Evelyn, still recovering from the shock, suddenly gasped and pointed a finger at Elias.
"Wait a minute! If you have a wife and a daughter, that means big sister Elicia and Renny are already aunties, and I'm just finding out about this right now? That is completely unfair! Why does everyone else get to be in on the family secrets?"
Elicia let out a soft, melodic laugh, elegantly dabbing the corner of her mouth with a linen napkin. "Now, now, Evelyn. We only discovered it because your brother left a very specific trail of expensive imported toys and silk ribbons on his expense ledgers a few months ago. As the principal, it is my job to notice when an elite shadow hunter suddenly develops an interest in porcelain dolls and miniature tea sets."
Elias rubbed the back of his neck, a faint, rare blush creeping up his rugged cheeks as he muttered something incoherent into his tea mug.
"They were high-quality imports, a growing girl deserves the best."
I watched the playful bickering continue, feeling the heavy, dense silence that usually occupied my mornings completely replaced by their vibrant energy. My single jade-green eye drifted toward the kitchen window. Outside, the birds were chirping, and the gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the trees in the spacious courtyard. For the first time, I didn't feel the urge to check the locks, prime my gas canisters, or mentally map out an escape route through the chimney.
"Elias, When your resting phase is complete, I would... appreciate it if you could bring them here. To House 132. I have an abundant amount of space on the second floor, and the neighborhood is highly secure." I spoke up, my quiet deadpan effortlessly drawing everyone's attention back to me.
Elias looked across the table at me, his sharp green eyes softening with a deep, emotional warmth. He reached out and gave my shoulder a gentle, protective squeeze.
"Yeah. I'd like that, Weird Eyes. My wife has always wanted to meet the famous Crimson Phantom who keeps sending rare herbal medicines to the village. She'll probably cry when she sees you're just a sweet, quiet girl who likes berry jam."
"I am a ruthless hunter," I corrected automatically, though there was no heat behind my words.
"Sure you are, big sister, A ruthless hunter who looks absolutely adorable in a townsperson's dress. Come on, let's finish breakfast! We have a whole mansion… sorry, a small two-story house… to redecorate, and I want to see if we can find a room to turn into a nursery!" Evelyn teased, leaning over to playfully poke the edge of my folded crimson wing
With our futures finally secure and the shadow of the bounty completely erased, we sat together under the warm, harmless morning sun, enjoying the simple, priceless gift of being a family.
The clock on the kitchen wall ticked steadily, its rhythmic tempo reminding us that the peaceful stillness of the morning couldn't last forever. Elias set his empty mug down on the wooden table with a soft clatter and pushed his chair back. He stood up, stretching his towering frame, and slung his heavy leather duster back over his broad shoulders.
"Well, this is our goodbyes then, Duty calls, and my girls are waiting for me in Karama." Elias said, a quiet, gentle tone cutting through his usual rough exterior. He looked at each of us, his sharp green eyes lingering with deep affection
Evelyn immediately jumped up from her seat, her white and scarlet Luminous Knight uniform crinkling as she quickly smoothed down her pleated skirt. The bioluminescent green tips of her hair gave a frantic, energetic flutter.
"Oh, wait! Big brother, I still have work today! Can you drop me off at the Bureau before you leave the district? Walking in these heels all the way to the main office is going to take forever!"
Elias rolled his eyes playfully, a familiar smirk returning to his face as he checked the buckles on his gauntlets.
"Sure, Slime Girl, Hop on. But if you get your uniform covered in shadow ink, don't go crying to Grandma about it." he grumbled good-naturedly.
The two of them began making their way toward the front door, exchanging their final, warm goodbyes with Elicia and me in the hallway. Evelyn threw her arms around us for a quick, suffocating hug, while Elias gave a respectful nod, his eyes dropping briefly to my stomach with a silent, protective promise.
Since we were entirely finished eating, the lingering warmth of the breakfast table faded into a desire to watch them depart. I turned my single jade-green eye toward big sister, my expression remaining a calm, quiet deadpan.
"Let's see them off, The shadow beast's departure is always quite a spectacle." I murmured softly, gesturing toward the front porch.
Elicia smiled beautifully, her silver hair swaying as she patted my hand.
"Sure, little Ren. Let's walk them to the gate."
Together, the two of us stepped out into the crisp, glorious morning air, entirely safe under the brilliant blue sky.
We stepped out onto the wooden porch, the crisp, clean air of the morning rushing to greet us as we walked into the open courtyard. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I hadn't reached for my heavy vanguard cloak or pulled a dark hood over my features. Thanks to Elicia's divine regeneration constantly pulsing a harmless, invisible heat shield through my core, I could safely step directly into the glaring sun.
But more than that… I didn't wear the cloak because, for the first time in my life, I was completely free.
With the morning newspaper officially breaking the news across Andromeda, there was no longer any reason to hide what I was. I stood proudly in the open daylight, my massive, breathtaking crimson blood wings fully extended and relaxed, catching the golden sunbeams without a single blister forming on my pale skin. Passing townspeople along the distant road stopped to look, but there was no terror in their eyes… only awe and respect for the legendary bounty hunter who had saved their kingdom. To stand in public, showing my true demonic nature without the sun tearing my flesh apart, was a profound luxury I never thought I would experience.
Elicia stood right beside me, her silver hair shimmering brilliantly as she looked at my exposed wings with a soft, deeply emotional smile.
"You look absolutely beautiful, little Ren, No more cloaks, no more disguises. This is exactly how you were always meant to stand." she commented softly, her voice thick with sisterly pride.
