The castle's halls were colder after the library. Maybe it was me. My head was still spinning with fragments of Dracula's past — things I wasn't meant to see, things that left more questions than answers.
The worst part? I wasn't even sure if it had been him stopping me from reading the rest of the entries… or my own lack of strength. Some relics, some memories, they only revealed themselves to Ascended ranks or higher. If that was true, then the journal was nothing more than a locked chest I couldn't open.
And I was stuck in this nightmare. No rank-ups here.
"Useless," I muttered, rubbing my temple.
I almost convinced myself the whole detour had been pointless — until I walked right into someone.
She wasn't tall, but she wasn't small either. Just about my height. Short strands of silvery-white hair shimmered in the dim torchlight, brushing her waist. Nine soft, fluffy blue fox tails fanned out behind her, twitching in irritation like banners in the wind. Her face had faint markings under her eyes — delicate curves glowing faintly blue, like painted whiskers. She looked about sixteen, though I knew better.
She blinked those bright, mischievous eyes at me — the same eyes I'd seen on that fox in the library.
"Ow! You—you bumped into me!" she snapped, rubbing her shoulder.
I raised a brow. "No. You bumped into me, idiot."
Her tails puffed, ears flattening. "Hah? I was just walking! You're the one stomping around here like some big scary vampire!"
"Because I am a big scary vampire." I folded my arms. "Meanwhile, you're just… a fox who tripped into my way."
Her jaw dropped. "Fox—tripped? You—you arrogant bloodsucker!"
We were nose-to-nose in seconds, voices rising until it sounded less like an argument and more like two stubborn children fighting over candy.
"I ought to make a scarf out of those tails!" I snapped.
Her hands flew to her tails protectively, face flushing red. "Y-you wouldn't dare!"
"Oh yeah? Come closer and find out."
She growled, then smirked. "You're just mad because I'm prettier than you."
That one almost made me choke. "Prettier—?! You're not even—!"
She stuck out her tongue, childish and triumphant. "Admit it! You can't win against me."
My fangs bared instinctively. "When I get my hands on you, fox, I'll—"
"Sebastian. Yuki."
The voice froze us both.
Dracula.
He stood at the end of the hall, gaze sharp enough to pierce steel. A single glance from him carried enough weight to crush an army. Right now, he was using it to watch the two of us argue like—well, like brats.
"Stop bickering like children."
We both froze, tails and fangs stiff.
"Yes, Father," I muttered.
"Yes, Lord Dracula," she added sweetly.
The corners of his eyes narrowed. He didn't believe her sweetness for a second.
"She will be staying at the castle for the foreseeable future," Dracula said, tone clipped. His gaze shifted to me, sharp as a blade. "So behave."
Behave? With this fox menace? My jaw clenched, but I nodded.
The moment he turned, she stuck her tongue out at me again.
I snapped. "Fox bastard! When I get my hands on you, I'll turn those tails into a coat!"
She gasped, clutching her tails dramatically. "Monster! You'll never catch me!"
And before I could move, she blurred — body twisting, shrinking, and where she stood was now a small blue-furred fox with nine tiny tails. The same one from the library.
"You—!"
She darted off down the hall. Instinct overrode reason. I chased her.
"Get back here!"
The castle staff bore witness to our chaos.
Knight wolf was with the head of the maids a woman by the name of Clara
"What in the name of the Shadow—"
"Looks like young love to me,"knight wolf answered, resting his greatsword against the wall.
Clara flushed red, eyes wide. "Love?! Sir Wolfgar, that is the Lord's son! And Lady Yuki! That is not—!"
But she trailed off as the fox bounded off knight Wolfs armored shoulder, using him like a springboard. I lunged right after, brushing past Clara's tray and making her nearly faint.
"By the gods," she muttered. "Children. The lot of them."
Knight wolf chuckled under his breath. "Keeps the castle lively, doesn't it?"
Meanwhile, the fox bolted around a corner.
I followed, teeth bared. "Stop running, coward!"
"You'll have to catch me first, bloodsucker!" her voice echoed, high and playful, even though she was a fox now.
We tore through the east wing like maniacs. Servants ducked out of the way. One nearly dropped an armful of laundry when I barreled past. Another tripped over a bucket when she darted between his legs.
Everywhere we went, chaos followed.
By the time I skidded to a halt in the courtyard, she had already returned to her humanoid form, sitting smugly on the fountain's edge, tails swishing.
"You're too slow," she teased, flashing a grin.
I scowled, catching my breath. "You're too annoying."
Her grin only widened. "Aww, are you mad? Did the big scary vampire get outsmarted by a cute little fox?"
I opened my mouth to retort — but her words hit harder than I expected. Cute?
I shook my head violently. No. No, don't think about that. She's a trickster. Just a fox. Nothing more.
"Keep laughing," I muttered, pointing a finger. "One of these days, I'll catch you. And when I do—"
"You'll what?" she leaned closer, mock-innocent. "Turn me into a coat again?"
My eye twitched.
"Exactly."
While we bickered, elsewhere in the castle, the true meeting unfolded.
The Meeting Hall was draped in shadows, torches flickering dim red light against the stone walls.
At the head of the table sat Dracula, composed as ever, his goblet of blood resting near his hand. Across from him sat another Kitsune — older, taller, her presence commanding in a way her daughter's mischief could never be.
Her hair was long and white like moonlight, cascading past her waist. Her tails — nine, like her daughter's — glowed faintly, each one thick and regal. Her features were sharp, mature, and undeniably beautiful. Eyes of molten gold glimmered with cunning and warmth in equal measure.
Where her daughter was a fox cub, this woman was the fox queen.
She chuckled lightly, voice velvet-smooth. "Are you sure she will be safe here?"
Dracula sipped, his face unreadable. "Safer than with those war fanatics. You know this."
Her smile curled knowingly. "True. Still, you don't exactly have a reputation for babysitting, Drac."
Dracula's gaze sharpened, unimpressed. "Why don't you stay here, then?"
Her tails swayed lazily. She tilted her head, amused. "Oh? Are you asking me to be your wife?"
"No."
"Cold-blooded as ever," she sighed with mock despair, though the glint in her eyes betrayed her teasing. "You never change."
"Answer the question, Miyako."
Her smile softened, but her voice turned firm. "I have a duty to my people. Duty first. Always. The only thing I value more than that… is my daughter. That is why I'm keeping her away from the war against the War God's followers."
For the first time, Dracula's expression shifted slightly — just a twitch of his jaw, a faint narrowing of the eyes.
"I see," he said at last.
"You always see," she replied, leaning back with a sly smirk. "The question is — what will you do?"
And somewhere else in the castle, I was still chasing her daughter, swearing one day I'd win.