Chapter 41

When I first heard that, I couldn’t help but laugh at Viviana. Imprisonment? What a ridiculous notion. She even said she’d keep me locked up in her mansion for a whole month.

‘No way, stupid Viviana.’

Countless young ladies have told me they wanted to lock me up and keep me forever. But none of them ever actually did it.

The reason is obvious.

Even if I act like a pet, I’m still a person at my core. Locking me up like an “animal” in her mansion is morally and ethically wrong in so many ways. Of course, the psycho, crazy, lesbian villain Mardian is an exception, but anyone with common sense would know how absurd this is.

My mother, who loves me more than anything in the world, would immediately grit her teeth and stop Viviana.

“Then I’ll convince your mother, so just come along without a fuss.”

Viviana spoke confidently. I hid a sneer at her attitude.

‘No way.’

My mother loves me so much. Convincing her to let me go for a whole month? It’d be easier to reform Mardian into a good person.

I smirked at Viviana and said, “You’re just digging your own grave, Viviana.”

*Giggle-*

***

“Listen well to the princess, Tina.”

“Huh? Mother…?”

I looked up at her with dazed, panicked eyes. My trembling hands clutched at her clothes. But my mother, oblivious to my crumbling heart, simply smiled gently and patted my head.

What on earth is going on? My mother is letting me go like this? I thought she’d definitely throw a fit and stop Viviana, but she’s sending me off to Viviana without a fight?

“Uh, Mother…? If I go, I won’t see you for a whole month…?”

“Don’t worry, Tina. The princess said you can visit anytime she’s free, so it’s not like we won’t see each other.”

“But… you won’t get my morning kisses…? You’ll be so lonely without me hugging you every day…?”

“That does hurt a bit… but I’ll manage somehow. Go on, now.”

My mother’s firm resolve left my mind blank. I couldn’t understand what was happening. My mother loves and cherishes me so much—how could she agree to a month-long separation?

“Stop making your mother uncomfortable and come along quietly.”

“Eek?”

Viviana’s cold voice echoed in my ears. That one sentence brought me back to reality. I was still staring at my mother’s face, but her resolute expression said it all. Hanging on any longer would be pointless. My mother had already made up her mind. She was sending me to Viviana.

“Uh, Mother… why…?”

“Mommy will always love you, Tina.”

My mother smiled softly. After that, like a cow being led to the slaughterhouse, I was dragged along by Viviana’s hand, helplessly following her.

At the mansion’s main gate, a huge carriage was waiting for us. Even as I boarded the carriage, I couldn’t let go of my attachment to my mother and kept looking back, but she just quietly watched me. With the pitiful eyes of an abandoned puppy, I gazed at her, but she still shook her head with a faint smile.

As the carriage door closed and the scenery outside the window began to move, I blinked in a daze. My mother sending me off like this wasn’t part of my plan at all.

There was only one thing I could predict in this situation.

“You threatened her, didn’t you?”

I glared sharply at Viviana. She let out a soft chuckle, propped her chin on her hand, and shrugged.

“Maybe. What do you think?”

“There’s no way my mother would let me go like this otherwise.”

Clearly, Viviana must have used some underhanded method to threaten her. My mother would never want to send me away, but she must have been forced to by Viviana’s threats.

As expected of a sociopathic protagonist. No matter the country, it’s an unwritten rule not to mess with someone’s mother, but for her own goals, she doesn’t care about such things.

“Think what you want.”

Despite my piercing glare, Viviana laughed it off lightly. The fact that she didn’t deny it meant my prediction was right.

‘Mother must be so sad. I’ll have to understand.’

To send me away under such vile threats, my mother’s heart must be torn apart.

As I comforted myself, imagining my mother crying her eyes out, the carriage soon arrived at Viviana’s mansion. The grand iron gates opened, revealing a fortress-like mansion before my eyes.

Even though I’d been here before, I couldn’t help but gasp at the mansion’s majestic presence. The scale of the mansion was beyond words. Endless gardens adorned with blooming flowers, and in the midst of it all, a castle-like mansion stood tall.

