Chapter 6: Choices

Liliya was gently embraced by Rosalia, and she felt herself once again sinking into that world of tenderness.

It was as if Rosalia regarded her as something fragile, holding her with delicate hands and letting Liliya rest her head against Rosalia’s softness.

Her hands pressed closely against the backs of Liliya’s knees; the cold touch of her fingers on the tender skin of Liliya’s thigh sent a tingling shiver through her.

It was so ticklish.

“Master… please put me down. Once I’ve rested for a bit, I’ll be able to walk on my own again.”

She was not accustomed to such intimate contact, especially after just experiencing the suffocating restraint and blood-draining bite. Right now, her skin felt more sensitive than ever.

“What’s wrong? My little pet doesn’t like this? If that’s so, how does my little pet want it to be?”

Rosalia didn’t seem intent on commanding Liliya to do anything. Instead, she simply asked, as if giving Liliya the chance to make her own choice.

Hearing that she had another new choice, Liliya’s breathing involuntarily quickened, her breaths brushing against Rosalia’s chest as she tightened her grip on Rosalia’s hand.

Rosalia would give her a choice, but if she chose wrong, she’d probably be punished again, just like before.

Rosalia’s words echoed in Liliya’s mind, leaving no room for escape as Rosalia met her eyes. “Liliya, look at me. Tell me, what do you want to do?”

Liliya was not someone who liked to run away. But after the mistake she’d just made, she didn’t dare to make a choice lightly.

Last time she picked the wrong outfit, she was subjected to suffocating restraint. Then what about this time?

She couldn’t even imagine.

This was clearly something terrifying, yet her mind kept telling her it was normal, it was right—that she was only experiencing these things because she’d lost her memory again, and her master had to teach her the rules all over.

Punishment made such lessons more effective, so the little pet would remember her master’s words.

She had to think carefully about what kind of answer to give.

Her body curled up unconsciously. Having just regained consciousness and then suffering suffocation, her body instinctively made a self-protective move.

She opened her mouth, but finally, she lowered her eyes and murmured softly, “I’ll do as Master says.”

A pet had to learn her master’s preferences, and since her master was the one who brought this up, Liliya figured it must be something Rosalia liked.

If she liked it, Liliya should go along with her will.

Otherwise, what would happen to her?

No one could say for sure.

She pressed her lips together and buried herself in Rosalia’s embrace.

“Very good.”

Rosalia looked at Liliya with clear satisfaction.

It seemed her training had already met with initial success.

She smiled faintly and continued leading Liliya around, introducing her to their Castle.

This Castle was vast, with dozens of rooms.

The first floor was mostly for receiving guests; the second floor was where the servants rested; the third floor held the guest rooms; and the fourth floor was for her and Liliya, a space only the two of them could use.

Even cleaning duties there were entrusted only to the Head Maid and a select few close confidantes.

Rosalia seemed deeply concerned about others stepping into the space she shared with Liliya. Liliya could clearly sense Rosalia’s pride and obsession when she spoke about it.

By the time they had walked through the entire Castle, it was already noon. Yet even at midday, the place was shrouded in darkness—a massive Shadow Curtain covering the entire sky.

The City of Darkness relied on magic or magical plants for illumination. If not for the clocks within Rosalia’s Castle, Liliya would have no way of knowing the time.

If… Rosalia locked her away in a room and took away all the clocks, would she completely lose track of time?

The strange thought sent a chill down Liliya’s spine. She looked up at Rosalia again, but found nothing in her master’s eyes to confirm her fears.

She didn’t know—if one day she made the wrong choice again, would she be treated like that?

Almost as if sensing Liliya’s thoughts, Rosalia lowered her head to look at the uneasy girl and curled her lips into a smile. “Is my little pet thinking about punishment again?”

Having her thoughts exposed made Liliya’s heart skip a beat.

The reaction was almost the same as when she first met Rosalia, but before she could react, Rosalia had already carried her to the dining table, settling her on her lap and wrapping her up securely, so much so that Liliya could feel the soft comfort at her back.

