Chapter 71: A Boy’s Growing Pains and a Maiden’s Heart

Once a boy’s body began its developmental phase, growth accelerated with remarkable swiftness.

In a mere five years, the child who had once barely reached Little Eagle’s chest height now stood nearly as tall as her.

Yet, this swift increase in height was not always a boon.

At least for Little Eagle, who continued to assist him with bathing, she now had to stand on her tiptoes just to reach his head, which seemed to gain height with every passing year.

If one were to consider this merely ‘part of her care,’ then Little Eagle’s meticulous attention bordered on outright doting.

While she had grown accustomed to this routine of care, the same could not be said for him.

Having entered adolescence and gradually developing his own self-awareness, Wang had begun to express a clear aversion to the established custom of sharing the bathroom with someone of the opposite s*x.

Following his insistent demands, this current bathing session was to be their last.

Knowing that future opportunities would be absent, Little Eagle poured an unprecedented level of concentration and patience into this particular bath, meticulously cleansing the boy’s body before her.

As it was summer, the few scraps of fabric Little Eagle wore had been shed before she even entered the bathroom, leaving her in only her waterproof underwear.

However, since Wang remained with his back turned, he had no opportunity to glimpse her unique attire, obliging him to simply accept the service.

Little Eagle found no annoyance in bathing the child she had watched grow from infancy.

Furthermore, during their bath, she often engaged him in conversation, discussing various trivial and inconsequential matters.

Little Eagle spoke first:

“In these past few years, you’ve completely adapted to life here.”

“It’s been a full five years. It would be strange if I *hadn’t* adapted, wouldn’t it? Besides, if I hadn’t gotten used to this place, how could I have willingly become everyone’s leader?”

“Heh heh, the child who almost died back then… I never imagined you’d be able to act like such a boss now.”

“Stop making fun of me. I’ve never abused my position to bully any of you. Especially you, Little Eagle; my regard for you even surpasses my attitude towards everyone else!”

It was as if he was repaying a kindness.

Ever since Wang’s thoughts had begun to mature, the frequency of his concern for Little Eagle had far surpassed his interest in the rest of the demonic horde.

Wang consistently treated Little Eagle with extreme caution, as if cradling a precious treasure in his palm, ever mindful of the young woman’s emotional state.

For example, today, Wang, inadvertently, suddenly asked:

“Little Eagle, do you have someone you like?”

A single sentence was enough to shatter the relaxed atmosphere.

The sensations on Wang’s body told him:

The wet wing behind him abruptly ceased its gentle fluttering, freezing in place.

Wang held no ulterior motives; he was merely expressing concern in the manner he understood best.

For a mere thirteen-year-old boy, his thoughts could indeed be described as remarkably precocious.

After the initial shock, Little Eagle slowly regained her composure, carefully considering her reply.

After pondering for a while, she said:

“Because no one likes me, it’s impossible for me to like anyone.”

The ‘person’ she referred to meant a human.

Feelings in this world are always reciprocal.

If she wasn’t liked by humans, then why should she be compelled to like them in return?

Before today, Little Eagle had never envisioned a future where she would fall in love with a human.

“Why does no one like Little Eagle?”

Wang was only thirteen when he posed this question.

He raised a hand to grasp his hair, slick with water; each time he rubbed the roots, his freshly washed strands would immediately fall into disarray.

“That’s very strange! Little Eagle is clearly so beautiful, and compared to the others who rarely go down the mountain, you interact with humans a lot. How is it that you haven’t met anyone who likes you?”

“It’s not strange at all. I am a demon, and they are humans. How could a human ever fall in love with a demon?”

“Who made that rule? Why can’t humans and demons form relationships?”

“You ask who made that rule…”

Little Eagle truly didn’t know how to respond.

Even though she had lived for countless years, there were moments, much like this one, when she found herself utterly stumped by a few simple words from a thirteen-year-old.

Like many elders before her, Little Eagle pondered deeply, yet no answer surfaced.

Time, like quicksand, slipped away. After a prolonged silence, she finally relegated her explanation to a universal law:

“It’s impossible for humans to fall in love with demons; it has always been this way, from ancient times until now.”

Could such an answer convince Little Eagle herself?

It was hard to say, for Little Eagle didn’t even fully understand her own heart.

“Humans won’t like demons, it’s been like that since a long, long time ago… Hahahaha!”

“What are you laughing at?”

“I’m laughing at the people of the past; they were all fools and idiots. I won’t be like them.”

Wang did not turn his head.

Yet, the sheer force that emanated from his words made it seem as though he had indeed turned, fixing Little Eagle with a level gaze.

He tilted his head further back, and a dozen glistening water droplets streamed down his damp, flowing hair, splashing onto the floor with a distinct ‘pat’ sound, each landing audibly:

“Things that were absent in the past will begin with me. Others may not like Little Eagle, but *I* like you!”

Before his words had even fully faded, the water at his feet had already coalesced into a shallow puddle.

More resounding than the delicate sound of falling water was the earnest, though perhaps unintended, confession.

As Wang spoke, the light within his eyes suddenly intensified.

After his ‘sudden attack,’ the girl behind him also trembled.

Owing to the angle, Wang remained oblivious to Little Eagle’s reaction, unable to discern the warmth that had begun to unfurl from the depths of her heart.

Some affections in this world do not blossom overnight; rather, they become indelibly etched within the heart only through years of enduring companionship.

Regarding time, Little Eagle had long since shared a substantial span of it with Wang, and a profound sense of mutual dependence had already blossomed between them.

Before this moment, Little Eagle had been unable to ascertain:

What was the true essence of that feeling of dependence?

After all, it was a sensation she had never encountered throughout her existence.

It was akin to a bird, born in a land of snow, suddenly struggling with its wings to reach a place where spring bloomed, its entire being succumbing to the intoxicating embrace.

After the word ‘like’ left his lips, Little Eagle suddenly found herself understanding.

In reality, she truly did have someone she liked.

The exact moment she had fallen for him, she herself couldn’t pinpoint. Even reminiscing about past moments would send her mind reeling in waves of confusion.

If asked when she became aware, the only possible answer was:

From the moment he spoke her name with his own lips!

This scene was merely a fragment of the past, one that had resurfaced from the depths of her memory due to a sudden moment of distraction.

As her thoughts were interrupted, the maiden turned her gaze back to what was before her.

She witnessed the Bone Dragon’s fury after its attack was thwarted, and heard its thunderous roar, a sound capable of shaking mountains and seas.

Roar!

The booming dragon’s roar reverberated, striking deep into the maiden’s heart.

The white feathers at the tips of her twin wings gradually fractured, revealing instead a vibrant, captivating crimson that was breathtakingly beautiful.

The ephemeral memory had shattered, and now, she had to resume the relentless, life-or-death bloodbath.