Inside the Parlor Car of the Astral Express, time seemed to quietly accelerate.
Lucian, Himeko, and the one who called themself the conductor, Pom-Pom, quickly settled into their new routine.
Even though Pom-Pom was small, they were surprisingly reliable when it came to work, managing every aspect of the Astral Express's operations in an orderly manner without ever showing the slightest sign of carelessness.
Aside from occasionally planting their hands on their hips and declaring in a cute voice, "Don't call Pom-Pom a mascot, pom! Call me Conductor, pom!" there was almost nothing to complain about.
Lucian and Himeko gradually grew accustomed to Pom-Pom's presence and eventually accepted their mascot's—no, their conductor's position without objection.
It was only natural.
Who could refuse an adorable little creature that cleaned the Astral Express by themself, handled its daily operations more diligently than most adults, and always made sure every corner of the train remained spotless?
Over the next five years, the Astral Express carried the two of them as it truly ventured into the vast sea of stars.
They traveled through countless star systems, witnessing magnificent planets frozen for millennia beneath endless sheets of ice and setting foot within sprawling steel jungles filled with the constant noise and bustle of mechanical lifeforms.
They paid tribute to ancient echoes amid the ruins of long-dead civilizations, uncovered fragments of forgotten histories buried beneath dust and stone, and marveled at the diversity of races and the miracles of technology in the most prosperous interstellar ports scattered throughout the cosmos.
On the rooftop of a mobile city on Salsotto, they were hunted by a local warlord's private fleet, and Lucian casually wiped out every armed organization involved, leaving the city's power structure in complete disarray overnight.
During a neon-lit rainy night on Vakiri, Himeko was mistaken for the long-lost daughter of an influential figure and enthusiastically dragged away by gang members to inherit a fortune worth billions. In the end, Lucian had to help them eliminate their rival gang and somehow became a mafia boss himself before the misunderstanding was finally resolved.
Similar incidents occurred time and time again throughout their travels, turning what should have been ordinary journeys into a never-ending series of bizarre, thrilling, and unforgettable adventures.
For Himeko, those five years were the years when her dream finally became a reality, and they were also the happiest years of her life.
Every day was filled with novelty, every new world offered experiences she had never imagined, and every warp carried her toward unknown surprises waiting somewhere beyond the stars.
Whether they were exploring forgotten ruins, visiting strange civilizations, enjoying the local customs of distant worlds, or simply watching colorful nebulae drift past the train's windows in silence, she never once grew tired of the life she had chosen.
And through it all, Lucian was always by her side.
He was so powerful that he seemed capable of resolving any trouble, no matter how impossible it appeared, yet gentle enough to remember every small preference she had, from the drinks she liked to the little habits she rarely mentioned, often noticing them before she even realized it herself.
Somewhere along the way, the relationship between the two had long since surpassed that of an ordinary teacher and student or even ordinary companions, growing into one built upon complete trust as they spent nearly every day together and moved through life with a natural intimacy that neither of them had ever felt the need to question.
Only a thin, nearly invisible barrier remained between them, yet neither had taken the initiative to break through it.
Himeko enjoyed the warmth of that ambiguity, but because of a knot that still lingered in her heart from the past, she could not bring herself to take the final step.
Lucian, on the other hand, was not in a hurry.
He had all the time and patience in the world to wait for this cautious little red bird to leave her nest on her own and eventually fly into his waiting palm.
===
On this day, the Astral Express was heading toward its next destination.
However, after completing a warp, it needed time to recharge and cool down before it could perform another one.
During that time, the Astral Express traveled through the boundless cosmos along invisible silver rails stretching across the stars, and the experience felt surprisingly similar to riding a high-speed train despite the unimaginable scale of the journey.
Outside the windows, countless stars shimmered quietly in the endless darkness, while distant galaxies slowly drifted past, creating a breathtaking view that never seemed to grow old.
Adventure was exciting, but daily life aboard the Astral Express still involved all sorts of mundane maintenance issues.
