“There’s no side effect, right?”

In the dimly lit basement of a secluded tavern, an authoritative feminine voice echoed. Between the folds of a hood, striking golden hair peeked out, and her crimson eyes glinted ominously.

The woman sat elegantly with her legs crossed. In front of her, a bald man was pressed flat against the floor, groveling.

“Yes. The human experiments have passed countless tests.”

“Really? If, by any chance, I see signs of addiction in my Tina, the price will be your life.”

“You needn’t worry. I’ve only used pure ingredients, so there’s absolutely no harm to the human body.”

The man bowed even lower and handed her a vial. The woman stared at the potion for a while, then, with a satisfied smile, tossed a heavy pouch of coins onto the ground. The pouch was filled with gleaming gold coins. The man immediately knelt and treasured the pouch as if it were a priceless gem.

“Of course, no one knows about this, right?”

“You needn’t worry. I haven’t breathed a word to anyone.”

“So that means no one knows?”

At her question, the man confidently puffed out his chest and answered loudly.

“Yes! That’s correct!”

“Lie.”

“Y-Yes?”

The bald man’s eyes blinked blankly at her words. As her red lips curved into a crescent, her delicate finger pointed at him.

“Here it is. Someone who knows.”

“M-Mardian….”

The man began to tremble as he understood the woman’s intent. He immediately buried his head into the ground, earnestly begging her. However, no matter how desperate his pleas were, the venomous glare in her eyes showed no signs of softening.

“Thanks for the potion. Because of you, I can treat Tina’s trauma.”

“Th-There’s actually a deadly side effect in that potion! I kept quiet for my safety, but if she takes it—”

“Pfft. You’re trying hard.”

The man stammered, desperately trying to retract his words, but the cold mockery in her red eyes remained unchanged.

“Even if there are side effects, it’s okay. Even if Tina becomes disabled, I can raise her with love for a lifetime.”

“P-Please…”

The woman stood gracefully and walked past the man. She disappeared without leaving a single glance or trace behind.

Soon after, mysterious figures emerged from the shadows of the door she vanished into. Their silhouettes slowly loomed over the bald man. He could only mutter his dying words with a look of despair.

“Damned…nobles…”

Amidst unsettling noises, the woman smiled without a flicker of unease as she gazed at the small vial in her hand. A soft glow shimmered in her eyes.

“Ah. Tina, just wait a little longer.”

I never imagined my Tina had such painful scars when she was young. To be assaulted by her biological father—if that scoundrel were alive, I’d have flayed him alive. What a pity.

How difficult it must have been for her all this time.

But worry no more, dear sister. I’ll give you pleasures you won’t find anywhere else. So intense that you’ll forget that damned rapist. When the time comes, we’ll enjoy every night together.

That will be the time. You will finally become my pet for life.

“Uhuh….”

With blood-laced light, the woman’s red irises shone.

She sparkled like a true villainess.

—

On a refreshing morning, the sun shone warmly, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves. In the middle of a vast garden, young ladies gathered for a tea party, laughing and chatting joyfully.

In the atmosphere filled with cheerful conversations, Sharione glanced at me, her expression sulky.

“Tina. Do you have nothing to say to us?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Next month is your birthday. Why haven’t you sent us any invitations?”

“Oh, how did you know…?”

“Don’t underestimate the rumors in High Society, Tina.”

Honestly, I wasn’t completely clueless on how they found out. I had intentionally leaked the information about my birthday. However, I timidly muttered with a defeated look.

“…Our family doesn’t have much money. No matter how small a party it might be, I thought it best not to host one.”

“What nonsense are you talking about, Tina!”

Sharione’s face twisted in anger as she raised her voice. She stared at me with her sparkling blue eyes for a moment, then sighed briefly and hugged me tightly.

“Does the venue matter? Tina, you’re our pet; of course, we should celebrate together. You must host the party; this is an order from your owner.”

“But… I can’t invite noble ladies like you to such a shabby place.”

While some were trying to convince me otherwise, others nodded as if they agreed with my words. Among them, Sharione gently stroked my head, offering comfort.

“It’s alright. You’re adorable, after all.”

Encouraged by her warmth, I carefully looked at the young ladies surrounding me and spoke. Not wanting to appear too excited nor too timid.

“Then can I send the invitations…? I also want to spend time with my owners on my birthday.”

At my words, the young ladies chewed their lips lightly and then, as if they couldn’t hold back, all wrapped their arms around me tightly.

“Of course! Regardless of anything else, we’ll definitely attend!”

“Hehe, I’ve been wanting to give you a dress I had in mind for quite a while, so this will be the perfect time to gift it to you. You’ll wear it, right?”

“You don’t need to worry about refreshments. Since you’re poor, we’ll take care of the treats from our pastry shop!”

Among the young ladies doting on me with moon-shaped smiles, not a single negative comment emerged. While I wondered about sending invitations to the other young ladies, at least those here seemed eager to join.

Afterward, everything was easy. Once the tea party wrapped up and I returned home, I began to compose invitations, writing individually to each guest as the young ladies suggested.

I noted that my birthday was coming next month and that our territory was poor, so the party would be modest, but I would be delighted if they could come. I sent letters to Versha, Sharione, Mardian, and every young lady who adored me without fail.

I don’t think all of them will come. To them, I’m just a cherished pet; there aren’t many who care enough to spend personal time on me.

But that doesn’t matter. Even if just those three come, it would be successful enough. After all, most of the expensive gifts I received were bestowed by those three.

And if they came, there would surely be other young ladies following suit. No one in High Society holds as much influence as they do.

“Ah, there’s one more person…”

I recalled the delightful piano melody I had heard under the moonlight. I briefly pondered whether I should write to Viviana too.

After all, I had spent some time at her mansion, and we shared a relatively meaningful bond, so it wouldn’t be strange to invite her to a birthday party.

However, in the end, I decided against it. I could definitely tell before. Viviana is not someone I can handle. If Mardian is a fox, then Viviana is a tiger.

It would be better to avoid dragging her into this and risking unpredictable events. Besides, she probably wouldn’t care about a birthday party of mine anyway. It’s been over three months since I last saw her, so she might not even remember my name. Viviana is the type who doesn’t form deep bonds with others.

I sighed as I looked at the stack of invitations piled high. This means I have to send them to each young lady’s mansion. Since I don’t have a messenger hired specifically by the Blanc family, I have to go to a place like the monastery to deliver them myself.

Once all preparations were done, I stood up, clutching the envelopes to my chest. But suddenly, a sharp pain made me let out a short whimper and sit back down.

I groaned silently for a while, gripping the chair, and as the pain subsided, I grimaced and muttered.

“Ugh… periods really….”

I’ve heard it’s an act to expel dead eggs. Since there’s no chance of getting pregnant anyway, I don’t understand why I have to endure this pain. If I had the option, I’d want to remove the organs that produce eggs right away.

With that brief lament, I popped a piece of chocolate my mother had given me into my mouth. The sweetness, filled with my mother’s affection, washed over my tongue, gradually alleviating the throbbing pain.

I slapped my cheeks to regain my resolve. I couldn’t afford to linger like this. It would take all day just to send the invitations. Wearing a bright smile on my face, I skipped out the door.

When I stepped outside with the invitations in hand, the cold air hit me. Yet, my mind was swirling with various desires.

My upcoming birthday.

I was sure it would be filled with good things.

Hmm… actually…

As long as I have good fortune with money, that would be enough.