The meeting ended in complete failure. None of the plans of the Thirteen Clans succeeded, and no new council was established. Thanks to Adele's provocations, none of the major nobles were willing to accept the idea of another ruling council lording over them.
The existence of a council had never really benefited them anyway. Even when the council inducted new members, they only ever accepted the heads of the Thirteen Clans, leaving no room for others. Over the years, many nobles had grown in power, and while they might not have reached the level of the White family, they were no longer that far behind the weaker clans like the Black family.
From now on, it would be every vampire for themselves.
Adele and Molly returned to their territory together. No one informed the advancing vampire army that the council had been destroyed and that there was no need to continue their march—not even the generals. Their plan was simple: use the invading vampire army to strengthen the resistance through battle.
Without the crucible of war, the human resistance would always remain sheltered and weak. Although Adele had compassion for the weak, she would never stop them from growing stronger. But once they did, she might no longer need to protect them.
Molly shared the sentiment—once humans grew strong enough to stand against vampires, what would be the point of continuing to protect them? By then, both she and Adele could retire.
After the council was dismantled, Molly went to the research city to bring back the humans who wished to join her. Barbara greeted her with a bright smile and even rushed forward to hug Molly. "I knew you could do it! You both could!"
She was so excited that her glasses fell to the ground. As she quickly picked them up, she heard Molly say, "The little girl misses you."
Barbara tried not to cry, but hearing this broke her resolve. She missed the girl terribly; they had been apart for too long. Just as there were people like Barbara, who saw the changing tides, there were still those foolish enough to believe that the vampires would always rule. For those who couldn't see the truth, Molly decided to let them fend for themselves.
With the research personnel reunited, they ramped up their efforts, developing more advanced technology. The vampire army that invaded was quickly beaten back by the human resistance. The firearms were indeed revolutionary, especially when infused with sunflower extracts that had a unique effect on vampires. Even the most powerful non-vampire creatures struggled against these new weapons.
While Adele slept, Molly took it upon herself to quietly patrol the territory during the day. She was pleased to see that everything was moving in the right direction. When she returned, the sun was setting in the west, painting the sky in hues of pink and gold.
Molly hadn't seen such a beautiful sunset in a long time. She was momentarily mesmerized and sat down on a small hill near the estate to watch the sun dip below the horizon.
Soon, she heard footsteps and knew it was the commander, but she didn't mind. The commander sat down beside her, and they silently watched the sunset together.
After a while, the commander finally spoke, "The first time I met you was at sunset, wasn't it?"
Molly replied, "I don't remember."
The commander chuckled softly. In truth, Molly remembered perfectly well, but she didn't think it was important enough to dwell on. Especially since the commander had been in a very rough state back then. They sat in silence until the sun was almost completely gone. Then Molly stood up, brushing off her clothes. "I should head back. The sun is setting."
The commander shook her head. "No, it's the dawn that's coming."
Molly looked back at her, the wind lifting her hair. She knew what the commander meant. It wasn't just a reference to the time of day but also a metaphor for the dawn of humanity. The commander was recalling when Molly, as Lady Dawn, had saved her during her lowest moment.
There had been a push within the resistance to make Lady Dawn their new ruler, alongside Adele, to forever lead humanity. The commander's words reflected her agreement with that idea. She knew her savior's noble character and had come to respect Adele's leadership. With Adele in charge, she felt at peace, knowing that she could live out her remaining years safely under her rule.
But Molly responded, "Dawn can only exist at the break of day and in people's hearts. It too will pass."
The commander was momentarily stunned, then laughed again.
Molly had turned down the offer to rule, not wanting to be tied to a throne forever. She wanted to travel the world with Adele, living as a loving couple. Honestly, Adele's workload was already too much. Seeing her buried in paperwork day after day, Molly couldn't help but feel concerned.
Sure, they could live for a long time, but just because they had longevity didn't mean they had to work that long. Molly had no desire to postpone her retirement.
