Mirena stood beside Hestia, her expression utterly helpless.

After touring the entire castle, Luce had brought her back to Hestia’s room.

Only when the door slammed shut behind her did she snap out of her daze.

Admittedly, she’d gathered quite a bit of useful intel.

The castle’s layout was now firmly etched in her mind.

Except for the forbidden basement, she had a complete mental map of it.

She could even sketch it out on paper if needed.

The remaining challenges were seeing her mother and removing this damn Collar.

Especially this damn Collar.

She couldn’t stand wearing this humiliating thing for another second.

Back then, Hestia had forced it on her—half-coercively—

clamping it around her neck.

Now, even if she wanted to take it off—

Sensing Mirena’s approach, Hestia turned and asked,

“Well? From now on, you and I will live together in this castle…”

Her words sounded like house arrest.

“Um… Master, am I… not allowed to go out anymore?”

“No, you can go out sometimes. But you must please me, stay by my side at all times, and no looking around. Hmm, that’s all for now. I’ll add more rules later.”

“…”

“That’s ‘all for now’? That’s already way too much!”

—It’d be better to be locked up in the castle.

Mirena’s face twisted in extreme helplessness. What she craved was freedom—freedom to move.

“So, Nana, do you want to go for a walk with Master?” Hestia asked with a teasing tone.

Mirena had no choice.

Since Hestia demanded her company, she couldn’t refuse.

“Of course…”

“Good. Let’s go for a walk in town together…”

Honestly, Hestia really disliked walking in sunlight.

The sun didn’t affect her at all.

But sunlight severely limited her abilities.

That’s why she avoided going out in broad daylight.

Mirena, however, was different. She was bursting with curiosity about the outside world.

Plus, as an Elf, she belonged to a race that needed sunlight—unlike Hestia.

This was Mirena Barlit, the girl.

Hestia and Mirena boarded a carriage, heading toward the central street.

Both wore veils to conceal their identities.

Neither wanted to be recognized.

If Hestia’s identity was exposed on the street, it would cause her great trouble.

For Mirena, it was about hiding her ears and hair color.

Her case was straightforward.

As an Elven Princess, her ears bore a crown-like mark, making her easily identifiable.

Plus, she wore a stone Hestia had given her—

a stone that masked her Blood Fragrance Physique.

Without it, her blood’s scent would give her away instantly.

So, Mirena had to hide her identity.

As for Hestia—

Mirena still hadn’t figured out her true identity.

Except for that icy maid, Hestia never brought any servants out.

Mirena wasn’t exactly her servant either.

After all, she wore a lace-trimmed dress just like Hestia’s.

It looked like two close friends out for fun.

Not wearing a maid uniform was good, but she still had to wear a skirt.

—Seriously, she had no interest in cross-dressing.

If she could, she’d never wear such girly clothes.

Subconsciously, she still saw herself as a boy.

Her previous pajamas, though pink, were better than this dress.

Arriving at the central district, Hestia pulled Mirena off the carriage by the arm.

“Um… Miss Luce isn’t coming with us?”

Feeling awkward alone with Hestia, Mirena asked.

“No, she doesn’t need to. Her job is to drive the carriage. This time, I’m just taking my ‘pet’ for a walk alone…”

“…”

Being called a pet so casually didn’t make her happy at all.

“Now, now, don’t be so glum. Be grateful I’m holding your wrist, not a chain on your collar…”

True, most ‘pets’ on the street were led by collars around their necks.

She was lucky to be treated this well.

Elves living in low houses had already gone to work.

They bore the heavy burden of providing food for their race.

So, they had to “pay with labor” for “a measure of freedom.”

Vampires didn’t need much of ‘their’ food; Vampires fed on blood.

Thus, most of the food they grew went to factories or Elves kept by nobles.

Even as pets, it was deeply sad.

But it had to be said that Elves kept as “pets” by Vampire nobles were relatively fortunate.

So, Mirena was much luckier than them.

Just—

This way—

It was too sad. An entire race dependent on Vampires for survival.

Only as “pets” of their race’s exterminators could they find happiness.

This filled Mirena’s heart with genuine sorrow.

“…”

Standing nearby, Hestia naturally read Mirena’s mind and saw her sadness.

She regretted bringing Mirena out.

Seeing this scene, wouldn’t Mirena want to escape even more?

“Hey, Nana, let’s stroll down this street…”

“Mm…”

Though heartbroken inside, Mirena pretended nothing was wrong.

She let Hestia lead her down the street.

Suddenly, Hestia yanked her into a place like a café.

The decor was lavish.

A solid wood bar and plush sofas gave it a modern feel.

If forced to compare, it felt like a café from modern Western Europe.

The café smelled of jasmine.

Mirena didn’t understand why they had jasmine.

Maybe the scent stimulated Vampires’ appetite?

—Not sure.

She was clueless about Vampire lore.

The café was half-full.

—Enough to fill half the place.

“Welcome, two lovely ladies. What can I get you?”

Hestia tugged Mirena’s Collar, signaling her “pet” status.

“Bring something this child can eat. For me, just regular blood tea.”

“…”

Mirena actually hated being tugged like this.

—It felt incredibly weird.

Like a puppy on a collar, meeting an acquaintance who asks its name.

Being stared at like a pet felt strange.

But that was the rule here.

She felt desperate, but what could she do?

What could she achieve with her strength?

When he saw the mark on Mirena’s Collar, he realized it was a symbol only pets of very important figures could wear.

So, the middle-aged man’s eyes widened in shock.

His face instantly broke into a smile, and he carefully led them to a window seat.

“Please sit here and wait. I’ll bring your order right away…”