For example, the water supply system in Himeko's room had developed quite a personality. Sometimes it worked perfectly, and sometimes it refused to function at all, breaking down without warning as though it were intentionally causing trouble.
Himeko had attempted to repair it herself several times without success.
Lucian had even used Godly Bandage to fix it, yet before long, the problem would mysteriously return as if the plumbing itself had a mind of its own.
Neither of them could identify the actual cause of the malfunction, so the entire situation felt strangely suspicious.
Regardless, with Lucian around, Himeko never felt particularly worried about it.
Besides, the bathroom in his room next door was spacious, comfortable, and equipped with a seemingly endless supply of hot water.
As a result, whenever her own bathroom stopped working, she simply borrowed his.
Following a familiar route through the train, Himeko slipped into Lucian's room and entered the bathroom as naturally as if it were her own.
Soon enough, warm water flowed over her body, washing away the fatigue that had accumulated during their latest journey and leaving her feeling completely relaxed.
Gradually, steam filled the bathroom, wrapping the room in a soft white haze, and for a while, she simply leaned back, closed her eyes, and quietly enjoyed the rare moment of peace.
Just then, halfway through her bath, she suddenly realized a serious problem.
'Ah... I forgot my towel and a change of clothes...'
Himeko had been so focused on washing up quickly that she had left both her clean clothes and towel behind in her own room.
"Lucian? Are you outside?"
Turning off the water, she called through the mist-filled air, her voice echoing softly within the warm, steam-filled bathroom.
"Yeah. What's up?"
Lucian's response came almost immediately from beyond the bathroom door, and judging by the laziness in his voice, he was probably lying comfortably on the bed while casually browsing the latest interstellar news.
"Need me to adjust the water temperature? Or do you want some body wash? I bought a new one. It's got a starry bubble scent—"
"No... I forgot my towel and clothes!"
Himeko's cheeks warmed slightly as she hurriedly interrupted Lucian before he could continue.
"Could you... bring them to me? They're by the head of my bed."
As her words fell, silence lingered outside for two brief seconds before Lucian's voice returned, carrying unmistakable amusement.
"Sure. Just wait there."
A short while later, the sound of footsteps echoed through the room before gradually drawing closer to the bathroom door.
"Got them. I'll leave them outside."
Lucian's voice sounded clearly through the bathroom door.
Looking at the tall silhouette faintly visible through the frosted glass, Himeko suddenly became aware of just how close he was.
Only a single door separated them.
For some reason, her heartbeat began to accelerate.
Perhaps it was because the lingering warmth of the hot water had left her mind sluggish, or perhaps it was because she had grown too comfortable around him over the years, but whatever the reason, before she could stop herself, the unexpected words slipped out almost instinctively the very next moment.
"Just bring them in. I can't really move right now."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Himeko froze—even the expression on her face stiffened.
'What am I saying?! Am I actually asking Lucian to come in while I'm bathing?!'
Outside the door, Lucian clearly paused as well, evidently not expecting Himeko to be so unexpectedly bold today.
Could it have simply been a slip of the tongue?
However, Lucian was Lucian.
With extraordinary reaction speed, he gave Himeko almost no opportunity to take those words back.
"Sure."
With a soft click, Lucian turned the doorknob, and the bathroom door slowly swung open.
A wave of warm steam immediately rolled outward, carrying with it the faint fragrance of soap.
He calmly stepped inside, and the first thing he saw was the graceful figure sitting within the bathtub, partially concealed by drifting mist and gently rippling water.
Even though the hazy steam obscured much of the view, it only made the glimpse before him even more captivating.
Himeko instinctively raised her arms to cover her chest, but unfortunately, the gesture achieved almost the opposite effect.
With a man and a woman alone together inside a bathroom, her attempt to hide herself only seemed to emphasize the beauty she wished to conceal. Tiny droplets of water slowly rolled across her smooth skin, gliding over her delicate collarbone before disappearing beneath the gently rippling water's surface.
A few damp strands of crimson hair clung lightly to her cheeks and shoulders, making her already elegant appearance seem even softer and more alluring than usual.
