In a small house by the lake, there lived a beautiful woman in her late twenties named Mai. Her hair was blonde, almost white, and her eyes were green like endless meadows. She lived with her twins: a boy named Ayato, and a girl named Yui. They looked very much like her, but Ayato's eyes were crimson like flames, while Yui's were blue like the sea.
They lived peacefully and happily, yet Mai was often lost in thought, her gaze lingering on the door as if she were waiting for someone.
One day, she sat with her children by the lake, holding a photograph of herself with a handsome man. The twins looked at the picture curiously, and one of them asked:
"Who is this, Mother?"
Mai smiled sadly and replied, "This is your father… His name is Vali. You resemble him greatly, Ayato. You inherited his crimson eyes."
Yui giggled. "He's very handsome!"
The twins asked at the same time, "How did you meet him?"
Mai laughed softly and stroked their heads. "I'll tell you the story…
I met your father one day in the park. I was crying because of the harsh treatment from my family. I never agreed with their principles, and they saw me as a disgrace.
Your father approached me quietly, handed me a handkerchief, and gently wiped my tears. Then he said, 'I won't allow someone as beautiful as you to keep crying.'
He tried in every way to make me smile, and he succeeded. I laughed from a wounded heart. He looked at me and said, 'I don't want to see these eyes filled with tears again. I'll protect that smile for the rest of my life.'
At that moment, I felt something strange. My heart beat fast, and my cheeks turned red. He laughed and said, 'You look like a red apple… just like the tree you're sitting under.'
We laughed together until it grew late. As he was about to leave, he asked, 'How can I see you again?'
I told him I lived near the park, and we agreed to meet every day under the apple tree—the same place where we first met.
Days passed, then weeks, then months… and our love grew.
One day, your father told me something I never expected. He said, 'I come from a family of vampires. I know I should have told you sooner, but I couldn't. I fell deeply in love with you, and I couldn't stay away.'
I looked at him and cried out from my heart before my voice, 'I love you… Even if you were the devil himself, I would still love you sincerely.'
My face burned with emotion. He stepped closer, took out a ring, and said, 'Will you marry me?'
I accepted without hesitation.
But the problem was my family. He promised to convince them no matter the cost. Day after day, he went to them, his eyes filled with determination and love.
He would always say, 'I will fight for you, even if I have to face the entire world.'
After months of effort, they finally agreed.
We were married under the apple tree. I wore a simple white dress, and he stood waiting for me, his shining eyes embracing me before his arms did.
At the beginning of our marriage, we struggled a little with his need to drink blood. Eventually, he arranged for one of his family's servants to provide him with blood weekly.
Then you two came into our lives… the most beautiful gift in this world.
But…
(Mai lowers her voice, her eyes clouded with sorrow.)
One night, a servant from his family came and said, 'My lord, the castle is in danger. Your mother urgently calls for you.'
The next morning, your father prepared to leave. As he said goodbye, he whispered, 'I will return… no matter what happens, I will never leave you, Mai. I will never leave you.'
His eyes were filled with tears. There was a fear in his gaze that has never left my heart.
And since that day… I have been waiting.
Every morning and every evening, I look at the door, hoping it will open and he will walk back in.
Ayato and Yui asked together, "Mother, do you think he will come back to us?"
Mai smiled through her tears and said, "No matter how long it takes, no matter how many years pass, I will keep waiting… He gave me life. He is my world."
At that very moment, just outside the house, a man with silver hair and crimson eyes approached the door. He whispered softly,
"Are they still waiting for me? Will they be happy to see me? I have missed you so much, Mai… my beautiful apple. And you, Ayato and Yui… my precious little ones."
— The End.