Since Lion had thrown out such a bold invitation, Jun Hao really had no reason to refuse. Still, before stepping in, he took a couple of steps forward and stopped at the edge of the bath, locking eyes with her.
"You said it, Lion. Don't go back on your word once I get in."
With his face suddenly so close, her expression wavered just a little.
She had expected her bold move to catch him off guard, maybe make him hesitate. But instead, he went along with it as if it were nothing.
'Oh no, this man is even more interesting than I imagined. But this "tough battle"—I, Lady Lion, accept it!' she thought, her excitement rising.
Letting out a small snort, she lifted her chin slightly.
"Hmph, so in the Commander's eyes, I'm the kind of woman who breaks her promises?"
Then she raised her hand and beckoned him over.
"Enough talking. Get over here already, Commander."
Even as she said that, her heart was anything but steady. Honestly, the reason she had come to the bathhouse alone at this hour wasn't that different from Jun Hao's.
It was to cool her head and think carefully about how to handle the upcoming date.
Back in the conference hall, when Elizabeth offered her a private date with the Commander as a reward, she had been completely confident.
She even declared she'd win him over with pure charm, and that if she failed, she'd admit it without complaint.
But after seeing Jun Hao in action twice, that calm, gentle way he handled everything so effortlessly... Yeah, now she was the one feeling nervous.
'Damn it... I'm supposed to be the strongest in the Royal Navy, the Governor of the Nile. So why does all that feel useless in front of this guy?'
Right now, she felt more like a girl with a crush, quietly waiting for him to come closer. It was honestly unlike her. But now, the opportunity had presented itself right before her.
The Commander had already come to her on his own. There was no way she was letting that slip by.
Lion took a slow breath, letting the warm steam fill her lungs as she steadied herself.
Her body felt hotter by the second, as if the steam were getting to her. That sudden rush of courage made her expression sharpen, turning more bold, more aggressive.
Jun Hao knew he couldn't just stand there any longer. Without hesitation, he untied the towel around his waist, tossed it aside, and stepped into the bath.
"Splash!"
Warm water splashed upward, drawing soft laughter from Lion.
As soon as the water covered his body, a deep, almost indescribable comfort spread through him.
"Crack... crack..."
If you listened closely, you could actually hear his joints popping, as if his muscles and bones were finally loosening up after being stiff for too long.
He moved his arm—the one that had been bothering him earlier—and blinked in surprise when it felt almost completely fine.
"Whoa... This bath is definitely not normal."
At that, Lion couldn't help but look a little proud.
"Of course. This isn't just hot water, you know. It's a special medicinal bath."
She leaned a little closer to Jun Hao, and soon he felt the warmth of her body blending naturally with the heat of the bath..
"These formulas were worked out by Belfast and the others, together with Yat Sen and her group from the Dragon Empery, plus a bit of help from the Sakura Empire," she explained, her usual proud look still on her face.
"It boosts blood circulation, relaxes muscles and joints, and works wonders for physical recovery. Honestly, in some ways, it can even enhance our combat abilities."
Hearing the words "Dragon Empery," a faint sense of warmth and familiarity stirred in Jun Hao's chest.
Even though he'd only been in this world for a couple of days, it was already one of the factions he felt closest to.
Once things at the Port settled down, he'd definitely find a chance to visit the Dragon Empery and take a proper look.
Just as Jun Hao got a bit lost in thought, a splash of warm water suddenly hit his face.
"Commander, you're zoning out. Were you even listening?"
Lion's voice carried a slight, almost teasing note of dissatisfaction.
"Thinking about other women right in front of me isn't a good habit, you know."
That hint of possessiveness in her eyes made one thing clear. Right now, his attention was supposed to be on her, and only her.
The splash snapped Jun Hao back to his senses. He wiped his face and, seeing Lion's "fierce" yet kind of cute expression, he scratched his head awkwardly.
"Sorry, sorry. I got caught up thinking about something. Actually... there's something I've been struggling with, and I was hoping you, the strongest in the Royal Navy, could give me some advice."
"Oh?"
That got her interested instantly. Her towel slipped just a little, making her already eye-catching figure even harder to ignore.
"What is it? Go on, tell me. If it's something I can handle, I'll deal with it myself. In the name of Lion, I won't let my husband suffer even the slightest grievance."
Her tone was full of confidence, like there wasn't anything she couldn't handle.
Jun Hao didn't bother being too formal with her. After all, as the saying goes, the one who tied the knot should be the one to untie it.
Lion's feelings were something only she could truly deal with. Of course, he still needed to phrase things carefully.
So he paused for a moment, pretending to think things through.
"Is that so? Then that works perfectly. It's like this... Recently, I've been planning to ask a certain powerhouse from the Port out on a date."
While speaking, Jun Hao kept a close eye on her reaction.
"And this powerhouse has a rather specific preference. She wants the person she dates to be a 'powerful and beautiful existence.' Now, when it comes to beauty, I think I can barely pass... but when it comes to strength, I'm not really sure what she thinks. So I was wondering, as someone equally powerful, do you have any ideas?"
When he finished, he looked at her with a completely sincere expression.
Lion froze on the spot.
She wasn't dumb. The moment she heard that description, she knew the "powerhouse from the Port" he was talking about was her.
But how did he even know what she was thinking?
Was it something Elizabeth told him?
That didn't feel right… even she shouldn't have been able to read her that well.
All sorts of thoughts flashed through Lion's mind. Before she realized it, her cheeks were already burning, even hotter than the bathwater around her.
With a quiet splash, she instinctively sank a bit deeper into the water, leaving only half her face above the surface.
"Commander… do you even realize what you're saying?"
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Novels Available:
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