The process of bathing was a sweet torment for Lin Sheng.
There was no doubt about the luxury of the bathroom in Qingli Hall.
When he first entered, Lin Sheng even thought he had stepped into a public bathhouse, hesitating and not daring to go in.
It was only after Serveyia explained that he carefully stepped into the bath.
The size of the bath reminded Lin Sheng of the ancient Roman baths he had studied before.
Back then, baths were important social venues, and bathing itself wasn’t even the main purpose.
But here in Qingli Hall, at least for now, what Lin Sheng needed was just a simple bath.
And Serveyia faithfully fulfilled her so-called duties as a personal maid, almost single-handedly washing Lin Sheng from head to toe until he was spotless.
No matter how much Lin Sheng wanted to think of Serveyia as a mischievous maid, he couldn’t deny that she was a beauty.
Being personally attended to by such a beautiful woman was a huge challenge for Lin Sheng’s fragile heart.
Even if he kept telling himself not to be nervous, that it wasn’t him who was at a disadvantage, but the other party, it had little effect.
So, throughout the entire bathing process, from the moment he sat at the edge of the bath and changed into the pre-prepared bathing stockings, Lin Sheng basically kept his eyes shut.
Especially when Serveyia was caring for his hair and tail.
The bathing lasted even longer than Lin Sheng imagined.
During this time, he repeatedly tried to reclaim the right to wash himself from Serveyia, but each time, she dismissed him with light words like “Your Highness isn’t familiar with a girl’s body” or “The little fox’s tail needs careful care.”
Occasionally, when Lin Sheng’s requests became annoying, she would say, “Could it be that the little fox wants to drive me out and do unspeakable things to his own body?”
After bathing, under Serveyia’s attentive service, Lin Sheng changed into his pajamas.
The considerate care left Lin Sheng’s face red, but Serveyia acted as if she didn’t notice, half-kneeling in front of him as she helped him put on sleeping stockings.
“Se-Serveyia, where are you going to take those stockings from earlier?”
Watching Serveyia carefully fold the stockings he had taken off, Lin Sheng’s already pink face flushed even deeper.
He hadn’t forgotten what Sofia Shadowclaw had said earlier about his stockings having considerable commercial value.
Now, seeing Serveyia’s serious actions, it all seemed a bit too convincing.
“Of course, I have to store them properly, in case someone with ill intentions covets or even steals them.”
“Uh, is it really that serious?”
“Of course. For some whose strength has hit a bottleneck, stockings of the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox rich in magic power are extremely tempting. It’s normal to act out of desperation to seek improvement, isn’t it?”
Even though Serveyia’s words weren’t wrong, the idea of his personal clothing being treated as a valuable item still made Lin Sheng feel strange.
“But isn’t that a bit excessive? Even if one or two pairs get taken, it shouldn’t be a big deal, right?”
“Oh little fox, you really are innocent. Is this how college students are?”
Not to mention, your stockings themselves are magical items of value.
Just the act itself is not something to compromise on.
If you allow it once, there will be a second time.
Once you set the precedent, more people will come with all sorts of reasons to ask you to share your stockings.
Serveyia sighed helplessly and continued to explain.
“I understand your thinking, little fox. If you meet a classmate who truly needs help, it’s fine to give them some, but there must be a valid reason. Treat it as a reward, not something to be given away lightly.”
“Th-There’s such a complex meaning behind it?”
“Naturally. Rather, from the moment the Princess of St. Laia was born, she has been the focus of all sides, with nearly every power seeking to gain more from the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox.”
“While St. Laia can protect you to some extent, that protection can’t be constant. You need to be more cautious and less naive, alright?”
“Then, Serveyia, what about you?”
“Eh?”
“Serveyia, what do you hope to gain from me?”
Since Serveyia said that many people want something from him, then as a princess herself, what did she gain by becoming his personal maid?
“Me?”
Serveyia didn’t answer immediately but was silent for a moment.
Just as Lin Sheng wondered if his question was too abrupt, she spoke again.
“I am a member of the Isabella family, and my middle name, Arcadia, is a title given to every member of the family who serves the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox. I don’t know why my father gave me such a name, but I think it was a test for me.”
“I can’t deny my selfish motives, nor the fact that I’m using you as the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox, but at the same time, I can’t deny that you also need me to adapt better to St. Laia.”
“This kind of relationship, bound by mutual benefit, is often stronger than any other, isn’t it?”
As much as Lin Sheng didn’t want to admit it, what Serveyia said wasn’t wrong.
After all, “there are no eternal friends, only eternal interests.”
And although Serveyia had her mischievous side, she hadn’t actually brought any real trouble to Lin Sheng.
If anything, she had solved many problems for him.
Most importantly, Serveyia was truly beautiful—so much so that she could bring ruin to a nation and make others willingly submit.
Lin Sheng felt that, with just one word from Serveyia, countless people would give up everything for her.
And now, such a beautiful person had become his maid.
He had to admit, it satisfied a small part of his vanity.
No matter what, getting a clear answer from Serveyia and knowing she wasn’t acting on a whim did put Lin Sheng’s mind at ease.
But even with that comfort, a bigger problem awaited him:
That was, Serveyia would be sharing his bed tonight.
Moreover, she had said she wanted to hug one of his tails while sleeping.
He didn’t know if she would remember that, but he hoped she’d forget.
His poor tail couldn’t withstand too much torment.