In a strange turn of events, Molly felt a pang of sympathy. Perhaps it was because the woman before her was Adele's grandmother. Molly shook her head and said, "White asked me to spare his sister if I killed him."
Lady Black hesitated, then asked, "Did you agree?"
"I didn't," Molly replied bluntly, but she still chose to spare Lady Black. "You can go."
Lady Black's expression grew complex. "You're just going to let me go?"
Molly nodded, her tone firm but slightly softer when she spoke to Adele's grandmother. "You're no longer a threat. You'll probably just live out the rest of your days in peace. And from the look on your face, you don't seem to want to live much longer anyway. But if you do cause any trouble, I'll be back."
Lady Black gave a bitter smile. "You see things clearly."
Molly didn't respond. She turned to leave, but Lady Black called out after her, "Where are you going?"
Molly glanced back at her. "To return to my lover." She didn't need to elaborate; Lady Black knew exactly who Molly meant. Her expression turned even more complicated, but whatever she was thinking didn't matter to Molly.
As Molly said, she had someone to return to.
Molly moved swiftly, and although she was a bit disheveled from the battle, she made it back to Adele before the sun rose. From a distance, she saw Adele waiting at the door, just like before.
Back then, it had been sunset, but now, dawn was breaking. The horizon was tinged with pale light, and Adele, dressed lightly, was standing at the entrance. When she saw Molly, she rushed forward, just as she had before.
The faint light mingled with the mist, and Molly felt that even this cold light could harm Adele. She didn't want anything to happen to her, so she stepped forward and pulled Adele back into the shadows.
In that brief moment, dust and dirt from Molly's clothes transferred to Adele's, but Adele didn't seem to mind. She leaned in and kissed Molly hard, passionately, not caring at all about the servants who had come out of the manor.
One of the servants was so startled by the sight that he quickly turned back, retracing his steps as if he had seen nothing.
After a long while, Adele finally let Molly go. Molly noticed that Adele's eyes were brimming with tears. Her eyes, full of unshed tears, made her look incredibly pitiful. Molly gently wiped her cheeks, noticing the bits of mud on her hair that had likely transferred to Adele's face during their kiss.
With her gray-streaked hair and dirt-covered face, Molly had clearly seen better days. Adele's clothes were now dirty from their embrace.
"You're all dirty," Molly said softly, but Adele lifted Molly's face in her hands, examining every inch of her before declaring, "Molly, your hair's been singed, and you're filthy."
Adele's observation was spot on. It was something only someone who knew her well would notice.
Molly nodded. "It's just a little singed."
Adele turned and took Molly's hand, leading her inside. They walked hand in hand through the manor and back to Adele's bedroom. Adele made Molly sit down while she went to the bathroom to run a bath. When the tub was filled with warm water, she called Molly to join her.
Feeling a bit guilty, Molly complied with every one of Adele's requests. She even stripped off her clothes in front of Adele and obediently sat in the bathtub. Adele wanted to help her bathe, but being inexperienced at such tasks, she ended up dumping a whole scoop of water over Molly's head, washing away the dirt but muddying the bathwater.
Adele pursed her lips, looking unhappy. The tears she had been holding back finally fell, like pearls dropping into the water. Molly panicked, not knowing what was wrong but certain that it was her fault Adele was crying.
Molly reached out, her fingers gently brushing Adele's cheeks as she wiped away her tears with the warm water. "Adele, don't cry. I'm back, and I'm fine."
But Adele continued crying as she spoke, "Molly, I'm so useless. I can't help you, I couldn't go with you to the capital, and I can't even wash you properly!" Adele was pitifully distraught, and Molly's heart ached for her. She leaned in and kissed the tears from Adele's eyes, tasting the salt on her lips.
Blood tears weren't different from human tears—they were still salty.
Before Adele could feel embarrassed, Molly began to comfort her. "Adele, you've done so much already. You're amazing, and there are so many things you can do that I can't."
Molly rarely said things like this, leaving Adele momentarily stunned, her tears drying up. But now Adele wanted to know more. "What can you do that I can't?" In Adele's eyes, Molly was incredible, almost divine. Her strength, her moral integrity, and the ideas she occasionally shared made Adele think the world of her. So when Molly said those reassuring words, Adele couldn't help but ask.
Molly chuckled softly. Despite her usually cold demeanor, it was easy for Adele to make her smile. "There are lots of things, like managing the farm. I'd make a mess of it." Molly was being sincere. As someone who loved to slack off, she knew she would never be able to manage a farm as well as Adele did.
Especially not a territory as vast as Adele's. If Molly were in charge, it would be utter chaos.
"There are many things only you can do," Molly continued. "Like what comes next. It's up to you to dismantle the existing vampire system." Molly could overthrow the council by force, but as long as the concept of the council remained in the vampires' minds, they could easily elect new heads of the thirteen clans and rebuild the council.
After years of planning and maneuvering by Adele and Molly, the council's influence had already waned significantly. The vampires had come to realize that the council was more interested in exploiting their wealth than in protecting their interests. In such a situation, they wouldn't allow a new council to form.
But without the council's guidance, the vampires were nothing more than a disorganized group. How would they face the human resistance?
Adele wiped away her tears and nodded firmly. She made a sound of agreement, signaling that she was ready to take on the next challenge. Adele didn't cause any trouble this time, and without her "help," Molly quickly finished her bath and returned to the bedroom.
After Molly finished, Adele took a bath herself and came out with her hair still wet. Molly couldn't help but recall Adele's earlier attempt to bathe her. If she had let Adele continue, and if she had asked Adele to dry her hair afterward, how would Adele have managed?
Adele would probably have been at a loss, not knowing where to place the towel or how to dry her hair properly. Adele, who couldn't even dry her hair properly, had wanted to help her bathe and dry her hair—it was a task far beyond Adele's capabilities. Molly pressed her lips together to suppress a smile, then patted the bed beside her, inviting Adele to sit down so she could help dry her hair.
Adele obediently settled beside her, resting her head on Molly's lap like a cat.
The next few days were peaceful for Adele, but that peace was soon disrupted by reports from her informants. Due to the events in the capital, the thirteen clans had lost contact with the council, and they were now planning to hold a meeting to elect new elders.
Adele lightly brushed her hair back, realizing it was time for her to make her move. Before leaving her territory, she summoned the commander and other leaders to inform them that a vampire army was on its way. With the council out of contact, the army had not received orders to stand down and was still marching toward her land.
The commander nodded, remaining calm as she addressed Adele. "If I bury them all at the gate to the territory, you won't hold it against me, will you?"
"Of course not." Adele shook her head. She wouldn't shed a tear for those vampires. Adele knew that from their perspective, this was just another routine suppression, and they likely saw her and her people as nothing more than weaklings. Given their mindset, Adele felt no pity for them.
The commander smiled, having come to respect Adele and her leadership. Adele was a vampire who genuinely cared for other races, and that had never changed. The commander even showed some concern for Adele. "Take care on your journey."
"I will."
Adele once again set off with just Molly and her suitcase. They didn't know the exact location of the meeting, as Adele's informants weren't that well-connected. But Miss White was eager to help, sending a magical message to inform Adele that the meeting would be held at the White family's castle.
It made sense—the White family had been the most powerful for millennia. Molly picked up Adele, and under the moonlight, they flew like a bird toward White Castle. It was now Adele's time to shine.