I've Turned Into A Fox Girl?



Moving to the end of my bed, I let Yumi take the seat which she hesitantly sat down on. I could imagine she felt like this was some kind of trap to tease or bully her, but that was far from the truth. 

"No need to be so tense. You can call me Elysia when it's just the two of us." Despite wanting her to relax, my words had the opposite effect. 

*Sigh* 'I don't want to resort to physical affection to show my sincerity, but I might have to.' Even with Alice's influence gone for now, I still had this natural anger towards other women and men. Though, I had gotten a lot better at not lashing out and was even coming to understand that not everyone has ulterior motives. 

'Just think, Shaman would be happy to see that I am finally able to interact with others with no risk of me exploding. Although, If it was Shaman doing it… well I could make no promises. Still the takeaway here is that I am now safe to interact with.' I tried convincing myself that it was for the greater good and that I should give Yumi a hug, but old habits die hard. 

'Ah fuck it, things will just get awkward if I'm not assertive.' Swallowing whatever pride was holding me back, I stood up and walked up to Yumi. She stared at me with fear, but there was also a tiny bit of hope behind her eyes. Seeing me approaching she stood back up in response, expecting some kind of punishment.

Instead, I slipped my hands behind Yumi's head and pulled her into my chest. I felt the urge to strangle Yumi with every fibre of my being, but I kept in control and hugged her. To try to ease myself into it, I even started to pat her head as if she were some kind of dog, which somehow worked. 

"Mis- I-I mean Elysia, W-why?" Yumi sounded like she was on the verge of tears, unable to comprehend what was happening. 

"Because to me, you are just a person. Not some slave for this bastard of a family. I have come here with… different intentions, and I want to let you know that you're safe with me." I wasn't going to disclose my plans, but I'd rather be myself when I'm in my room, otherwise I will really go insane. 

"I-I, thank you." Yumi burst into a sob, wrapping her hands around me tightly. It was the first time she had probably ever heard these words, so I understood the strong emotional response. 

'Despite crying, she is kind of adorable.' I hadn't paid much attention to it, but Yumi was quite short. If I straightened myself out, she would sit right below my chest. 

'Huh, she is kind of like a little sister if anything.' With this revelation, any ill intentions that I felt inside me vanished. Although it was a very flimsy connection, I wondered what it would be like to have a sibling. 

'Since she is my maid, I doubt I can get a proper sibling experience, but I can at least pamper her a bit. I never got the chance to do it with Silver since he grew up too quickly, and we have constantly been on the move.' I once again returned to those old fantasies that I would have with Shaman about having our own child. I loved the idea of spoiling our kids just to see them smile. 

It was the same feeling I had when looking at Yumi, she is a child who drew the short straw in life and ended up here. She somewhat resembled my past self in a way, being stuck in a situation she wishes she could get out of 

If I could lighten her burden a bit and maybe even get her out of here, then she wouldn't have to go through so much suffering like I did. 

'Then it's settled, I declare Yumi as my impromptu little sister.' Declaring it my mind, I hugged Yumi a little tighter, drowning out her sobs. 

"But remember Yumi, you still have a job to uphold, so make sure you do your best to live." I pulled away slightly so I could look her in the eyes. 

*Hic* "I understand, b-but I don't get it. W-won't you get in trouble?" Yumi pulled away so she could wipe away the tears and try to compose herself. 

"Do not worry about me. When we are in this room, Teivel cannot see us, so as long as outside this room you call me mistress and act accordingly, everything will be fine." Once again, I patted her head, solidifying her image in my mind as my cute puppy-sister. 

"O-okay." 

***

<Yumi POV> 

'I-I can't believe she is patting my head again, oh my god.' I didn't want to show how I was obviously enjoying it, but it made me really happy. I've never experienced such affection before in my life, so to be suddenly showered in it made my heart race. 

'It was hard to understand why someone from the Dahlia family was so nice to me since all of them were known to be ruthless and unforgiving… Yet Elysia was different. There was no doubt she was part of the family, but she was the first person to treat me normally.' 

"Now, let's get talking, I want to know more about you." Elysia suddenly backed away and sat down on the bed however, she patted the spot next to her. 

'D-does she want me to sit next to her!?' Even if Elysia was nice, it was still hard to go against all the training I'd been through. Right now I should be standing by the door silently awaiting orders, yet I'm about to sit next to nobility and have a normal conversation. 

"Don't be shy, this will be your chance to wind down." Elysia smiled, which before looked menacing, but now it felt gentle and caring. 

"A-alright." I was reluctant, but after letting me sob my eyes out into her arms, I doubt this is some kind of sick trick. 

At the thought that this may be some kind of trick, the head maid's words echoed in my mind. 

'Don't trust them, they are cunning beings that will use you for their entertainment using any method they could think of. However, do not reject their orders, as that will lead you to certain death. It is a paradox to be a maid for these damn vampires, but it's a risk we are forced to take.' 

These words were the only bit of advice I had gotten. Even if it was a statement that contradicted itself, it at least prepared me for the worst. So I took a step forward and sat down next to Elysia. It wasn't like I had a choice anyway, but I wanted to believe Elysia was different. 

"If you don't want to talk about your past that is fine, but how about an informal introduction? Who are you besides the maid Yumi?" Hearing Elysia's words made me want to cry, as once again I was being treated like a person. However, the advice resounded in my head once more, warning me not to trust them. What if this was some elaborate plan to get my hopes up only to crush them?

I clenched my fists, gripping my dress trying to figure out the best course of action, but I had no choice other than to comply. 

"M-my name is Yumi G-Garvor. I'm a human girl who was captured alongside my parents by the master of this place." I disclosed only a little bit of my past as Elysia allowed me to, so I tried to use it as a way to gauge her reaction. 

"And what happened to your parents?" Elysia seemed to be restraining herself as she spoke. I didn't know if she was going to get angry at me or the master. 

'J-just take the chance Yumi, my parents wanted me to live and find a way out.' 

"T-they were killed in exchange for me to live on as a maid." I felt my throat tighten at what I said, making me almost want to throw up, but I tried to keep it together. 

"Tch, that fucking bastard. If only I could ki- ahem I'm sorry to hear that... I know what it's like to lose your parents so please. I'm sure it was their wish to have you live on so don't let their deaths stop you, but instead push you forward." Elsyia interrupted herself, which sounded like she wanted to kill the Master, but that would be absurd. 

However, what confused me more was that her parents were killed. Wouldn't they be part of the family? 

"I know what you're thinking. Yes, they were both killed. I am actually the runaway child of this family." It started to make more sense now, I heard from the other maids that there was a runaway branch of the family, but it had been years since they had escaped. To think that they had finally returned… 

"H-How come you came back?" Without thinking I asked such a personal question and quickly covered my mouth, but Elysia showed no reaction. 

"Like I said, I'm here for other reasons, so make sure you don't tell anyone, my dear little sis- maid." It shocked me, but Elysia might just be my last hope to ever get out of here. 

'M-maybe I can finally live a normal life.'