Heavy rain starts pouring down over the city. I pull my hood over my head and run to the closest awning. There, I rub my hands together in an attempt to warm them up, without much success. It's so cold and wet... Why did I even run away from the castle? I could be reading a nice book in front of a fireplace instead of being out in this weather...

Well, it's too late now. I am here. I tried going back to my old apartment, but unsurprisingly, someone else moved in. I was declared dead, so my bank accounts were frozen, and I have no way to contact any of the people I know. So I have no money, no place to stay, and it's cold outside.

The smell of food gently tickles my nostrils. I check around and see that I'm right next to the door of a small restaurant. My belly starts grumbling in response. How long has it been since I last had a proper meal fit for a human? I'm salivating just thinking about it.

I grab my wallet and open it. A couple dollar bills and a few coins. That won't cover the costs of even a small plate.

I sigh as I put it back in my pocket while my stomach protests loudly. I'll just have to endure this until the rain calms down.

A few minutes later, the door next to me opens, and someone in a cook's outfit comes out. He takes out a cigarette and lights it up, filling the air with the smell of smoke.

I cough a bit. I'm really not used to this anymore, despite my last cigarette only being... what, a year and a half ago? Something around that. My sense of time ended up being a bit distorted as the queen and the other vampires taught me all there was to know about their culture and society in rapid-fire mode. I shudder just thinking back on it.

The cook seems to notice my discomfort and puts the cigarette in a nearby ash bin.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think I'd bother anyone."

"It's okay, no need to worry about me."

He takes a good look at me, squinting slightly as if he's looking for something, then asks:

"Say, young man, do you have nowhere to go tonight?"

I turn towards him in surprise. In part because he called me "young man" despite me being 35 now, and in part because he managed to guess my situation.

"How did you...?"

"Just the impression I was getting. I've met my fair share of runaway teens and young adults who had reasons to not go back home. Say, you hungry?"

I want to answer that I'm fine, but my stomach releases a series of extremely loud noises before I have time to, as if to respond to the question before me.

The cook lets out a hearty laugh before saying:

"I just so happen to have some meat that'll be wasted if nobody eats it. It's a slow night, so how about it?"

"Ah, I'm really sorry, but I have no money to pay you with..."

"Money's not a concern. I'm giving the food to you. Don't worry about it, come in! Come in!"

He keeps the door open for me as I enter. The inside is much warmer, allowing me to finally relax my muscles that had tensed up in an attempt to stop me from freezing.

"Take a seat at the counter, I'll bring you something to eat soon."

I take my hoodie off, then drop it with my bag next to the counter before taking a look around. The dining area is fairly small, with all the tables and chairs being made of the same wood. The decoration is fairly simple, with just a few paintings hanging on the walls. The place is empty aside from me.

The long counter that separates the dining area from the back has a spot to pick up orders, and a few stools for visitors coming in alone. I sit on one of them and only need to wait a few seconds before the cook brings me out a steaming bowl of soup.

"Considering the weather, I figured this might cheer you up. I'll bring the rest soon."

I thank him before taking my first bite. It seems to mostly contain vegetables, with a few small noodles here and there. As its warmth fills my chest, I feel myself tearing up. How long has it been since I last had vegetables?

I quickly finish the bowl, then close my eyes. I never thought I'd be this happy to just eat perfectly ordinary local restaurant food. I guess living with vampires and having to adjust to their food for well over a year would do that to just about anyone though. Not to say that said food tastes bad, quite the opposite in fact, but there's a lot less variety in its flavors.

The cook comes out of the kitchen with a plate of pork cutlets accompanied by some rice and steamed vegetables. The smell alone makes me salivate.

"Here, enjoy! And like I said, you don't owe me anything, you hear? I'm not about to turn my back on someone in need."

"... Thank you."

I stare at my plate for a while, unsure of where to start. Seeing this, the cook asks:

"Any problem?"

"Ah, no, it's just... It's been so long since I had a proper meal, I feel a bit lost."

"Ah, I see... Well, take your time."

