Chapter 35: The Maid Uniform and a Change of Heart

“Leader, what brings you out? If you’re looking to buy something, I’d be more than happy to run your errands.”

Cai shook her head with a gentle smile, posing a question she had asked before, specifically to the good-natured, dog-like creature.

“Do you know what to do to make your leader happy?”

“I’d be very happy if someone gave me a big bone—beef or lamb, either would be fine.”

“I suppose so… I apologize for taking up your time.”

She gently patted the dog’s head, which was within easy reach of her palm, before Cai resumed her search for a suitable conversational partner.

Throughout her journey, Cai had encountered demons that were drastically different from what she and the villagers had imagined. It was a perfectly normal reaction for humans to despise demons. Even Cai, whose thoughts weren’t as extreme, had wondered if they were bloodthirsty beasts before meeting true demons. Her own notions were relatively benign; the villagers, however, outright defined all demons as flesh-eating monsters.

But what about now? Putting aside everything else, the demons Cai had met so far were all rough-mannered creatures with a primitive way of life. They were far less intelligent than humans, unable to build cities, craft intricate items, or even sew clothes with a somewhat defined shape. Yet, they were genuinely not evil! Foolishness did not equate to wickedness, and a difference in race certainly did not. To Cai, these multitudes of demons were that person’s subordinates, as well as beings with whom she could converse.

“It seems we’re truly fated to meet again.”

At that moment, a shadowy figure, possessing both avian and human forms, landed before Cai.

“Big Sister, I’ve finally met you again!”

Cai was about to go in for a hug, but Little Eagle recoiled a few steps with a look of disdain, causing Cai to abandon the idea.

“Speak properly. Avoid all physical contact.”

Under Little Eagle’s firm insistence, Cai could only summarize her previous experiences in the briefest of words. Then, she sincerely clasped her hands together and pleaded with Little Eagle:

“Please, Big Sister, tell me what I should do to make that person feel better?”

Cai recounted the entire situation to Little Eagle, who pondered for a moment before asking:

“Why are you asking me such a thing?”

“I feel that Big Sister understands that person very well.”

“That’s merely a misunderstanding you’ve arbitrarily concocted! In truth, if I genuinely understood that person’s heart, there wouldn’t be any need for a young girl like you.”

“I don’t understand.”

Cai’s expression vividly illustrated the meaning of ‘utter bewilderment.’

“It’s better if you don’t understand. In any case, regarding this matter, I have only one piece of advice for you.”

The Harpy hopped forward twice, using one wing to guide Cai’s ear closer, then brought her vivid red lips to the innocent girl’s ear.

“Do this, and then that…”

After a series of hushed whispers, Cai’s face grew increasingly flushed, as if she had been consuming tonics for years. By the time their secret conversation concluded, the healthy blush had finally spread to her earlobes, as if cosmetics had been applied to her lovely ears.

“Will this method truly work? Big Sister, you’re not tricking me, are you?”

Cai was slightly hesitant about whether to follow the recent advice, but the Big Sister before her encouraged her:

“There’s always a first time for everything, so go ahead and try it boldly! In any case, My Lord’s mood absolutely cannot get any worse.”

“Since Big Sister says so… alright, I’ll follow that advice. I hope it makes that person happy!”

Whether it was to rectify a mistake or improve their relationship, the still-innocent young girl bravely began to shoulder her responsibility.

Little Eagle watched the determined Cai, and at that moment, she thought:

‘If I don’t tell the little idiot about this and go make My Lord happy myself, our relationship could deepen…’

But Little Eagle did not act on this, for she didn’t want to snatch away Cai’s opportunity.

‘This matter started because of the little idiot. It’s better if she handles some things herself; I won’t take this chance from her!’

Little Eagle intended to actively pursue Wang, but had yet to take action. By her estimation, she could hardly do anything more today; she would have to wait until tomorrow.

‘Tomorrow and tomorrow, if I keep delaying like this…’

From that moment, Little Eagle felt a flicker of unease about the future. The nun before her didn’t understand Big Sister’s thoughts, still wondering why she had suddenly fallen into a daze.

Several tens of seconds passed.

Little Eagle snapped out of her thoughts, looked at the innocent-faced Cai, sighed, and told her:

“Let’s go. We’ll ask the others for some money.”

****

From morning to noon, and then from noon to afternoon, half a day had simply slipped away. During this entire period, Wang hadn’t moved, remaining huddled in the corner for hours as if frozen in time. Throughout this tedious stretch, the ill-tempered girl had been continuously pondering a single question:

‘That foolish woman hasn’t returned since she left the room this morning… Where did she go?’

