– 'No, dear, this is my other sister and your Aunt Maria,' Mariszka explained to him. – 'But Mummy doesn't like it when you play games like that, and your Daddy has apparently forgotten about it.

– Hurrah! Maria! You're here! – Cedric shouted and rushed over to me. I grabbed him in my arms, and he wrapped his thin arms around my neck. – I'm three years old! I'm a big boy!

– Of course, Cedric, you're a big boy, but it's too early for you to play games like this," Mariszka said in an affectionate tone. But she looked as if she was afraid of the fact that Cedric had even spoken to me. As if I could turn him into an exact copy of me. So I gently placed Cedric in her arms. But how unpleasant. Mariszka has a way of ruining the mood. Me.

– But, Mummy! Daddy said it was okay! – Cedric said in a resentful tone.

– Well, you've played a little, and now be a good boy, okay? – Mariszka kissed her son on the top of his head.

– I will! – Cedric hurried to get off his mother's arms, but suddenly turned to me. – Your dress is so beautiful, Maria, so shiny!

– Thank you, baby, I like it and your mum likes it too," I winked at him again, knowing that Mariszka was clearly not happy with her son's words.

Good kid. It would be a shame if Mariszka turned him into a copy of herself. I hope Markus won't let that happen.

– I like your dress too, but it's too short," Misha said to me.

– It's a little shorter than yours, just half a palm," I replied ironically. – Well, it's time to see Daddy. Where is he?

– In the other room with Fredrik and Markus's parents, – Mariszka told me. – I have to go away for a while. Have fun.

And she headed in the direction her son had run off in.

– Was that irony, or does she really think her party is a fun place to be? – I asked Misha quietly and winked at her.

Misha smiled silently and elbowed me in the side.

We went into the second great hall, called the "little drawing room" in the Morgan castle, and, as Mariszka had told us, we found Fredrik, our father, and the Morgan elders there. They were discussing something, reclining in large blue-covered armchairs. But as I remembered from the last time I'd been here, the chairs were different. Black. Impressive. Gloomy. Like the castle itself. But I immediately realised what had caused these new blue chairs – Mariszka's excellent taste. Excellent, but boring. Markus's parents had finally moved on, ceding the throne to Mariszka, and dared to infringe on the sacred – Mr. Morgan's favourite armchairs.

The first person I glanced at after looking at the chairs was Fredrik. I smiled: he was still as cold and calm as I'd always known him to be. I guess Misha and her temperament only makes him happy, because he loves solving problems so much. When did we have an affair… Was it really twelve years ago? But I remember it as vividly as if we broke up only yesterday. When Fredrik was with me, he was eager to decide everything for both of us. But I'm not Misha. I was attracted to him, but it wasn't a love that would make me a blind slave. No, I'm not saying my little sister is his slave. It's just that she's so in love with him that sometimes she lets him take over and surrender to his decisions. Like their move to Stockholm, for example. Misha confessed to me that this city frightens her a little with the number of people (though should she be frightened of them?) and that she would prefer to live in Oxford, which she loves so much despite the fact that it was there that she had her first bad experience with mortals. But Fredrik "affectionately" insisted on moving to Stockholm. The first week after their move, Misha did not speak to her husband, but then she forgot her offence. She knows how to forgive.

I don't. My heart remembers all the offences and all the insults that were committed and said to me. Sometimes I think I am heartless. But, alas, I do have a heart. But how I wish I could get rid of it, to be free from its shackles! Well, now, once again my train of thought brings me back to this…

And I rushed to my father to embrace him. He's always happy to see me. No matter what I've done. I needed to distract my mind, which had betrayed me, at the same time as my heart.

– I've been waiting for you to talk to your mother and sisters and hug your father," my father said jokingly, squeezing me in his cosy parental embrace.

– It's just that I met them first. You didn't come out to meet me, did you? Misha even ran," I said jokingly, and, pulling away from my father, turned to the Morgans. – Mr. and Mrs. Morgan! How are you? And how do you like Russia?

– 'Hello, Maria, it's good to see you,' Mrs. Morgan said to me amiably. She rose from her chair and extended her hand to me. I shook it with a smile. – We do like living in Russia, but sometimes we long to go home to Prague.

Well, you can't blame Mrs. Morgan for that: she's Czech, and the Czech Republic will always be her home. Fortunately, I am a cosmopolitan, and Poland, where I was born and spent my early years, did not evoke warm emotions in me, nor was it associated with my "home nest".

I don't know how Fredrik and Misha explained their marriage to the world, after the huge scandal that my brief affair with my younger sister's current spouse caused. Of course, at the time, he was single, single, and had no idea that Misha even existed. But surprisingly, the entire vampire community had accepted Misha and Fredrik's decision quietly. For that reason, the Morgans elders were not surprised by my appearance in the same room where Fredrik was. I had also heard rumours that the Haraldson clan had been very favourable to Misha. Especially Fredrik's parents: they were happy that their "misguided" son had come to his senses and was no longer "wasting his life".

– Well, Prague is not going anywhere. As long as it's still standing, it's as beautiful as ever," I said jokingly. – You're gorgeous, as usual. You look great too, Mr. Morgan.

– I try," Mr. Morgan said modestly. He didn't leave his chair, but he extended his hand to me, and we shook hands. – By the way, we saw one of the pictures you took… I think it was a week ago, dear? – he turned to his wife.

– Yes, yes… We don't buy glossy magazines, but when we saw your name on the cover, we rushed to buy one. And I would like to point out that this magazine is the most popular in Russia. You're doing very well, girl, and we both think you're a very talented photographer," Mrs. Morgan said immediately.

– Thank you… I'm very pleased to hear that. – I'm suddenly a little embarrassed.

What? Maria Mroczek? Confused? I think the last time I felt that kind of embarrassment was in my twenties. But the Morgans' praise was something sublime: what an honour to hear them say it, old-fashioned vampires who still preferred castles to the more comfortable new modern villas!

– But still, please be careful: every year we find it more and more difficult to hide our existence, you know that. I'm afraid that world fame…" my father began in a concerned tone, but I interrupted him:

– I have everything under control, Dad, please don't worry. I know when to stop and go into the shadows.

– Yes. I don't doubt you, Maria. You are a wise woman, almost like your mother," her father replied with a smile.

– I prefer to think of myself as a girl, Papa! – I said with a laugh. – I am too young to be a "wise woman"!

Everyone laughed. Except Fredrik, of course," he smiled, as if to confirm my words. He knows me. Maybe even better than I know myself.

– Hello, brother-in-law," I threw to him, for some reason not wanting to communicate with him at the moment.

Fredrik seemed to feel the same way, for he didn't even give me a hand.

– Hi, Maria," he said in an indifferent tone. – How are you?