"Y-y-you... Where is this?"
Sparkle's voice was hoarse from just waking up, and held a trace of unconcealed panic.
She desperately tried to control every tremor, the bound skin reddening from the strain against the ropes. Forcing herself to lift her head, the figure of a young girl entered her vision.
"This is the Astral Express."
March 7th's voice, light yet serious, announced Sparkle's fate, tinged with a playful amusement.
"Little bad girl, until your 'reformation' is complete, you'll have to stay by Daziel's side. Maybe... you'll be disciplined by Daziel for life, hehe."
"A lifetime... disciplined for a lifetime?"
Sparkle's face, already pale from a day of torment, now lost its last trace of color.
The phrase "disciplined for a lifetime," like a giant boulder carrying immense weight, pressed down heavily on her heart, stirring waves of panic and embarrassment.
Daziel's bottomless stamina, plus that unforgettable rod, March 7th who kept wanting her to be a foot-washing maid, and Lady Herta who symbolized torment...
Just imagining it made her heart palpitate, and a chill shot from head to toe.
Even more terrifying...
As a Masked Fool who took pleasure in tricking others, if she were truly trapped here, almost all sources of her fun would be completely cut off...
It was just like being punished for two hours without getting any reward, unbearable for her.
"What? Weren't you always clamoring to be sisters with us before?"
March 7th tilted her head, scratching it, looking at her with slight confusion.
"Now that you're truly given this golden opportunity, what, you're not happy about it anymore?"
"I... I..."
Sparkle was speechless, her throat feeling as if gripped by an invisible hand.
Her tongue felt tied in countless knots, completely losing the nimbleness it had when facing Daziel.
Her previous talk of "sisters" was just putting on an act for the occasion, lines fabricated purely for fun.
At the time, she never imagined she would actually become sisters with March 7th, jointly serving Daziel...
Now look, she had completely trapped herself.
Having to be someone else's foot-washing maid for life...
"Creeaak—"
The room's door hinges let out a piercing sound as someone pushed it open from the outside.
Herta walked in with light steps. Although her puppet body was still blankly cute, it still carried an air of slight indifference.
Her purple eyes looked down from above, as if inspecting a lowly object, scanning the tied-up, wretched Sparkle.
"Awake, are you, little girl with the mask."
Herta's voice was extremely flat, as if stating a trivial fact.
"If you want to cry, cry your heart out now. Next time you're whimpering and sniveling, I'll have Daziel brand you with a fire poker, guarantee you won't even be able to cry."
As she said this, Herta narrowed her eyes slightly, her tone carrying a hint of threat.
Sparkle's small body shuddered violently. The words "fire poker," like a magic spell, exploded in her ears, instantly awakening the fears and unspeakable memories from the daytime.
She bit down hard on her delicate lower lip, using all her strength to hold back the tears surging in her eyes, preventing them from breaking through her defenses and revealing her weakness.
"How... How can you do this? It's... it's too much bullying!"
Her voice was tearful, filled with grievance and unwillingness.
"Bullying?"
A cold curve formed on Herta's lips, and she let out a derisive sneer, as if she'd heard the world's biggest joke.
"Before, you were calling 'Big Sister' so sweetly, and constantly saying 'Brother Daziel' this and 'Brother Daziel' that. Now that you've actually taken a beating, you can't stand it and start crying again."
"Couldn't... couldn't you be a little gentler?"
Sparkle's voice grew smaller and smaller, laced with an unspeakable bashfulness, her cheeks heating up rapidly like sunset clouds, becoming scorching hot.
"My body... feels so strange all of a sudden. I don't know why you tied me like this. These ropes are tied too tightly, now I keep..."
Her words stopped abruptly like a stuck record. That short sentence seemed to have exhausted all her courage, the following words stuck in her throat like a fishbone, impossible to utter.
An intense wave of shame instantly washed over her heart, completely drowning her, making her wish she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into and never come out.
March 7th had originally just intended to tease Sparkle, but hearing this sentence, her eyes instantly lit up. She leaned forward with great interest.
She narrowed her eyes, carefully examining Sparkle's tightly bound hands and feet.
"Oh?"
She extended a slender, pale finger, its tip carrying a slight coolness, and gently pushed aside the fabric tightly constricted by the ropes between Sparkle's legs.
The movement was gentle, yet held an irresistible forcefulness.
There, the ropes had already left red chafing marks on Sparkle's skin, it seemed the ropes were indeed too tight.
"Tsk tsk tsk, so that's how it is!"
March 7th clicked her tongue in amazement, a playful curve on her lips, her tone filled with unconcealed mockery.
