CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: APPLE OF MY EYE.

      The little girl clung to her mother's skirt as if her life depended on it, because she felt it did. Lost in the world of the dozens of superior demon races, where only the most powerful and influential of the Makai were invited, she had a mere ten years of existence that meant nothing in comparison.

      Her long pink hair was not tied up in her usual two high pigtails, but fell down her back in large ringlets that made her look like a doll. Her high heels moved slowly to keep her balance and yet they pressed precisely against the floor without a sound. Her puffy dress around her moved with her, with a pink bow to keep her from crying because the dress was white and not pink as she had wanted it to be.

      Her eyes, bright with naivety and curiosity, roamed endlessly from side to side, taking in everything from the smallest details of the floral arrangements to the large dance floor crammed with the highest level and caliber of vampires. With weighty titles being tossed back and forth as a show of power, Izumi Kuromiya couldn't help but feel stunned.

      While she knew her parents were important because of how they were treated by others, she couldn't help but feel disinterested about it. Perhaps it was because of her youth and little interest in anything other than playing, or because her own parents had raised her up until then with the idea that titles are not what matter, but it is their actions that define them.

      Mako Yamako and Katsuo Kouzumi possessed unparalleled power since the two families merged into one. Both being the last of their dynasties, they decided to unite based on the love they shared for each other to form a new one: the Kuromiya family.

      (How ironic that their dynasty was to end as quickly as it began).

      With a new alliance and using the authority that the Yamako and Kouzumi possessed, they became a force without comparison. And that had all been thanks to KarlHeinz.

      Izumi knew the story of how her parents met by heart, but that didn't stop her from always asking for it to be retold. It turns out that her uncle Tougo was a friend of both of them and, believing they were made for each other, convinced them to go on a blind date. What a surprise it was for both young bachelors (who went more out of respect for their friendship with an old childhood friend than believing they would actually find love) when a couple of years later they were married.

      The little girl's eyes widened with fear when she no longer felt the cloth between her fingers. She turned around, only to find that her worst nightmare had come true: her mother was nowhere to be found. She looked around, desperate to find one of her parents and ready to run to them (her parents had been very clear that she was not to teleport until she was older, especially when she was away from home).

      The emptiness in her stomach grew, and her eyes filled with tears at the thought of being alone in the place. Mom and Dad couldn't have left me.... right?

      "How's the apple of my eye?" She acknowledged a voice behind her, but before she could turn around, hands came to her waist and lifted her up. It wasn't until she found herself in someone's arms that she could see her uncle's face, "Oh, my goodness. You look frightened, my dear."

      "Uncle Tougo!" The girl cried, throwing her arms in the air to wrap them around the man's neck before sinking her face into his neck, "Mom and dad... I don't know where they are," she squealed. Although her voice was barely a whisper, KarlHeinz noticed that she was trembling.

      He adjusted his arms around the girl's waist, settling her down so that he had a secure grip and her dress wouldn't wrinkle. Then, he spoke in a soft, honeyed voice, which he reserved only for her.

      "Don't worry, Zuzu. I'm going to help you find them, okay?"

      Izumi nodded her head with determination. The man smiled, finding it wonderful that she had courage even though her eyes were on the verge of tears and her lips trembled with fear.

      "I knew this was going to happen," Reiji broke the silence.

      Shu gave him a dirty look, "Really? You should have told me, then."

      Shu hadn't noticed before, but both he and Izumi were covered in blood. At first he had thought Yui had been overreacting, but he noticed his mistake as quickly as he looked down at his attire. His clothes were torn and covered in blood, and Izumi was only worse. There was no doubt that, in his wild and animalistic state, he had not been as careful as he had thought he had been.

      The siblings didn't take a second to appear, fearing the worst when they heard the human's scream... while it wasn't what they had imagined, the situation they were facing wasn't any better at all.

      Izumi was in the center of the room, reclining on a couch. Her skin was noticeably paler than normal, and her breathing was slow and spaced out. Her eyes remained closed, and yet the tranquility her face exuded would lead you to believe she was sleeping peacefully.

