Little Merlin finally couldn’t hold out any longer. Her ankle twisted, and she pitched forward. The sensation against her legs, magnified several times over by the contact of the pantyhose, caused her calves to spasm instantly. Her toes gripped the insides of the shoes’ toe boxes instinctively, but because the silk was too slippery, she lost her balance entirely.
“Furthermore, silk stockings are something a lady should wear. Why do you always find so many excuses when it comes to you? Why is it that it just won’t do for you? You must wear them! You are a lady!” Ophilia’s tone grew increasingly stern.
As she fell, Little Merlin cried out, “I… I don’t want to be a lady anymore… I want to go home… We agreed I could go home and sleep. How did I suddenly end up here?”
Just then, a knock came from the door.
“Excuse me, is Merlin here? We are wayfaring travelers, and we have a… nun from the church with us.”
That voice… was it Lucia?
As if seeing a savior, Little Merlin tried to run toward the door regardless of the consequences. However, because of those cursed high heels and the slick stockings, her heel slipped out of the shoe after only a single step, and she lost her balance once again.
The door was pushed open. Miya, dressed in her nun’s habit, rushed in with quick reflexes and caught the falling Merlin in her arms. Behind her, Mashina and Lucia stood frozen, staring at the scene before them in utter bewilderment.
“Oh my, what a lovely little lady,” Miya sighed softly.
Little Merlin, dressed in sheer black stockings and black high heels, was collapsed in Miya’s arms with tear-filled eyes. Meanwhile, the usually gentle Professor Ophilia stood there holding a riding crop, looking every bit the “wicked stepmother.”
Mashina felt her brain short-circuit. “This…”
“Mama!” Little Merlin struggled in Miya’s arms, pointing toward Mashina. “I want to go with them! I’m not playing anymore!”
Ophilia gave a cold laugh, her crop striking the floor with a sharp thwack. “Take her away? You want to take my daughter? With just the likes of you?”
“Princess Ophilia, we have been assigned a mission…” Lucia tried to explain, her hand already moving toward the hilt of her sword.
“A mission? In this labyrinth, I am the rule.” Ophilia snapped her fingers lightly.
BOOM!
A suffocating pressure descended instantly. The sword Lucia had half-drawn was forced back into its scabbard by sheer weight. Mashina didn’t even have time to chant a spell before her knees buckled uncontrollably, forcing her into a kneeling position. Even Miya, who seemed unfathomably powerful, had to take a half-step back to barely remain standing.
This was an absolute gap in power—the “Plot Kill” authority granted to the “Stepmother” by the labyrinth.
“You want to take the Hero to save the world? Fine… However…” Ophilia looked down at the group, a playful glint dancing in her eyes. “My daughter must be the most perfect lady in the world, a princess. If she cannot even master basic etiquette, how can she go out and embarrass me?”
She pointed to the rows of racks behind her, filled with various ornate outfits and stockings. This was the trial grounds Ophilia had prepared for her daughter.
“Assist her. Help her pass all of the ‘Lady Trials.’ Otherwise, you shall stay here with her and spend the rest of your lives as dress-up dolls.”
Lucia bit her tea, her body unable to move. “What… what kind of ghost mission is this?!”
“You have no choice.” Ophilia flicked her crop again, and the heavy pressure dissipated. “The trial begins now. Go. Help her change.”
And so, Little Merlin’s torment began.
“Too lax! Mashina, straighten her waist!”
By now, Little Merlin had been forced into a blue, modified short-style qipao tailored specifically for her. The tight design traced the curves of her waist, which, though young, was already beginning to take shape. The high slits on both sides extended all the way to the tops of her thighs, revealing the lines of her legs with every slight movement.
Her legs had been changed into transparent, nude-colored pantyhose. They matched her skin tone closely, yet possessed an unnatural, artificial smoothness.
“I… I…” Little Merlin stood before the mirror, wearing a pair of silver pointed-toe stiletto heels.
“Ooh… it feels weird.” Little Merlin tried to wiggle her toes, only to find that encased in the nude stockings, they could do nothing but slip helplessly against the smooth insoles. Every time she tried to grip the sole, the silk fibers stretched with the curve of her toes, tightening against the gaps between them and creating a restrictive, alien sensation.
“Stand up straight, Merlin.” Mashina knelt on the floor, holding Merlin’s calves with both hands to help adjust her posture. Although she was a hundred times unwilling in her heart, Mashina had to admit that the sight of Little Merlin in a qipao and nude silk made her heart race.
Her palms pressed against the layer of nude silk, feeling the warmth of the skin and the tension of the muscles beneath the fabric. The thin silk felt as if it almost didn’t exist, yet the slippery texture reminded Mashina every second that Merlin was wearing stockings.
“Mashina… it’s hot… the stockings… are so tight…” Little Merlin’s body swayed slightly due to the lack of support from the heels. To maintain her balance, she had no choice but to clamp her legs together.
The inner thighs, encased in nude silk, pressed tightly against each other, rubbing together with every tiny wobble. That delicate, unhindered slick friction caused Little Merlin’s small face to flush a deep crimson.
“Don’t… don’t rub… it’s so strange…”
Next was the classic black-and-white maid outfit, but the hem was outrageously short—so short that even a slight bend at the waist would result in exposure. Ophilia demanded it be paired with pure white lace-trimmed garter stockings.
Lucia stared at the fabric in her hands. “What kind of maid outfit is this?! The skirt is way too short! It’s shorter than that one the poster girl wore.”
“Come, lift your leg.” Lucia knelt on one knee, her face flushing as she slipped the white thigh-high stocking over Little Merlin’s toes.
The white silk extended up her calf. The slight sensation of the threads brushing against her skin made Merlin pull her foot back instinctively. As it was slowly pulled upward, the white welt of the stocking dug into the soft flesh of her thigh, creating an enticing indentation.
Click.
When Lucia fastened the garter clip to the stocking welt, Little Merlin flinched sensitively. “That clip… it’s cold… it’s pinching my skin…”
“Endure it,” Lucia said gruffly, though her movements were surprisingly gentle.
This time, the outfit was paired with a pair of thick-soled, round-toe high heels. While they looked cute, they were quite heavy.
“Hold the tea tray and walk across this straight line. Not a drop of water is to be spilled,” Ophilia commanded.
Little Merlin held the tray, taking her steps with extreme caution. With every stride, the garters on her thighs would stretch and tighten as her legs moved, then slacken again. The alternating pull of tension and release caused the welts to slide minutely against the skin of her thighs, making the base of her legs itch unbearably.
“Ugh… I feel… so strange…”
Little Merlin tried to bring her legs together to alleviate the sensation, but it only caused the lace edges and the silk of the stockings to brush against each other on her inner thighs. The friction triggered an even stronger reaction, nearly causing her to flip the tea tray onto the floor.
“Awoo!”
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