Chapter 13
We drove in comfortable silence. Integra immediately pulled out a folder with some documents and was now carefully studying them. Soft music played in the cabin, and the car itself drove almost silently. We had about an hour’s drive, so I leaned back on the leather sofa and decided to think.
The first question I asked myself was: what kind of authority does this woman wield? As far as I remember from my previous life, adopting a child from an orphanage is a terrifying bureaucratic saga: you need to gather a ton of paperwork and get approval from child protection authorities, then meet with the child, and inspect the home where the family will live. I remember a friend of mine and her husband wanted to adopt a boy from an orphanage, and they spent six months trying to get custody! And here? She showed up, pointed her finger at me, and here I am, driving to an unknown destination, with an unknown person, in a fancy, expensive car. I feel like a homeless puppy from an animal shelter who caught the eye of a friend of the shelter’s owner. I hope they don’t put a leash on me or drag me around in their purse at shopping malls.
Let’s hope for the best, although I didn’t sense any negativity or anything bad from Integra, only interest and a glimmer of hope. That’s precisely why I didn’t resist the adoption. I also have a strange quirk: if I really try, I can sense people’s emotions, though only adults; it doesn’t work with children, apparently because children are more emotional and fickle. One minute, a child is absolutely crazy about you, and half an hour later, they genuinely hate you. How it works, how to turn the ability on or off, I haven’t yet figured out. I’ll hope that since the lady knows about magic, she—pardon me—has a library at home, and there’s literature on the subject there.
Speaking of magic, this begs the second question: how does she know about me? How did she know I was a witch? Of course, with her connections and status, tracing my lineage wouldn’t be a problem. It’s simple: mother a witch, father a sorcerer or wizard, it doesn’t matter. In the films, James Potter was pureblood, descended from an ancient family, practically all the way back to Merlin himself. Who and where my grandparents are on both sides is unknown; if they’re dead, then rest in peace, but if they’re alive, then… I’ve already had experience killing old people. Okay, I’ll leave the sad stuff out of it for now. So, most likely, they simply “checked the database” and decided that since I’m the daughter of two wizards, I must be a witch. Sounds good, BUT! Integra wasn’t surprised by my confession and said there was one other person in the know, and he lives on the estate. So, I was followed and watched, but how and when is unknown; there are definitely no cameras in the room. Fuck, I’m going to get so paranoid! Calm down, let’s not panic. The lady said she’d introduce me to this “kind” man, so I’ll try to turn on my childish innocence and ask him point-blank, like, “Dude, have you ever spied on me in the shower?” We’ll see how he reacts, maybe I’ll learn something useful. I’m in trouble again.
And the last, but most important question: today is Halloween! As far as I remember, all sorts of crazy things always started on this day in the movies. Is this some kind of family curse? Why does all this weird shit happen on October 31st? It was today, on this cursed day, five years ago that one freak, acting on a tip from another, killed my parents, then my father’s “best friend” disowned me, and my “kind bearded grandfather” sent me to his own death camp, where they tortured me for almost four years! I remember everything and will never forgive it! I will definitely get revenge! On everyone! On the Dark Ones – for depriving me of my family, on the Light Ones – for throwing me into a real hell. And how symbolic that it was today, on the day of my parents’ death, that I got a new mother – Integra, the head of a powerful military organization. And I, therefore, am her heir. I swear, I will do whatever is required of me, but I will become the head of Hellsing, and then the magical world of Britain will drown in blood! I imagined this moment and smiled for real.
– Rigel, are you okay?
– Everything’s fine, Integra, everything’s absolutely wonderful! I was just thinking about how lucky I am.
We arrived about an hour later. As we approached the estate visible in the distance, I suddenly felt a sudden discomfort, as if a heavy wet blanket had been thrown over me. The unpleasant sensation made me shudder involuntarily.
“Anti-magic field, I’ll give you permission to cast spells in the mansion. Please be patient for now, we’re almost there.” My new mother smiled warmly and nodded toward the mansion.
