"Huh? What do you mean, complicated?"

But right after Xueluo shouted this, Lia’s face twisted in misery from the doorway. She slowly shuffled closer.

"Weren’t we always like this before?"

"N-no… I mean, yes, we did, but—it’s not exactly like that anymore…" Xueluo hesitated for a long moment before lifting her head with a bitter smile, voice dropping to a whisper. "Say… does Irina know you’re here?"

"Oh, your adopted little sister?" Lia giggled, raising her hand. "I slipped sleeping pills into her drink. No worries."

"No worries my ass!" Xueluo yelled, slamming her palm over her face.

*Guya? Guya, you idiot, get out here!*

【Say that one more time, and I won’t show up at all.】

*N-no… please, I desperately need your help… This is seriously messy right now.*

Just then, Xueluo noticed Lia still standing by the door. She yanked the bathroom door open and stepped inside.

Xueluo froze instantly.

A long, pale neck. A gracefully tapered waist. And breasts swelling beneath the towel. Through the gaps in the fabric, smooth legs peeked out—an allure that seemed too mature for a sixteen-year-old.

As Xueluo stood speechless—

"Don’t stare like you’ve never seen it before…" Lia murmured, rubbing her knees together, cheeks flushed with shyness.

After a pause, she whispered, "So… how do I look?"

"W-what do you mean, ‘how’?"

"You know exactly what I mean…" Her voice trembled, thick with embarrassment.

"…"

Xueluo gulped. This situation was dangerously bad. Terrible, even.

*Guya?*

*Where are you?*

But Guya had fallen silent, lost in some inexplicable memory. Xueluo could feel her presence—awake, yet utterly unresponsive.

As if sensing Xueluo’s panic—

"Here, sit down, Miss Xueluo."

Lia’s cool, soft fingers brushed Xueluo’s shoulder, guiding her to sit backward on the edge of the tub.

The touch sent Xueluo’s heart—still stubbornly identifying as male—hammering against her ribs.

*Sure, I’ve groped Irina plenty before…*

*But this feels like the real thing…*

"Lia… what are you trying to do…?"

Suddenly, a soft yet firm pressure pressed against Xueluo’s back.

Her spine jolted.

Lia cleared her throat awkwardly. "Miss Xueluo, please don’t… You’re making me shy too…"

"If you’re shy, just stop! And honestly, I’m weirdly grateful I don’t have *that* problem anymore…"

【Yeah. An erection would’ve been awkward.】

*Don’t act so casual about it! And why didn’t you answer me earlier?!*

While Xueluo wrestled internally, Lia began scrubbing her back with a soapy towel.

But the weight pressing against her through the thin swimsuit shattered Xueluo’s focus. Her mind went hazy.

*Even as a girl now, I still think like a guy. Though… maybe that’s not entirely true anymore.*

*But still…*

The sensation of breasts molding against her back pushed her rationality to its breaking point.

Then—

"So it’s true…"

Lia’s voice, barely audible behind her, cut through the haze.

"Guya… have you forgotten our promise?"

*Xueluo almost cracked a dumb joke—old habits died hard—but bit her tongue.*

*This felt… complicated.*

【Lia never had a choice…】 Guya’s voice surfaced, quiet and heavy. 【Her parents brought her to us. They offered themselves to magic… even used forbidden rituals to cling to life.】

A pause.

【But Lia… she never chose. They decided their bloodline existed only to serve magic…】

"…"

From behind Xueluo, Lia’s whisper trembled. "When I was little… before Lord Lorath claimed me… you promised to take me away, Miss Guya…"

Guya fell silent.

"When he assigned me this mission… I thought the time had finally come…"

Xueluo heard a faint, choked sound behind her.

"Sorry. I said something unimportant. Please forget my careless words."

Xueluo glanced sideways. Tears glistened in Lia’s eyes, yet she smiled. "I’ll serve you faithfully as your maid. That’s my duty. Don’t trouble yourself over my feelings."

【My fault…】 Guya murmured. 【A Third Generation Vampire like me… I made a reckless promise back then.】 She drew a sharp breath. 【You don’t owe me anything, Contractor. This has nothing to do with you. We’re worlds apart now… I can’t do a thing for Lia anymore…】

"It involves me now."

Xueluo cut her off—and answered Lia in the same breath.

"I won’t marry Lorath."

She turned her head slightly, meeting Lia’s stunned gaze with a soft smile. "When the time comes… I’ll keep my promise."

Leaning back, Xueluo lightly pressed her forehead against Lia’s.

Before Lia could react, Xueluo turned away.

"From now on… I’m counting on you."

Staring at Xueluo’s back, Lia stood frozen.

Then, slowly, she smiled.

"Thank you!" she cried, voice bright with joy. "I’d be honored!"