I woke up enveloped in a soothing warmth that seemed to wrap around me from every side like the softest bnket in existence. It felt so heavenly that instead of opening my eyes, I nuzzled even deeper into the heat, rubbing my face against something incredibly smooth that smelled of roses.

  For a moment, I had the impression I was floating in heaven. All the hardships of yesterday - the pain in my legs from those 3-inch heels and the burning frustration - felt like nothing more than a bad dream. I smiled to myself, purring with contentment, until a familiar, melodic voice rang out right by my ear, turning my bliss into instant alertness.

  “Is my sweetling finally awake~?”

  My eyes snapped open, and I froze. The sight that met my sleep-fogged senses made my heart leap into my throat.

  I was huddled completely against Lilith, my face practically buried in her deep cleavage. She was propped up on one arm, looking down at me with an expression that was a mix of tenderness and pure, demonic glee. Seeing my shocked face and how quickly I tried to scramble away from her breasts, she let out a low ugh.

  “I didn't know you loved breasts so much, kitten~” she murmured, winking at me flirtatiously. “But don’t worry. In a few months, you should have a quite lovely pair of your own.”

  I was still half-lost in the world of dreams, so the weight of her words only registered on the surface. My sleepy mind didn’t process the threat of a magical transformation; I just gave a sweet little nod as if agreeing with a weather forecast. I tried to recall what happened during the night - I remembered the burning hunger for her touch, her strict prohibition, and how she’d commanded me to cuddle against her. After that... a void. My consciousness had cut out the second I felt her heartbeat beneath my cheek.

  Lilith, seeing my delightfully dazed face, leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. Before I could say a word, she caught me under my arms and lifted me from the bed like I was a tiny kitten. She stood up, holding me pressed firmly against her side with one arm, while using the other to lightly and rhythmically scratch beneath my chin. Instinctively, I tilted my head back, my eyes fluttering shut in sheer delight, my dignity completely forgotten.

  “We’ve lost most of the morning because of a certain sleepyhead,” she said, heading toward the bedroom door.

  At those words, I sobered up a bit more. The image of Elene’s stern face and the memory of her punishments fshed before my eyes.

  “M-Mistress... Elene... I...” I started, wanting to express my terror about being te for work, but Lilith silenced me instantly with a light pinch to my cheek.

  “No need to worry, sweetling. Elene already knows you’ve been with me since early morning. I informed her myself.”

  Despite her assurances, a knot tightened in my stomach.

  The st time I was with the Mistress, it ended with a high-heel ordeal and no panties. Elene seems to have her own definitions for when ‘being with the Mistress’ excuses me from discipline.

  Lilith, however, was entirely unconcerned with my fears. Holding me securely in her grasp, she led us straight into the gargantuan, gold-dripping bathroom connected to my room. I immediately felt the chill of the air on my bare backside.

  We entered a bathroom that felt more like a temple of luxury than a pce for washing. Lilith stopped in the center of the massive hall, which was lined with gleaming white marble, and looked at me as if she had suddenly remembered something. Her golden eyes narrowed slightly as she stroked my hair.

  “Tell me, kitten...” she began in a melodic tone. “Since you have those little memory problems of yours, do you even know how to use this bathroom? I wouldn't want my favorite pet to drown or get burned by water magic.”

  I frowned, trying to dig through the depths of my memories. The truth was, since my transmigration into this world, I’d only used this pce once. I’d been so dazed by my new reality and the fact that I had a tail that the only thing I remembered was entering a giant tub that filled itself, and then fleeing a few minutes ter. I had no idea about any rituals or the complicated operation of the pce.

  I shook my head, my pink hair - still a total mess from the night - dancing in front of my face and tickling my nose.

  “I thought so,” Lilith nodded, a smile blooming on her lips that sent my heart back into my throat. “In that case, we’ll take a bath together today. I need to get you sorted before Elene starts growling at you again.”

  The words hit me with the force of a battering ram. A bath together? With her? I stared at her in disbelief, my cat ears stiffening with terror. Lilith, however, was completely unfazed. She set me down on the floor, and I immediately felt the piercing cold of the precious, high-polish floor beneath my bare feet.

  The moment I touched the cold tiles, Lilith began to undress me. For a second, driven by the remnants of my human instinct, I tried to resist, shielding my corset with my hands. But she simply leaned over me, her scent of roses paralyzing my senses.

  “If you try to pull away one more time, kitten, I’ll make sure you have to do today’s cleaning on all fours, wearing nothing but those white stilettos and the bell on your tail,” she whispered in an icy tone.

  I froze. I fully believed that if I didn't obey, she really would do it.

  The vision of running around the castle in such a state made me drop my hands instantly, submitting to her completely. With professional precision, Lilith began to strip away the yers of my humiliation. First, she slowly pulled off the white gloves, then slid the pink dress down, letting it fall to the cold bathroom floor with a soft rustle. Next, she handled the stockings, unhooking them from the garter belt with the passion of a collector.