Although, what the hell is a mansion? It’s a real fortress; we were almost there, and through the window I could see it in more detail. A high wrought-iron fence, at least three meters high, stone pillbox towers, two soldiers with some strange machine guns standing by the iron barred gates. And what’s that on the tower? A twin KPV (Vladimirov Heavy Machine Gun)? Seriously? The towers to the left and right of the gate were aiming those high-caliber monsters at us! I’d seen those in a past life, when I went to a military training ground, to the shooting range. That 14.5mm cannon can easily turn a BMP or APC into a sieve! If it hits a person, it will tear the body into pieces, the head in one direction, the limbs in the other. I felt even more uneasy. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a minefield around here, either. I glanced back at the neat lawn a kilometer away. My intuition told me it’s best not to walk on this grass without a mine detector. I looked closely at Integra, who was completely calm. So these were standard safety measures, but being in the crosshairs of those guns was very uncomfortable. Damn paranoids.
The car stopped in front of the gate, one soldier walked toward us, and the second shifted his grip on the machine gun and casually pointed the barrel in our direction. All the windows in the car began to roll down.
“Good evening, Walter,” the soldier greeted, taking a device from his belt into his right hand, somewhat reminiscent of a hand-held metal detector, like the ones at the airport.
“Code Alpha, three, five, eleven, omega, eight,” the driver answered through the open window.
“Accepted,” the soldier nodded and waved the device in front of Walter’s face, nodded again and walked over to our window.
“Good evening, Jeffrey.” The lady nodded to the fighter and turned to me: “Rigel, this is a standard check.”
The soldier waved the “artifact” in front of Integra’s face, walked around the car, and repeated the procedure on me. When that thing passed in front of me, it felt like I was being wiped with a hot, wet towel. They’re probably checking for Polyjuice Potion; I remember Hermione brewing that mess in the bathroom in her second year. And if ordinary schoolchildren can make it, it’s probably common, and this testing wouldn’t hurt. A little girl who’s actually a suicide bomber with a suicide vest walks into the building, and that’s it. I take back what I said, safety first.
As soon as the soldier finished the check, he immediately stood at attention and gave a military salute.
“Welcome back, Lady Integra!” After his words, the iron gates slid aside, and we entered the grounds. Nice. A straight, wide road leads to a tall, three-story building with columns. To the left and right are two more roads that curve around the mansion and go beyond it, where other buildings and structures are visible. The road is surrounded by a lawn with flower beds, and there are even a couple of fountains. Hmm, the bourgeoisie lives beautifully.
Our car stopped in front of a high white stone porch. Walter got out and gallantly opened the door for Lady Integra. After she left the car, a special butler walked around the car and opened my door, and I was forced to leave this cozy spot.
When we entered the mansion, my mouth dropped open in amazement and my head spun around. Luxury reigned supreme; literally everything spoke of status and wealth. An expensive carpet, a chic chandelier, beige wallpaper with monograms, and antique furniture. Everything looked very expensive, but not vulgar, rather organic and tasteful. We climbed a wide staircase of milky-white marble to the second floor.
“Walter will show you to your quarters and bring your things.” The lady glanced at her watch. “See you in half an hour for dinner.”
She walked up the stairs to the third floor, and the butler gestured for me to follow him. After a dozen meters, we stopped in front of a mahogany door with a gilded handle, which the man gallantly opened for me.
This isn’t a room, damn it, it’s a suite in a fancy hotel! Abramovich’s apartment, damn it! My entire two-room apartment from my previous life was half the size of this… room.
“Your quarters, young lady.” He gestured around the mansion. “Before you is your sitting room, the doors on the left lead to the bedroom, bathroom, and dressing room. All three rooms are connected, so you can get from the bedroom to the dressing room, for example, without having to come out here. On the right, you see the door to your study. Due to your age, it’s more suited for play and study, but the years will fly by.” The butler smiled slyly and led me on a brief tour of the premises.
Most of the bedroom was taken up by a three-by-three-meter canopy bed, pardon the pun. A large color TV with a sound system on a stand sat in the center of the living room, with a black leather sofa in front of it. In the study, a wide, ornate desk with a comfortable-looking leather chair stood in front of the window. Along one wall stretched a huge wooden shelving unit filled with a variety of toys, and next to it, a substantial bookcase filled with various books.
All the rooms were decorated in blue and turquoise: turquoise wallpaper with a light blue abstract pattern, and the huge windows were covered with thick blue curtains. Someone had painstakingly prepared for my arrival. I felt both pleased and a little awkward; I wasn’t used to this.
“Is this all for me?” I asked, wandering around the room in a daze.
“Of course! You are the future Lady Hellsing and should not live in a barn.” The butler answered and, looking me over, added: “Please make yourself comfortable and change for dinner.”
