Chapter 54: If You Dare Lay a Finger on My Daughter…

Ethan gazed quietly at the shimmering blue sea, his heart feeling strangely light. Unlike Summer, Mr. Silvan drove with calm precision - solid and focused. Perhaps it was because he wasn't talking to anyone in the car, his attention fully fixed on the wheel.

Still, every now and then, Ethan would get goosebumps when he caught Mr. Silvan's 'very friendly' eyes watching him through the rearview mirror.

The Ancient Fortress, along with the Field Hospital inside it, faded farther and farther into the distance. Ethan felt a small twinge of regret that he hadn't had time to explore or learn more about the fortress.

"Ma'am, may I ask… when was the Ancient Fortress built?"

Ethan finally found a topic to break the tense silence in the car.

"The current fortress was built exactly a hundred years ago, on top of much older ruins. It's mentioned in the book 'The Civil War of the Twelve Great Houses'. So really, the fortress has a very deep history - possibly going back over a thousand years."

"Mom, is it true that on the 9th level of the fortress there's a dragon? And on the 18th level there's a gate to Hell?"

Summer piped up with childlike excitement, like a kid waiting for a bedtime story.

"Back when I was younger, I only managed to explore up to the 7th level…"

"Ohhhh. So cool, Mom!"

"I remember the 7th level had an underground lake and river. The bottom of the lake was filled with bones - tons of them. Maybe they belonged to dolphins, whales, or some kind of ancient sea creature. I believe the river connects to the sea. A lot of marine animals may have drifted in, only to get trapped in the lake. I had barely made it halfway across when your grandfather caught me and locked me up for months - in a coffin."

"People used to punish kids in weird ways, huh Mom?"

"Well, it was a method to train young Vampires to stay still and rest. There were times when we had to retreat into the shadows just to survive. Human weaponry has advanced much faster than our body's ability to regenerate. Maybe one day, I'll make you all practice lying motionless, like a corpse, inside a small dark space."

A somber look crossed Mrs. Marina's beautiful face. The mood inside the car shifted - quieter now - as everyone pondered the turbulent future that might lie ahead.

The VinFast VF9 glided smoothly along the long stretch of road. The path gradually sloped upward. Before long, the car arrived at its destination.

Under the gentle Sunday morning sun of early October, the French-style three-story villa of Autumn's family slowly came into full view.

As the car came to a stop, Summer quickly scooped Autumn into his arms and carried her inside - drawing a scolding from Mrs. Marina.

"Heavens! Don't spoil her so much. Put her down right now and let her walk to her room on her own!"

"Mom! Do you seriously believe that if I put her down, the two boys here wouldn't start brawling to see who gets to carry her instead?"

Summer didn't hesitate to talk back. The kids in Autumn's family were clearly used to arguing with their parents - a stark contrast to Ethan's own upbringing.

While Felix was being escorted into the house by Spring, Ethan was personally led upstairs by Mr. Silvan to the attic room - which would be his temporary private space for the time being.

"Please don't worry, sir. I'll start looking for a new place right away. I promise I won't impose on your family for long."

"Hmph! You little brat. Who told you you had to look for another place?"

Ethan's heart skipped a beat as Mr. Silvan stepped forward to face him. He was only a few centimeters taller than Ethan, but with his broad and muscular build, he loomed like a mountain, casting a dark shadow over the boy's spirit.

"You're too skinny. Why is that?"

"Um…"

Ethan bit his lip, unable to explain. Mr. Silvan began squeezing his shoulders and checking his joints with those large, sinewy hands.

"Your frame is slender. Not built for combat. But your joints are fairly flexible. You've got quick reflexes, too - not bad for a kid who probably spends most of his time with his nose in books."

"Yes, sir."

"Hmph! Starting tomorrow, you'll be waking up at 5 a.m. for a morning run, mountain climbs, and push-ups. You'll eat breakfast at 6:30 sharp. I'll prepare a packed lunch for you to take to school to make sure your nutrition's on point. You'll gain strength and muscle in no time."

"Uh… what?"

"I'm not expecting you to be strong enough to protect my little princess. I only need you to be fit enough to run when things go south - and not drag anyone else down. I'll never risk any member of my family to save your life. You'll have to fend for yourself."

"I…"

"That's enough. Go unpack your things and come down for breakfast. I've prepared a special dish just for you."

Ethan obediently followed Mr. Silvan down to the kitchen. As he passed the dining room, he noticed it was completely empty - not a soul in sight.

"Everyone's gone to bed. Last night was rough for all of us. Besides, we still prefer sleeping during the day. I've heard that many human artists and writers also prefer sleeping during the day - just like us."

Mr. Silvan pointed to a large fruit basket filled with all kinds of produce: bananas, red dragon fruit, apples, grapes, beets, and watermelon.

"Look closely, boy. This here… is you!"

Mr. Silvan carefully picked out a banana - not too big - from the basket. He peeled it with great care, then tossed it into a blender.

In addition to the banana, he sliced up several other red-fleshed fruits - dragon fruit, watermelon, and beetroot - and added them in.

"If you ever lay even a single finger on my precious daughter…"

He cranked the blender to the highest setting. Instantly, the blades shredded the banana into pulp - mixing it violently with the rest of the fruits into a smooth, bright red blend.

"My daughter begged me to let you and Felix stay in our house. But I can only take care of one more child. Looking after those kids a lot is exhausting. Then I remembered - our Vampire bodies can always regenerate lost parts. But humans… once you lose something, it's gone forever. That's why I chose you instead of Felix. Would you say I made the right choice?"

Ethan gulped and nodded so fast his face turned pale - green as a banana leaf.

With trembling hands, he accepted the glass of banana–watermelon–dragon fruit–beetroot smoothie Mr. Silvan had just poured.

He took a tiny sip. It was surprisingly sweet and pleasant, filled with the rich aroma of ripe bananas. Then, under Mr. Silvan's watchful gaze, Ethan downed the rest of the smoothie in one go.

This was not good.

Mr. Silvan had just told him to stay away from Autumn… but strangely, the "new diet" he prepared seemed ridiculously healthy. It was probably going to make Ethan's blood taste even better to the Vampires at Harmony High - including Autumn.

Still afraid, but thinking ahead, Ethan decided he needed clarity.

"But Autumn is way stronger and faster than I am. What if… she's the one who forces herself on me, sir?"

Mr. Silvan's lips tightened. His face cycled from red to purple and back to red again. This scenario had clearly not crossed his mind.

This human boy was sly. Way more cunning than he looked. Mr. Silvan could already tell the days ahead would be a constant struggle to keep his little princess safe - from him.

"Then you'd better RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!"

Mr. Silvan roared.

"Eat these slices of bread for strength. Once you're done, you get 30 minutes of rest. Then put on your gym uniform - we're starting your first training session."

"Y-yes, sir…"

Ethan sighed. The bread in his mouth felt like sand. He had to drink a full glass of water just to get it down.

This was only day one of living with a Vampire family.

And Ethan already wanted to scream - because real life was nothing like the movies or romantic novels.