Chapter 37

Chapter 37 – Pet Shop

After leaving the café, Heather grabbed Mirabelle's arm and dragged her forward in another direction without letting the latter say anything. Both of them were still wearing veils that concealed their identities. Thus, others weren't able to tell that the two were in a master and pet relationship. The two of them actually seemed like very good friends.

"Where… where should we go next? Master…"

Mirabelle felt like it was difficult for her to speak to Heather after experiencing what just happened.

"I have a nice place that I want to show you…"

Heather walked on the street with Mirabelle as if this was just a normal walk. Mirabelle's expression was filled with anxiety as she kept being dragged around by Heather. Since Heather said this was a "nice place", then the place definitely wouldn't be a nice place at all.

However, Mirabelle had no right to refuse. She was merely Heather's pet. She had to obey and go anywhere that her master wanted. She had to do whatever her master commanded. Mirabelle realized this quite well after several days of being a pet.

Mirabelle absolutely didn't want to be locked up in that small dark room again. That small dark room had already become a dark shadow in her heart that was impossible to forget. In fact, not only did she not want to go to the small dark room, Mirabelle would always feel tremendous fear at nighttime if she spent a few minutes in any place that was slightly narrow. Thus, Mirabelle always had to obey Heather's commands whenever the latter mentioned locking her up in the small dark room.

At any rate, Mirabelle knew by now that if she resisted, she would be treated horribly. The only path available for her was to be an obedient pet and listen to what Heather wanted.

Honestly, as Mirabelle stood on the street which didn't have many vampires on it, she really wanted to shake off Heather's hand from around her wrist and run off into the distance. However, Mirabelle recalled Heather's cheat-like physical abilities. Even though Mirabelle had previously edited her own Dexterity stat to 9999, it had still been impossible for her to escape from Heather.

Actually, at that time, Mirabelle could have used her 9999 Dexterity stat to directly jump over the town walls and run somewhere outside. However, she had been worried about her mother. This was the same reason why she stayed in this city and ran all over town while being chased by Heather, until her data modification time limit was used up and she was captured due to having no energy left.

Mirabelle and Heather soon arrived at a certain store's entrance. It seemed that this store was highly popular, with many customers and a significant number of vampires crowding around the store entrance. Vampires who exited the store would have a leashed elf as a pet.

"This… this is?"

Mirabelle glanced at the store entrance and saw that there was a sign saying "Pet Shop" in the vampire language. She then became really afraid of this pet shop.

"Yep, you'll soon find out once you come inside with me…"

Heather directly grabbed the collar on Mirabelle's neck. She then went around the vampires lined up at the store entrance and walked to the very front. Mirabelle once again experienced what it felt like to be dragged by a collar around one's neck, which really was quite an unpleasant sensation.

"Could you let us go in first?"

"No, no, there are rules here. Nobody is allowed to cut the line and enter early!"

Two strong-seeming guards at the entrance were looking at Mirabelle and Heather with stern expressions.

'These two girls are wearing suspicious veils that make it seem like they are here to cause trouble. How dare they cause trouble in front of a vampire prince's store? They really don't value their lives at all. In that case, I should show them what's up for their own good.'

However, Heather brought out a crest from her skirt pocket and handed it to the two guards. Once again, Heather spoke in a cold tone to the two vampire guards.

"If it's like this, will I be able to enter?"

"I just told you that there are no exceptions…"

Before the vampire guard completed his sentence, he casually glanced over at the crest. This was a golden and shiny crest with an emblem that made one of the guards really change his expression.

"You… You're…"

The guard who saw Heather's crest immediately ran over to pull on the other guard. This other guard standing next to him was evidently older and more experienced. When this guard saw the crest, he immediately lowered his head and apologized to Heather.

"My apologies… this fellow is a newcomer, so he wasn't notified about your appointment. You've also arrived earlier than we expected, thus many nobles have yet to arrive."

"It's fine. I'm not someone so narrow-minded. At any rate, let us go inside first."

Heather didn't even glance at the two guards as she said this. She was gently caressing Mirabelle's water-blue long hair and observing the latter's cute reactions.

