Time snapped back to the present—

Mirena was locked inside this iron cage.

Heavy shackles clamped her slender wrists.

Under the dim light, she slowly made out her surroundings.

Only a few elven girls sat silently within the cages here.

Around them lay the slavers’ merchandise.

This must be backstage.

Where they kept their goods for sale.

“Damn those slavers… Calm down. Think of a plan…”

Mirena tried to steady herself, though panic clawed at her chest.

Escaping the cage was impossible.

Even moving freely inside it felt out of reach.

At least she was in a VIP private cell—

a “privilege” granted because she was the Elven Princess.

Not that it mattered.

Common prisoner or special prisoner—

both were still prisoners.

“Your Highness! How did you end up in this place?!”

A girl in the neighboring cage called out to her.

An orange-haired child sat huddled there,

her face and body grimy, not a clean patch in sight.

—She hadn’t bathed in days.

A tattered black cloth draped over her shoulders.

Only then did Mirena realize she was the only elf here who looked clean.

They weren’t even allowed to wash.

That’s why they were so filthy.

“Huh? How do you know who I really am?”

Mirena didn’t flinch at the dirt. She tilted her head, curious.

Her clean appearance alone couldn’t reveal her royal blood.

The grimy girl smiled faintly.

“Mother told me. Blue hair… and a crown-shaped birthmark on the ear tip. That’s the mark of the Elven Princess.”

“A birthmark on my ear? I never even noticed…”

Mirena glanced at a nearby mirror—

and saw it.

“Really! How did you spot it?”

“Mother served the royal family for generations. She shared this secret with me.”

—Impossible. Even Mirena, who saw herself daily, had missed it.

Hidden beneath her azure hair…

This girl must have known beforehand.

“So… you were captured too?”

“No. I was born in the *Production Factory*. After Mother raised me, the merchants shipped me straight here.”

“Where is your mother now?”

“…”

The elf girl’s face darkened instantly.

Mirena caught the shift and apologized softly.

“I’m sorry…”

She turned to the other elves sharing her cage.

Their eyes were vacant—like dead fish, devoid of focus.

Mirena couldn’t fathom what had broken them.

Then she activated her [Data Analysis] ability,

staring at the iron bars trapping her.

*Object: Iron Cage. HP: 500/500.*

With her mere 10 Strength, shattering it would take hundreds of strikes.

And her hands would be ruined long before then.

Mirena sighed deeply, accepting the truth.

“If I get a chance… will you come with me? I’ll take you somewhere safe.”

“Eh? You plan to escape, Your Highness?”

“Yes. When they let their guard down, I’ll—”

“It’s useless.”

The elf girl’s voice turned icy.

“This place crawls with powerful Vampires. Nobles gather here. We can’t escape.”

Mirena sank onto the cold floor, chains clanking.

Even her cloak had been taken. Only a thin dress remained.

“What happens if we don’t run?”

The grimy girl’s orange eyes clouded over.

“We’ll be handed to new masters. A kind one might spare us. But a cruel one… might beat us to death. Or serve us as *meals*.”

“!!?”

Mirena’s eyes widened in shock. *Violence? Becoming food?*

Unthinkable.

She was the Elven Princess.

Never struck. Never scolded.

Always shielded by her family.

This could *not* happen to her.

Especially not becoming a Blood Slave.

Just then, cheers erupted outside.

A voice from the stage ahead made her blood freeze:

“Ladies and gentlemen! Our auction begins now. Today’s exquisite goods: elven maidens of prime quality. But the *true* treasure—the crown jewel—is the former Princess of the Elvenfolk!!”

“WOOOOAH—!”

The word *Princess* ignited the noble audience.

Royal elven blood—the pinnacle of their race.

Vampires had scoured the city for months, hunting the royal line.

The Queen, dead in childbirth. The King, fallen in battle.

And one last hope: the infant princess.

After a month of fruitless searching, most gave up.

Yet here she was—in their auction house.

“The Elven Princess! Her royal blood amplifies Vampire magic. The ultimate Blood Slave candidate. Bidding starts now!”

They’d paraded her early to spread the rumor.

Let the whispers inflate her price.

Sell this “free” prize for a fortune.

“Are they… talking about *me*?”

Mirena’s voice trembled as she turned to the elf girl.

“Yes. They mean you.”

“They’re selling me to *Vampires*?!”

“That was likely why they captured you…”

Her worst fear confirmed.

Without weapons, without freedom—

she couldn’t even break these shackles.

*Run?*

No. When they moved her from this cage… that was her chance.

She couldn’t surrender.

Vampires would never see her as human.

Only one last resort remained—

“Your Highness, don’t struggle. If caught, your fate will be worse. Pray for a gentle master. A cruel one… will make you wish for death.”

“…”

Mirena clenched her fists, ready to spill her escape plan.

Then slowly uncurled them.

“What’s your name? I never asked.”

“Me? I’m Nim. Born in the *Production Factory*. I have no surname.”

“I’m Mirena. Mirena Barlit. If… *if* we escape, will you come with me?”

“Escape? Your Highness, it’s impossible. Nobles swarm this place. Your strength alone—”

“Just answer. If we *can* run… will you follow me?”

Light sparked in Nim’s orange eyes.

“If we truly escape… I’ll serve you. Like Mother served the royals.”

“Good. We’ll see then…”

Mirena smiled, radiating confidence.

But even without Nim’s warning, she felt it—

waves of Vampire nobles converging on the auction hall.

Guards stood unnaturally alert.

Protecting the Elven Princess meant a king’s ransom.

Tonight, they’d be razor-sharp.

She sat cross-legged, merging [Data Analysis] with her mental map.

A bird’s-eye view unfolded in her mind.

She plotted escape routes based on enemy levels and strength.

Confidence turned to sweat on her brow.

An overwhelming presence approached—

a Vampire radiating crushing magic.

Mirena’s ability couldn’t read her level. Couldn’t see her HP.

She’d pierced the stats of a LV382 noble here…

but *this* one?

Beyond comprehension.

*Please don’t get involved. Please don’t buy me.*

If that Vampire claimed her…

her chance of escape dropped to zero.

Mirena, proud Elven Princess,

would never become a slave. A toy.

She stared at the approaching abyss—

cold sweat tracing her temples.

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