“What a huge bathroom…”
Holding the somewhat thin change of clothes in her arms, Ella stepped into the bath room that could only be described as luxurious and froze on the spot.
The floor was made of cool, smooth white marble tiles that felt impossibly fine.
The surrounding walls were inlaid with faintly pearlescent tiles.
Above her head hung an intricately designed crystal chandelier that illuminated the entire space as bright as day.
Just this single bathroom was almost half the size of the entire hall of the maid café she had worked at before.
Two sinks stood side by side.
The mirrors were wide enough to reflect a person’s entire figure.
The standalone bathtub beside them was absurdly large.
It could easily fit not just one person, but three or four people bathing together.
Ella couldn’t help but click her tongue inwardly.
Just how extravagant did a person have to be to need such a large bathroom?
This level of extravagance was something even ordinary residents of the Transfer Station, or perhaps even mid-level officials from the so-called Alliance, might not be able to enjoy.
“You wash first. After you’re done, I’m going to inspect you.”
Sereya’s voice came from outside the door.
It was cold and carried an unquestionable commanding tone that instantly pulled Ella’s drifting thoughts back.
“Inspect?”
Ella subconsciously repeated the word.
Her heart gave a violent jolt.
Before she could think about what exactly the other party wanted to inspect, she saw Sereya turn and walk toward the living room, leaving her with only a cold and dignified back view.
Of course, that was only if one looked at the surface.
In Ella’s mind right now, Sereya had absolutely nothing to do with being cold or dignified.
This woman was a perverted big sister with a dark heart.
She quickly closed the bathroom door and pressed the lock with her other hand.
Only after hearing a soft click did her tense little face instantly collapse.
A panicked expression swept across her features like a tide.
The tip of her small nose turned slightly red.
Her red eyes were filled with helplessness and confusion.
It’s over! She actually wants me to take a bath right now? And do an inspection afterward?
Ella leaned back against the cold door panel.
Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, almost bursting out of her throat.
She unconsciously clutched the clothes in her arms.
Her mind was in complete chaos.
Inspection… What would she check?
Would she check if she had any injuries, or check her identity and background?
If it was the latter, then once her identity as the Insect Mother was exposed, the outcome would be absolutely unimaginable.
Of course, there was another possibility.
The so-called inspection meant… Sereya would touch her inside and out…
Yet even in her extreme panic, Ella’s mind still keenly caught onto a strange detail.
Regarding the Alliance’s decision to interfere in the internal affairs of Transfer Station No. 29, this mysterious and powerful angel Sereya in front of her seemed to not care at all.
From the moment the matter was mentioned until now, there had been no ripple on her face.
She had shown neither anger nor resistance, nor any worry or anxiety.
It was as if the Alliance’s decision had nothing to do with her, and the ownership and safety of Transfer Station No. 29 didn’t enter her eyes at all.
This was far too abnormal.
Sereya possessed such pure angel bloodline.
The power behind her must be extraordinary.
Logically, she shouldn’t be so indifferent toward the Alliance’s orders.
Could it be that she didn’t answer to the Alliance?
Or perhaps she had her own schemes at Transfer Station No. 29 and simply couldn’t be bothered to deal with the Alliance’s interference?
Ella secretly speculated in her heart.
But in her current situation, she had no chance to ask further questions.
The most urgent matter was to find a way to get through the bath and inspection without revealing any flaws.
But what should she do?
Her true body was the Insect Mother.
Although she usually looked no different from a human, if she was carefully examined, there was no guarantee that something wouldn’t be discovered.
Moreover, the identity of Insect Mother was practically taboo in this region.
If Sereya found out…
She would die!
She would really die!
Ella paced back and forth in the spacious bathroom.
Her fingertips unconsciously dug into her palms.
Twenty minutes passed in the blink of an eye.
She racked her brain but couldn’t come up with a perfect countermeasure.
Left with no other choice, she could only hurriedly rinse herself off.