"Alright, no problem at all. I will show you inside. Carr, continue maintaining order here as I show these two ladies inside…"

"I… I understand…"

The vampire guard named Carr seemed like he hadn't recovered from his shock yet. He could only watch Heather bring Mirabelle inside the store.

'So she's our… with such a tiny body, it's impossible to tell that she has tremendous strength. However… I can't judge her based on appearances. Under her cute appearance, perhaps she's hiding amazing power – that's also possible.'

Mirabelle entered the store and heard all sorts of crying and screaming, which made Mirabelle feel so afraid that she hid behind Heather. After passing through a long and dark corridor, Mirabelle saw many elves locked inside cages. Thus, she understood. This was a place where others of her own kind were locked up and sold to the vampire higher-ups and nobles, a place where elven slaves exchanged hands, just like the auction house from before.

However, the elves being sold at the auction house were of higher quality than the elves sold here. The elves being sold here were even more pitiful than Nim, who had been born in a [production facility].

Mirabelle couldn't understand why her master Heather had brought her to such a place. At any rate, she felt really afraid. As she felt this, Heather suddenly removed the veil and cap concealing Mirabelle's identity.

Mirabelle looked with fear towards Heather, who also removed her own veil and cap to show her cute face.

'Could she be trying to sell me-'

"Rest assured, I won't sell you. I will forever be your master. I won't sell you, no matter what happens."

Mirabelle carefully tried to confirm after hearing this, "R, really? You really won't sell me?"

"Of course not. You're so cute and your blood is so delicious. How could I possibly want to sell you? I brought you here simply to show them all my pet, so that they will stop trying to give me low-quality products-"

'Basically, this is a competition of who has the lower-quality pets!? No, no, I'm not a pet!'

Mirabelle kept feeling inwardly conflicted. However, she forgot that Heather had mind-reading magic which could hear every single one of her thoughts clearly.

'This little girl's thoughts are really so lively.'

Heather originally thought that she had purchased a pet who was a mental zombie, since all elves born in the vampires' production facilities had eyes resembling that of the dead. Thus, Heather figured that Mirabelle would be the same. She never expected that Mirabelle would be so interesting. Heather never felt bored even when staying the entire day by Mirabelle's side. The elf Mirabelle was capable of easing her boredom, as well as providing her with delicious blood to drink.

'I truly have picked up a treasure.'

Heather felt that she had truly gained so much from having spent 300 million to purchase this pet. If the pet was too obedient, Heather would have felt such a blood slave to be completely boring. A personality like Mirabelle's – a pet who inwardly resisted but was forced to submit to her, a blood slave with this type of personality was most suited for her.

Heather Alliyah. She had come here for another more important objective apart from showing off her blood slave Mirabelle –

The two of them were soon brought to the main hall, where a purple-haired woman was sitting and waiting for them. This purple-haired woman also held on to the leash of a brown-haired elf who had a listless expression as she sat next to the purple-haired woman's side.

When the seated purple-haired woman saw Heather, she immediately tugged on the collared elf's chain and elegantly walked over towards Heather. When the purple-haired woman saw Mirabelle, her purple eyes flashed with a cruel light.

"Long time no see, Milady Heather. Is she your blood slave? Indeed, she's quite cute. I heard that you purchased her for 300 million gold coins?"

The purple-haired woman reached out her hand to touch Mirabelle, but the latter was so scared that she immediately hid behind Heather.

"That has nothing to do with you. Please don't touch her so casually…"

Heather protected Mirabelle behind her and spoke in a very chilly tone to the purple-haired woman. It seemed as if sparks were flying when the two exchanged glances. Mirabelle couldn't help but think that the two had a rather subtle relationship as she watched from the side.

Mirabelle felt a deep sensation of fear towards the purple-haired woman. It was easy to tell just from looking at the purple-haired woman's pet – that elf's originally white and tender skin was heavily scarred by whip marks. Apart from her face, her entire body was covered in whip lashes.

This… this was far worse than what Heather did. Wasn't this purple-haired woman just a pure s̲a̲d̲i̲s̲t̲? Mirabelle felt powerless against someone like this who loved to abuse their pet. Thus, she instinctively looked towards Heather for assistance.