Rosalia murmured by her ear, “Don’t worry. As long as Liliya remembers that you are my pet and don’t dwell on those unpleasant things, I can’t bear to punish you.”

With that, she parted her lips and lightly bit Liliya’s earlobe.

A tingling current shot through her again, making Liliya’s body go soft and limp in Rosalia’s arms.

“And now… as a reward for Liliya’s obedience, today I’ll feed you myself.”

With a snap of her fingers, several girls in maid uniforms pushed the door open, carrying plates of steaming dishes. With them came a bottle of blood-red Wine.

The leading maid wore a monocle. When she saw Liliya, her gaze lingered briefly before turning away, refusing to look at her again. The fleeting sympathy on her face did not escape Liliya’s notice.

Rosalia cut off a piece of steak and, seeing Liliya’s gaze fixed on the maid, whispered, “Liliya, it’s time to eat.”

Liliya’s eyes were still on the maid’s face, puzzled by the expression she’d seen.

Was being Rosalia’s pet something that deserved sympathy?

She didn’t understand, but…

Suddenly, she felt her lips and teeth pried open. Slim fingers, surprisingly strong, forced open Liliya’s small mouth, the forefinger teasing her canine tooth.

“Mm—”

Liliya’s attention finally returned to Rosalia. Her eyes shimmered with tears as she leaned forward in humiliation, but she had to keep her gaze fixed on Rosalia.

“No, as a pet, you can’t just look at others. Could it be… that Liliya is secretly hoping for my punishment?”

Those words made Liliya tremble. She wanted to shake her head, but in her current position, she couldn’t move at all—she could only look at Rosalia in embarrassment.

“Liliya, will you dare to look around recklessly again?”

“No, I won’t dare…”

Liliya panted heavily, not daring to look back at the maid from before.

“Hehe, don’t be so dramatic. Liliya, remember—in the future, whenever I’m around, your attention must always be on me. Otherwise…”

She left the rest unsaid, merely licking her fingers clean of Liliya’s sparkling saliva.

“I understand…”

But these words didn’t ease Liliya’s anxiety at all.

“As long as you know.”

Rosalia returned to her original demeanor, holding the piece of steak to Liliya’s lips and watching with satisfaction as Liliya slowly chewed.

She poured the wine.

When Liliya was almost full, Rosalia still hadn’t touched her own meal.

And… wasn’t she supposed to be rewarding her Master? Why was Rosalia feeding her instead?

Liliya couldn’t figure it out.

Only when Liliya felt utterly stuffed did Rosalia finally put down her knife and fork, addressing the lead maid: “Wendy.”

“Yes, Master.”

Wendy bowed and walked over, uncorked the wine bottle, and poured a glass each for the two of them, setting them before them.

“Drink. Once you finish this, we’ll discuss tonight’s arrangements.”

Liliya nodded, sipping from the glass Rosalia handed her, tasting the fragrance on her tongue. As the liquid slid smoothly down her throat, she could still feel the lingering metallic sweetness in her mouth.

This wasn’t ordinary Wine—it had the taste of blood.

She drank more urgently now.

But soon, a dizzying sensation washed over her. Liliya felt her consciousness slowly drifting away.

She instinctively clutched at Rosalia’s clothes, trying to steady herself, but it was pointless. At best, it only let her lean against Rosalia as she fell asleep.

In the end, her awareness faded completely, and she slumbered soundly in Rosalia’s embrace.

“Heh, just like before—not a drop of wine and she’s down.”

Rosalia curled her lips and glanced at Wendy.

Wendy understood, and with a large group of maids, quietly left, leaving the vast dining hall to the two of them.

Rosalia lifted Liliya in her arms and set her on the table.

She had said that she would take her reward.

Clothes slid away, revealing soft skin to Rosalia once more. But this time, Liliya possessed a soul—even if her consciousness was gone.

Rosalia curled her lips, scooped up cream from the untouched cake, and smeared it across Liliya’s body.

This was her reward.