"I just finished my duties at the church. I wanted to see if you followed the instructions in the letter and came to this house."
"I see..."
Mo Wan wanted to ask why Iselyn entered someone else's house without permission. Iselyn saw the light in the bathroom. She did not even knock to see if anyone was inside before walking in.
However, Iselyn was the one who gave her this house. Mo Wan felt she could not argue.
Splash!
Iselyn lifted Mo Wan out of the bath without a word.
"Ah!"
Mo Wan gasped.
This was not because she was shy. She was surprised and worried. She was currently soaked. Iselyn held her close. Large amounts of water flowed down Mo Wan's body and soaked into Iselyn's clothes. Mo Wan felt the smooth fabric become sticky against her skin as it got wet.
"I have important matters to discuss with you. Do not forget the task I assigned you. You must take care of the Princess. Once my working hours begin tomorrow, it will be difficult for me to find you."
This explanation finally made Mo Wan stop doubting Iselyn.
Iselyn had entered without knocking and pulled her from the tub. Mo Wan did not suspect Iselyn wanted to murder her. She just wondered if Iselyn was being too intimate.
Physical contact before a relationship is ready only causes anxiety.
"I understand. I can walk by myself, Saintess."
Mo Wan pressed her hand against Iselyn's shoulder.
Iselyn did not force Mo Wan to stay in her arms. She slowly set Mo Wan down.
Mo Wan hurried to wrap a towel around her body. She turned her face away. She did not dare look Iselyn in the eye.
Even if Iselyn had urgent business and found her asleep in the bath by accident, this was still too embarrassing.
Mo Wan glanced at Iselyn. The wet fabric of the Saintess's clothes clung tightly to her body. Mo Wan reflexively apologized.
"I am sorry, Saintess. I got your clothes wet."
Mo Wan realized how awkward her words sounded as soon as she spoke.
She carefully took a tiny sniff of the air.
There was only a faint fragrance. There were no other strange smells that would cause discomfort.
'Iselyn probably does not know what I was doing in the bathroom earlier.'
"It does not matter."
Iselyn waved her hand. A faint light flickered. The wet spots on her clothes returned to normal instantly.
Silence filled the room. The Saintess did not seem ready to leave the bathroom yet.
Mo Wan felt embarrassed and made a request.
"Saintess, could you please wait in the bedroom? I will go listen to your instructions once I have changed my clothes."
"Fine."
Iselyn thought for a moment. She felt her behavior just now was a bit airheaded. She seemed to have no sense of shame.
She did not want to build that kind of image in front of Mo Wan.
However, she could not say she looked at Mo Wan's body on purpose. That would make a dignified Saintess look like a pervert.
"I thought you would show your true Demon form while bathing."
"That... I would not. I have not used my Demon form in a long time."
She usually stayed in public inns. Even if the baths had partitions, it was easy to be exposed. Rosa also watched her closely in the wilderness. She did not dare to relax for a single moment.
"Is it the same as your current body?" Iselyn asked.
"Why would it be different? Saintess, it is not as if you have never seen a demon."
"But I never noticed the details. If possible, I would like to see."
"???"
Mo Wan stared blankly at Iselyn.
What details? The details on top or the details below? Or did she just want to see the details of the tail and horns?
"Are we not friends? You refused to say the oath of a Vesa knight. I thought you still considered yourself a demon in your heart. If you are willing to treat me as a friend, I will not mind you showing your true self. I want us to communicate honestly without any secrets."
Mo Wan gripped the edge of her bath towel.
'Iselyn seems to see right through my thoughts.'
"Of course, this is only in front of me. If you run outside in your Demon form, you will still scare the common people."
"Is it... really okay? Only in front of you?"
Mo Wan looked up. Her eyes reflected the light and were full of hope.
She liked her Demon form.
That was her true form. It was the state where she felt most natural.
Iselyn smiled as she answered.
"It is fine. Only in front of me."
'Only in front of her... only in front of her...'
Mo Wan repeated Iselyn's words in her mind.
Sweetness and joy filled her heart like bubbles. She felt like she was floating.
"Then go wait in the room. I will return after I change."
Mo Wan naturally stopped using formal honorifics with Iselyn because she felt relaxed.
"Mm."
Iselyn finally left the bathroom. She let Mo Wan change alone.
Mo Wan pulled the plug at the bottom of the tub to drain the water. She unwrapped the towel and looked back at her own reflection.
After much hesitation, she boldly activated the mana in her body. She returned to her true form.
A thin, purple demon tail grew from the base of her spine. It was about one meter long. It moved according to Mo Wan's will. Mo Wan caught her tail and gently stroked the heart shaped tip.
Next were the horns on her head. Mo Wan pressed her hand against her forehead. They felt harder than they did three years ago.
Finally, there were her ears.
Mo Wan pinched the tips of her ears and felt along the edges. Demon ears did not have lobes. There was only soft cartilage at the base.
'Is Iselyn lying to me? Is she tricking me into showing my true form so she has a reason to arrest me?'
No.
Mo Wan shook her head. She dismissed the useless thoughts.
If the Saintess wanted to arrest her, she did not need to do something so complicated.
Mo Wan put on her pajamas. She guided her tail through the waistband. The cute purple tail stood upright like a cobra.
She took a deep breath to prepare herself.
Mo Wan left the bathroom.
Iselyn was sitting quietly on the bed. When Mo Wan entered the room, Iselyn leaned back on her hands and looked Mo Wan over carefully.
Then she smiled as usual. Her eyes were full of pure joy. There was no anger or disgust on her fair face.
"You are nervous, right?"
"Yes."
Mo Wan nodded.
She was different from the calm Iselyn.
Mo Wan's face was flushed. Her brow was furrowed and her lips were pressed together. The tail behind her was no longer held high like it was in the bathroom. Now it hung low shyly. It did not seem to want to meet the silver haired human woman.
"Usually, demons and humans fight as soon as they meet. If we met on a battlefield, I think your blood would be boiling. You would crave slaughter. Your horns, tail, and pointed ears would be the reasons you fight."
Mo Wan shook her head. She immediately rejected the idea of fighting Iselyn.
"But that will not happen. I am no longer a Demon Princess. I am still a demon, but I will not swing a blade at you or innocent humans."
The smile in Iselyn's eyes grew deeper.
It was as if she was shedding the cold shell of a Saintess to show her true self.
She was not acting.
She felt genuine joy. Mo Wan was following her plan perfectly. She was very satisfied with Mo Wan's performance.
"Let me see your cute tail. It is like those innocent people. It should not be a symbol of war. It is just a cute tail."
Mo Wan slowly moved her tail to the front of her body.
She felt it was rude to point the tip at Iselyn. She twisted the tail so the heart shaped tip pointed at herself.
"Can I touch it?"
Mo Wan nodded.
Iselyn reached out toward the tail. Mo Wan swallowed. No one besides her parents had ever touched her tail.
When the unfamiliar touch landed on the thin tail, a strange sensation shot through Mo Wan's spine.
'This is dangerous!'
She suddenly realized something.
She finally understood why demons never touched each other's tails. Her tail was currently in Iselyn's hand. If Iselyn wanted to, she could snap it. The intense pain would make Mo Wan lose her ability to fight.
Having her tail held meant her weakness was in someone else's hands. She could not even transform back.
She wanted to pull the tail back. However, the heart shaped tip was caught between Iselyn's fingers. She could not retract it.
Iselyn continued to play with the tail curiously. Mo Wan's breathing became heavy. This scene was far too strange.
Did they not have important business to discuss?
Why did things suddenly turn out like this?