Chapter 41: I’m Locked up here for a month

When I first heard those words, I couldn’t help but laugh at Viviana. Confinement?

What a ridiculous notion. And not for a day or two, but for an entire month—she claimed she would confine me to her mansion.

“That’s impossible. Silly Viviana.”

There had been countless young ladies who had told me they wanted to keep me locked in a room for life. But not a single one of them ever actually succeeded.

The reason for that is obvious.

No matter how much I may claim to be a pet, I am still a human being.

Truly locking someone like me up in a mansion as though I were an ‘animal’ is morally and ethically wrong in so many ways.

Well, except for the psychopathic, insane lesbian villainess Mardian—but anyone with a normal sense of decency would realize how absurd such an idea is.

My mother, who loves me more than anyone else in the world, would clench her teeth and stop Viviana in her tracks.

“Then I’ll persuade your mother, so come along without any fuss.”

Viviana spoke confidently. Her words made me scoff internally.

“As if that would ever happen.”

My mother cherishes me dearly. And she would never allow us to be separated for an entire month. Convince her? That would be harder than turning Mardian into a good person.

With a smile, I spoke to Viviana.

“You’re going to be wasting your time, Viviana.”

Heh-

***

“Listen carefully to the Lady’s words, Tina.”

“Huh, Mother…?”

I looked up at her, eyes wide with shock. My trembling hands clutched at her clothes, but she only stroked my head with a gentle smile, seemingly unaware of my inner turmoil.

What is going on? My mother is actually letting me go? I had been so sure she would kick up a fuss and stop Viviana, but instead, she was calmly sending me off.

“But, Mother…? If I go, you won’t see me for an entire month…”

“Don’t worry, Tina. The Lady said I could visit whenever it’s convenient, so we won’t be completely separated.”

“But you won’t get my kisses every morning… Won’t it be hard for you without me hugging you every day…?”

“That will certainly be a bit sad… But I’ll endure somehow. Now go on and have a good time.”

Her firm resolve turned my mind blank. I couldn’t comprehend what was happening. My mother, who loves and cherishes me so much, was allowing this separation for a whole month?

“Stop troubling your mother and follow me quietly.”

“Eek?”

Viviana’s cold voice rang in my ears, snapping me back to reality. I continued to stare at my mother, but her determined expression told me everything I needed to know. Pleading any further would be useless. She had already made up her mind. She was sending me to Viviana.

“But… Mother… why…?”

“Mommy always loves you, Tina.”

She gave me a sweet smile. After that, I was like a cow being led to slaughter, helplessly following Viviana as she guided me away.

A large carriage was waiting for us at the mansion’s front gate. Even as I climbed aboard, I couldn’t shake my lingering attachment to my mother. I kept glancing back at her, but she only watched me quietly. I stared at her with pleading eyes, like an abandoned puppy, but she simply shook her head with a faint smile.

Soon, the carriage doors closed, and the scenery outside the window began to move. In my daze, I blinked in confusion. My mother had actually let me go—this wasn’t part of my plan at all.

There was only one conclusion I could draw from this situation.

“You threatened her, didn’t you.”

I glared sharply at Viviana. She chuckled, a sly smile spreading across her face as she rested her chin on her hand and shrugged.

“Who knows? Maybe I did?”

“There’s no way my mother would let me go unless you threatened her.”

Viviana must have used some underhanded tactic to coerce her. My mother would never want to send me away, but she must have had no choice under Viviana’s threat.

As expected, the protagonist is a sociopath. No matter the country, it’s an unwritten rule not to mess with mothers—but Viviana apparently doesn’t care about rules if they get in the way of her goals.

“Think whatever you like.”

Despite my intense gaze, Viviana only laughed it off lightly. Her lack of denial made it clear my guess had been correct.

“My poor mother must be heartbroken. I’ll have to be understanding.”

To think that my mother had to let me go because of such a vicious threat, how torn her heart must have been.

As I consoled myself, imagining my mother probably crying her eyes out at this very moment, it wasn’t long before the carriage arrived at Viviana’s mansion. The grand iron gates opened, revealing a mansion that looked more like a fortress before my eyes.

