28~ Like a Dream
The midday sun was casting its warm rays on the face of the young man, tickling and cozy, making him feel comfortable enough to keep dozing but also nudging him to wake up.
His eyelids felt glued shut as if coated with a layer of solidified agent, but golden sunlight shimmered gently on his lashes, weaving streaks of gold through his lashes.
The young man’s eyeballs shifted slightly as he gradually peeled open his heavy eyelids, the harsh brightness forcing him to instinctively shield his eyes. His body felt limp, still adjusting to the lingering weakness from his cross-dimensional journey, making it hard to sit up straight.
His eyes idly fell upon the clock hanging on the warm-colored wall, and his drowsy awareness snapped sharp. Surrounded by familiar furnishings, it clicked – he was in Dillin’s room, located within the Crown Manor.
As consciousness returned, the memories came gushing back.
He……was back?
Staring at the familiar room setup in disbelief, he clearly recalled losing consciousness amidst the royal chambers perched on the branches of the Golden Sacred Tree, tormented by a devil masked as a pure-hearted elf girl – essentially, a fatty bovine demon.
Originally, he thought that demon would probably keep him locked up longer to satiate its bottomless boredom and twisted sense of humor. Yet here he was, unceremoniously released without much hassle?
Dillin examined his hands, and for some reason, he felt his body had undergone subtle changes after coming back, though he couldn’t exactly pinpoint what had altered.
Revisiting those memories from the Secret Realm felt like awakening from a dream, only to find himself at dawn.
Dillin supported his forehead, his weakness having subsided significantly. His gaze naturally drifted towards the butterfly hairpiece glistening with gold under the sunlight on the bedside table.
Nothing brought him more comfort than the presence of the gold chalice butterfly at his side.
Gripping the butterfly hairpiece in his palm, he could distinctly feel his weakness vanishing instantly, his mental fatigue evaporating as well. It was as if this accessory was part of him, something he carried constantly without much thought until its importance was realized now that it was gone.
It was, quite honestly, like it had all been a vivid dream after all.
Maybe… it really was just a dream?
Dillin was trying to convince himself of this, but his gaze dropped, and all thoughts halted.
He had wanted to tell himself that everything in the Secret Realm had been a dream, but his current attire shattered that illusion completely.
Instead of wearing pajamas, he was draped in the same style elf feather belly-revealing outfit from the Secret Realm—a green skirt paired with white stockings adorned with pentagrams.
This had to be the outfit Bilodis had switched him into after he passed out, since the previous one had already been…
Just reminiscing about these humiliating memories made his face heat up.
The style was the same, but the color was different; Dillin could tell.
Why had that bovine demon released him? Was it out of necessity, or was there a hidden motive?
No, this wasn’t the time to dwell on that.
Dillin tugged at his outfit in surprise, marveling at how he no longer had any aversion towards wearing women’s clothing. To him, it was just a garment, whether worn or not, it was nothing to fuss over.
He pinched the fabric of his collar, noticing the quality was quite good—too good to discard. Perhaps he could give it to Tillysha as casual wear.
It was hard enough imagining himself in an elf-styled belly-revealing mini-skirt to begin with.
When he reached the mirror with the intention of changing out of the clothes, he froze.
The reflection that greeted him wasn’t that of a middle-aged man but more like that of a young girl with shoulder-length hair.
His skin pale, legs and arms devoid of any hair, even though he looked a tad too thin, his delicate features paired with the outfit gave off an easy impression of femininity.
Dillin gawked at the image in the mirror, unable to believe it was him.
No, it was him, his face and appearance were unaltered, but his skin had grown whiter, smoother, and his figure more delicate and fragile, like that of a young girl.
Dillin, who usually had a rather androgynous look, blended seamlessly with these traits and the feminine garments, making gender assumptions not at all unusual.
He pinched his cheek experimentally, trying to figure out why journeying through the Secret Realm had been akin to undergoing a whitening treatment, elevating his skin to perfection.