He goes back to the kitchen, leaving me alone with my emotions.

I grab the fork and knife, cut a small bite of cutlet, and put it in my mouth. The juicy meat combined with the sauce... I'm sure I would have thought it barely acceptable not that long ago, but right now, this feels like the most delicious food I've ever had.

I end up wolfing down the rest of the plate. I initially wanted to take my time and fully savor each bite, but... I'm just way too hungry!

Seeing that I'm done, the cook comes back with a small piece of cake. Things like pastries and sweets were available at the vampire castle, so I manage to stay in control as I taste it. It's not exactly fancy, but it does the job.

My first bite swallowed, I ask:

"Say, you called me 'young man' out there... How old do I appear to you, exactly?"

He brings a hand to his mouth as he thinks for a few seconds.

"Well, you just appear young to me. If I had to put an age on it... Maybe 22 or 23?"

"Really? I'm... a few years older than that, to be honest."

"Ah! Well, count yourself lucky that The Painter blessed you with such a youthful look. I know I look much older than I actually am, myself. Can you believe I'm not even 40 yet?"

He certainly does look middle-aged. That gets a short laugh out of me.

Still, the revelation that I appear to be in my early twenties is slightly concerning. Is this a consequence of what the vampires did to me? I'm aware of my own appearance, but I thought I looked a bit healthier at most, not younger. What will happen when I get back into contact with people I knew? Will they even believe that it's really me? After all, I officially died during my fight against the queen as far as I can tell.

I finish eating the cake, then rest my head on my hand as I ponder what to do next. My best bet at this point is probably to find a way to contact someone, but who? I'm at risk of being branded a traitor if anyone learns just how well the vampires treated me, or at the very least they'll suspect that I'm now on the enemy side. I'll be under heavy scrutiny if I try to go back to being a monster hunter, especially with my appearance having changed.

So what kind of job should I go for? Dungeon Delving? Will be hard without official identification document. That's true of any job, though. Who knew dying would cause this many issues?

As I sigh, the cook asks:

"You have nowhere to go, right? Look, I'm also on the morning shift tomorrow, so if you want, I can let you sleep here. It's not going to be all that comfortable, there's no bed or anything you can really use as one, but at least you'll be warm and out of the rain."

My jaw drops, and I stare at him for a few seconds before recovering my composure.

"Why go that far for a complete stranger?"

"I don't know what you're going through, but I can tell it's not easy. You need help, and I can provide that help. It's not any more complicated than that to me."

I smile, wondering if putting my employment at risk like this is something I'd ever have been able to do. This guy is on a different level.

"I'll take you up on that offer, then. I'll leave as soon as I can tomorrow morning."

"Alright. Once I'm done cleaning, I'll completely close the restaurant. Find yourself a little spot to sleep in the meantime, yeah?"

I nod, then grab my bag and look for a place I can fit it in to use as a pillow.

Despite the strangeness and unfamiliarity of the situation, as well as the discomfort of not having a mattress under me, I get my first full night of sleep in a really long time.

The next morning, I feel like I have a better idea of what to do. Once the cook comes in, I ask:

"Hey, do you have a phone I could use?"

"Yeah, the one behind the counter should work."

I nod, then grab it and compose one of the few numbers I committed to memory.

Please don't have changed your number, please don't have changed your number...

A familiar voice responds:

"Hello?"

"Kitero! It's me!"

I hear a bang, as if the phone on the other side has just been dropped, followed by some shuffling and, finally, words full of surprise:

"Eniré? You're still alive!?"

"Would appear so. Look, I just got back yesterday and, as you might have guessed, I'm officially dead. So I have no money and nowhere to stay. I was hoping you could help me out."

"Of course, absolutely! I'm off today, so I can come pick you up. Where are you right now?"

"Near a small restaurant on the 112th street."

"... Yeah that's a bit far. Give me something like an hour and a half."

In the background, I hear a feminine voice:

"Going out again?"

"A friend needs help, I'll be back once that's sorted."