"You don't seem as tough as I imagined, little brat."
Sparkle's already crimson cheeks looked completely covered by sunset clouds, the scorching heat almost ready to burst from beneath her skin.
She twisted her body futilely, wanting to break free from these damned bonds, but found the ropes on her wrists and ankles were as firm as steel. Her body was completely beyond her control, and like her own cloth dolls, she could only be manipulated helplessly.
Just as Sparkle felt utterly humiliated, Herta walked up to her, her cold gaze staring directly into Sparkle's eyes.
"Things have come to this, little girl with the mask. Just accept it."
Herta's voice was calm and indifferent, without the slightest emotional fluctuation, pronouncing Sparkle's fate.
"I advise you not to entertain any crooked ideas either."
"Tricks like putting on your mask to turn invisible and escape, or transforming into someone else to sneak past—are meaningless in front of me."
Herta leaned down slightly, close to Sparkle's ear, her tone holding a subtle amusement.
"I performed some insignificant little tricks on your body. From now on, every three days, you must go find Daziel. Otherwise, your legs will become like puppets that have lost their support, weak and powerless, unable to even stand."
"...!"
Sparkle's eyes widened, staring at Herta in disbelief.
Shock, fear, despair—all sorts of negative emotions, like a bursting dam, instantly overwhelmed all her mental defenses, leaving her mind blank, completely incapable of thought.
"No...!"
Realizing her future fate—being controlled by Daziel and these two women, turned into a foot-washing maid devoid of dignity...
Realizing she would be forever imprisoned on this cold Astral Express, never able to leave...
Tears finally surged in Sparkle's eyes. Her world seemed to instantly lose all its color.
"Now she finally knows the miserable fate of being a brat! Amazing! As expected of Lady Herta's methods!"
March 7th clapped her hands excitedly, the crisp sound echoing in the empty room, her tone full of gleeful excitement.
Herta glanced coolly at March 7th, then her gaze returned to Sparkle, her tone still flat.
"It's merely a small Curio. To be honest, I don't understand why my past self would collect such inexplicable things. But now, it seems it's come in quite handy."
Hearing this, March 7th blinked, her voice holding a hint of eager pleasure.
"Does that mean we can untie the ropes on her now? She can't run away anymore anyway."
The Herta puppet nodded slightly, agreeing with March 7th.
"It's about time. Untie her."
After getting Herta's permission, March 7th immediately sprang into action enthusiastically, her slender fingers deftly working through the ropes.
As the ropes binding her body were removed one by one, Sparkle finally regained her freedom. She pitifully rubbed her reddened wrists, and moved her sore, numb, aching ankles, letting out soft whimpers.
The places where the ropes had bound her showed clear marks, some even showing signs of swelling. It seemed it would take a while for the swelling to go down.
March 7th placed her hands on her hips proudly, her tone carrying a somewhat earnest and meaningful weight, as if persuading a villain to repent and turn over a new leaf.
"Starting today, you will obediently accept labor reform. Begin as the lowest-ranking foot-washing maid, properly reflect on your actions, and become a new person."
She paused, her tone softening slightly, and added:
"Of course, if you perform well, someday, when I'm in a good mood, maybe I'll put in a good word for you with Lady Herta, help you get the restrictions on you removed. Understand?"
Sparkle slowly raised her head, her eyes still slightly red, tears glistening. Her previous arrogant demeanor had long since vanished, replaced by a wronged and helpless weakness.
She bit her lip, her voice softening, "Er... Understood, Big Sister March 7th."
March 7th hummed in satisfaction, pointed to an empty basin prepared in the corner of the room, her tone carrying a commanding air.
"Hmph hmph, then start right now. Go, fetch a basin of hot water, and serve this young lady by washing her feet."
She glanced at the Herta puppet beside her and continued, "Lady Herta is a puppet now, she doesn't need you to wash her feet. Just serve me well first."
Sparkle froze for a moment, seemingly in disbelief. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but hesitated, finding it difficult to speak.
"Ah? I... I've never done this kind of thing before..."
Herta shot a sharp look at Sparkle, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Never done it? If you've never done it, can't you act? Aren't you very good at disguising yourself and performing this kind of thing?"
She raised her arm, pointing towards the door. "The washroom is outside, turn left out the door. Go on, this is what you deserve!"
Sparkle pouted unwillingly, her eyes darting around, and muttered under her breath, her tone full of dissatisfaction and complaint.
"Tsk, this old woman..."
However, her quiet complaint seemingly didn't escape Herta's sharp ears.