The hand Wang used to prop up her chin began to clench involuntarily from the base of her fingers, and her teeth gnashed together in her open mouth. She was like a pet throwing a tantrum at its owner, then cruelly ignored—the description ‘baring her fangs and grimacing’ suited her perfectly.

‘That foolish woman doesn’t understand a girl’s heart at all! Doesn’t she know that in my state this morning, persistently squatting beside me and comforting me would have been the absolute correct choice?’

Though it was hard to discern outwardly, her cheeks were indeed puffed out, appearing as if they were filled with highly “flammable and explosive” gases.

‘Foolish woman, I give you one minute to appear. If you don’t comfort me for two hours after you show up, I won’t forgive you!’

This was a monologue, spoken by Wang twenty minutes after Cai had left. After three hours, the content of her words changed:

‘I give you five minutes to appear. If you don’t comfort me for thirty minutes after you show up, I won’t forgive you!’

By the time the setting sun devoured the day and before night fully enveloped it, Wang’s attitude had completely softened:

‘Fine, you win! I’ll never throw a baseless tantrum just because I’m in a bad mood again.’

From that moment on, Wang officially declared her surrender:

‘Come out quickly! If you’re hiding behind the door, come out and see me now!’

Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch~

It was the sound of short fingernails scratching the wall; since it was her own wall, she wouldn’t feel any heartache about adding marks or damaging it. At a certain moment, after the wall had endured its torment, Wang’s body suddenly trembled, and even the hair that had previously hung over her forehead seemed to stand on end. Her ears caught a sound, seemingly footsteps gradually approaching.

Judging the situation by the footsteps, Wang surmised: The person approaching the room might not be very heavy; but their somewhat suppressed mood caused their usually quiet steps to impact the floor with every stride. Wang considered a possibility, then turned her head, which hadn’t moved in a long time, and raised an eyebrow as she looked towards the doorway. What often captures attention in this world are sights that make one’s eyes light up. The aforementioned ‘sights’ could refer to actual scenery or to a particular person.

Now, Cai stood restrained at the doorway, slightly bent at the waist, with an embarrassed smile on her face. She was currently dressed in a black and white maid uniform, and the hairband on her head made her smile appear especially charming. A pair of fair hands held a fruit salad platter, which, paired with her comical expression, looked utterly appetizing.

Cai had truly put in the effort! Everything she was doing was related to Little Eagle’s advice. When it came to taste and understanding of fashion, Cai was truly inferior to the “Big Sister” she spoke of. Moreover, it was only today that she learned maid uniforms existed in the world. Acquiring this maid uniform was no easy feat! Since demons couldn’t easily approach markets, Cai had chosen this outfit after descending the mountain and visiting a nearby town. However, Cai had no money, so Little Eagle had, in the name of their leader, solicited funds from over a dozen demonic companions—a so-called “collective purchase.”

It had been costly in terms of money, time, and effort, and Cai had even sacrificed her sense of shame. Her former self would never have willingly created such a ‘black mark’ in front of others, leaving herself with enough psychological trauma to last half a lifetime. In other words, Cai’s personality had undergone a slight change compared to before. The change itself was visible to the naked eye, for instance, through this very outfit.

Seeing that the other person remained silent, Cai lowered her head, which she had struggled to lift for so long, and nervously twirled the hem of her short skirt with her fingers.

“In your opinion, is this outfit nice? Will seeing it improve your mood?”

“…”

“Don’t be like this, say something.”

Compared to Cai’s current complexion, even unpeeled lychees would appear pale in color.

“…”

“Say anything, just don’t stand there with your mouth open, making no sound. It’s so awkward.”

“…”

“Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!”

Cai clutched her head, squatting on the ground in a manner similar to the other person, letting out a wail she hadn’t made before, her hairband even slipping from her head to her face.

“Pfft, pffft, hahahahahahaha! Interacting with you truly never gets old!”

Wang held her stomach, laughing for a long time, her laughter echoing from inside the room to the outside. And so, she heard it too. Next to the room, which was carved out from within the mountain wall using a cave as an entrance and embedded into the mountainside, stood a towering tree rising majestically from the earth. She sat on a branch of the large tree, her wings drooping over her knees, her legs crossed and intertwined.

‘The little idiot succeeded! At least, she never laughed so loudly when she was with me. Perhaps… you are a better fit than I am.’

Leaves fell from above her head as Little Eagle lay stretched out on the tree. The surrounding breeze was cool and comfortable.