"Alright. Will you be home for dinner?"

"I hope so, wouldn't want to miss your cooking. I'll call if there's a problem."

I smile hearing that. I'm glad to see his family is doing well.

I wave goodbye to the cook as I leave the restaurant. The rain stopped, and the morning sky is a beautiful bright blue. It's still cold, but it's much more manageable than last night. A good start to this day.

I walk a bit until I find a good spot, then wait. My phone stayed behind at my apartment when I fought the queen, so I ended up losing it, and the queen never got me a new one since vampires don't have a cellular network. They communicate over long distances by using magic, but that won't help me in this city. I also stopped smoking, so there's nothing for me to do to stay occupied.

I remember the scolding I got when Her Majesty learned that I sneaked out of the palace to go find a pack of cigarettes. I couldn't actually get one, since monsters don't make any in the Underworld, but she still got incredibly mad at me and told me that "carrying that stench around is unbefitting someone of your station". I hated her at the time, probably in part because of my unmitigated nicotine withdrawal symptoms, but now I can see that she was right.

Thankfully, I don't have to wait very long. A 6-seater car pulls up in front of me, and I hear the doors unlock. I'm not sure what to expect in terms of reaction from Kitero when he sees me, but hopefully I can prove I'm really me.

I open the back door and drop my bag there before making my way to the front. I get in, close the door, then look at Kitero, who's looking at me. He squints, then asks:

"Are you really Eniré?"

"What makes you think I'm not?"

"You look... Way too good. Your hair isn't a mess long overdue for a cut, you don't have the expression of a man who expects to die at any moment, your skin looks way too healthy for a smoker, and you don't look on the verge of passing out drunk. Speaking of those last two, I can't smell alcohol or cigarettes despite you being in my car. Who are you?"

Is that really how I came across to people back then? Well, it's true that I didn't actually care about appearances at the time, but it still hurts a bit to learn that now. I try to smile through the pain as I respond:

"It's been over a year and a half, and I spent all that time in the Underworld living among vampires. Did you really expect me to not have changed at all?"

"Well, yes, but I figured you'd jump on the first opportunity to grab a smoke and get drunk."

"... I can't actually afford any of that."

"Oh, right, officially dead, no bank account, all that. Well then, let's find someplace where we can talk, and we'll figure out where to go from there."

Most of the drive goes by in silence as I focus on the scenery scrolling by on the other side of the window. After over a year away from this city, I can't deny that I missed some of its sights. We even pass close enough to the building where I used to work, causing me to wonder if I'll ever get to go back one day.

We stop at a small café, where we should be able to discuss in peace. We get assigned a table by a waitress, then take a look at the menu. As we do that, I ask:

"You come here often?"

"Used to, before getting married to Vivie. It was one of her favorite spots, so we'd often stop here during our dates."

"And you haven't brought her back since?"

"I'd like to, but with the three kids, it's a bit complicated."

"So you had a third after all. How are they doing?"

He throws a look full of suspicion at me, then asks:

"Since when do you care about my kids?"

"Since... right now, I guess? I'm sorry I never gave them the attention they deserved."

"... Who are you, and what did you do to Eniré?"

I laugh a bit, then say:

"After this long, I want to catch up. Is that not allowed?"

"The old you would never have cared. Did the vampires torture you so much that you ended up completely losing your mind?"

How much do I want to reveal to him? He already suspects I've gone insane, so saying too much might lead him to conclude that I joined forces with the vampires. However, not being honest might cause further suspicion, especially since I don't know what kind of information the monster hunters gathered while looking for me.

"No, no... Kind of the opposite, actually. They treated me very well, probably in the hope that I'd agree to stay there for the rest of my life."

I look down at the floor with a pained smile on my lips as I continue:

"But that wasn't where I belong. I'm a human, and a monster hunter to boot. I'm not fit to live with vampires. So I ran away and made my way back here."

Kitero nods, then says:

"I guess that matches the reports we got here. From the start, their goal was to recruit you as an adviser, right?"