She picked up the soft bath towel and tightly wrapped it around her body.
Barefoot, she carefully pushed open the bathroom door.
Outside, Sereya was leaning against the armrest of the living room sofa.
Her golden eyes were half-narrowed.
She had clearly been waiting and was starting to grow impatient.
The moment she saw Ella come out, she immediately straightened up and walked quickly toward her.
Her gaze landed directly on her body with an appraising look.
“Turn around.”
Sereya’s tone left no room for negotiation.
The commanding voice made Ella’s heart tighten.
She unconsciously let out a soft whimper and stood frozen in place, unwilling to move.
“Do as I say. I won’t do anything to you right now. I just want to see your occupation.”
Sereya seemed to see through her nervousness.
Her tone softened slightly, though it remained domineering.
“Occupation? I can just tell you.”
Ella quickly spoke up, wanting to bluff her way through with words.
She didn’t want to reveal any features that might expose her identity in front of the other party.
“You think I’ll believe whatever you tell me?”
Sereya let out a light laugh.
Her white wings folded slightly behind her, shining brilliantly.
“Everyone who sees my wings knows I’m an angel. But without my wings, I’m confident I could deceive anyone. So I’m not treating you like a fool. You might do the same thing and try to deceive me. Do as I say.”
The dominance and certainty in her words left Ella with no room to argue.
She knew she had no right to refuse.
She could only bite her lower lip and extremely unwillingly begin to slowly turn her body.
The warm bath towel rubbed against her skin.
Sereya’s gaze felt almost physical as it slowly swept from her shoulders down to her waist, then to her slender legs.
Not a single inch was spared.
That direct gaze made Ella extremely uncomfortable.
Her cheeks uncontrollably flushed red.
She wished she could immediately find a crack in the floor to crawl into.
“There aren’t any non-human features at all?”
Sereya frowned, looking somewhat surprised.
After pondering for a moment, she spoke.
“Your occupation isn’t a Slime, is it?”
“Slime?”
Ella was stunned.
She clearly hadn’t expected the other party to make such a guess.
“That’s right.”
Sereya nodded, her tone certain.
“When Slime girls take human form, their bodies can perfectly simulate human appearance without any flaws. Are you one?”
“No.”
Ella immediately shook her head in denial.
She secretly let out a sigh of relief in her heart.
Thank goodness it’s not some sensitive occupation.
“I figured you weren’t.”
Sereya curled her lip with a look of disdain.
“Slime girls have plenty of ways to support themselves. There’s no need for them to be so down on their luck that they have to work at a maid café. Then tell me yourself. What are you?”
The moment had finally come.
Ella’s heart instantly rose to her throat.
Her brain spun rapidly.
Say she was the Insect Mother?
Absolutely not.
She could guess the consequences with her toes.
There were only two possibilities.
One: Sereya believed her and immediately drew her sword to chop off her head, then took it to the Alliance to claim a reward.
Two: Sereya thought she was spouting nonsense to deceive her and would become even more suspicious of her identity, keeping her under strict watch or even torturing her for information.
Neither outcome was what she wanted.
She had to come up with an occupation that sounded reasonable and wouldn’t arouse suspicion.
After thinking for a moment, a flash of inspiration struck Ella.
She opened her mouth.
“I’m… an octopus.”
“Octopus? An Octopus Girl?”
Sereya raised an eyebrow, a puzzled expression appearing on her face.
“Never heard of that occupation. What abilities do you have?”
“Uh… I have tentacles.”
Things had reached this point.
Ella could only brace herself and continue acting.
She secretly activated the power within her body.
A slight itch appeared at her lower back.
A soft yet somewhat resilient pale white tentacle slowly emerged and gently swayed.
She could only hope this would be enough to bluff her way through.
Seeing this, Sereya indeed stepped forward.
She reached out and directly pinched the tentacle between her fingers, carefully examining it.
The moment the tentacle was pinched by warm fingers, a strange tingling sensation instantly spread throughout her entire body through her nerves.