The Herta puppet's gaze instantly turned icy, her tone stern.
"What are you muttering? Hmm?"
Sparkle's small body trembled violently. She immediately put on a harmless, innocent smile, quickly shaking her head and denying it.
"N-nothing, good Big Sister..."
She obediently picked up the empty wooden basin from the floor, like an obedient little maidservant, turned, and walked towards the door, her small retreating figure carrying unconcealed grievance and unwillingness.
Meanwhile, Daziel walked out of his own room.
He felt a wave of emptiness in his body, as if he'd been hollowed out.
After finishing the 'modulation' of Jingliu, as he came out, he subconsciously put one hand on his waist, and the other hand on the wall...
They say women are like wolves at thirty, tigers at forty, and dust-sucking vacuum cleaners on the floor at fifty... But Jingliu wasn't just over fifty, she was over a thousand years old...
The crucial point was that the blindfolded Jingliu also had a stoic feel, the average man simply couldn't handle that kind of thing.
Crucially, Jingliu's Corruption Value progress bar still crawled like a snail, only symbolically moving forward a pitiful one percent. The distance to the far-off goal of fifty percent was still like a natural chasm, no idea when it would ever be reached.
"..."
Daziel sighed helplessly. Thinking about having to go to March 7th's room later to 'fulfill his duties' with another batch of women, he felt even more exasperated.
Although doing this 'work' felt good, doing this kind of thing with different women every day was also quite tiring.
With four people following him on the Astral Express now, he already felt like he couldn't be everywhere at once. If there were a few more, he couldn't imagine how exhausted he'd become...
Fortunately, he now had this 'anime level reserves' thing; in this aspect, he had almost no upper limit. And his physical stamina was still quite abundant. It was tiring, yes, but still within tolerable limits. At least it wouldn't break his body.
He lamented inwardly, while kneading his aching lower back, and dragging his heavy steps, pushed open March 7th's door...
However, the instant Daziel stepped into March 7th's room, the scene before him made him freeze on the spot.
All his fatigue and helplessness were thrown to the back of his mind in that instant, replaced by shock.
He saw Sparkle carefully holding a basin of steaming water, her small body tilted slightly, kneeling on one knee on the cold floor in a slightly awkward posture. Her posture wasn't exactly standard, but could barely be called respectful.
And March 7th was comfortably reclining on the soft bed, her jade-white, delicate little ankles dangling gently, about to put them into the basin of hot water to enjoy the foot-washing service.
Just as her jade feet, so delicate they seemed they would break at a touch, had just touched the water's surface, merely for a dragonfly-skimming-the-water instant, March 7th suddenly shrieked sharply, as if she'd received an electric shock. Her normally pale cheeks instantly flushed red. She hurriedly pulled her foot back, her delicate eyebrows knitting tightly.
"What's going on? You little brat, did you do that on purpose?!"
March 7th's almond eyes flew wide open. She shot upright, pointing at the kneeling Sparkle, her tone full of accusation and anger.
Sparkle, however, seemed to have anticipated her reaction.
Just as Daziel entered, an expression of utmost innocence immediately appeared on her delicate little face. Her watery big eyes blinked, and her voice became soft and harmless.
"No? I thought it felt fine."
She tilted her head slightly, her tone holding a faint, probing quality, as if simply confused.
"I heard Big Sister March 7th's powers are related to ice and snow. So, your tolerance for hot water might indeed be lower than an ordinary person like me. That's quite normal, right?"
"Damn it! On purpose! You absolutely did that on purpose, you brat!"
March 7th was thoroughly enraged by these seemingly innocent but actually deliberate words, stamping her foot in anger, her chest rising and falling slightly with her rapid breathing. "What kind of stupid excuse! Utter nonsense! I might be a bit dumb sometimes, but don't really treat me like an idiot, okay?!"
Sparkle maintained her pitiful, harmless expression, her voice soft and weak.
"Eh? Really, I didn't. Big Sister March 7th must have misunderstood me. How would I dare... go against Big Sister's wishes? I got into the role of foot-washer very quickly, you know. Absolutely serving Big Sister wholeheartedly."
At this point, March 7th also saw Daziel enter the room. As if finding her backer, she immediately tattled.
"Daziel, look at her! Look at her! She clearly did it on purpose! She definitely hasn't been disciplined properly yet! I strongly recommend increasing the intensity tonight, make her properly reflect!"
Hearing this, Sparkle immediately turned her head to look at Daziel.
Her eyes, which originally held a hint of slyness, instantly became pitiful. Glistening moisture shone in her eyes, looking like tears were about to burst forth at any moment. Her tone also became delicate and coquettish.
