Mira's POV
I felt arms wrap around my waist but didn't turn my head to know who it was.
"Well? Don't I get a 'hello' kiss?"
"What do you want?" I asked, not wanting to associate myself with him.
"Just waiting for you to accept me and the deal," he said.
"Listen, I never wanted this and never will. You only want me for what I have."
"I know sweetheart, but remember what will happen if you don't do as I said. Do as I say and you'll be spared, or I will find other ways to make you mine and I won't stop to get what I want," he said before he disappeared in the blink of an eye.

I closed my eyes and rubbed my face with my hand before getting the things I needed for dinner. Reiji came in 5 minutes later to check up on what I'm doing and he seemed appeased with it all. He tasted the soup I made for the starter and his eyes held the confirmation I needed to know that it was perfect.
"This is excellent Mira-san. I'll take care of the other dishes while you take care of the meat," Reiji said. I internally shivered at the thought of the meat as it was still left on the table wrapped because I wanted Reiji to do it. I'm a vegetarian and looking at the meat from a dead animal makes me feel terrible even though I didn't kill them. But for the sake of both of us, and the time we have left, I swallowed and went straight to it.

After I took care of the meat, and help Reiji make the other dishes, he then said to leave it and get changed. I wish there was a cat around here to play with or at least a book to read since I've finished reading the books I brought.

I was on my way to my room with Haku in my arms and a lollipop in my mouth.
"Mira-san," I turned around to find Kanato and Teddy.
"Hello Kanato, oh and hello Teddy," I said with a smile. Kanato looked pretty happy today, I wonder why.
"Would you like to have a tea party with me?" I smiled at this because it's a good thing I have some sweet treats for it.
"Of course Kanato. I also have some sweet treats that we can have."
"That's good. I can't wait to have you over. You're so much better than that adoptive sister of yours. She's so stupid!" I agree Kanato, I agree.
"Yeah, but that's Yui for you. She's always like that." Kanato laughed and I laughed as well.
"Oh yes Kanato, let me get changed first so I can use my uniform for tomorrow."
"O-oh ok Mira-san. But don't be late!"
"Don't worry Kanato, I'll be as quick as I can," I said before giving him a smile on the way back to my room.

I got out my dark blue kimono and some white socks, pleased that it had no creases.

I also put on my cat hoodie which had cat ears and a pouch to put Haku in.

Once I've finished getting dressed, I went straight to Kanato's bedroom and knocked on his door. It opened to reveal Kanato in his casual clothes.

He looked so adorable! His hoodie was the best as it's got cat ears. I felt tempted to pat his head but remembered that I must keep my cat urges in check. Agh! Why must cute cat things be the thing I love most?!

Now we are twinsies because we had on the cat hoodies! Yay! 😺

He let me in and I looked around the room. It was filled with plushies, dolls and toys which made it look kind of like a nursery. I love it!

I can imagine Kanato as a child and playing with these toys with happiness, but the feeling of this whole mansion overall screams sadness as if this place had a history of it being a place of torture and abuse. I can sense it.

Kanato seemed to have noticed my distant look so he shook my shoulder in what looked to be worry. Why would he be worried about me?

Kanato's POV
Ever since Mira and that stupid girl came here, I thought they would be like those other sacrificial brides. Well, it turned out that the blonde blood bag was worse than the previous ones, however, Mira was different. She wasn't scared when she found out we were vampires, she didn't pull out a holy cross to scare us away or even believed in those mortal tales, and she carries this soft aura around her which could somehow never be tainted by anything. Other than having the sweetest blood ever, I could also sense something powerful inside her. What could it be?

3rd Person's POV
After Mira got out of her daydream, thanks to Kanato, she went and sat down on the rug laid out with a tea set and what looked to be slices of butter cake. Kanato joined her and they both had a wonderful time eating cake and drinking sweet tea. Kanato felt happy and content, more than ever, for Mira joining his tea party and that she let him have some of her sweets. It was a wonderful time, until there was a knock on the door and for it to open to reveal the one and only...Ayato? Mira expected Reiji to be the one knocking on the door but left it at that.
"Oi, you guys better come downstairs for dinner." He left soon after.

Both went downstairs with smiles on their faces to the dining hall. All the brothers were there and they looked like they've had a bad day or something, hiding the fact that they are *cough* jealous *cough*.
"Hello again Neko-chan~, I've saved you a spot right next to me," said Laito with a smirk. Mira just gave a closed-eye smile and went to the vacant chair, but felt someone grab her to the other side of the table and was placed between Subaru and Shu. It was Subaru who pulled her to the seat, Mira confused as to why.

