Epilogue

I awoke to find myself sister’s arms wrapped around me. She was passed out on top of me, her head resting gently on my chest. Recalling the events that happened last night, I hated that even after a full bottle of wine I did not manage to get drunk or forget everything that was said. Likely, my sister still remembered everything as well. Opening the lid of my coffin, I gently shook her, trying to wake her up. As usual, she was dead in her silent slumber that no amount of shaking could wake her.

Placing my hand on her head, I gently stroked her hair like a cat. She was peaceful when she slept without fear of someone attacking her or trying to kill her in her sleep. It was nice, although I often wished my coffin was bigger so we could actually sleep in better positions. My coffin could hold two people and while my sister was petite enough to fit without trouble there were times where she would, as if by instinct, cuddle up to me and never let go. While I did not mind it too much, sometimes I wished to wake up without being afraid to wake up her. I know that she did not sleep much, even during the daylight hours. As assassins, we were both trained to live off of the minimum hours of sleep. Roughly, our bodies could live off three hours of sleep everyday; however, this was not recommended. Yet, this was our life. We had to constantly remain alert and ready to strike at a moments notice. Death waits for no one and is truly one of the best assassins.

A soft yawn escaped my sister’s mouth as she sat up. It took her a second to process the world around but after a few seconds she let out another yawn.

“Morning, Onii,” she said as she slowly rubbed her eye.

“You slept well.”

My sister laid her head back down on my chest and closed her eyes.

“Can we stay like this for another six minutes, Onii?”

“We have work to do. Remember, you said you would help out. I also need to get up.”

“Right, right.”

Getting out of the coffin, my sister took a second to stretch her legs while I did the same. It was just about time for the sun to start receding below the horizon. While I began my day looking over the notebook at my desk, my sister was busy changing into her outfit for work.

“Hey, Onii?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you still remember yesterday?”

“I wish I could forget, but yes.”

“Do you think Lily remembers?”

I thought about the question for a moment. Human brains in our old world were still untapped with potential. Likewise, in this world there was so much to learn about how the human brain worked as well as those of other races. It was interesting to think about if things were similar between the human-beings of our previous world and the ones of this new world. There was a lot to learn as well as things to improve upon.

“Hopefully she does not.”

After finishing up taking note of the profits for the past month and the current month, I noticed my sister had finished changing.

“I’ll go check the inventory down here. You planning to wear the maid outfit, Onii?” my sister asked in a teasing tone.

As she exited my room I headed over to my closet to change.

“You and Lily just want me to be a girl, don’t you?”

“Well, you could also forego shoes, Onii.”

“And change my shop to the Barefoot Apothecary, no thanks— actually…”

While I hated to admit it, there was a high chance that the name alone would sell the shop. Granted, it would attract the wrong customers.

“Are you thinking about it, Onii?”

“It would sell pretty well but I don’t want to deal with creeps.”

I changed into the maid outfit and pulled the white stockings up to my thighs. Even though I did not want to do this, there was no doubt that it would at least attract some attention. Besides, I was already forced to dress into girls clothes thanks to the agreement my sister and I made, what would wearing a maid outfit hurt? Tying off my hair into a pair of twin-tails to mimic my sister’s hairstyle, I exited my room to see her organising and stocking various herbs and ingredients.

“You make a beautiful girl, Onii. Maybe I’ll call you Onee.”

“Maybe I’ll tell Lily about your dark secret,” I teased.

“If you do then I’m going to tell her about yours, Onii.”

I gently patted my sister’s head.

“Guess we understand each other then,” I said with a smile.

After the playful banter, I helped my sister take stock of everything in the basement. Once the two of us were finished, we made our way up stairs to see Lily manning the shop behind the counter. Ryina was no where to be found.

“Morning, you two!” Lily said with a smile.

“Morning. I take it you slept well?”

“Yeah! I had the best sleep I’ve ever had. I’m not sure why though. I did have a wonder dream but I don’t remove much of it.”

I looked over to my sister. The two of us were thinking the same thing. Lily had more than a wonderful sleep. Still, from the sound of it, she did not remember what happened last night which was good for everyone involved.

“I should go put on a maid outfit too. That way all of us can match.”

“How many maid outfits did you make?”

Lily did enjoy sewing in her downtime. It was a fun hobby for her which led to the creation of the maid outfits as well as some others that she made through some of my stories of the other world.

“About nine or so.”

“So, Maid Apothecary is going to be the new name of your shop, Onii.”

“We can talk about a rebrand when un-undead. For now, where is Ryina?”

“Oh, she’s upstairs cooking for the two of us and of course making red wine for you two to drink.”

A few minutes passed as my sister took care of various tasks around the shop before the closing hour. Once everything was done, I closed up the shop and upstairs to where a large meal was made to feed nearly four people. Ryina and Lily sat on one side of the table while my sister and I sat down on the opposite end. As we chatted about various topics around the dinner table, I brought up a discussion for something that had been on my mind.

