Chapter 2: Master-Servant Contract? Unfortunately, For Me…

"Master-Servant Contract?"

Phyllis's heart sank once again.

In this fantasy world, anything involving those few words was never a good thing.

It usually meant the most thorough deprivation of one's will and even their soul.

However, if it was a contract...

"That's right, a Master-Servant Contract."

Carola stood up and leaned over slightly, her white hair sliding gently off her shoulder.

"I plan to keep you by my side as my... hmm, Vassal? Emergency food? Pet? Forget it, anyway, it’s one of those roles. I just haven't decided on a specific title yet."

Every word Carola spoke caused Phyllis's cat ears to flatten backward uncontrollably.

[A pet? Emergency food? You've got to be kidding me!]

She was... well, fine, she was just a Cat Girl now, but inside she was still a soul who had experienced the era of the information explosion!

How could she possibly become such an existence!

"Ha! I refuse, meow!"

Phyllis responded firmly.

"Oh? Hahaha!"

Carola laughed out loud as if she had heard a particularly amusing joke.

"Refuse? Unfortunately, the Master-Servant Contract is already complete. It’s not up to you! You can't refuse me—[Rise!]"

Carola’s already red eyes turned a deeper shade of crimson.

Following Carola's command, Phyllis felt the bite wound on her neck where her blood had been drained begin to heat up.

However, it only went as far as heating up.

Phyllis remained lying weakly on the bed without making any other movement.

???

In the heavy silence between the two, Carola leaned in closer to examine Phyllis carefully.

"Hmm? The contract should have been established? But... why isn't it working?"

Seeing the flash of bewilderment and inquiry in Carola's eyes, Phyllis's heart pounded wildly.

She forced her weakened body to stay still, trying to maintain a facade of calm, even making her gaze appear appropriately dazed and stubborn.

Internally, however, Phyllis silently opened the system interface that only she could see.

The first thing she saw was her newly acquired status.

[Blood Tribe's Master-Servant Contract: You have become the servant of the Blood Princess Carola.]

Then there was the permanent blessing she had received upon coming to this world.

[Protection of the Cat God: Immune to the constraints of any contract below the God-rank, but still cannot escape the range of the contract's influence.]

Just as she thought! The Master-Servant Contract was indeed successful, but the most critical "forced obedience" part had been neutralized by the [Protection of the Cat God]!

However, she hadn't truly escaped the contract either.

"What... do you want to do? Meow~"

Phyllis asked in a raspy voice, trying her best to make her confusion seem genuine.

Carola didn't answer.

She reached out, her cold fingertips touching the bite mark on Phyllis's neck. The dark red mark was glowing dimly in response to her touch.

Carola’s mana perception probed into Phyllis’s body through the mark like tentacles, carefully inspecting the contract's connection.

Phyllis felt a surge of mana enter her body.

But in her current state, she was powerless to resist. She could only grit her teeth and let Carola do as she pleased for the time being.

[Once I recover, I will definitely...]

"I see..." Carola withdrew her hand and frowned slightly. The blood-red color in her eyes faded a bit, returning to their original appearance.

"The contract was indeed successful! But the 'shackles' of the contract failed to merge into your soul. That's why I can't force you to follow my commands!" Carola straightened up, eyeing Phyllis on the bed thoughtfully, her gaze so sharp it seemed she wanted to see right through her. "Your soul... is truly special. It actually possesses an 'immunity' characteristic toward contracts?"

Phyllis’s heart tightened. She hadn't expected Carola to detect part of her uniqueness so quickly.

However, she couldn't reveal the existence of the [Protection of the Cat God], let alone the system.

And now, this Blood Tribe girl was attributing the anomaly to the uniqueness of her soul?

[This might be an information gap I can exploit.]

Phyllis lowered her eyelashes, putting on a weak and slightly annoyed expression: "Commands?... In other words, you wanted to control me, but because of my soul's uniqueness, it didn't work, right meow?"

"It is indeed much weaker than I expected, but the connection between us has been established. You have become my Vassal, and you cannot escape too far beyond the range of my perception."

Carola raised an eyebrow and paced back to the armchair. She picked up the wine glass again, gently swirling the remaining liquid inside.

"What does that mean, meow?"

Phyllis looked toward Carola.

"...It means you can't run away..." Carola took a sip, her crimson tongue licking the corner of her lips. "The foundation of the contract still exists. My 'gift' to you will slowly take effect. And all you need to do... is provide me with blood periodically."

Phyllis’s heart sank a little.

It seemed that although she had avoided the worst "control" thanks to the [Protection of the Cat God], she still couldn't leave the side of this Blood Tribe girl.

Still, compared to completely losing her free will, this was a blessing in disguise.

At least she still had a chance to escape.

If her soul had been enslaved...

That would have been...

Truly hopeless.

Phyllis was silent for a moment. Her cat ears twitched cautiously, and her tail swept across the bedsheets somewhat restlessly.

She was starting to pick up on something strange in Carola's words.

"Is that all, meow?"

Phyllis’s deep blue eyes stared straight at Carola, trying to find more information from that exquisite but pale face.

"You went through so much effort to catch me just to get an uncooperative mobile blood bank that needs 'periodic feeding' meow?"

[What are you even after?]

Phyllis only dared to say those words in her mind.

"Tch..."

Carola’s fingers tightened around the wine glass. Her knuckles turned white, and the crystal wall of the glass emitted a faint, strained sound.

She looked away, staring at the flickering shadows on the wall. Her profile looked somewhat blurred under the cutting light and shadow.

"...A pet needs some autonomy too. A complete puppet would be too boring..."

Carola spoke with a heavy tone, as if she were trying to convince herself.

[It's only because my blessing worked and the forced command was negated. Otherwise, I'd be that 'boring' puppet right now.]

Phyllis thought to herself, a subtle expression inevitably leaking onto her face.

[Keep making things up. I've had professional training; I definitely won't laugh!]

"However..." Carola naturally noticed Phyllis's expression. She stood up and reached out to pinch Phyllis's chin. "You don't think that without the contract's constraints, you can escape my grasp, do you? Little kitten~"

[Really? I don't believe you!]

Again, she only dared to say this in her head.

With her chin pinched by Carola, Phyllis could only give in and nod.

After all, she had tried; she really couldn't beat Carola in a fight.

"Very good."

Carola let go.

"Furthermore, your blood is very special. Not just the taste..." Carola paused, seemingly weighing her words. "Your blood contains an aura that makes me feel comfortable. Just a simple feeding gave me a rare sense of peace. So..."

"So you want to keep me as a pet? Meow?"

Phyllis narrowed her eyes.

"No."

Carola leaned in slightly, her white hair falling forward. Her blood-red eyes gazed at Phyllis from a close distance, swirling with a complex and stubborn emotion that Phyllis couldn't quite decipher.

"Now, I want you to be my lover~"

Carola spoke to Phyllis very clearly, word by word.

???

Several question marks appeared over Phyllis's head.