      "She just needs time to recover," Reiji said once Shu had told what had happened, "It would be better if we had another blood bag. A direct transfusion would be ideal," he reasoned before adding, "I'll get a bag. You guys stay here just in case."

      "Can't you use my blood?"

      Reiji raised his eyebrows at Yui, clearly surprised by the suggestion. Still, he was quick to nod, "It's possible."

      "Then do it."

      "Good. Come with me to my room, I have what I need to do a clean extraction," Reiji asked before looking at his brother, "And you'd better change. Laito and Ayato are drooling."

      Shu immediately turned his head towards the aforementioned, discovering that they were staring at him. Their gazes were darkened, and it was easy to notice the small bulge generated by their fangs under their lips. Nevertheless, the two averted their gazes and acted offended.

      "Ha? I'm not drooling!" Ayato chimed.

      "Nee, Reiji. Just a minute ago you were looking at the princess like she was a dessert on a platter," purred Laito.

      The black-haired man adjusted his glasses, sending a displeased look at the two brothers before looking back at Shu, "Change your clothes. That scent is flooding the house."

      Kanato sighed as if he were in a dream, "No problem. The smell of Izumi's blood is so sweet. I'd love to taste it, eh, Teddy?"

      "Kanato."

      "I won't," he remarked with honesty, "I want to do it with her conscious," he explained, his gaze now drifting to the girl's unconscious body. A sadistic smile stretched across his face, "I want her to enjoy it."

      Back in her mother's arms, Izumi watched in delight as a blond boy played the violin. It was the first time she had ever seen anyone play an instrument besides the piano, since her father always played it and was even teaching her. She didn't even know the name of the instrument until her father told her.

      Once the boy finished with his presentation, he was showered with applause and praise. Even though almost no one present knew what that strange stringed instrument was, the murmurs were only positive comments, almost praising the boy's talent. Izumi joined in the applause with excitement, her lips parting as she let out a small gasp of admiration. She couldn't help but think that the boy seemed to be the same age as her, and seeing that he could play the violin so well enough to be applauded made her want to continue practicing the piano with her father.

      "Huh? Did you like it, Zuzu?" KarlHeinz asked, to which the girl nodded energetically, "I liked it, too. My son did a good job, don't you think?"

      "Your son?" Izumi repeated, twisting her head to the side in confusion, "Uncle Tougo, do you have a girlfriend?"

      Katsuo burst out laughing, squeezing one of his daughter's cheeks as he struggled to control the fit of laughter her comment brought on, "Wow, Zum. You have no mercy, do you?"

      Mako looked at her husband with amusement, taking the little girl in her arms, "Katsu, when are you going to grow up?" She commented amusedly.

      Katsuo's laughter died immediately, and he looked at his wife in bewilderment, "What? What do you mean?"

      "I guess she'll be a woman just as ruthless as her mother," KarlHeinz mentioned.

      "Wait, Mako, what are you talking about? I'm mature, aren't I?" Katsuo kept muttering as the other adults laughed and the girl watched them with wide eyes, eventually laughing too although she had no idea why.

      But Izumi forgot she was laughing when her eyes landed on a beautiful dress that absorbed all her attention. Deep red in color, old style, and decorated with black overalls and ruffles; the woman wearing it went unnoticed by the young girl's eyes. At least it was so until she recognized the boy next to her, it was he who had played the violin and.... And Uncle Tougo's son? She still had her doubts about that. It wouldn't be the first time her uncle had tried to play a joke on her.

      Driven by her curiosity, she looked at the woman to discover that they were both very similar with wavy blond hair accompanied by intense blue eyes. This, plus the fact that the woman was holding his hand, allowed her to assume that they were mother and son. Her eyes flashed with insight: she was to ask the woman if she was his uncle's girlfriend.

      To Izumi's luck, they were walking in her direction. She shifted her feet impatiently, and when they finally arrived, she couldn't wait for them to introduce themselves.

