Chapter 10

After the morning lecture, I was having lunch in the cafeteria of the Demon King's castle.

"It's really nice that the lunch is so cheap, isn't it?"

The portions are large, and the menu is diverse. It's a blessing to be able to live in this comfortable environment for a year.

...And the seats are spacious too.

The cafeteria tables are quite full, but an air pocket has formed around me.

My classmates greet me with a few words but then go to other seats. I wonder if this is a form of being ignored. As I finish my meal and sip my tea after lunch,

"Mr. Chrono, is it okay if I sit next to you?"

Sophia approached. She also seemed to be having lunch, carrying a tray with a sandwich on it.

"Sure, go ahead. You're the first one to sit next to me."

"Hehe, that's great. Then I'll join you."

As she said this, she took a seat. At that moment, I noticed that the clothes she was wearing were different from what she had on earlier. During the lecture, she was wearing something more revealing, but now she was in a long-sleeved dress with fluffy frills.

"Hey, you changed your clothes. Are you going somewhere?"

"Yes, I'm going to the town for a bit. It's my second day here, so I thought I'd buy some additional bedding and small items."

"I see. Bedding... I forgot to buy some too."

As I thought about yesterday, I couldn't help but yawn.

"......Haa......"

"You seem tired, Mr. Chrono. It's no wonder after the intense battle earlier."

"Yeah, but that wasn't really anything. I just slept in an awkward position last night, so I didn't sleep well."

"O-Oh, I see. So it wasn't really anything..."

Sophia's face was slightly tense, but it was true that I didn't sleep well.

The Demon King's mattress was comfortable, but...

...the pillow, which was just a rolled-up cloth, didn't suit me.

As a result, my neck was sore. Even though my recovery during sleep had doubled, the drowsiness from not sleeping well couldn't be helped.

"My neck and shoulders feel heavy."

As I said this, I tried to lean on the table,

"Hehe, if you fall asleep here, your neck will get even more tired. There's no cushion here."

Sophia gently inserted her hand between my head and the table. My head rested on her wrist.

Naturally, her body leaned closer to me,

"......Um, what are you doing?"

"No, it's a thank you for the amazing thing you showed us in the lecture earlier."

"I don't remember showing anything special."

"Hehe, don't worry about it. If I feel I've received a favor, I like to return it. That's the motto of my family. I'm doing this because I want to."

"I see. If that's the case, it's fine, I guess."

It felt good to have her arm under my head, and the fabric of her sleeve against my cheek was pleasant. As I thought this, I realized something.

"......Sophia, your clothes are incredibly fluffy and soft."

The material was more elastic and comfortable than feathers or cotton.

"Oh, thank you for the compliment. I'm sure my personal tailor will be happy to hear that."

"What material is it made of?"

"Hehe, it's a vampire trade secret. I'll just say it's made from fabric that is only given to nobility."

I was casually told a shocking fact, and my movements froze. Then, I forced my neck to turn,

"Nobility... So, Sophia, you're a princess...!?"

I looked at Sophia and asked, and she nodded as if it were obvious.

"Yes, that's right. The people in the advanced class are all like that, so it's not unusual."

It was said so casually. Right, I remember the people in the advanced class were mostly from royal or noble families, who were strong both in ability and power.

"Still, don't worry about it. I don't mind either."

Sophia smiled and said this. It was a relief for me too.

Being used as a pillow by a princess might look bad to others, but since it's already happened, I'll just go with it.

"Anyway, getting back to the topic, this dress is packed with various vampire technologies."

"Is that so... But it really feels good. I could almost use it as a body pillow."

I said this, thinking how nice it would be to sleep with this texture as a body pillow.

"Hehe, I'm honored to hear that. Would you like to touch it a bit more... Oh?"

"Hmm?"

She leaned her body closer to mine, almost hugging me.

"Um... Isn't this a bit too bold? I mean, I'm happy, but I was just joking about the body pillow."

As I looked up at Sophia, her face was also flushed red.

"N-No, I didn't mean to... It's inappropriate, and I'm sorry! I'll move away now—"

Sophia made a gesture as if to pull away, but she didn't budge.

"Ah, what? I can't seem to move...! My body is moving on its own... Ah!"

"Huh?"

I stood up, wondering what she was talking about. However, she was still hugging me.

"Um, Sophia...?"

"S-Sorry. I can't move at all!"

Sophia's face was bright red as she shook her head.

...What's going on?

As I looked around, I noticed semi-transparent black chains wrapped around Sophia's body.

...It seems we're under some kind of magical attack.

But why would someone attack us? As I was confused,

"Huh? Chrono, what are you doing?"

"Riza?"

The Demon King happened to pass by. It was just in time. If I asked her, she should be able to tell if we were under a magical attack. I was about to ask, but she spoke first,

"Chrono, it looks like you've made a subservience contract with that girl. Is that the case?"

"Huh?"

"No, I mean, the black chains on her are 'Chains of Domination,' right? They control the other person's soul, making them subservient and forcing them to obey orders absolutely. From the way they're activated, it looks like you're the one who made the contract, didn't you?"

Riza pointed at the chains on Sophia and asked.

"Um, I have no memory of doing that."

"Really?"

"Yes. Summarizing the current situation... Does that mean Sophia has become my slave?"

To this question, Riza answered lightly.

"Sure enough, you're good at summarizing. That's right. ——Magically speaking, that girl has become Chrono's slave."

On the second day of being in the Demon King's castle, for some reason, I had somehow made a slave of my classmate, a vampire princess.

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