Liliya didn’t know when her consciousness had faded away.
She only knew that when she came to herself again, her hands were folded in front of her lower abdomen, her eyes vacant as she stood behind Rosalia, like a loyal little maid.
She was still wearing that pink, alluring short dress. The hem was trimmed with cute little ruffles, but even with those, the dress barely covered one or two centimeters below the tops of her thighs.
Her smooth, pale legs were exposed to the air, and at her knees a healthy blush could still be seen.
Rosalia hadn’t let her wear shoes. Her tender little feet pressed directly onto the soft rug, and she could feel the tiny fibers of the carpet brushing against her soles, tickling her…
Rosalia seemed to sense that Liliya had awoken. Curling her lips, she looked at Liliya with a beaming smile. “Well, Sword Saint, are you getting used to your current situation?”
The title “Sword Saint” came out of her mouth with such teasing, as if it were a deliberate mockery.
There was no respect in her tone, only endless ridicule.
Once the Sword Saint who killed without blinking, now she could only wear such provocative clothes, trailing behind Rosalia.
“Did you know? I’ve always wanted to see you in something like this, but I wanted to take it slowly, so I never made you wear it.”
Rosalia reached out, grabbing a lock of hair beside Liliya’s ear, gently caressing it.
“But since you broke the rules first, I don’t see any need to be gradual anymore.”
“How about going for a walk outside in this outfit?”
There was only playfulness in Rosalia’s words. She looked at Liliya’s expressionless face and laughed softly.
The laughter sounded as clear as a mountain spring, but to Liliya, it brought only chills.
Liliya’s face remained emotionless, but her body was trembling ever so slightly. She tried desperately to move, but only managed to lose her balance and fall backward.
Rosalia didn’t bother to catch her. She simply watched Liliya tumble to the floor, unhurried, then returned to her desk to handle various official documents.
All Liliya could do was sit there on the floor, her eyes forced to look at Rosalia. Even turning her head was a struggle.
She couldn’t accept her current situation.
She had dared to charge alone into the heart of the Rebel Army and take the leader’s head herself. She had led others to crusade against Rosalia.
Yet now, she couldn’t bear the thought of being seen by others dressed like this.
Perhaps it was because she had once been the Sword Saint of the Church, the pinnacle of human might, that she now cared so much about her dignity. This kind of clothing made her feel utterly humiliated.
Or perhaps…
A sudden thought flashed through her mind, causing her to tremble again.
Not because she wanted to move—just pure, overwhelming panic.
Or maybe it was her womanhood acting up.
Having gone from a boy to a girl—such a soft, powerless girl.
The unique shame of a woman, and the sense of insecurity from being unable to protect herself, made her unable to accept such clothing.
This world was not as safe as her previous one. She knew what might happen to a girl dressed like this if she were to appear outside.
Liliya desperately wanted to bite through her own tongue, to force herself to calm down, but she couldn’t even manage that.
Just as Rosalia had said, she was powerless.
All she could do was stare at Rosalia’s face, hoping her captor would show mercy and not make her go outside dressed like this, not let anyone see her in such a pitiful state.
Thoughts she’d never had before surged through her mind, overwhelming all other feelings. This turmoil lasted a long time before, finally, she managed to regain a shred of clarity.
Liliya realized she couldn’t just sit here and await her fate.
She struggled to control her body, to keep moving even without a heart.
She started with her pinky finger.
Each time she tried to move, an empty, stabbing pain surged from her hollow chest—as if her tendons had been cut, and her whole body impaled by iron stakes as she tried to move.
It was so hard, as if her body wasn’t her own, and stabbing pains pierced her chest.
No telling how much time passed before, for the first time, she managed to control her pinky finger and curl it.
Such a simple movement, yet Liliya only managed it after enduring tremendous pain.
Still, it was something—a small victory.
Just as this thought took shape, Rosalia’s casual voice rang out from the desk, as if nothing had happened. “Liliya, go make me some tea.”
Her body moved against her will, sweet and metallic in her mouth, and she walked step by step to the nearby tea table, picked up the teapot, and came to Rosalia’s side to pour tea.
With a single sentence, all of Liliya’s previous efforts were undone. After so much torment, she could only move her pinky finger, while Rosalia’s words could command her entire body to do what she could not.
It was her own body, yet she had no control over it.
The only small comfort was that, when Rosalia controlled her body, she felt no pain. It was as if she’d never regained her memories at all.
When the tea had filled two-thirds of the cup, Liliya stopped pouring and stood straight before Rosalia.
Rosalia picked up the teacup, sipped lightly, then opened her eyes to look at the enchanting little maid before her.
She scanned Liliya up and down, making no effort to conceal it.
Her gaze slid over Liliya’s skin like a snake, raising goosebumps everywhere it passed.
“Looks like it’s still not enough.”
Rosalia looked at Liliya, the playfulness in her eyes returning.
“This morning’s paperwork is done. Wendy’s lunch will take a while longer to prepare, so there’s still half an hour until then…”
“Since my little pet is so full of tricks, why don’t we take a walk in the courtyard right now?”
“By the way, since lunch is being prepared, there will be a lot of people passing through the corridor at noon. All these maids can see the courtyard through the windows.”
“Liliya, come walk with me in the corridor.”
Liliya’s body shivered again, but the sweet, metallic taste rose once more, overriding her will. She followed Rosalia, stepping out of the study.
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