Though I had visited once before, I couldn’t help but catch my breath at the sight of the mansion’s grandeur. Its sheer size was beyond words. The vast garden, adorned with countless blooming flowers, stretched endlessly, with the massive, fortress-like mansion standing proudly in its midst.

I stepped out of the carriage, feeling dazed. Unlike the impoverished Blanc family, a swarm of servants awaited Viviana’s arrival. Each of them was perfectly groomed and bowed deeply. Viviana merely nodded lightly to acknowledge their greetings.

‘…She’s like a queen.’

I could feel their gazes on me as well. Some of them looked at me with curiosity, while others had eyes filled with suspicion. As always, I greeted their gazes with a bright smile, meant to be pleasant. That caused even those who had looked at me warily to put on puzzled expressions in response to my smile.

“Follow me.”

Viviana led me inside the mansion. The interior was as extravagant as the exterior. A golden chandelier glittered from the ceiling, and expensive paintings adorned the walls. It felt as though I had entered a luxurious palace.

I followed behind Viviana in silence, various thoughts swirling in my head. Why had she brought me here? Was it merely for her amusement? Or was it because she truly hated seeing me smile at other ladies?

‘…Viviana is a bit odd too.’

Normally, a pet owner wouldn’t lock up their pet just because it was friendly toward others. If they were a normal person, they might even reward the pet with a treat. But our sociopathic master doesn’t intend to give me any treats—she plans to lock me up here for a month.

After walking down a long corridor, we arrived deep inside the mansion, at Viviana’s office. It was a neat and modern room, but it still felt cold and desolate. It hadn’t changed much since I last saw it.

As soon as she entered the room, Viviana pulled out a luxurious piece of paper from a drawer and immediately began writing something down. Shortly afterward, she handed the completed document to me. It was a contract.

“Read it. Then sign.”

“Hmmm….”

I took the contract and began reading it slowly. Whether due to her previous experience drafting contracts, Viviana had created a document that was quite detailed and formal.

This contract confirms the agreement between Viviana Merdellia (hereinafter referred to as “Master”) and Tina Blanc (hereinafter referred to as “Pet”). This contract consists of the following provisions:

Article 1 – Relationship

1.1. The Pet becomes the property of the Master following the signing of this contract and is obliged to obey all the Master’s demands and orders.

1.2. The Master, as the Pet’s guardian and owner, is responsible for overseeing and caring for all of the Pet’s actions.

Article 2 – Pet’s Obligations

2.1. The Pet must prioritize the Master’s satisfaction above all else and strive to ensure the Master’s happiness and comfort.

2.2. The Pet is obligated to provide labor at the Master’s request and must fulfill the Master’s emotional and physical needs.

Article 3 – Master’s Obligations

3.1. The Master takes full responsibility for the Pet’s financial matters and will provide comprehensive support to ensure that the Pet does not experience any economic hardship.

3.2. The Master must take all necessary measures to ensure the Pet’s health and safety.

Article 4 – Punishments and Rewards

4.1. If the Pet fails to fulfill the obligations of this contract, the Master holds the authority to administer appropriate punishment. The extent and severity of the punishment will be determined at the Master’s discretion.

4.2. Conversely, if the Pet exceeds the Master’s expectations and provides exceptional satisfaction, the Master may offer a reward. The type and scale of the reward will be determined at the Master’s discretion.

Article 5 – Termination of Contract

5.1. This contract cannot be unilaterally terminated without the consent of both parties.

5.2. The validity period of this contract is three years.

The more I read, the more shocked I became. The contract clearly revealed Viviana’s intentions. Although I had already heard about it before, seeing the contract firsthand made a faint fear seep into my chest.

“…This is…”

Viviana quietly smiled and looked into my eyes. There wasn’t a hint of hesitation in her gaze.

“It’s just as it says. Now you will become my pet. In exchange for you becoming my possession, your family will no longer suffer from financial difficulties, and I will have the pleasure of seeing you belong solely to me.”

“…But there are some provisions here that you didn’t mention.”

“Really?”

“You never told me about the punishment clause…! And what’s this part about?”

I glared at Viviana while pointing my finger at a section of the contract.

[2.2. The pet is obligated to provide all labor at the owner’s request and must fulfill the owner’s emotional and physical needs.]

