But... what was my real name again? Why can't I remember it?

"So, Yiyi," sensing the panic swirling in my mind, that person's hand gently stroked my hair once more, soft and delicate like silk. "Please help me, okay?"

Huh... I was slightly surprised. Not just because she'd switched from calling herself "this young lady" to "I," but because she actually wanted my help.

What a joke? Even if I were willing to help after signing that disgusting Contract—which I doubt—what could I do with this childlike body? Could it be... because of the wings on my back, she meant to use me as a living sacrifice?

No. If it were a sacrifice, she could just tie me up and drag me to the altar. Why give me such a huge room and calmly talk to me?

Then it must be about that "fight for the throne" the maids mentioned. Was she really dragging me into a beauty contest? Was that why she spent so long dressing me and touching my wings earlier?

Honestly, I don't know any country where you win the throne through a pageant.

"What can Yiyi do for master?"

I'd only meant to ask what she needed help with, but my body betrayed me—replacing "I" with "Yiyi" and "you" with "master." Remembering her words just now...

How do I break this hateful Contract?

"Yiyi, all you need to do is help this young lady defeat the other Contract Beasts."

...

It wasn't about a beauty contest after all.

Though I wasn't sure what a Contract Beast truly was, a vivid image flashed in my mind.

Under the biting moonlight, the mage's thick navy coat shimmered with a silvery glow. The night itself trembled at their sudden appearance. Stars reversed, swallowed by darkness; moonlight swirled, gathering and scattering. As the wind surged, the staff rose against it—a crimson lightning bolt tore through the blackness, indigo hurricanes roared across the sky, and ashen raindrops shook the earth.

Amidst this chaos, the mage's clear, steady chant transformed simple syllables into a lion's hunting roar, an eagle's skyward cry, a viper's hissing strike. Their dark-red eyes burned fiercely, untouchable—even this boundless world seemed fragile under that soul-piercing gaze.

The deep-purple staff echoed the chant like a kindred spirit. Its brilliant tip expanded endlessly through the surrounding dark, while crimson lightning and indigo winds danced wildly on this infinite stage.

Finally, when birds fled in panic, beasts scattered, forests crumbled to dust, and oceans dried up—the mage curled their lips into a smile as captivating as an autumn sunset on a stream.

The last ashen raindrop sank into the mud. Towering against the sky stood a colossal beast, majestic and unyielding. Crimson lightning and indigo hurricanes dimmed instantly before it.

The entire sky slowly bled crimson. Countless bright sparks fell like winter's razor-sharp snow, embedding into the ground like blades—tiny tributes from the world welcoming the Contract Beast's arrival.

Yet, expecting someone like me—who can barely stand—to fight other Contract Beasts... is there some mistake?

"Your Highness," the younger maid said hesitantly, "Yiyi is strong, but compared to the Third Princess's Crimson Dragon..."

What? A Crimson Dragon?

I wasn't sure if dragons here matched my world's, but the flicker of fear in her eyes told me this Crimson Dragon was terrifying either way.

Sending me to fight it? I wouldn't even fill its teeth.

"Ow... that hurts..."

"What's a Crimson Dragon?" An older maid suddenly karate-chopped the younger one's head, making her yelp and pout. "His Highness's Contract Beast is an Angel! A mere Crimson Dragon means nothing. His Highness and Yiyi will be the strongest!"

Huh...

Just now, she said the prince's Contract Beast—that's me, a little girl who can't even walk properly—is an Angel?