Previously
Irenia attempts to teach Caesar how to bathe by demonstrating in the tub while wearing her undergarments. She experiences a flashback to the Flores estate, recalling how her sister Giovinetta pushed her down the stairs, causing the permanent leg injury that led to years of abuse and social isolation.
Far more water cascaded over the edge than when I had gotten in alone, and naturally, our bodies pressed close inside the tub. The space felt distinctly cramped.
Sharing a bathtub with another person felt strange. Fortunately, there was no one else here. It was just the two of us, so what did it matter?
“It isn’t as bad as you thought, is it?”
I shifted slightly to sit beside him, but in such tight quarters, keeping any distance without touching was nearly impossible.
My chemise was made of thin muslin, light and loose, and the fabric swayed with the motion of the water. The white hems floated toward the surface, and I hastily smoothed them down with both hands to keep myself covered.
Caesar clearly remembered my warning to keep his clothes on and not let them slip off. He clutched the collar of his shirt tightly, sitting stiffly in place.
“Ah.”
I had tried to keep my hands out of the water as much as possible, but the moment I settled in, the water touched the cut on my hand, making the sting flare sharp.
Hearing my soft gasp, Caesar fixed his gaze on my injured hand. His pupils seemed to dilate slightly, then narrow.
“Why? What is it?”
His tone grew tense, the atmosphere shifting in an instant as his voice trembled.
Then, something unexpected happened.
Slowly, Caesar pressed his lips to the back of my hand. The soft tip of his tongue grazed my skin, a warm, slick sensation rippling straight through me. It was nothing like this morning, when he had bitten me so hard; this time, every movement was gentle.
Having been through this several times, I knew this was completely different from when he hungered for blood. Caesar was licking the wound with utter care, like an injured beast tending to one of its own.
It felt so soft and gentle that my chest fluttered, and I found it impossible to push him away.
Slowly, I reached out to touch his bangs, and on a playful whim, brushed his hair back to mess it up.
“Are you giving me the poison after the remedy?”
Caesar offered a faint smile, his eyes narrowing slightly, and the sight of his handsome face stirred a strange sensation in me. My cheeks grew warm, and not just from the heat of the bath.
“You know, I like clean things.”
“Clean?”
I nodded, thinking it was probably because I had spent so much of my life in filthy places that I cherished anything clean and pleasant.
“Yes. I like smelling nice.”
“Smelling nice…”
I could not tell if Caesar fully grasped my meaning, so I decided to show him.
I picked up the soap from the wooden tray beside the tub. It was a luxurious, fragrant kind, and when I brought it near my nose, the scent of lavender was rich and strong.
“Can you smell it? It’s wonderful, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
I began working up a lather, taking great care to keep it away from my cut. Caesar watched with curious eyes the entire time, as though witnessing something truly bizarre.
Finding his reaction endearing, I dabbed a bit of foam onto the bridge of his nose. He twitched his nose, sending the foam tumbling into the water.
“I want you to smell just as nice as this. How does that sound?”
He nodded slowly.
“When you bathe, you have to start with your head.”
I remembered what Anarisa had told me when I was young: you should always wash from top to bottom because it makes bathing easier.
I began gently trickling water over his long hair.
“Once your hair is wet, apply the soap first like this, and then work up a lather.”
I guided him through how to wash his hair.
“Can you try it yourself?”
He did not answer, merely staring at me in wonder. I knew it was unlikely he would master it on the first try, but that was only natural.
Next, I worked the lather into the crown of his head. Since he had already seen me use it, he had no objections.
“Lean back. Don’t let the soap get in your eyes—keep them shut tight.”
As we shifted in the tub, water sloshed over the edge once more. Caesar leaned forward slightly, ending up nestled against my chest. In truth, it made washing his hair much easier.
“Good boy.”
Taking care not to let any lather slip onto his face, I washed his hair gently. It felt nice seeing his lips part slightly and his closed eyelids tremble faintly.
The atmosphere was so intimate that embarrassment crept over me, and I swallowed hard.
“Once you’ve washed, you have to rinse with water.”
In my fluster, I poured the water over his head a bit carelessly, and a stray droplet rolled down his eyelid and dripped onto his lips.
“I’m sorry…”
· · ·
At that moment, a strange sensation stirred within me, like a tiny burst in my chest, a curious fluttering like a soft feather tickling my heart.
My pulse raced, and the feeling was utterly overwhelming.
Unable to hold the gaze of his glowing red eyes, I looked away hastily.
“D-Do you understand now?”
Caesar blinked slowly, just as he always did. His body felt as though it were radiating heat.
I could hardly remember how we finished the rest of the bath; everything simply flowed with surprising ease. I showed him each step, and he followed along quickly.
“You have to wash everywhere, even behind your ears. Make sure to rinse thoroughly.”
“Yes.”
Then I noticed something unexpected. Caesar was remarkably quick to learn, absorbing everything I told him like a sponge.
“Well done. Can you do the rest on your own now?”
The time had come to part. I had to let him finish alone, especially when it came to his more private parts.
When I tried to stand up, my clothes clung damply to my skin.
“Ah.”
Right then, Caesar tugged on the hem of my skirt.
“You need to finish on your own now.”
“Don’t want to.”
He clearly did not want me to leave. But we had to maintain boundaries. Naturally, it was time for an incentive.
“If you do it yourself, I’ll give you a reward.”
“Reward?”
“Yes. Wash thoroughly, rinse off, dry yourself well, and you’ll get a reward.”
“Reward?”
At the word ‘reward,’ his eyes lit up with eagerness. Caesar was clearly interested in what I might give him.
“Yes, a reward. What would you like?”
“Then… this.”
Caesar gently took my hand and guided it toward his hair.
“What?”
“This.”
He began stroking my hand through his locks, as if asking me to do it again.
“You want me to stroke your hair?”
Caesar beamed brightly, nodding with utter confidence. Was that really all?
“All right. I’ll do that once you’ve bathed properly and come out.”
I had been thinking of giving him something delicious to eat, but in the end, it was just stroking his hair. Caesar seemed far more innocent than I had ever imagined. The thought made a smile slip onto my lips as I wrung the water from my clothes.
Mercedes gritted her teeth. The more she thought about it,
the more unbearable her anger and disgust became.
“How could he…?”
How could he fall for a girl he had known for only a few days? How could this happen? The Prince! Our Prince!
Tears welled in her eyes unbidden, and she buried her face in both hands. The coolness of her fingertips against her flushed skin brought a moment’s relief, but she soon realized the knot inside would not fade.
“Phew.”
Even taking several deep breaths failed to soothe her. At times like this, she had to dwell on something beautiful—and there was only one memory she held dearest.
Slowly, she closed her eyes. With a sigh, she recalled the memory etched into her heart.
The first time she had met Prince Caesar was shortly after her own child had died.
FADE OUT