"Brother Daziel..."
Sparkle drew out the sound, the end rising slightly, carrying a faint, ambiguous suggestion.
"Little sister me really didn't do anything wrong. It's Big Sister March 7th bullying me."
She deliberately used a suggestive tone and continued complaining coquettishly:
"Ever since being educated by Brother Daziel today, this one already can't leave Brother Daziel's education at all... My body feels so strange. If I'm not careful for just a moment, I feel unbearably hot all over..."
Listening to this gave Daziel a headache, his temples throbbed. He quickly raised his hand in a stopping gesture, cutting off Sparkle's increasingly absurd words, his tone laced with helplessness.
"Stop, stop, stop! Both of you, knock it off!"
Daziel rubbed the space between his eyebrows, trying to calm himself down. "Internal harem jealousy, minor squabbles between sisters—sort it out yourselves privately. Listening to it gives me a headache. If you can't, let Herta solve it."
Sparkle, however, acted as if she hadn't heard Daziel's interruption, continuing her coquettish complaints to herself.
"Aiya, little sister me has it so hard. Just arrived here, already being given all sorts of trouble by the Big Sisters. Have to battle wits and courage with them, exhaust my thoughts trying to please them. Unlike Brother Daziel, who just needs to sleep with us every day."
Daziel's brows furrowed tightly. "Tsk, seems March was right. You little brat really wasn't disciplined properly during the day. I'll have to increase the intensity on you later!"
Hearing this, Sparkle's face immediately changed. Her tone held a hint of panic, the earlier coquetry and pouting instantly vanishing without a trace.
"Don't! Please don't! Brother Daziel... I was wrong..."
She looked pitifully at Daziel, tears glistening in her eyes, as if genuinely terrified.
Daziel sneered, making a motion as if to pull out from behind him that fire poker which made several women turn pale at the mention of it.
"Too late! Begging for mercy now is too late!"
He raised his arm, pointed to March 7th, who was watching the show with great relish, and the Herta puppet standing still like a statue, and commanded in an unquestionable tone.
"You two, come help out. Hold her down for me. I want to see just how high I have to grind her Corruption Value to make her completely obedient..."
The Herta puppet tilted its head slightly, seeming somewhat puzzled by the new term Daziel used, a glint of confusion flashing in her purple eyes.
"Corruption Value, what's that? Is it some kind of new energy unit?"
Daziel realized he had slipped up, hurriedly waved his hand, and explained evasively:
"Er, Lady Herta, don't worry about it too much. It's not anything important anyway. You just need to help me hold her down."
March 7th rubbed her hands together excitedly, an eager smile spreading across her delicate face, her bright eyes shining with excitement. She extended her slender fingers, making a claw shape, and made a few grabbing motions in the air.
"Hehehe, I couldn't hold back any longer. I've already fallen in love with this feeling of persecuting this little brat."
"Don't worry, although I also don't know what Corruption Value is, I'm sure it's related to the pink markings on our stomachs. Daziel, today I'll help you speedrun this brat, complete her pattern in one day."
Hearing these words, tears were about to burst from Sparkle's eyes. Her small body trembled slightly, her voice thick with tears, full of fear and despair.
"Sob sob... No... Brother Daziel, spare me..."
Before she could finish speaking, March 7th and the Herta puppet had already closed in from the left and right.
March 7th rubbed her palms together, eager to start. "Little brat, just resign yourself to your fate. Struggling is useless~"
Although the Herta puppet didn't speak, her movements were swift. She directly reached out and pinned down one of Sparkle's legs and one arm.
Watching that fire poker gradually approach her, Sparkle felt this scene was somewhat familiar, clearly she had seen it just that morning...
"I... I was wrong... Isn't it okay that I was wrong, Brothers and Sisters..."
Her whole body went limp, even the sound of her crying gradually weakened.
However, Daziel ignored all this, directly replicating the daytime operation.
Of course, unlike the daytime, this time Sparkle didn't resist much towards the end. When she was conscious, her face even showed satisfaction...
Ding!
[Target Sparkle's Corruption Value increased by 10%.]
[Current Corruption Value: 70%.]
[Without needing this System's urging, and without subsequent task requirements, Master actually achieved 70% Corruption Value in just one day!]
[Ha, you Host, you truly delight me.]
[Please continue your efforts, Master. You already have the appearance befitting a harem protagonist. This System has decided to give Master an additional special reward, "One Person, Thousand Roles".]
[One Person, Thousand Roles: Can freely transform into the appearance of others. Same model as Sparkle's.]
______
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