Without letting Teruria say anything further, Axel walked past her and picked up the fallen towel.
Although still wet and warm, he proceeded to dip it into the basin, rinse it, and then squeeze out the excess water.
"Come over here."
He whispered as he crouched down, calling toward Teruria, who was standing still.
"..."
Teruria's expression couldn't be explained, but soon, she took a deep breath and ran to his side. "Wipe me clean, every nook and cranny~!" she said excitedly, trying to sound cheerful.
However, no matter how she interpreted Axel's reply, it was clearly a "rejection" of her invitation.
As a woman, getting rejected hurt more than she thought. She felt as if everything was in vain and felt a bit down. Still, with the poker face she honed since childhood, she kept a cheerful façade before Axel.
"Don't worry, I will."
Of course, Axel could pick up on the nuances of her tone despite her trying to hide them. "Stand before me and spread your arms wide." He commanded.