Lucian made no effort to look away as his gaze openly rested upon the breathtaking sight before him, carrying admiration, appreciation, and perhaps even a trace of possessiveness that had quietly accumulated over years of restrained affection.
Even so, his eyes remained calm, without the slightest trace of vulgarity, as though he were admiring a priceless masterpiece he had cherished for years.
Under such direct scrutiny, Himeko quickly felt her entire body growing hot.
For her, the steam had already been warm enough, but now it felt as though her skin might actually catch fire.
Even the tips of her ears gradually took on a faint shade of red.
"Y-You really like looking at me that much...?"
Himeko lowered her eyes and muttered softly, forcing herself to remain as calm as possible.
"Of course I do," Lucian replied with a smile, not hesitating for even a second. "You're beautiful, Himeko. How could any normal guy not like looking at you?"
Even though the reply was so straightforward that it bordered on shamelessness, combined with his handsome face and completely sincere tone, it somehow failed to sound offensive.
In Himeko's ears, there was no teasing in his voice, nor was there any attempt to flatter her. Every word sounded like nothing more than a sincere confession.
In the end, any lingering embarrassment or annoyance within her immediately melted away beneath his praise. Instead, a small but unmistakable sense of satisfaction quietly bloomed within her chest, warming her heart even more than the bathwater surrounding her.
"It's not even your first time seeing me..."
Lowering her eyelashes, Himeko spoke in an even softer voice.
"Back in that cave, when I fell into the slime pool and you pulled me out, didn't you already... see everything...? Wasn't that enough?"
Even now, that incident remained vivid in her memory.
In order to remove the corrosive slime covering her body, Lucian had indeed carried out an extremely thorough inspection and cleaning process.
At the time, neither of them had thought much about it because the circumstances had left no room for embarrassment. Looking back on it now, however, Himeko found herself unable to stop remembering every detail.
"Nope. It's not enough."
Taking another slow step forward, Lucian spoke in a low voice full of amusement.
"Your beauty is something I could look at for a lifetime and never get tired of. I wanna see it tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and every day after that..."
Lucian's sudden barrage of sweet words completely overwhelmed Himeko.
As a result, her heart pounded wildly in her chest, her thoughts became increasingly disorganized, and before she could properly process what she was saying, another reckless sentence slipped from her lips the very next moment.
"T-Then... do you want to bathe together? Well, the tub... is still pretty big..."
As soon as the words left her mouth, reality came crashing back upon her, and her beautiful crimson eyes widened in disbelief.
'Something's wrong! What am I saying? Inviting him to bathe with me?'
'Himeko, where did your composure go? Your self-control? Did some spores eat them?!'
'Why am I saying such ridiculous things today?!'
'It must be because his sweet talk has completely scrambled my mind!'
As Himeko inwardly panicked, Lucian was stunned for the briefest moment before his eyes immediately lit up.
How could he possibly refuse something like this?
"I'd be honored."
Almost instantly, Lucian's clothes disappeared, his reaction speed so fast that it could only be described as faster than light.
Before Himeko could recover from her shock, he had already stepped into the spacious bathtub, causing warm water to slosh gently over the edge and sending ripples spreading across the water's surface.
"W-Wait! I didn't..."
Only now did Himeko fully understand what she had done.
'I just had a brief lapse in judgment. I didn't actually mean for you to...'
She wanted to refuse.
She wanted to push him back out of the bathroom.
She wanted to tell him that she had merely spoken without thinking.
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
Lucian had comfortably settled himself against the opposite end of the bathtub.
Despite his tall frame, he still managed to leave plenty of space between them, casually resting one arm along the edge of the tub as though he had always belonged there.
As a result, the warm water gently swayed between them, while the drifting steam softened their outlines, creating an atmosphere that felt both quiet and strangely dreamlike.
Just like that, warm water enveloped them both, steam drifted lazily through the air, and the atmosphere within the bathroom instantly became so delicate and intimate that even breathing felt slightly more difficult than before.
===
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