"Ah, yes, that's what they were going for."

"So they wouldn't want to torture you and force your hand after dragging you there. Treating you with respect and trying to make you feel welcome would be the better approach. But yeah, I couldn't see myself trying to live with them either, even if I have the ear shape as an extra point in common with them compared to you."

I laugh at that joke. How long has it been since I last genuinely enjoyed Kitero's company? At some point, I let our relationship deteriorate such that he was mostly just a drinking buddy by the end, but I can tell that he never gave up on me, even after I did.

The waitress approaches.

"Are you ready to order?"

We look at each other before nodding. She turns towards Kitero.

"Then for you, mister?"

"I'll have a Whiskey Coffee, please."

She turns towards me.

"I'll go with a cup of green tea and a piece of strawberry cake."

"Coming right up."

Kitero's looking at me with eyes the size of golf balls.

"Did you really just pass on an opportunity to get alcohol in your system?"

"There's just no beating a slice of cake accompanied by a cup of tea."

He grabs his head, an astonished look on his face.

"And here I went out of my way to get something alcoholic so I could drink with you. Are you sure the vampires didn't brainwash you in some way?"

"Well, I don't remember them doing that. What I do know is that they had absolutely no alcohol in the castle."

"Really? Vampires don't drink?"

"I guess so."

"That's not something I'd have expected."

We're interrupted by the waitress bringing our two cups and my plate of cake. I grab my tea, bring it to my mouth, gently blow on it, then take a small sip to not burn myself before putting it back on the saucer.

With a mocking smile, Kitero says:

"You look like some noble lady having afternoon tea with distinguished guests."

I feel myself blushing as I realize that I acted like I used to at the vampires' castle. The queen made sure to drill into me proper decorum expected of vampire nobility, and I defaulted back to that kind of behavior since I wasn't paying attention.

"Ah... That's..."

"I take it the vampires had you participate in their little games of nobility?"

"... Um, yeah."

"So you must have had tea with some really important people."

I bring my cup back to my mouth as I say:

"There was the queen, of course, as well as her brother on occasion. I also got to meet a bunch of nobles and their children, as well as various ministers taking care of kingdom affairs."

As I take a sip, Kitero asks:

"What about the princess?"

I choke on my tea, then cough for a bit before asking:

"How... How do you know about the princess?"

"Is she supposed to be a secret? Most people here probably haven't heard, but the queen publicly announcing a year or so ago that she had found an heir made the news in delving and hunting circles. Vampires are probably the most advanced society of the Underworld, and there have been talks of trying to enter into a diplomatic relationship with them for a while now. A new princess becoming queen might just be what we've been waiting for."

I gently tap my mouth with a napkin before responding:

"You're right, I should have expected that the queen's announcement would have made its way here. As for diplomacy with her..."

I look to the side, a clearly disgusted expression on my face.

"... I wouldn't expect much. She's... a bit of a character."

It feels bad to speak these words, but I need to temper some of the expectations placed on the princess.

"So you've met her?"

"In passing, I guess?"

"I see... Well, it's a bit early to say. We'll have to wait for her to inherit the throne."

"Yeah... Might still be a while though."

"Putting that aside, what's the plan now? Want to go back to being a hunter?"

"I don't think that's really an option. With how well the vampires treated me, I think I'd be suspected of having willingly joined forces with them, which could get me arrested for treason. Doing anything to announce my return, like unfreezing my old bank accounts, would probably lead to an investigation that could put me in hot water."

"I see. So you're starting back from nothing. Thankfully, a lot of people knew of you, but few ever saw your face. And you do look a bit different now, as an added benefit. You might be able to make it as a dungeon delver."

"That does seem like my best option, but I don't have any identity papers on me. I doubt they'd hire a dead man."

"You're right... Might have to go through the immigration process then."

"Eh?"

"Think about it. Anything you can do to get your old identity back will alert the authorities. You can plead for your innocence with them, or pretend to be an immigrant and try to get a new identity approved. It's technically fraud, but that might still be easier than trying to explain why the vampires invited you to their tea parties."

