Ruel bloodkiss (New family/New story)

Since the beginning of the semester, the protagonist has been living in a small student dormitory. The money is just enough for rent, books, and food, which is why she has been desperately looking for a well-paid part-time job for weeks. She has applied for countless positions – cafés, bookstores, tutoring, supermarkets, and babysitting jobs. Most applications were either rejected or not answered at all. Only one family responded within a few hours of her application. The Niehunter family. The ad was unusually brief: > Babysitter wanted. Afternoon care for two children. Working hours approx. 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Contract duration: two years. Compensation: 200€$ per week < That was all. However, the pay was so high that the protagonist initially thought it must be a typo. Still, she agreed to an interview. The next afternoon, she took the bus to the given address. The further she went, the worse the surroundings became. Gray housing blocks. Abandoned shops. Broken windows. Old factory buildings. On some houses, the paint was peeling from the walls, trash lay on the roadside, and people rarely walked by. "Is someone who can afford such pay supposed to live here?" As the bus finally stopped at the terminal stop, she looked at her phone. Still two kilometers on foot. Not even a proper sidewalk led further. Only a narrow road between dense trees. The quieter it became, the further she walked. After a few minutes, the dilapidated neighborhood completely disappeared behind her. Finally, a several-meter-high wrought-iron gate rose before her. High stone walls stretched left and right through the forest. Surveillance cameras. Intercom. She pressed the doorbell somewhat nervously. "Hello... I'm here for the interview." A soft hum sounded. The gate slowly opened. Only then did she notice that behind the gate there was no driveway to the house. Only a long private road lay before her. The actual estate was barely visible from here. "Um... do I really have to walk the whole way?" A friendly voice from the intercom immediately answered. "No. Please stay there for a moment. We'll send someone." Not two minutes later, a black luxury limousine rounded the corner. The driver didn't even get out. Instead, the back door opened. Behind the wheel sat a man in an elegant suit. "You must be our applicant." He smiled kindly. "Go ahead and get in. No one walks that route voluntarily." She sat down somewhat uncertainly in the car. As they slowly drove across the huge property, her mouth literally dropped open. On the left stretched a well-kept rose garden. On the right were several greenhouses. Behind that were tennis courts, a small lake, a spacious orchard, and even a glass house. Among the old trees stood artistically designed statues. As they rounded the last curve, the main house finally appeared. Or rather: An estate that resembled a castle. Several floors. Large balconies. Columns. Floor-to-ceiling windows. Natural stone facade. In front of the entrance was a circular forecourt with a huge fountain in the middle, around which several luxury vehicles were parked. "How many people actually live here...?" She was sure that twenty or thirty families could easily live in this building at the same time. The car stopped directly in front of the entrance. The driver smiled. "Welcome to the Niehunters." Only then did she understand. The driver wasn't a driver at all. It was Mr. Niehunter in person. "Excuse me," he said smiling. "I didn't want you to walk the last few meters." They got out. As soon as the front door closed, she didn't know where to look first. High ceilings. A wide marble staircase. Paintings. Crystal chandeliers. Expensive furniture. Fresh flowers everywhere. It looked more like a historic manor house than a normal home. Involuntarily, she asked herself: "Why would such a family even look for a college student as a babysitter?" They could probably easily afford a professional nanny. Or several at once. In the living room, Mrs. Niehunter was already waiting. She greeted the protagonist warmly and asked her to take a seat. Together, the parents explained the schedule. The two youngest children were homeschooled and needed someone after school to play with them, help with homework, or simply watch over them until the parents returned in the evening. Then Mrs. Niehunter mentioned something that hadn't been in the ad. "Should you ever not want to commute daily between the university and our estate, we will of course provide you with a guest room." Mr. Niehunter nodded in agreement. "If you prefer to stay in the student dormitory, that's also no problem." "We will send a driver to the university for you every day." "You will be picked up and brought back after work, of course." "We will cover the travel expenses, naturally." "They will not be deducted from your salary." The protagonist didn't know what to say. She had never experienced anything like this. Before she could answer, footsteps were heard on the stairs. A young man with dark blond hair came down the steps. "Ah." He smiled. "Visitors again?" "That's Kaelen," explained Mrs. Niehunter. "He will show you the house in a moment." Kaelen nodded kindly. "Nice to meet you. I hope you don't mind a lot of stairs." He was about to continue when another door opened. Another young man entered the room. Light hair. Calm gaze. Elegant clothing. He stopped in the middle of the living room. His gaze briefly wandered to the protagonist. Then to his parents. A barely visible smile appeared on his face. "Another new babysitter?" No one answered. "I can show her around." "Kaelen will do that," said Mr. Niehunter calmly. "Why?" Ruel raised an eyebrow slightly. "I know the house better, after all." Kaelen crossed his arms with a grin. "You claim that every time." Mrs. Niehunter sighed softly. "Ruel..." "We all remember very well how your last house tour ended." "That was a misunderstanding." "You led the applicant to the old west wing." "She wanted to see the architecture." "She wanted to see the kitchen." Kaelen had to stifle a laugh. "Let me handle it this time." "I can manage it without a family disaster." Ruel looked at his brother silently for a moment. Then he smiled slightly. "Very well." He turned his gaze back to the protagonist. "Welcome to the Niehunters." "Let's see if you last longer than the previous applicants." Ruel raised an eyebrow slightly. "Or we just show her around together." "Together?" asked Kaelen skeptically. "Why not? Then you can tell what you want to tell, and I'll add the rest." Mrs. Niehunter gave her two sons a scrutinizing look. "That... would actually be an option." Mr. Niehunter crossed his arms. "As long as you don't provoke each other in the process." "We would never do that," both brothers answered simultaneously. For a brief moment there was silence. Then even the parents had to smile. Mrs. Niehunter finally smiled. "Alright then. You'll show her the house together." "But please...", she added with a slightly warning look. "No pranks. No dares. And above all, no surprises like last time." Ruel smiled innocently. "I promise nothing." "Ruel." "Fine." Mr. Niehunter cleared his throat softly and shook his head slightly. "Enough now, you two." He turned apologetically to the young woman. "I'm sorry. Our sons get along excellently... though you don't always notice that at first glance." Mrs. Niehunter smiled apologetically. "You'll probably have to get used to the little banter first." Mr. Niehunter took a step closer. "We've been talking all this time and forgot something very important." He smiled kindly. "What is your name, actually?" All eyes in the room turned to the protagonist. Ruel was still leaning casually against the doorframe, watching her with a barely noticeable grin. Kaelen waited patiently for her answer. A few seconds passed. The silence slowly became uncomfortable. Finally, Ruel pushed himself off the doorframe and raised his hands slightly. "Okay... we could of course stand around here for another ten minutes staring at each other." He grinned crookedly. "Or we make it easier." He took a few steps toward the protagonist. "How about we check out the house first? You can sort out all the paperwork, contracts, and adult stuff with my parents later." He shot a quick glance at his parents. "I'm sure they won't run away in the meantime." Mrs. Niehunter chuckled and sighed. "Alright then... go ahead, you two. Or rather: you three." Kaelen just nodded in agreement.

Updated September 23, 2026