When I regained consciousness, lunchtime had ended and I was back in my dorm room.

I had no memory of fainting, but the fiery sting lingering in my mouth proved it wasn’t a dream.

Ugh… My tongue felt numb, like after dental anesthesia. I wasn’t even sure I could speak properly. But that hardly mattered right now.

"Love my master… So lonely alone… Want master by my side…"

Alone in my room, that hateful feeling surged back like a tidal wave. No matter how hard I shook my head, I couldn’t drown out the thought.

*Stop… Get out of my head…*

I desperately wished this cursed Contract would vanish. But Contracts were unbreakable. Unchangeable.

I’d seen it in the books, though I hated admitting it:

This Contract was lifelong. A human could only bond with one Contract Beast. And for the Beast? As long as the master lived, the Contract held firm.

*Then… kill her…*

Ugh…

Killing her seemed impossible. Beyond whether I could bear harming that oddly cute creature—even the *thought* triggered a splitting headache. I had to crush the idea instantly. Under this damned Contract, I couldn’t even *imagine* assassination, let alone plan one. Yet… killing her was the only way to break free. Ugh, my head throbbed again.

If I couldn’t harm her… escape was my only option. With my strong magic affinity, fleeing shouldn’t be hard. The Contract’s power faded with distance, right? I’d read it clearly: masters commanded Contract Beasts through spoken words. If I couldn’t hear her voice, her orders couldn’t reach me.

But her "Throne Struggle"… She clearly needed my help now. If I ran, she’d surely lose. She’d seemed strong this morning—but only by human standards. Against a legendary Crimson Dragon? She’d be like the strongest ant trying to fight an elephant.

*Wait… Why am I worrying about her?* She’d forced this Contract on me! Ugh, headache. Yet… I couldn’t bear picturing that proud girl crumbling in defeat. Was this the Contract’s pull… or my own weakness? I didn’t know.

For now… I’d stay. Help her win the Throne Struggle while learning magic. Building strength to survive alone. This wasn’t about the Contract—or misplaced sympathy. Just a fair trade. Mutual benefit. I wouldn’t be *forced* to protect anyone. After the Throne Struggle ended, I’d leave. Yes. That was the plan.

So… my only task now was to memorize those heavy, cryptic books. Every page. Every word. Even if it was rote learning with no practice—I needed power. Power to break free. Power to live on my own terms. Ugh, my head ached again. But I’d endure the pain. As long as I wasn’t near *her*, as long as I couldn’t hear her voice, she couldn’t control me. Headaches were better than chains.

"Little Yiyi~"

Damn it… That voice again from the doorway. How did she know I’d woken? Must be the Contract.

Two seconds later, hurried footsteps approached. I froze as the door burst open—

She stood there in a bathrobe. Pale skin peeked through the loose folds.

*Master is so beautiful— No. She’s not my master!* …Though she *was* undeniably pretty.

A soft pink towel wrapped her petite frame. A moonlight-white sleep cap sat atop her silky hair, velvet cords curling around her slender neck. Strands of cotton-candy pink hair escaped the cap, brushing her cheeks.

She paused in her cocoa-brown sandals, then tossed me a casual invitation:

"I sweated buckets this morning. Let’s take a bath together~"