Tiee Fortress, underground dungeon.
The dank air reeked of mildew and blood that refused to disperse.
Lina Starseeker huddled in a corner; the silver war-plate that once proclaimed her glory was now scarred and dull.
Three days.
Since that devilish human had thrown her in here, she had endured three nights of humiliation.
On the first day she had fasted in protest, brandishing elven pride against this inhuman treatment.
The man had simply pinched her jaw and forced meat and bread down her throat like feeding livestock.
The feeling of fingers prying her mouth open, food mixing with humiliated tears sliding down her throat, hurt worse than any torture.
Her dignity was shredded to pieces.
On the second day she gave up the hunger strike; pointless resistance would only bring deeper shame.
She ate, yet every mouthful felt like swallowing molten iron.
Today was the third day.
The heavy iron door suddenly swung open; a shaft of light stabbed through the gloom.
Lina's body tensed instinctively. She lifted her head; the eyes that once sparkled like stars now held only numbness and wariness.
Wu Liang stepped in unhurriedly, today dressed in a perfectly tailored black casual outfit that made his figure even taller and straighter.
He carried a parcel and wore the teasing smile Lina loathed to the bone.
"My dear legion commander, have you settled in comfortably these past few days?"
Wu Liang's voice echoed through the cell, laced with mockery.
Lina bit her lip and turned her head away, refusing to look at him.
Wu Liang paid no heed; he walked over, crouched, set the parcel on the ground, and pinched her chin, forcing her to face him.
"Tsk, just look at this dirty little face."
He traced a streak of grime across her pale, dust-stained cheek.
"And this smell—sweat and mildew—quite the bouquet."
"Aren't you elves supposed to be immaculate? How do you bear being so filthy?"
Lina's body trembled violently.
To an elf who prizes elegance and cleanliness, every sentence struck her most sensitive nerve.
"You… demon!" she hissed through clenched teeth.
"Demon? I've collected quite a few such evaluations lately. Thank you for the compliment."
Wu Liang smiled, released her chin, and patted the parcel.
"Look, I brought you a gift."
He unwrapped it slowly; the contents made Lina's pupils shrink in shock.
It was a garment—a skimpy black-and-white outfit trimmed with lace and ribbons.
She had never seen anything so shameless: a skirt barely covering the thighs, a bodice clinging to the breasts—clearly designed to please men.
"What is that?" her voice quavered.
"Oh, let me introduce your new uniform. I designed it myself: a maid dress."
Wu Liang answered succinctly.
"It suits your present status perfectly. Put it on."
"Never!"
Lina recoiled like a startled cat, back thudding against the cold stone wall.
"I'd rather die than wear that!"
"Is that so?"
His smile stayed, but his eyes chilled.
He rose, stood over her, and spoke down: "legion commander Lina, you still don't understand your situation."
"You and your hundreds of subordinates are my prisoners; your lives rest on my whim."
He paused, voice dropping lower: "I tell you to wear it, so you will."
"Otherwise I don't mind sending you naked to clean the barracks for my soldiers—I'm sure they'd give an elven commander a warm welcome."
Lina's face drained of all color.
She could face her own death, but not her kin's disgrace because of her stubbornness.
Wu Liang's words smashed her last mental line of defense.
Click.
Wu Liang unlocked the magic-suppressing manacles.
Instinctively Lina tried to gather mana—her body was empty.
Three days of suppression and torpor had stalled her arcane circulation.
Wu Liang gave her no chance.
The instant she was free, an iron hand seized her wrist; the other tore at her battered armor.
"No—don't touch me!"
She thrashed wildly, shoving with all her strength.
Against his overwhelming power her resistance was kitten-weak.
Easily he pinned her to the wall and stripped away the heavy, broken plate.
When cold air struck her skin she shut her eyes in despair.
She felt like a plucked bird exposed to the hunter—every feather of pride trampled into dust.
Without letting her wallow, Wu Liang tossed the maid dress onto her.
"Dress yourself, or shall I help?"
Her body rigid, silent tears slid from the corners of her closed eyes.
A few seconds later she took up the shameful garment with shaking hands and put it on piece by piece.
The cloth brushed her skin with an alien, humiliating sensation.
When the last ribbon was tied, Wu Liang produced a half-height mirror and set it before her.
"Take a look, my legion commander."
His voice murmured at her ear like a devil's whisper.
"See how beautiful you are now."
Lina forced her eyes open.
In the glass stood a silver-haired elf with the exquisite features and pointed ears of her race, tall and graceful.
Yet she wore the black-and-white, seductive maid dress.
The tight bodice traced the astonishing curve of her breasts; beneath a nipped waist, pert hips filled the skirt, and below its brief hem long, straight legs flashed white.
Silver hair against the monochrome costume created a stark visual impact—innocent yet fallen.
Was this still the proud commander who once led thousands?
The reflection was a humble plaything for men.
"No… this isn't me…" she whispered, mind nearly breaking.
"This is you," Wu Liang said.
He slipped an arm around her waist, pulled her against him, and spoke to her mirror image.
"From today you're no legion commander—just my personal maid, Lina. Remember that."
His warm breath on her ear made her shiver.
She wanted to fight, yet her body melted in his embrace, strength gone.
"All right, my maid—time to work."
He released her and pointed outside.
"Go clean my bedroom. If I'm not satisfied, you know the consequences."}