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Translator: Nonon
Proofreader: Silavin
POV: Gray
“Fuii~ I’m warming up~”
“–…—…”
“Don’t fall asleep, Brown. If you sleep in the bath, you’ll die!”
“I’m not sleeping, Big Sister Emerald … guu…”
“Hey now!”
A little outside of Shiki.
The four of us were soaking in the hot spring together.
Our purpose was to dry our clothes that had gotten wet from the experiment earlier and to warm up our bodies. If this had happened a little earlier in the season, we might have gone to the river, but since it’s a bit chilly, we all decided that a hot spring would be better and went together.
Thanks to Lord Clo’s efforts, the road to the hot spring is being maintained to some extent. It can’t be called a facility, when there has been only the bare minimum done so the hot spring itself does not leak to the outside. Still, it’s somewhat better than before. Eventually, it will be divided by sex and opened for the Shiki citizens. It seems that the fee will be just a formality, as the profit is of no importance.
“Still, I wonder what the cause of today’s failure was, Lady Apricot.”
I came out of the hot spring, approached Lady Apricot, who was beckoning me, and asked. Lady Apricot lathered up the soap she had prepared who knows when. She urged me to sit down and started explaining what happened earlier while washing my back.
“Fuu, listen well, my disciple. We did not fail. We succeeded in proving that this method can’t work. Hence, you shouldn’t feel ashamed!”
“I-I see! I resent my own lack of education for not realizing this faster!”
“ Fu, it’s nothing to worry about. But don’t forget that we have to reflect on the damage we caused.”
I replied cheerfully to those words.
Lady Apricot poured hot water on my head with her usual confident expression, pulled out perfume oil from somewhere, put it on my head and started lathering it.
“…”
“Huh, you’re not going to retort to those words, Big Sister Emerald?”
“… She’s right and I can’t get stronger if I keep getting knocked out by the poison of assuming I’d fail.”
“I see~”
Which part of those words needed retorting?
I don’t really get it, but Lady Emerald does sometimes retort to Lady Apricot’s words.
“Here, disciple. I’m going to pour hot water on you so close your eyes.”
“Yes.”
I closed my eyes as I was told and the hot water was poured on me.
Now that the wet and sticky sensation I was feeling had mostly disappeared, it was my turn to wash Lady Apricot.
Seeing this, Lady Emerald also got out of the hot spring. Looks like she’s going to wash Brown.
“By the way, Apricot. I heard that you’ll be entering the academy next year.”
“It’s just a possibility. I’d honestly be able to study more freely on my own
here—-“
“Is there a guy you’re interested in?”
“—*cough*!”
Lady Apricot choked at Lady Emerald’s words and started coughing with all her body.
I was just washing her back, so I rubbed it to calm her down. Then, after composing her breath, Lady Apricot turned just her head towards the two, so I resumed washing her.
“Why would you think that? There is no way I would be howling at something like that.”
“You know, what about the Shuttle… whatshisface you fought the other day? He’s a year older and his face isn’t bad either.”
“It was a duel. That person can only be my rival. He is not the Artist who I can have a relationship with. Besides, he seemed to have somebody he likes. “
“Is that so?”
After I finished lathering, I handed the soap to Lady Emerald, grabbed a nearby bucket, drew hot water from the hot spring and washed away the bubbles.
… Come to think of it, I don’t often hear stories of Lady Apricot dating other boys or being interested in the opposite sex. Perhaps, a part of it is because she doesn’t have many peers here, but maybe she’s not really interested in it?
“Apparently it’s a beautiful girl with blonde hair and red eyes who can use alchemy magic. She’s a wonderful person who’s kind to everybody regardless of their race and status.”
“You sure know a lot— hey, Brown. Stop moving.”
“Yeah, Riser told me about her passionately. Apparently she’s excellent at everything, including academics, magic, cooking and art.”
“What kind of overly blessed woman is that?!”
From the looks of it, when Lady Apricot asked Lord Chartreuse if there were other strong students beside him, he spoke very passionately about it. He had spoken so passionately that Lady Apricot seemed to have thought that he was annoying.
But to think that such a person existed… or should I say, such magic instead. I’ve heard that alchemy magic is a rare magic. And I also feel like I heard that Lady Violet’s duel opponent was a girl who also used alchemy magic. Judging by the way Lady Violet was talking with Lady Kriemhild, the latter probably wasn’t her opponent. In other words, that girl was the person who caused Lady Violet to–
“That reminds me, I overheard a little earlier, my disciple.”
“Yes, what happened?”
While I was lathering up perfume oil on Lady Apricot’s head, I was asked a question, so I changed the direction of my thoughts. I’m curious, but it’s something that hasn’t been confirmed yet. So, for now, I’ll just focus on washing her comfortably and answering the question. Yeah, when I untied it, I saw that her black hair was as beautiful and long as ever. When the hair is this long, washing it is really rewarding.
“I heard the name Nephrite earlier, did anything happen?”
“Oh, I was the one who asked about her… Come to think of it, Nephrite also uses alchemy magic.”
While washing Brown’s body and remembering the previous conversation, Lady Emerald continued. Since it didn’t concern me, I concentrated on washing Lady Apricot’s hair carefully. I must make it as beautiful as possible.
“It’s nothing. I just felt something strange about Nephrite.”
“Strange? Did you feel her hidden -MA-(demonic) powers?”
“No. It’s nothing to worry about.”
Fufufu… not yet. I still have to lather it up more and wash carefully…!
“Then it’s fine… you didn’t feel something strange about the way she was laughing, right?”
“The way she was laughing?”
“Yeah, I don’t know to describe her laugher, but—“
Fufufufu, wonderful. As expected from the perfume oil prepared by Lady Apricot. From the way bubbles are formed, when you comb down from where the bubbles are, your fingers will run smoothly through the hair…!
“H-hey, my disciple. Is it not time to wash away the bubbles already?”
“Yes, I’ll do that. And I’ll apply the perfume oil again after.”
“Why?”
“It’s to make your hair beautiful. Please don’t worry. However inexperienced I might be, I will do my best to make Lady Apricot’s hair look great.”
“Fuu, I see. In that case, I entrust you with my spinel-like hair, my disciple!… However, if it stays up for a long time I feel colder so please be mindful of the time.”
After I got the approval, I went back to making her hair pretty.
I have to finish everything while also considering the time needed to soak into the hot spring again later. It might take a while if I also consider the time needed for clothes to dry, so it might be better to wash her hair again later. Fufufu, I can’t wait to put my skills to good use…!
“Big Brother Gray gets weird sometimes.”
“Not that we have any right to point that out though. Sometimes Gray’s dedication goes out of control like that.”
“But he has a good compatibility with Big Sister Apricot.”
“Agreed… Come on, I’m pouring.”
“Thank you. Hmm… I feel like she has a smile on her face.”
“Did you say something, Brown?”
“Nope, nothing… guu.”
‘Hey, don’t fall asleep!”
Author’s note:
Gray (11)
Has unconsciously become ignorant about the matters of biological sex
Apricot (14)
Since she’s with her friends, she doesn’t mind being seen
Emerald (13)
Doesn’t care as long as other people don’t blatantly express dislike towards her scars
Brown (7)
Looks like an adult (175 cm), but on the inside, he’s at the age where he’s not aware of age appropriate gender differences
