Morning sunlight streamed gently through the trees outside, slipping past the windowpane and filling the small room with a soft golden glow. On a bed tucked into the corner, Xin lay motionless. His lips moved faintly from time to time, as though murmuring in the grip of a nightmare.

  The door creaked open.

  A young girl stepped inside, carrying a basin of water and a folded white towel. She placed them on the table, then quietly sat at the bedside. Reaching out, she placed a hand on Xin’s forehead to check his condition. She wasn’t expecting him to suddenly grab her wrist and bolt upright, eyes wide with alarm.

  “Who are you?! What did you do to me?! Where is he?!”

  Startled, she tried to pull away—but Xin’s grip was far too tight. Having no better option, she snatched up the water basin and splashed the entire thing onto him.

  “Aaaagh! HOT! That’s scalding!!”

  The scream was loud enough to bring someone running. A man burst through the door, voice full of concern.

  “What’s going on, Gloria?!”

  The girl standing in the center of the room looked to be sixteen, maybe seventeen. Her expression was annoyed, lips pursed in indignation—but that didn’t hide the natural charm in her features.

  The sunlight caught her just right—shining across the shoulders of her pale-yellow dress and the soft waves of her shoulder-length hair. She wasn’t particularly tall, nor was her hair a dazzling gold, but her skin gleamed like polished ivory. Her eyes were large and bright, full of quiet clarity, and her lips—red and softly shaped—were pressed together in visible frustration.

  Xin stared, momentarily stunned. Somehow, he felt like he’d just committed a terrible crime.

  The man seemed to understand the situation without being told. He approached calmly, his tall and lean frame carrying an air of quiet authority. His shaved head and unreadable gaze made it hard to tell whether he was friend or foe.

  Xin was just about to push himself upright when the man raised a hand.

  “Relax. It wasn’t boiling water. She was just trying to take care of you.”

  He let out a chuckle to ease the tension in the room. The girl said nothing. She turned quietly and left, carefully shutting the door behind her.

  “That’s Gloria,” the man said, turning back. “I’m Senderos. This is my clinic.”

  Xin looked at him warily, then asked cautiously:

  “Are you… the doctor? Did you save me?”

  Senderos shook his head, offering a warm smile.

  “Save you? That’s giving me too much credit. When you arrived, your wounds weren’t that bad. She handled most of it.”

  Xin blinked in surprise. His eyes showed a mix of gratitude and confusion.

  “Wait… you mean that girl healed me? She’s a doctor too?”

  Senderos let out a laugh.

  “Of course she saved you—she’s your owner, after all. One of the best healers I’ve seen. You’re pretty lucky.”

  Xin’s eyes widened.

  “Owner!? Wait—why am I someone’s property?! I never agreed to that! That’s—!”

  “You’ll have to ask her yourself,” Senderos interrupted, still smiling. “She’s the one who brought you here. My clinic’s just a place for you to recover.”

  After checking Xin’s bandages and exchanging a few light words, Senderos eventually took his leave. The room fell silent again, save for the occasional birdsong drifting through the open window.

  Xin sat upright on the bed, hand resting lightly on the bandaged wound at his shoulder. His expression remained dazed, still trying to process what he’d just heard.

  Owner...? I never signed anything. Never agreed to that... right?

  Xin threw off the blanket and slowly climbed out of bed—only to realize that his midsection was wrapped in thick layers of bandages. He blinked, confused.

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  Where... are my clothes?

  A strange feeling crept up his spine. He glanced around the room, then spotted a tall mirror standing nearby. Curiosity—or dread—drew him closer.

  What he saw made his jaw drop.

  Is that... a dress?

  He was wearing a knee-length dress. A girl’s dress. Even worse—his underwear was nowhere to be found.

  His face went pale. He’d imagined plenty of embarrassing scenarios before... but nothing quite like this. Cautiously, he stepped closer to the mirror, tugging at the hem just to be sure.

  Yup. It was real.

  That’s when the door swung open.

  Gloria entered, carrying a fresh basin of water. She froze mid-step when she saw him.

  One second. Two seconds...

  “Pfft… hahaha!” She burst into laughter, nearly dropping the basin as she clutched her stomach. “You... you actually look kinda cute in that!”

  Xin squinted, cheeks burning with a mix of panic and humiliation. He instinctively pressed himself against the wall, face flushed red like a baby’s bottom. One arm went up to cover his chest—an unconscious act of self-preservation.

  “Don’t tell me… this dress is yours!?”

  Gloria finally composed herself, let out a dramatic sigh, and shot him a deadpan look.

  “Well, since you're awake now—take care of yourself.”

  “Take care of… what do you mean?!”

  She crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed.

  “You do know how to wash yourself, right? Or do I have to show you?”

  With a teasing smirk, she stepped closer—eyes scanning him up and down. Suddenly, she grabbed the back of the dress, as if about to yank it down.

