Chapter 15
"You sure...?"
"Mhm. After all, I'm really fond of your big soft bed. If it gets blown up, it's gone for good. You’ve got to trust me on that."
"Sounds hard though... Sheffy’s pretty oblivious, after all."
"Ha?! That’s prejudice! I must protest! I...! Wah?!"
“Sheffy!”
When one’s heart gets anxious, their steps tend to fumble.
Sheffy Harl, standing on the bed in her little white socks, lost her footing and performed a flawless left-foot-tripping-right-foot act on the spot!
She instantly felt her balance vanish and her whole body tumbled down off the bed!
As her vision dropped rapidly, the first thing she did was activate a defensive spell to soften the blow of her face meeting the floor.
But Xiarette's first instinct, of course, was to hurry and grab her!
The situation erupted too suddenly—Xiarette missed Sheffy’s arm but managed to catch her by the calf!
Thud!
“Ah, ouch!”
“!”
You know... grabbing someone by the calf doesn’t really help.
My forehead hit the ground like a radish, smacking hard!
The specks of light from the defensive spell gradually faded, and Sheffy, face down against the floor, was still marveling at her own quick wit.
“Phew... good thing I reacted fast. Otherwise, I’d be smashed to bits by now... just kidding, I’d be fine even if I fell. Uh, Xia?”
Why’d you suddenly go silent?
And why aren’t you letting go of my leg...?
Holding that awkward pose, Sheffy strained her neck and lifted her head.
She saw Xiarette, still gripping her calf, staring intently beneath her skirt... and on her face appeared a dark streak that practically screamed shock.
Falling straight down face-first—of course the hem of the skirt would bloom downward like flower petals.
That’s when Sheffy finally realized, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she hurriedly freed one hand to cover up the completely exposed area under her skirt in front of Xiarette!
“I say, Xia...! That’s rather rude of you!”
“Rude...?”
“Yes! Even though I wasn’t a girl in my past life... but... but we’re talking about this life here, right! You’re making me feel really undignified!”
Xiarette slowly released Sheffy’s calf, letting her flop back and sit on the floor.
Towering over her, Xiarette reached out and pointed at Sheffy’s skirt hem, now spread out like black petals across the floor.
And murmured a question.
“Sheffy, if you know you're a girl in this life... then what exactly are you wearing under that skirt?”
“That... um... ha... You already saw it, didn’t you? Why ask me again...”
“I want to hear it from your own mouth. Go on, answer.”
Sheffy first lowered her head, flustered.
Maybe she was organizing her thoughts.
But only a moment later, she raised her head again—this time, with a face full of resolve!
Though her voice still lacked confidence—
Her attitude was bold!
“It’s just... just boxers, okay? Ever since I was little, I felt uncomfortable with girls' underwear... no sense of security. Aren’t boxers perfectly fine...? I even sewed them together stitch by stitch myself... really well made, you know.”
That was a lie.
This little girl had clearly used magic to create the boxers in one smooth go.
This time, Xiarette finally took hold of Sheffy’s wrist.
Just now, when Sheffy was sitting on the bed, Xiarette had thought the scenery she glimpsed... was a fleeting, delicate beauty.
But the truth! Turned out to be such a vibe-killing pair of boxers!
Sheffy... you don’t get it, you really don’t get it!
"This won’t do... This really won’t do, Sheffy. When it comes to this, there's no room for sloppiness."
"Why can’t I be sloppy...? Uh, so you mean..."
"Sheffy, you have no awareness of your current appearance. Boxers really don’t suit you... Hey!"
"...But I didn’t bring any other underwear!"
"No worries, wear mine. I have plenty of new ones I haven’t used yet—from a few years ago."
"Don’t pull me... nooo...! Let’s not go to the wardrobe! This is demonic behavior! I demand the right to keep wearing boxers! I demand...!"
"Words are meaningless."
"Yeeek!!"
15. Able to yield and endure!
Poor Sheffy Harl ultimately couldn’t escape the clutches of that cursed triangle-shaped soft fabric.
Hey...! But you know what? You wouldn’t think it, but after putting it on—it actually fit really well!
Sheffy now wore Xiarette’s pink nightgown.
And also Xiarette’s white underwear.
She even bounced around in front of Xiarette in a full circle!
“Xia, look, look—it fits perfectly! Hee... you said this was from five years ago, huh? Can’t believe how well you’ve developed since then. Back then you were a total washboard too! Hahaha!”
“Sheffy, don’t say that out loud!! Ugh... If I had known, I never would’ve let you wear my clothes!”
“Hmph~ Who told you to force me into this kind of underwear? This is revenge!”
Sheffy felt she now had the absolute upper hand in this verbal battle.
Little did she realize that her line about "also a washboard" was self-sabotaging.
Some people had blossomed with abundant nutrition, while some remained a cutting board.
Who was the cutting board—we won’t say.
Blushing, Xiarette covered her eyes in embarrassment with her hand, trying her best not to picture her old clothes now being snugly worn and shamelessly flaunted by Sheffy.
But in truth, her eyes were quietly peeking through the gaps between her fingers, you know...?
Mmm... that nightgown decorated with the cute snowfield rabbit pattern might’ve seemed a bit childish for the old Xiarette, but it looked just right on Sheffy.
Sheffy had just finished bathing, having swum around in the big tub for a full half-hour. Now changed into her sleepwear, her silver hair was still damp, the ends drooping onto the pink bunny nightgown’s straps, giving off a faint, dreamy allure.
