“Dorothy~”
Wang Yue rounded a corner, her muzzle raised, but the space behind the wall was empty.
Frowning slightly, she scanned the surroundings and muttered to herself, “Strange. I heard the sound coming from right here. Where did she go?”
She circled a few short walls, searching slowly, but still found nothing. It seemed Dorothy had found a way to suppress the bell and had already made her escape.
On the other side of the maze, Dorothy leaned against a wall, her breath coming in jagged, trembling gasps. Her tongue had retracted into her mouth, but the bamboo clip was still attached to it.
Because she spent her days licking and savoring all sorts of sweets, her little tongue had become incredibly soft, nimble, and—for lack of a better word—indescribable. She could curl it into shapes at will, making it ripple, pulse, or twist with the precision of a needle threading a loom.
In that moment of crisis, she had curled her tongue back, pulling the bell and half of the bamboo clip into her mouth while letting the other end stick out. This allowed her tongue and cheek to clamp the bell firmly, silencing its chime.
Having evaded her pursuer, Dorothy used her teeth to pry the clip off. With her tongue finally liberated, she bit down on the pure silver bell, mangling it before spitting it out. Now, the bamboo clip was no longer a hindrance; it was a tool she could use to trigger traps.
I’m a little genius!
Hehe!
Dorothy was blooming with joy. This time, she used the clip to probe the path ahead, triggering the mechanisms first. Then, she would dart out her pink, crystalline tongue to snatch up the candy.
“Mmph—!”
As the sweet fragrance of corn candy exploded across her palate, the pink-haired girl let out a muffled whimper that sounded somewhere between a cry and a laugh. Her entire body shook, and her face contorted with bliss. Her cheeks, soft and elastic like freshly steamed buns, flushed a deep pink as her head swayed rhythmically from side to side.
The corn fudge was simply too delicious. A powerful sense of fulfillment and achievement washed over her.
Closing her eyes, she felt as if she were a rabbit in a vast meadow, nibbling on fresh grass under the watchful eyes of a hungry wolf. She chewed with a mix of reverence and frantic speed, the juices of life trickling down her throat. She could feel the path of her destiny extending beneath her feet.
This… this is the true meaning of food!
To eat in order to survive, to replenish the nutrients the body needs, rather than just to satisfy one’s greed!
Unbeknownst to her, Dorothy was already streaming tears. Her soul had undergone a baptism. She had grasped the truth of sustenance, and through her tears, she decided she would eat every single piece of candy in the maze—all for the sake of further enlightenment.
A few seconds later, Wang Yue arrived at the spot. Glancing at the empty dish, she knit her brows and said softly, “Naughty rabbit. How dare you steal the corn I grew?”
At this moment, she had fully stepped into the role of a farmer guarding her fields, returning to her “roots.” Her nose wrinkled. The sweet scent in the air hadn’t dissipated yet; Dorothy was nearby.
“Prepare to die, naughty rabbit!” Wang Yue huffed, her eyes searching the shadows of the corner.
Suddenly, the back of her head was struck by something rubbery. She spun around instantly, only to see the “naughty rabbit” disappear in a flash. Bending down, she picked up the projectile. It was a half-eaten carrot nub!
“Well played, Dorothy.” A smile played at the corners of Wang Yue’s lips. She wasn’t actually angry; they were just playing a game, after all. It wouldn’t be any fun if Dorothy were nothing but submissive.
Meanwhile, Dorothy was fleeing in a panic. She didn’t know what had possessed her to be so mischievous just then, but she had thrown the nub on a whim and hit her master right on the head.
I’m dead…
Master is definitely going to be angry…
She’ll think I have a rebellious streak…
I already betrayed her once… I’m not trustworthy anymore…
Waaaah…
Though her heart was heavy with gloom, Dorothy’s appetite only grew. She continued to eat everything she found along the way. Through this constant confrontation with the hunter, her control over her own body was becoming increasingly refined.
Though she hated exercise, the way this body adapted to movement was truly astonishing. For instance, Wang Yue’s movements seemed to slow down in her vision, and her instinctive reactions were faster than her thoughts. It was as if she were born to shine on the battlefield.
Is this the “talent” Master was talking about?
It feels amazing.
But it’s also useless. I’d rather have a talent for eating without getting fat.
