I stepped out of the carriage, squinting against the blinding gre, and froze in my tracks. A building loomed before me that defied all architectural logic. It was a gargantuan, ancient Gothic cathedral with spires that seemed to pierce the clouds, yet its walls were interced with ribbons of gleaming bck gss and pulsing blue lines of mana. It looked like a fusion of the dark Middle Ages and high-tech futurism.

  I began to look around frantically, expecting to see a bustling city, cobblestone streets, or at the very least, defensive walls. To my horror, the building stood in the middle of nowhere. All around us were endless, unnaturally green meadows waving in the wind under a blood-red sky. This luxurious monolith was the only thing in sight.

  My attempt to scout the surroundings was abruptly cut short by the creaking of heavy iron gates. Out stepped... him.

  He was a small, red demon, reaching only to my waist. His skin was wrinkled and the color of raw meat, topped with a pair of curved bck horns and glowing yellow eyes devoid of pupils. He was dressed in an impeccably tailored bck tailcoat that stood in stark contrast to his monstrous physiology. I took a step back, feeling the leash tighten around my neck. Lilith and Elene were demons, but they looked human... even that cold vampiress looked human. This creature was the first true "monster" I had seen with my own eyes.

  The demon bowed so low his horns nearly scraped the ground, then looked up at Lilith with a fawning smile, baring rows of razor-sharp teeth.

  “Welcome, Lady Lilith,” he croaked obsequiously. “At your request, we have moved today’s auction to an earlier hour. This humble servant is here to lead you to your private suite.”

  Lilith didn’t even gnce at him. Her face was a mask of icy indifference. “Lead the way,” she said shortly.

  With one hand, she gripped my waist imperiously, pulling me to her side, while the other still held my pink leash. We moved deeper into the building. The little demon led us up winding marble stairs to the very top until we stood before heavy oak doors.

  The interior of the private room was breathtaking. It was massive, furnished with luxurious velvet couches and dark wood tables covered in intricate carvings of demonic silhouettes. In the corner stood a gargantuan crimson four-poster bed.

  But it wasn't the furniture that caught my eye. The entire front wall was a giant window overlooking a vast hall below. It was filled with hundreds of figures - from richly dressed humans to monsters whose shapes barely resembled anything familiar.

  So this is the royal treatment... I thought out of the corner of my eye, feeling the cage beneath my dress painfully remind me of its existence with every move.

  “If My Lady requires anything, simply ring,” the demon said with the utmost respect, bowing one st time before departing.

  Lilith nodded to the demon and then gave my pink leash a steady tug, leading me toward one of the luxurious leather couches. As soon as we sat down, the small demon retreated and closed the heavy doors, leaving us alone in that silence dripping with opulence.

  I breathed a small sigh of relief. I naively thought that since we were in a public pce - even if it was a VIP box - Lilith would restrain her “games” and let me just watch the auction. But before I could even settle on the edge of the couch, I felt her strong arms wrap around my waist.

  Before I could react, I was sitting on her p, my back pressed against her chest.

  “Mistress!” I squeaked in an unnaturally high, almost girlish voice, my heart leaping into my throat.

  Lilith held me tight, her hands beginning a slow dance over my hips. She pressed her face into my neck, her voice low and purring when she spoke.

  “Mmm~ nothing to worry about, kitten. This gss is enchanted so no one can see us from the other side, and the entire room is completely soundproof,” she whispered, then nipped my earlobe without warning. “We can do whatever we want in here, and no one below will even dream of what’s happening in this lodge.”

  I shivered. I felt the mounting pressure of my pink cage, which reminded me of its presence with every movement on her thighs. I winced in frustration, desperately looking for an escape with my eyes, staring out the giant window just to avoid drowning in her golden gaze.

  Just then, a woman stepped into the center of the magically illuminated stage, instantly drawing the gaze of everyone gathered. She moved with predatory grace, her skimpy bck dress of delicate silk shifting precariously over her hips with every step. The fabric barely covered her curves, radiating an aggressive sexual allure that seemed to thicken the air around her. Most striking, however, was her long, thin tail zily swaying behind her, ending in a perfect heart-shaped spade.

