When Mirena regained consciousness,

her bleary gaze settled on—

the entire weight of a certain vampire pressing down on her body.

It wasn’t unbearably heavy.

But had she been lying like this on top of me since last night?

—Seriously? Was this for real?

Truthfully, Hestia weighed almost nothing, her skin soft and warm against Mirena’s.

Precisely because of that, unease coiled in Mirena’s chest.

Her own body felt weak, limbs limp as if blood refused to flow through them.

"Terrible sleeper…"

Mirena forced herself upright, watching Hestia sprawled across the bed, clutching a rabbit plushie.

That tiny frame somehow dominated the entire mattress.

—How was she supposed to sleep like this?

Mirena weakly tugged at her messy aqua-blue hair with small hands.

A sigh escaped her lips, carrying the thought:

Sleeping days in the enemy’s den still felt utterly wrong.

Vampires were her people’s—

no, the entire Elvenfolk’s sworn enemies.

As their princess, that truth cut deepest.

Lying here was like sleeping in a beast’s lair,

heart pounding with dread—

—terrified of being devoured as mere food.

And the girl beside her…

was the very one who’d dragged her into this vampire castle.

"Being helpless is awful…"

Mirena’s eyes drifted to the window.

Dawn was breaking—the fragile hour between night and day.

The time when vampires grew most weary.

After a night of revelry, few would still be awake.

Should she risk exploring the castle?

Perhaps she could find a way to remove the Collar around her neck.

"Alright!"

Mirena clenched her fists, resolve hardening.

She swung her legs off the bed—only to find her body utterly unresponsive.

Especially her lower half.

Come to think of it… hadn’t that vampire bitten her thigh?

—Could bloodsucking cause side effects like this?

Then Hestia, still deep in sleep, snagged Mirena’s nightgown hem.

She yanked Mirena back into her arms, hugging her like a pillow.

"My food… don’t go…"

"Hey—"

Mirena squirmed in exasperation as Hestia’s drool dampened her neck.

Yes, she was technically food—but did she have to drip filthy saliva everywhere?

—Ugh. Disgusting.

Worse, another bite would drain her already critical HP dry.

Mirena strained with all her might, but the petite vampire loli wouldn’t budge.

Even when Mirena pried at Hestia’s iron-grip hands,

it felt like being clamped by steel.

Immovable.

—Was this a joke? What insane Strength stat did she have?

Mirena had known Hestia’s power since her capture.

Power that choked the breath from your lungs.

Even her Level Appraisal skill failed to extract Hestia’s data.

Her skill should reveal stats for anyone—

382 was the highest level she’d ever analyzed, and that was pure luck.

She’d sensed that same overwhelming presence upon entering this castle.

—Could her appraisal fail against vastly stronger opponents?

—That was entirely possible.

Game rules dictated: the greater the power gap, the harder to identify foes.

Damn it. Did that mean Hestia’s strength dwarfed hers impossibly?

Then when—

when could she ever slaughter these vile vampires and avenge her parents?

No. First, how could she escape a vampire so overwhelmingly powerful?

Mirena had understood her mother’s talks with the royal guards even as an infant.

Her birth father had fallen on the battlefield—to vampires.

Hearing that, her heart had felt nothing.

But vampires enslaving her kin, treating them as livestock—

—that was undeniable truth.

So the vampire sleeping beside her…

would inevitably become her enemy.

For now, escape was the priority.

But—why cling to *me*?

—Seriously. Hug your rabbit instead.

Being held by a flat-chested kid was deeply uncomfortable.

The thought had barely formed when Hestia—still asleep—thumped Mirena’s head.

"Ow! That hurts…"

Mirena clutched her skull.

—She’d almost forgotten Hestia could read minds.

Annoying. Nothing could be hidden beside her.

Yet after that single thump,

Hestia showed no sign of waking.

"Haaah… How long must I stay like this?"

Trapped in Hestia’s tight embrace,

Mirena finally understood the rabbit plushie’s suffering.

She longed to remove this Collar.

Hestia must have specially crafted it.

Since wearing it, Mirena’s magic had vanished.

Her prized Data Alteration and Level Appraisal skills were gone too.

Helpless. Reduced to a powerless child.

Dependent on others for protection.

Every shadow felt alien, threatening.

—Did using skills require magic?

And this Collar… sealed magic away.

No wonder it felt so unnatural.

She *had* to remove it before escaping.

By noon, Mirena finally wriggled free.

The weakened state had faded enough to walk—

though only at a slow, shuffling pace.

Hestia, seated at a desk with other matters, had dismissed her with:

"You’d want to familiarize yourself with your new home, wouldn’t you?"

—She truly seemed busy.

Hestia ordered Luce: "Escort Nana around. Stay glued to her side. If she vanishes from your sight for even a second… you know the consequences."

Hence Mirena now walked beside the icy maid.

Unease prickled her skin near Luce’s presence.

Descending the stairs slowly,

Luce matched her pace like a leech.

They shared zero common ground.

Yet Mirena forced the question out:

"Um…"

"What is it? Unnecessary questions won’t be answered."

Luce, Hestia’s ever-present maid, had dark red cropped hair beneath a lace headband, her black-and-white uniform immaculate.

"It’s about my master… When did she return last night?"

"Yesterday? She attended a crucial meeting. It ran very late… near dawn, I believe."

"I see. May I ask what kind of meeting required so much of her time?"

Regret flooded Mirena the moment the words left her mouth.

Luce’s eyes turned as sharp and cold as Hestia’s.

"Th-that’s not my place to ask as an outsider. I’m sorry…"

"Choose your words carefully. If not for your value as the mistress’s blood source, do you think a lowly Elf like you could survive here after probing for secrets?"

—Curiosity killed the cat.

Exactly this situation.

Even this high-level maid could drain her dry.

Any vampire in this castle could.

Yet Mirena carried Hestia’s scent,

and Luce shadowed her closely—so the others only watched from afar,

though the aroma of her blood made their fangs ache.

Even Luce felt the pull.

Now she understood why Hestia guarded this Elf so carefully.

Blood held an intoxicating allure.

But Luce’s gaze fixed on the Collar and bite marks around Mirena’s neck—

—and she swallowed her hunger.

That was Hestia’s property. Hestia’s mark.

Luce knew better than anyone: Hestia despised thieves of *her things*.

And *her things* absolutely included this Elf.

Those who coveted what was hers learned to regret being born.

Among vampires, Hestia reigned supreme.

Once claimed by her, escape was near impossible.

Mirena didn’t know this.

She still scanned the halls with naive azure eyes,

her small mind plotting escape routes.

Magic Points (MP): 50/50

Strength: 10

Agility: 20

Stamina: 20

Intelligence: 400

Physical Attack: 2

Accuracy: 10

Dodge: 20%

Critical Hit: 0%

Skills: Level Appraisal (Sealed), Data Alteration (Sealed)