As the dance steps floated and their skirts swirled, after a while, Molly finally spoke, "Miss, let's stop here."
"...Alright." It took Adele a moment to come back to reality. Hearing Molly's words, her left hand, which was holding Molly's, tightened slightly, but she quickly loosened it, fearing she might hurt Molly.
After they separated, Molly stepped back slightly, lifted the sides of her maid's skirt, and curtsied to Adele. Adele, feeling a bit flustered, thought she should at least return a gentleman's bow since she had taken the male lead, but out of habit, she reflexively returned a lady's curtsy.
The moonlight slowly spilled down, timeless and unchanging, now illuminating these two beautiful women.
The exchange of lady-like curtsies might have seemed odd, but Adele didn't have much time to dwell on it. She had caught the scent of her mother's maid approaching, which meant Lady Black was displeased with her early departure from the banquet and had sent someone to bring her back.
Adele glanced at Molly and said, "I'll go back for now, but I'll return shortly. If you get tired of waiting, you can go back to your room."
"Alright, Miss."
Adele hurried away, intercepting the maid before she reached the room, and returned to the banquet with her. As she walked, Adele's mind was still occupied with thoughts of Molly. Molly had been exceptionally beautiful while dancing with her.
The silver moonlight had given Molly's dark hair a shining glow, making it appear almost silver like her own. And those dark eyes, like the night sky, had reflected her image, drawing Adele in.
Most importantly, there had been a moment when Adele thought Molly was smiling, and it was a very gentle smile—and, most importantly, that smile had been directed at her. Her eyes had been filled only with her, smiling warmly just for her!
Thinking about this made Adele's lips curl up involuntarily. It seemed Molly really did like her. Molly was also quite clever, learning to dance so quickly. When Adele had first offered to teach her, she had prepared herself to be stepped on at least ten times.
But surprisingly, Molly hadn't stepped on her even once! Although she had started out completely unfamiliar with dancing, clumsily mimicking Adele's steps and even missing a few beats, she hadn't stepped on her once and had quickly corrected her mistakes.
By the end, Molly was keeping up with Adele's steps, swaying gently along without needing to watch her feet, instead looking up at her.
In any case, Molly was truly amazing.
Thinking about their dance, Adele felt much of the frustration from earlier at the banquet dissipate. Just as she was ready to face those annoying nobles with renewed energy, her business smile froze in place. She had spotted her mother with the young Green boy, smiling in her direction.
She began to resent Golden for her incompetence. Though she knew Golden wasn't as good as her in academics or practical skills, she hadn't expected her to fail to win the young boy's favor even after being given time alone with him.
How on earth had her mother managed to get the young Green boy on her side?
With a sinking feeling, Adele approached her mother. But before Lady Black could speak, the young Green boy asked, "Lady Black told me that when you first entered school last year, you were already able to take on adult vampires by yourself. Is that true?"
—Ah, so that's how she did it.
Adele glanced at her mother and, though she knew it wasn't appropriate, inwardly criticized her: Mother, you sly old fox.
Tricking children would bring bad karma!
Though it wasn't exactly lying, her methods weren't exactly honorable either. Adele could only give a vague answer to the young boy, "Something like that happened, yes." At that moment, Miss Golden, who had disappeared earlier, was dragged back by her father and brought over to them.
Did Golden really not want the young Green boy? Adele found that hard to believe. Her mother had excellent taste, so the young Green boy was likely the best option besides the late White second son. He might have been a substitute, but he was still a top choice among the available options.
If Lady Black thought so, there was no reason the Golden family wouldn't think the same. But soon, Adele noticed where Miss Golden's gaze was fixed—she was staring at the boy's hair. Adele followed her gaze and saw that, yes, it was very green, just like his family name.
But Golden's expression was curious. What, didn't she like green hair?