"Right, good point. I'll have to take some time to think about it."

"Meanwhile, you have nowhere to stay, right?"

"Yeah, that's also a bit of an issue."

"My wife's brother owns a small apartment complex at the edge of the city. I know it's not full, and also really cheap, so I could lend you a bit of money to pay for the first few months of rent, to give you time to get back on your feet."

"You would do that?"

"Yeah, of course. I expect you to pay me back though."

Tears start rolling down my cheeks.

"Absolutely! Thank you so much!"

He scratches the back of his head in embarrassment seeing my reaction.

A lanky guy hands me a pouch, then says:

"Here's your keys and parking pass. I'll come back with the lease tomorrow."

"Don't you want me to sign it before I move in?"

"Nah, it's fine. Kitero's vouching for you and all that anyway, so I trust you."

"I see, thanks. I'll see you tomorrow then."

He nods, then heads back down the stairs to his own home.

I turn the key in the lock, then slowly open the door. Inside is a one-bedroom apartment with a very small kitchen and a living room which doubles as a dining room. The place is not furnished, so I'm actually just guessing based on size, but that seems like a reasonable assumption. The room on the side should comfortably fit a single bed and a desk, along with some storage for clothes. The place is surprisingly clean.

Kitero walks in, dragging a folding mattress behind him.

"Bedroom?"

"Bedroom."

He goes further in as I inspect the kitchen appliances. They seem perfectly functional, so I should be able to cook a few things here and there. I'll have to buy utensils and a table eventually though.

I open the curtains to the balcony, revealing... the facade of another building. Yeah, this view isn't comparable to what I had in my old penthouse or in my bedroom in the castle, but it'll have to do.

Kitero comes back out of the bedroom.

"There, now you have a bed, kinda. Surprised my brother-in-law took you in without legal papers or anything."

"He seemed to trust you."

"Yeah, we do have a good relationship, and the kids are very fond of their uncle. Anyway, now that you actually have a home..."

He opens the cooler he brought, which contains a bit of food to get me started, and takes out two cans of beer.

"... How about we celebrate?"

"I'll take you up on that!"

I grab the can he's handing me, open it, toast to the new apartment, and let the beer flow down my throat. It's been so long since I had one, but it still tastes just as good.

We finish our drinks, then put the food in my fridge.

Kitero then grabs his bags and cooler and heads to the door.

"There, with that you should be able to last for a little bit. Make sure to go get a new cellphone soon, in case you need to call me."

"Of course, I will."

"See you soon, then."

I wave him goodbye, then close the door behind him. It's late in the afternoon, so I'll only start trying to figure out the whole immigration thing tomorrow. For now, I guess I'll take a walk around the neighborhood to familiarize myself with it.

As I put my shoes on, I suddenly start feeling horribly dizzy. Is this the alcohol? But I only had one can!

Too bad for the walk, it'll have to wait. I start stumbling towards my bed, but a wave of nausea makes me change course. I run to the bathroom, which I reach just in time.

I vomit, then vomit again. My belly hurts. I feel like I'm dying. How did my tolerance get this low? I can't even handle a bit of beer anymore? And I get drunk almost instantly?

I manage to get back up to clean my mouth and splash some water on my face. As I walk back out of the bathroom, a sudden wave of weakness causes me to fall on the floor.

I'm so dizzy. The whole world is spinning around me. I focus on my breathing as I wait for things to stabilize. Slowly, I stop feeling like I'm on a rapidly rotating platform, and I manage to open my eyes.

In front of me is a large floor-to-ceiling mirror placed near the entrance to the apartment. In it, I can see someone who's laying down on the floor, just like me. She has long white hair with slightly reddened tips, eyes the color of blood, pointy ears similar to an elf's, and sharp canines visible through her open mouth. She looks pathetic in that position, panting as she stares at me.

There, in the mirror, is the one person I hoped I'd never see again: Lumirae Asifelia, the Vampire Princess.