated made Molly inwardly pleased.
Ah, it's rare to see Lady Black in a tight spot—I should watch while I can. But after a while, Molly suddenly realized: could it be that the young lady is coming to find me? As soon as this thought crossed her mind, Molly knew it was time for her to return to her room.
Too bad, I won't get to see more of Lady Black's frustration.
Molly withdrew her threads and, like a butterfly, landed on the castle roof, bypassing all the vampire servants, and returned to her room. She moved quickly, and she knew it wouldn't be easy for Adele to leave the banquet hall, as she'd likely be stopped by various vampires.
So when she returned to the room and found it empty, it was exactly as Molly had expected.
She brewed some tea and sat in the parlor for a while until she sensed Adele's return. But Adele wasn't alone—there was someone else with her, someone whose scent seemed familiar to Molly. She was surprised—familiar scent? Who could it be? It couldn't be Lady Black, so who else among the vampires would smell familiar?
Before the person entered, Molly realized who it was.
It was Miss Golden. As they walked together, Adele was saying, "So why did you follow me to my room?"
"There was no other choice. If I stayed in the resting area prepared by Lady Black, I'd be cornered by other nobles. Only in your room can I avoid those annoying people."
"If you keep talking about the gentlemen like that, Mr. Golden will probably be upset."
"You're one to talk! Didn't you run away yourself?"
"What are you talking about? It wasn't running away!" As they chattered, they reached the door. Molly got up and opened it. Adele immediately fell silent, but Miss Golden had no such reservations and kept chatting away.
"It's hilarious. My father and your mother are both determined to make the little Green boy our fiancé. But he's only eight years old! Oh my goodness, just two years older than your sister!" Her incessant talking made Adele's head ache, and she didn't want Molly to know anything about an arranged marriage.
So Adele resorted to a little reverse psychology: "You've been talking about him non-stop since earlier. Did you fall in love with him at the ball?"
That remark quickly led to another argument, and Miss Golden eventually stormed off in a huff. Adele didn't know that Molly had heard everything from inside the room. In fact, Molly had already guessed from the earlier ball that Lady Black intended to arrange a marriage between the two.
How to describe it... It felt odd. If the little Green boy were a teenager, the same age as Adele, Molly might have felt a bit... uneasy, but since he was so young, Molly couldn't help but find it amusing.
After Miss Golden left, Adele finally opened the door. Molly stood respectfully inside, and when Adele entered, she lowered her head slightly. "Young Lady." She didn't ask why Adele had returned so early; she simply stood there, never leaving.
"Mm." Adele responded softly, then walked further into the room.
She removed her cloak and draped it over the back of a sofa before sitting down. Adele instinctively reached to brush her hair, but as her hand neared her neck, she remembered her hair was all pinned up.
Molly placed tea and a sugar bowl on the table in front of her. Adele picked up the tea and took a sip.
Adele motioned for Molly to sit, and once Molly was seated, Adele hesitantly asked, "Molly, did you hear me talking outside just now?"
"No, Young Lady," Molly lied without hesitation, and Adele sighed in relief. She watched the moonlight spill into the room, landing near Molly's feet. At that moment, an idea came to her mind.
But the thought was difficult to express, as if her mouth were sealed. She bit her lower lip, hesitating for a long time before quietly asking, "Molly, do you know how to dance?"
"...No, Young Lady," Molly answered truthfully this time.
It made sense—Molly, as a maid, had never needed to learn to dance. She was trained from a young age to serve vampires, and dancing wasn't part of that training. In her previous life, Molly could manage a few simple moves to music, but those dances would seem crude or nonsensical to the vampires of this world.
When it came to the social dances popular here, Molly was completely clueless.
Adele didn't show any surprise at Molly's answer. She simply seemed more nervous, even taking another sip of tea... She had been tense since earlier, though she hadn't shown it while drinking her tea, it was very obvious to Molly.
After all, Molly had brewed the tea, but hadn't added any sugar, even placing the sugar bowl in front of Adele. Yet, Adele hadn't noticed and continued to drink calmly.