“Of course you can. Rather, being able to grant a Protective Blessing to the Princess is truly my honor.”
Freya looked utterly devout—if only her gaze wasn’t fixated on her own tail the whole time.
Lin Sheng suddenly had a thought: if he had been the one beside Freya during the Inauguration Ceremony, would Freya have been more composed?
However, when it came to Protective Blessings, Lin Sheng actually knew nothing.
He turned a questioning gaze toward Serveyia, and after receiving her approval, Lin Sheng looked at Freya with earnest gratitude.
“Then I’ll be in your care, Saintess.”
“It’s no trouble at all, really. It’s just a simple favor.”
Freya shook her head, extending a hand that gradually gathered a warm and sacred light; after chanting softly for a while, Serveyia decisively placed her hand on Lin Sheng’s largest tail.
“Yikes!”
Lin Sheng hadn’t expected the light, which appeared so holy and gentle, to give him a shock-like sensation as it covered his tail.
“F-Freya, what kind of Protective Blessing is this?”
Clearly, when Sofia and Freya touched him earlier, it hadn’t felt like this.
Why was the stimulation so intense now?
Could it be that the tail, as a magical organ, reacts this way when touched by mana?
“It’s a Protective Blessing that keeps your tail fluffy, Princess.”
“Why is it that kind of Protective Blessing?
I thought it would be something that protected me.”
“But, Princess, don’t you think maintaining all these tails is a difficult task?”
Difficult?
Lin Sheng looked at the fluffy tails behind him.
He’d never raised a Cat, but he’d seen plenty of complaints online from Cat owners about shedding—something all Cat owners must face.
But would his own tail shed too?
Seeing Lin Sheng’s expression change, Serveyia walked over and patted his head.
“It’s alright, Little Fox. Didn’t the Saintess already bless you? As long as you take care of yourself, nothing bad will happen.”
Lin Sheng suspected Serveyia possessed some sort of magic—otherwise, how could she know what he was thinking just by a change in expression?
Or was his face really that easy to read?
“Don’t worry, Princess. My Protective Blessing lasts at least a month. If it expires, you can come to the Church anytime to have it renewed.”
If that’s the case, as a Princess, tail maintenance probably shouldn’t be my own responsibility.
Though, not having to do it myself would save a lot of trouble.
But…
Lin Sheng glanced at Serveyia.
If I have to let this mischievous maid tend to my fox tails, it’ll probably be utter chaos.
“Why is the Little Fox looking at me with such suspicion?”
“I… I was wondering if you’d end up taking care of my tail too…”
“Little Fox, didn’t I say already?
As your personal maid, it’s only natural to serve you closely.
So it’s best not to harbor any meaningless hopes.”
Fine.
I’ve already foreseen that my future life won’t be peaceful.
All I can do is hope Serveyia will be gentle.
“We shouldn’t disturb you any longer. The Princess has the Inauguration Ceremony tomorrow morning, so it’s best to rest well tonight.”
While I was still fretting about my future, Freya had already taken Sofia’s hand and was preparing to leave.
“Goodbye, Princess! Meow!”
Sofia, though a bit reluctant, obediently followed Freya out, waving at Lin Sheng as she went.
Watching their departing figures, Lin Sheng suddenly thought of a pair of sisters.
It seemed their bond was truly deep.
“Alright, Little Fox, stop looking so forlorn. Even if you don’t have much to do at tomorrow’s Inauguration Ceremony, you still need to learn the basic etiquette. I can shield you to some extent, but there will be times I can’t help. You wouldn’t want to be caught off guard and embarrassed, would you?”
Seeing Lin Sheng desperately shaking his little head, Serveyia suddenly understood why her ancestors were willing to serve the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox.
The feeling of raising a Little Fox from scratch was truly wonderful.
“Serveyia, will there really be difficult questions?”
“Not exactly.
Everyone knows you’re a newly born Nine-tailed Celestial Fox, and that you transformed from male to female, so most questions won’t be too tricky.
But sometimes, what counts as ‘tricky’ is subjective.
Many Young Ladies might be curious about the life of a male college student, so it’s possible some questions will be a bit offensive.”
“Like what?”
“Like, ‘What’s the difference between a male and female body?’ or ‘Do you feel any desire toward your new form?’—that sort of thing. They’re not unanswerable, but if you handle them poorly, things could get awkward.”
“Would a Saint Laia Young Lady really ask such wild questions?”
“Why not?
Do you think all Young Ladies are always elegant and refined?”
Seeing Lin Sheng instinctively nod, Serveyia’s lips curled into a smile.
“That’s just surface-level.
Most of the time, elegance is a protective mask.
In social settings, it’s normal to remain composed, but in private, Young Ladies are no different from ordinary people.
You’ll come to realize this in time.”
“Then, how should I respond?”
Lin Sheng still felt some doubt about Serveyia’s words, but to be honest, learning these things in advance couldn’t hurt.
“Generally, the best approach is to sidestep the question and not answer directly.
When it happens, just act shy—hide behind me, or wrap yourself in your tail.
Believe me, most Young Ladies will forget their original question and just gush over your cuteness.”
“Wrap… wrap myself up?”
Serveyia’s suggestion surprised Lin Sheng.
He hadn’t expected the solution to be so simple and direct.
But could he really control his tails that well?
Whenever he felt shy, his tails would automatically wrap around him, but could he do it on purpose?