– Change? – I looked carefully at my clothes: a gray sweatshirt, blue jeans and black sneakers, everything was clean and tidy. – What’s wrong with my clothes?
“My apologies, young lady, you are a future lady and will be dining at the same table as the Baroness, and in the sacred house of Hellsing there are certain rules and traditions that all residents of this house observe without exception. You can choose the right dress in the dressing room.” He nodded towards the door closest to the exit. “I’ll be back in half an hour to escort you to the dining room.”
When the door closed behind him, I began to examine my new possessions more thoughtfully. The TV had a remote control and proudly displayed the Russian inscription “RUBY.” The bookcase was filled with a pile of children’s fairy tales and encyclopedias in the style of “I Explore the World,” and among the toys were numerous construction sets and various educational games. I also noticed a small tea table with two chairs in the living room, but upon closer inspection, I realized it was a chess table, with the pieces cleverly hidden inside. The bathroom was a delight! Large, bright, and the sight of the white marble bathtub, more like a small pool, with a ton of oils and shampoos on the shelf nearby, made my whole body itch. After dinner, I’ll definitely try this miracle. The dressing room turned out to be not a closet, but a small room: along the left wall was a metal rod with a dozen dresses about my size, and on the right were two pull-out closets with casual and sportswear, a separate one with underwear, and a rack with shoes. Also, incidentally, in my size.
I chose a simple black dress with loose sleeves and cute low-heeled leather shoes to match the dress, and quickly changed. The dressing room door had a full-length mirror on the back. I made sure I looked as presentable as possible, nodded to myself, and headed out. The allotted half hour should have passed by now, and sure enough, as soon as I approached the door, there was a polite knock. I silently opened it and met the butler’s gaze, who looked me over carefully, nodded contentedly, and, turning, asked me to follow him.
We descended to the first floor, turned right, and a couple of minutes later found ourselves at a pair of large gilded doors. Lady Integra stood before them, wearing her usual pantsuit, only this time in dark blue. Next to her stood a slender, short girl, somewhat disconcerting. She wore a strange military uniform—standard, it seemed, but it was dark red and short-sleeved, and her skirt would have been more appropriate for a stripper than a soldier: above the knees and oh-so-tight. She completed her outfit with matching stockings and black combat boots. I looked up: the wretched jacket, buttoned up to the top, barely contained a rich inner world, perhaps a size four or five. And all this was crowned by a sweet face with regular features, a neat little nose, a short mop of golden hair, and eyes that involuntarily stopped me in my tracks. Her eyes were red and glowed faintly, like two embers. She held a metal safe under her right armpit as if it were made of foam. Upon seeing me, she smiled happily, revealing a set of sharp, needle-like fangs and stared at me strangely.
– WEEEEEEE!!! – This person squealed and, dropping the safe, rushed towards me, accompanied by the dull sound of the heavy iron box hitting the floor. Before I could blink, I found myself in the arms of this crazy woman. – She is so sweet! So pretty! Mistress, I will be the best nanny! You can rely on me! She will be completely safe!
I was pressed against huge cans and literally cuddled, like a cute puppy or kitten! Then she spun around with me a couple of times, examined me with her arms outstretched, and then hugged me again, purring like a big cat. I managed to look at Walter, who stood there like a rock. Oh, no, his left eye twitched a couple of times. Then I turned my head with difficulty and glanced at Integra, who stood there with her hand to her face, shaking her head. The scene was completed by the safe, its edge stuck in the marble floor.
“Captain Seras! Attention!” Lady Hellsing barked. The madwoman froze in place, looking at me and everyone around her with a knowing look, and with a somewhat guilty smile, she set me down on the floor. Then she stood at attention and placed her right palm to her temple.
“Rigel, meet Victoria Seras, from this day forward she’s responsible for your safety,” my new mother said somewhat tiredly.
“Victoria is a true vampire and possesses colossal firepower. She alone constitutes a separate assault unit of the Order of Protestant Knights,” Walter continued. “And from this day forward, young lady, she is your nanny.”
Holy shit, what the hell kind of world have I ended up in? A deranged vampire with an older sister complex is going to guard me, but what if she wants to eat? It’s like trusting a cat to guard KitKat! Or is she under strict control? What else is going on in this mansion? Compared to this, trolls, basilisks, and other such crap at a school for young wizards seem like the norm.