Before everyone can tuck in and enjoy the food, a huffing and puffing Yui ran, and oh my how mad Reiji was feeling at her untimely entrance. Mira was displeased as well but kept quiet. She didn't want to associate herself with her anymore.

Now that everyone was here, they all had the soup which looked so yummy. Yui knew Mira made the soup, so being the arrogant and selfish girl she is, she didn't have it. It got to the main course and the brothers loved the taste of their food and even the dessert she and Reiji baked during Home Economics. It was worth it.

Shu was quiet, with his eyes closed, and looked to be resting when he's just waiting for something.

Reiji was beyond pissed that he's not eating but left him like that for all he cared. Yui thought he wasn't eating because she wasn't and thought that Shu was on her side, like when he dropped a picture frame to stop the triplets from trying to bite her in the forbidden room. She was wrong. It was not to save her. He was not eating because of Yui.
"Please eat Shu, you need to eat something," said Mira.
"Feed me," Shu said simply.
"I-I'll feed you, Shu-san," said Yui, with her trademark fake stutter.
"No, I want Mira to feed me. Besides, she made the food and she deserves the right to feed me."

Mira kind of not expected that but got along with it. She cut a piece of the steak, which he wanted rare, and fed it to him. Shu opened his mouth and chewed on the piece, pleased with the taste by the small nod he gave. Mira smiled, the brothers were jealous and Yui was beyond furious to the point where she wanted to grab the fork of steak from Mira's faintly-scarred hand and feed Shu instead.

With Ayato enjoying his takoyaki, Kanato with his banana snowballs, Laito with his macarons, Shu with his rare steak, Reiji with his carbonara and Subaru with Mira's favourite dish being vegetable ramen since he doesn't have a preference, everyone except Yui enjoyed their food and then the dessert.

After almost everyone had finished their food, they, surprisingly, said thank you to Mira for cooking the food and the dessert. She just smiled and said they're welcome. They left after that though Yui remained in her seat. Reiji saw this and so did Mira and they were both displeased and disappointed with her not eating her food.

Before Yui could leave, Reiji stopped her, "One moment. Your table manners are deplorable. One of these days I will have to discipline you. You didn't even eat your food which Mira and I cooked for you, it becoming a waste. If you really are polite as you think, next time eat your food. Even if Mira cooked it. Understood?"
"Y-yes," was her reply. Mira collected all the empty plates in one arm and the ones with leftover food. She decided to pack the food which Yui didn't touch in a bento box for school tomorrow. Better not waste such delicious food. Yui glared the whole time at Mira and Reiji noticed because he was starting to get angry, much to his confusion. He never cared about others and only cared about his potions, books, his tea set collection and manners.

Mira went to her bedroom to get dressed in her cat onesie that she wears to bed and went to the library which Reiji told her about to read something. The library was extravagant and huge. With the Sakamaki family being rich and high in status, it's expected to have hundreds and thousands of books from the history of the vampire race to academics. Mira instead went to the 18th century novel section where most of her favourite novelists' books were there. She decided to reread Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Telltale Heart'.
(A/N: I love his books and poems since his works have a gothic element to them and they are the kind of books that I love to read.)

Once she sat down, she felt hands touch her shoulders from behind. She looked to find Laito looking at her with a smirk. She simply smiled and said, "Hello Laito. How are you?"
"Aww~ Neko-chan cares about me. You're so sweet you know that? It makes me want to eat you up," Laito said.

Mira's smile began to turn a bit solemn and she stood up facing him. She went around the seat and now stood in front of him.
"What is it Neko-chan, you want me to suck your blood so badly? I never thought you were that kind of person to-. His sentence was cut off when Mira hugged him. Laito just stood there in shock, processing what Mira just did. She's hugging him but not in a possessive kind of way, instead in a more comfortable and warm kind of way.
"Please don't pretend to flirt. I can tell that your flirting is fake," said Mira, when she looked up at him shocked face.
"I can tell that your flirting is just a mask to hide your true self, and you probably learnt it from someone. I don't know who, but don't hide for what you truly are. Just be yourself. You can do that around me and or your brothers, I don't mind, but if you want to keep this persona in public then do so. Please Laito, I don't want you to force yourself."

Laito didn't know what to say, but she was right, somehow. He accepts the fact that him flirting is not genuine and all fake, but how Mira was able to tell he didn't know. Perhaps he can trust her with his secrets. She won't judge so much...would she?
"I understand if you don't want to tell me why you act like this so-," before she could finish,
"No, I'll tell you. I've been wanting to tell someone this for a long time," said Laito, this time more serious.

Mira gave a nod as if telling him to begin...

(A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the delay for this chapter because I had problems with the Internet and because I travelled abroad for a family emergency.)