  She must be a sukkub... I thought, unable to look away from her exotic beauty. Despite my situation and the fact that I was sitting on the Sovereign's p, I felt a sudden, treacherous surge of desire. My new css and unnaturally sharpened senses meant I reacted to the sight faster than I would have liked.

  Unfortunately, not even the smallest detail of my reaction escaped Lilith.

  Suddenly, I felt a sharp, stinging pain in my buttock. Lilith pinched me so hard I let out a shrill squeak, nearly jumping out of her embrace.

  “Do you truly have the nerve to look at another woman with that expression while your Mistress holds you in her arms?” she rasped into my ear, her voice quiet but saturated with murderous jealousy.

  I felt an icy chill down my neck. Fear instantly dispced every other sensation. I quickly turned toward her, ignoring the pain beneath my dress, and looked into her golden eyes, which now burned with a dark fire. I had to appease her immediately, or this trip would end tragically for me.

  “M-Mistress! I’m sorry, she... she’s nothing compared to you!” I began pouring out a torrent of sweet words, trying to make my voice sound as pleading as possible. “I only looked because I was shocked by how much she cks your css and power. You are the most beautiful being in this entire world, Mistress... Your touch makes me forget everything else. Please, don’t be angry with your stupid kitten.”

  I spoke, practically fawning over her and seeking her hand to show my total submission. My heart was pounding like crazy, and I prayed that these compliments would be enough to douse the fire I’d carelessly ignited.

  Seeing the panicked sincerity in my eyes, Lilith smiled with superiority and huffed softly, clearly satisfied with my reaction.

  “You’re right. That woman isn’t even worth you daring to compare us,” she murmured, her grip on my hips loosening slightly, though I still felt her dominant presence.

  I nodded feverishly, muttering more apologies for my stupidity, when suddenly our voices were drowned out by a soothing yet flirtatious voice echoing through the auction hall. Lilith silenced me with a gesture, allowing the sukkub's words to fill the room.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our House of Curiosities,” the woman on stage began, bowing with a grace that made her skimpy outfit barely stay in pce. Her voice was like velvet, ced with a hint of magical charm that made every listener feel she was speaking only to them. “It brings us immense joy that such a distinguished group of connoisseurs has graced us with their presence today. As you well know, our institution is famous for providing only the most unique, hand-selected, and fully formed treasures to satisfy the tastes of even the most demanding demons.”

  I looked down once more, consumed by a sick curiosity. For the first time in my life, I was seeing something on this scale. The crowd below went still in anticipation, and I felt the leash on my neck twitch slightly as Lilith adjusted her grip.

  “As always, we have prepared many incredibly interesting and valuable items avaible for sale today,” the sukkub continued, sending a barely perceptible, seductive smile toward the VIP lodge. “These items possess not only extraordinary aesthetics but are also fully prepared to meet any and all expectations pced upon them.”

  With a flirtatious wave, she signaled the staff to bring the first “item” onto the stage. My heart beat faster, and the feline cage under my dress suddenly became even more cumbersome as I felt the heavy atmosphere of anticipation.

  My heart, which only a moment ago was racing with pure, naive curiosity, suddenly stopped, then plummeted into the pit of my stomach. All excitement evaporated in a heartbeat, leaving only a sour aftertaste and mounting dread.

  Out of the shadows, led by two guards, stepped the first girl. She had long, floppy rabbit ears that hung limp along her shoulders. She was dressed only in skimpy ce lingerie and a stiff leather colr that seemed to choke her delicate neck. While she was undeniably beautiful, her body bore marks of neglect - faint bruises on her wrists from heavy metal chains and skin pale from a ck of sunlight.

  But the worst part was her gaze. Her eyes were empty, devoid of any spark of life, as if her soul had long since fled that body, leaving only a beautiful, hollow shell for sale.

  Suddenly, with total brutality, it hit me where I actually was. This wasn't an art gallery or an auction for magical artifacts. This was a market for living property. Lilith had brought me to a sve auction.

  I felt the leash around my neck suddenly become impossibly heavy. I looked at Lilith, who still held me in her arms with the same icy indifference she used to watch the scene below.

  My body began to tremble.

  She... she didn't want to sell me, did she?