“Ryina, Lily, how would you two feel about working during the daylight hours and having your shifts end when my sister and I are up? That way it’s easier on all of us.”

“That would give me time to sew some more cute outfits,” Lily said with a cheerful expression.

After finishing up six glasses of wine between both me and my sister, Ryina cleaned off her plate before retiring to the guest house. She had wanted to stay and clean up the rest of the kitchen but Lily told her to rest. While she cleaned off the table, my sister and I washed the dishes. Before long, the kitchen was cleaned and with not much else to do, Lily retired to the bedroom. My sister and I made our way to the chessboard. Slipping off her shoes and sitting with her knees hugged tightly to her chest, we began playing a game. The hour passed by as my sister and I made our moves.

“I plan to ask Lily to marry me.”

“I figured you would, Onii.”

I watched as my sister placed a golden ring with an amethyst coloured gemstone. A chuckle escaped my mouth as I picked up the ring.

“What noble did you kill and steal this from?”

“I just ‘borrowed’ it for an extended period of time.”

The chess game had been going on for several turns. With the outcome of the endgame decided, my sister grabbed a chess piece and made her final move – ending the game in a draw as per usual. Taking a moment to stand to her feet, my sister stretched her legs.

“The question now is, when should I tell her?”

“How about right now?” Lily’s voice rang out from behind me.

Turing around suddenly, I was surprised I did not hear her coming down the stairs. Lily’s face was bright red but her expression was happy and full of life. I was unsure if I was blushing; however, I did not have time to think as my sister pushed me towards Lily direction gently. There were many things I had never done before in my previous life, marriage was one of these things.

“I… uh…”

I could feel my sister tug at my shirt slightly. Standing on her tip-toes, she leaned into my ear and whispered.

“Onii, get down on one knee and repeat after me.”

Considering the amount of porn my sister had read in our world, she was likely more well-versed in the ways marriage worked. Then again, it was also possible she would have the adversed effect but even still, I trusted my sister completely. I dropped to one knee.

“Say: I have always felt a connection with you since we first encountered each other,” my sister whispered in my ear.

“I have always felt a connection with you since we first encountered each other.”

“That day, you drove a stake through my heart and showed me a life in more than just black and red.”

“That day, you drove a stake through my heart and showed me a life in more than just black and red,” I repeated verbatim.

“It is because of you I am no longer Nyizel the assassin but Nyizel, your lover.”

“It is because of you I am no longer Nyizel the assassin but Nyizel, your lover.”

“Hold out the ring and offer it to her, Onii.”

I held out the ring as my sister instructed.

“Now say: Lily Botryose, you took my heart, life and breath away, now I ask for you to take my name and marry me.”

“Lily Botryose, you took my heart, life and breath away, now I ask for you to take my name and marry me.”

It was clear that Lily was about to cry tears of joy.

“Yes!” Lily said trying to hold back the feelings she was experiencing.

Lily held out her petite hand, offering it to me.

“Onii, put the ring on her ring finger and kiss her,” my sister continued to whisper in my ear.

Placing the ring on Lily’s ring finger, I stood to my feet and gazed into her eyes. Grabbing her chin gently, I moved her face closer to mine and locked my lips with her hers. In that moment, I forgot the world around me as I only thought of her. The scent of her body, the taste of her lips. There was no prefect way to describe it in words.

“Good job, Onii! Now, it’s time to lose your U-card.”

“U-card?” Lily tilted her head slightly, puzzled by the term.

“Undead card… my sister is just joking. But I would like to spend some alone time with you.”

I looked over to my sister.

“You mind?”

“Say no more, Onii. Just try not to kill her with your rigor mortis.”

“Dear little sister, you know I don’t have to let you stay here,” I said in a teasing tone.

“Oh look, I just so happen to need to do a thing, out at the other thing.”

Backing away with her hands behind her back like a mischievous nymph, my sister exited the shop. Lily and I were alone in silence. I turned to her and smiled.

“Shall we?” I asked as I offer her my arm.

Lily giggled and gladly wrapped her arms around mine.

“Lead the way my wonderful husband.”

I lead Lily down into my chambers and opened the lid to my coffin. Helping her into the coffin, I soon laid down beside her and gently played with her hair.

“So, I’m curious, what would it take to wake the dead?” Lily asked in a teasing manner.

Lily smiled and carefully manoeuvred until she was on top of me. I placed my hands around her slightly exposed waist, one area where she was rather ticklish and often so sensitive that she would tense up when I touched her. Now, she was relaxed.

“Are you sure you’re prepared to be up all night? I can go until the break of dawn,” I joked as I stroked and teased her lower stomach slowly.

Her giggle was enough to please the ears. It was almost child-like but still able to entice any one who heard it, like the enchantment of a siren's song.

