After getting the two bracelets and the river lantern, Molly wasn't interested in anything else, so Adele just casually tossed the remaining rings. When it was Molly's turn, she had to pretend to be a weak, helpless, and pitiful maid. She seemed very serious, but in reality, she didn't land a single ring.
Adele knew Molly's true strength, so watching her act so convincingly almost made her burst out laughing. But since Molly was trying so hard to maintain her disguise as an ordinary person, Adele couldn't bring herself to expose her.
After Molly finished tossing her ten rings, she noticed the owner's look, which seemed to say: "Not so impressive after all."
Molly was tempted to grab another set of ten rings—the kind used by vampires—to show the owner what a real expert could do, but she ultimately decided against it. Pouting, she followed Adele, who, with only one river lantern in hand, returned to the lantern stall to buy another.
They also visited the barbecue stall, just like last year. The stall was as deserted as before, with only Molly buying a large bunch of skewers. After taking a bite, Molly understood why the stall owner's business hadn't improved at all from last year.
It was simply because the skewers were terrible.
Molly ended up eating the entire bunch herself since Adele couldn't eat grilled food. Sometimes, Molly wondered if their inability to share food took away a lot from their relationship. If they were in her original world instead of this one, they could have enjoyed so many delicious things together.
She imagined walking hand-in-hand with Adele along a well-lit path at night, eating hot, tasty skewers and chatting endlessly. In that world, Adele's quality of life might have been better. But considering Molly's financial situation before she transmigrated, she doubted she could afford to support Adele.
After buying what they wanted, they went to the same spot outside the village where they had released lanterns the previous year. Molly sat on a rock, slowly finishing her skewers while Adele burned the wooden sticks to ashes with a flick of her hand. Then, Adele pulled out the bracelets she had won earlier at the ring toss.
Molly took one from Adele's palm.
The bracelets were woven from straw. To be honest, the dried grass didn't look great—it was somewhat yellowed, and the small flowers adorning it were withered. But since they were matching, wearing them made them feel like couple bracelets.
Before Molly could put on the bracelet she had taken, Adele picked up the remaining one, gently holding Molly's wrist and slipping it on. Molly hesitated for a moment but then softened her gaze under Adele's expectant look, and gently put the other bracelet on Adele.
Adele gazed at Molly, momentarily lost in thought. Molly looked incredibly gentle.
On the day of the Blessing Festival, the moon was full and bright. Its reflection shimmered in the river, distorting its shape, but the moonlight also fell on Molly, lighting up her eyes. Her gaze was so tender, like a river full of moonlight, that Adele couldn't help but feel intoxicated.
Last year, Molly had looked at the lanterns floating away with that same gentle expression. At the time, Adele had wished that Molly would look at her that way. A year later, her wish had come true. Molly's gentle gaze was now for her.
"Molly…"
Adele couldn't help but softly call Molly's name. Molly responded with a soft "Hmm?" and looked up. The gentle, wave-like gaze that had held the moonlight now held Adele's reflection.
In that moment, Adele's heart skipped a beat.
Molly, who had always seemed so cold and distant, like the moon in the sky, had once been untouchable. No one could pull her down from her icy heights. But now, she was willing to come down for Adele, letting her once cold and indifferent eyes fill with warmth.
Unable to resist, Adele leaned in to kiss Molly. Molly didn't refuse. They sat on the rock, the unlit river lanterns beside them, and the river flowing quietly at their feet. The night wind gently lifted Adele's long hair, the clouds shyly covering part of the moon, leaving only a sliver of light to shine on them.
They were so close, their newly donned bracelets almost touching. Although the bracelets were just simple straw creations, they symbolically bound them together, ensuring they would never be apart. Lovers in the throes of passion can't help but stick close together.
It was a long time before their kiss ended. When they finally pulled away, they remembered they had to release the river lanterns.
Adele followed the same steps as last year, but Molly did something different. After releasing her lantern, she clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and made a silent prayer. Adele was curious but didn't interrupt, waiting until Molly finished before asking, "Molly, what were you doing?"
"I was telling my parents that I'm doing well here, that I've found someone to spend my life with, and that they don't need to worry about me." Molly unclasped her hands and stood up, ready to head back with Adele.
