A Dangerous Bargain for a Beloved Friend

“What? You’re going to the Land of Elves?”

Claire Krieg’s eyes widened, her face etched with surprise.

“Yes…”

“What for? To clear a dungeon?”

“No.”

Instinctively, Seraphina Scarlett glanced north.

“I have a friend, and she’s trapped in the Land of Elves.”

“Let me guess, is it Miss Iliya… oh no, Miss Iqiyah?”

“Exactly.” Seraphina Scarlett nodded.

“Though it’s a little embarrassing to admit directly, she is truly the most important person in my life so far.”

“Therefore, I must save her.”

“So…” Seraphina Scarlett’s gaze sharpened, meeting Claire Krieg’s eyes with newfound resolve. “I need the Krieg family’s help.”

Claire Krieg bridged her hands, resting her chin upon them, and fell into a profound silence.

Gulp.

Seraphina Scarlett swallowed, her heart churning with unease.

‘Would this ring truly secure the Krieg family’s unconditional assistance, as Claire Krieg had claimed?’

Watching Claire Krieg, who appeared to be weighing pros and cons, lost in indecision, Seraphina Scarlett felt a pang of uncertainty.

However, contrary to Seraphina Scarlett’s assumptions, Claire Krieg was hardly bothered by such a minor request.

Seraphina Scarlett’s imagination was simply limited by her material understanding. For the Krieg Conglomerate, which held the economic lifeline of the entire Human Empire, sending Seraphina Scarlett to the Land of Elves as a state guest for three years, then grandly bringing her back from across vast distances, would cost no more than a single cell lost from a human body.

Such an expense would barely register a ripple on their colossal ledger.

What truly troubled Claire Krieg was this:

‘We’ve only just reunited, and now you want to leave me again?’

Seraphina Scarlett had no idea how deeply Claire Krieg had missed her.

Imagine this: a stunning, graceful young woman with an exotic flair (black hair) saves your life with incredible power when you are at death’s door.

Then, at your invitation, she comes to your home, and you share some interesting, intimate moments… Though there are a few minor incidents, you undeniably spend an unforgettable afternoon with her.

You know you are infatuated with her beauty and even more captivated by her poise. So, before she leaves, you willingly offer her a keepsake, a token of affection imbued with special meaning.

Watching her receding back, you begin to yearn for your next reunion.

Then, she vanishes into the crowd, never to be seen again.

To find her, you scour the entire town, hire countless private detectives, and donate enormous sums to the town guard, eventually even spending a fortune to post a missing person’s notice with a bounty comparable to that of a certain straw-hatted man.

Yet, half a month passes, and all your efforts sink into the abyss, yielding nothing.

Just when you begin to believe she might have been but a fleeting dream, a mere illusion in your life, fate brings her back to you.

And then, she tells you she wants to use your token of affection, exchange it for money, to save another woman.

‘Seriously, dude?’

Claire Krieg’s unrequited crush on Seraphina Scarlett, coupled with this intense feeling of imbalance, caused her possessive ambition to surge dramatically.

‘No… absolutely not!’

Gazing into Seraphina Scarlett’s crystalline red eyes, sparkling like cranberry juice, Claire Krieg made a firm decision.

‘I must find a way to snatch her away from that vampire when Seraphina Scarlett and Iqiyah are separated!’

“Do you want my help? Of course.”

Though Claire Krieg usually carried herself with the haughty air of a high-born lady, this time, she could only force herself to maintain her composure, her lips twitching downwards.

“But I have a condition!”

“What condition?”

This was far better than the outright refusal she had anticipated. The moment Claire Krieg responded, Seraphina Scarlett, unable to contain her excitement, instinctively leaned towards Claire Krieg’s face.

Within Claire Krieg’s emerald green eyes, Seraphina Scarlett’s crimson pupils suddenly shimmered with ripples like a morning lake—a unique reaction of vampires when agitated.

A soft gasp escaped her.

In that instant, the plea in Seraphina Scarlett’s eyes pierced Claire Krieg’s heart, filling her with profound guilt.

‘She saved my life, yet here I am, harboring such selfish thoughts about her. Is this really right?’

However, even this fleeting sense of remorse lasted for only a brief moment.

The very next second, Claire Krieg’s conscience was completely washed away by Seraphina Scarlett’s pitiable and captivating beauty.

‘Damn it, that expression is too unfair! Who wouldn’t want to possess her?’

“Ahem! My condition is… you come to my mansion and be my maid for a week!”

The moment these words were uttered, everyone present was stunned.

“M-m-m-m-miss…!” The butler was the first to speak. “This simply won’t do! To this day, the family has never…”

“Address me by my title when working!”

“Yes, Miss, oh no, Leader! While the Krieg family widely recruits talented individuals, there has never been a precedent for employing a vampire as a maid!”

“So what? Aren’t there elf maids in the manor? They both have pointed ears, so why can’t a vampire be a maid?”

“Heh heh…” In his urgency, the butler no longer cared for formalities. “Vampires are very dangerous! They feed on the blood of other races, and they might harm you, Miss…!”

“Hey, you just reminded me! I was just looking for a master-servant theme!”

****

Meanwhile, elsewhere…

A cacophony of chattering discussions erupted, revealing that countless vampire maids were hidden nearby, eavesdropping on what should have been a confidential conversation.

“L-L-L-Lady Seraphina Scarlett!”

With a flash, Fulkarn instantly slid to her knees at Seraphina Scarlett’s feet. “As Lady Iqiyah’s maid, you absolutely cannot bring shame upon her!”

Opposite Fulkarn, Cardo also emerged from within Seraphina Scarlett.

‘Seraphina Scarlett, are you certain? Compared to vampires, human hearts are far darker and more terrifying, especially when dealing with the pampered daughter of a monopoly conglomerate. She must be incredibly cunning!’

‘What if something goes wrong…?’

‘Tsk… what shame, what if? At this point, what other choice do I have?’

‘If you’re so capable, then authorize the Scarlett family’s bank account to me!’

Gritting her teeth, Seraphina Scarlett made up her mind for the sake of her beloved.

‘Alright! I agree!’

The moment Seraphina Scarlett agreed, the previously noisy space fell silent.

‘Excellent.’

Though her words were calm, Claire Krieg could not conceal the smile playing on her lips.

‘Since you’ve agreed, then… how about you call me Master?’

Despite her firm resolve, Seraphina Scarlett hesitated for a second when faced with Claire Krieg’s demand.

For no other reason than this: though the address hadn’t been used in a long time, she had truly only ever called one person ‘Mistress’ in her entire life.

‘Sigh… there’s no way around it. If I call her Mistress, I betray Iqiyah; but if I don’t call her Mistress, I can’t save Iqiyah.’

‘What kind of incompetent Mistress… damn it, this plot is too Japanese.’

Striving to suppress her reluctance, Seraphina Scarlett recalled her memories from when she first arrived at the Blood Manor. Skillfully, she leaned forward, gently kneeling before Claire Krieg.

‘Mistress…’

For a moment, Seraphina Scarlett felt as though she had returned to that afternoon when Iqiyah had taken her in.