"And from now on, you shall be called Celia."
...
Celia listened to the words of the elder before her, feeling as though she could hardly breathe. The more she thought about that man, the more fear gripped her heart. When she first agreed to this, she hadn't felt much, but now, in this moment, she had truly become a girl.
"Elder... can I still come back?" She rubbed her thighs, lowering her gaze and looking pitifully at the elder.
"What nonsense are you talking about? With the contract in place, what is there to fear?"
"Weren't you the one who wanted to venture into human lands before? Why are you suddenly so timid?" The elven elder chuckled, her tone playful.
"Besides, you might soon grow fond of Lord Lian and follow him willingly."
"What? How could that be?!" Celia immediately retorted. After all, she had agreed to this with the mindset of making a sacrifice. Even if Lian were gentle, how could she possibly fall for a man?
If she were to leave the elven tribe with Lian, she might never see her parents or her brother again. And then there was that matter...
"I'm not joking. In any case, thank you for your efforts."
"You are the pride of our elven tribe."
"By the way, don't you love sweets? I sent quite a few to Lord Lian's home earlier, and I doubt he's touched them yet. As his wife, you can enjoy them."
"I don't want any..." Celia turned her head away.
"Haha... Alright, get up now."
The elder smiled, picking up a dress and holding it up to Celia.
"Put this on and make yourself look cute. Lord Lian will like you more and treat you better that way."
"Don't forget, he's a fifth-tier demon. If you don't want sweets but something else delicious, just act a little coquettish, and he'll surely give it to you."
"Okay..."
Celia clenched her pants. As a man, acting coquettish was utterly embarrassing. But to avoid suffering, she had to make herself look presentable.
The reality was right in front of her, and she had no choice but to reluctantly take the dress from the elder's hands.
She was the only one in the tribe capable of bearing children. If this opportunity wasn't seized, the elven tribe would continue to decline, never to rise again.
Even if it meant suffering, she couldn't abandon the tribe that had given her so much warmth.
"Good girl," the elder patted her head.
"Once you're changed, we'll go out. Your parents will be overjoyed to see how adorable you look."
Celia stood up, tugging at the fabric in her hands, and glared at the elder sitting on the edge of the bed.
"I don't want to look cute. Please leave, Elder. I want to change alone."
"Alright, alright. Make sure to take a good look at your new body as a girl. I'll wait outside."
The elven elder chuckled, her petite feet clad in white stockings fumbling for a moment before slipping into her shoes. She then leisurely walked away, closing the door with a soft "thud."
Hearing the sound, Celia glanced at the door to confirm it was closed, finally letting out a small sigh of relief.
She looked down at the dress in her hands, her cheeks flushing with warmth.
After all, having been a man before, suddenly having to wear women's clothing was undeniably embarrassing, and she didn't know where to start.
Whatever. Let's just get undressed first.
...
...
Fifteen minutes later—
Celia stood in front of a mirror, her fingers lightly brushing the hem of the white dress.
It wasn't very long, ending just above the knees, with white lace trimming the edges.
Having been used to wearing pants, the feeling of wearing a skirt was a bit breezy, leaving her with a sense of vulnerability.
She stared at the girl in the mirror, her appearance undeniably cute. She couldn't help but twirl a couple of times, the fabric around her chest swaying with the movement.
"Ugh..."
Celia quickly wrapped her arms around her chest, her lips pursed in embarrassment.
The clothes of the elven tribe weren't very modest...
Her previously loose boxer shorts had been replaced with a snug pair of panties that clung to her skin, feeling somewhat strange.
And then there was that thing.
She had actually secretly examined it.
It felt so strange, so unbelievable.
"I should go out now."
Celia muttered to herself, staring at the closed wooden door.
After a moment of hesitation, she bit her lip and slowly walked out.
She had to face it eventually.
As the door opened, the bright light of the living room flooded in.
Four elves immediately came into view.
The elder and two others—a man and a woman—were seated on the sofa, while a long-haired man, handsome and clean-cut, paced anxiously back and forth.
Hearing the sound, he suddenly turned, his eyes widening in disbelief as he spotted her.
"Kyle?" the long-haired elf called out, his voice filled with shock.
Celia, seeing her brother, quickly covered her face with her hands.
"Yes, Brother... it's me..." she replied softly, her face red to the tips of her ears.
At that moment, her father, Largo, stood up abruptly, his gaze sweeping over her. "Kyle... is it finally done?"
Her mother, her petite figure resembling that of a young girl, quickly stepped forward, taking her daughter's shoulders and examining her from all angles.
"No, she's called Celia now. Our son has become a lovely daughter."
She pinched Celia's soft cheeks, ruffled her hair, and fussed over her like a doll.
Their heights were almost the same, and with her mother's youthful appearance, they looked more like sisters than mother and daughter.
After all, as elves, each member of the tribe lived for at least a thousand years, so signs of aging were virtually nonexistent.
"Mom, stop it."
Celia complained softly, gently pushing her mother away, her face burning as she lowered her head, her fingers fidgeting unconsciously in front of her.
It wasn't her mother's actions that embarrassed her, but her own appearance—showing up before her family in this new, feminine form was mortifying.
It was like—
Being caught wearing women's clothes by her family.
But it was fundamentally different now, as she had completely transformed into a girl.
Her face was cute, so perhaps it would be easier to accept.
No.
There likely wouldn't be a chance to accept it.
Soon, she'd have to follow Lord Lian and bear his children...
"Why are you so shy, my daughter? You're absolutely adorable~" her mother praised.
"I don't want to be cute..."
"Kyle... I mean, Celia," her brother frowned, his voice filled with concern. "If Lord Lian ever mistreats you, you must tell me, understand?"
Largo stepped forward, his usually cold eyes now brimming with tenderness. He crouched down in front of his petite daughter and pulled her into a hug.
"My good son, let your father take a good look at you. Hmm~ My son is so adorable."
"Now you'll be Lord Lian's wife. It's such a pity that you'll be sent away just as you've become so lovely. I'll miss you dearly."
"Like your brother said, if anything happens, you must confide in us. Lord Lian will stay with our tribe for a while longer."
"Take this opportunity to come back and visit us often."
"Mm... We could also visit you, but I'm afraid Lord Lian might get angry."
Her brother was 121 years old.
Her father was 235.
Her mother was 256.
For the centuries before Celia was born, this family had lived alone until, twenty years ago, they suddenly had a son.
And since Celia's birth, every member of the family had naturally and sincerely loved her.
As a reincarnator, she had always been well-behaved and sensible, even to the point of being "spoiled." She had truly felt this love and gradually opened her heart to accept it.