Pretending to be asleep was exposed by Rosalia, so Liliya could only slowly open her eyes, then slowly reach out her hand and remove the nightgown from herself.
So embarrassing.
“Lady Rosalia, when did you realize I was pretending to sleep?”
“Just now,” Rosalia replied cheerfully, “when I put the nightgown on you, I saw you move just a little, like a small animal. So adorable.”
Rosalia giggled, but once again her fingers brushed Liliya’s lips, her words again tinged with apology.
“Sorry, I was too rough. Did I wake you up, Liliya?”
“No…”
Liliya didn’t dare admit that she had actually been awake for two hours already; she just kept her eyes closed because she wanted to linger in Rosalia’s embrace a little longer.
In her perception, it had only been the span of a nap, but after waking, she found herself caring about Rosalia’s embrace more than ever, and could no longer resist the idea of being Rosalia’s little pet.
“That’s good… I was just so worried about you, Liliya. I couldn’t help myself. I thought maybe you’d be angry at me for that.”
Rosalia’s fox-like eyes glimmered with laughter, narrowing sweetly; the sight was so intoxicating that Liliya lost herself for a moment.
So beautiful.
She sighed inwardly, only to notice the playful smile in Rosalia’s eyes and realize that her own expression was completely exposed.
At this moment, with Rosalia not wearing a single thread, it was all too easy to imagine things otherwise.
“Does Liliya like me like this?”
“N-no….”
Liliya hurriedly pulled the blanket over her eyes, not daring to continue being so rude.
“It’s all right. If it’s Liliya, I wouldn’t mind staying in this state for a whole day in this room.”
Rosalia, not feeling a trace of shame or impropriety, even took the initiative to pull away Liliya’s blanket, her words filled with indulgence.
So teased, Liliya’s cheeks flushed red. She shut her eyes tightly, too embarrassed to look at Rosalia’s current appearance.
“What’s the matter?”
Rosalia’s lighthearted laughter answered her.
Liliya soon realized she was being carried.
Without the layer of clothing in between, Liliya could clearly feel Rosalia’s soft and cool skin. Held in her arms, a kiss fell gently on her eyelids, and then her head was stroked with the utmost gentleness.
“Liliya, you don’t need to be so shy. You’re special. If you could make me happy, even that kind of thing… I’d seriously consider it for you.”
Though Rosalia’s words weren’t explicit, in the suggestive atmosphere, Liliya understood perfectly well what she was implying.
Because of this, Liliya became even less willing to open her eyes.
“All right, since my Liliya is so shy, I won’t say any more.”
Rosalia got up, walked to her wardrobe, and put on that elegant, noble Gothic dress.
Only after the rustling sounds ceased did Liliya finally open her eyes. The first thing she saw was Rosalia’s flawless face. Liliya’s heart gave a sharp thump.
She thought this was another prank, like so many times before, but unexpectedly, Rosalia held her cheeks gently, her fingers softly caressing Liliya’s face.
In those eyes shone the utmost tenderness.
“Thank goodness you’re all right, Liliya.”
Liliya felt strangely dazed.
Being gazed at like this by Rosalia, Liliya almost believed everything Rosalia had said just now.
As long as she dared make a request, and if Rosalia happened to be in a good mood, the two of them might even share the most primal kind of union.
A privilege far beyond what a pet could expect.
“Liliya, you might not know this, but you’ve been unconscious for four days.”
“..Four days?”
Liliya was confused by Rosalia’s words, puzzled by the mention of four days.
To her, it felt like she’d only taken a nap.
She had no memory whatsoever of those four days.
She remembered that at first, she had planned to search for clues about her lost memories, and then…
What happened after that?
She’d forgotten.
“Don’t try to remember.”
Rosalia hugged Liliya tightly to her chest.
“In the middle of the night, you left the castle alone and wandered into the forest. Then those damned humans caught you. They wanted to burn you alive. Fortunately, I got there in time and saved you before they could really start… Otherwise…”
Rosalia didn’t finish the sentence; she just held the girl in her arms more tightly.
Listening to her words, Liliya hugged Rosalia’s waist in fear, not daring to imagine what that scene must have been like. Are humans really so terrifying? Wasn’t she human herself before?
As if sensing Liliya’s thoughts, Rosalia spoke softly: “Humans can be cruel to their own kind. And… you aren’t really one of them anymore, have you forgotten?”
As she spoke, she let go of Liliya, used her thumb to pry open Liliya’s mouth, and touched Liliya’s sharp fangs with her finger.
“The human world doesn’t like us Bloodkin. If they find us, they’ll burn us, to solidify their own status. So Liliya, you must never leave the castle without permission, understand?”
Are humans really like that?
Liliya had no way to know, but a voice deep inside told her she could trust Rosalia completely, without a shred of doubt.
“All right, stop thinking about that. You’ve slept so long, Liliya, you need some exercise. I’ll take you around the castle now. For the next few days, don’t leave my sight, okay? Otherwise, I’ll be very worried.”
Don’t leave her sight…
“Mm.”
Liliya didn’t think much of it. After all, in the past couple of days, she’d spent most of her time at Rosalia’s side anyway. It didn’t seem like anything would really change.
Rosalia dressed her in that heavy princess gown again, but this time, every accessory was fastened on as well, weighing her down so much that she found it hard to move.
The hardest part, though, was the new pair of high heels she was made to wear.
Although the shoes had thick heels, the completely different feeling of balance made her uncomfortable. Every step made her feel as if she might tip forward.
Until now, Liliya hadn’t really minded.
It was just some clothes, after all.
She followed clumsily behind Rosalia as she went to the study to handle documents.
Until—
She realized she needed to use the restroom.
Only then did she truly understand what Rosalia had meant by not leaving her sight.