Chapter 20: The Price of Memory

“Faltis Calibot, you truly are angry,” Eileen murmured, a tear glistening at the corner of her eye.

The aches in her body were tolerable as long as she remained still, but any movement felt excruciating.

“I am merely reminding a maid of her proper duties,” Faltis stated, reaching out to gently wipe the tear from Eileen’s eye.

She then extended her tongue, tasting the salty residue.

“However, considering your rather commendable performance today, simply warming the bed will be sufficient,” Faltis announced.

“Tsk…” Eileen’s face clouded with difficulty. Was being dragged off to warm the bed truly the first order of business after regaining her memories?

Observing Eileen’s conflicted expression, Faltis could no longer remain still. A smirk played on her lips. “What is the matter? Didn’t you always perform this task before?”

“At that time, I was still suffering from amnesia. How can that be the same?” Eileen retorted.

“Oh? Amnesia?” Faltis felt her smile growing increasingly difficult to suppress. “But didn’t you already warm the bed once *after* you recovered your memories?”

Eileen felt as if she had been struck by lightning, freezing in place. She gazed at Faltis, forcing a strained smile onto her face. “Faltis Calibot, what exactly are you talking about?”

Faltis calmly selected a suitable nightgown from the clothes rack, in no hurry to answer Eileen’s question.

Yet, while Faltis remained unhurried, someone else was not.

“Faltis Calibot…” Eileen trailed behind Faltis.

“Shh,” Faltis whispered, placing a finger gently on Eileen’s lips. “Is the bathwater ready?”

“N-not yet.”

“Then what should you be doing right now?” Faltis inquired.

“…I understand.” Eileen met Faltis’s playful gaze, knowing that hearing the rest of the story would come at a price.

If she simply followed and questioned her, she would certainly not receive an answer.

“Is it still the same as before?” Eileen asked.

“Indeed. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”

“I understand.” Eileen slowly made her way towards the bathroom. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to move faster; it was simply that she couldn’t. The pain was too intense.

Eileen leaned against the wall, walking with a deliberate slowness that made her resemble someone recovering from a night of intense passion.

Eileen placed her hand into the bathwater. “It seems a bit too hot.”

She withdrew her hand, then extended her silver tail into the water. The semi-transparent tail appeared to vanish as it submerged.

However, its general patterns soon became visible. Eileen’s tail began to emit a soft glow, and the temperature of the spring water gradually started to decrease.

“There, it’s done.” With the temperature issue resolved, the next step was to add a few precious petals and potions.

“Well? Are you ready?” Faltis appeared behind Eileen at some unknown moment.

“Yes, everything is prepared.” Eileen started to rise, intending to leave.

But Faltis caught her hand.

“What is it, Faltis Calibot?” While Eileen’s mind had clearly memorized every inch of Faltis’s skin, she knew that if she were truly asked to look now, she would never dare to meet Faltis’s gaze directly.

“Are you not going to scrub my back?” Faltis asked.

“Faltis Calibot, you must know that I have regained my memories, right?”

“There’s no need to emphasize it so many times; my memory isn’t that poor.”

“Then why are you still asking me to do such things, Faltis Calibot?”

“You’ve seen it so many times already, yet you’re still shy,” Faltis chuckled softly. “Besides, didn’t you want to hear the continuation of what I was saying earlier? If you leave now, you won’t get to hear it.”

Eileen struggled to compose herself, taking deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling.

‘My heart and actions are as clear as a mirror!’

‘Relax, maintain a calm mind! Eileen! You can do this!’

‘It’s just scrubbing her back. It’s nothing to be afraid of.’

‘Good!’ Eileen felt her resolve return and turned around.

‘Oh! Damn this automatic lock-on! It’s still on!’

‘Why did it lock onto those damned headlights? No, no! The real question is, why isn’t she wearing any clothes?!’

“Oh?” A faint smile touched Faltis’s lips. “It seems that regaining your memories truly does bring some complications. Staring at me so *nakedly*, I might just become shy.”

Faltis wasn’t lying; tiny golden scales had appeared on her arms.

But Eileen immediately lowered her head, her own arms already covered in many scales.

“No! Faltis Calibot, why have you already taken off your clothes?!” How could this person undress without a sound?

Eileen had prepared herself, but not for a direct encounter with two massive ‘headlights’!

“Are you going to bathe with your clothes on?” Faltis countered.

“No…” Eileen knew she couldn’t win against Faltis. “Faltis Calibot, please get into the water first.”

Eileen felt a weariness in her heart. Sometimes she wondered if it would have been better to retain just a few of her memories.

Knowing only that she was once a Dragon Slayer would have been enough; perhaps then, things would have been considerably easier.

“Splash!”

Faltis settled into the water, and Eileen once again composed herself.

This time, Faltis played no tricks, perhaps tired of her games, or intending to grant Eileen a brief respite before launching into something grander.

Eileen had no time to ponder such thoughts, because…

Faltis’s skin was so smooth, so beautiful, and felt so soft to the touch, almost addictive.

‘No, no!’

“Cough, cough, Faltis Calibot, what did you mean by that statement just now?” Eileen had not forgotten her purpose!

“My adorable little maid, do you truly believe you disguised yourself so well?” Faltis inquired.

“When did you realize?”

“Actually, the first time you noticed the black shadow, I thought you would discover the truth on your own,” Faltis said, leaning on the edge of the tub.

She reveled in Eileen’s service, having her back scrubbed and hair washed; everything felt so natural.

Even though Eileen had regained her memories, her body seemed to have retained its familiarity with Faltis. Even with her eyes closed, Eileen could flawlessly complete the tasks.

“But what happened? My adorable little maid was simply too loyal. Even when you suspected the Dragon Slayer, you never considered that person was actually yourself.”

Faltis felt the pressure on her back increase slightly. Even without seeing, she could imagine the look of utter shame on Eileen’s face behind her.

“In the end, I had to give you a little push for you to realize that person was you.”

“Why did you do that? If you hadn’t, I might never have known this my entire life.”

“Because… what I desire is you, not an empty shell.”