Chapter 17: Even Drunk, I Must Help My Master Change Clothes

“How interesting.” Daphne examined the key.

“Do you have any plans, Madam?” Sefina asked with a smile, but her hand had already seized the key.

Since there’s such a high bounty, this wealthy merchant probably won’t be able to resist making a move.

Daphne noticed her caution, stepped back, and said lightly, “Oh, don’t be nervous. I have no interest in the matters of the Holy Clan—none at all.”

“It’s just that, after achieving financial freedom, it’s hard to find anything amusing these days. But you two are quite entertaining.” The brilliance in her heterochromatic eyes grew brighter.

“I hope you manage to complete your task. That way, I have every reason to keep watching you~”

*****

After the drinking party ended, the carriage took Sefina and Lin Shu back to the estate.

Once the carriage came to a halt, Sefina turned to look at Lin Shu.

Lin Shu was lying on her side, fast asleep on the seat, her chest gently rising and falling with steady breaths.

Sefina watched quietly for a moment, then shook Lin Shu’s shoulder. “We’re home, little cutie.”

“Mmm…”

Lin Shu opened her eyes groggily, her unfocused gaze slowly coming into focus.

The world was no longer spinning. Lin Shu forced her eyes wide open, reacting slowly, “Yes, Master, we’ve come home.”

Looks like she’s still drunk.

Sefina helped Lin Shu down from the carriage and led her toward the castle.

Lin Shu obediently let herself be led along, following behind with unsteady steps.

Fortunately, she could still move on her own—she just wasn’t fully conscious yet.

Sefina circled around to the side of the castle and gently pushed open the door.

Not using the main entrance was to avoid Aunt Sayan.

If the head of the house saw that they had gone out to ‘handle affairs,’ but had actually gone drinking—and with little cutie ending up drunk—there would definitely be a harsh round of questioning.

At the very least, they needed to wait until they’d secured the funds and resolved the shop’s follow-up problems before reporting to Aunt Sayan.

Sefina made a “shh” gesture toward Lin Shu.

Lin Shu stared blankly at her, and then suddenly let out an enormous drunken burp: “Hic!”

Realizing she shouldn’t have done that, she hastily covered her mouth.

A maid on night watch on the second floor was startled by the noise. She grabbed a candlestick and looked downstairs. “Who’s there?”

“It’s me, I’m back,” Sefina called up.

“Miss,” the maid replied, hastily bowing and preparing to come downstairs. “Let me help you.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Sefina declined. “We’re going straight to our rooms. Also, no need to inform the head of the house. We’ll be heading out again soon.”

She took Lin Shu by the hand and led her all the way back to her own bedroom.

“Sit here and don’t wander around, little cutie.” Sefina pressed her into a chair, then walked to the wardrobe.

Lin Shu looked around the room, her eyes unfocused.

Huh, weren’t we just in the carriage? How did we suddenly end up in Master’s bedroom?

Her head still felt heavy and her thoughts were slow.

She glanced out the window. Beyond the glass, the dark sky was streaked with gray, and a crescent moon was tinged with a faint blue halo.

It’s almost dawn.

Sefina changed out of her day clothes and put on a silk nightgown. The soft fabric clung to her, outlining the full curves of her chest.

She pulled her long purple curls out from the back of the collar, then turned and walked toward Lin Shu, ready to take her back to her own room to rest.

Watching Sefina approach, Lin Shu suddenly had a revelation:

It’s almost morning… it’s time for Master to rest.

Though her mind was muddled, there was still a voice deep inside reminding her: She must fulfill her duties as the personal maid!

Otherwise, the head of the Sayan family would send her away.

She sprang to her feet—almost stumbling from the sudden motion, but steadied herself right away:

“Master, let me help you change.”

Sefina: ?

Hadn’t she already changed into her nightgown?

Seeing Lin Shu’s dazed expression, her eyes half closed, clearly not thinking straight, Sefina suddenly realized she was confused.

Lin Shu’s hand was already at the first button of Sefina’s nightgown.

Sefina curved her lips into a smile, suddenly wanting to tease her.

She obligingly stretched out her arms, making it easier for Lin Shu to move, standing quietly in place.

“Mmm… this is hard to undo…” Lin Shu muttered, forcing her eyes open wide.

The button right in front of her seemed like a complicated knot, swaying in her blurry vision.

“Sorry, Master, just a little longer.”

“No rush, take your time,” Sefina said with a gentle, amused voice right beside her ear.

It took quite a while before Lin Shu managed to undo all the buttons on Sefina’s nightgown.

The thin garment parted to both sides, revealing a large expanse of fair skin underneath, along with the round curves beneath her undergarments.

Sefina watched Lin Shu’s reaction with a smile, but Lin Shu only breathed a small sigh of relief, as if she’d just finished a great task—her expression relaxing at last.

It seemed she had no idea what she had just undone.

“…There’s still one more,” Lin Shu mumbled, her gaze falling to the black lace undergarment.

“Mm-hmm.” Sefina responded, her tone light and seductive, “Want to keep going, little cutie?”

“…Not done changing yet.” Lin Shu simply muttered on, her mind stuck on the task of “helping to change clothes.”

Sefina turned around, leaving the clasp at the back for Lin Shu. “Then I’ll leave it to you.”

“Yes.”

Lin Shu’s eyes were filled with nothing but her focus on undoing the clasp. She was completely unaware of what she’d be faced with if she managed to open it.

She tried to do it the same way as before, fiddling with her fingers for a bit, but it wouldn’t budge.

So hard.

A wave of drowsiness hit her, and Lin Shu murmured sleepily, “Can’t… open it… ZZZZ…”

Before she finished, her body swayed, eyes closing slowly, and she slumped forward, her face coming to rest against Sefina’s back.

Faced with difficulty, she simply fell asleep.

Sefina was amused by Lin Shu’s behavior. Even drunk, she insisted on helping her change—really…

She carried Lin Shu back to the personal maid’s room and laid her on the bed.

She stood quietly by the bedside for a while, watching Lin Shu’s peaceful, sleeping face.

Just as Sefina was about to leave, the sleeping Lin Shu suddenly turned her head to the side, her eyelids fluttering, lips moving as if to say something.

Was she dreaming? Sefina turned back, curious.

With her eyes tightly shut, Lin Shu softly murmured two words:

“…Li…ya…”

!

Sefina’s heart clenched.

That was the name of that young lady.

…Is she still dreaming about her?

But last time, when she faced off against Liya, little cutie had been so decisive.

Sefina’s eyes darkened. She took Lin Shu’s hand, bringing it close to her lips.

She had thought that making little cutie her familiar, having her as a companion, would be enough.

But now, a certain feeling was spreading from the depths of her heart, flooding her chest with a faint ache.

She wanted more.

Not just the contract of master and familiar, not merely simple companionship.

She wanted little cutie’s heart to belong to her—completely.

But perhaps, part of her heart still remained with Liya?

Sefina tightened her grip around Lin Shu’s hand.