Chapter 6: Sold To Her?!
But...
Wait.
Did she hear that right?
Sold? Her parents... sold her? To this woman?
"P–Pardon me?" Cressida stammered, eyes wide agape.
"You heard me correctly," Agrona said, rising to her full height with quiet grace. "Your parents sold you to me. On the very day you were born."
I— I definitely don’t remember that!
Nope! Absolutely not!
There hadn’t been a single mention that the original Cressida had been sold off to the same woman who terrorized the heroine for half the damn series.
Then again, it had been years since she read the novel. Maybe she’d skimmed past that part... or conveniently ignored it for being filler. She didn’t have a photographic memory, after all.
Still, one thing she remembered for sure:
Agrona was implied to keep people like wine in a cellar, feeding on them whenever her thirst demanded.
"Then why wait until yesterday?"
The woman gave a low laugh, amused. "Gods, do you really think I’d keep a child locked up in my mansion? I’m not that kind of monster."
Cressida frowned. "It still makes no sense entirely. The timing was too specific."
"And besides, you were constantly getting in the way... Thanatarii."
Thanatarii?
It definitely sounded like one of the races from the novel. There were only a few major species she could still remember, all bound to the world’s two Tides.
"Too many questions," Agrona groaned, turning away with a languid stretch. "See you later, little mouse."
Just like that, she was gone, leaving Cressida alone in the silence that followed.
The cage wasn’t in some grim dungeon as one might expect. No, this was the madam’s bedchamber, draped in velvet and shadow, polished marble floors shining slightly beneath the pale light. Even the bars around her looked custom-made. Elegant, gilded, and... humiliating.
Through the tall window, light began to touch the horizon. Morning. Meaning the event the system warned her about was drawing near.
"Seems like free will was an illusion after all..." she muttered with a tired smile. "In the end, I still wound up in a cage."
║[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]║
║Event "Under The Leash" has ended.║
║+15 Positive EXP earned.║
║Digital Store is now unlocked: new functions available.║
║Would you like to open it?║
"Hopefully I get something good," she sighed. "Open."
║Command granted║║Accessing Digital Store [Level 1]...║║Displaying available inventory:║
║1. Silken Lockpick
- A delicate, ribbon-like tool that can slip through most locks as if coaxing them open. Works twice.
- 15 Positive EXP ║
║ 2. Vial of False Blood
- When spilled, emits the scent of fresh human blood. Distracts low-tier Vampires for 30 seconds.
- 10 Negative EXP ║
║ 3. Mirror Band
- A silver ring that hides the wearer’s reflection for five minutes. Useful for deceiving creatures of the Dark Tide.
- 6 Positive / 4 Negative ║
║ 4. Recall
- Returns you to the last place you consciously wished to be. May not always obey intent.
- 12 Negative EXP║
║ 5. Paper Charm of Tongues
- Allows temporary understanding of any language, spoken or written, for one hour.
- 5 Positive EXP ║
"So free will wasn’t an illusion after all."
How convenient; a lockpick tailor-made for her situation, and she had just enough Positive EXP to buy it.
Of course, that raised one tiny issue: she’d have to wait for another event to regain more EXP’s.
But honestly? Who the hell cared anymore.
It was still better than being turned into a walking blood bag, drained for eternity by that woman.
She hadn’t even finished the series back then. It was too damn long. But she remembered enough to know one thing: getting rid of a clever vampire like Agrona was nearly impossible.
"I’m buying the Silken Lockpick."
║[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]║
║Purchase confirmed.║
║Item: Silken Lockpick — materialized successfully.║
Before her eyes, something into existence, swirling and condensing until it took the shape of a tiny, ordinary-looking key. It dropped into her palm with a soft ting.
At first glance, it looked unimpressive and was almost shapeless, as if refusing to decide what it wanted to be. But the moment she pressed it against the chain binding her wrist, the metal shifted, reshaping itself to fit the lock perfectly.
"Huh. So it morphs to match any lock," she murmured, tugging lightly to test it. The theory proved true.
With a single twist of her wrist, she heard a crisp click. Freedom was suddenly within reach.
She didn’t hesitate, sliding over to the cage’s lock and turning it open.
As the door swung wide, she stepped out and drew in a deep breath. "Freedom."
"Y-You!"
She froze as the door creaked open. A tall woman stepped inside, clad in steel, every inch of her posture screaming authority. A guard.
So much for freedom.