Wait, if I can’t live up to my potential, will I… get my head swapped?
At the thought, Dorothy’s face filled with misery and her neck felt cold, yet her appetite surged again. She fell into depravity once more, unable to stop the urge to swallow. Eating candy right under Wang Yue’s nose gave her a mixture of terror and thrill, like cheating on a test right in front of the teacher. Every corn candy she tasted felt like eating forbidden fruit, making her whole body shudder. Guilt and pleasure intertwined; heaven and hell overlapped.
Eating her way through, she eventually reached the center of the maze. There sat a hollow cube made of sand. Through a single narrow window, she could see the prize sitting on a display stand: a Giant Corn Candy!
The candy was as thick as an arm, composed of countless tiny corn-shaped sweets clustered together like a candied hawthorn stick. The visual impact was immediate and overwhelming for Dorothy.
She lunged forward, desperately trying to squeeze through the narrow window, her body wriggling with all its might. However, halfway through, her waist suddenly tightened. The sand walls pressed in from all sides, locking her firmly in place!
Oh no!
Her waist was stuck fast; she could move neither forward nor backward. Her legs and rear were left hanging outside. With her vision blocked by the wall, she couldn’t see what was happening behind her. A wave of intense anxiety instantly flooded her heart.
From the “precious” books she had read, Dorothy knew that this specific posture often led to a humiliating loss of one’s virtue.
But… if it’s Master… I suppose it’s not impossible… ugh…
Dorothy trembled slightly, waiting in breathless anticipation. She told herself it was fine. A master enjoying their little maid was perfectly normal; it happened all the time back in her village. After all, being bought usually implied such intentions. She should have been prepared for this long ago.
It’s just… it feels like a waste to be used so cheaply. If I had a choice, I’d rather have a bath and welcome Master on clean sheets with open arms.
The sound of steady footsteps echoed behind her.
“Master?” Dorothy’s heart hammered against her ribs. She couldn’t help but call out.
There was no response.
She froze, and then panic set in. Although she knew it was unlikely, what if the person behind her wasn’t Wang Yue? What if… if it was someone else…
Dorothy’s breath hitched, falling into a bottomless pit of terror. She squirmed frantically and called for her master again.
Still, there was no reply.
Please… say something…
Left in silence, Dorothy was on the verge of tears. Her face turned pale, and her heart sank to her stomach. She tried to kick her legs to defend herself, but a strap suddenly cinched around her ankles, pulling them down until—thump—the person stepped on the end of the strap, pinning her feet to the ground.
“No! Please, no!” Dorothy wailed. Her thighs tensed as she tried to lift her legs, but they were pinned tight. It was useless.
“Say something! Master! Let me hear your voice… I beg you… waaaah… I don’t want it to be anyone else… I only want you…”
Smack!
A sharp, stinging sound rang out!
Dorothy’s bottom erupted in pain. Her body jerked reflexively as a paddle landed squarely on her rear. Another strike followed immediately.
The pink-haired girl’s eyes rimmed with red, her entire body tensing as she let out a series of soft, rhythmic whimpers.
It hurts… but it’s Master… it’s definitely Master… sob…
Despite the pain of the physical punishment, she felt an inexplicable sense of relief. This strange, twisted inversion of logic made Dorothy feel like her mind was breaking. She was being hit, yet the act of being punished brought her comfort and moved her to tears.
Giving up on thinking altogether, she lunged at the Giant Corn Candy and began gnawing on it frantically. Since she was getting hit anyway, she couldn’t let the candy go to waste—otherwise, the trade-off wouldn’t be worth it.
Wang Yue had only given her two symbolic swats as a warning. When she finally pulled the little maid out and looked inside the display, the giant corn she had personally crafted had been chewed to bits.
“Are you a woodchuck?” Wang Yue rolled her eyes.
“Mmph… I’m so glad it was you, Master…” Dorothy sobbed.
“What’s wrong with you? Crying like a baby over just two swats,” Wang Yue asked, her brow furrowed.
“I’m sorry… Master… I just… I thought too much…” Dorothy covered her face, dying of shame over her own perverted delusions.
The training was proving to be highly effective.
The corn candy and little carrots were low in sugar, while Dorothy’s physical exertion was massive. If this continued, she would become lean and agile, fully realizing the potential of her natural talents.
