Longing

They didn't stay in the village for long. When the time was right, Adele began the journey back, carrying Molly in a princess carry just as before. Adele justified it, saying, "I'm only carrying you to make the trip faster. Don't overthink it."

Overthink what? Molly wasn't overthinking at all.

The good news was that they didn't have to bring the younger sister back with them. With so many maids in the village, they would surely take care of her and bring her home.

Halfway up the mountain, Adele paused and set Molly down. She led Molly to an outcropping of rock, free of tree cover, and directed her gaze toward the distance. Molly was puzzled at first, unsure what to look for, but soon Adele pointed it out.

"There, look."

Oh... they were looking at the river lanterns.

Standing on the mountainside, the village below appeared much smaller now. Though they could still see the lights, an ordinary person wouldn't be able to make out any details due to the darkness of the night. But Molly's eyes were different; she was confident she could see the same as Adele.

Through the brightly lit village, a winding river snaked its way into the distance, dotted with glowing lanterns that looked like stars in the Milky Way. Here a light, there another—countless lanterns floating along. The vendor's stall was indeed popular, with many humans purchasing river lanterns.

Longing is one of the most honest and common feelings among the humans of this world.

Take Molly, for example. She was taken from her mother at birth and raised in a care facility similar to an orphanage until she was six, then brought to the castle to work for the rest of her life. This was the fate of all humans here, separated from birth.

Molly remembered her mother's face, but she didn't have any deep feelings for her. She had strong ties to the family she had in her past life, and she couldn't just ignore those feelings and develop deep emotions for someone she only met once.

But for most people, the desire to find their mother was an indelible mark in their hearts.

Sometimes, the maids in the castle couldn't help but wipe away tears as they wondered where their mothers were, if they were still alive, and how they were doing. They might also think about the children they knew from the institution—had they become maids for another vampire, or had they met a more tragic fate, working in one of the farms...

The vendor's river lanterns were bought by those burdened with such worries and longing. When they heard the lanterns could convey their thoughts to departed loved ones, they bought them without hesitation. They knew that human lives were short, especially in this world—fleeting like fireflies, gone in an instant.

For all they knew, the person who gave birth to them might have passed away long ago.

The river lanterns carried their thoughts and floated into the distance.

Adele couldn't help but ask, "Where do you think our lanterns are now?"

"I don't know, maybe they haven't even left the village yet."

Molly's matter-of-fact response made Adele glance at her, then she asked, "Molly, do you have someone you long for?"

"Of course I do."

Adele was taken aback by her answer. Molly didn't seem like someone overflowing with emotions; she always had a stoic expression, leading Adele to assume she had bought the lanterns just for fun. She hadn't expected that Molly was genuinely thinking of someone.

Molly's gaze softened, much like it had by the riverside earlier. Her voice became gentler as well: "How could anyone live without any attachments? I have loved ones I long for, but they're no longer in this world." For once, Molly allowed herself to be swept away by the melancholy in her heart.

Her expression stirred something in Adele. She realized that Molly wasn't someone without ties; the softest part of her heart was something Adele couldn't reach. For a moment, Adele wanted to promise Molly that she would help her find her loved ones, but then she remembered that Molly had said they were no longer in this world. Wouldn't saying that just hurt Molly more?

Adele fell silent, simply watching Molly.

After a while, Molly sighed. "Let's head back before it gets too late."

Adele nodded and picked Molly up once more, though this time with a bit more force.

After the Blessing Festival passed, it wasn't long before Adele had to return to school. The familiar old car awaited, along with a trip back to the airship. This time, the journey on the airship was uneventful, and Molly once again had the pleasure of enjoying a meal in the vampire dining hall. Upon landing at the school's port and transferring back to the old car, it wasn't long before they arrived at the school.

As soon as they reached the school gates, Molly noticed several young ladies carrying their own luggage. After Adele's speech at the end of the last term, not only had they begun carrying their own luggage, but they also started coordinating their outfits. Molly's sharp eyes caught the details of Miss Golden's ensemble—her hat, scarf, and suitcase were all in the same color palette, with a checkered handkerchief tied to the suitcase.

