CLANK!
CLANK!
The sealed metal plate flew open, and brilliant sunlight flooded in.
The glare made Cheng Xi instinctively shield her eyes with the back of her hand.
As she moved, the metal chain on her wrist clinked softly.
Once her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw a line of Aliens standing outside her cage, staring at her!
“Oh, heavens!
What a beautiful human pet!”
“Is this the birthday present the Beast King sent for our master?” two rabbit-eared maids exclaimed in awe.
Two pairs of large, round eyes stared with amazement, sizing up the chained human in the cage.
The human before them was absolutely gorgeous.
Long, silky black hair draped over her shoulders, framing a delicate, palm-sized face with fair, tender skin.
She wore a pale yellow gown that left her fair feet bare.
She was incomparable to any of the lifelike dolls on the market!
An unfamiliar language reached her ears.
Cheng Xi lifted her head slightly.
She could vaguely pick out a word or two but couldn’t really understand.
Still, she could guess the general idea from their expressions.
At this, Cheng Xi’s eye twitched almost imperceptibly.
‘I repent,’ she thought.
‘All I did was feel a tiny bit envious of rich people’s cats and dogs, jealous that they could live carefree lives, fed the best food and drink without ever having to work.’
‘Who would’ve thought that on that very night, a flying saucer would appear in the sky and—WHOOSH—suck me right up?’
‘Then I was caught, taken to Outer Space, branded like a pet, and put up for sale.’
She had been in Outer Space for over a month now, and only today had she been sold.
‘Barring any surprises, this must be my future ‘master’s’ home.’
Before she had a chance to properly observe her surroundings, she heard two soft clicks as the locks on her ankles sprang open.
The metal chains on her wrists remained, however.
She was silent for a few seconds, inwardly speechless.
‘Any one of these Aliens could crush me with their bare hands.
Was it really necessary to put me in such heavy shackles?
Do they think I can actually run away?’
‘Even if I could, where would I even run?!’
A shadow fell over the entrance to the cage.
She looked up to see a tall male Alien in a gray suit with a somewhat aged face sizing her up.
She couldn’t understand the words he spoke.
Then, the metal cage holding her opened completely from the top.
The two rabbit-eared maids approached, chattering away about something or other.
They reached for her, and Cheng Xi instinctively flinched away.
But it was no use.
They flanked her and forcibly moved her into a smaller cage, one that resembled a modern dog kennel.
It didn’t obstruct her view, but Cheng Xi’s expression was grim.
As the two maids pushed the cage, one exclaimed in awe, “Mani, did you see? Humans evolved so beautifully! They’re the Creator’s favored children!”
Their eyes lingered on her, and Cheng Xi, in turn, secretly observed them.
To a human, these Aliens looked like animals from a fairytale that had turned into people.
Each of them possessed some animal-like traits.
For example, the two maids pushing her not only had long, pink rabbit ears and red eyes, but also slightly thick lips with a distinct split in the upper lip.
A small, fluffy tail even poked out from above the back of their dresses.
By human standards, their appearance was very strange.
However, not every Alien displayed so many bestial traits.
The older male Alien who had opened her cage, for instance, only had a pair of horns, though she couldn’t tell what kind of animal they belonged to.
His status also seemed higher than that of the two rabbit-women.
Just as Mani, one of the maids, was about to voice her envy, the steward Quisen spoke with arrogance and disdain.
“The Creator is fair.
While God granted humans a perfect evolutionary form, their bodies are exceedingly fragile.
Any young child on Rabbit Star could tear them to shreds!”
“You are right, Lord Quisen,” the two rabbit maids hurriedly said with respect.
Not daring to say more, they quickly brought Cheng Xi into the castle.
Cheng Xi discovered that the Alien architecture was incredibly tall and spacious.
As a human, she felt like she had arrived in the land of giants.
“My Lord, this is the one-hundredth birthday gift the Beast King has sent for you.”
Inside the magnificent, luxurious castle, Quisen bowed slightly, reporting respectfully to Duke Hote, who was descending the grand staircase.
Hearing his voice, Cheng Xi looked up and fixed her gaze on the man coming down the stairs.
He wore a golden shirt and elegant, gilt-trimmed black trousers.
Though he was barefoot, it did nothing to diminish his air of languid nobility.
His steps faltered when he saw her, and he paused on the stairs.
Even standing still, Cheng Xi could sense that the taut muscles visible beneath his shirt held astonishing power.
Her gaze traveled upward to his face, which was incredibly handsome, like a figure from ancient Greek mythology.
But when her eyes met his golden pupils, his sharp, chilling gaze made her breath catch in her throat.
Her body stiffened uncontrollably, as if she were locked in the sights of a cruel, bloodthirsty predator.
Cheng Xi didn’t dare to look any longer and frantically lowered her head.
‘What a terrifying Alien!’ she thought.
The weak little human trembled in fear after a single glance.
A hint of amusement and a flicker of interest appeared in Hotte’s eyes.
He resumed his descent, his gait languid as he said mockingly, “My dear brother recently issued a strict ban forbidding nobles from purchasing human pets of the opposite sex. So why would he send me a human female?”
Quisen cleared his throat.
“How could we possibly understand the Beast King’s intentions? My Lord, what do you plan to do with this female human pet?”
Hotte glanced toward the cage.
The human female was crouched silently inside, barely daring to look at him.
‘Though, just now on the stairs, I did catch a glimpse of her eyes—as clear as a newborn’s.
A very pure and beautiful human female,’ he mused.
‘I’d really love to ask my dear brother if he’s trying to test me, sending such a stunning female pet over right in the prime of my life.’
Withdrawing his gaze, he gave his orders.
“Mary and Mani, you’re responsible for getting her cleaned up.
Keep her in your room and look after her for now.
We’ll discuss it further when I return.”
“Yes, My Lord,” the two rabbit maids replied respectfully.
With that, Hotte left the castle.
Today was his one-hundredth birthday, and the Beast King, Hunter—his own brother—was holding a banquet for him at the Royal Palace.
It would be dreadfully boring, but attendance was mandatory.
Quisen followed closely behind him.
The moment they were gone, Cheng Xi felt the oppressive weight in the air lift considerably.
She let out a huge sigh of relief.
‘I have no idea what these Aliens were saying, but the way they looked at me sent shivers down my spine.’ A sense of dread filled her heart.
She gave a bitter smile.
‘Am I going to spend the rest of my life living at the beck and call of these Aliens?’
She wasn’t left to her melancholy for long.
The two maids soon began pushing her cage elsewhere.
They pushed her all the way into a room, where one of them said something before removing the lock from her wrists.
Then, they started to strip off her clothes.