In his original state, newly arrived as an undocumented wanderer in this world, missing meals was a norm, leaving his skin rough and slightly yellow due to malnutrition. Yet, after visiting the Sacred Tree, every trace of imperfection had vanished.
What was going on?
Dillin quickly deduced the influence of the Elf Sacred Tree. Spending some time in the thriving presence of the Sacred Tree must have had an effect on him, let alone consuming its essence multiple times. Skin improvement was expected.
Uh-oh.
Dillin slapped his forehead as he remembered, glancing again at the clock in the room. Its hands were nearly pointing to two.
Even with the time flow difference, his stay in the Sacred Tree Secret Realm had been extensive—it was already afternoon in Caleburn!
At least Bilodis had directly sent him back to the manor, so that aspect, even if minimal, was somewhat commendable from the bovine demon.
Dillin had never slept past noon. After changing back into regular clothes, placing the accessory in his pocket, Dillin had just opened the door when he spotted a figure clad in amber passing by his doorway.
“Good morning, Dillin-sama.” Noticing the movement, Princess Filisia glanced over, spotting Dillin with his messy hair and flashing a suggestive smirk. “Neither you nor Miss Tillysha were present at the breakfast table today. Did you two spend the night in the same bed?”
“Please stop teasing me, Princess Filisia,” Dillin replied, exasperated.
“Too harsh! I even covered for you by saying I noticed Miss Tillysha leaving earlier and that Dillin-sama was likely sleeping late due to being up all night in the library—acting as a meat shield for your alibi. Not even a thank-you? I might start crying!”
Staring at Filisia’s overly dramatic act, hinting at the onset of imminent waterworks, Dillin was left perplexed.
Was it his imagination, or did everyone seem more troublesome since his trip to the Secret Realm?
Though Princess Filisia provided a significant cover-up; it truly was a great help. While Tillysha could vanish at odd hours without arousing much suspicion, it was different for Dillin, who regularly enjoyed Dame Wenfu’s breakfast. With people noticing his absence and no one covering for him, knocking on his door with no answer could have raised alarm.
“Thank you, Princess Filisia…” Dillin began, but before he could finish,
“Not again with the ‘Princess’ suffix,” Filisia cut him off, her pristine and soft finger gliding across Dillin’s lips, halting his words mid-sentence.
“Since you’re a girl now (or at least that’s what Filisia assumed), her actions became much more intimate and bold,” Filisia now felt less constrained by gender expectations and had much more freedom.
“…Anyway, thank you, Filisia for covering for me,” Dillin unconsciously took a step back.
“No need to thank me. Surely Dillin-sama would just as resolutely cover for me in similar situations, wouldn’t you?”
While Dillin seemed like a single entity, he appeared much more ‘approachable.’
And…
For some reason, Filisia felt Dillin had transformed overnight—becoming increasingly ‘tasty.’
“Hmm…”
“Actually, if Dillin-sama truly wants to thank me, saying ‘thank you’ is unnecessary,” Filisia leaned closer, one hand on her hip, the other against the doorframe trapping Dillin against the doorway. Her amber ponytails cascaded naturally over her chest cleavage.
“…Perhaps the ‘Dragon’s Heat’ has acted up again?” Dillin, leaning against the wall, calmly observed Princess Filisia.
“Sharp eyes, Dillin-sama,” Princess Filisia’s smile widened. “Until the issue of overflowing energy is resolved, the old ailment will keep surfacing.”
“Of course, I have been planning to handle the situation by visiting Ruglien again.”
“Not quite, Ruglien isn’t what I had in mind,” Filisia’s grin turned even more mysterious.
“What do you mean? Aren’t you aiming for a long-term solution to the ‘Dragon’s Heat’? Eating ‘fast food’ doesn’t fix it permanently, does it?”
“Not necessarily,” Filisia licked her lips, leaving a glossy sheen. “But when the hunger pangs hit, a bite of ‘fast food’ isn’t completely out of the question.”
“I see, then I’ll head to the training ground and spar with you.”
“Dillin-sama has misconstrued me,” a mischievous glimmer sparkled in Filisia’s eyes. “I wasn’t referring to the training ground.”