Seeing Adele arrive, Miss Golden immediately hurried over, suitcase in hand, with her maid following behind, carrying only one large trunk.

"Hmph, dressing up like this isn't so hard. This time, I'm sure I look more ladylike than you. Even my maid is better than yours."

Miss Golden sneered, and Adele was quick to retort, "You, more ladylike than me? Your maid better than my Molly? Don't make me laugh." She pointed at Molly, particularly at the small suitcase she carried.

Even before the last term ended, Adele had anticipated that Miss Golden would change things up this semester, reducing the number of suitcases. Knowing Miss Golden's personality so well, Adele had prepared accordingly.

Miss Golden followed Adele's finger and saw that Molly was carrying an exceptionally small bag—about thirty centimeters long, twenty centimeters wide, and twenty centimeters deep. If Miss Golden didn't know it was Molly's suitcase, she might have mistaken it for a picnic box.

But she couldn't deny that a maid carrying such a small case made her appear not like she was going to school, but rather like she was heading out for a picnic.

Elegant, truly elegant.

At the same time, Adele's own bag wasn't large, just a normal-sized case similar to Miss Golden's. However, in terms of elegance, Adele's maid certainly had the upper hand.

Miss Golden, though, couldn't believe it. She even shouted, "Impossible! How much can you fit in such a small suitcase? To make your maid look elegant, you've only packed a little. How will she change clothes later? Sacrificing your maid's comfort for your own vanity is not noble at all!"

"Hmph." Adele huffed proudly, then spoke in a tone of assured victory, "As a role model for all young ladies, how could I not be noble? It's your thinking that's narrow-minded!" She began her explanation, "Even at school, I receive letters from my parents. But it's too wasteful to have a vampire travel back and forth with just one letter. I can stay in contact with the maids at home, have them prepare small packages, and send them over when delivering letters."

"Similarly, when it's time to return home, I can simply send my luggage back in advance. That way, there will never be an unladylike scene!" This was a method Molly had suggested to her.

Molly had mentioned it casually, but Adele had taken it to heart and put it into practice.

This is probably an early form of a delivery service...

Hearing Adele's explanation, the other noble ladies gathered around, praising her.

"Miss Black makes a good point; that's definitely an option."

"Indeed, Miss Black is so clever. If we do it this way, we won't have to carry so many bags each time we travel to and from school."

"I've learned something new! At the end of the term, I'll send my luggage back early with the messenger."

They chattered excitedly, though those surrounding Adele were mostly first-years and girls her age. The older noble ladies kept their distance, not joining the conversation, though they were clearly intrigued by Adele's words, listening attentively.

Once again, Adele emerged victorious, leading Molly proudly into the dormitory. After helping Adele settle in, Molly informed her that she would be returning to her own room. Adele nodded in acknowledgment, and Molly left to return to her small room.

After the holiday break, the long-unused room had indeed gathered some dust. However, while cleaning Adele's room earlier, Molly noticed that it wasn't too dusty. This was because the school staff had cleaned the rooms before the students returned.

As for Molly, she didn't receive such treatment. When she wiped her finger across the desk, it came away covered in dust.

Looks like it's time for a deep clean.

Molly fetched water, dampened a cloth, and thoroughly cleaned her room. For an ordinary person, this would have been exhausting, but Molly found it easy and quickly made her room spotless.

After finishing, she didn't go out but sat in her room for a while, lost in thought. She heard footsteps outside, and when someone knocked on her door, she got up to answer. Standing there was Helen. Her ocean-blue eyes sparkled, and despite not seeing each other for the entire holiday, she was as friendly as ever.

At Molly's invitation, Helen stepped into the small room. The servant quarters were cramped, with little space to sit, so Molly offered Helen the chair while she sat on the bed.

"Is there something you need?"

"Yes!" Helen replied eagerly. "When I returned to my master's house, I didn't slack off on my training. The other maids noticed and were curious, so I taught them the exercises!"