Because Sairi saw Vera… she didn’t pull out the key!
She only gently turned the doorknob once, then directly pulled open the heavy door!
The door opened! Outside was a similarly dim but even more spacious corridor!
Vera’s figure disappeared beyond the door, and the heavy wooden door silently and slowly closed behind her—without that usual “click” sound of a lock!
Could it be… she didn’t lock the door?
Sairi’s heart almost stopped beating! She held her breath, focusing all her senses on that door.
Seconds passed… more than ten seconds… there was no movement outside, nor the sound of the door being opened or locked again!
Masaka! …Could it be that she really didn’t lock the door?!
The overwhelming shock instantly crushed Sairi’s previous fear and hostility, giving her a glimmer of hope.
She suddenly dashed out from the corner, stumbling slightly from the sudden movement, but she didn’t care!
She nearly lunged to the door, trembling as she reached out, carefully and with all her strength, to turn the cold metal doorknob…
Click.
The doorknob turned! The door… really wasn’t locked! It could be pushed open!
Hope surged through her like an electric shock! Escape! The chance had come!
Today, I, Sairi, will see the daylight again! Once I recover, I will fiercely defeat and punish that hateful Blood Princess!
However, just as joy welled up in her heart, a sudden intense stomach cramp and overwhelming dizziness struck her hard. “Ugh.”
A day and night of running, immense mental stress, extreme weakness, and hunger… all erupted at this moment.
Sairi’s vision went black, her legs gave way, and she weakly slid down against the door.
She gasped heavily, cold sweat instantly soaking her back.
Pain—her stomach hurt so much! Starving and miserable, it felt like the stomach acid was about to reflux. She desperately wanted to eat something.
Before, she’d relied on adrenaline and extreme stress to keep running, but now that her mind was clearer, the hunger rushed in all at once.
Sairi struggled to lift her head, her gaze involuntarily falling on the silver tray on the small table in the corner of the room.
The covered porcelain bowl was emitting an increasingly rich, warm, and enticing aroma, like a devil’s whisper, constantly teasing her empty stomach and wavering willpower.
“Come on~ eat quickly~ It’s okay, child~”
“Glug glug…”
Trying to quench her thirst with a mirage, now Sairi’s mouth watered as she looked at the food on the tray, swallowing hard, saliva dribbling more and more.
“No… no, I can’t… I mustn’t eat…”
Sairi weakly shook her head, trying to resist, but the aroma was everywhere, her body’s instincts screaming wildly.
She needed food! Without food, even if the door was open, she couldn’t escape this labyrinth-like Vampire Palace!
Reason and the instinct to survive clashed fiercely. She looked at the door’s barely-open gap full of hope, then glanced at the food on the table radiating deadly temptation…
I’m going all out!
In the end, hunger and pressure overwhelmed Sairi’s reason. Gritting her teeth, a spark of determination flickered in her eyes.
She propped up her weak body, shakily climbed to the small round table, then climbed onto a small stool, pressing her body down on the table.
“Just… to have the strength to run…”
She whispered to herself, making this last justification. Then, trembling, she reached out and lifted the lid of the porcelain bowl.
The rich, warm aroma of meat stew instantly wafted over her. Sairi closed her eyes, enduring humiliation and fear, picked up the silver spoon, scooped a mouthful, and painfully brought it to her lips…
“Oh my god! This is so delicious!”
Sairi was momentarily stunned. This so-called Deer Meat Stew with Mushrooms was incredibly fragrant.
The meat was tender and falling apart; the fat melded perfectly with the aroma of mushrooms, producing a fresh and unique flavor, like tasting a delicacy of the mortal world.
Sairi hadn’t expected the vampires’ culinary tastes to be so refined—this felt several times better than the food she’d eaten at the snack street in Milu Town.
The delicious dish stimulated her taste buds, and before she realized it, Sairi was indulging herself, eating faster and faster, craving more and more.
Soon the plate of venison was gone. Sairi even used her fingers to scrape the plate a few times, then sucked them, savoring the lingering richness of the fat.
Then Sairi noticed the blood-red drink in the goblet. The maid Vera hadn’t said what it was, and Sairi hesitated to drink it.
But after thinking it through, based on Vera’s words and the actual experience with the meat, it seemed there was no drug involved.
If there was, it would have been in the food, not just the drink. Drugging only the drink would be too risky.
Hunger.
Of course, this logic was flawed, since Sairi was already starving and very thirsty. One plate of deer meat wasn’t enough to solve her hunger.
