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The Everwinter Estate wasn’t like most houses where the rich lived in. Instead, the ostentatious palace that we saw from the sky was nothing more than a place to welcome visitors. In truth, the Everwinter Estate was more akin to that of a small town.

The number of buildings in the compound was endless, with the vast majority of their facilities dug underground to escape the constant blizzards that howled outside. Networks of underground tunnels helped the residents of the Everwinter Estate move from compound to compound, and due to its immense size, even luxury subways were constructed for ease of travel.

Being so close to the North Pole, there was nothing but barren snow outside. No farmland, no rivers, no livestock. Living here would be a death sentence to most humans, but for the Vampires of the Everwinter House, their prized Estate was practically a paradise.

So, one can imagine the danger of running into elite Vampires of the Everwinter Estate. Fortunately, Irina immediately led us through the massive subway system once we had landed at the airport, and it wasn’t long until we reached a small bungalow.

Well, it wasn’t exactly small. The bungalow had at least an acre of land with at least fifteen rooms and was possibly the biggest house I’d ever been in. But compared to the other buildings and palaces that surrounded it, the bungalow was relatively modest.

“Welcome back, young miss.”

“Thank you, Variel.”

Irina returned the greeting to the aged man who welcomed her. The first thing I noticed from the man was his rich grey hair and trimmed beard that sat well on his chiselled face. His mannerisms were impeccable, so much so that I couldn’t see a single flaw in his movements. Donned in a well-fitted suit with tails, the man seemed to be the epitome of what a butler should look like.

But there was one caveat…

‘Vampire…’

I thought to myself silently. Ever since I’d awakened as a Vampire, my five senses had been heightened significantly. And just from their smell and mere presence, I could determine a human from a Vampire. I’d yet to try this ability on the other races, but I would imagine that my senses would likely differentiate them as well.

‘Not just any Vampire, though… His magical ability is through the roof…’

Given that this butler had such a strong magical presence, he was most likely a True Vampire. But to think that a True Vampire was serving as a butler for Irina… It seems that I’ve got a lot to learn about the Everwinter Estate.

“Have you prepared the bracelets?” Irina asked without turning back.

“Yes, of course!” The butler called Variel reached into the case next to him and pulled out two distinct blue bracelets with the Everwinter crest on them. Carefully, he walked toward our family of three and stared straight at my two parents._-.

“Please, raise your wrists.”

“… What are you doing?”

“I apologise for the inconvenience,” Irina was the one who answered my mother’s cautious query. “The Everwinter House rarely allows outsiders to enter, powerful humans like yourselves. And while you are my guests, not everyone in the Estate will recognise that. So to prevent anyone from mistakenly attacking you, you must wear these bracelets.”

“…”

“If you’re worried, they only let out an aura to show that you’re a guest. There won’t be any restrictions on your end.” Variel noticed my parents’ apprehension and promptly reassured them. “Of course, I suggest you stay in this compound and don’t wander anywhere without permission.”

“Yeah, we understand…”

It was understandable for my parents to feel wary. They were in the heart of Vampire territory, after all. While there was a peace treaty barring Vampires from attacking humans and vice versa, who knows what would happen behind closed doors?

“What about me, Irina? Don’t I need a bracelet?”

“No, there’s no need for that.” Irina smiled happily before gently gripping my hand. “You’re not an outsider, after all. You’re my Brother! Besides, I will be with you all the time, so I will protect you!”

“… Is that so?”

Were all heirs-in-training this free?

Those were the words that I really wanted to say, but I knew better than to break that joyful smile. She hummed happily and gently slipped her arm around my elbow. Seemingly in bliss, Irina leaned her head towards me and rested it on my shoulders.

Goodness, why was this girl so adorable?

“Young miss, I’ve brought the doctor.”

After we settled down in our new lodgings, a silver-haired young woman sauntered into our humble bungalow. Her voluptuous build was elegantly wrapped in a luxurious Victorian dress shaded in black and white fabric. Walking with the poise and elegance of a noble, I could only drop my jaw at the entrance of a bona fide maid.

So Irina has a butler AND a maid? This girl really is some high-class lady…

“Thank you, Luminita!” Irina unwrapped her hands from my arm and welcomed the two newcomers.

The maid called Luminita wore a humble expression and simply stood to the side where Variel was waiting. Just like the butler, the maid was unquestionably a True Vampire. Although the magic coming out from her was fainter than the butlers, her seasoned expression showed the abundance of experience that she possessed.

It really was a treat to behold. Two True Vampires conducted themselves with class even though they had the ability to humble everyone in the room.

Alas, not all True Vampires behaved in the same way.

“Young Lady, I have received your summons.”

The final Vampire that entered the bungalow was a middle-aged man who seemed no older than fifty. His appearance was nothing out of the ordinary; if anything, he seemed more human than Vampire. However, when his eyes fell on my parents and me, that Vampire couldn’t hide the disdain and disinterest in his mind.

Still, since he was a doctor and in front of a potential heir to the clan, the Vampire kept his professionalism.

“… Is he the one I’m supposed to treat?”

“Yes,” Irina seemed unfazed by his actions. She simply explained the situation: “He received a soul injury a long time ago and has just recently turned into a Vampire. There’s nothing wrong with his physical state, but his memories are still jumbled up. Could you check if there are any pressing issues?”

“Consider it done.”

The Vampire nodded before stepping forward toward me. There was a tinge of unwillingness in his eyes, and I could feel his burning aversion as if treating me was beneath him.

