Caring for Scales

After washing up, Xia Ya changed out of his clothes, which were stained with dust and Minotaur blood, and sat behind the wide desk in a comfortable velvet robe.

Spread out on the desk was a thick leather notebook with no markings on the cover.

This was his “secret log,” in which he recorded his understanding of the original plot of “Dragon Maiden Nurturing Manual,” information on key figures, and every step of his plan to change his and Beilixiya’s fate, using symbols, stick figures, and snippets of Earth text that only he could fully understand.

The quill pen scratched against the rough paper, dipped in dark blue ink.

“Imperial Calendar 1150, Autumn, First Day…”

“Successfully registered as an adventurer (Bronze Level). Assessment mission: Minotaur subjugation.”

“Special Event: Tikona Flame (Crimson Gold Flame Dragon bloodline, one of the three main protagonists in the original work). Contact method: Forced team-up. Relevance: High (direct interaction with me and Beilixiya).”

“Risk Level: Extremely High. In the original work, Tikona repeatedly clashed fiercely with Beilixiya (if she joined the protagonist party as the original plot dictated) in the early stages due to conflicting philosophies. Although they were allies later, their relationship was always strained, and she directly posed a life threat to ‘Xia Ya’.”

Writing this, Xia Ya’s pen paused, leaving a dark ink blot on the page.

The sudden appearance of Tikona was like a boulder thrown into a calm pool, disrupting his rhythm.

He had painstakingly managed things for so many years, from taking Beilixiya out of the slums, avoiding the key moments in the original work that led to her corruption or joining the protagonist party, and striving to cultivate her into a loyal and powerful companion who belonged only to him.

Everything seemed to be developing in a positive direction.

But today, that fiery, dazzling golden-haired dragon-kin had barged in so abruptly, carrying the halo of the original protagonist and an undeniable presence.

Xia Ya could clearly see the natural attraction between her and Beilixiya, stemming from their bloodline.

This made him feel an unprecedented sense of crisis, as if an invisible hand was gripping his throat.

“Must be more cautious.”

Xia Ya heavily circled Tikona’s name and added symbols representing “surveillance,” “vigilance,” and “limited contact” beside it.

On the other side of the manor, in Beilixiya’s small suite.

Beilixiya had also just finished her bath.

The warm steam had not completely dissipated, carrying the fresh scent of soapberry.

She stood in front of a full-length mirror embedded in the wardrobe door, wearing only a large white bath towel, her silver-gray hair damp and draped over her shoulders, droplets of water still dripping from the ends.

The mirror reflected the girl’s figure, which carried a sense of both youthful softness and lithe strength; droplets of water rolled down her fair skin, slipped over her delicate collarbones, and disappeared into the undulating edge of the towel.

Her gaze did not linger on these things but fell on the areas of her arms, shoulder blades, and waist that were covered with fine silver-gray scales.

A dragon-kin’s scales were a symbol of strength and defense, but they also required regular cleaning and maintenance, especially after intense battles or being soiled, otherwise, they could easily become fragile and even breed tiny lesions within them.

This task was usually done by the dragon-kin themselves, or assisted by an extremely trusted companion with delicate skills.

Beilixiya walked to her wardrobe and opened the bottom drawer.

Inside, several pieces of lingerie were neatly folded.

Her fingers brushed over several plain cotton undergarments, finally stopping on a relatively “daring” piece of clothing.

This was a strapless bra made of light, soft, pearl-lustered moon-white silk.

The style was simple, but the cut was extremely close-fitting, able to support the girl’s increasingly full curves well, while not causing too much obstruction when maintaining the scales, the edges were embellished with matching lace, adding a touch of subtle exquisiteness.

This was what Master Xia Ya had stuffed into her hands on her birthday last year, under the pretext that “combat maids also need decent and comfortable linings.”

She had always felt it was too… embarrassing, and had never worn it, only carefully collecting it.

Beilixiya’s fingers lingered on the smooth, cool silk for a long time.

She recalled Xia Ya’s concerned gaze after the battle at the lumberyard, the warmth of his hand rubbing the top of her head on the way back, and also… Tikona’s undisguised “acknowledgment” of the young master’s abilities and that strange “concern.”

An inexplicable impulse drove her.

She took a deep breath, as if she had made some kind of resolution.

Unfastening the bath towel, she carefully changed into the moon-white silk strapless bra.

The cool, smooth touch clung to her skin, bringing a never-before-felt, strange sensation.

In the mirror, under the hazy steam and soft light, she seemed to have a bit more… an unfamiliar feminine tenderness?

This made her cheeks instantly turn hot.

No! Too embarrassing!

Beilixiya subconsciously wanted to take it off immediately and change back into her usual clothes.

But thinking of Xia Ya…

She bit her lower lip, and finally gave up.

In the end, she just quickly put on an equally light, beige silk robe, covering the strapless bra under the robe, but the robe’s tie was not completely fastened.

She picked up a small jar of special essential oil for dragon-kin scale maintenance, like she was holding a hot potato, her heart pounding in her chest.

The night was late, and the corridor was empty. Beilixiya walked barefoot on the cool marble floor, barely making a sound.

She tiptoed to Master Xia Ya’s bedroom door, where she could faintly see the steady white light of the magic lamp shining through the crack under the door.

She stopped in front of the door, took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her heart that was about to jump out of her throat; her amber eyes were filled with nervousness and shyness, her fair cheeks were now redder than the ripe apples in the backyard, and even the tips of her small horns were tinged with pink; her tail curled gently behind her restlessly.

Finally, she mustered all her courage, raised her slightly trembling hand, and gently knocked on the door.

“Tap, tap, tap.”

The knock sounded particularly clear in the silent corridor.

Inside the room, Xia Ya, immersed in future plans and risk analysis, was interrupted by the sudden knock.

Assuming it was the night maid, he said without looking up, “Come in.”

The door was pushed open a crack.

“What is it?”

There was no response from the maid as expected.

Xia Ya looked up in confusion.

He saw Beilixiya standing at the door, not wearing her usual maid uniform or training clothes.

She was only wearing a robe, her damp silver-gray hair draped loosely, a few strands of hair stuck to her flushed cheeks and neck.

She was holding a small jar tightly in her arms, her eyes lowered, not daring to meet his gaze at all.

The collar of her robe was slightly open, vaguely revealing an unusual, pearl-lustered moon-white silk edge inside.

A clear pine scent mixed with the fresh scent of bathwater quietly filled the room.

Xia Ya was stunned.

The Beilixiya before him, stripped of the competence and composure of her usual combat maid, showed an unprecedented vulnerability with dampness and extreme shyness?

“…Beilixiya?”

“You… what is this?”

Beilixiya lowered her head even further, almost burying her face in the small jar in her arms.

Her voice was thinner than a pixie’s, with an almost tearful embarrassment:

“Young… Young Master… Beilixiya… Beilixiya needs… needs your help… to maintain… the scales…”