liveliness

Since the Elder Council's official newspaper had announced the end of blood exchanges by the end of the month, many vampires rushed to the bank's headquarters to make their exchanges before the deadline. Adele, accompanied by Molly, also went to check it out. As a farm owner with vast territory, it was entirely reasonable for her to be concerned about not being able to withdraw blood.

But in reality, Adele was there just to watch the drama unfold.

Not only did she come to watch the excitement, but she also dressed up for the occasion. She wore a dark red gown, with the base color being a deep red, and the hem of the dress featured large black patterns that shimmered under the moonlight, giving it a luxurious and noble appearance. The corset accentuated Adele's slender waist, and the somewhat bold design, resembling a bustier, made her full chest appear even more prominent.

Standing behind Adele, Molly held a matching lace parasol, with delicate lace draping from the edges.

Though it might seem odd to use a parasol at night when there's no sun, the elegance and beauty it added were enough. For vampires, as long as something looked good and exuded elegance, it was acceptable—even if it served no practical purpose.

Adele didn't crowd around the bank entrance like the other nobles. Instead, she sat at a nearby café, sipping coffee while watching the scene unfold. Molly, standing beside her, continued to hold the parasol, looking more like a decorative accessory than a person.

As Adele watched the spectacle, she herself became a sight to behold, sitting there with her captivating beauty and unparalleled grace. Her appearance drew the attention of many ladies. After all, it wasn't just the men who came to the bank for blood. Many vampire women, who held high positions or were the heads of their families, also showed up. For them, obtaining blood was important, but so was keeping up with the latest trends.

Adele's elegant demeanor not only caught the attention of these ladies but also attracted Miss White, who was also there to watch the commotion. Adele hadn't expected to see Miss White there. She was accompanied by her maid, who shared the surname "White." They took a seat opposite Adele.

Molly noticed Miss White's maid glare at her. They had a bit of a history from their school days, but that was a long time ago. Molly guessed that wasn't the reason.

The only explanation was that Miss White's maid felt defeated in terms of elegance, especially when compared to Molly's graceful parasol handling, and now harbored some resentment.

Hmph, Molly thought. When it comes to maid professionalism, I won't lose to anyone.

Sure enough, after glaring at Molly, Miss White's maid shifted her gaze to the parasol. Her eyes were filled with envy. How could she not want it? After all, Molly had used her knowledge of the modern world and some sweet talk to have the maids create that parasol. It wasn't something that could be mass-produced, as the materials and craftsmanship required made each parasol unique. If someone wanted one, they'd have to pay a hefty sum.

Miss White, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by the dress and parasol. She had been the top student at school, consistently ranking first from the moment she entered until she graduated. Many lamented that Miss White and Adele weren't in the same grade, as it would have made for a more direct comparison of who was superior.

Both had their own supporters, each believing that Miss White or Miss Black was the best.

This debate only died down after they graduated because, after graduation, Adele became a rising star in the social scene, a respected leader. Meanwhile, Miss White, due to her position in the family, was not the heir and had to wait until recently to secure a marriage arrangement.

The gap between them became apparent. In the vampire society, which revered strength, only the strong earned respect. Most believed that Adele had become the stronger of the two.

But Miss White didn't see it that way. She never felt inferior to Adele. Miss White spoke up, "Miss Black, are you here to withdraw blood as well?"

"I imagine that's the reason everyone is here."

Miss White ordered a cup of coffee, and her maid immediately took out some high-quality sugar cubes, adding them to the coffee. Adele could tell that the sugar was of excellent quality. After the sugar dissolved, Miss White spoke again, this time in a more familiar tone, "But from what I can see, you don't seem very anxious, Adele."

She had switched from "Miss Black" to "Adele," clearly attempting to foster a closer relationship to segue into the next topic. Adele smiled, "What insight do you have, Miss White?"

"Perhaps, like me, you're just here to watch the excitement."

Adele didn't take the bait but instead asked, "Are you here to watch the excitement, Miss White? How delightful." She neither confirmed nor denied Miss White's assumption. Miss White smiled, recognizing Adele's caution. To gain Adele's trust, she decided to reveal her own involvement first.