      "Are you Uncle Tougo's girlfriend?" She shrieked from one second to the next, barely giving her parents and uncle time to greet the newcomers.

      The woman looked at her with wide eyes, almost as if taken by surprise by the sudden question, and then looked at KarlHeinz. Although it passed beyond the girl's ability to comprehend, it was clear that she was asking the man what she should say.

      Still in her mother's arms, Izumi lowered her gaze to the boy to find that he was looking at her intently. She smiled at him, but he did not return the gesture. On the contrary, he frowned before looking away, ignoring her. Izumi pouted, so angry and saddened by the little rejection she had received that she almost forgot her mission.

      When she looked up back toward the adults, she was met with the image of her uncle Tougo embracing the beautiful long-haired woman around her waist. Her mouth dropped into an 'O', and her hands rose to her face in an exaggerated reaction of surprise. The adults laughed at that, even Beatrix, making Izumi think she looked especially pretty when she didn't look serious and a smile lit up her face.

      "Are you really so surprised that your dear uncle has a girlfriend?" KarlHeinz cried, opting to let go of Beatrix to hold Izumi in his arms, "Am I really that unattractive, Zuzu?"

      The girl placed her hands on either side of the Vampire King's face, patting his cheeks as she laughed, "No, Uncle Tougo! It's just that you always say I'm the eyes... no, the apple? Uhm..." She raised her head to the elder, begging for help with her gaze.

      "The apple of my eye," KarlHeinz helped her.

      "The apple of my eye," she repeated, frowning slightly as she paused to try to decipher the meaning behind those words.

      Mako felt Beatrix's gaze and glanced sideways at the little boy nervously. Then, she interjected with a gentle smile, "Oh, come on, Tougo. Shu is here, you can't say-"

      "It's just that you're the apple of my eye, Zuzu," KarlHeinz continued, ignoring his friend's comment and returning his attention to the little girl.

      Katsuo licked his lips before crouching down to Shu's level and giving him a smile, "Shu, you were amazing! You know, I play the piano, have you ever tried?"

      The boy blinked, almost as if he wasn't used to being spoken to directly. His eyes lifted to his father, who didn't bother to look at him as he spoke to Izumi, even though she was already looking at Shu intently because her dad was talking to him. Shu pursed his lips when he felt his mother's grip on his hand, and finally responded with a simple "no".

      Izumi quickly interjected, "Daddy's great at playing the piano! And I'm learning, too! Daddy!" She gasped, causing her father to turn his head towards her, "When we go home, I want to practice! I want to be able to play just as well! No, better, better! I want to play the piano!"

      Katsuo stood up again, trying to calm his daughter with a sympathetic smile, "Zuzu, don't make such a fuss. We'll keep practicing, I promise. But now, why don't you congratulate Shu on his violin playing? I think he did a magnificent job, don't you agree?"

      The vampiress' eyes lit up with effervescence, and she lowered her head to look at the blond boy who was watching her curiously. She smiled, and raised her hands to her sides, "Shu, you were magificent!"

      "Magnificent," Mako murmured to the side.

      "Magnificent!" Izumi corrected quickly, still holding her arms in the air to convey how impressive it had been.

      Shu looked at her, but did not respond. Izumi puffed out her cheeks in anger. Her face reddened, and her parents approached fearing that they already knew what was going to happen.

      "I HATE YOU!" She exclaimed, pointing her index finger at Shu as if declaring war.

      Shu's eyes expanded, not so much surprised by what she said, but by the volume she had adopted. That girl had just screamed at the top of her lungs, as if she didn't care that she was going to be punished for having no manners. His eyes went to the girl's parents, and he knew what was going to happen next so he closed his eyes out of inertia. But he opened them again when he heard nothing, only to find that her mother was holding her in her arms as her father was pushing her hair away from her face with one hand while the other had found home under her face as his thumb wiped away tears.

      "B-but he ignored me!" The girl cried noisily.

      "Zuzu," her mother whispered, "that's not why you can tell someone you hate them. Shu is just shy, so apologize to him."

