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“Tsk, stop caring about such things, just hurry and go see your mother…”

Heather suddenly led Mirabelle by the hand and started walking forward at a brisk pace. This underground passage wasn’t very long, so they soon arrived in front of a certain metal cage. When Heather paused in front of this cage, Mirabelle turned to look at what was inside. Mirabelle instantly widened her eyes when she saw who was in the cage.

“M… Mother?”

Mirabelle instantly grabbed onto the cage bars as she looked at the woman inside who was bound with chains.

That woman was Mirabelle’s adoptive mother whom she knew so well. Currently, Mirabelle’s mother had a really haggard expression. When she heard Mirabelle’s voice, she raised her head and glanced at Mirabelle outside the cage with a fatigued expression.

“Mira? Mira, it’s really you… cough cough…”

As Heather had stated before, Mirabelle’s mother indeed lived in a rather comfortable environment.

There was a large and soft bed, along with space for her to shower.

However, there were no signs of her recovering from her injuries.

“Jess, how’s her condition?”
“Extremely bad. No matter how we try to convince her, she keeps refusing to eat the food that we provide.”

Heather asked a female vampire who was standing in front of the cage about Mirabelle’s mother’s condition.

Jess seemed like a butler, as she was wearing butler attire. Honestly, this place was heavily guarded. More than five guards were above ground, while two female vampires were underground and responsible for taking care of Mirabelle’s mother.

‘My mother doesn’t want to eat?! How could this be? She might starve to death here before anyone can come to save her.’

Mirabelle was incredibly anxious as she kneeled on the ground after she heard this. Tears dripped out from her eyes as she pleaded with Heather.

“Master, could you open the cage and let me go in? I’m begging you, Master, let me go in and see my mother…”

Mirabelle’s eyes immediately filled with tears as she thought about this. She kept kneeling as she excitedly begged Heather.

“Mira, stand up first, there’s no need to kneel since the ground is dirty. I’ll let you go in…”

Heather helped Mirabelle up and gently helped to clean Mirabelle’s knee.

Heather then glanced over at the guard Jess, who used a key to open up the cage.

Mirabelle immediately rushed in to check on her mother who was on the bed.

“Mother, are you alright?”

Mirabelle placed her hand in her mother Joanna Dorothea’s hand. She helped her mother to sit up. Joanna weakly held onto Mirabelle’s hand and grasped it as tightly as she could.

This weak woman, Joanna, showed an expression filled with love. She then looked at Mirabelle’s neck and saw a shining silver collar, which caused her to sigh deeply.

“Mira, so you were also unable to escape being captured by these vampires?”
“Sorry, Mother, I’m truly so sorry, it’s all my fault-”

‘-It’s all my fault that my mother is suffering like this.’

Mirabelle kept crying as she jumped into Joanna’s arms and profusely apologized.

“No… I’m the one who should apologize. You wouldn’t have been captured by them if it wasn’t for me…”
“Mother, don’t say something like that…”

Mirabelle kept pleading with her mother while Joanna gently patted her on the back.

“It’s as if the past 15 years of time have been completely wasted. I wasn’t even able to complete the [final task] which [that person] left to me. I’ve brought so much shame upon my title of being the head royal guard…”

Mirabelle gently pushed Joanna away slightly and warmly glanced at the haggard woman. She used her finger to gently caress the corner of Joanna’s eye. Although Joanna didn’t have an old appearance or any wrinkles, and her skin was still smooth, she had a haggard expression that was befitting of her age.

“N… not at all, you’ve raised me for so many years, yet I haven’t done anything…”
“You’re still young. You can’t be expected to shoulder the responsibility of our entire species’ fate just yet. That’s why we did our best to hide you in this city until you grew up-”
“Even so, Mother, you have to eat. Even if it’s food given by vampires, you have to properly eat in order to survive. Otherwise, how will your body recover?”

However, Joanna glanced at the food laying on the corner of the bed. Her heart was filled with uneasiness.

“I don’t want to accept anything from the enemy. Besides, they’ve even bound me with chains. How am I supposed to eat?”
“Master, why did you tie my mother up with chains!?”

Mirabelle stood up with great anger as she confronted Heather.

“Naturally, this was done with my permission. The guards have informed me many times that your mother keeps trying to commit suicide. We bound her with chains in order to prevent that from happening. Besides, the chains are more than long enough for her to reach the food bowls. It’s just that she keeps refusing to eat…”
“Commit… suicide? Mother, you… please don’t do something foolish…”
“There’s no helping it. I don’t have the face to live in this world any longer since I was unable to properly protect you…”
“M… Mother, p… please don’t give up…”

Mirabelle then went over and whispered something unknown in Joanna’s ear.

Heather was unable to mind-read what Mirabelle was thinking because she wasn’t in close enough proximity. Heather would have to enter the cage herself in order to read Mirabelle’s mind. Just as Heather was about to go inside and eavesdrop on Mirabelle’s mind, Mirabelle and Joanna separated from each other.

“What were you saying?”
“N… nothing, I just want to request Master to unchain my mother? I promise that she won’t try to commit suicide anymore…”
“Really?”

Heather immediately had a doubting expression.

“Honest, I promise that she won’t try to commit suicide again…”
“What if she really dies?”
“Rest assured, I’ve thought things through now. As long as my daughter is still here, I won’t try to commit suicide…”

Joanna also spoke in a serious tone to Heather.

Heather deeply sighed before tossing a small key on the corner of the bed. She then exited the cage.

“Mira, I’ll give you five more minutes. You must exit after those five minutes…”
“O… Okay! Thank you, Master!”

Mirabelle picked up the key that Heather had tossed onto the bed. As Mirabelle unlocked the chains around Joranna’s hands and feet, Mirabelle secretly whispered, “Mother, it’s just like what I said. You must treat your own body well and recover, as I’ll be having someone come to rescue you…”

“Okay, I’ll wait here and let myself recover…”
“Also, you absolutely can’t keep thinking something foolish like committing suicide. Even… even if you’re not my birth mother, I’ve long since viewed you as my real mother…”