In a daze, I stepped out of the carriage. Countless servants, incomparable to the poor Blanchard family, greeted Viviana. They all bowed deeply, dressed in perfectly neat attire. Viviana nodded lightly in acknowledgment.

‘…She’s like a queen.’

I could feel their gazes on me. Some looked at me with curiosity, while others had wary eyes. As always, I greeted them with a bright, charming smile. Even those who had been looking at me with suspicion seemed flustered by my smile.

“Follow me.”

Viviana led me into the mansion. The interior was as lavish as the exterior. A golden chandelier sparkled from the ceiling, and expensive paintings hung on the walls. It felt like stepping into a magnificent palace.

Silently following Viviana, I pondered various thoughts. Why did Viviana bring me here? Just for her own amusement? Or because she really couldn’t stand seeing me smile at other young ladies?

‘…Viviana’s a bit weird.’

Normally, a master wouldn’t lock up their pet just for being friendly to others. A normal person would even give them a treat for being so well-behaved. But our sociopathic master isn’t giving me any treats—instead, she’s locking me up here for a whole month.

Walking through the hallway, we arrived deep inside the mansion at Viviana’s office. The clean and sophisticated interior still felt somewhat bitter and quiet. Not much had changed since the last time I was here.

As soon as Viviana entered the room, she pulled out a luxurious piece of paper from a drawer and began writing something. Then, she handed the paper to me. It was a contract.

“Read it. Then sign.”

“Hmm…”

I took the contract and slowly read through it. Perhaps because she had experience writing contracts, Viviana’s contract was quite detailed and formal.

==========================

This contract is hereby confirmed between Viviana Merdelia (hereinafter referred to as “Master”) and Tina Blanchard (hereinafter referred to as “Pet”). This contract consists of the following terms.

**Article 1: Relationship**

1.1. The Pet shall become the property of the Master upon the signing of this contract and is obligated to obey all demands and commands of the Master.

1.2. The Master, as the protector and owner of the Pet, is responsible for all actions of the Pet and must care for the Pet.

**Article 2: Duties of the Pet**

2.1. The Pet must prioritize the Master’s satisfaction and strive to ensure the Master’s happiness and comfort.

2.2. The Pet is obligated to provide labor as demanded by the Master and must fulfill the Master’s emotional and physical needs.

**Article 3: Duties of the Master**

3.1. The Master is fully responsible for the Pet’s financial matters and must provide full support to ensure the Pet does not face economic difficulties.

3.2. The Master must take all necessary measures to ensure the Pet lives a healthy and safe life.

**Article 4: Punishment and Rewards**

4.1. If the Pet fails to fulfill the obligations of this contract, the Master has the right to administer appropriate punishment. The extent and severity of the punishment are at the Master’s discretion.

4.2. Conversely, if the Pet exceeds the Master’s expectations in providing satisfaction, the Master may reward the Pet. The type and scale of the reward are at the Master’s discretion.

**Article 5: Termination of Contract**

5.1. This contract cannot be unilaterally terminated without the consent of both parties.

5.2. The validity period of this contract is 3 years.

==========================

The more I read, the more shocked I was. The contract clearly revealed Viviana’s intentions. Although I’d heard it before, seeing the contract directly made a faint dread seep into my chest.

“…This is.”

Viviana smiled quietly, looking into my eyes. There wasn’t a hint of wavering in her gaze.

“That’s right. From now on, you’ll be my pet. In exchange for becoming my property, your family will no longer face financial difficulties, and I’ll enjoy the pleasure of having you all to myself.”

“…But there are things here we didn’t discuss.”

“Oh?”

“You didn’t mention anything about punishment…! And what’s this clause here!”

I pointed at a section of the contract and glared at Viviana.

**[2.2. The Pet is obligated to provide all labor as demanded by the Master and must fulfill the Master’s emotional and physical needs.]**

“Emotional needs aside… what do you mean by fulfilling physical needs? Don’t tell me you’re like Mardian…?”