While I was musing, the lady crouched down in front of the safe and pulled out a stone slab. She then motioned for me to come closer and placed her right palm on the artifact. I followed her example, and as soon as my hand touched the warm stone, something tingled in my palm, and an incredible sense of relief washed over me, as if a heavy beam had been lifted from my shoulders, and a pleasant warmth once again filled my chest.
“Now you can work your magic on the estate grounds.” The lady smiled at me and placed the plate back in the black box. “It’s best not to touch the safe; it’s made of cold iron; powerful mages can experience physical pain upon contact. Victoria, take the control artifact back to the vault. We’ll be waiting for you in the dining room.”
“Yes sir, mistress!” the vampiress barked, instantly appearing at the iron box and, picking it up as if it weighed nothing, running off in an unknown direction. Where the safe had fallen, a deep dent remained in the marble.
As soon as Victoria had fled, the butler opened the doors for us. The dining room turned out to be quite large, seating about thirty, and pleasantly decorated: the walls were covered in expensive wallpaper in a pleasant turquoise color, three enormous glass chandeliers hung from the ceiling providing ample lighting, and huge panoramic windows in the side walls allowed us to admire the surrounding views. The windows on the left overlooked a park with benches and a gazebo, while on the right, they looked out onto an army parade ground and an armored vehicle parking lot. It looked very unusual. In the wall opposite the entrance, there was a huge fireplace, now crackling rhythmically with burning logs, and on the mantelpiece, I noticed numerous photographs and figurines. I’ll definitely examine everything in detail later, oh, this childish curiosity. The long dark wood table was set for just two people: Lady Hellsing at the head, and me to her right. I wondered where Walter and Victoria would eat? Although, with the vampire it’s understandable, but the butler?
I hadn’t even reached my seat when HE appeared from the shadow of the fireplace! Honestly, it’s a good thing I went to the bathroom before dinner, otherwise I would have shit myself right there. This tall man in an old-fashioned black three-piece suit, a red cape, and a red wide-brimmed hat inspired terror and a desire to run as far as I could before his own screams! He exuded power, death, and hunger. Compared to him, the Dark Lord of my memories was like a teenage street thug compared to a seasoned special forces soldier who had been through the crucible of war. The stranger’s eyes behind his orange glasses blazed with hellish fire, and he grinned broadly from ear to ear, revealing a huge maw full of needle-like fangs. I, speechless with horror, took a step back and bumped my back into something.
– KYAAAAA!!! – I screamed and spun 180 degrees in a jump, and he stood in front of me, smiling sweetly. I swallowed involuntarily and was about to faint, when he knelt down in front of me and bowed his head.
“Pleased to meet you, future mistress. Allow me to introduce myself: loyal servant of the Hellsing family, Alucard.” His quiet voice was mesmerizing, bestowing an inexplicable sense of calm and security. Having received new instructions, I looked at this monster again and realized the main thing: I really need to go to the bathroom; this monster is scaring the shit out of me.
Our acquaintance was interrupted by the quick clicking of Integra’s heels as she approached this monster and gave him a juicy slap on the back of the head.
“Don’t scare the child! Idiot!” The lady, clearly furious, added another slap. “Ria, don’t be afraid of that ancient cretin, he won’t lay a finger on you, on the contrary, he will protect you. Meet Alucard, a loyal servant and protector of the Hellsing family, and if he scares you again, he’ll go on a diet of sewer rats. And anyway, he’s off sweets for the next week, I’ll tell Victoria. Do you understand me, idiot?!”
She had already shouted the last phrase, and the “ancient monster” looked guiltily at the floor and snorted resentfully. The butler’s calm voice brought me out of my stupor.
“If you’re done with the introductions, please take your seats at the table so the servants can finally serve dinner.” This “Barrymore”‘s voice is still so imperturbable it’s almost infuriating.
We came to our senses. Integra glared at Alucard like an angry wife at a husband who’d screwed up, and went to her seat. The ancient vampire followed her silently, shuffling, one foot in front of the other, and sat down to her left. I walked over, stiff-legged, and sat down to the right of the angry baroness, opposite the upset monster. I even felt a little sorry for the poor guy, because an adult mind understands what a treat he’d been deprived of for a week. I really hope this was our last introduction for today. Please, that’s enough!
“Aren’t I that late!?” Victoria burst into the dining room, looking cheerful. Upon seeing the angry mistress and the sad old vampire, she looked questioningly at Walter. He glanced at Alucard and shook his head, while the girl nodded understandingly and silently sat down next to me.
