“Make your choice, little one.”
“I’ve already warned you, you know what to choose.”
Both of them turned to Bai, waiting for her answer, waiting to see where her fate would fall.
But did Bai really have a choice?
Whether it was Yalbera or Yare, no matter who she chose, it wouldn’t change the fact that she was a blood slave.
All she could do was move from one cage to another.
Bai had sensed Yare’s danger from the moment they first met.
Her gaze was like that of a hunting beast, locking onto Bai as if she were prey.
Bai didn’t know what Yare wanted from her, or what she hoped to gain.
Maybe she would treat Bai just like Yalbera did, nothing more than material for magical research, to be used and sacrificed without a hint of mercy.
Or maybe she simply liked the taste of Bai’s blood, and once she grew bored, she would toss her aside like garbage.
But Bai no longer cared.
As long as she could gain freedom, even if it was false, even if it was brief, she was willing.
“I’m sorry, Lady Yalbera. Bai… no longer wants to be deceived.”
Bai lowered her head, her voice low and trembling.
“Do you even realize how stupid your choice is? You really trust that woman? Just because of a promise she made when you first met? Don’t be ridiculous!”
Yalbera spoke urgently, her voice tinged with a trace of panic.
Bai only shook her head, her voice hoarse and shaking: “Bai knows… Lady Yare is no different from Lady Yalbera. She never cared about Bai either. Bai doesn’t know what Lady Yare wants from her, maybe it’s just like you said, to use Bai as a disposable tool.”
“But Bai no longer cares. Bai doesn’t care what happens in the end, whether it’s death or a lifetime of slavery. Bai only wants a moment of freedom, even if it’s brief, even if it’s a lie. Bai wants to return to her hometown. Bai wants to see her sister again. That’s all.”
Yare’s lips curled slightly upward, clearly satisfied with Bai’s answer.
Yalbera clenched her fists tightly, silver teeth grinding together, a storm of emotions flooding her chest, was it betrayal?
Disappointment?
Rage?
Or unwillingness?
She didn’t understand.
Why?
Why would Bai choose that woman over her, all for some pathetic, meaningless notion of freedom?
Wasn’t she enough?
Was Bai’s longing and devotion that easy to discard?
She, of all people, lost to Yare!
Bai chose her instead of me?!
Why?!
Yalbera’s gaze turned ice-cold.
Even from several meters away, Bai could feel the bone-chilling cold as if she had fallen into a frozen pit, her heart trembling violently.
The terrifying pressure in the air nearly suffocated her.
She was just an ordinary human, there was no way she could endure a True Ancestor’s wrath.
“You heard her, didn’t you, Yalbera? The little one chose me. I suppose you have no objections now, do you?”
Yare flashed a victor’s smile, her voice full of mockery.
“Hmph! Do you really think I wanted you that badly?! I can have as many blood slaves as I want! A low-grade, disobedient human like you, I’ve been meaning to replace you for a long time! I’m already sick of your blood. I was just going to get some final use out of you as magical material, but now? You’re not even worth that!”
Yalbera shouted in reckless defiance.
She no longer cared what she was saying.
Right now, all she wanted was to preserve her pride, to keep her dignity intact.
Yes, Yalbera, Bai didn’t choose Yare.
You cast Bai aside.
You didn’t lose.
Bai still kept her head down, silent.
Every word from Yalbera stabbed cruelly into the heart she had devoted for five years.
In the past, it might have brought her pain, despair, but now, she felt nothing.
She just wanted it all to be over.
Seeing Yalbera’s humiliated, defeated appearance filled Yare with satisfaction.
She had long wanted to get under the skin of this spoiled, arrogant “little miss” who always clashed with her.
And yet… somehow, it still didn’t feel like enough.
Yare’s eyes drifted to Bai, who stood with her head down, clutching her sleeves.
As if struck by a sudden thought, she smiled.
A wicked idea bloomed in her mind.
“Bai.”
“…Bai is here.”