“You must like tickling me because you always seem to do it,” Lily said as she kissed my lips gently.

“It’s just an attractive side to you. I mean, you’re cute when you laugh.”

Another giggle escaped Lily’s mouth as my fingers teased a bit lower near her hip bones.

“Well, let me help you remember tonight for more than just my cute laugh,” Lily said as she smiled seductively.

With slow and methodical movements, Lily removed her shoes and socks one by one. As she started to pull off her top, I gently teased her exposed skin. Before Lily could completely remove her top, I could here something rushing down the stairs.

“Hey, Onii, I— Oh… right, I forgot you were about to plunge a stake into her— Actually, never mind.”

My sister seemed alarmingly worried by something. I knew she would not have interrupted me if it was not something important.

“You need to come with me, please.”

“Is something wrong?” Lily asked.

“Nothing is wrong, my sweet. Just go to bed for now. You can sleep here while I go with my sister. I’ll be back, I promise.”

I tried to ensure my voice was calm as not to worry her. Kissing her lips gently, I allowed her to rest in my coffin while I followed my sister up the stairs and into the main room of the shop.

“Imouto—”

“Yeah, sorry about that, Onii. I didn’t mean to rooster block you.”

“Rooster block? Are you sure that’s the right word?”

“Isn’t that what kids in our world called it?”

I thought about what kids in our world said. Admittedly, I was not up to date on their various lexicon.

“That’s not important. What was this big emergency?”

Exiting the shop, I noticed a large group of figures appear from the shadows like mist before they took on a human-like form. All of them were vampires from the Shadow Roses.

One of the vampires appeared like she was above all the others. Her dress was simple with a black top that exposed her bellybutton in a cute style and well-placed blue accents that brought the right amount of attention to it. Her white frilly skirt with pink lace at the hem made appear a bit pixie-like in nature. Completing her over was a large black overcoat that fall just below her thighs. The girl was short, so short that my sister was actually taller than her. Yet, somehow, my body was telling me something was wrong.

“I’ve finally found you, Nyizel.”

“Funny, I don’t remember inviting you to my home. Imouto, did you actually bring me a harem?” I asked in a joking tone.

“I mean, I could see me inviting the twins there but I did not invite all of these people. Or that short loli.”

I knew every one of the members in the Shadow Roses. While I recognised all of them, the one that eluded me was the short girl who oddly enough wore no shoes or socks, her pale legs and petite feet gleaming in the darkness of the moonlight.

“How dare you speak—”

Before one of the twins could say anything, the short girl had cut them off. She slowly approached me.

“Care to explain who you are and why you’re here?” I asked.

Before I could ready my weapon, I noticed the short girl had vanished right before my eyes. In just a fraction of a second, the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

“I told you, I’m here for you, Nyizel and I am Serafaira Fyaeira, the Queen of Shadows.”

The whisper of a child-like voice followed by a giggle of sadistic intonation made me want to flee but my body could not move. Looking out the corner of my eye, my sister was also unable to do anything. Even though this girl, Serafaira Fyaeira, did not cast any sort of magic, she was able to stop the two of us from moving – like deer caught in a pair of bright headlights.

“Tell me, is it true you’re 699-years-old? You are quite young,” I joked, continuing to try and downplay my situation.

Serafaira giggled and danced around me as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

“You know what they say, with old age comes wisdom.”

“I suppose I could learn a lot from you.”

“Indeed, you could,” Serafaira giggled.

At the snap of Serafaira’s fingers, I could feel whatever fear I had start to leave my body. She was on another level then both me and my sister combined. Whatever it is she wanted, there was no way I could win.

“So, what exactly is it you want?”

“Well, Nyizel. I’ve been watching you. Both you and your sister are invaluable to my guild. So much so that I wish to do whatever is needed for you to return to me. What will it take for you to come back to me?”

I was blind-sided for a bit. The ruler of the shadows and the most elite guild of assassins wanted… no needed me to return? It was crazy to think about. It was hard to say it but there was only one answer I could give Serafaira.

“Sorry. While I am truly flattered, I cannot return because I’m happily married now.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I run this apothecary shop with my wife, sister and staff.”

“Onii, why am I second in that list? Your imouto should always be first,” my sister said in a pouting tone.

“She’s right, siblings always come first. In both ways, if you were curious.”

I thought about what she had said for a second and decided to ignore it.

“Anyway, my point is, I will have to say no, Serafaira.”

“I see. Guess I just need to come work for you in the shop then!”

For a moment, I was surprised by what she had said but processing the words, I realised she wanted to work for me. The queen of an assassins guild wanted to work in an apothecary shop. This was not the outcome I expected. Still, there was never anything wrong with having more staff and maybe Serafaira was truly a kind and sweet girl. Only could tell. All I could do now was continue to run The Midnight Apothecary with the people I treasured dearly until the end of my long, possibly never-ending life as a vampire in another world with my little sister.