Elena, flustered, glanced at the maids before turning to Lassino and Cura. They returned composed smiles, their expressions seemingly unchanged. Even as she parted ways with Lassino’s group and headed back to the bathroom, Elena couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.
Could it be…? she wondered to herself. Lost in thought, Elena suddenly realized she had entered an unfamiliar area.
“Huh? Cura, aren’t we going to the bathroom?” she asked.
“Yes, that’s right. Ah! Didn’t you hear from His Grace?” Cura replied.
“Hear what?” Elena inquired, her confusion growing.
Cura widened her smile, her lips stretching into a playful grin. “His Grace instructed us to move you to his bedroom as soon as you woke up, before he returned.”
“What?” Elena blinked, unsure if she had heard correctly. “Why?”
“Why, you ask? Well, His Grace, umm…” Cura clasped her hands together, covering her mouth as she stifled a laugh. A creeping sense of unease sent a shiver down Elena’s spine. “He said that from now on, you’ll be sharing a bedroom with him. I think they’ll be moving all your belongings while you’re bathing.”
“My belongings? Who?” Elena asked, her voice rising with alarm.
“Lassino, the head butler, took the maids with him to move your things. Right now, they’re probably…” Before Cura could finish, Elena collapsed, sitting down abruptly. Her dress billowed around her, the fabric catching the air as it settled in a circle.
“Is there anything else I don’t know about?” Elena murmured, covering her face with her hands, unable to bear looking at Cura.
“The entire castle is aware that you are His Grace’s ‘possession,’ not just me,” Cura emphasized, crouching down in front of Elena. She placed particular emphasis on the word “possession.”
“Remember when His Grace appeared in the greenhouse and said to you, ‘Didn’t I make it clear that you belong to me? If you want to escape from me, you’ll have to kill me first,'” Cura mimicked Kennard’s words precisely, even lowering her voice to imitate him. “If you touch what’s mine one more time, I’ll tear you limb from li—”
“Please, stop!” Elena exclaimed, jumping up and clamping her hand over Cura’s mouth. She shook her head violently, her eyes pleading for Cura to say no more.
Cura gently removed Elena’s hand and smiled. “I wasn’t the only one there, you know. My brother and the knights were there too.”
Elena’s face flushed, tears welling up in her eyes. She prayed for the earth to swallow her whole.
***
“Do I have to use this bathroom too?” Elena asked, now clothed in a robe and sitting in a chair while Cura dried her hair.
“Yes. You’re supposed to use this bathroom as well,” Cura replied.
As Elena lifted her head to look around, she noticed details she hadn’t seen when she first entered, overwhelmed as she was. The bathroom was a spacious room, with walls and ceilings adorned in luxurious marble carved with intricate patterns, and various gemstones glinting in the light.
Near the entrance of the bathroom was a powder room where one could dry off and change clothes, complete with a chair to sit in. Opposite that, deep inside the bathroom, a small wooden room came into view.
“What’s that inside there?” Elena asked, following Cura’s gaze.
“I’m not entirely sure, but I think it’s a place to take steam,” Cura replied.
“Steam?” Elena inquired.
“Yes, it’s where you can be exposed to steam from hot water or herbs heated over burning coals. Sir Leto used to bring herbs in there to use,” Cura explained.
“Sir Leto really does a lot of things,” Elena commented.
“He’s His Grace’s personal physician and barber too. He knows more about herbs than even my brother. And he seems to have vast knowledge about all sorts of other things. Oh! He could probably talk all night about different types of alcohol,” Cura said with a smile.
Cura continued speaking as she brushed through Elena’s hair. “The dressing table hasn’t been moved here yet, so I’ll just help you here for today.”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it,” Elena replied.
“Anyway, it’s fortunate. Since this bathroom is directly connected to His Grace’s bedroom, you won’t have to walk through the cold hallway after bathing,” Cura said.
“That’s true,” Elena agreed.
Just as Cura had mentioned, this bathroom was right next to Kennard’s bedroom. There was no need to step out into the hallway, as a door from the bedroom led directly into the bathroom.
“All done,” Cura announced.
Elena removed her robe and changed into the chemise Cura had brought for her. She couldn’t help but avoid Cura’s gaze, feeling self-conscious about the marks left on her body from the previous night. Kennard’s passionate kisses had left red, swollen marks across various parts of her body.
