"What do you mean?" Rose raised a brow. "You called us your servants—you dressed us up like your maids! In these ridiculous outfits for some reason so if you truly see us as belonging to you, then shouldn't you do something about it?"

We were back again with pride—the fact that Rose challenged me to treat them properly because they were mine. Mine. That was something to be reckoned with because it pitted myself against myself.

I couldn't help but scoff because I knew the trick, but similar to how you got yourself played like a fiddle or a fool, I couldn't help but feel swayed nonetheless.

The fact that she said it so pleased me.

However, I couldn't let myself get played around like this—so what if they were mine? I could treat them like dirt and they'd still choose to be bound to me.

And yet she managed to worm her way to this situation.

Rose's expression didn't exactly seem regretful as she said it, it was challenging for some reason.

Because she used my own words against me, I claimed to be generous to those who wish to serve me, those who were in my favor were treated like so and now Rose wanted me to oblige them.

Earlier, when we had met, she was furious and upset about everything that I have done... not one thing I did seemed to have satisfied her, but now she wanted me to prove it.

I crossed my arms and looked at her with a sweeping smile. "What exactly do you need to be ever so willing to declare yourself as mine? And since you did... are you willing to pay the price for it? Will you cater to my every desire?"

Finally, the expression of nervousness appeared on her face. She bit more than she chewed, so she had to back down—

"Fine. That's what servants are supposed to do anyway," Rose said as she glanced over at Eleanor.

They seemed to have something in plan, or had a conversation about it where I was none the wiser. I frowned, but both of them had strong minds—or wore competent artifacts, presumably the former, because my gaze did not make them reveal it.

Their determination and willpower were commendable, that I had to admit.

"Alright, let's hear what exactly you have problems with," I said once again with a frown. It should have been supposed to be my win, but it felt like they were the ones who got the upper hand because I played into what they wanted.

"Um, would you hunt animals with me?" Rose said.

"What?" I blinked, stupefied for a moment by what she had just said. "Have I heard you correctly—of course, I did. I have excellent hearing, but the question is why. Why do I need to be the provider of meals to the two of you—oh, the Master takes care of his servant."

"Exactly," Rose smiled.

She actually smiled at me? Well, that was new. It completely made me certain that they had something planned, which was annoying. When did the two of them have a secret conversation?

Did this Mage use the winds to block out their voices as they discussed this plan of theirs or had I been so distracted—so focused on my own activities that I didn't pay attention to when they had spoken of this? That appeared to be more likely the case because despite my incredibly sharp senses—you could still actually tune out conversations.

That aggravated me as I eyed her and finally clicked my tongue.

"You dare use my own words against me when you're more than capable of handling your food affairs. Do you not have rations of some sort? What about my enchanted rooms, have you checked—"

"No, we couldn't open them without your permission." Eleanor pointed out. "And, if there is a possibility to eat fresh—"

"How spoiled," I said with a smile of disbelief. I did have some fail-safes when it came to doors, drawers and such that it made it hard except for the highest leveled Thief to dare infiltrate or even consider committing a heist. "That much I can expect from a princess, but do not forget that your ranks are now only servants. You will only eat what you deserve and whatever it is that you have."

"Well, we are the servants of the great Blood Tyrant are we not?" Rose raised a brow. "Surely you don't want people to hear that his servants only eat plain rations—whatsoever will others say when they hear that the Blackwell Manor has succumbed to this level of desolateness/poorness."

"There's no one who will come to learn of this." I answered back. "We are the only ones here."

"I presumed that you had every intention of making the Blackwell Manor as great as it once was," Rose said.

"Indeed, that's what you seem to have envisioned and what you woken up again for right, my lord?" Eleanor added.

This kind of back and forth—I enjoyed my fair share of exchanging of words. Let me admit that I was... a bit buttered up. Rather amused and also more willing to go about with what they wanted, simply because of the satisfaction that they had given to me.

"Fine I will go out... wait, the two of you wished for me to leave the premises of the Blackwell Manor so you can escape, didn't you?" I frowned. I didn't think I would be that slow—but then they shook their heads and I found myself believing them.

"We do not have any intentions to leave," Eleanor said.

"That's right." Rose nodded. "It wouldn't make sense for us to call you Master and then make an escape."

"You know very well as much as I do that it makes complete sense to deceive me."

"Even if you were to hypothetically go out and we did leave," Rose said. "Aren't you confident enough that you can chase us down?"

"I certainly can—and if the two of you do go out, I will break your legs," I said with a cruel smile. “Servants of mine or not, you’ll get punished all the same.”

"Which is why we're not going to risk it," Rose said.

“Tch.”

“It seems that we’ve now come to an agreement.” Eleanor chimed.

I narrowed my gaze on the two women.

I could actually believe Rose and yet couldn't trust a single word that Eleanor said.

Royalty were great at lies with well-crafted smiles, but if Rose didn't seem to have her heart pounding wildly in her chest or any other indication that she was lying... It seemed believable.

Or maybe I just felt incredibly cooped up in this manor.

It was after all stifling to have been stuck in a coffin for five hundred years and then spend the next two days at your dwellings.

A Vampire did not only sojourn in one place waiting for prey to arrive—we hunted.