Just as Elizabeth heard those words from Arthur, she became stunned beyond reason for a moment—as if she had just heard the biggest joke of her life.

The person she hated to the core wanted her to serve him like a loyal servant?

For a moment, Elizabeth seriously doubted if Arthur had gone crazy.

She burst out in laughter.

"Is this some kind of sick joke you’re making to satisfy your ego or whatever?" she said between laughs. "Or is it just a poor attempt to save your life for when I finally manage to get free from here?"

This time, Arthur burst out in laughter.

Elizabeth stopped smiling.

She gritted her teeth.

Arthur looked at her with amusement.

"Me? Getting scared of you?" he said, shaking his head. "Do you really think the guy in front of you—who killed an entire sanctuary of vampires in front of their queen—will be scared of you? You, who’s trapped here in those chains, in a miserable state, in which I can finish you off anytime I want?"

He smirked.

"Or, just for my entertainment, I can let you stay trapped here for no matter how many years. Maybe fifty years. Maybe a hundred years."

Elizabeth’s gaze darkened.

"Maybe even thousands," Arthur continued. "You’ll go crazy here without proper nourishment. Who knows? Maybe you’ll kill yourself, unable to handle the mental strain."

He leaned in slightly.

"And just to let you know—only a few days have passed in the world outside. But here? You must be thinking several months have passed."

Just as Arthur said that, a chill ran down Elizabeth’s spine.

It was true.

And even if she was trying to act strong, she was already at her breaking point. If she hadn’t drunk Astaroth’s blood, she might’ve already gone crazy.

Arthur finally noticed the fear in her eyes.

He straightened up.

"So now that you know what horrible things can happen if you decline my offer..." he said, "let’s talk about those bloodsuckers who were ready to sell you out just so they could save their own skin."

He shrugged.

"I did you a favor by killing them and freeing you. Because the way things were going, they would’ve betrayed you sooner or later."

Elizabeth just listened to Arthur without saying a word.

Arthur continued.

"But if you still want to kill me, take this as a chance I’m giving you to exact your revenge. By freeing you from here, you’ll have multiple chances to kill me. You’ll have all your powers back. Everything."

Elizabeth heard all that and thought, ’Just what kind of person is this guy? Does he seriously think he can control someone like me?’

She narrowed her eyes.

’There must be a reason for the confidence behind that smile. But what is it?’

Arthur, who now looked like a salesman trying to sell a broken product, rubbed his palms together with a grin.

"So, madam, what do you say? You won’t regret this chance to kill me. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Elizabeth’s mouth twitched.

She kept pondering, her instincts screaming that something was wrong—but she couldn’t figure out just what the hell it was.

Arthur sighed.

"Alright. Looks like you’re not interested. Too bad."

He turned around and started to walk away.

As Elizabeth saw Arthur walking away, panic surged into her once again.

She looked all around her.

There was nothing in that world—as if it was designed to make the prisoner miserable and insane.

She looked down at the black chains clutched all around her body, trapping her like a caged animal.

They made her feel miserable and powerless—like she was nothing more than a broken doll left to rot.

And with every step Arthur took, her heartbeat grew louder and louder, pounding in her ears, as if she would seriously go insane if she had to spend just a little more time here.

Arthur was casually walking away.

A voice came from behind him.

"Wait."

Arthur immediately stopped, a devilish smile spreading across his face.

He turned around.

"What is it?" he said. "I don’t have more time to chat, so make it quick."

Elizabeth’s low voice came.

"I accept."

The voice was very low.

But Arthur had heard it clearly—his senses were very sharp.

Still, he put a hand behind his ear and said, "What is it? I didn’t hear it properly. Can you speak again?"

Elizabeth gritted her teeth and said, a little more loudly this time, "I accept."

Arthur tilted his head.

"Still can’t hear it."

She thought, ’He’s doing it deliberately.’

Elizabeth bit her lips this time and yelled.

"I accept! I accept to become your servant, you fucking bastard!"

In the next second, Arthur was right in front of her.

"Good," he said with a smile. "Now that’s what I wanted to hear. Though the ’fucking bastard’ part was unnecessary."

Elizabeth glared at him.

"Just get me out of here," she said.

Arthur looked at her.

"So you submit, huh?"

Elizabeth clenched her fists.

"Yes. I submit. Now how many times do you want me to say it?"

In the next second, one chain from her arm broke with a sharp snap.

Arthur extended his right hand forward.

"Let’s close the deal with a handshake, then," he said.

Elizabeth stopped for a moment, finding something fishy.

But she knew Arthur held all the cards, and she didn’t have any choice but to comply.

She also put her hand forward.

They shook hands.

The moment their palms touched, the slave seal on Arthur’s hand started glowing—bright crimson light radiating from the eight-pointed star etched into his skin.

In the next second, a violent jolt ran through Elizabeth’s body.

Her eyes went wide.

She felt unbearable pain—like something was tearing into her very soul.

Her back arched involuntarily.

A scream tore from her throat.

The same symbol as on Arthur’s hand began to carve itself onto her back.

It started at the base of her spine—a single burning line tracing upward, scorching through her skin like a hot iron pressed against flesh.

The star formed slowly, each point etching itself with cruel precision.

Elizabeth’s body trembled violently.

Her nails dug into the ground as she tried to endure it, but the pain was relentless—sharp, burning, and impossibly deep, as if her very essence was being branded.

The lines glowed molten red as they carved deeper, spreading outward across her shoulder blades like wings of fire.

At the center of the star, a small circle formed—the chained sun, pulsing with dark energy.

Her vision blurred.

Tears streamed down her face as the brand finished carving itself into her skin.

The pain only lasted for a few moments, but it felt like an eternity.

When it finally stopped, Elizabeth collapsed forward, gasping for air, her back still burning with phantom pain.

She looked toward Arthur with murderous intent.

"What... did you do?" she said, her voice trembling with rage.

Arthur shrugged.

"Nothing. Just took out a life insurance policy to protect myself from creeps like you."

Suddenly, all of the chains on Elizabeth broke apart and shattered into black dust.

A system notification appeared.

[ Master-Slave Bond Established ]

[ Target: Elizabeth Crimson ]

[ Bond Type: Absolute Servitude ]

[ Effect: Host has complete control over the slave’s actions, thoughts, and abilities. ]

[ Slave cannot harm the Host in any way, directly or indirectly. ]

[ Slave must obey all commands issued by the Host. Disobedience will result in severe mental and physical pain. ]

[ Bond is permanent and cannot be broken unless the Host wills it. ]

Arthur smiled.

"It’s time to go now, my dear maid. I hope you serve me well."

Elizabeth was about to curse him out loud.

But before she could, both of their bodies dissolved into particles and disappeared instantly.