“Then what do you have in mind?” Dillin was confused.
“It seems Dillin-sama understands nothing,” Filisia’s gaze became more predatory, like that of a carnivorous beast eyeing its prey.
“What do I need to understand?”
“You’re unaware, it seems,” Filisia’s voice carried subtle innuendos. “Solving ‘Dragon’s Heat’ isn’t solely achieved through fighting.”
“Oh? Any other methods?”
“Certain exercises that bring me joy and a cathartic release would certainly suffice.”
“Which brings us back to sparring then?” Dillin’s head rested against the wall. As a result, Filisia intensified her aggressive advance, her handsome features drawing closer.
“Dillin-sama~”
“Hmm?” Dillin realized Filisia’s tone had grown much sweeter, hinting at something amiss.
“You promised to keep my secrets, right?”
“Of course, just as Filisia helps me cover my tracks.”
“We’re comrades then, partners in our quests.”
“Aren’t we always?”
“You’re well aware of all my secrets and surely won’t divulge them to anyone, correct?”
“Of course, so what’s the issue?”
“Then it’s you, Dillin-sama,” Filisia’s tone became decisive.
“What exactly does ‘it’s you’ imply?” Dillin frowned, noticing her behavior was more unusual than usual. While Filisia was always the assertive type, she wouldn’t randomly pin him against the wall like this.
She seemed to be genuinely overwhelmed by the ‘Dragon’s Heat’. Her excited eyes and constant licking of her lips gave it away. Her gaze no longer treated him as a person, but rather as a delicious dessert.
Dillin sighed. It seemed Filisia’s ‘Dragon’s Heat’ needed to be dealt with immediately or his ‘innocence’ might soon be compromised.
“Can I stomp on you?”
“No.” Dillin expressionlessly refused. “Go stomp on the Demon Race instead.”
“Then, can I place my chain around your neck?”
“Absolutely not,” Dillin’s face darkened. What kind of request was this? If others saw, his pride would be utterly tarnished. After all, he was the public face of the Brilliant Sun and Moon’s squad leader and a male god.
Speaking of which, Filisia’s stress-relief methods were truly unique. Who would’ve thought she had such an eccentric way of handling it?
“Would you let me take a short walk with you attached to a chain?”
“Just a short walk?” Dillin stared at Filisia strangely. “Do you really believe asking me this falls within normal boundaries?”
Filisia fell silent, glaring at Dillin. She knew her request was extreme, yet didn’t relent. Relenting her hand against Dillin’s, her gaze remained trained on him.
Dillin exhaled lightly.
Though Filisia’s Divine Authority was potent, its side-effects were equally bothersome, turning even someone with steadfast self-control into somewhat unpredictable.
Perhaps engaging in a fight with her in this very spot would help vent her aggression and calm her down?
“Okay, but…”
“Umm?!”
A sudden sound diverted their attention. Automatically, both eyes darted towards the third-floor staircase. At the corner, a shimmer of silver hair briefly fluttered in the breeze.
No need to guess who was eavesdropping.
“Miss Aistride, is there anything you need?” Dillin extended a helpful exit to her, allowing her to gradually emerge from the corner, her cheeks flushed noticeably red.
Dillin furrowed his brows.
He’d witnessed this expression on Aistride multiple times, particularly when he interacted with other female team members (including Tillysha).
Wasn’t this normal? Why was she blushing?
“No, nothing,” Aistride shook her head quickly, turning to leave, but was stopped by Dillin.
“It seems like you actually do have something. What’s with the file you’re clutching?”
At this reminder, Aistride’s brows shot up, recalling she had come to check if Dillin was awake.
She had just climbed to the third floor when she overheard the interaction between Filisia and Dillin. She didn’t arrive early enough to hear everything, but she managed to catch phrases related to ‘our secrets’, ‘stomping on you’, and ‘walking with a chain’.
In that split second, she’d imagined countless unspeakable scenarios, her face turning red instantly.
Moreover, she knew eavesdropping was inappropriate, yet the act itself brought about an inexplicable thrill.