"To be honest, I'm the one who wrote the first draft of our family's newspaper."

This surprised both Adele and Molly, as they had assumed from the writing style that the author was a more mature male vampire. They hadn't expected it to be a young lady of similar age to Adele.

"I didn't expect it to be you, Miss White. Some of the language used…" Adele hesitated, unsure if she should continue with the description.

"Too crude, perhaps?" Miss White admitted readily, "I had to tone it down a bit. But Adele, I do have a question."

"Please, go ahead."

"Every time I'm about to write a piece, I receive an anonymous letter detailing the events—almost too timely. Do you have any thoughts on that?"

"Who knows," Adele replied, taking a sip of her tea, refusing to admit anything without evidence. In truth, those reports were sent by Molly after receiving updates from Adele's informants. But there was no way Adele would admit to it—she wasn't foolish.

She was confident that Miss White had no concrete proof, as she trusted Molly's skills. No one could detect Molly's subtle actions because Molly was an unparalleled force.

Adele maintained her polite demeanor, her smile impeccable as always. After a moment of observation, Miss White realized she wouldn't get anything out of Adele. They exchanged a few more pleasantries before Miss White left, throwing out a final comment, "Adele, I'm on your side now."

Once Miss White was out of sight, Adele dropped her smile and muttered to herself, "Should I say she's a sharp observer?" Molly, ever the dutiful maid, pretended not to hear. Adele continued, "Too bad she can't see my true intentions."

Sometimes, Molly thought Adele was quite the drama queen, saying and doing things that seemed overly theatrical. These little gestures and classic lines wouldn't be out of place in an isekai anime.

Molly felt she needed to do something; otherwise, Adele's level of drama might soon surpass her own. So she softly said, "Everything is as you wish."

Adele snapped her head around, looking at Molly in surprise. Molly's face remained expressionless, but she raised an eyebrow slightly at Adele, as if to say, See? I can be dramatic too.

Adele turned back, pouting as she continued sipping her coffee.

Honestly, the coffee tasted terrible. Molly couldn't imagine what coffee with blood would taste like, but she figured it was akin to putting mayonnaise on stinky tofu—a culinary innovation that made her skin crawl.

Molly pondered Miss White's parting words. She suspected that Miss White might have her doubts, but at most, she'd think that Adele wanted to overthrow the Elder Council's rule. Miss White had looked somewhat excited when she left, probably thinking that overthrowing the Elder Council was an unattainable feat.

But in reality, Adele wanted much more.

She didn't just want to overthrow the Elder Council's rule—she wanted to overthrow the entire vampire regime and establish a world of peace.

Adele didn't care whether Miss White's words were genuine or not. What mattered was that Miss White was useful, and that was enough for Adele. While they chatted, the situation at the bank entrance escalated. Many nobles were unable to get inside. As proud, high-ranking nobles, they weren't about to accept being kept out.

The situation quickly escalated into physical conflict.

Molly watched closely as the guards at the entrance prevented the vampires from entering. The front row of vampires, pushed by those behind, was forced to move forward. The guards, thinking they were attempting to storm the bank, drew their weapons.

Vampires were still in the era of cold weapons; their swords were their primary defense. Vampires believed that only low-ranking vampires needed such tools since their own claws were their best weapons. But once the guards drew their swords, a fight was inevitable.

Someone in the crowd, likely one of the nobles, cast a fire spell at the low-ranking vampires, setting them ablaze. The crowd then surged forward into the bank. This was the headquarters of the vampire bank, so in addition to the low-ranking vampire guards, there were also higher-ranking vampires stationed there.

However, compared to the large number of nobles, the guards were soon overwhelmed. The nobles marched into the bank, demanding the employees retrieve blood for them. Faced with these nobles, who had just eliminated their superiors, the low-ranking vampire employees had no choice but to comply.

But soon, despite the nobles waving large amounts of cash, the blood supply at the vampire bank was exhausted. The nobles, unwilling to leave empty-handed, took out their frustration by ransacking the bank.