"Hungry?"

"What does your hunger have to do with wanting me to let you go?"

After their brief time together, Mefia had realized this little one seemed utterly clueless about social norms. In fact... she was rather out of touch with reality.

Hmm... to be blunt, with any other 'Master', she might have gotten a severe beating. Just to teach her her place as a 'Slave'.

Of course, Mefia wasn’t especially patient either. As the princess of the Lor Empire, she’d always been obeyed since childhood. It was unlikely she had no temper at all.

It was just that Avril was a vampire she’d never seen before. And... exactly her type.

Catfolk girls usually understood their status clearly. They were docile by nature, rarely resisting capture. They fulfilled their Master’s will well.

With their gentle dispositions, lack of strength, and beautiful appearances, it was no wonder Catfolk had nearly vanished near human empires.

"Daddy said..."

"He went out to find food."

"But he never came back."

Explaining with tearful eyes, her words trailed off unclearly—perhaps from poor expression. Yet Mefia understood. And... gained useful information.

"So your parents usually bring you blood to drink?"

Mefia knew Avril was just a loli vampire with poor survival skills. But she hadn’t seen proof firsthand. Nor heard confirmation from the little one herself.

"Mm..."

That settled it. Mefia grasped much more now.

"Have you ever hunted on your own?"

Asking curiously, Mefia wiped the tears from Avril’s eyes.

"Hunted?"

Avril didn’t grasp the words immediately. She looked up, thought briefly, then spoke softly, uncertainly:

"Y-you mean finding humans to drink blood from?"

"No..."

"Daddy said the outside world is dangerous. He won’t let me learn to hunt yet."

Answering nervously, Avril’s mind went blank. She forgot she’d been the one asking to leave. Not answering Mefia’s questions.

She even forgot to say ‘Master’.

A mistake Mefia’s Catfolk Pet would never make.

Mefia noticed but didn’t mind. She continued:

"Mm."

"You’re a vampire. Why don’t I see fangs?"

Mefia had already checked—Avril had no fangs, unlike book descriptions. Still wanting confirmation, she pinched the soft flesh beside Avril’s mouth. Lifting the small head slightly.

At barely 1.4 meters tall, Avril needed her head raised for a clear view.

"Mmph..."

Startled, Avril narrowed her eyes nervously. Her fair chin tilted up, too tense to meet Mefia’s gaze.

"Th-that... can be retracted."

"And it’s not needed."

With sapphire-blue eyes half-closed, Avril spoke truthfully. Mefia hadn’t harmed her since capture, easing her fear a little. But distrust of the unknown couldn’t vanish overnight.

"Not needed?"

After a brief pause, Mefia chuckled lightly. A faint smile curved her lips.

Combining Avril’s answers with her book knowledge, she pieced most of it together.

This little one had never seen the human world. She didn’t grasp its cruelty. Only instinctively feared Mefia. And... had never hunted. Her father brought her blood.

Never drinking human blood herself, she didn’t even know her fangs’ purpose.

"What about your eyes?"

"Vampires’ eyes should be crimson or red, right?"

Avril was Mefia’s first real vampire. All prior knowledge came from books—so she wasn’t certain.

"Eyes?"

"Daddy said... outside, we must... disguise our eyes too."

"Just a trickle of constant magic changes the color."

Avril spoke without hiding anything. Not from fear—but because she didn’t know to hide.

"Daddy said many humans hate vampires. So outside, we mustn’t be recognized."

As if to explain, she shifted her pupils back to crimson—like red crystal.

The Mefis Family was an ancient vampire clan. Their ancestors had been high dukes of the Fred Empire, skilled at hiding among humans. Mature members could appear fully human without drinking blood.

But now... Avril had spilled all her secrets freely.

The Collar sealed magic.

Since Avril was just a loli Vampire Princess, Mefia hadn’t maxed its restriction.

Yet its suppression was strong. Meaning the disguise used minimal magic.

"Pfft~"

Finding Avril adorably naive, Mefia laughed softly. Things she shouldn’t share—her father’s instructions—were all spilled out.

She asked seriously, curiously:

"What else did your daddy say?"

"Mm..."

"..."

Staring blankly at Mefia, Avril realized she’d said too much. Unsure what to do, the vampire loli stood frozen, stammering. Her soft hands clasped and fidgeted before her.

"Daddy... said not to tell."

She shrank back fearfully, gaze darting, looking guilty.

"Oh. Is that so~?"

Nodding gravely, Mefia’s emerald-green eyes—glowing like jade, flashing danger—narrowed.

She hadn’t gotten angry from the start.

Avril’s oversteps were just naivety. But...

Whether to tolerate them was Mefia’s choice alone.

If the princess called it wrong, it was wrong. If she didn’t care, Avril could tear the sky apart and it wouldn’t matter.

Mefia lifted a slender hand, cupping Avril’s chin. Forcing her to look up properly—not away, distracted.

"Your father taught you many things, didn’t he?"

Her voice was soft, magnetic, laced with a gentle laugh.

Trapped under Mefia’s gaze, Avril had no idea what came next. Her heart pounded with unease.

"Then... as your Master, shall I teach you the rules a Slave must know?"