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“Please come in.”
The ghostly voice came from behind the door.
Phyllis cautiously walked into the library.
The door closed quietly behind her once she entered.
“Wow.”
The sight before her made her involuntarily hold her breath.
This was practically a miniature library.
Dark wooden bookshelves that reached all the way to the ceiling were packed tightly with books and scrolls of various sizes and materials.
“The shelves are categorized. Please consult them as needed. If you are looking for a specific book, you may ask me. However, please note that some volumes involving advanced magic or forbidden knowledge are sealed separately and cannot be opened.”
The ghost explained to Phyllis.
“Okay. I understand, meow.”
Phyllis nodded and walked toward the interior of the library.
She had no intention of asking the ghost for books related to the master-servant contract. What if it reported her to Karola?
What pleased her was that the two small bats were blocked outside the library.
This allowed Phyllis to temporarily avoid being watched.
Phyllis casually walked to the section labeled “Magic Studies: Contract Magic.”
The bookshelves here were relatively old. Most of the book covers were dark leather, and some titles were written in scripts Phyllis did not recognize.
Fortunately, she could read most of the titles.
Phyllis scanned the shelves row by row, searching for the book she wanted.
What troubled her slightly was that, due to her height, she could not see the top two shelves.
Luckily, as a catkin, this was not a difficult problem.
“Heave-ho.”
Phyllis gave a small jump on the spot. During the brief moment in the air, she used her dynamic vision to quickly scan the titles on the top two shelves.
Good. Neither of the top shelves contained the book she was looking for.
Phyllis relaxed a little.
Otherwise, she would have had to worry about how to get the book down.
“Huh? This one should work.”
At the very end of the shelf, Phyllis finally saw the book she wanted.
She stood on tiptoe and pulled out a book titled Bloodkin Master-Servant Contracts: Theory and Case Analysis.
The book was heavy. Phyllis carried it to a nearby reading table and eagerly flipped it open.
In addition to large amounts of text, it contained complex magic circle diagrams and annotations.
Phyllis forced herself to calm down and used the speed-reading ability she had honed through countless exams back in high school in her previous life.
She quickly skipped the long introductions and basic theory.
Phyllis directly searched for sections on “the effectiveness of master-servant contracts,” “binding mechanisms,” and “abnormal situations.”
“…After completion of the master-servant contract, the servant’s body, magic, and even soul are bound by the contract…”
“…The strength of the binding is closely related to the master’s power, the completeness of the ritual at the time of formation, the servant’s own resistance of will, and whether high-tier interfering factors exist…”
“…Common high-tier interfering factors include divine blessings, world-level blessings, and same-origin or higher-tier bloodline suppression. Such interference may cause deviations in contract execution, weakened binding force, or unforeseen feedback…”
“Unforeseen feedback.”
Phyllis’s eyes lit up, and she tapped that line with her finger.
Then she continued reading.
“…After deviations occur, one may use personal charm to make her willingly become yours…”
Snap.
Phyllis abruptly closed the book.
‘Karola is not planning to do that, is she?’
Seeing this made Phyllis involuntarily think of Karola’s behavior over the past few days.
Could she be trying to make her…?
At that thought, Phyllis’s entire body began to tremble.
“That is too scary, meow.”
Phyllis opened the book again and continued reading.
…
Phyllis closed the book and put it back on the shelf.
Based on what she had read, her previous idea of reversing the perception had some feasibility.
A master-servant contract was generally not a purely one-way connection.
Aside from forced commands, the servant side should, in principle, be able to sense the condition of the master as well.
With compulsory orders in place, there was no need to worry about a servant daring to do anything to the master.
Having this function would instead make it easier for the master to manage servants.
“Then I will be going.”
Phyllis went to the door and said goodbye to the ghost.
She did not plan to borrow any books, so as not to let Karola discover what she was planning.
Phyllis followed the path back, her steps much faster than when she came.
She arrived at a familiar hall.
Phyllis sat down on a high-backed chair in the corner of the hall.
Several strands of afternoon sunlight slanted in through the castle’s tall windows, leaving behind patches of glaring light.
“Whew.”
Phyllis took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
She planned to try using the master-servant contract to peer back at Karola.
Phyllis closed her eyes and focused her thoughts on where the power of the master-servant contract resided within her.
She imitated the method described in the book for a servant sensing the master through the contract.
She relaxed her mind, opened her magical perception, and sensed the master through the power of the contract.
At first, Phyllis sensed only a blur of darkness and silence.
It was as if she were facing an abyss.
She felt power quietly flowing within her body through the master-servant contract, but the channel itself was still in a dormant state.
Phyllis did not feel discouraged and patiently maintained this state.
After an unknown amount of time, perhaps only a few minutes, or perhaps longer, an extremely faint fluctuation began to travel along the contract channel toward Karola.
“It is here.”
Phyllis became alert.
She quickly urged her consciousness to merge into that fluctuation.
Following it to the end of the channel, Phyllis saw Karola, an enormous presence at the far end.
Karola was lying there.
Her white long hair was spread out, and her breathtakingly precise features were calm.
Her body was wrapped in a black silk nightgown.
Phyllis was quite familiar with this.
Earlier that morning, she had lain on the bed and watched Karola change into this outfit before leaving her room.
It had to be said.
Setting aside the reason Karola had captured Phyllis and brought her to the castle.
From a purely aesthetic perspective.
Karola actually matched Phyllis’s tastes quite well.
White hair, red eyes, small—
Very nice, okay.
Moreover, there was something about Karola that made Phyllis quite envious.
“So big.”
Phyllis remarked meaningfully while looking at a certain area.
…
Phyllis opened her eyes.
She now knew where Karola’s sleeping room was.
Phyllis stood up and left the hall.
She planned to go take a look at where Karola slept.
The distance was not long, and Phyllis soon arrived at Karola’s room.
She gently pushed the door open.
Phyllis encountered no resistance.
Then she saw a coffin.
Phyllis: “…”
‘Luckily, Karola did not make me sleep together with her. Who could sleep inside a coffin?’
Phyllis did not disturb Karola and closed the door again.
Back in her room, Phyllis dove straight onto the bed.
Before long, small snoring sounds rang out.
After enduring Karola’s nighttime physical torment and the mental exhaustion of daytime reading and experimentation, Phyllis actually had a beautiful dream while sleeping.
In the dream, she escaped from the castle.
And…