“Fulfilling emotional needs is one thing… but what do you mean by physical needs? You’re not like Mardian, are you…?”

“Of course not.”

Viviana lightly flicked my forehead with her finger. It stung a little, but it wasn’t painful.

“Every month, I go to the frontlines, and my body is often exhausted. It’s only right for my pet to help relieve that fatigue, wouldn’t you agree?”

“…Are you talking about massages or something?”

“Yes, that would be nice.”

If it’s just massages, that’s not too strange. A pet’s role is solely to please their owner, so giving a few massages to a tired body shouldn’t be too difficult.

“And don’t worry about the punishments. As long as you act only for my sake, it will never come to that.”

“The moment you sign this contract, I will take care of all of the Blanc family’s debt. I’ll even send a small consolation sum.”

At Viviana’s words, my eyes widened. I recalled the purpose that had led me to walk willingly into Viviana’s mansion.

My family’s debt.

Viviana had promised to take care of it in one fell swoop—the debt that my mother would have to sacrifice at least five years of her health to repay. Additionally, the contract mentioned that she would fully support me in any financial difficulties I faced.

‘If I play this right… I might be able to milk this for quite a bit…’

The contract benefitted Viviana, but it also contained terms that could help me. And one more thing—there was a clause about giving me a reward if I satisfied Viviana. I pointed to that section and looked at her.

“You’ll be giving me something expensive, right?”

“…You don’t even try to hide your materialistic side anymore, do you?”

“A contract must be thorough.”

Viviana let out a short sigh but nodded in agreement. I indulged in sweet fantasies of gold coins pouring out as I carefully read over the contract one last time.

“Alright.”

I picked up the pen Viviana handed me and signed my name. There didn’t seem to be any tricks or deceptions, and the three-year validity was clearly stated.

It wasn’t difficult. Even if I was an incompetent person, I was confident I could satisfy her as a pet. For the next three years, I would collect hefty ‘rewards’ from Viviana and make the Blanc family even wealthier. And then, I could finally live out my happy life as an idle freeloader.

When I handed the contract to Viviana, she also signed her name on the other side and then stamped it with the large seal bearing the symbol of the Duke of Merdelia.

“Alphonse.”

Viviana suddenly called out a name, and an elegant old man appeared from outside the office. He glanced at me, briefly nodded, and then offered a respectful bow to Viviana.

“You called for me.”

“Make two copies of this contract and submit them to the temple. Make sure they are thoroughly sealed so that they cannot be opened when submitted.”

Usually, contracts are submitted to a temple or the imperial palace. Then, the facility guarantees the legitimacy of the contract. One day, if one side violates the terms of the contract, they can open the sealed contract and deliver a fair judgment.

“Yes, I understand.”

The old man briefly bowed his head and retreated, holding the letter. Once I confirmed he had disappeared, I took a deep breath and turned my gaze to Viviana.

“Lady Viviana, then shall we proceed with the— Hya!?!”

Before I knew it, Viviana, who had risen from her seat and approached me, lifted me up once again into a princess carry without warning. She carried me out of the office and walked toward another part of the mansion.

“Wait, just a moment…”

Soon, we arrived at a large bedroom. From the atmosphere and the structure, it was immediately clear that this was Viviana’s room.

“Your task is simple. Just act sweet and charming in the room and satisfy me.”

She threw me onto the bed. Surprised by the sudden action, I collapsed onto the bed, but the surprisingly soft mattress embraced me gently.

However, the comfort didn’t last long. Viviana pulled out a thick rope and tied one of my arms to the corner bedpost.

“Ugh.”

A groan escaped my lips due to the tighter-than-expected pressure of the rope.

“We don’t have handcuffs for now, so just wait a bit.”

“Ha-handcuffs?”

“As I said, you’re under confinement here for a month.”

Confinement.

No matter how many times I heard it, the word never felt familiar.

“You are my pet now, Tina. You must exist only for me. But you, you wagged that pretty little tail of yours at other noble ladies, didn’t you? This is your punishment for that.”

“Don’t even think about leaving this room for the next month. Of course, if you’re good to me, I might let you visit other parts of the mansion.”

Viviana looked down at me, tied to the bed, with a smile I couldn’t quite read.

“Tina, aren’t you going to answer?”