"Hmm hmm hmm 〜♪."

Nemi hummed happily as she did her best to write the characters properly as well as to memorialize them. If she could manage to keep her current progression speed, then she might be finished before midnight.

Clink

Kolen shakily placed a teacup on the bench on which Nemi decided to study. She did everything she could to approach focused Nemi as quietly as possible and to leave just as quietly and quickly. However, as she was placing the cup of tea, she couldn’t help it and glanced at Nemi’s face. What she saw was a smile worthy of an angel on her equally angelic doll-like face.

She didn’t look like someone who spent three hours torturing her former step-sisters. Kolen glanced in the direction of the basement where her older sisters were currently being held. She shivered as she recalled the state of the room once Nemi was leaving. Blood and organs were everywhere, and the two girls were in such a bad state that it was even a miracle that they were still alive.

Even their bones were visible in some places after all. Nemi seemed to prolong their suffering for as long as she could, so she kept forcibly feeding them healing potions as well as their own blood. If she hasn’t run out of healing potions then... Kolen shivered as she imagined what would Nemi do to her sisters if she continued.

Kolen felt relieved that she had only ever bullied Nemi and not the princess Julia, strange as it was. She was glad that Nemi had forgiven her for the bullying and wasn’t seeking revenge on her.

"Hmm... Say, Kolen, is this right?"

Nemi handed the paper to Kolen. When Kolen looked at the paper, it was covered in sentences written in neat handwriting. It didn’t look like it was written by someone who had just begun to learn how to write. Even the number of grammatical mistakes was minimal as far as Kolen could tell.

But what weirded Kolen out was the fact that almost all of the sentences were praising Her Royal Highness, Princess Julia, in some way. From her clothes, voice, and hair to her smell. Kolen had the feeling earlier, but now it was obvious to her that Nemi had a little bit of an unhealthy obsession with the princess.

"There are some mistakes... b-but it is really easy to read and the mistakes are just minor so…"

Kolen was overcome by the fear of Nemi’s reaction to her criticism. She feared that she would be tortured by Nemi just like her sisters almost paralyzed her and so she tried to sugarcoat her criticism as much as possible.

"Is that so? That is not good then."

Nemi took the paper back and furrowed her brows as she scanned it with her eyes. She focused on each line of text, examining them carefully. To Kolen’s relief, Nemi appeared to want to hear an actual critique and not just a sugary lie.

"If I make this many mistakes in a letter, what will she think of me?"

Nemi muttered to herself. Though her voice was quiet, it was just loud enough for Kolen to hear. Did you not hear her accent?! No, more importantly, you are a fucking psycho! So, your grammar is the last thing she will care about!

Kolen complained mentally. She was certain that if she actually said so, she would be joining her sisters in the basement. So Kolen just stood there in silence, waiting for Nemi to say something.

"Kolen, you are smart, right? Help me study."

Nemi didn’t even bother to look in Kolen’s direction, making it apparent that it wasn’t a request but an order.

"Yes…"

Kolen begrudgingly answered and sat next to Nemi, beginning her lesson. Nemi was listening to Kolen attentively, doing her best to not miss a single thing. Any onlooker could even consider it a nice sisterly exchange. And so Kolen continued to teach a demon known as her step-sister, in what felt like a solo war while most of the world knew nothing of her situation.

…

"Your majesty, are you sure that you don’t need any help?"

Liora whispered, with a slight hint of worry in her voice. waiting for Loriam on top of the stairs.

"I-I am sure that I- don’t need any."

Loriam refused Liora’s offer to help, even though she was panting as she climbed the stairs, all the while trying to keep her voice down.

"But even so, your majesty, you obviously struggle with the weight, so allow me to…"

"Are you calling her fat?"

Liora talked simply out of concern for Loriam, with was painfully apparent that she struggled to carry the weight, everyone could see that except Loriam herself. And so, the only thanks Liora received for her concern was Loriam’s death stare.

"No of course not. I would never dare."

"I thought so."

Liora bowed under Loriam’s stare, earning Loriam’s nod of approval as Loriam got back to struggling with the weight she was carrying. The weight was in fact Julia sleeping in Loriam’s arms.

Not so long after they left the party, Julia fell asleep leaning against the window. and has remained asleep since. Loriam just covered her with a coat and let her sleep, thinking that Julia was just tired. Liora suspected, however, that at least half the way back to Kaenem was Julia just pretending to sleep to avoid talking with Loriam.

