"Wake up, come with me~"

Mefia unhooked the chain attached to Avril’s collar, freeing her from the bed she’d lain on all day. She then took Avril’s hand.

The black-haired maid standing silently behind Mefia also studied the silver-haired Vampire Princess. Though intensely curious, she wasn’t surprised the Princess had brought home this utterly underdeveloped little creature.

Rolling her eyes discreetly, she murmured a reminder: "Your Highness, taking her out might cause unnecessary trouble."

"And His Majesty certainly won’t be pleased if he finds out."

The Bloodkin’s rarity and this adorable little girl’s sweet looks might draw unwanted attention—but that was minor.

Last time, even the Catfolk girl hadn’t left the manor. As the Empire’s heir, Mefia being a lesbian could shatter her status if exposed.

Mefia had no brothers, but a younger sister two years her junior.

"Don’t worry, Lorin. I know what I’m doing. Just taking her for a bath," Mefia said, nodding as she held Avril’s hand.

As a ‘Pet’ and ‘collectible,’ she wouldn’t show Avril off lightly. Given her status, countless suitors pursued her in the Empire—she couldn’t yet do as she pleased.

Brought from a slave trader, Avril’s clothes had gotten dirty during transport. Luckily, rare Vampire Princesses like this little loli sold fast. Mefia bought her quickly, sparing her the fate of bottom-tier slaves stuck unsold for ages.

"..."

Avril followed Mefia obediently, her gaze flickering between Mefia and the maid. She caught the maid’s subtle look but didn’t understand it, simply brushing past her.

"Poor little thing," the maid named Lorin sighed softly, watching them leave. She didn’t follow immediately, lost in thought.

She knew her Princess’s nature all too well.

Faced with such a cute child—a never-before-seen loli Vampire Princess—Mefia wouldn’t leave her untouched. That’d be bizarre.

Yet Lorin felt no shock. In the Empire, this was routine. Honestly, this sweet Vampire Princess was lucky to end up with Mefia.

After all, though the Princess was a lesbian, she lacked cruel hobbies like torturing slaves.

Compared to Catfolk girls enslaved by nobles with twisted tastes, Avril was ‘fortunate.’

"Hmm..."

Walking beside Mefia toward an unknown destination, Avril’s eyes held both curiosity and fear. This manor, palace-sized, dwarfed anything in Sardin City—let alone the treehouse and forest she rarely left.

Her body felt weak, not from illness, but starvation. The collar’s magic seal drained her strength.

"Hah..."

The tight collar choked her physically. She longed to tear it off, knowing she couldn’t.

Mefia held her left hand; Avril’s right rested on the icy black metal collar around her pale neck. A magical artifact, exquisitely crafted—even with the unlock spell, its outer physical lock made removal impossible.

"M-Master..."

After holding back for so long, Avril finally mustered courage to speak first. She looked up anxiously at the tall woman holding her hand.

They’d known each other barely two days. She was her ‘Slave,’ or rather, her ‘Pet.’

But Mefia hadn’t hurt her, so Avril dared to ask carefully.

"What is it?" Mefia stopped, still smiling patiently.

"This... this..."

"Can you take it off?" Avril pleaded, touching her collar with teary eyes.

"Of course not~"

"Does Avril not know she’s a Pet?"

"Little pets wear collars. It’s only natural." Mefia’s smile vanished, her tone turning stern as she lectured her new Pet.

In their brief time together, she’d seen this Vampire Princess had zero social skills—utterly naive.

That’s why she wasn’t rushing.

"B-But I don’t want to be a Pet."

The innocent girl didn’t realize her words might anger Mefia. She’d relaxed slightly, trusting Mefia hadn’t harmed her.

"..."

Mefia said nothing, just stared at the tearful vampire loli.

"I want to find Mommy and Daddy..."

Avril had left the forest this rare time to search for her parents.

They’d gone out to hunt—or buy blood—long past their promised return. With their stored blood gone, she’d disobeyed her father’s strict warnings and ventured out alone.

But with zero human experience, this ‘child’ vampire, still in her infancy by age, fell straight into a slave trader’s hands. Then to Mefia’s manor.

"Daddy... Daddy said I can’t stay outside alone too long."

"Hah?" Mefia’s simmering anger broke into laughter. The kid’s logic was so transparent—like children clinging to parents for courage.

"No!"

She wouldn’t explain. This Slave dared to bargain? Had she seemed too gentle, too ‘easygoing’?

Ridiculous. Her childhood Catfolk pet was far more obedient.

She knew how to care for her Master.

"B-But I’m hungry..."

"I-I’ll starve to death..." Tears streamed down Avril’s face as she pressed her hand to her flat, empty stomach.

After their blood ran out, searching for her father, and being captured—she hadn’t drunk a single drop.

Even low-maintenance loli Vampire Princesses couldn’t survive this long without magic sustenance.