In the Bath

The bathroom was the same as always.

It should have been a familiar part of the house, yet it felt like somewhere else entirely.

The foreign element was Azu, naked.

With the tub filled with hot water, the steam made it a little hard to see.

But right now, Yohane's pulse was beating just a little faster than usual.

Azu was sitting on a stool with her back to him.

Stripped bare, not a stitch of clothing on her.

He touched a soft towel to that back.

He lathered it with floral-scented soap and worked it over her flawless skin.

Smooth, fine-grained skin.

He was fairly sure he'd seen her naked at the arena, too.

And something similar had happened once before.

It was right after he'd bought Azu and sent her out on her first quest.

The mission had been accomplished, but things had gone sideways, and Azu had ended up in tears. He'd helped her change and washed the blood off.

A lot of time had passed since then, he reflected.

Back then, seeing her bare hadn't stirred anything in him. Now, he was acutely aware that Azu was a member of the opposite sex.

Azu's back was still smaller than his, but it had grown since those days.

And there wasn't a single scar on it.

Her eyesight was sharp and her agility exceptional.

She rarely took a wound, and she had Elza—a skilled cleric—at her side.

After cleaning her skin thoroughly and rinsing it with water, her beautiful skin stood out clearly.

(Dangerous for the eyes.)

Yohane was a healthy young man. Wanting to touch the skin of a beautiful girl like Azu was only natural.

"There. Your back's all clean."

"Thank you. Um…"

Azu turned just her face toward him.

It was flushed red.

She was probably getting embarrassed by the situation.

But Azu being embarrassed only made Yohane more self-conscious in turn.

He took his time washing her long silver hair.

Doing it alone would be a hassle.

"Here."

Keeping her in the same position, he ran the towel over the rest of her body.

Moving around to the front would make it impossible to maintain his composure.

He wiped down her hands and feet with the towel.

Azu offered no resistance, accepting everything as it came.

She trusted him.

Or perhaps she simply didn't mind whatever he might do.

He rinsed away every trace of soap, then eased Azu into the tub.

He figured that was enough and was about to leave, but she stopped him.

"Since you're here, stay until I'm done."

Nothing for it. He sat on the stool and kept her company.

It was a peculiar stretch of time.

Every small movement Azu made sent the bathwater lapping softly.

And those little sounds sent his imagination spiraling despite himself.

"… Hey."

"Yes? What is it?"

"Is there anything you want to do, Azu?"

The silence would only make him more aware of her, so he spoke up.

Besides, it had been a while since they'd had a real talk.

Keeping his people motivated was part of the job. He decided to treat this as an opportunity.

"Things I want to do…? Hmm, let me think."

Azu considered the question, gazing up at the ceiling.

Her long silver hair drifted weightlessly in the water, freed from gravity.

"I want to be useful. To you, Master."

"That's not what I mean. Like, wanting to read books, for instance."

To that, Azu rose partway out of the tub.

Her upper body was exposed. She turned to face Yohane.

The steam kept things from being entirely clear, but his pulse quickened again all the same.

"If being smarter would help, I'll study. If being stronger would help, I'll train. My life already belongs to you, Master. So—"

The distance between them was small.

He thought he could hear her heartbeat.

Naturally, the gap closed further.

Their lips were about to touch—

"I'll leave the towels here."

It was Elza's voice.

Azu and Yohane pulled their faces apart as if bouncing away.

Apparently they'd run out of towels. She must have brought fresh ones as a courtesy.

He could feel his pulse pounding—thump, thump, thump—through his body.

He glanced at Azu. She was bright red, as if she'd been boiled.

Not just her face. Her entire body.

She was probably just as embarrassed.

She's still a child. What am I doing? Yohane took a deep breath and stood.

That was enough.

"Well, I'll head out first."

"Oh—then I will, too."

Azu stood, but wobbled, lightheaded from the heat.

Yohane reached out to steady her, and she leaned into him.

He held her so she wouldn't sway.

If the mood from a moment ago had still been there, his self-control would have been in danger, but he'd calmed down enough by now.

"You okay?"

"… Yes."

He heard her answer and helped her out of the tub.

She was still a little dazed, eyes unfocused.

Left with no choice, he dried her wet body with one of the large towels Elza had brought.

Her long hair was a chore to wring out.

When Yohane reached for her undergarments, Azu's mind finally seemed to catch up. She took them from him and put them on herself.

Once she'd also pulled on a shirt and a pair of shorts, Yohane finally felt like he could breathe.

"It's late. Get some sleep."

"Okay. Good night. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah. See you tomorrow. Night."

After Yohane left the bathroom, Azu leaned against the wall and let out a small sigh.

"Master, you coward."

She murmured it so softly no one could have heard, then headed for the slave quarters where Alexia and Elza slept.

Inside, Alexia was asleep in her impeccable posture.

Elza was doing some writing.

A moment ago, they had been so close. But complaining about the interruption wasn't exactly an option.

When Azu came in, Elza decided it was late enough and set down her work, blowing out the candle.

That night, Azu couldn't fall asleep until the pounding in her chest—louder than it had ever been—finally quieted down.