Morning sunlight filtered through the trees and poured in through the window, filling the small room with a soft, golden glow. On a bed tucked into the corner, Xin lay still, his lips occasionally twitching as if trapped in a nightmare.
The door creaked open. A young girl stepped in, carrying a basin of water and a clean white towel. She placed them gently on the table, then sat down beside the bed, pressing her hand lightly against Xin's forehead to check for fever.
But suddenly, Xin grabbed her wrist and opened his eyes wide, startling her.
"Who are you?! What are you doing to me?! Where is he?!"
She froze in surprise, trying to pull her hand back, but his grip was too tight. With no other option, she grabbed the water basin and dumped its contents all over him.
"AAAH! HOT! IT'S HOT!!"
His scream startled a man who rushed in instantly, voice laced with concern.
"What happened, Gloria?!"
The girl standing in the middle of the room looked to be around sixteen or seventeen. Despite the annoyed expression on her face, there was no hiding her natural charm.
The sunlight caught in her shoulder-length hair and pale yellow dress, making her look radiant. She wasn't particularly tall, her hair not particularly blonde, but her skin gleamed like polished pearl. Her wide, innocent eyes sparkled with youth, and her soft, full lips were pursed in barely-contained frustration.
Her delicate beauty stunned Xin for a moment. He instantly regretted whatever offense he might've just committed.
The man seemed to grasp the situation at a glance. He calmly approached the bed – tall and lean, with a completely bald head and a composed demeanor that gave off an air of quiet intimidation.
Xin was about to sit up when the man spoke first.
"Relax. It wasn't boiling water. She was just trying to take care of you."
He let out a dry chuckle, trying to defuse the tension in the room.
The girl, Gloria, said nothing. She simply turned and walked out, carefully closing the door behind her.
"That girl's name is Gloria. I'm Senderos. This is my clinic," the man said.
Xin blinked, then asked, "You're a healer? Were you the one who saved me?"
Senderos shook his head and gave a kind smile. "'Saved' might be an exaggeration. When you got here, you weren't too badly injured. She handled everything quite well."
"You mean… that girl healed me? She's a healer like you?"
Senderos chuckled heartily.
"Of course she did – she's your master, after all. First-class healer, too. You're lucky."
Xin's eyes widened. He sat upright, voice rising in confusion.
"My… master?! Wait, how did I become a slave – I mean, how is she allowed to be my master?!"
The older man smiled again, utterly unbothered.
"You'll have to ask her. She's the one who brought you here. My clinic's just the place where you're recovering."
Senderos chatted with Xin for a little while longer before taking his leave.
The room fell silent.
Xin sat on the bed, still trying to process everything.
A master? He didn't remember signing or agreeing to anything like that.
Throwing off the blanket, he climbed out of bed and noticed that his body was tightly bandaged. He muttered to himself.
Where are my clothes?
A strange feeling crept up inside him. He glanced around the room and spotted a full-length mirror. Tilting his head, he stepped in front of it.
And his mouth fell open.
He was wearing… a dress. A girl's dress. Worse yet, even his undergarments had vanished without a trace.
His face turned pale. He'd imagined a lot of unfortunate situations in his life… but never this.
Swallowing hard, Xin crept closer to the mirror and gently tugged at the fabric.
No mistake. He was actually wearing it.
Just then, the door opened.
Gloria stepped in with a fresh basin of water – only to freeze the moment she saw Xin in the dress.
One second. Two seconds…
"Pfft… Hahaha!" she burst out laughing, clutching her stomach, nearly dropping the basin. "You look… absolutely adorable!"
Xin jumped back, face bright red. He instinctively crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"You—what did you do to me!?"
Gloria straightened up and gave a playful huff.
"If you're awake, then you can clean yourself."
"Clean myself…? What do you mean?!"
She crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed.
"Come on. You're a boy, aren't you? Don't tell me you need someone to bathe you? Or maybe…" She stepped in close, eyes scanning him from head to toe, then suddenly grabbed the back of the dress. "You don't mind being naked in front of a girl?"
Xin clutched the hem desperately, voice rising in panic.
"Wh-What are you doing?! Stop! Help!!"
Gloria smirked mischievously, then let go. She leaned in and whispered in his ear, patting his shoulder – right where the wound was still tender.
"Alright then. I'll be back in ten minutes. When I return, I want to see you squeaky clean. Got it?"
Xin nodded rapidly like a pecking chicken, praying she'd just leave already.
Ten minutes later, a knock came at the door. Gloria was back.
Xin only peeked his head out from behind the barely-open door, eyes averted. His voice was sheepish.
"I… I can't let you see me like this. Could you get me some proper clothes?"
Gloria shrugged and pulled a set of men's clothes from the basket she carried.
"Sure. But first, say: 'My beautiful master, please grant me something to wear.'"
Xin turned beet red. But he knew he had no choice. Clenching his teeth, he forced a smile.
"Beautiful master… please grant me something to wear."
Delighted, Gloria tossed the clothes to him.
"Good boy. Now get changed. I'll be waiting outside."
She winked at him on her way out, sending another shiver down his spine.
Xin let out a heavy sigh, gripping the clothes tightly.
She's terrifying…