“Of course not.”

Viviana lightly flicked my forehead. It stung a bit, but it wasn’t painful.

“I go to the front lines once a month, and my body gets tired. It’s the Pet’s role to relieve that physical fatigue, isn’t it?”

“…You mean like a massage?”

“Yeah, that’d be nice.”

A massage wasn’t so bad. The Pet’s role is solely for the Master’s satisfaction—what’s so hard about rubbing a tired body a few times?

“And don’t worry about punishment. As long as you act solely for me, it’ll never happen.”

“…”

“With this contract, I’ll immediately settle all the Blanchard family’s debts. I’ll even send a small consolation payment.”

At Viviana’s words, my eyes lit up. I remembered the real reason I willingly walked into Viviana’s mansion.

The family’s debt.

The debt that my mother would have to spend at least five years grinding her health away to pay off, Viviana promised to settle in an instant. Moreover, the contract stated that she would fully support my financial difficulties.

‘If I play my cards right… I might be able to squeeze a lot out of her…’

This contract had benefits for Viviana, but there were also plenty of advantages for me. And there was one more thing. The clause about rewards if I satisfied Viviana. I pointed at it and looked at her.

“You’ll give me something expensive, right?”

“…You’re not even hiding your greed anymore.”

“Contracts need to be thorough.”

Viviana let out a short sigh but nodded in agreement. I imagined a cascade of gold coins and carefully read through the contract one last time.

“Alright.”

I took the fountain pen Viviana handed me and signed my name. There didn’t seem to be any tricks, and the validity period was clearly stated as three years.

It wasn’t hard. Even if I’m incompetent, I’m confident I can satisfy someone as a pet. For three years, I’ll rake in Viviana’s “rewards” and make the Blanchard family even wealthier. And then, my lifelong dream of a carefree, happy life will unfold.

When I handed the contract back to Viviana, she also signed her name and stamped it with the grand seal of the Merdelia Ducal Family.

“Alphonse.”

When Viviana suddenly called out, an elderly man with a dignified presence appeared from outside the office. He glanced at me, gave a short bow, and then addressed Viviana respectfully.

“You called.”

“Make two copies of this contract and submit one to the temple. Make sure it’s thoroughly sealed so it can’t be opened.”

Usually, contracts are submitted to the temple or the imperial palace. That way, the institution guarantees the contract’s validity. If one party violates the contract in the future, the sealed contract can be opened to hold a fair trial.

“Yes. Understood.”

The old man bowed briefly and left with the letter. Once he was gone, I took a deep breath and turned my gaze back to Viviana.

“Viviana, then now— Eek!?!”

Before I knew it, Viviana had stood up and approached me, lifting me up in another unexpected princess carry. She carried me out of the office and walked toward another part of the mansion.

“W-Wait…”

We soon arrived at a large bedroom. From the atmosphere and structure, it was clear at first glance that this was Viviana’s room.

“Your job is simple. Just act cute in the room and satisfy me.”

She threw me onto the bed. Startled by the sudden action, I fell onto the bed, but the surprisingly soft mattress enveloped me comfortably.

But that was short-lived. Viviana pulled out a thick rope and tied one of my arms to the bedpost.

“Ugh.”

The pressure of the tightening rope made me groan.

“I don’t have handcuffs right now. Just wait a bit.”

“H-Handcuffs?”

“Like I said, you’re being imprisoned here for a month.”

Imprisonment.

Even hearing it again, it was a word I couldn’t get used to.

“From now on, you’re my pet, Tina. You must exist solely for me. But you wagged that pretty tail of yours at other young ladies, didn’t you? This is the punishment I mentioned earlier.”

“…”

“Don’t even think about leaving this room for a month. Of course, if you do well, I might let you visit other parts of the mansion.”

Viviana looked down at me, tied to the bed, with an unreadable smile.

“Tina, you need to answer me.”

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