"I'll show you what a life more painful than death is like."

"Ugh...."

"Then you'll be able to understand me again."

Into the corner of her parted lips, the blood that had risen into the air was forced inside.

'...!'

Along with the ecstatic pleasure brought on by bloodsucking,

memories that did not belong to her entered her mind.

And while she was reeling from that pleasure and revulsion—

"Let the children know."

Through her closing eyes, she heard a voice.

"That they can be harsher than before... no, that they don't need to mind me at all."

"Yes."

"But they are never to kill her."

And only then did she finally realize.

The insulting things she had overheard in passing.

Because of them, even while living in the castle, Ariella had never been able to grow close to the others.

Instead, she had only lowered her eyes and wished for them to pass her by.

But out of a pitiful bit of pride, she had never told Isabella about it.

And yet—

'She knew all of it.'

Thinking about it now, they had been conversations even she herself had been able to overhear.

There was no way that the one most special in this castle could have failed to hear them,

and there was no way the bloodline had thought she would not.

'Even knowing that...?'

That thought passed through her mind, and then her eyes closed completely.

***

After that, Ariella came to understand in the cruelest way what her friend had meant.

"Then I'll be off!"

Isabella vanished somewhere on business.

Usually, at times like that, Ariella would spend her time taking walks around the castle grounds.

But—

Boom!

"...!"

The nobles passing nearby seized her and dragged her off somewhere.

"This is...!?"

A small room deep underground beneath the castle.

Inside that dark chamber, only a few red candles were lit.

A room so dark and sinister that it was impossible to imagine the beautiful scenery above ground.

"I heard you received the Grand Duke's blood."

In every corner of that room were sharp, brutally honed pieces of metal.

Not tools meant for cutting down enemies, but....

"That precious blood that even I was never granted."

Tools that looked meant for torture.

Those iron implements.

"This is...."

Thorn Marquis Feriallo.

One of the key figures of the bloodline, someone Ariella had crossed paths with several times in this castle.

Of the ones she had met in passing, he had been among those who, even when he looked down on her, at least did not usually speak too harshly.

So when Ariella ran into him, she had at least felt a little relieved.

But—

"You need punishment."

Slaaaash!!!

With those words, extreme pain took over Ariella's mind.

'...!, ,., ..., ...!?,....!'

While she was in too much agony to even scream, her eyes caught sight of the object in Feriallo's hand.

A long whip covered in spikes.

"You were granted blood that precious, and instead of being overwhelmed with gratitude for the honor—!"

Slaaash!

"—you dared refuse the Grand Duke's command...!"

Slaaash!

"Dared, dared, dared...!"

The next day, the twins who looked exactly alike came to take her.

"Do you happen to know this?"

"Do you know this?"

"The vitality of the bloodline is remarkably strong."

"Remarkably strong."

The twins of interrogation.

Smiling, the two approached Ariella, took hold of her hands from either side, and said,

"Even split in two, you can survive just fine!"

"Just fine!"

Riiip!!!

From those tiny bodies came a force so monstrous it was hard to believe.

As if they were playing with a toy, they pulled Ariella's body apart from both sides.

Craack, crack...!

Only then did Ariella come to understand.

Muscle and flesh were tougher than one might think.

They did not tear apart all at once.

'!@#!@%#$%!'

Riiiiiip...!

And because they did not tear all at once, the pain of being ripped apart was even worse.

In pain beyond description, she opened her mouth and screamed.

And whenever she did—

Splash....

Into that open mouth, red blood was sprayed.

Before she even had time to breathe properly, she was made to drink it.

And whenever that happened, what was contained within it flowed into her.

'Ah, ah....'

Someone's life.

Someone's memories.

Someone's soul melted into her body.

'It's delicious.'

Even in the middle of agony, the taste alone was sweet.

And also—

Sliiide....

Even wounds so painful they felt fatal were healed perfectly.

"I'm back!"

"...Huh?"

Whenever she came to herself again,

Ariella was back in Isabella's room, looking completely unharmed, as though she had suffered no torture at all.

And then—

"So, today~"

Isabella treated her exactly as she always had.

That was what frightened Ariella.

'Don't tell me... even now?'

There was no way she could fail to understand that the horrible torture Ariella endured was only possible because Isabella had given the order.

But Isabella treated her just the same as always.

Which meant—

'She wants me to pretend not to know about this too?'

That child wore such a pure smile, and still wanted Ariella to become her "friend."