Besides, she had already opened the gate to eating; now her reason was overwhelmed by desire.
So Sairi immediately reached for the tall glass of Blood-red Drink, lifted it to her lips, and began tasting it.
At first, she took only a small sip, then found the drink sweet, with a faint fragrance.
It was exactly her type, so she drank it all in one go.
Displaying her unique trait, Sairi downed the entire glass in a single gulp.
She sucked on her fingers, forcibly suppressing the desire within because something more important awaited.
Vera hadn’t locked the door, meaning Sairi could sneak out now.
Thinking of this, Sairi’s heart began pounding wildly. She didn’t know the situation with the guards outside, but this was the only hope!
She dashed back to the door, held her breath, and carefully turned the doorknob again.
Click!
This time the doorknob turned smoothly! And Sairi slowly pulled open a small crack in the door. It all felt like a dream—too surreal, too exciting!
The massive shock and fear hit Sairi simultaneously. She took a deep breath and extremely slowly and silently opened the door just enough for one person to pass.
Outside was a wide, dim corridor. The floor was paved with black marble, the walls made of the same jade-like material.
At intervals, sconces embedded with flickering blue flames lit the hallway like a spectral path.
At the end of the Corridor tall pillars supported the vaulted ceiling, with lifelike blood-red vine reliefs twisting around the columns.
The corridor stretched endlessly into darkness on both sides, disappearing from Sairi’s sight.
Her heart leapt into her throat.
This was exactly the kind of terrifying scene she had imagined!
Barefoot like a frightened fawn, Sairi quietly slipped out of the room and gently pushed the door to a slight close behind her.
The cold stone floor chilled her bare soles to the bone, making her shiver.
But she dared not linger. Choosing a random direction, she pressed against the cold wall, moving quickly and silently under the massive pillar shadows.
Is that Blood Princess some kind of pervert? How did I wake up to find my shoes gone, forcing me to run barefoot? This floor is freezing, Sairi grumbled silently in her heart.
***
The corridor was empty and deathly silent, with only the sound of her own heartbeat echoing in her mind.
Along the way, she passed one closed wooden door after another, each carved with different terrifying patterns. She didn’t know what horrors lay behind those doors.
A vampire sucking human blood?
A vine monster covered in spikes?
Or perhaps a morgue full of bones?
Fear and tension, combined with Sairi’s vivid imagination, drenched her in cold sweat, soaking through her silky nightdress.
Just as she rounded a corner, Sairi heard voices—several girls chatting, their sounds slowly approaching.
Feeling urgency, Sairi took advantage of her small stature and immediately hid behind a Vampire statue.
She held her breath as the clear female voices neared and reached beside her.
Don’t get caught! Don’t get caught! Don’t get caught!
Sairi prayed anxiously in her heart.
“Have you heard? The princess brought back a strange human girl from the hunt!”
“Yes, the princess rarely interacts with humans. Yesterday, she actually brought a girl back.”
“Not only that, the princess even wants the girl to rest in her room. She’s not afraid the girl will cause trouble.”
“Oh my god.”
“Yes, she even specially prepared a suitable set of clothes for that child. It’s the first time the princess has pampered someone like this.”
“Yeah, and the princess will have a big feast tonight and is giving us bonuses.”
“That’s true. Though we don’t know the girl’s background, it’s surprising the princess is so happy today and even gave us a day off.”
“Day off and bonuses—how civilized!”
Many such discussions followed uncontrollably, all reaching Sairi’s ears.
Hiss~
They’re talking about me, aren’t they?
From what they said, that Blood Princess is actually quite good to me? Changing my clothes, healing my wounds, even ordering the maid to feed me.
Sairi heard the girls’ voices slowly fade. She peeked out a little and saw it was really a group of maids, holding hands, chatting and laughing as they walked.
Some carried trays, but Sairi couldn’t see what delicious food was on them.
Wait!
Sairi snapped herself on the thigh hard. The pain brought her back to reality. At a time like this, there was no point in being curious about the food.
The most important thing was to escape. The Blood Princess and those maids had nothing to do with her.
Sairi paused for a few seconds. Judging by the distance, the maids must have moved far away, so she continued barefoot.
***
As she moved along the dark corridor, this section was no longer as comfortable as the room before. The floor was cold and hard, and each step made the soles of her feet and bones ache.
But Sairi didn’t care. Getting away was the only good thing.
