On the third floor of Mephya's Castle, not far from the bedrooms and pet quarters, lay a vast library specially built by Mephya.

It housed many common books. Though not as comprehensive as the Imperial Capital's library due to space limitations, it was enough for Mephya to occasionally read or handle official duties here.

With few entertaining spots in the Fortress, this library was naturally one of the places Mephya permitted her little Pets to enter freely.

Usually, when nothing urgent arose, Shelley wouldn’t be disturbed on the third floor. After all, as long as her Pets obeyed, didn’t try to escape her control, or do anything she despised, Mephya favored them with more affection than harshness.

Beyond two long tables seating over a dozen people and elegant rosewood chairs, the quiet library’s most striking feature was the endless rows of neatly arranged bookshelves and books.

Built within the castle’s structure, the room had exceptionally high ceilings—especially in the third-floor library area, where half the space was deliberately heightened. Many books on the upper shelves remained out of reach even for a two-meter-tall person.

Designed initially for maximum storage, the built-in bookshelves featured movable sliding ladders to solve accessibility issues.

"So many... books."

Avril, who had never seen such a dazzling collection, stared in awe. At home, only her father’s modest bookshelf existed—books she’d never found interesting.

"Mm. When I have free time, I like reading here to pass the hours," Shelley said. "Master is rarely home, so it’s just me and the other Maids."

Though Shelley was an obedient good girl who readily fulfilled any request from Mephya, she—like all Pets—couldn’t step beyond the castle without permission. Reading made excellent entertainment.

"See anything you like?"

Holding Avril’s small hand, Shelley led her to a bookshelf. Gazing at the endless sea of books, she asked softly. The variety was immense, with categories alone numbering beyond count.

"Hmm..."

The little girl shook her head slightly, overwhelmed. How could she know what she liked when she understood none of it?

"How about history books on the Lor Empire?" Shelley suggested. "Or... some fun short stories?"

Remembering Lorin’s request to teach Avril basic knowledge, Shelley wanted to balance education with enjoyment.

"That..." Avril hesitated. "Didn’t Shelley Sister mention... books about Bloodkin?"

She suddenly recalled their conversation the previous night.

"Oh, that~"

Straining her memory, Shelley guided Avril through the shelves, searching carefully.

*Encyclopedia of Races*

It documented many species on the Antis continent, including a brief section on Bloodkin. Handing this to Avril, Shelley sought a second book.

On the third shelf—easily within reach—she found it.

*Diary of a Vampire Hunter*

Recognizing the full title, Shelley awkwardly withdrew her hand. She’d skimmed parts of it before. True to its name, it chronicled a hunter’s vendetta against vampires after his family was killed. Clearly unsuitable for Avril.

"What’s wrong, Shelley Sister?"

Though illiterate, Avril turned toward where Shelley had paused. She too saw the bold title on the cover.

"*Diary of a Vampire Hunter*?"

Though unfamiliar with such content, the title alone unsettled Avril. Her delicate little hands tightened slightly around her book. Her beautiful blue eyes lowered unwillingly, flicking toward Shelley with unease.

Her father had warned her countless times:

*Humans hate Bloodkin.*

*The outside world is dangerous.*

Avril believed it absolutely. Seeing proof in this book flooded her mind with anxiety. Even though Shelley wasn’t human, Avril still felt unsafe.

"What’s on your mind?" Shelley asked gently. "There are other books. Let me keep looking, hehe."

With so many volumes, Shelley couldn’t recall exact locations—only approximate sections.

"*Hill’s Adventure*—I remember it mentions Bloodkin."

Mephya’s library held far more Bloodkin records, but Shelley could only find these two quickly.

"These should be enough for you."

Sighing softly, Shelley stopped searching, fearing another disturbing find might upset Avril. Grabbing a random novel by Roman Rolland, she led Avril to a chair.

After helping Avril locate the Bloodkin section in the encyclopedia, Shelley sat opposite her and quietly opened her own book.

But Avril seemed uninterested in the encyclopedia. Her gaze kept drifting back to Shelley.

"What’s wrong, Avril?" Shelley asked anxiously, suspecting the earlier book title had shaken her.

"Shelley Sister..." Avril’s voice was feather-light, like a frightened little creature. "Humans really hate Bloodkin, right? Father always said so. He told me not to go out... or I’d be killed..."

Sheltered from the world, Avril saw things simply: kind people were good; unkind ones were bad. She dared ask Shelley only because she trusted her—and because Shelley had admitted she wasn’t human yesterday.

"Don’t overthink it, Avril," Shelley said with a wry smile, helpless. She rarely left the castle herself, raised only to please Mephya. How could she answer such questions?

"But... if humans hate vampires, why did Master make Avril her Pet?" Her voice trembled. "Avril doesn’t want to be a Pet..."

She’d voiced similar doubts to Mephya yesterday—only to be punished with the collar’s electric shock. This fear, she could only confess to Shelley.