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Translator: penny
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Bathtime with Mother and Sister
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"No...!"
The voice that slipped from my lips was nearly a scream.
"Why not?"
Roselia looked at me with her eyebrows slightly furrowed, as if she truly couldn't understand.
"W-Well, of course not. Me, bathing with the Countess...?"
"What's the problem with a mother and daughter bathing together?"
Her eyes held genuine bewilderment, as if she couldn't fathom any issue with it.
Sure, in a normal family, a mother and daughter sharing a bath might not be strange at all.
But I was a far cry from that normalcy—an utter exception.
I'd lived more years as a man in South Korea than as Bella over these eight years. Because of that, a man's sense of identity still lingered strongly within me.
The thought of soaking in the same tub as Roselia with this body? It alone threatened to shatter my mind.
"Are you worried our bodies might touch? Don't fret. We'll just share the tub, that's all."
But Roselia couldn't even begin to guess my circumstances.
Look at that resolute gaze. No excuse would sway her; she was dead set on dragging me along.
"...Still, no."
But this time, I couldn't back down either.
No matter what, I had to avoid entering the bath with Roselia.
"How about... a picnic in the garden instead?"
I tried a shallow ploy to divert her attention.
"That sounds nice too. Then today we'll bathe, and tomorrow a picnic. Perfect."
But my attempt only fueled her enthusiasm.
"I-I'm... scared of bathing with others..."
I switched tactics, trying to evoke sympathy.
Without knowing what it might unleash.
"...No way."
The air around Roselia shifted.
Her red eyes gleamed with a deep bloodlike hue, and a suffocating killing intent weighed down the room.
"Has someone touched your body?"
She asked in a voice lower and chillier than usual.
Even I, a mere commoner, felt the oppressive pressure choking my breath. Any delay in answering, and it felt like someone's head might fly from somewhere.
"No! N-Nothing like that at all...!"
"Really?"
"Yes! It's just... I'm really shy..."
I abandoned the sympathy ploy to prevent any innocent casualties.
Roselia stared at me silently for a while, her eyes piercing as if to discern truth from lie.
"It's just shyness, right?"
I nodded quickly in agreement to her firmer tone.
"Yes... really. A picnic would be fine, but the bath..."
"Good."
To my surprise, a smile spread across her lips.
Her face looked relieved, like someone who'd solved a tough puzzle.
"Then it's simple."
"...Yes?"
"If bathing alone with me feels burdensome."
Before I could respond, she swiftly grabbed the back of my neck.
"We can just include Camilla too."
With those words, my body froze solid.
"I'll tell her to join tomorrow's picnic as well."
The bathroom was filled with pleasant, warm steam.
Beyond the misty haze, violet eyes bored into me relentlessly.
"..."
Camilla stared at me wordlessly.
But that icy gaze said more than enough.
She was probably debating whether to kill me or not.
I couldn't bear that hollow, merciless look any longer and bowed my head.
Honestly, I felt wronged.
Who could've predicted Roselia would suddenly drag Camilla in?
Even in the game's lore, the two weren't particularly close.
"This is unusual, Mother. To want to bathe with me."
Camilla's empty gaze shifted to Roselia.
Roselia shrugged lightly, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
"I've found some peace of mind lately, all around."
At that vague reply, Camilla turned her eyes back to me.
A look demanding explanation.
I shook my head vigorously, making the most aggrieved face I could.
"Now, come in quietly, dears."
The one silver lining in this mess was that Roselia wasn't fully nude.
She wore a thin bathrobe as she slipped into the tub.
But the wet fabric clung to her body, creating an even more tantalizing allure that made it hard to look directly.
Especially those two large circular curves protruding boldly through the cloth.
'...They're even bigger.'
Still, it was far better than bare skin.
Camilla followed Roselia into the tub without a hint of hesitation.
Even in the steaming hot water, her expression remained cold and pitiless.
I hesitated for a long time before finally steeling myself and stepping in.
Contrary to my fears, soaking in the warm water eased my anxiety, replaced by a soft, languid comfort.
"Is the water temperature alright?"
