“What is this??”
Upon seeing the object in Luwei’s hand, Monet’s hair nearly stood on end.
She had already sensed that the mana fluctuations coming from Luwei were off, leading her to guess that Luwei might have run into trouble when she sought her out.
But seeing the monster’s corpse in Luwei’s hand with her own eyes made her scalp tingle.
“What a terrifying monster!” Monet’s expression turned grave.
“This kind of mana signature… it seems to be related to the Vampires.”
“…Terrifying?”
Luwei looked down at the little bat in her hand with confusion.
It had a round head and a tiny body.
In death, its eyes had even turned into two little crosses, just like in an anime.
Perhaps she was a bit dull when it came to mana… but where exactly was this terrifying?
In any case, she could only feel guilty for accidentally killing such a cute little creature.
“This bat is indeed related to the Vampires,” Luwei said, nodding.
“In fact… it’s the familiar of the current Vampire Princess.”
The atmosphere suddenly fell into a heavy silence.
“Do you know what you’re saying…?”
Monet rubbed her chin, flustered.
There were so many things to criticize that she didn’t know where to start.
“The Vampire kingdom has been quite unsettled lately. It’s best if Your Highness doesn’t make such jokes.”
“Even though the Vampires are far to the south, as a public figure of the human race, you still shouldn’t make such statements…”
As she spoke, Monet scrutinized Luwei’s expression—it was as calm and indifferent as ever.
Those icy eyes made Monet’s scalp tingle even more.
“Wait…”
“You aren’t trying to say that this really is the Vampire Princess’s familiar, are you?”
Seeing Luwei nod, Monet finally began to panic.
She pulled out a staff. As faint mana began to ripple from it, the tip glowed with a shimmering white light.
“Let me see…”
Using the white light, Monet carefully examined Luwei’s body.
Strangely, in the area illuminated, faint blood-colored patterns began to manifest.
“What is this?”
Luwei’s brows furrowed slightly as she looked at the patterns staining her skin.
One look was enough to tell they were bad news.
Monet didn’t reply immediately; her face was growing paler by the second.
“This is the Vampire’s Curse! My goodness!!”
Suddenly, Monet let out a sharp, explosive cry.
“You actually killed the Vampire Princess’s familiar with your own hands!?”
She looked at Luwei in disbelief.
“That’s not right. With your thin arms and legs, how could you possibly defeat such a terrifying monster??”
She pointed at the chibi little bat in Luwei’s hand, emphasizing ‘terrifying’ with extra weight.
“Vampires are proficient in Black Magic—hexes, voodoo… If you kill one of their kin, you will absolutely be cursed!”
“As for the effects of the curse, nobody knows.”
“It could be a simple location tracker, or it could turn a person into a Blood Slave…”
“There are even records of someone cursed who lived perfectly fine for the first few days, only for the curse to erupt, turning them into a puddle of blood instantly!”
Listening to Monet’s explanation, Luwei kept a stiff face.
She finally realized just how dire her situation was.
‘This really is bad…’
Earlier, Luwei had maintained a ‘player’ mindset.
Even though the Vampire Princess was described as cruel and brutal in the setting, Lilika hadn’t shown much aggression in the plot. Her personality was actually quite likable.
-Revenge for the smallest grievance — turning Luwei into a Blood Slave.
-Gentle and lovely — clinging to the Player every day after being rescued.
-Cruel and brutal — using terrible private executions on Luwei.
-Yandere possessiveness — jealousy toward other ‘fox spirits’.
Any one of these traits alone would be a plus for a player.
A pink-haired yandere Vampire loli? It hit all the right tropes.
But Luwei had almost overlooked the fact that she wasn’t just a player.
She was also the villain—Luwei herself—who would be turned into a Blood Slave, subjected to day and night of private torture, and forced to endure hardship while bitterly waiting for the next chance to turn the tables.
Because Lilika’s in-game performance seemed cute and harmless, Luwei had nearly ignored the pitch-black heart beneath that exterior.
“But it’s already happened; no use dwelling on it…” Luwei pursed her lips.
“I know the consequences are serious, which is why I came to you to prevent word from leaking.”
She blinked up at Monet with an innocent look.
“So, respected Professor Monet~ is there any way for me to survive?”
Monet looked conflicted.
“Even if you say that, there’s nothing I can do…”
“I’m only a 3rd-tier Mage, while Lilika of the Evernight Kingdom is a recognized 6th-tier Great Archmage!”
“Even ignoring her level, her total mana exceeds mine by over fiftyfold!”
Monet threw up her hands.
“When something like this happens, you should seek help from your father…”
“…Not a lowly Researcher Monet.”
Luwei bit her nail in indignation.
‘Oh, you Monet. When things are fine, I call you “respected Professor Monet,” but the moment there’s real trouble, you become “Researcher Monet”…’
However, Monet’s logic was reasonable.
A 3rd-tier Mage couldn’t hope to match a 6th-tier Great Archmage.
In the Bonds setting, tiers were strict:
-Magicians (Tiers 1–3): 50, 150, 450 mana
-Great Archmages (Tiers 4–6): 2,000, 10,000, 50,000 mana
-Arcanists (Tier 7+): millions of mana
And Luwei’s father, Duke Roy, a 7th-tier Arcanist known as the Lion of the North, already represented near-peak power.
Why didn’t Luwei seek him out?
“I don’t want to trouble Father.”
Luwei shook her head calmly, aware that every move Duke Roy made affected the continent’s balance.
Giving Roy the Life Potion had already been a major risk. If she provoked him to oppose the Vampire Princess, the plot would collapse.
“The war at the Frontline is intense. I cannot let Father be distracted,” she said.
“So, let’s ask someone else.”
“Is that… really the reason?”
A surge of emotion rose in Monet’s heart.
‘What a sensible child!’
Not only had she developed the Life Potion to change the tide of war, but even when she faced danger herself, her first thought was not to disturb her father.
Monet’s nose twitched with admiration.
Then she thought of something: those malicious rumors about Luwei—who could have spread them?
Princess Luwei was so well-behaved… how could she be seen as spoiled and profligate?
Amidst her indignation, Monet leaned down and patted Luwei’s shoulder.
“Very well, Princess Luwei. If you don’t want to trouble your father…”
She smiled. “You can seek help from the Third Princess, Fina.”
“Isn’t your relationship with the Third Princess always very good?”
“Trust me. With the Kingdom of Avalon at your back, the Vampire Princess won’t take the risk of harming you.”
Luwei twitched her lips.
The Third Princess, Fina…
She remembered.
As a side NPC, Fina’s presence was low. Even if she stepped in, the plot wouldn’t be affected much.
But there was a problem.
In the background lore, Fina had been Luwei’s childhood friend.
After Luwei became spoiled and overbearing, their relationship had long since frozen.
Even when Luwei was eventually driven out of Avalon by Angel Floxi, Fina only gave symbolic assistance before leaving her to fend for herself.
And now…
If Luwei went to beg Fina with such thick skin, would the other party really help?