Leadership Talent

Uh-oh, I've really gone too far this time.

Molly couldn't help but think this as she realized the urgent need to slip away and return to her "shell" before Adele discovered anything suspicious. After all, she really needed this job—the pay was excellent!

Molly's eyes darted around as she quickly concocted a plan, albeit a less-than-ideal one. She sent a few threads of silk down into the cracks in the floorboards and, turning to Adele, delivered the line she'd prepared: "You're quite an interesting vampire. We shall meet again."

With that, she stomped on the floor. The already compromised boards, weakened by the invasive silk threads, instantly splintered, causing the restaurant floor to cave in. Simultaneously, Molly used her threads to kick up a massive cloud of dust. Even with Molly's sharp eyesight, it was difficult to see through the thick haze, and she was sure the vampires would struggle as well.

With enough dust in the air, she had ample time to make her escape. Moving at lightning speed, Molly darted back to her shell, slipping into her clothes. The only hitch was the tightness of the laces at the back, which took some precious seconds to untie and retie.

Just as Molly finished her stealthy return to her maid disguise, she sensed Adele's presence. Adele, having searched the wreckage of the restaurant floor while cradling the crying vampire child in one arm, found Molly and immediately wrapped an arm around her waist.

Even in the dust-filled room, the faint red glow of Adele's eyes was visible, her gaze locked onto Molly. As soon as she saw Molly's dark eyes open and meet hers, Adele finally let out a breath of relief.

Molly noticed Adele's grip on her waist tightened slightly, and Adele leaned in close to say, "Be careful. For some reason, the floor has collapsed, and we're about to fall…" Her words came quickly, but not quickly enough to outpace gravity. The next moment, before she could finish, they had already landed on the floor below.

To protect Molly from injury, Adele landed on one knee, placing Molly gently on her lap. The vampire child, whom she had been carrying, scraped his knees and began wailing loudly. Adele, however, was far more concerned with Molly's well-being.

"Are you hurt?" she asked, her voice full of worry.

"No, thanks to you, I'm perfectly fine," Molly replied.

Adele sighed in relief. "That's good."

She helped Molly to her feet, cautioning her about the rubble and debris underfoot. As for the vampire child, Adele was unconcerned. Though he was just a child, he was a noble vampire, blessed with extraordinary healing abilities. Even if he was hurt, he would recover quickly, or he could just drink some blood from his parents to heal faster. In short, he would be fine no matter what.

But Molly was different. Molly was a fragile human, and Adele couldn't bear the thought of her being hurt.

As the dust continued to settle, the sound of coughing echoed throughout the room. Molly realized she should probably join in, so she faked a few coughs. Adele, standing by her side, gently patted her back, her red eyes still scanning the area for any threats.

Molly knew what Adele was searching for—the minotaurs and the injured white werewolf. The first werewolf was probably dead by now, but the white werewolf, with his shattered kneecap, was still clinging to life. Molly had intentionally left him alive; vampires were experts in using mental magic, particularly effective in extracting information during interrogations. She figured the vampires would take him into custody and question him thoroughly.

Since the floating ship was within the Black family's territory, the responsibility of interrogating him would likely fall to the family head. Molly, as a maid in the Black household, would have no trouble accessing the information later.

Why do the dirty work yourself when you can get the intel for free?

Adele's eyes narrowed as she spotted the white werewolf, her expression becoming sharp—like a cat ready to pounce. She quickly called for the restaurant manager, who had been laying low since being kicked by the non-humans. The moment Adele summoned him, he appeared, asking how he could be of service.

Molly couldn't help but marvel at his behavior. She thought to herself that even in modern times, this guy would do well. With his keen sense of observation, ability to stay hidden during trouble, and readiness to act afterward, he was bound to climb the ranks quickly.

She only wondered whether this incident would affect his job, given the state of the restaurant.

As Molly's thoughts wandered, Adele had already started giving orders. "You need to understand, it's your responsibility as a restaurant staff member to protect the guests. But when those non-humans acted out, you hid among the crowd and stayed silent. If you don't want the Council of Elders to hold you accountable, your best course of action now is to make up for your failure."

After delivering this reprimand, Adele turned to Molly, instructing her to stay put for a moment. Then, with agile movements, she leaped onto a large stone block that had somehow remained intact. Her grace was like that of a butterfly dancing among flowers, every move executed with precision and beauty.

Of course, as she moved, she didn't forget to scoop up the vampire child from the ground. Standing on the elevated block, she looked down at the remaining vampires and took a deep breath before addressing them. "Those of you who can still move, stand up and take down any surviving non-humans. If we don't deal with them quickly, they might try to take us down with them. And if they do, none of us will survive."

"If you don't want to be buried with them, grab your weapons and follow me to clear them out."

The vampire child in Adele's arms continued to sob, and his mother broke free from her husband's embrace, running toward Adele. "My child…" she cried. Adele casually tossed the child to the mother, who, startled, barely managed to catch him in time.

What Adele said was true, but now that they were safe, the other vampires began to think they could just wait for rescue instead of risking their lives.

Their hesitation was clear to Adele, who, her patience wearing thin, took a deep breath and addressed them again. "I thought you all were true nobles, true warriors. But now you're acting like cowards, hiding behind others. Fine then, cower behind me—I'll protect you, you pathetic weaklings."

Her contemptuous tone seemed to hit a nerve with some of the vampires who prided themselves on their nobility. The first to step forward was a young lady dressed in a proper gown. She quickly tore her dress and tied it up for mobility, lifting her chin to speak to Adele. "There are no weaklings among the nobility. My ancestors fought to earn our honor, and I won't hide and wait for protection."

—Oh, looks like some of these vampires still have some backbone.

Molly watched from the sidelines, silently amused.

After the young lady stepped forward, another dozen vampires, both men and women, followed suit, joining Adele in clearing out the remaining minotaurs. Adele found the white werewolf and handed him over to the manager, instructing him to ensure the prisoner was securely held.

Once the minotaurs were dealt with, Adele instructed the vampires who couldn't fight to return to their rooms.

Those who had fought alongside Adele returned to their families, preparing to leave. Adele quickly returned to Molly, taking her by the hand and agreeing with the others to meet at the stairwell in five minutes. Then, with a sense of urgency, she pulled Molly along, heading back to their room.

Molly didn't protest, allowing herself to be led by Adele. When they reached the room, Adele opened the door, ushered them inside, and gently pushed Molly onto the sofa.

Molly was about to say something when she noticed Adele seemed to have collapsed, sitting on the floor with her arms wrapped around Molly's legs. Adele rested her head on Molly's lap, her once-silver hair now dulled by dust, her once-pristine face smeared with grime.

Adele's voice was muffled and shaky as she spoke. "Molly… I was so scared… You don't know what could have happened… I'm just glad you're safe… What would I do if something happened to you…?"

Her words tumbled out in a disjointed stream, revealing just how shaken she truly was.