Seeing him admit defeat, I released my hold and walked to the edge of the arena. "That was so cool, Xiao Ye!" Si Nan Ying greeted me with a warm hug. The girl's soft body sent my heart fluttering for a moment, and it was as if all the fatigue I'd built up during the fight simply vanished.
Meanwhile, Rui Feng had returned to the group. "I'm sorry, Captain. I let you down," he apologized, looking a little embarrassed. Si Nan Yuan merely waved a hand, signaling that she didn't want to pursue the matter any further.
"How was that? Xiao Ye's strong, right? A bet's a bet. Give up the room!" Si Nan Ying was even happier than if she'd won herself.
Si Nan Yuan let out another soft sigh. "Since that's the case, I'll make arrangements. Please wait a moment."
"Then this is your room, sir. The young lady's room is right next door. If you need anything, please call a server or speak to one of the guards."
I looked at the room Si Nan Yuan had brought me to. It wasn't as luxurious as I'd imagined; instead, it was fresh and elegant, the kind of place that made you feel at ease just by looking at it. The room was spacious, with a large double bed and a well-appointed bathroom and washroom. I was very pleased with it.
Si Nan Yuan turned to leave, but before she stepped out, she spoke in a quiet voice that carried clearly. "I don't know why you're getting close to the young lady, but don't even think of trying anything untoward. Otherwise... you know what the consequences will be."
With that, she closed the door, leaving me alone in the spacious room.
"So she really does suspect me... Oh well, I guess it can't be helped."
What mattered was that I could finally get some proper rest!
These past few days, traveling from the forest to the city, I'd been living rough the whole time. When I was tired, I slept on the ground; when I was hungry, I hunted small animals to eat. I also had to stay alert for demon beasts at all times, and hadn't even bathed once. The strange thing was, even after several days without a bath, my body didn't smell at all. It wasn't even dirty.
Even so, going several days without bathing had been hard to bear. Now it was time to get clean! I took off my windbreaker, pants, and shirt, leaving only my underwear, then went into the bathroom.
Then I discovered that bathing was more complicated than I'd expected.
The first thing I saw upon entering the bathroom was a huge mirror covering an entire wall. It reflected my naked body, leaving every inch of my beautiful figure on display. I quickly looked away from the mirror. Out of sight, out of mind.
The bathing equipment in this world was much like what I'd had on Earth, so I quickly figured out how to use it. Warm water sprayed over my tender skin, and a wave of comfort washed over me. I squeezed some shampoo into my hand and slowly washed my hair. My smooth, thick black hair slid across my palm, feeling like fine silk. I could hardly bear to stop touching it. Washing a girl's hair took longer than I'd expected. By the time I finished, the water had turned my skin a tender pink, and the droplets clinging to it lent it an enticing sheen.
mission
one
completed, I thought. Next, I should... wash my body?
My hand trembled as it, covered in body wash, touched my skin. The sensation made my heart race. It was as delicate as a baby's skin, as smooth as porcelain, and as springy as pudding... Th-this was amazing! If I were still a man, I could spend all day enjoying this skin alone!
My palm glided slowly over my body, from my neck to my collarbone, from my shoulders to my back. The feeling of my smooth hands wandering over me was unbelievably pleasant. The gentle stimulation of my nerve endings made me let out a soft moan without even realizing it.
At last, it was time to wash my chest... Come to think of it, how was I supposed to wash it? Just rub it like normal? I gently lifted one from below. It felt heavy, with plenty of weight to it. I rubbed—
"Mmm, ah~"
Ah! I hurriedly covered my mouth. When my hand touched those two pink points, a faint electric tingle rippled across my chest, and I couldn't help letting out a breathy moan! No, I had to distract myself! Namo Amitabha, my mama's a bomb, color is emptiness, emptiness is color, God said let there be light...
At last, I was done. I let out a breath of relief. It felt a little sticky down there, but surely that was just my imagination...
I quickly dried myself, put on a bathrobe, and clumsily wrapped a towel around my wet hair before leaving the bathroom. After that bath, I finally felt the reality of having become a woman. They said that a change in the body could affect the mind. The more I got used to this body, the farther my heart would drift from being a man... Come to think of it, the Blood Mist was probably responsible for my transformation. Both my power and my appearance came from it, but I still knew nothing about where it had come from...
But no matter what I looked like, this body was mine. So... it didn't matter what I did to my own body, right? To be honest, ever since discovering that I'd transformed, there was something I'd really wanted to do. An impure desire had been building in my heart these past few days, and now it had reached its peak. I... couldn't hold back any longer!
I thought about it and reached toward my lower body. Just then—
"Xiao Ye, are you done bathing? Come downstairs for dinner~~"
The door I'd forgotten to lock suddenly swung open. Si Nan Ying rushed in with a bright smile, then... froze.
For a moment, we just stared at each other. Then—
"S-s-s-s-s-s-s-sorry! I didn't know you were g-getting d-d-d-dressed—"
Si Nan Ying's face flushed crimson, and she fled as if her life depended on it, leaving me to panic and fumble with my clothes.
"Haah—haah—" Si Nan Ying leaned against the hallway wall, gasping for breath. What she'd just seen had shaken her to the core.
"Um... Little Ying?"
"Eek!?"
"Don't react like that. About what just happened, I..."
I stammered, unable to get a word out. "A-anyway, let's go eat!" I took her hand.
"Hm? Oh, okay." Si Nan Ying looked at that smooth hand. It was this very hand that had been caressing a peerless beauty just minutes earlier... Though it had obviously been washed, a faint scent still lingered on it. It smelled so good...
Ah! How could I have such a lewd thought!?
Si Nan Ying, who had just calmed down, suddenly clutched her face and rolled around on the floor. I stared at her, dumbfounded. Was she imitating Lord Mori? It was pretty cute, though.
"I-I'll go downstairs and hurry them up with dinner!" Si Nan Ying suddenly sprang to her feet and ran downstairs without looking back.
"Does she really hate me now..." Watching her go, I couldn't help feeling a little dejected.
"Miss Liu."
"E-eh?" The voice that suddenly sounded beside my ear startled me. I turned and saw the captain of the guard, Si Nan Yuan. She gave me a strange look. "Miss Liu, even though you're a guest, you should still be aware of your situation." "Y-yes." "Then you should also understand that until we've investigated your background, we won't ease up on keeping you under surveillance." "Yes... Wait, what?" "That's right. I'll be blunt: I saw everything you did in your room. You should be thankful I was the only one watching you at the time."
With that, Si Nan Yuan turned and left. I sank to my knees, utterly dejected.
Well, that really went too far...
Before you continue