Molly returned to Adele's room, and by then, the night had fully fallen, leaving no trace of sunlight. She drew back the curtains and began making tea. After a while, Adele, dressed in her nightgown and still sleepy, came out, yawning as she walked toward Molly. She hugged her tightly.
"Molly…" Adele murmured, yawning again as she sniffed the scent of the tea, which helped wake her up a bit more. In another half hour, Adele was fully alert.
She changed into her regular clothes and led Molly to the study to get back to work. Honestly, the territory's economy was struggling a bit. After Adele and Molly had taken down the council, many vampires had started boycotting Adele's goods. Although some still bought cosmetics secretly, clothing sales had plummeted.
But that was okay; they could always develop new products.
Adele's biggest headache now was the collapse of the banking system due to the council's downfall. The currency was a mess, with some using old notes, some using new ones. Adele decided to implement a new currency policy within her territory. Following Molly's suggestion, the research team began producing new bills with detailed anti-counterfeiting measures.
To accommodate the growing human population, Adele even commissioned the construction of factories and printed flyers with text, pictures, and maps inviting humans to her territory, promising them protection under the human resistance.
Adele's days were filled with endless tasks, spinning like a top with no end in sight. As time passed, the chaos outside gradually subsided. But whenever Molly mentioned retirement, Adele would always say, "Just a little longer."
This "little longer" stretched into many years. By the time the commander's hair had turned white and she had passed away before them, Adele realized that fifty years had gone by. Everyone around them had aged, and even the maids had been replaced, except for Molly. The head maid was no longer Bella, and the youngest girl at the research institute now had wrinkles on her face and a granddaughter to carry on her work.
At the commander's memorial service, Adele suddenly realized that only she and Molly remained young. It was the first time she truly understood how fleeting human life was. She felt grateful that Molly was so powerful and could stay by her side.
Over the past fifty years, Adele's territory had expanded significantly. Outside, vampire nobles waged new wars for land, causing immense suffering for humans, who fled to Adele's territory seeking refuge. The human resistance fighters had also gone through several generations.
Adele's territory had become a haven amid the chaos, sheltering all the weak. Adele estimated that the war would last another hundred years, eventually leading to a new era of peace.
The development within the territory had also stabilized, with each department fulfilling its role. In reality, Adele's presence wasn't as crucial anymore. People might be confused at first if she left, but over time, they would adapt to life without her.
But Adele was so used to being in charge that she couldn't let go, still worried like a mother hen. However, during the memorial service, Molly could see that Adele was finally considering retirement. After fifty years, well past the legal retirement age, Adele was finally ready to step down.
Molly wouldn't let Adele back out now. She took Adele by the hand and said, "Adele, it's time for us to retire." Adele blinked, hesitating, "But there's still so much work to be done…"
"Work never ends, but it's time for you to let them grow on their own."
Adele was silent for a moment, still unsure. "But what if they're oppressed by vampires again after I'm gone?"
"They won't be. They've grown strong enough now."
"But what if they become powerful and start oppressing other species?"
"Then, just like us, someone will stand up to overthrow their rule."
"But…"
"No more buts," Molly interrupted, kissing Adele to silence her anxious chatter. Her tone was almost plaintive, "Adele, it's time for us to retire."
After nearly a hundred years together, Adele still melted under Molly's kisses, dazed and unsure what to say. Molly delivered the final blow, "Remember when you asked what I wanted to do after retiring? I didn't tell you then, but I'll tell you now."
"Okay."
"After we retire, I want to find a quiet village and live a peaceful life with you. Every few decades, we'll move somewhere new. And that's how we'll spend our long, long lives together."
Adele was finally swayed by Molly's words. The next evening, when the maid noticed that Adele hadn't come to the study for a long time, she pushed open the door to Adele's room. There, lying quietly on her desk, was a letter.
If one were to open the first page, they would see Adele's handwriting:
Don't look for us. We've retired!
Adele & Molly: We're retired!