Adele nodded at Molly's response and suggested, "Should we try to find your parents? They might still be alive."
Molly was momentarily surprised, knowing that the "parents" Adele referred to weren't the same as the ones she had in mind. She smiled softly, "That's not what I meant… and there's no need to search for them. Things are fine as they are." She recalled the time Adele had caught her returning from the human resistance base, assuming she had been searching for her family.
Adele had quite an active imagination, always coming up with elaborate scenarios. Molly chuckled softly.
Hearing that Molly didn't intend to search for her parents, Adele felt a wave of relief. She had a selfish streak and honestly didn't want Molly to go looking for her family. If Molly couldn't find them and learned they had passed away, she would surely be heartbroken, and Adele didn't want to see her in pain. But if Molly found them, her world wouldn't revolve solely around Adele anymore, and that would make Adele unhappy.
So when Molly said, "Things are fine as they are," Adele felt reassured. She even felt a bit of pride—Molly only needed her, and no one else.
Hand in hand, they returned to the castle. After the Blessing Festival, Adele wasted no time in leaving. She didn't plan to stay at home for too long; she preferred to return to Spark Farm and Daili Farm No. 1 to continue her work.
Before leaving, the second young lady introduced Adele to a young girl she had brought with her. "This is the maid I chose myself. Isn't she beautiful?" There was a note of pride in the second young lady's voice. Standing behind her was a girl about the same age as her, whom she had brought from an orphanage.
The girl was indeed very pretty. Vampires were known for their love of beauty, and they wouldn't give a second glance to anyone who wasn't attractive. But… Adele couldn't help but notice that the young girl resembled Molly when she was younger, leading Adele to scrutinize her more closely.
And she confirmed it: yes, the girl did look a lot like a young Molly.
This discovery left Adele momentarily speechless. Her sister was still very young and obviously hadn't seen what Molly looked like as a child, yet the girl she brought back looked just like her. The girl had short hair that framed her face in a cute, petite way, and she was dressed in a miniaturized maid's outfit. If placed next to Molly, she would look like a smaller version of her. The only difference was that the girl's hair was brown, unlike Molly's jet-black locks, and her features were a bit more defined.
Molly, who was standing behind Adele, also noticed the maid her sister had chosen.
What could she say? These sisters were alike in some ways, especially in their strikingly similar tastes.
After meeting her sister's maid, Adele had her step out, then called her sister over and gave her a serious talk: "Now that you've chosen your own maid, you must treat her well. You have to remember that you're a strong person, and your maid is weak. You're her master, and you must protect her from harm. If you fail to do that, then you're a negligent master."
Adele lectured her sister, who nodded in understanding, though she did feel that what her sister said seemed a bit different from what others had told her. Others had said that maids existed to serve her, that she could treat them however she wished, that they were her property, things that belonged to her. But her sister was saying she had to protect her maid because she was strong, and her maid was weak.
Adele could see the confusion in her sister's eyes and guessed what she was thinking. Adele's tone became sharper: "Are you not a strong person? As a strong person, it's your duty to protect the weak. If your possession is harmed, it can only mean one thing—that the person who harmed them is stronger than you. Can you accept being weaker than someone else?"
The second young lady shivered. As a proud individual, there was no way she could accept being weaker than someone else. She shouted, "No! How could I be weaker than someone else? I'm strong—I'm the second young lady of the Black family!"
Molly wanted to applaud her: well said, very spirited.
Seeing her sister successfully "brainwashed" by Adele, Molly couldn't help but think that Adele would excel in recruitment. She would be incredibly effective. Despite all of Molly's efforts at Spark Farm to promote a laid-back, low-effort lifestyle, the place was still full of workaholics. If Adele took charge, it could easily become a haven for relaxation.
After finishing her lecture on the responsibilities of the strong, Adele proudly left with Molly. As they were leaving, Molly glanced back and saw the second young lady standing in front while the maid she had chosen stood behind her… Molly couldn't help but wonder if this scene mirrored the one from thirteen years ago when she and Adele first met.
"Molly, what are you doing? Come on."
"Yes, Miss Adele." Molly shook her head and followed after Adele.
Molly: Tsk, tsk, you two sisters really do have similar tastes.
Adele (looking around): No, they're not the same at all! Molly is the best!