It's been a few days since Mystia's food stand opened. At first, whe up her stahe human vilge at night, most humans didn't dare to approach. Only after Keine assured them that Mystia wouldn't attack humans did they finally e. It also helped that many of the children reized me from Keine's css and saw me w with Mystia, easing their parents' worries.

  To attract more ers, I occasionally performed magic shows such as using pyful tricks to draw curious eyes, and gradually, the stand became more popur. Business was going well, and after a week, we were getting a steady stream of ers.

  One evening, while I was helping Mystia prepare skewers, a familiar figure appeared before the stand. It was Sakuya. Her silver hair and pristine maid uniform were unmistakable. She approached gracefully and said, "I'm sorry to interrupt your work. My master and Lady Fndre wish to see you."

  I paused, gng at Mystia. I was about to find an excuse to dee when Mystia grinned and said, "It's fine, go ahead. Looks like you're quite the puy." She winked pyfully, waving me off. I sighed, feeling a bit guilty for leaving her with all the work. "Sorry, I'll make it up to you ter," I promised before following Sakuya.

  The walk to the Scarlet Mansion was quiet, with Sakuya leading the way. The night air was cool, and the path was dimly lit by the moon. As roached the grand gates, I noticed something unusual—Hong Meiling, who should have been guarding the entrance, was o be seen.

  I turo Sakuya. "Where's Hong?" I asked.

  "Lady Fndre wao py with her, so she's with her now," Sakuya replied without missing a beat, her expression unged.

  I felt a chill run down my spine. If Fndre was involved, "pying" could mean anything...

  I started to worry. Hong Meiling didn't look that strong; in fact, Reimu defeated her i during the i. If Fndre ying rough... I didn't want to imagihe oute. "What kind of game?" I asked.

  Sakuya gave a small, almost pitying smile. "The kind that requires endurance. If you're worried, we take a detour to che them."

  I nodded quickly, the uneasy feeling growing stronger. "Yeah, let's do that."

  Following Sakuya through the twisting hallways of the Scarlet Mansion, I eventually reached a rge, heavily reinforced door. I heard muffled sounds ing from the other side—ughter, explosions, and something that sounded suspiciously like Hong Meiling begging for a break.

  Sakuya opehe door, revealing a chaotic se: the room was littered with scorch marks, broken furniture, and floating crystals. In the ter, Fndre was grinning widely, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she chased Hong Meiling, who was desperately dodging energy bsts.

  I felt a cold sweat form on my back. It was just like the fight I had with her. Only this time, it was Hong Meiling who was on the receiving end of Fndre's destructive py. I was genuinely impressed that Hong was still standing. It seemed she was more durable than I first thought.

  Upon seeing me, Fndre's face lit up. "Big brother!" she shouted, abandoning her chase and flying straight at me. I barely had time to brace myself before she tackled me with a hug, nearly knog me off my feet. "You came! You came!"

  Hong Meiling colpsed to the flasping for breath. "T-Thank... you..." she panted, giving me a weak thumbs-up. I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her.

  I smiled awkwardly at the exhausted gatekeeper. "Gd to see you're still in one piece."

  Before I could say more, Fugged at my sleeve, her eyes wide with excitement. "Will you py with me ?"

  I g Sakuya, who merely nodded, her expression unreadable. I had a feeling I didn't have much choice. If I refused, she might just throw a tantrum—and given her power, that could destroy half the mansion. I decided to accept my fate with a heavy sigh.

  Before we began pying, I could see Fndre's enthusiasm growing, and a small part of me hesitated. I knew how strong she was, ae my tricks, I wasn't sure if I could keep up with her this time. The st thing I wanted was to end up in a situation where I had to fix something again—especially after the mess we made st time.

  So, I decided to py it safe. With a serious expression, I turo Fndre and said "I'm going to ge into a vampire now."

  Fndre blinked in surprise, clearly not expeg me to say something so suddenly and seriously. She tilted her head slightly, still skeptical. "Really? Are you going to ge?"

  I took a deep breath and dramatically took out the fake vampire props—sharp teeth and bat wings that I had prepared in my hat. I acted as if I was struggling to put them on, trying my best to sell the lie. "Yes, I'm definitely a vampire now," I tinued, giving her a look of plete certainty, even though I was faking it. "I've mastered the art of being one."

  Fndre raised an eyebrow, still unvinced, her gaze sing me up and down. "That's just fake stuff, big brother. You're not really a vampire."

  "Are you sure?" I asked, my voice more serious this time. "Look at me. I have the power of a vampire now, behold my power!" I mimic like a Dracu movie that I watch before.

  She stared at me for a moment, clearly unsure. Her skepticism was enough ter my ability. The lie began to take root, and in an instant, my fake wings ah transformed into real, sharp features. I could feel the power surge through me, a real transformation this time, and when I looked at Fndre again, I was now unmistakably a vampire.

  Her eyes widened in shock. "Wait... Big brother are you a really vampire now?!"

  I smirked, showing off my neire features. "See? I told you."

  Fndre, now fully vinced, let out a delighted ugh. "Big brother, you really got me! That's so funny!"

  Relieved that the lie worked, I gave a mischievous grin. "Alright, now that I'm a vampire, let's go outside to py." I quickly dashed for the door before she could respond, eager to get away from any responsibility.

  "Wait! I'm ing too!" Fndre yelled, already running after me with her usual eithusiasm. Sakuya and Hong Meiling followed us, worried about either Fndre or me.