A lavish room, lit only by candlelight.
The flames wavered precariously at the creak of the door opening, shadows trembling wildly before slowly settling once more.
Tap.
The pen stopped mid-stroke. The soft rustle of turning pages fell silent.
A hurried female voice rang out from the doorway.
"Elder, the pureblood vampires are causing trouble again!"
"The same reason as last time?"
Soon, another woman's voice answered—gentle and composed, though laced with fatigue she concealed well enough that the visitor failed to notice.
At the same time, Ellen's brows twitched in her sleep. She groggily opened her eyes, only to be met with darkness.
Her hands moved restlessly. As she felt around, she realized she was lying on her side on a bed, with curtains hanging down at the edges.
Through the faint candlelight, she could just make out a low table in front of the bed, with a woman seated behind it.
Ellen struggled to sit up, careful not to make a sound.
Before she could pull aside the bed curtain, the urgent voice sounded again from farther away.
"Yes, Elder. After all, they've already been inside Hollow Zero for a full week. Everyone's very anxious."
At that, the woman at the table lowered her head in silence. The room fell into a long, heavy quiet.
Oil-fed flames flickered. Shadows quivered. Thoughts drifted.
Lying on the bed, Ellen's brows shot up, her tail swaying back and forth.
Elder?
Vampire society?!
Did that woman—whoever she was—drag me to Phaga's family estate?
What's going on?
What's everyone so anxious about?
Could it be…
Ellen lowered her head and looked at herself.
Then she abruptly cupped her face with both hands, mouth slightly open, pupils shaking violently.
Aaaahhh——!
Don't tell me the vampire society is coveting Phaga's genes again—and found out that his girlfriend-slash-family member is me?
So they decided to cut straight to the point, strike first, and haul me into the clan for a forced, symbolic engagement with Phaga?!
The moment the thought formed, Ellen's face flushed bright red. She instinctively pressed her cheeks, heat surging upward as if a fire were burning beneath her skin. Her tail, stimulated by something unknown, began slapping uncontrollably against the bed.
The sudden thudding startled the two people outside the curtains.
"Hm? Very well. Go calm them down. Tell them I'll resolve this soon. I still have a child to look after here, so I won't keep you. You may go."
"Uh… ah? Oh! Yes!"
The visitor froze for a moment, attention still drifting toward the bed. It took a second for her to react before she hastily turned, pulled the door shut, and left at a quick pace.
Meanwhile, Ellen remained immersed in her fantasy of the entire vampire society mobilizing to help push her and Phaga together.
No, no, Ellen. Don't get carried away over something that hasn't even started yet!
What if it's not that at all—
Whoosh!
The bed curtain was suddenly pulled open, revealing Ellen sitting on the bed in a duck-sitting posture, both hands pressed to her face.
Her cheeks were glowing red, her eyes shining with intense crimson light. The blush spread from her cheeks all the way to the tips of her ears, her lips curled into an exaggerated, giddy smile.
Mrs. Meilin rested her cheek on one hand, rubbing her temple as if troubled—though her tone was clearly teasing.
"Oh my~ I'm quite certain I didn't add anything strange to the ether. Did you dream of an entire ocean full of sardines, Ellen? You look awfully happy."
"Uh—no, I was thinking about Fa—! Right! I dreamed of an entire ocean full of sardines! They were really tasty!"
Halfway through, Ellen snapped back to her senses. The heat in her face intensified, but no matter what, she had to stick to the sardine story.
If she said it was Phaga, even her tail would—
The thought made her instinctively glance back. She hurriedly reached down and forced her tail still.
It could not be allowed to wag this happily anymore!
"Hmhm~"
Mrs. Meilin narrowed her eyes, smiling without saying a word.
The moment Ellen heard that laugh, her scalp prickled. It felt as though every secret she had was being seen straight through, her skin tingling unbearably, like ants crawling all over her.
Damn it—this feeling is awful!
Unable to withstand Mrs. Meilin's gaze any longer, Ellen hurriedly changed the subject.
"Um… Mrs. Meilin, why did you bring me here? And what did you mean by what you were saying earlier?"
For reasons she couldn't quite explain—perhaps because Mrs. Meilin was Phaga's elder—Ellen simply couldn't summon any courage.
The same Ellen who could act aloof around Lycaon and Rina now looked exactly like a young girl experiencing her first stirrings of affection. The shyness rising from her heart made it impossible to lift her head, her voice growing softer with each word.
Mrs. Meilin, however, was understanding. She bent down, took Ellen's hand, and sat beside the bed, smiling gently.
"Ellen, don't be nervous. You're a child I've watched grow up. Relax. That's right—take a deep breath."
Ellen followed her advice. After several deep breaths, her emotions gradually settled.
She turned her gaze aside, waiting for Mrs. Meilin to continue.
Mrs. Meilin didn't disappoint. With a light chuckle and a gentle shake of her head, she smiled and asked,
"Ellen, do you want to marry Phaga?"
Buzz.
Buzz.
Like a snapped valve, steam blasted straight through the lid.
White vapor practically rose from Ellen's head as her face flushed from her cheeks all the way down to her neck in an instant.
"M-marriage… Phaga hasn't even come back yet, talking about… about things like that…"
Ellen turned her head away, her tail snapping straight as a board. Her pupils shook violently, her tongue tying itself in knots.
"And besides, Phaga and I are already family… Talking about marriage, isn't that kind of—"
"Hmhm~ Your reaction is really something, Ellen. Ah, young love… What a pity. I'm already past my prime and never got to taste that youthful innocence myself."
Mrs. Meilin shook her head regretfully, her index finger resting lightly against her cheek. Paired with her composed, knowing eyes, it gave her an unexpectedly captivating charm.
But soon, she closed her eyes, smiled faintly, and shrugged. Her expression shifted as she let out a soft sigh.
"Alright, Ellen. Enough joking. I have something I'd like to ask of you."
"What… what is it that I can do?"
Sensing the seriousness in her tone, Ellen instinctively straightened up. The blush on her face slowly faded.
"And I also want to go into the Hollow to find—"
Her voice trailed off. She gathered her courage and stole several glances at Mrs. Meilin.
She was afraid Mrs. Meilin would also forbid her from entering Hollow Zero. After all, this was the vampire society's territory.
A place she didn't know at all—escaping from here would be ten thousand times harder than slipping away from Zhu Yuan and Qingyi.
Unless…
Light and shadow flickered in Ellen's eyes. The small hands resting on her knees slowly clenched.
Unless absolutely necessary, she really didn't want to—
"That's perfect. I need you, Ellen, to enter Hollow Zero."
Just as Ellen hesitated, Mrs. Meilin suddenly seized both her hands, looking at her with open delight.
"Huh?"
"Huh?!"
Ellen's eyes flew wide open.
Just when all seemed lost, a new path had opened.