Adele let her thoughts wander for a while. Perhaps because both she and Miss Golden seemed disinterested, the young Green boy, feeling slighted, huffed and walked off. This was only natural—after all, he was only eight years old, his patience was limited, and he had been spoiled from a young age.
To be honest, Adele didn't care much for children either, let alone having to cater to them.
Vampire children were somewhat frightening in their own way. They were all pampered and served as they grew up. Even her sister was a particularly troublesome child—screaming and crying if anything displeased her. Adele especially disliked dealing with children.
They were all so weak, yet Molly was much quieter, resilient, and a good child.
After a while, the ball finally came to an end. The nobles were preparing to board the cars provided by the Black family to take them to the port, where they would board an airship at night. Adele had a mischievous thought—if those outsiders who had infiltrated the airship decided to rob this one, they could take out several members of the Thirteen Clans and other important vampire families in one go.
But that was a bit too sinister, so Adele dismissed the thought after a moment.
Once everyone had left, Lady Black could no longer maintain her smiling facade. She was a proud woman with a strong need for control, and she couldn't bear Adele's self-centered behavior at the banquet, especially her leaving early.
Lady Black called Adele to her room, where they sat facing each other across a tea table. As she sat down, Adele found herself wondering, I wonder if Molly has returned to her room.
Lady Black seemed to notice Adele's distracted state, and after a night of frustration, she irritably tapped the tea table with her fingers. "Adele, I'm talking to you!" It was no surprise Lady Black was agitated—her actions tonight had been far from refined. Despite being a lady from the Golden family and now the Black family matriarch, she had spent the last few centuries being doted on by everyone.
Countless humans and vampires had served her, making her arrogant and domineering. But tonight, she had humbled herself for her daughter's marriage prospects, enduring a cold reception from Lady Green. She had lowered herself so much for Adele's sake, only for Adele to run off and leave her in an awkward position.
As a result, Lady Black's tone was filled with blame, her usual dignity momentarily set aside. If Molly had been present, she would have made a sarcastic remark. Lady Black often seemed poised and elegant, but to Molly, she came across more like a stereotypical European aristocrat's wife than a centuries-old, shrewd vampire.
This was understandable—Lady Black had lived this way for centuries, with no need to grow or mature, simply playing her role year after year. Without growth, no matter how long one lived, it was merely an accumulation of experience.
"I heard you, Mother." Adele sat across from Lady Black, still dressed in her overly elaborate gown, her cloak draped over her shoulders. Lady Black hesitated, surprised at Adele's tone, which was less than respectful.
It was almost...impertinent.
Perhaps it was the outfit, but Adele's presence seemed stronger than usual, making her harder to control. In that moment, Lady Black realized that Adele had grown to be as tall as her, and her eyes were an even deeper red.
"Adele..."
Lady Black spoke her name, but Adele interrupted, "Mother, have I grown into the perfect heir you and Father envisioned?" A few days ago, the head of the Black family and Lady Black had discussed Adele, with her father praising her as a fitting heir who would make the Black family even stronger. He had also complimented Lady Black, crediting Adele's growth to her excellent guidance.
Faced with Adele's sudden question, Lady Black didn't know how to respond. After a moment, she had to admit, under Adele's intense red gaze, "Yes..." But she quickly realized she couldn't let Adele have the upper hand and hastily added, "But your behavior today was far from that of a perfect heir—you brought shame to the Black family."
Adele remained calm. She sat back on the sofa, took a sip of the tea the maid had poured, and then said, "Mother, I don't think following an eight-year-old boy around, smiling ingratiatingly to gain his favor, is something that brings honor to the Black family."
Lady Black's anger flared at Adele's words. "What do you mean by that? Are you blaming your mother for bringing shame to the Black family? I've been humbling myself all evening for your sake, flattering Lady Green, and this is how you repay me?"
Adele wanted to call out her mother directly, but seeing her mother so agitated, she softened her words slightly, though they still provoked her.
"But, Mother, I don't want to have a child as my fiancé."