Ella’s body trembled violently.
Her whole face instantly turned bright red, like a ripe apple.
Even the tips of her ears were dyed with an alluring crimson.
She instinctively tried to retract the tentacle, but Sereya firmly held it in place, leaving her unable to move.
“Why is there only one? Whose octopus only has one tentacle?”
Sereya frowned, her tone full of doubt.
Ella’s heart tightened.
She quickly put on a pitiful expression.
Her eyes turned slightly red.
Her red pupils shimmered with moisture, as if she were about to cry at any moment.
Her voice was soft and carried a sense of grievance.
“I… I didn’t develop properly… I originally had three tentacles. The other two… were cut off by the maid café manager… She said it would… affect the customers’ appetite…”
She spoke with such emotion that her eyes turned red and her small body trembled slightly.
Anyone who saw her would feel pity.
Sereya stared at her for a few seconds.
Seeing that she didn’t seem to be lying, she finally released the fingers pinching the tentacle and spoke in a flat tone.
“Fine. Then do your clothes need a hole for this tentacle? Otherwise it’ll be inconvenient to keep it hidden normally.”
Ella hadn’t expected the other party to believe her so easily.
She was overjoyed inside, but her face still maintained a wronged expression as she quickly nodded.
“Is that okay? Then thank you.”
“Sure.”
Sereya agreed readily.
“You can keep wearing your own clothes today. I’ll have the tailor send over the modified ones tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Ella obediently replied.
“What should you say?”
Sereya suddenly spoke, causing Ella to freeze on the spot.
Huh? What should I say? What does she mean?
She looked at the woman in front of her in confusion.
Sereya slightly raised her delicate neck.
Her expression was playful.
The heel of her open-toed high heel lightly tapped against the floor, producing soft tap tap sounds.
Those golden eyes landed on her with obvious expectation, waiting for something.
Ella’s brain spun rapidly.
She instantly understood.
This woman wanted her to lower her head, submit, acknowledge her status, and show her respect.
Now that she had fallen into Sereya’s hands and was living under someone else’s roof, she had no capital to resist.
If she wanted to survive and complete her plans…
Endure! The Dragon King next door endured for three years! I can do it too!
Ella lowered her gaze.
She softened her tone and spoke in a gentle voice.
“Thank you, Lady Sereya…”
“Mm~ That’s right.”
A satisfied expression immediately appeared on Sereya’s face.
The corners of her mouth curved upward slightly, and her tone became a little gentler.
“It’s good that you understand your situation. Serve me well and I won’t mistreat you. Let’s go. I’ll take you to your room.”
“Okay…”
Ella followed closely behind Sereya, walking through the spacious living room toward the room at the end of the corridor.
When she pushed open the door, the sight before her once again left Ella stunned.
This bedroom was even larger than the luxurious bathroom from earlier.
A soft, wide bed sat in the center of the room.
Not only could she sleep on it alone, but three or four of her lying side by side would still have plenty of space.
The carpet was soft and thick.
Stepping on it made no sound at all.
Delicate tables and chairs were placed by the window.
The overall arrangement was luxurious yet comfortable.
“I’ll have you serve me dinner later. Until then, rest here for now.”
After giving her instructions, Sereya turned to leave.
“Understood, Lady Sereya.”
Ella replied respectfully.
Watching Sereya’s figure disappear through the door and hearing the soft sound of the door being pulled shut, Ella’s tense body finally relaxed completely.
She quickly walked to the window and lifted a corner of the heavy curtain.
Her gaze accurately locked onto a figure in the courtyard.
The hound that Sereya raised was lying on the grass, squinting its eyes as it basked in the sun with a leisurely and lazy appearance.
A cold glint flashed through Ella’s eyes.
An opportunity has come.
She had to find a chance to silently inject the insect eggs into this hound’s body.
Ella stared fixedly at the hound.
Her fingertips curled slightly.
The cruel part within her pupils gradually surfaced.