血王:夜王朝

Chapter 8：决心不成为负担

Unaware of the troubles Svaniya was planning, Rachel parked her tricycle in the yard after returning home and carried her sister Belial, along with Rem and Ram, into their first-floor residence.

Due to her sister's physical condition, Rachel was very selective about her tenants. First and foremost, no men were allowed. Despite Belial's disabled legs, her appearance was impeccable—she was a petite beauty with a slender figure, delicate features, and a soft, gentle voice. Rachel couldn't risk leaving her sister alone with a man and potentially facing regrettable consequences.

Furthermore, she didn't want any unruly individuals. Rachel was all too aware that women could be just as fierce as men, if not more so, when provoked. She didn't want her home to be disturbed by frequent quarrels and disturbances. After careful consideration and eliminating unsuitable tenants, the only group that satisfied Rachel were students. Many young people from other places came to the capital for their studies, and Rachel focused on choosing tenants from this demographic. Although renting to wealthy individuals could bring in more money, it would come at the risk of Belial being bullied, a risk Rachel was not willing to take.

"Hey, Ava and Millie haven't come back yet?" Before entering the house, Rachel looked up at the upstairs, which was dark and without any lights on. Even with her vampire's senses, she could tell that no one was upstairs. She was surprised; as students, where could they be at this time of night?

"Well, they mentioned this morning that their class was organizing a welcome event for new students and would be back late. You left early, so you didn't know," Belial explained.

"I see," Rachel scratched her head in concern. It didn't matter much whether those girls were there or not, but the key issue was how to bathe her sister next. Rachel hadn't forgotten that she was a man, and as a man, it was a serious violation of principles to openly watch a woman bathe, even if she was in a woman's body. Unless she truly accepted herself as a girl, Rachel couldn't get past that hurdle.

"Maybe we can skip it tonight. It's okay to not bathe for one day," Belial said quietly, stealing a glance at Rachel.

"Ah!" Rachel let out a low exclamation, took off her outer coat, and went to prepare the hot water in the bathroom. She then closed all the windows and curtains in the living room, bedroom, and balcony. After the hot water was ready, Rachel carried Belial into the bathroom.

"Take, take it off," Rachel said tightly, her eyes closed.

Belial didn't understand what was going on with Rachel. They were sisters, and they used to bathe together when they were young. Why was Rachel now unwilling to even look at her? With Rachel's behavior, Belial inexplicably felt a sense of shyness.

There was nothing to it; they were both girls, sisters at that. But with Rachel's actions, it seemed as if there was something impure between them. Lost in her thoughts, Belial quickly took off her top and all her clothes. When it came to her skirt, she said, "Rachel, I can't do it. Help me, please."

Rachel peeked with her eyes half-open, made sure of her sister's position, and quickly closed her eyes again. She moved behind Belial, lifted her under the arms, and Belial took the opportunity to remove her skirt.

"This is the body wash, shampoo. Let me know if you need water," Rachel said, placing the bathing supplies within Belial's reach. Then she turned her back to Belial, holding a water scoop in her hand. Belial's legs lacked sensation, but the rest of her was fine, so she had no problem completing the task.

The steam from the hot water flushed Belial's face with a rosy hue. She applied body wash, lathered up, and then washed her hair. After Rachel rinsed off the bubbles as Belial instructed, Belial hesitated to speak. Usually, Ava and Millie, the tenants, would help Belial bathe. They were sympathetic towards Belial and took great care when washing her, especially the parts she couldn't reach, like her legs, feet, and bottom. They were very considerate. Belial was now wondering whether to tell Rachel about it.

"Rachel, um..."

"What is it?"

"No, it's nothing. I've finished washing," Belial decided not to say anything in the end. She didn't want to trouble Rachel, who had already done so much for her useless sister. Moreover, she could tell that Rachel seemed to be very resistant to bathing her, although she didn't know why.

"Okay," Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. She stood there, listening to her sister's bathing, feeling very conflicted. In her previous life, she had dated a few girlfriends, but they were mostly just kissing. She had never gone further than that. Her luck was a mixed bag; her girlfriends were all very conservative, believing that intimate relationships should only happen after marriage. So, despite being in her twenties and having had a few relationships, she had never been intimate with a woman.

Now, there was a beautiful young woman behind her, and she was her sister in this life. She could look and touch as she pleased, but her unstable moral "bottom line" was holding her back. Otherwise, who knows what might have happened. Hearing that Belial was done, Rachel quickly grabbed a bath towel from the bathroom door, draped it over her sister's back without looking, and made sure all the important parts were covered before turning around.

Unlike Rachel, Belial had a beautiful waist-length hair, now wet and spread out, complementing her delicate face with droplets of water, making her look particularly lovely.

"Phew," Rachel took a deep breath, repeated the previous actions, carried Belial out, dried her hair, and wiped away the water traces with a towel. After making sure everything was perfect, she said, "I'm going out. Go to bed early, and don't wait up for me, okay?"

"Okay," Belial, wrapped tightly in a quilt, nodded obediently. Rachel took a deep look at her sister, turned off the indoor light, and said, "Good night, sleep well."

When the bedroom door closed, Belial, who had obediently closed her eyes, opened them again and stared at the door. In the dark, her face looked very lonely. She wanted to sleep with Rachel, to see her first thing in the morning, to have breakfast together, to talk more, but reality didn't allow it. Belial was very clear that she was the cause of all this.

"Rachel, I'm sorry. I want to spend a few more days with you, but don't worry, after you graduate, I promise I won't be a burden to you anymore, absolutely," Belial whispered in a voice only she could hear. Her eyes flickered with a determined light, and a reluctance that was lamentable and heart-wrenching.

Unaware of her sister Belial's thoughts at the moment, Rachel quickly changed into her evening work clothes and rushed out the door. While others were playing, resting, and eating, she didn't have that kind of time. For Rachel, time was money, and she would try her best to seize every moment, striving not to miss any opportunities.