Feeling irritated, I asked: “How may I address you, sir?”

“Just call me doctor.”

“… Fine.”

I wanted to remember his name, but instead, he made me burn his face into my memory. It didn’t feel good to be looked down upon, after all. Still, I wasn’t immature enough to let it get to my head. I raised my right wrist and allowed him to feel my pulse.

“Hmmm, I’m going to conduct a soul search. Do not resist.”

“What?!” Hearing the Doctor’s words, my mother immediately raised her voice in protest. She glared menacingly at the Vampire who held my wrist and bellowed out: “You want to conduct a soul search?!”

“How else will I know what his condition is?”

“Hmph, and you expect him to lower his mental defences for a cursory examination? Who knows what kind of damage you could do to him?!”

“… Listen here, human. I could care less about what your opinions are. If you are not willing, just leave the room.”

“You!”

My mother raised her arms in a frenzy. I could feel magic rising from within her soul as the pressure within the room increased dramatically. It was a tremendous amount of magic, given that my mom was a former A-Rank Hunter, but the Doctor remained unfazed. In fact, it seemed like he was ready to fight back if need be.

However, before things could escalate into a full-on battle, Irina’s soothing voice calmed the room:

“Please relax; the Doctor is one of the Everwinter House’s best healers. There’s no way he’ll make a mistake when treating my dear Brother.” Irina addressed my mother with a blissful smile.

“And I’m sure he won’t do anything to harm Brother, am I right?”

However, when that smile turned towards the rude Vampire holding my wrist, that joyful expression turned into one of coldness and steel. The Doctor, who had been showing a callous expression since entering the room, quickly returned to his professional smile.

“O-Of course,” The Doctor said while hiding the shiver in his voice. “I would never betray the Young Lady’s expectations.”

“That’s great!”

Irina’s face was smiling, but her eyes surely weren’t. Her wintry grey eyes locked onto the hand that was grabbing my wrist as if she was trying to burn through them with X-ray vision. I could even feel the Doctor’s apprehension as he carefully touched my wrist.

“P-Please don’t resist… If you do, there might be some backlash…”

“I’ll do my best…”

Although I had no clue what the Doctor was planning, I still obliged. Did I have faith in this shady Vampire? Absolutely not. However, I knew that if he planned on harming me for a second, Irina would be the first to have his head served to me on a platter.

Taking a deep breath in, the Doctor began his examination. As promised, I felt a tug on my inner soul. Don’t ask me how, but I felt like a foreign substance was invading my consciousness. There was an urge within me to kick that foreign invader out and burn him to the ground. However, I had the decency to suppress that desire.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem like the Doctor was planning on delving deep into my soul as I could feel his ‘vision’ just brushing the outside. It was hard to describe this uncomfortable feeling. The best I could define it was how a dentist would work on your teeth without sticking their tools down your throat.

After a brief few minutes, the Doctor finally released his ‘vision’ and returned to his normal appearance.

“Interesting…” The Doctor brushed on his non-existent beard and looked at me with wonder and curiosity.

“What’s the matter?” Irina asked with a tinge of worry in her voice. “Is Brother’s life in danger?”

“No, there’s nothing wrong with his body,” the Doctor removed, or rather, forgot his disdain for me and answered as any physician would. “His physical state is constantly growing stronger, and it won’t be long until he matches that of a naturally born True Vampire. His soul, on the other hand, is extremely peculiar.”

The Doctor’s eyes turned deep red and pierced his vision on me once again.

“This soul is that of a True Vampire; there’s no doubt about it. No, it’s even brighter than a regular True Vampire’s soul. Yet, there are some irregularities that I can’t quite put my finger on… How very strange…”

If the Doctor treated me like a pest before, now he looked at me with a degree of interest that mirrored that of a research subject.

“Do those irregularities have anything to do with his missing memories?”

“Most likely,” the Doctor nodded. “His memories aside, I don’t think there’s any danger to his life. However, I’ve never seen anything quite like this in all my five hundred years. In fact, I doubt any of my seniors would know anything about these peculiarities. I’m afraid… Only the Matriarch could diagnose him.”

“… Is that the only way?”

Irina frowned as she answered. Evidently, even though they were grandmother and granddaughter, Irina had a problematic relationship with the Vampire called the Matriarch.

“No… She was going to find out either way… It’s better to get it over with.”

Irina turned towards her butler and gestured: “Variel, arrange a meeting with the Matriarch.”

“It’s done.” The butler nodded once before disappearing out of the bungalow doors and into the darkness of the night.

After hearing the white-haired girl’s words, my parents, who had been watching the exchange between Irina and Variel, froze in place. And honestly, who could blame them?

While we were still travelling, my parents filled me in on what kind of entity the Everwinter House was. How immensely powerful each of their Vampires was. How just fifteen Everwinter Vampires froze an entire country to deal with the Outer Demons that invaded. And most importantly…

How devastatingly powerful their leader, Matriarch Innocence was.

A Vampire that was over five thousand years old, Matriarch Innocence was quite possibly among one of the very first Vampires to walk this planet. Her powers over ice and snow had made her name synonymous with Winter. Her abilities in the right climate could easily contend with the world’s most powerful beings or perhaps even surpass them entirely.

There was a reason why the Holy Church never once launched a conquest over the Everwinters, even though they were amongst the world’s most dangerous Vampire Clans.

And that was due to…

The monster I was about to visit.