Dinner passed in tense silence. Two elderly maids handed us various dishes. I initially panicked at the sight of a pile of different forks and spoons in front of me, but then I forgot about it and simply chose what I thought was the most convenient fork. Look, the vampires were even served a liter-sized crystal decanter of a red, viscous liquid, and I’m sure it wasn’t tomato juice. Alucard sipped aristocratically from a tall goblet, while Victoria poured herself an ordinary faceted glass, downed it in one gulp, poured a second, and savored it silently. Then Vasya started to stir in my sleeve; he’d flatly refused to leave my side since leaving the orphanage, citing his duty to protect his mistress. So I believed that cowardly bastard, yeah. But he climbed onto the table and caused a lot of emotions in at least one of those present.
– What a baby! – the vampiress was touched.
– My baby won’t fit in your mouth! You fucking slut! – Vasya is clearly nervous and scared.
“What did he say?” Victoria asked.
“He’s hungry,” I replied. “Well, I can’t translate from snake language, can I? I’ll be left without a pet. Yes, he’s cowardly, yes, he swears, but he’s one of us! And anyway, we’re responsible for those we’ve tamed.” “Integra, could I get Vasya a quail egg?” “I’m not asking him for a mouse, really.”
Integra waved her hand silently at my request, and a couple of minutes later, a saucer with a speckled egg appeared in front of the snake. Vasya strained and gobbled it down fairly quickly**, after which he immediately hid in my sleeve, leaving me to ponder the new meanings of the expression “stretching a snake onto a cactus.” Thankfully, he didn’t dispose of the egg right there. The rest of the dinner proceeded in complete silence.
“Rigel, please go to your room.” The lady smiled tensely. “I need to talk to someone. Take a bath, I’ll be back in about an hour.”
Like an obedient girl, I silently stood up and left the dining room. I had a feeling someone was about to get a real beating. As soon as the door closed behind me, I heard the muffled growl of the head of the Order of Protestant Knights, but I didn’t eavesdrop and quickly went to my room. The luxurious bathroom beckoned.
I spent about forty minutes in the bathroom until my skin squeaked like the dishes in a detergent commercial. Now I was lying on a huge bed with a copy of “A History of the British Empire for the Little Ones,” dressed in soft terrycloth pajamas. Conveniently, there was a small nightlight above the bed for reading.
There was a polite knock, and Integra entered, wearing a red silk robe instead of her usual pantsuit. She quietly closed the door behind her, walked over to me, and sat carefully on the edge of the bed.
“I’m sorry about Alucard, he can be unbearable sometimes.” She smiled apologetically. “He’s the one who found you and watched you closely for the last couple of months. He really didn’t want to scare you. In fact, this weirdo is a good guy and will protect us to the last. I hope you don’t hold a grudge against him?”
– No. It’s just that it all happened so quickly, and he’s so scary… – I didn’t know what to say, seeing this iron lady so… Homely, it was very strange.
“You know, I’ll never be able to have a child.” She looked at me with a mixture of longing and hope. “I don’t know how to act with children. My father… He spent little time with me and died when I was twelve, and I simply don’t remember my mother—she died in childbirth. Will you help me become a real mother, not just an Integra?”
– I never had a mother… – Scraps of memories don’t count. The lump in my throat prevents me from speaking.
– Will you let me try? Will we study together? I’ll learn to be a mother, and you’ll learn to be a daughter?
I strained with all my might and felt such pain and despair from her that, unable to bear it, I burst into tears, dropped the book, and hugged her. A few seconds later, she returned my embrace and hugged me very tightly. I don’t know how long we sat like that, but at some point, Integra gently pushed me away, laid me down on the bed, and went to the bookcase. There she found the book she needed, carefully picked it up, and sat back down.
“You know, when I was little, my father used to read me this story.” She wiped away a tear with her left hand, smiled warmly at me, and began reading the first fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm collection. Only in her rendition, the story seemed not scary, but instructive. And her voice was soft and kind, instead of the usual commanding and demanding one. I didn’t even notice how I fell asleep.
—-
* Beta remembered the scene from the old film “Dracula: Dead and Loving It” with Leslie Nielsen, when Dracula drove the vampires away from Renfield’s room and the beauties, who had been hovering until then, trudged down the corridor with a very specific gait XD.
