Disclaimer: Hellsing and its characters belong to none other than Kouta Hirano.

Author's Note: The editing is done (I can't believe how fast I work now) and I've written a couple of new chapters. I'm going to wrap this up so we can start posting new stories onward. Original review's replies are at the End Note.

Integra's Age: 8

Edited: 16/09/18

Chapter 6: ABC Song

"I don't want to study."

"Integra, dearest," Arthur coaxed. "The teacher is already here. You have missed your lessons twice and I know you don't want to but it's important."

"But I don't want to study," she repeated mulishly.

"Why?"

"Because it's useless!"

"You know that's not true," Arthur tried to appease. "Knowledge is the best weapon out there. You know that. I taught you that."

Integra crossed her arms and turned her head to look outside the window. "They never gave me the answers I wanted. What's the use of studying if I don't get my answers?"

The older Hellsing sighed. This had always been the problem. Integra was too intelligent and she asked questions that even most adults had trouble answering. Her curiosity was boundless and Arthur still couldn't find a suitable tutor who could take her head on. He knew that pushing her now wouldn't bear fruit (and he was even more afraid it'd plant seeds of resentment).

He went outside her room and signaled Walter to dismiss the teacher before going back inside, finding Integra out on the balcony. She was gazing upon the garden, her hair glistening under the sunlight.

His daughter was a smart girl. Brilliant. Beautiful. All of those marvels in such little body. That's why Arthur wanted to make the most of her abilities and honed her skills. She would make the perfect leader if forged correctly. But she was a hard child. Stubborn. Willful. Even so, he still loved her with all his might.

Letting out a resigned sigh, Arthur gave one last fleeting smile before walking out.

x

Two weeks later, Arthur was in another quest to find his daughter for her lessons.

After two more failed attempts at trying to push her to study with tutors, Arthur had decided to teach her himself. That proved to be challenging because he had so many things to do with so little time. Walter had also offered to teach her but he had his own duties (even more so than Arthur, with how he had to manage the manor and also going on errands across the globe) so Arthur had to juggle between paperwork, slaying vampires and tutoring his daughter.

But just because he was her father didn't mean she went easy on him. Her questions were more than a handful and some of them left him stumped and Integra frustrated. It caused her to rebel and she made it a habit to evade him and hide away when it's time for her lessons. She succeeded too.

Arthur Hellsing, bested by an eight-year-old. What would the Round Tables say?

He shook his head, feeling another bout of frustration coming, and stomped through the hallway with purposeful steps. She would study today. She would sit down with him and ask him those insufferable questions and he'd bear it.

After making a round through the manor and not seeing her little blonde head, Arthur was resigned to the fact that she'd won. Again.

Just as he was on the verge on giving up, he heard the faintest sounds from the library and rushed towards the room, noticing that the door was slightly ajar, and peeked inside.

There, on the window seat, Arthur could see Integra with one hand holding a thick tome while the other was busy gesturing. Her blue eyes sparked with curiosity and delight as she fired question after question to her seatmate, who was obscured by the shelves.

That's when he saw the gloved hand pointing at something in the book, long fingers stroking the page before turning it over. Arthur angled his head to see a familiar creature that had faithfully shadowed his daughter since the day she was born. They made a jarring yet oddly bewitching contrast. Dark skin against pale white, blonde hair against black, one small and the other tall, like a parody of juxtapose.

Arthur noticed how the old vampire's eyes gleamed in pleasure as he explained an event to the girl next to him. He did live through history so his knowledge might be the truest. He listened to Alucard's baritone voice as he pointed to another spot in the book, talking about 18th century politics and hierarchy, looking down to make sure Integra understood before moving on to the next topic.

Arthur pulled back and shook his head, half wary and half amused. Their interest in each other was truly worrying. But he'd tackle that once the time comes and deemed the problem solved at the moment.

Now, he got a lonely bottle of whiskey and a stack of paperwork that demanded his attention back in his office.

End Note: (I'm replying here just this once because I've got bad wifi connection so might as well do it all at once.)

an-earl: Thank you so much! Your words made my heart all fluttery.

Leonixon: THANK YOU. There are no words to describe how happy I am at your words. It's the highest praise any writer could ever wish for. Don't worry, I'm planning on continuing this. -winks-

speedfanatic05: True. Ah, about that, we'll just have to wait and see, don't we?

Brenda293: We'll have to see about that. -smirks-

Memmie Cheyenne: Nice to see you here! Ah, yes, Oogie Boogie creeps me out too. It's nice being Integra, not having to fear any Boogeyman because she's got a much horrible one in her arsenal aha. Thank you for the review!

pureblood123: Thank you for the ideas! I might use them in the future.