definitely bad parents for me, sorry. However, the scenario is definitely realistic. It still happens today - it's part of how children are trafficked into slave labour and the sex industry. Traffickers come and offer poor parents a sum of money for their daughters - I think it's in Thailand where it is said that it is good to have a girl, because now you will have a source of income - because it's assumed the girl will go into the sex industry and send money home. Coercion from families or outright sold to a trafficker - in the end, the girl is still forced into prostitution. And of course throughout history, daughters are bargaining chips. So your scenario is perfectly realistic. If you didn't want the parents to come off as evil, then highlight their situation. What would have happened if they couldn't give the Count what he asked for and didn't sell their daughter? If we could see it was the hardest and most unwilling decision on the parents' part, there would be more sympathy for them. They'd still be bad parents imo, but wouldn't come off as completely heartless. Whether the girl is willing is another factor. If she offers herself and then persuades her parents to go along with it, again, the parents wouldn't come off looking quite so bad than if the girl was kicking and screaming and begging them not to sell her and they do it anyway.
True story, and one I've filed away in my 'ideas' folder for possible inclusion in a future book: A family in the local Amish community who had several children 'gifted' one of their daughters to a non-Amish man who paid off some debilitating medical expenses after the father had a severe illness. The girl was the 'property' of the man for four years until neighbors and other people in the community began asking questions about this girl who was 14 when she was 'gifted'. The Amish father had done research online and believed the 'gifting' was legal, I kid you not. http://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/06/lancaster_county_couple_told_p.html My point of bringing up this story is that parents will justify all sorts of things cruel and absurd depending on their state of mind at the time. Though it is not a decision most of us would make it certainly is possible. I don't think the story the OP is writing cares if the parents are good or bad; the story isn't about the morality, it is about what becomes of the daughter IMO.