***

To those nobles, Isabella, as head of the house, was no different from a god.

And Ariella was the child favored by that god.

How hateful she must have looked to them.

'Ah, ahhh....!'

The torture only grew worse with each passing day.

Every day, pain as long as eternity went on and on.

And then,

"Phew, today was rough too."

at some point, she would arrive in the room where Isabella was.

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"..."

"Did something happen? You don't look well."

Even though she knew this was something Isabella had ordered, and even though Isabella's act looked unbearably vile to her—

"...It's nothing."

Ariella could not resist her.

Because in a day steeped in pain, the only time she could be free of pain at all was when she was beside Isabella.

"...Ella."

Then one day,

"Isn't there something you want to apologize to me for?"

Isabella said that to her.

Hearing that, Ariella widened her eyes and thought,

'This....'

Even while carrying out that horrible torture,

Isabella had still wanted Ariella, as a friend, to pretend not to know.

That was why Ariella had not even been able to express her pain.

"I'm sorry."

But those words—

meant Isabella was giving her a chance to escape this pain.

"...Sorry for what?"

"Huh?"

But—

even that chance was not an easy one.

"You suddenly said you're sorry, so I'm a little taken aback. What exactly are you apologizing for?"

"That is... for disobeying your command...."

"My command?"

At those words from Ariella,

Isabella stared at her with wide eyes.

Watching that expression, Ariella opened her mouth blankly.

"...I'm sorry for trying to leave before you. For abandoning you."

"Correct."

At that,

Isabella finally smiled.

"I was really hurt. So then, as an apology, what should Ella do?"

"That is...."

Ariella already knew what Isabella wanted.

It was something she had already gone through countless times in that process of torture.

"The... blood of others...."

But—

Ariella could not bring herself to finish saying it in her own voice.

"You still have a long way to go."

"...!"

Seeing that, Isabella said with a smile, and Ariella's body flinched.

"Now that I think about it, you're tired from being stuck inside this castle all the time, aren't you?"

Whether that was true or not, Isabella just smiled gently and said,

"Starting tomorrow, let's go outside more often too."

"Outside...?"

"Mm. There are banquets with the other bloodlines, visits to the children's territories, and all sorts of things to do. It'll be fun if we go together."

Ariella was bewildered.

Outside?

"Hmm, a banquet. It's a formal setting, but... Ella is beautiful enough, so that should be fine."

This was the same Isabella who had shown anger anytime anyone so much as brought up the outside world.

And now she was suddenly saying she'd take her outside.

Ariella had no idea what she meant, but—

"The problem is status. Hmm. If you're going to attend a banquet, you should at least have some rank."

Crunch.

'...Huh?'

Before Ariella even realized what was happening,

Isabella bit into her neck.

"Let's make it quasi-baron."

As Ariella sat there in shock, she felt blood flowing into the back of her neck.

"And... I'll give you something precious to me."

"Ah, ahh...."

Blood personally bestowed by the Grand Duke.

That blood forcibly raised her rank, from someone lower than even an ordinary knight.

And at the same time—

"But only this far."

"..."

"If you get stronger than this, you might abandon me and run away. So only this far."

It was also the moment the limit of her growth was decided.

***

And, as expected, the "outside" was not such a pleasant place either.

Thud, thud....

"...That sound."

"It's the sound of monsters roaming around."

Inside the Grand Duke's castle, only things Isabella found beautiful enough existed.

But not outside.

"Unlike the human kind, monsters don't need ranches to be made for them. We just raise them loose in nature and harvest only as much as we need."

Grotesque monsters so hideous they could bring tears to the eyes just from looking at them roamed through a dark world where not even a trace of light entered.

Ariella looked around.

Clank....

The other nobles seemed to feel no fear at all when they looked at those monsters.

Because they had thralls to protect them.

But Ariella did not.

To keep thralls, one had to drink the other's blood directly, then bestow new blood into those emptied veins, carrying the "magic of dominion."

Ariella instinctively understood the method as well.

But she had never once engaged in bloodsucking of her own will.

If she were thrown into this wilderness, she would be hunted down with no protection at all.

And.

The same held true for the banquet hall they arrived at in the end.

Unlike the outside, it was an elegant, antique setting.

Its beauty was certainly enchanting.

But looking at the beings gathered there, she could feel nothing of the kind.

"It's a pleasure to see you, Grand Duke...!"

Those who approached with their heads bowed in courtesy.