Down in the courtyard, Elias stepped into the center of the dirt path. He raised his hand, channeling his dark magic as the shadows beneath the trees began to twist and pool together. With a low, resonant whinny, a magnificent, towering shadow horse materialized from the darkness, its ethereal mane flickering like black smoke.
Evelyn didn't waste a single second. With a cheerful laugh, she gathered her pleated scarlet skirt and mounted the dark beast with practiced ease, her high heels locking into the stirrups as she gripped Elias's waist.
"Look at you, big sister! You look like a total queen standing up there! No one is ever going to mess with House 132 again!" Evelyn yelled down from the shadow horse, her eyes wide as she stared at my beautiful, uncovered crimson wings
Elias pulled on the shadow reins, turning the dark steed toward the front gates. He looked back at Elicia and me, offering one last, deeply proud smirk as he saw me standing completely unbothered by the harsh sunlight.
"Take care of yourself, Weird Eyes. Keep those wings flying high," he called out, his rough voice full of brotherly love.
"Goodbye, big brother! Goodbye, Evelyn!" Elicia waved gracefully, her elegant voice carrying across the courtyard.
I raised my pale hand, my single jade-green eye tracking them as the shadow horse reared up, ready to sprint toward the Bureau.
"Travel safely," I murmured in my quiet deadpan, a genuine sense of peace washing over me as our final goodbyes echoed into the beautiful morning sky.
The rhythmic click of the shadow horse's hooves faded down the cobblestone road, leaving behind only a faint, dissolving wisp of dark mist that quickly evaporated under the brilliant morning sun. Elicia lowered her waving hand, her elegant silver hair settling neatly against the shoulders of her academic robes as she turned her warm, crimson eyes back toward me.
"Well, there they go," she said softly, offering a content sigh that carried the weight of the long, chaotic week finally lifting from her shoulders. "The house is going to feel entirely too quiet without Evelyn's hair lighting up the living room, but at least we have some peace. Come along, little Ren, let's go inside. We still have a kitchen to tidy up and a long day of absolute rest ahead of us."
Before I could turn my heels to follow her back across the wooden threshold, a gate creaked open just down the paved avenue.
The 3rd District was usually a place of quiet, aristocratic privacy, where neighbors rarely interfered with one another's affairs. But this morning was entirely different. The front page of the Caria Times had fundamentally rewritten the rules of our neighborhood.
An elderly gentleman from House 130, wearing a finely tailored morning coat and holding a brass watering can, paused at the edge of his manicured hedge. He looked over toward our porch, his eyes widening slightly as he took in the sight of my fully extended, crimson blood wings resting openly in the bright sunlight. There was no panic in his expression, no sudden reach for a weapon, and no sign of the deep-seated terror that usually accompanied the word vampire. He simply adjusted his spectacles, smiled warmly, and raised a hand in a polite neighborly wave.
"Good morning, Eirene! Lovely day for some fresh air, isn't it? Glad to see you back home!" he called out, his voice crisp and clear across the lawn.
I froze for a fraction of a second, my single jade-green eye blinking in a moment of genuine surprise. Before I could formulate a standard, deadpan response, the front door of House 133 opened across the street. A middle-aged woman dressed in graceful, high-society silk layers stepped out onto her cobblestone path, a rolled-up copy of the Saturday edition tucked securely under her arm.
She walked toward her low stone wall, looking directly at me with an expression of immense gratitude.
"We read the papers, Lady Eirene! The whole district is talking about it. Thank you so much for fixing the market deflation. My husband's trading business was on the verge of absolute ruin before your bounty rewards stabilized the capital's banks. We don't care what the old stories say about your bloodline… you've done more for the people of this continent than the entire city council combined." she called out gracefully, her voice carrying a deep, heartfelt sincerity
Standing there under the glare of the morning sun, watching them smile and wave, a strange, profound warmth bloomed in my chest that had absolutely nothing to do with Elicia's protective healing spell. To these people, the massive, monstrous wings folded against my spine weren't a symbol of a demonic invasion or a historical nightmare. They didn't see a blood-sucking monster trying to infiltrate their borders; they saw a protector, a legendary hunter, and a regular neighbor who just happened to look a little different. They saw me as completely human.
I stepped closer to the edge of the porch railing, keeping my posture straight but letting the rigid, guarded tension completely drain from my shoulders.
"Good morning, The weather are... highly optimal today. And you are entirely welcome. Stabilizing the local currency was a necessary metric for the district's long-term survival. I am pleased to hear your business is recovered." I called back, my voice maintaining its quiet, flat deadpan, though a rare, genuine softness infused my words.
Elicia leaned against the wooden pillar of the porch, a beautiful, incredibly proud smile gracing her elegant features as she watched the exchange. Her crimson eyes crinkled with deep emotion, and she shook her head slowly, a soft chuckle escaping her lips.
"Listen to them, Ren, For months you've been hiding under heavy vanguard cloths, terrified that a single slip of your hood would turn this whole neighborhood into a battlefield. But look at them now. They don't see a demon from the Triangulum Continent. They see the girl who saved their livelihoods. You've earned this, little Ren. Every bit of it." Elicia murmured, her voice carrying a thick layer of sisterly pride as she watched the gentleman from House 130 return to watering his flowers.
"It is... a highly unusual social development, But it is not entirely unpleasant." I replied quietly, turning back toward the front door as the neighbors returned to their morning routines.
"Come on, Let's get inside before the rest of the street decides to come over for an official press conference."
With a soft, relaxed flutter of my crimson wings, I stepped across the threshold, leaving the outside world behind as the door clicked securely shut, finally returning to the quiet, undeniable safety of our home.