But at some point, she fell asleep for real, and that led to the current predicament. Liora and Mirei intended to just wake her up, but Loriam decided that it was too early in the morning for that. And waking her up just so she would go to bed in a few minutes was, in Loriam’s words, "a sin a mother should not commit."

And so Loriam decided to carry Julia from the carriage all the way to her room. Doing her utmost best to not disturb her daughter’s sleep, Loriam struggled to carry Julia as if she was just a little baby.

"Lady Liora, let her majesty enjoy this. Didn’t you say that she always yearned for this?"

Liora turned to Mirei, who had abruptly joined them. Liora did not expect Julia’s personal maid, who should know that the princess does not exactly want to be in physical contact with her mother. What Liora didn’t know was that Mirei had a feeling that Julia desired Loriam to compensate her for the last twenty years, and that her cold aptitude was just a mask to be cracked.

"Yea, you are right, Mirei."

It was true, however, that Loriam desired these things to happen, and Liora knew it. So, she watched her queen struggle through the corridor until they finally reached Julia’s room. Once inside, Loriam gently placed a sleeping Julia on the bed, and after tackling her in, she kissed Julia before leaving the room.

"Mirei, did you do what I asked?"

Once she was back in the hall, Loriam asked Mirei with a serious expression, making Liora wonder what kind of important errand was Mirei send on.

"Of course, your majesty, here."

Mirei fished a poster from her apron and handed it to Loriam. Loriam gave the poster a thoughtful look, furrowing her brows once she was done.

"Tch, we should be going or we will miss it."

Loriam clicked her tongue in clear annoyance. Liora had to wonder what Loriam was trying not to miss.

"Mirei, you stay here in case she needs anything."

"As you wish."

Mirei bowed to Loriam, as Loriam quickly walked away with a confused Liora in tow. Where is her majesty going in such a hurry? Liora wondered as she followed Loriam, who was quickly leaving.

…

"The starting bid is 3 Aurem!"

A masked man in a black tuxedo announced from the podium. Close to him was a shackled, dark-skinned woman with brown hair and a scar on her face, with a pair of triangular wolf ears sticking out of her hair.

"A three Aurem and ten Sesterce!"

"A 3, and 66!"

"Here! 4 Aurem!"

From the seats occupied by over a hundred guests, all dressed in luxurious clothes, began to outbid each other. The woman, a subject of their bids, stared fearlessly at the bidders. Her face was filled with utter contempt for them.

"And sold! To the number 155 for 7 Aurem!"

At last, the masked man announced the final price she was sold for.  She scanned the guests until she found the man who had bought her, a burly, muscular man. A smirk formed on her face, her tail waving slightly.

A guard took the woman from the podium. When the woman passed by, a young dark-skinned girl with black hair and wolf ears sticking out of her hair.

"He seems a worthy master."

The woman whispered as she passed by the girl. The girl gulped nervously as she looked at the podium.

"Come on, move!"

The guard pushed her impatiently toward the podium. She lowered her head as she felt the guest's eyes on her.

"The next merchandise on our list is a black wolf from the Remime forest in the north."

As the masked man began introducing the girl to the guests, she began to pray that the person buying her would not torment her for uselessness.

"She is a bit clumsy, but she is obedient and will do anything ordered without complaints."

The girl shivered as the announcer emphasized "anything." the gazes on her intensified.

"The starting bid is 14 Sesterce."

"15!"

"20!"

"Here! 32 Sesterce!"

The girl watched as the guests bid on her until the bids stopped and her eyes focused in horror on the fat vampire licking his lips as he looked at her.

"A 48 Sesterce! Going once, going twice, so-"

"3 Aurem!"

Just as the girl was falling in despair, The voice of a young woman drew the attention of everyone present. They all stared with their mouths open at the balcony, where a young woman was holding a sigh.

3 Aurem for me!? The girl was shocked. The fact that somebody was willing to pay 48 sesterce was a miracle to her, but now...

"A 3 Aurem! Going once, going twice, sold to the guest with number 207 for 3 Aurem!"

The masked man quickly recovered from the shock at the bid and promptly sold the girl before this insane noble would change her mind.

"Thank you for your patronage. She is yours."

Once the auction ended, a black-haired woman in a maid's outfit handed the sign with the number 207 to the masked man, alongside 3 golden coins. The man accepted happily and pushed the girl towards the maid.

The maid silently led the girl out towards a carriage and, without a single word, pushed the girl inside. Once inside, the girl breathed a sigh of relief. At least that ugly pervert didn’t get me. She thought as she caressed the collar around her neck. Her eyes landed on the noble-looking girl, who seemed extremely pleased with herself.

"It was close, but I got you. She will be so happy."