Her bare feet touched the floor, and the bit of her calves peeking out from ankle to the gown’s hem were glistening, slender and snowy white, as if they might shatter at the slightest touch—how could Xiarette resist sneaking a few more glances!
No wait... was there really any need for her to be this sheepish about looking?!
Xiarette came to terms with it—there was no reason to be so passive about this.
She solemnly moved her hand away from her face, raised it half-clenched near her lips, and gave a couple of coughs to close the topic.
"Ahem... Enough fooling around. Anyway, Sheffy, I’ll go out tomorrow and buy you new underwear and a nightgown, so tonight you just... don’t lift up your skirt again, ahhh!! Ah... seriously! Now! Go to sleep this instant! We’ve been running around all day and you’re still this energetic—Sheffy, do you think you’re some kind of mountain goat leaping across the ridges in the Dragon Domain?!"
"What kind of bizarre comparison is that?!"
Sheffy Harl quickly let go of the skirt hem she hadn’t actually planned on lifting.
She honestly just wanted to cheer Xiarette up a bit...
Because ever since she saw Xiarette on the battlefield, she rarely smiled. So Sheffy had been wondering if she could make her laugh again.
But how did things end up with her already breaking down and angry when she had barely even started teasing?
What Sheffy didn’t know was that the moment she dropped the hem of her skirt, a fleeting hint of disappointment flashed in Xiarette’s eyes—a feeling even Xiarette herself didn’t quite register.
At that moment, Xiarette had fully regained her composure.
She strode forward and grabbed Sheffy’s petite shoulders, spinning her around on the spot so her silver hair now faced her directly.
【Wind Magic】【Low-Tier Temperature Control】.
She silently chanted the spell formula in her mind. At the same time, a gently arced purple magic circle formed in front of Xiarette’s raised, delicate hand.
A soft, warm breeze flowed out from the circle, gradually drying Sheffy’s hair still speckled with droplets.
Sheffy squinted her eyes in delight—this sensation was just like a spring breeze drifting across a vast open field, immensely soothing!
Her radiant silver hair was blown into a soft, fluffy state, and Xiarette had to resist the urge to bury her face into the waterfall-like locks. Instead, she gave Sheffy a gentle push toward the room where the big soft bed awaited.
"Sheffy, you’ll sleep in my room tonight. I’ll go to the spare bedroom next door. If anything happens, just call for me anytime."
"Huh...? You’re letting me stay in your room?"
"Don’t act so distant with your sister. Didn’t you say you liked the big soft bed in my room? I’ve already cleaned up the guest room too—it’s spacious. I’ll stay there, it’s no problem."
"That makes me feel so bad!"
Even though she was saying how bad she felt—
Yet Sheffy, who said she felt bad, had already leapt joyfully onto the big soft bed and bounced several times on top of it!
Boing boing~ The springy sound of the soft mattress was indeed quite pleasant.
A soft little one with a soft bed really was a perfect match.
Xiarette brought over a fresh set of bedding for Sheffy, then walked over to the windowsill. A trace of golden magic coiled around her fingertips as she gently tapped the light magic crystal that controlled the ceiling lamp. The room’s brightness shifted into a dim, cozy glow, perfect for sleep.
Sheffy snuggled into the covers, leaving only her eyes and the top of her head visible. Her gaze followed Xiarette’s movements as she walked toward the doorway.
When she reached the carved wooden door, Xiarette was just about to say “Good night.”
But then, a crucial thought struck her.
She hesitated for a moment, and finally turned back toward Sheffy with a slightly concerned expression.
Though she felt the possibility was low... just to be safe, she asked anyway.
"Hey, Sheffy... You’ll be okay sleeping alone, right? Will you have trouble sleeping in a new bed or space?"
"Absolutely impossible," Sheffy replied with conviction, even wriggling out of the covers to sit up and pat her tiny, echoing chest. "I’ve got strong adaptability! Forget a big soft bed—stick me on a haystack in the wilderness and I’d still sleep like a log!"
"You’ve slept on a haystack in the wild before?"
"Nope."
"Then why even—! Ha... well, yeah, I guess I was just overthinking. It’s just... I suddenly remembered how in the last life, you were afraid of the dark, so I got a bit unnecessarily worried."
"Th-that was ages ago! I’m not who I used to be. I’m not a little kid anymore, so don’t worry about me. Honestly, I’m even older than you, so how dare a mere Xiarette worry that I can’t sleep?"
"Haha, I get it. Then... Sheffy, good night. See you tomorrow?"
"Ow~ See you tomorrow, see you tomorrow! Don’t worry~ I am the Demon Clan Princess, no way I’d lose sleep just because of a new place! Whoever can’t sleep is a little puppy!"
Hearing that, Xiarette felt even more reassured.
She smiled gently and softly closed the door for Sheffy.
Once outside, she leaned back against the door.
Xiarette let out a helpless, bitter smile...
Yeah... it was clear—Sheffy was the Demon Clan Princess, powerful enough to turn night into day, so how could she possibly be afraid of the dark?
Still... it felt a little bit regretful...
In their past life, there was a time when a blackout happened at Sheffy’s house. Though always tough, that time she openly came running to Xiarette’s home, saying it was too dark and she felt a little uneasy alone.
So Xiarette turned on every light in her house to brighten things up for Sheffy.
Time sure flies.