      "But!"

      "Zuzu, listen to mom," his father murmured with a slight warning tone, but the caresses he gave her cheek was comforting, only filled with affection, "Apologize to Shu."

      The girl sniffled through her nose before nodding, "Okay."

      Mako cleared his daughter's cheeks of tears before lowering her to the ground. Izumi walked slowly towards Shu, rubbing her eyes sheepishly. When she finally stood in front of him, her lips trembled from the sobs that kept welling up from deep within her chest.

      Shu only wondered how brave the girl in front of him could be, crying freely as if she wasn't looking weak in front of everyone. He couldn't remember ever letting out a howl of such volume as the one she released a few seconds ago, and likewise he had never received such a reaction, only firm and cold scoldings. But the questions in his mind hit a wall when he met his father's gaze from behind Izumi's back.

      A shiver ran down his back and he felt himself freeze for a moment as he met the hardness of the Vampire King's gaze.

      Then, before the girl could apologize, he lowered his head, "I'm sorry, it was impolite of me. I'm truly sorry."

      Izumi blinked at the turn of events, taking a moment to think about what had happened. And, before anyone could say anything, she laughed. Shu raised his head just enough to see her face, and surprise came over him again when he saw a huge smile on the face still covered in tears.

      "I had to apologize, not you, silly!" She laughed a little more, and Shu didn't say anything, not knowing what to do. Izumi then lowered her head, hitting the blonde's head in the way, "Uhmp! Sorry!" She She rubbed the place of impact, and the blond straightened his back slowly, barely reacting to the blow. Izumi looked at him carefully, "Didn't it hurt?"

      "Uh... no," he stammered even if it was a lie. It had hurt, it just didn't compare to other punishments he had faced. Despite his youth, he no longer had the luxury of reacting with pain over something as mundane as this accident. At least not like that girl seemed to.

      Izumi frowned, "But it did hurt me...."

      "Zuzu," her mother called, "Weren't you going to apologize to Shu?"

      At the reminder, the little girl immediately bowed, "Sorry! I don't hate you... uh..." She raised her head towards her mother, looking nervous, "Mom, what was his name again?"

      Mako wanted to sigh, she had just mentioned it! How could she have forgotten it already? Reluctantly, she went to answer her daughter, but surprisingly the boy beat her to it.

      "Shu," he murmured.

      "Shu! I don't hate you!" Now she looked at him with a smile, her back still bent.

      Mako stepped in, "Zuzu, you can get up now."

      "Right!" The girl exclaimed, straightening her back again. She sent a cocky smile to her mother, as if to say, "Did you see that, Mom? I apologized!" Mako just wanted to smack her forehead.

      "Aren't you going to introduce yourself?" Katsuo encouraged.

      Izumi nodded and gave Shu her best smile, "I'm Izumi!" She announced, but grimaced at her own words, "No, Izumi sounds like when mom scolds me...."

      "Uh... Is Zu okay?"

      "Zu and Shu?" She said outloud, causing Shu's cheeks to blush thinking she would tell him he was silly. But Izumi smiled without giving him time to apologize, "Great, we can be friends then!"

      "Uh, friends?"

      "Uh-hu! Our names sound funny together, which means we will have a ton of fun!"

      Mako controlled herself not to remind her that her name was Izumi and not just Yu.

      "You're like vultures!" Shu complained when he returned to the room to find Ayato and Laito again staring at Izumi as if she was on a silver platter. He had teleported back to his room to change clothes as quickly as possible before returning to the living room because he was justly afraid those two were going to do something.

      Laito grumbled, "You sound like Subaru already."

      "And why do you think that is?" Subaru asked, "Stop behaving like that, you're disgusting."

      "Who do you think you are to call Ore-sama disgusting?"

      "Let's not forget that the one who couldn't control himself was Shu, not us," argued Laito, resting his cat-like eyes on the blond, who quickly averted his gaze, "Hey, Shu, how was it? Uh? How did it feel....? Letting yourself go?"

      "Shut up."