After walking for a long time, Sairi suddenly saw light spilling from a front room, which made her heart leap with joy.
She quickened her pace to approach, but the outcome was not what she wanted.
Waiting for her was not daylight, but a huge room—more of a hall.
Because this room was so large, it must be where the owner summoned servants for meetings.
Even more so than the small room before: a gigantic domed chandelier, walls carved with mysterious runes, rows of tables and chairs.
There were already some drinks and flower arrangements on the tables.
It seemed she had come to the wrong place; she was clearly heading toward the enemy’s lair!
Looking at all the corridors and strange-shaped doors at the hall’s edges, Sairi frowned, not knowing which way to go.
Suddenly, she heard an unpleasant sound: the tapping of high heels on the floor, approaching her direction.
In a panic, Sairi ran across the hall, deciding to try hiding in a room.
In a daze, she thought she smelled something.
A scent?
The fragrance came from behind a door along one corridor. It seemed to be the kitchen. Sairi didn’t know what time it was or whether it was mealtime.
But since the maids had just left, it meant no one would come here for a while. They said they had already finished their work, and the evening feast was coming.
Since it was still daylight, the kitchen should be safe now.
Sairi came to the door emitting the aroma and cautiously pushed open the thick carved wooden door.
***
As soon as Sairi cracked the door open, she smelled a different scent.
Fragrance!
Rich, complex, and mouth-watering!
It wasn’t the aroma of just one dish, but a mixture of many delicious foods!
She smelled the wheat fragrance of baked bread, the rich scent of stewed meat, the fresh sweetness of fruit, and an extremely tempting cream-scented dessert!
This aroma was like a tangible hook, instantly penetrating her stomach, which had just been calmed by the meat stew, awakening an even deeper, more primal hunger!
The immense exhaustion of running made her body a bottomless pit; Vera’s plate of venison was simply not enough.
A binge in the kitchen was the only practical solution.
The enticing aroma was as captivating as an intoxicating fungus, instantly drowning Sairi’s reason.
The fierce hunger surged like a tide, breaking down all her vigilance and fear.
Her stomach spasmed madly, screaming; saliva poured uncontrollably.
I want to eat! I want to eat! I want to eat!
Sairi slipped inside through a suitably wide door gap, quietly closing the door behind her to avoid being discovered.
Inside, she found a huge, brightly lit, and orderly kitchen!
Massive chandeliers hung from the ceiling, burning with magical flames. Rows of gleaming metal stoves lined up neatly, holding huge silver pots steaming with tantalizing scents.
A giant oven radiated heat, seemingly keeping some enormous chunk of meat warm.
Long counters were piled with strange, brightly colored salads made from exotic fruits and vegetables Sairi had never seen before.
There were also some prepared, oddly shaped meats (which she forced herself not to think about their origins), all looking appetizing and arranged on a huge table in the center.
Not only that, the giant table was laden with many ready desserts and fruits.
Sairi saw golden, crispy tart shells piled high with plump berries; soft cakes drizzled with thick chocolate sauce; delicate cream puffs exuding a rich cream aroma; and plates of cut, extremely soft and delicate milky-white cakes… each radiating deadly temptation!
Every dish and dessert had several plates, clearly the feast the maids had mentioned.
It seemed she had really misjudged. The vampires’ food was so good; this entire spread of dishes, desserts, and drinks far surpassed anything she’d had on the snack street in Milu Town!
What kind of life had she lived before?!
The last thread of reason snapped completely!
Sairi’s eyes fixated only on the food. The starving beast inside her was finally breaking free!
She no longer cared about appearances or consequences!
She dashed to the nearest table and grabbed a piece of tart topped with deep purple jam, almost shoving the whole thing into her mouth!
The freshly baked, scorching jam burned her, making her gasp sharply, but she didn’t care, greedily chewing.
The crispy crust and the hot, sweet-and-sour jam exploded in her mouth! Delicious! Indescribably delicious! She felt her soul tremble!
One piece was not enough!
She grabbed a cream puff next, biting into it. The cold, sweet, creamy filling burst out, some dripping onto her chin and fingers.
She sucked on her fingers like a baby, then moved on to the milky-white cake, which melted instantly, soft and fragrant…
Now Sairi was like a traveler dying in the desert stumbling on an oasis. She cast aside all manners and dignity, then frenziedly and shamelessly stuffed one exquisite dessert after another into her mouth.
The sweet, greasy cream coated her lips and fingers, crumbs falling on her dress, but she was completely unaware.
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