"What a weird dream," Anya mumbled, slowly sitting up in bed. Her eyes met those of the old man sitting across her, his gaze sharp and curious.
"Who are you!?" Anya jumped out of bed, her fingers instinctively reaching for her clothes. She quickly confirmed she was wearing a dress and let out a sigh of relief.
"This man… he looks so familiar. Like someone from my dreams," Anya thought, trying to piece together the puzzle of this strange encounter. "Who are you? What are you doing here? Are you maybe the owner of this place? Or was my dream real?" Her voice trailed off, getting softer and smaller.
"Tsk! Child, you made me your servant and took advantage of my injury last night!" he stated, a touch of annoyance coloring his voice. But the annoyance was mild; his eyes twinkled with humor, as if he couldn't help but chuckle at the situation.
"That was real? You're not the owner of this house?" Anya asked, her curiosity bubbling over.
"What! No, I thought this haunted house was yours," the man replied, looking equally surprised.
Anya choked slightly, her eyes wide. "No, I just… found this place. So, why are you here?" Cautious of this sudden appearance, she tried to keep her tone neutral.
"You dragged me here," he said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Plus, I can't leave my Master without an order, right?"
"Master?" Anya's brow furrowed.
The old man smacked his forehead with his hand. "Are you an idiot kid?"
Anya felt her irritation rise, wanting to kick this man out, but she held back."Ehem, alright. Howard, right?" she said, trying to recall the old man's name from her dream.
"Yes. Are you going to undo the master-servant mark?" Howard smiled, his eyes holding a hint of mischief.
"No… I don't know how," she whispered, her confidence faltering.
Howard sighed. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and clenched his teeth.
"Fine! Since I have nowhere else to go, we'll stick together for now."
"What's your name, kid?" he asked, clearly enjoying her discomfort at being addressed as a child.
"Anya," she replied. A sudden realization hit her. If she was in a werewolf form last night, who changed her? Her clothes were missing!
"You! What happened to my clothes!?" She shouted, her cheeks flushing with anger.
"Don't worry, I cast a magic spell and dressed you up without looking. I'm not THAT kind of pedophile."
She stared at him for a moment, rolling her eyes and then said, "Since I saved you, how about being my butler?". At least with a butler, she wasn't so alone in this strange new world anymore.
"Fine, for saving me," Howard said, "I will be your butler for 5 years only."
Anya's eyes sparkled. "That's great!" Five years was a long time. Plenty of time to build her own power and resources. With a strong wizard at her beck and call, she could accomplish anything.
"Your first job as a butler is... Make me some breakfast."
…
By the afternoon, Anya had just finished reading about the various marks wolves could use. There were three types:
- Master-Servant: This mark could be used by anyone, with unique marking rituals depending on the user's power.
- Equality Mark: A dangerous mark, where the weaker party could be controlled by the stronger one.
- Mate Mark: Unique to wolves and vampires. It was a powerful bond, allowing the mated pair to feel and hear each other's thoughts.
Anya wondered about how her Master-Servant mark with Howard was created. She wasn't conscious during the transformation and had no idea how to undo it.
"Hey, grandpa, tell me, how can I make myself stronger?" she asked, finding Howard in the hallway, dressed in a crisp tuxedo.
While his tuxedo might have been a bit formal for a butler, Howard certainly looked the part. Very butler-ish.
Howard rolled his eyes, though he couldn't help but smile at his master's use of the term "grandpa."
"Hmm, not sure about that, kid. But I heard that werewolves get stronger under a full moon."
"You're suggesting I sleep outside?" Anya asked, raising an eyebrow with an endearingly cute expression. Howard couldn't help but ruffle her hair.
"I can cast a spell on you. You'll only receive 10% of the moon's energy at first. This will help you stay awake and adjust. The spell will weaken, and increase to 40% as your body and mind become stronger. Not bad, right?"
Anya's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Yes! Yes! Please, go ahead!"
"Alright!" he chuckled. He could see a spark of fire in her eyes. That was all the motivation he needed.
This, he thought, was going to be an interesting five years.