"Yes, Mother."
After Camilla's curt reply, Roselia's gaze turned to me.
"...It's fine."
Still unaccustomed to her half-exposed skin, I answered cautiously with my head down.
"This really feels like family."
Roselia alternated glances between Camilla and me sitting side by side, a strange smile on her face.
After that, a quiet stillness settled over the bathroom.
Unsure where to look, I kept my eyes fixed on the ceiling while submerged in the tub.
I even breathed carefully, lacking the courage to glance around.
Camilla simply watched me steadily.
And Roselia—the culprit behind all this—had, at some point, leaned against the tub's edge, eyes closed, saying nothing.
'...She's not asleep, is she?'
She looked like she might be, perfectly still.
Nah, no way.
She'd just scolded me the other day for dozing off in the tub. No chance she'd fall asleep herself.
And without any sleep incense lit, she was probably just relaxing with her eyes shut.
Thus, time dragged on in awkward silence.
As my body grew hotter and stuffier, Roselia opened her eyes and rose.
Water cascading down her silhouette was so captivating I could hardly look straight at it.
Good thing I'd reincarnated as a girl; if I'd been a man like in my past life, I'd have collapsed right there.
"We should make time for this more often."
Roselia yawned with half-lidded eyes and lightly snapped her fingers.
Snap—
A strong gust swept through the bathroom, instantly blowing away the water droplets on her body.
"Take your time and enjoy, you two."
With a refreshed smile, Roselia sauntered out languidly.
And silence remained.
In the sudden quiet, I stared blankly at the spot where she'd vanished, mouth agape.
'W-Wait...'
She really just left like that?
Leaving me alone with Camilla?
Did Roselia not know what Camilla was like?
"Strange. I'm sure I mentioned it."
A voice as chilling as a shiver, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
I turned stiffly toward the source.
"We agreed not to be a bother."
Her eyes, sharp with a different chill from Roselia's, fixed on me.
"It wasn't my idea. The Countess suddenly insisted we all bathe together, so I had no choice..."
Despite my urgent explanation, born of rising injustice, Camilla's face didn't twitch.
"She doesn't usually bathe with others. The only change is you."
Killing intent seeped clearly from her words.
Suddenly, Camilla's body shimmered, and faint purple threads began to rise around her.
"Ignoring my warning?"
The slender threads floated and slowly rotated around her.
I stared dazedly at the light.
They looked like threads, but they were anything but simple.
"...Mana."
A mystical power unique to this world, absent on Earth.
A blessing that granted swordsmen sharp auras, martial artists unbreakable bodies, and mages possibilities beyond imagination.
When Roselia used magic, the mana hadn't been this vivid.
But now, the mana blooming around Camilla moved as if alive.
It was fascinating.
Magic.
Even reborn in another world, I'd assumed it wasn't for me.
A body that couldn't even sense mana—I'd given up on magic the moment I realized that.
Yet seeing the mana unfold before me now rekindled my desire for it.
Purple mana danced through the air. Like an aurora wandering the night—flowing without pause, bright yet not blinding.
Captivated by its beauty, I murmured without thinking.
"...So pretty."
As if drawn by the mana, my hand slowly reached toward the light.
"Wait."
Camilla said something, but it was too late to pull back.
Thornlike barbs extended from the mana, stabbing deep into my finger in an instant.
"Eek..."
A heavy pain pierced me.
When I withdrew my hand, blood was trickling down.
"Are you an idiot?"
Camilla scowled and snapped at me.
Only then did I realize how foolish I'd been.
"...Sorry. It was just so beautiful, I couldn't help it..."
"..."
Camilla watched me silently before dispelling the mana with a delicate gesture. The light filling the air faded quietly.
"I hope there are no more annoyances like this."
Her voice remained ice-cold.
Camilla leaned in a bit closer and added,
"You will make sure of that, right?"
"Uh... well..."
As I hesitated, her eyes sharpened subtly.
"Actually, the Countess said... we're all going on a picnic tomorrow."
"..."
For the first time, emotion flickered in her vacant violet eyes.
Undoubtedly something akin to irritation.
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