“I’m thirsty. Come here.”
“Eh?”
Bai lifted her head in confusion, staring at Yare’s beaming smile.
“Thirsty? Now? Here? In front of Lady Yalbera?! Even though Bai has completely broken ties with her, isn’t this… a bit much?!”
She glanced at Yalbera, still seated to the side, then asked hesitantly.
“M…Master, do you need it now? Maybe we can wait until later..”
“I won’t say it again,” Yare cut her off coldly.
“Bai… Bai will prepare the blood offering right away,” Bai stammered in panic, turning to flee.
But before she could take a step, her body lifted into the air again, uncontrollably drawn to Yare.
She floated into Yare’s arms, soft and boneless, as Yare gently wrapped her up.
Then, with deliberate intent, Yare shifted her position, turning Bai so that she was directly facing Yalbera’s stunned expression.
Smiling, Yare whispered softly into Bai’s ear, “I like it raw. Did you forget?”
A shiver ran through Bai’s body.
She instinctively tried to break free, but those arms holding her, though seemingly relaxed, were impossible to escape.
She was trapped in Yare’s embrace, her nose filled with a bloody, floral scent, while her face was turned directly toward her former master.
And Yalbera finally snapped out of her daze.
Her face twisted with fury, flushed with rage and humiliation.
Of course she knew exactly what Yare was doing!
“Yare!!! Are you trying to humiliate me?!” she shouted in fury, her aura surging outward once more.
Even the golden twin-tails behind her began to float, making her look like an angry cat with its fur bristled.
Yet Yare still wore that composed, mocking smile of a victor as she said.
“Ara, what are you talking about? I just wanted a taste of my new blood slave’s blood. Isn’t that right, Bai?”
Bai turned her head away, unable to meet the gaze of her former master.
A strange sense of guilt welled up in her chest.
“Bai is… Master’s…”
Yare chuckled.
She reached out and pinched Bai’s chin, turning her face back once more.
Her pale neck was now fully exposed, and she was forced to meet the eyes of the one she used to serve, deepening the guilt in her heart.
Yalbera’s fists were clenched so tightly that her palms nearly bled.
All she could do was watch, helpless.
Because Bai now belonged to Yare, she was no longer hers.
Yare opened her mouth.
The sharp fangs reflected Yalbera’s face for a brief moment before plunging down without hesitation.
A jolt of electricity seemed to shoot through Bai’s entire body, the sensation starting at her neck and spreading everywhere.
Then came the distinct feeling of blood being drawn from her.
Bai closed her eyes, trying to resist the strange sensation.
Instinctively, she reached up to push Yare away, but Yare’s hand followed along her arm, slowly sliding upward.
Her fingers closed around Bai’s wrist and gently pulled it down, pressing it against her own cheek.
In the next instant, Bai’s body gave a faint shudder.
That sharp pain and draining sensation began to feel… pleasant?
As though those piercing fangs were sucking out all the troubles in her soul.
Her cheeks flushed with color, almost glowing with a moist hue.
Her breathing turned ragged, weak, and slightly hazy.
There was a lingering, ambiguous fog in her eyes, and within that haze, the reflection of Yalbera’s figure could be seen in her pupils.
Until Bai’s last strength faded away and she collapsed in Yare’s arms.
Her half-lidded eyes held no light, unclear whether she had lost consciousness or was still looking at Yalbera.
Yalbera’s expression was beyond description.
She stood there, stunned, watching it all, watching Bai go from resistance to submission, watching her drained limp in Yare’s arms.
Her eyes stared blankly at the scene, as if her mind had gone numb.
“Thanks for the meal,” Yare said with a smile, licking the blood from the corner of her lips with a crimson tongue.
Looking at Yalbera’s disheveled, mortified face, her twisted amusement was deeply satisfied.
Look at that loser’s expression, that pitiful silhouette, wasn’t this our proud and mighty True Ancestor, Yalbera?
Hehehe… this truly is… exquisite pleasure.