Thanks to that, Elise could now enjoy solitary baths.
“You have to show me, Princess!” Ivetsa exclaimed, placing her hands on both sides of her waist and widening her eyes. “Hurry up and undress!”
“I can manage on my own, Ivetsa,” Elise murmured as she entered the bath, clutching the blanket tightly around her body with both hands. “Today, I want to be alone…”
“Don’t talk nonsense. Can a princess bathe alone?!”
“When I was young, I used to bathe alone.”
Ivetsa narrowed her eyes. “Why on earth? There must have been no shortage of maids in the Argan royal family!”
“It’s not that. I just wanted to.”
In her early years, Elise, confined indoors, had found solace only in the bathroom. Despite fainting several times after prolonged hot baths, she insisted on shooing the maids away. Even an ailing person needed some time alone.
Entering adolescence, it became increasingly awkward to expose her unchanged, slender body to the servants. Of course, she had been strictly forbidden from solitary moments since turning fifteen.
It remained just as awkward now, but the reasons had evolved since then.
Ivetsa rang the bell.
“Hurry up! If you take too long to bathe, I’ll be in trouble with the Grand Duke!”
At the mention of the grand duke, Elise surrendered. She hesitated, set down the blanket, and Ivetsa, catching a glimpse of the princess’s exposed body, stood there in astonishment.
“…Oh my goodness.”
Moonlight revealed Elise’s pale skin, adorned with various bruises, creating a speckled pattern. Red marks adorned her body, a testament to the duke’s ownership.
“I, I said I could do it alone,” Elise stuttered. Blushing intensely, she swiftly sought refuge behind the bathtub. Clutching a smooth pebble for body scrubbing, she lowered her head deeply.
“I’ll do it. Please,” she pleaded. It wasn’t just the lingering ache in her lower abdomen; her thighs felt sticky. Whatever emanated from within her was more than just menstrual blood. Even with Ivetsa, Elise couldn’t bear to expose those obvious signs. It was so embarrassing that she feared she might faint.
Observing Elise crouched stubbornly with her back turned, Ivetsa wore an awkward expression. Despite the sheet and blanket bearing evident traces of numerous encounters, broaching such a topic seemed ill-advised. However, it was a duty that couldn’t be sidestepped for the princess who endured ceaseless suffering in the darkness. Recognizing the impoliteness of the situation, Ivetsa reluctantly accepted the towel and pebble from Elise.
“If someone lacking energy were to collapse alone in a hot bath, it could be dangerous. Quit being stubborn, just close your eyes for a moment. I’ll swiftly clean you up without giving you a chance to feel embarrassed.”
In the end, Elise succumbed once more. She closed her eyes, her entire face flushing red, and Ivetsa efficiently washed her delicate body. Elise, who had been hunching her shoulders and legs to avoid exposing herself, was skillfully tended to by Ivetsa’s deft hands, to the point where she could blink and find herself refreshed.
“Oh my, I should inform Lady Freya and fetch some ointment…” Ivetsa muttered.
“…Does it look bad?” Elise inquired.
“Quite so,” Ivetsa said with a click of her tongue. “What is this, really? It’s not even a skin disease.”
Even Elise acknowledged the severity of the situation, particularly around her chest…
He seemed quite enamored with her chest. Recollecting the moment when Rezette buried his face in her bosom, savoring the scent, brought a fiery blush to her cheeks. Not only were there traces on her chest, but unmistakable imprints lingered in the areas he had focused on, especially the marks on the inside of her thighs—something she never wished to reveal.
Elise scanned the room for a way to see her body. The small mirror that once occupied a corner of the bathroom was nowhere to be found. Mirrors had vanished from the top floor some time ago. Now, the absence of the mirror mattered little since it was no longer necessary. The magic circles engraved on her body could be drawn without visual aid.
Moving her finger above the water basin, Elise began a slow process. With her index finger, she traced a circle on the surface, overlaying several triangles within it. Ripples spread as if the water were playfully bouncing. The most challenging part lay in the unreadable characters densely filled between the shapes. Elise moved her finger, bouncing off the shimmering water surface.
“Sameshita…”
A soft whisper escaped her lips, transforming into a gentle breeze that caressed the water’s surface. Light trailed the path her finger traced, and now, completing the magic circle required little effort.
If I infuse magic here, will the spell come to life? However, the flow of magic abruptly ceased, as if its source had been severed.
