"What sort of fun are you guys having?" I felt his hand grip mine and try to gently tug it away from my face. I resisted knowing that seeing everything would be irresistible for me, "If you keep doing that, I will leave you out here alone in the cold."
I could hear the teasing tone in his low, hushed whisper in my ear. Unsure if he was really going to leave me there, I dropped my hands and looked at him. His irritable face was directly in front of mine, far too close.
I could smell the scent of the oil on his damp hair mixed with the musky scent of his own body. I swallowed hard, and as if my eyes had a mind of their own, they looked down. A sense of disappointment washed over me as I saw that he was already wrapped in a new set of clothes.
The back of his fingers brushed softly over my cheek, "What's the hurry? I promise you won't have to wait long to see it all. I prefer a more private space." He mummered, his gaze intensified.
"I don't know what you are talking about," I flicked my head to the side in burning embarrassment, refusing to acknowledge the meaning behind his words.
Ignoring my words, Thalen grabbed me while I was still snugly wrapped around his clothes. He lifted me up effortlessly.
"Let's get you cleaned first." He began to finally make his way into the building with Jai following close behind, "Jai, prepare a large bowl with water. Big enough for Ivy to fit in."
A room was swiftly prepared with a large bowl in the middle filled with water. Thalen lit a fire, heating up the water. "Tell me when it's hot enough for you," he had remembered, noting that I couldn't handle temperatures if they were too hot either.
"T-thank you." I stammered, genuinely surprised at his thoroughness. I dip my hand into the water occasionally. I was surprised to see him being so reasonable.
Once the water was hot enough, I instructed him to stop."That's enough."
With the water now prepared, I waited for Thalen to step out of the room so I could prepare for my bath. Instead, he simply sat in a chair in the corner of the room, legs crossed, and his head rested on his hand. He glued his eyes on me, observing every move I made.
His sharp golden eyes slowly traced all over my body. His gaze started at my legs, moving up my waist, then finally landing on my chest.
My clothes were unsightly and bright green. Nothing was appealing about them. But his watchful eyes did not care. It made me feel as if he were undressing me.
I immediately placed my arms over my chest, irritated by his lack of understanding about privacy, "Are you not going to leave?" I asked with a questioning look.
"No, I would very much like to stay and watch." He grinned, fully voicing that he wanted.
"Get out!" I scoop a small bowl of water and throw it towards him, irritated by his face.
"Alright, I get it." He laughed, holding his hands up in defeat. Just before he vanished behind the door, she turned back one last time, "If you need me, just call me."
I rolled my eyes as the door shut behind him.
The large bowl was shallow and wide, large enough for my body to sink in with my leg hanging out. Working to save the lives of beastpeople today was gruelling. Surprisingly, it was just the same as treating humans.
Since they had only wiped the blood off when I had passed out, I had not taken a bath since the day I arrived in this world. Dunking myself in the warm water, I felt a sense of relief.
I turned to the side to see a bottle of oil and a pile of fresh cloth left aside for me to use. I grabbed a smaller cloth and used it to wipe my body, but I still felt unclean.
"Urghhh. I need soap... shampoo." I groaned internally, " I feel so icky, but this world does not seem to have them." I carefully lay my head back, resting on the edge of the bowl. I took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, trying to make myself as comfortable as possible.
Worried by the grim situation I was in, I closed my eyes and tried to think of a solution.
Can I make soap?
I questioned myself.
Fat and lye... I could make it right? This era seems like the Iron Age... they used oils and scrapers to clean their bodies, but I still want soap. It just won't be the same.
"Oh my god... how can I be so stupid?" I muttered, opening my eyes in sudden realisation, "System!"
The familiar blue light interface popped in front of me. I navigated directly into the quest section and saw that one of them was completed. I throw my fist in a splash of celebration.
----
Quest: Basic Rounds
Status: Complete
Reward: Medic Box
Claim
----
Pressing the claim button, the system provided me with the reward. Inside were multiple medical supplies.
----
Stethoscope [1]
Antiseptic [1]
Bandage [20]
Alcohol wipes [100]
Surgical gloves [100]
Band aids [500]
Paracetamol [100]
Wound closure strips [25]
---
I was pleasantly surprised to see a large number of items inside this box, compared to my last reward.
"Whoa, these will be useful. I can definitely use this to lure Luman into being my disciple and complete the other quest!" I was delighted to see the items that would cost a fortune to buy in the shop. "These will really help enhance the healthcare here. Maybe I can really help them."
Still, I considered the size of the city we were in at the moment. These items were not going to be enough at all. The room I saw today was just one of the few in the medical building, which was a couple of times larger than the patient room.
With the water now cooling down, I quickly clicked into the shop to waste no more time. In the essentials section, they were selling a variety of soaps, shampoos, and conditioners, among other items.
The quest had given me 500 points again, in addition to the 1,000 points I earned by saving the lives of the patients today. I bought the cheapest ones possible to save as much as possible. I now had 1400 points left.
It's not enough... I need more to help this city. They can't live in their old ways their whole lives. However, with no other way to create these items, my system is the only way to procure these modern-day items.
I sighed in resignation. Nothing can be changed for now, so I decide to focus on the present. I scrubbed my hair with the shampoo. Slowly massaged it into my hair and rubbed my scalp. The clean scent and texture felt heavenly. I let out a low, satisfied moan full of bliss.
Promptly finishing my bath, I quickly hobbled out of the large bowl, being careful not to let water drop onto my bandaged wound. I use a clean cloth to wipe my body while sitting down. It was only then that I realised there were no changes of clothes.
"That rat bastard!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, fully knowing that he did it on purpose.
The door, now slightly ajar, with Thalen leaning on the doorframe, looked at me with a mischievous smirk on his face. "You called?"
Seeing him there looking at me, I snatched the modestly-sized cloth and covered the front of my bare body. "You pervert!" I grabbed onto the small bowl and threw it towards him.
With quick and precise movement, he caught it before it even grazed him. His eyes were instantly anchored onto my bare skin. He couldn't help but take in my bare, pale skin. My back was fully exposed. He mentally etched every visible curve into his memory.
For the first time in his life, Thalen was frozen in infatuation. He never knew how enticing a female's body could be. His golden pupils dilated, an involuntary response to this new emotion he was experiencing.
"Master Thalen, I bought the new clothes for Miss Ivy. Please may I pass?" Jai's appearance broke the brief silence that had fallen between them.
Thalen grabbed the clothes without taking his eyes off me and pushed him aside, "Go away, leave us alone. I will deal with it." It was a direct and intense command which sent Jai scuttling away. It was the first time he had seen his master like that, on the verge of losing control.
Thalen strode, his heart rate increasing with every step, and he could feel his palms getting sweaty. A slight flush of red on his face as he kneeled down before me.
I panicked and pressed my eyes shut tight, unsure of what he was going to do with me. I tensed my body when I heard his footsteps stop in front of me.
I felt a short, intense linger before his body got closer to me, his hand spread out behind my back, but I did not mind. Something made me want whatever was going to follow. I wanted to feel his body pressed against mine once again, but instead of feeling his skin touch mine, I felt a thick cloth fall on my back and around my shoulders.
Opening my eyes, I saw his golden gaze still full of desire but tense, holding back.
"If you don't put this on. You will get a cold." A quiet, strained voice came from Thalen. His muscles tense from the effort of resistance.