Chapter 10: Lia’s Sleep and Vilya’s Bath

Lia fell asleep quickly, and she didn’t transform into her nighttime form. It seemed she would only change at midnight. That was good, as I needed to leave. If a guard snuck over to investigate and saw her enlarged form, it could lead to trouble.

It took a lot of effort to free myself from Lia’s embrace. Truthfully, being held by smaller Lia wasn’t as comforting as being held by her enlarged form… Wait, no! I have no such feelings for my daughter. I absolutely cannot. Although I think Lia wouldn’t mind, my own conscience wouldn’t allow it.

I stepped out of the carriage and looked around. Some guards were stationed as sentries around the camp, while others sat by the fire, chatting. No one seemed to notice us. This was my chance. I grabbed a guard and asked where Vilya was. He pointed in a direction.

I walked towards that direction. I had never walked in the wilderness at night, even with the bright moon above, the land ahead was pitch-black. I nearly tripped several times. I began to regret not bringing a torch.

The night air was unnaturally cold. My cloak was in the carriage, and I only had a military coat. Every gust of wind felt like a knife cutting through my skin. I now understood the importance of scarves and cloaks for blocking the wind.

Soon, I heard the sound of flowing water. Surprisingly, there was a river flowing despite the cold. Walking further, under the moonlight, a shimmering ribbon of light appeared, as beautiful as the Milky Way in the sky. Perhaps the intense moonlight made the river seem exceptionally beautiful.

But where was Vilya?

I reached the riverbank and scanned the surroundings, but I didn’t see any red footprints or signs of Vilya. Within my line of sight, there was no trace of her. I continued walking along the river. Suddenly, I saw something standing by the river. It didn’t look like a rock, but rather… a boot?

Curious, I approached and crouched beside the boot. I noticed other items: an inner liner, a greatcoat, a belt, a long sword, and a thick white cloak. Even… my head spun as I realized the last item, a simple white undergarment, lay on top of the other clothes…

I… I think…

I found Vilya…

Just as I was in shock, the river water suddenly made a loud splashing sound. I stared in disbelief as a graceful figure leapt out of the water. Under the moonlight, her silver hair burst into a radiant bloom, her body glistening with pearl-like water droplets. Her toned, muscular body shimmered under the moonlight, every detail clearly visible. She faced me, her hands reaching back to shake her silver hair. Unlike those animated scenes where hair is used to cover important areas, Vilya had no such modesty. Droplets of water glistened on her body, and I could see the contours of her muscles due to her backward lean. She wasn’t a girl, but a warrior with a strong, muscular body.

Her body wasn’t perfectly smooth; scars marked her skin, but her body, like her expression, seemed eternally unchanged, almost translucent. Under the silver light, she had an otherworldly allure, her beauty so intense it shattered the surrounding air. I stared, time seeming to slow as I watched each droplet of water slowly trickle down her body…

Vilya held a hair tie in her mouth, walking towards me while tying up her wet hair. She stepped out of the water, leaving a trail of droplets down her thighs, calves, and feet, creating adorable footprints in the mud. She looked at me, tilting her head, and asked, “Are you here to bathe too?”

“S-sorry!!!!”

I cried out in shock, my voice changing. I scrambled to my feet, covering my eyes and yelling from a distance. Vilya didn’t say anything more, just ignored me, picked up her underwear, and put it on. She then shook off the water, put on her inner liner, and sat down.

I shivered, crouching nearby, afraid she might draw her sword and behead me to protect her honor. Truthfully, I wasn’t looking at her with lust; I was too stunned by her beauty to desire her. Wouldn’t you be shocked if you saw the goddess Venus? You wouldn’t want to lick her, right?

“I have some questions for you.”

After a moment, Vilya spoke, turning to look at me, then patting the spot beside her. I shivered as I sat next to her. She seemed unconcerned about me seeing her naked. She sat straight, looking at the flowing water, and asked, “I want to know how to get along with that girl.”

“You mean, Lia?”

I understood Vilya’s meaning. Although she had initially tried to befriend Lia, her past actions had caused Lia to be traumatized, so Lia didn’t accept her kindness. Vilya nodded slightly, continuing, “I don’t know how to get along with people… Although I once wanted to kill her as the daughter of the Demon King, now that Queen Sisi has given her to me, I want to get along with her. Lucia was right; she’s just a cute kid. But it seems she doesn’t want to get along with me.”

“Lia was just scared.”

I said, “You can talk to me, but could you please put on your clothes? Although what I saw before was already stunning, now with your wet inner liner clinging to your body, it’s even more tempting. I tried to keep my answers short because I didn’t know where to look. Looking at her while talking made me uncomfortable, but not looking felt disrespectful.”

Vilya nodded slightly. I looked down at my feet and said, “I’m sorry about what Lia did today. You had good intentions, but she reacted badly. She couldn’t apologize, so I’m doing it for her. Thank you for altering her clothes at night.”

Vilya looked at me, then stood up, slowly putting on her clothes. She said, “I want to get along with her. Without the demons, I want to live a normal life. I really like that cute girl. By the way, aren’t you my s*ave? Then as your master, I give you your first command: you must help me get along with her.”

I was surprised by Vilya’s serious expression. Even if she was joking, I couldn’t tell. Her usual indifference made it hard to read her. Truthfully, because of how she treated me, I almost forgot I was her s*ave. A military woman like her seemed to have no interest in me. If I were Queen Sisi’s s*ave, I’d probably be a dog by now.

“You must.”

She frowned, looking displeased, and repeated, “You must.”

I realized I had no choice but to agree. “I will,” I said.

“Not good enough, you must say ‘yes’.”

I thought I could choose, but it seemed I didn’t even have the option to say no. Looking at Vilya, I said, “I hope you continue to be kind to Lia. It might take her some time, but she’s a sensible girl and will understand eventually.”

“Mm.”

Vilya nodded, then turned and walked towards the camp. Her pace was quick, and I debated whether to follow. In the end, I didn’t have the courage to walk beside her, so I followed behind her to the camp. Looking at her ahead of me, I couldn’t bring myself to look at her directly anymore…

It seemed she wasn’t bothered at all…

We returned to the camp, and I climbed back into the carriage. Vilya’s footsteps faded, and suddenly, something tightly embraced me. A huge pressure pressed down on my head, and something muffled my mouth, preventing me from speaking. I kicked wildly, but then I saw Lia’s angry eyes.

“Dad! Why did you leave me to find that woman!”

I realized it was nighttime Lia hugging me. She sat in the carriage, pressing my head against her legs, her chest against my face. She sniffed me, her voice angry, “You smell like that woman!!! What did you do with her!!! Explain yourself!!”

“Hey!”

Vilya’s voice came from outside the carriage, making me jump. “What happened? Why are you kicking around?”

“Nothing,” I said, sitting up and smiling weakly.

Just then, Lia pressed against my back, her hands slipping under my clothes, lightly pinching my stomach. The sensitive touch from front and back made me almost cry out.

“Your voice sounds strange. Are you sure nothing’s wrong?”

“Really… um… really, nothing… nothing…”