Chapter 46: Knock Knock Who's there?
After a few days of relaxation, a knock echoes at the door. Sunny, stretching as she walks over, opens it to reveal a tall, pale woman standing elegantly in the doorway. She wears a wide-brimmed sun hat and an exquisite dress, her crimson eyes gleaming with amusement as she fans herself delicately. Her white gloves are pristine, adding to her noble presence.
The woman chuckles, her voice smooth and refined. "Hello, I am Priscilla, daughter of Lord Dracula. A pleasure to meet you. And your name, please?" She gives an elegant bow.
Sunny, caught off guard, blinks a few times. "Uh… howdy. Name's Sunny A. Jean, four-star hunter. Uh, you can come in." She steps aside, allowing the vampire inside.
There's grace in Priscilla's every movement as she steps through the doorway, her gaze sweeping across the house. She runs a gloved finger along the wall, observing her surroundings with quiet intrigue.
Just then, Luna stumbles out of her room, still in her pajamas. Letting out a loud yawn, she sluggishly walks past Priscilla. "Morning," she mumbles groggily, rubbing her eyes. Priscilla freezes, utterly shocked that someone just walked past her without truly acknowledging her presence. Then it clicks—wait… is that the Gold daughter!?
Regaining her composure, Priscilla takes a few graceful steps back, clearing her throat. "I am Priscilla, daughter of Lord Dracula. A pleasure to meet you. Might I know your name?" Luna, still half-asleep, barely registers the question. "Luna… nice to meet you. Can I please get my coffee now?" She mumbles before stumbling away toward the kitchen, her sole focus on getting her morning caffeine fix. Priscilla stands there, utterly dumbfounded.
People rarely ignore her like that. Her lips curl into a smirk—she's now filled with a determination to learn more about Luna. Before she can move after her, however, a cat-girl suddenly steps in front of her, tail flicking excitedly. "Hello! I am Tera, the world's greatest non-licensed hunter and the most powerful Catanese warrior of my tribe! It is an honor for you to meet me, Red Lady!"
Priscilla stares at the cat girl, blinking slowly. "Yes… hello. I am Priscilla, daughter of Lord Dracula."Tera nods sagely. "I see, I see. You, too, possess a title of great value. But I must inform you—I have no clue who this 'Dracula' person is. Clearly, they must be a cross between a dragon and a koala!"She walks past Priscilla, laughing.
"But fear not! I, Tera, am not afraid of a Dragon-Koala, for I am the greatest of all time!" Priscilla stands frozen, her mind struggling to process what she just heard. After a long pause, she finally mutters, "Did… did she just call my father a koala?" Before she can fully grasp the absurdity, JJ walks up to her, chuckling. "Sorry about that, ma'am. She's a handful, but don't take offense—she means well."
He scratches the back of his head. "Oh, uh—excuse me, I need to get to the kitchen. Actually, would you like anything to eat or drink? Oh! Where are my manners? My name's Jimmy Jean. Nice to meet you!" He extends his hand with a warm smile. Priscilla snaps out of her daze, glancing at his hand before finally smiling and shaking it. "My name is Priscilla, daughter of Lord Dracula!"
JJ raises an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh, you're the daughter of Dracula? That's cool. You must have some amazing stories about your childhood, huh?"Priscilla's smile softens. "Y-yes… I suppose I do. And, actually, I wouldn't mind a drink."
Priscilla walks into the kitchen. She's no stranger to homes like this, but she's used to receiving more of a red carpet welcome—pampered and adored wherever she goes. But this… this is different. These people are treating her more like a person rather than some noble. She takes a seat on a stool as JJ pours her a cup of coffee. Her eyes drift to Luna, who is face-first on the countertop, clutching a cup of coffee in her hand.
JJ walks over and flicks Luna lightly on the forehead. "Earth to Luna!" Luna groans, lifting her head slightly to look at him. "Five more minutes..."JJ shakes his head. "Are you trying to sleep standing up again? Did you get any sleep last night?" Luna tilts her head, her voice groggy. "I was playing on my Game Boy…"
JJ pinches the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "I see. Look, try to get some actual sleep tonight, alright?" Luna slowly nods. "Got it…" She lazily shoves a doughnut into her mouth, chasing it down with coffee. Ten minutes later, as the caffeine finally kicks in, her eyes shoot wide open. She suddenly notices Priscilla and starts frantically apologizing. "I'm sorry, sorry, sor—" Priscilla cuts her off with a gentle wave of her hand. "It's okay, dear. I'm not angry. Now… what was your name again?" Luna fidgets nervously, clutching her coffee. "Luna D. Gold!"
Priscilla chuckles softly, her red eyes glinting with amusement. "You're adorable." Luna's cheeks flush at the compliment. "Oh… thank you." She sips her coffee, trying to hide her embarrassment. Priscilla's expression softens, but there's a curious glint in her eye. "Luna, may I ask you something that's been… irking me?"
Luna, mid-sip, pauses and nods. "What is it?" Just then, Sunny and Jamal enter the kitchen together. Priscilla shifts her gaze back to Luna, her smile gentle but probing. "From what I've gathered through my informants," she begins, her voice smooth yet pointed, "you ran away from home. No one has succeeded in bringing you back. People have tried… but it seems there's some unseen force protecting you."
She pauses, her eyes searching Luna's face. "But before anything else, I want to know why."Her voice, though soft, carries a weight. "Why did you run away?" Luna a shadow is cast over Lunas face as her head is turned downward Sunny steps up to protest but Luna throws a hand stopping her.
"Me and my Mother had a fight she was blaming me for what happened to my older brother Silver."Priscilla pulls out her fan, partially hiding her face. "Continue."
Luna's voice, usually laced with anxiety, shifts—calm and steady, carrying a weight that feels out of place for her.
"She claimed I had killed him."