  When she finally got to my small, ce bra, she let out a squeal of genuine delight.

  “Oh, how precious!” she cried, cpping her hands as her eyes nded on the small pink bows Elene had tied onto the cups to cover my nipples. “You’re the sweetest creature these walls have ever seen, Neko. You look so sweet in this bra and... delicious. Those bows are a genius touch; they suit you perfectly.”

  Not knowing how to react to the praise, I looked down at the floor, trying not to show that despite my resistance, her words of approval gave me pleasure. But Lilith gnced at my tail, which was swishing with excitement without pause, and she quickly guessed the effect her words had on me.

  A moment ter, I stood before her completely naked, while she remained fully dressed, only heightening my sense of vulnerability. Instinctively, I tried to cover my crotch with my hands, my entire body flushing with the crimson of shame. Lilith, however, lightning-fast, caught my wrists and pulled them aside.

  “Kitten, stop,” she murmured, her gaze suddenly becoming hard and dominant. “We both know that young, innocent virgins might feel shame, but not sluts like you. Sluts who parade around the castle all day without panties under their skirts, or who beg their Mistress so pathetically for an orgasm during feeding, just like you did st night. Have you already forgotten how much you wanted me to touch you?”

  Hearing that, I felt like the earth was truly about to swallow me whole.

  I stopped trying to cover myself, allowing her gaze to wander freely over my body. Lilith nodded with satisfaction. I stood there naked on the icy floor, feeling like an exhibit in some perverted museum, while Lilith, still in the full majesty of her outfit, began to pace around me.

  Her hand came to rest on the edge of the massive tub, carved from a single block of white marble, which was more the size of a small Olympic pool than a bathtub.

  “Listen to me carefully, kitten,” Lilith began, her voice echoing off the high ceilings of the bathhouse. “Usually, everything in our castle is automated. Magic ensures the staff doesn’t have to waste time on mundane tasks, so you wouldn't necessarily need to know anything. But I don’t suppose you want to be just a sweet, useless doll who doesn't even understand how the pce where he washes functions, do you?”

  I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the fact that my buttocks were still shivering from the cold and my small pink nipples seemed to be screaming for attention as they puckered in the chill. Lilith pointed to rows of crystal knobs and runes etched into the marble.

  “This tub is the Pool of Eternal Flourishing. Pay attention to these three main runes at the entrance. The blue one controls the flow of water from astral springs - it is crystal clear and never spoils. The red rune is the thermostatic core of fire magic. If you hold it longer, the water will reach a temperature that will scald your delicate skin; tap it briefly to lower the heat. But the most important is the middle one, the gold. That’s what mixes the water with essences.”

  Lilith pressed one of the crystals, and a thick, pearly liquid smelling of amber and vanil began to flow from the walls of the tub.

  “The system automatically selects the correct concentration of oils to keep your skin soft and susceptible to touch. See those openings at the bottom? Those are mana-driven air jets. They create bubbles that don't just wash, but massage your muscles after a hard day. All you have to do is give a verbal command or touch the main panel next to the runes. Do you understand?”

  I felt my head spin. I tried to memorize every rune, every function, but my nakedness and the awareness that Lilith was scrutinizing every inch of my body meant my concentration was hanging by a thread. Blue - water, red - fire, gold - oils... I repeated in my mind like a mantra, feeling a burning shame as Lilith stepped even closer.

  “Well, kitten?” Lilith asked, pcing her hands on my hips. “Do you understand how your new pyground works?”

  I nodded frantically, wanting to get this over with.

  “Yes, Mistress... I understand...” I whispered, looking down at her boots.

  Lilith smiled triumphantly, then effortlessly hoisted my naked body upward. For a moment, I felt a rush of air against my skin, and a second ter, my body submerged into the incredibly warm, nearly oil-thick water. The sensation was enjoyable- as if thousands of soft hands had begun to massage my skin.

  The heat of the water, saturated with astral essences, hit my body with such soothing force that my muscles rexed almost instantly. From deep within my chest, completely beyond my control, a low, rhythmic sound emerged.

  “Mmmrrruuu...” I purred, and the water around me trembled slightly from the vibration of my body.

  The moment I realized what I’d just done, I snapped my eyes open and cpped a hand over my mouth, nearly choking on the pearly foam.

  Dammit, man, pull yourself together! I scolded myself, feeling the blush flood my face again.

  Don’t act like a damn animal, you still have some dignity left!

  I tried to suppress the instinctive reflex, but the warmth and the scent of the water made my tail move zily beneath the surface, and my ears twitched with delight.

  Before I could fully regain my composure, however, I heard a sound that made all the blood drain from my head. It was the rustle of heavy, expensive silk and the soft click of unfastening buckles.

  I looked up, squinting through the steam rising from the pool, and watched as Lilith began to undress.

  TorQ