Kenley gazed at the princess with eyes that were a little too intense, almost as if they came from a player. The stare made Tia feel uncomfortable. Did this human have some strange fetishes?

But only Kenley knew the true meaning behind his gaze. The vampire's potential for growth was truly astonishing. She had 30 HP at level 3, which meant she must have had 20 HP at level 1.

For humans, no matter if they were merchants, nobles, or from any other background, their HP at level 1 was always 10 points.

But this princess already had 20 HP at level 1, which meant her physical growth rate was twice that of a normal human. If she continued to grow at this rate, she would certainly become a boss-level existence.

And Tia wasn't just a mage; she held two positions: her main class was a mage, and her secondary class was a fighter.

"After all, she's a special character with a title," Kenley thought to himself, impressed.

"What is your name?" Kenley asked. Of course, he already knew her name, but if he said it directly, it would surely raise her suspicion and wariness. It was better to start fresh and be honest.

Tia stood up. She didn't seem the slightest bit afraid of the strange human before her. Her crimson eyes remained still, and she stood tall. She gently lifted the hem of her tattered clothes with both hands and curtsied to Kenley. It was a perfect noblewoman's curtsy. In that moment, she seemed to have transformed back into a high-born princess:"Your Excellency, my name is Tia."

Even though she wasn't wearing a dress, her movements were so graceful it seemed as if she were wearing one. Kenley was immediately captivated by the beauty of this vampire princess.

Kenley was momentarily stunned. It was just a brief moment, but it felt a little too long, and Tia's response was quicker than his.

She cleared her throat softly.

The sound of her throat clearing broke Kenley's trance, and he snapped back to attention. His face flushed with embarrassment. It was the first time he had acted so awkwardly in front of a girl.

Although she was just an NPC... no, wait, she was a living, breathing being, not an AI.

Kenley closed his eyes, mentally reorganizing the words he wanted to say. He lowered his head for a moment to compose himself before lifting his gaze and continuing,"Your Royal Highness…"

Just as he began to speak, Kenley immediately felt something was wrong. Why did he say what was in his mind out loud? He quickly corrected himself,"Tia, is it? You may call me Kenley. I have a question for you: would you be willing to become my servant and sign a contract with me?"

Tia wasn't foolish. She clearly heard Kenley refer to her as a princess, which immediately sparked a hint of suspicion and wariness. But then she thought, perhaps it was her noble curtsy earlier that led Kenley to make the connection. Could it be that he guessed her identity?

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When Kenley mentioned signing a contract with her, she immediately furrowed her brows. The young girl looked quite adorable with her furrowed brows, and her princess status only made her seem even more interesting.

Tia was currently very weak and was certainly no match for Kenley, who was armed with a sword. Moreover, she still had shackles on her wrists and her magical power was suppressed. It seemed she had no choice. So, she turned her gaze back to Kenley...

"Lord Kenley, are you referring to a slave contract?" In Tia's view, what other kind of contract would humans wish to sign other than a slave contract? Her eyes immediately turned somewhat hostile toward Kenley.

The slave contract, as the name implies, means that the life and death of the slave are entirely at the whim of the master. No matter what happens, as soon as the master dies, the slave dies as well. Therefore, the slave must go to great lengths to protect the master's safety, or else it's a matter of shared fortune and misfortune.

But at that moment, an unexpected answer emerged.

"It's not a slave contract, it's a master-servant contract," Kenley said aloud.

A master-servant contract? Tia froze for a moment. How ancient is this contract? She remembered it had disappeared in the seventh year of the First Cycle. Now it was the fifth era, the first year of the Apocalypse Cycle, and that was more than four hundred years ago.

Since the invention of the slave contract, this contract with extreme control had become widespread throughout the continent of Aode. The aristocracy had taken to it eagerly.

Beautiful elves, seductive Medusas, and mysterious mermaids—noble tastes were never picky. The more unusual and bizarre their preferences, the more they adored it.

The slave contract restricted the freedom of these slaves, turning the females of these exotic races into playthings for the nobles. Later, it wasn't just the females, which is why the slave trade boomed across the continent.

This represented the dirtiest and most evil side of the aristocracy. On the surface, they were devout followers of the Mother Goddess and the Sun God, but in reality, they were all beasts in human skin.

Look at Tia—now you see that those beasts didn't even spare the undead. Since the invasion of Aode by Peron, this was the first time anyone had sent a vampire to the slave market.

But the master-servant contract was completely different. The power of the master-servant contract was far lower than that of the slave contract and was more akin to a labor contract. After the master and servant enter into the contract, the master is fully responsible for the servant's food, clothing, and housing, while the servant must work according to the master's demands.

The servant cannot kill the master, and the master cannot kill the servant. Moreover, after the master's death, the servant will regain their freedom. Compared to the cruel slave contract, this immediately seemed much more refined.

This human, showing such kindness? Signing such an ancient and non-profitable master-servant contract with her? Tia could hardly believe it.

"Respected Lord Kenley, could you please say that again? I didn't quite understand," Tia still seemed somewhat puzzled, unable to believe her ears.

Kenley repeated himself, "I want to sign a master-servant contract with you, not a slave contract."

"Really?"

"Really. Do you prefer a slave contract? I can change it if you'd like." Kenley said, sounding a bit irritated.

Tia immediately became anxious and took a step forward. "No, just the master-servant contract. This is perfect!"

Seeing Tia's anxious expression, Kenley couldn't help but chuckle. This princess...

Kenley then bit his finger and unrolled a clean piece of parchment he had scavenged from a merchant, spreading it on the floor.

As he wrote, he recited, "The Mother Goddess came to the Endless Sea, singing aloud. You are no longer an anonymous face, nor a silent shadow. You have no splendid attire, nor ordinary eyes. You were once in the embrace of the Mother Goddess, and even now, you remain in her embrace. I miss you, just as you miss me..."

When Kenley finished writing the contract, he looked up, only to find that, at some point, Tia's eyes had welled up with tears.