But—

Ariella could barely breathe just looking at them.

'Hhk...!'

The society of nobles was a thoroughly hierarchical one.

More precisely, it was a society where the strong devoured the weak.

Back when she had still been human and knew nothing, she had been able to look at nobles without incident.

'Their rank is different...!'

Now that she had gained even a trivial title, things were different.

These were beings who could casually devour someone like her.

Even while speaking to the Grand Duke, they gauged Ariella's level and looked at her with ridicule.

Blatant disregard and contempt.

But—

even in the face of that contempt, Isabella offered no restraint at all.

If Ariella were to move even a little away from Isabella,

there was no knowing what those beings might do to her.

If she simply died, that would almost be a mercy.

But that Isabella would never let her die easily.

Outside, and in the banquet hall as well,

Ariella had no choice but to stay attached to Isabella's side.

"...Young Isabella."

Then,

someone seated at one side of the banquet hall looked toward Isabella and spoke.

"That child behind you is not a thrall...?"

"Mm, that's right."

"..."

A figure who appeared to be a very old man.

His eyes were hollow, and his face was full of wrinkles.

Though he sat in the seat of highest honor in the banquet hall, few dared approach because of the ominous aura around him.

"Young Isabella. As you know, I respect you more than anyone else. If there is one person I can trust even a little, it would be you."

His eyes sharpened as he spoke.

"So please, do not give me cause for suspicion...."

Despite his words, his eyes were already full of suspicion.

'...Hhk....'

When that gaze turned to Ariella, that alone wrapped her in pain so suffocating she could hardly breathe.

"...A bloodline noble who is under no one's dominion. What are you plotting?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you created another bloodline outside the Progenitor's lineage, built up its power... and are you planning to start a war?"

From his lips spilled a prophecy full of fear.

"In the end, do you mean to devour me and the other Grand Dukes as well... are such thoughts...!"

At those words,

Isabella answered calmly.

"You know I would never do that."

"That is not something I can know. You and young Harosh are unlike that naive Valarak. You must have understood the Progenitor's intentions long ago."

"..."

"Young Harosh has never had the temperament to care about «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» such things, but you, who were especially close to the Progenitor....!"

"Kirchi."

Looking at the old man, whose speech was growing faster and faster,

Isabella smiled gently and said,

"My little brother."

"...Yes, elder sister."

"What you're worried about will not happen. That one abandoned us, so I too will no longer cling to the one who abandoned us."

"...Then what is this? Why did you create such a monstrosity?"

"This?"

Isabella stretched out a hand, hugged Ariella, and said,

"Just because."

"..."

"Look. Isn't it rather pretty? Just right for taking around here and there."

When the old man frowned, the girl said with a mischievous smile,

"Don't take it so seriously. We've lived long ages, and we'll have to endure even longer ones ahead. This is no more than amusement. Amusement to add a new flavor to this boring life."

"If so, then why not simply make it a thrall? Better that than creating an unnecessary exception."

"What a foolish thing to say. That wouldn't be any fun, would it?"

At those words, the old man stared at the girl's face for a long moment.

"Additional troops will be stationed along the borders, and spies will be dispatched into your territory, elder sister."

"Oh my."

"Please blame your poor younger brother, who cannot even trust his own elder sister easily."

"Well, it's what you've always done, isn't it? I don't intend to blame you, so do as you please."

And only then, after hearing that conversation, did Ariella finally understand.

'Amusement.'

The other nobles had said similar things in passing too.

But at the time, she had not taken it seriously.

Ariella had sincerely thought of Isabella as a friend.

But—

'Can this really be called friendship?'

A relationship of endless dependence.

Now that she had come outside, she understood it even more clearly.

She had become a being who could not endure even a single day unless she stayed by Isabella's side.

Most likely, the reason Isabella had started dragging her outside in the first place was to make her realize exactly that.

But—

this was not what anyone would call friendship.

If one had to call it something,

'Doll.'

And this relationship....

'Amusement.'

It was nothing more than play.

The moment she realized that, everything began to feel endlessly hollow.

Slaaash!!!

'Why am I....'

After that, whenever she was left alone in the castle, there was torture.

And when she went outside with Isabella, her days were filled with humiliation and contempt.

'Something like you...!'

Every time she screamed, blood was poured into her mouth.

And the more blood she drank, the more the souls contained within it diluted who she had originally been.

'Toy...!'

In the place where she forgot herself, anger began to settle in.