  “Or are you totally fine being naked in front of a girl?”

  “W-Wait! Don’t—! Stop! Help!”

  Xin shrieked, clutching the dress with both hands, horrified. Gloria giggled and let go, giving him a light pat on the injured shoulder. Then she leaned in and whispered:

  “Alright. I’ll be back in ten minutes. I expect you to be spotless when I return. Got it?”

  Xin nodded furiously like a pecking chicken, praying she'd disappear quickly. Only after the door finally closed behind her did he let out a shaky sigh. He looked back at his reflection.

  This... this can’t be real.

  He glared at the ceiling, silently blaming the gods for putting him through such absurd humiliation.

  If only there was a hole I could crawl into...

  Ten minutes later, a knock came at the door. Gloria had returned.

  Xin poked his head out cautiously through the barely-opened door, eyes averted. His voice came out small and meek.

  “I… I can’t let you see me like this. Could you—um—maybe get me some proper clothes?”

  Gloria shrugged and pulled a folded set of men’s clothes from the basket she’d brought. But instead of handing it over, she tilted her head playfully and grinned.

  “Sure. But first… say the magic words.”

  Xin frowned. “…What words?”

  “Say: ‘Dearest Master, please bless me with clothes to wear.’”

  Xin’s face turned crimson. He wanted to crawl back under the covers and vanish. But he knew—he had no choice. Biting his pride, he forced a grin.

  “D-Dearest Master… please bless me with clothes to wear.”

  Gloria giggled with delight and tossed the bundle at him.

  “Good boy. Now hurry up and change. I’ll be waiting outside.”

  She even winked at him as she left, sending a shiver down his spine. Xin sighed heavily, clutching the clothes in both hands.

  There’s definitely something wrong with that girl...

  After changing clothes, Xin stepped out of the room.

  The sky was clear and cloudless, its soft blue hue soothing the storm of emotions still churning inside him. Across the open hallway, Gloria was already waiting. She met his gaze with a sparkle of mischief in her eyes.

  “You’re looking much better now.”

  Xin shot her a side-eye full of judgment. As a young man, he had met all sorts of people in his life—but never someone as baffling as this girl. And honestly, he wasn’t sure he could tolerate her over-the-top behavior much longer. For now, it was best to keep his mouth shut and wait to see what other ridiculous tricks she had up her sleeve.

  No point arguing with a girl… just wastes energy.

  He sighed inwardly and followed her as they headed toward Senderos’ office to say goodbye. The bald healer greeted them with his usual warm smile and offered a few last instructions regarding Xin’s recovery before waving them off.

  Once outside the clinic, Gloria turned to him, ignoring the reluctant expression on his face.

  “We’re heading to the city center of Seraing now. You’ll follow me—and remember these rules.”

  Xin frowned. “Rules?”

  She raised one finger.

  “Rule one: don’t walk beside me. Stay two steps behind—no more, no less.”

  Then came finger number two.

  “Rule two: your head should always be tilted down at a fifteen-degree angle.”

  And finally, finger number three. She smiled wickedly.

  “Rule three: when speaking to me, you’ll address me as… ‘Master.’”

  Xin nearly tripped over his own feet.

  His eyes widened in disbelief.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. Since when did I become your servant?!”

  Gloria shrugged, perfectly calm.

  “Since you drank that cup of tea.”

  Xin froze. A cold chill ran down his spine.

  The tea…?

  His mind flashed back to earlier—right before they left the clinic, when she’d smiled sweetly and offered him a drink.

  “D-Don’t tell me…”

  Gloria’s eyes gleamed with playful danger.

  “Congratulations! From now on, you’re officially mine.”

  Xin stood rooted in place, blank-faced for a few seconds. He imagined the worst-case scenario—his expression darkened as reality sank in.

  Damn it. I let my guard down… and now she’s got me right where she wants me.

  “Fine then… Just wait… Someday—”

  Gloria tilted her head, catching the subtle grin creeping onto his face.

  “Someday what?”

  The sudden question startled him. He stiffened, then forced an awkward grin.

  “Oh, nothing! I was just… reminding myself that… someday… I’ll repay your kindness. Dearest… Master.”

  She stared at him, eyes narrowed with suspicion.

  “Don’t go yelling ‘Master’ in that disgusting tone. It’s creepy as hell.”

  Crossing her arms, she turned her back to him.

  “It’s best if you don’t talk to me at all.”

  Xin clenched his teeth, part anger, part embarrassment. He almost snapped back—but stopped himself.

  He had a reason to endure.

  In this unfamiliar place, he was no better than a lost child. If he wanted to survive, he’d have to cling to someone. Maybe even use them… to achieve his goals.

  And who better than her?

  With that thought, he followed silently behind Gloria.

  Outwardly obedient. But deep inside, he was a powder keg waiting for the right spark.