Chapter 25
“Uh…”
Lucy and the servants all looked at each other blankly, wondering if they had really heard him correctly.
“Let’s go.”
Edward simply picked Lucy up.
Like a wild beast carrying its cub by the back of the neck.
“W-Wait… H-Hold on…”
Lucy belatedly started kicking her legs in panic.
Edward let out a short sigh and actually explained himself.
For someone who rarely explained anything, this was already unusually patient.
“Only I can touch monster blood safely.”
“…!”
“Who else do you think can wash you?”
Lucy immediately fell silent.
‘…He’s right.’
Monster blood was deadly poison to ordinary people.
No one except someone like Edward, the Dragon Incarnation, could even touch it.
Lucy was unharmed only because people with holy power could neutralize most poisons, including monster blood.
The servants exchanged glances and nodded in understanding.
Rosendal also looked at Lucy again, as if reassessing her.
“I’ll have the scented oils brought immediately.”
“Good.”
With nothing left to argue about, Edward carried Lucy into the grand ducal mansion.
Even after entering the luxurious residence and climbing the stairs, Lucy remained frozen.
Click.
“…Ah!”
Only after Edward opened a room and stepped inside did she finally come to her senses.
‘That doesn’t mean he actually has to wash me!’
“I-I’m fine! I don’t need a bath!”
She struggled desperately, but Edward remained indifferent.
His voice even sounded as if he were calmly comforting a child.
“Stop fidgeting and stay still.”
“No! I mean…”
“You’re a Temple test subject. Surely you know that if monster blood isn’t washed off, it becomes an even stronger poison.”
“But I have holy power!”
In fact, she possessed an unusually large amount of holy power for an extra.
She had enough purification power to endure Sephina draining her without needing the other children.
‘At this level… maybe I’m about as strong as a High Priest?’
She wasn’t worried.
Even if it became a problem, she could simply scrub herself clean.
So why was he insisting on washing her himself?
‘…Does he still not trust me enough to leave me alone while I bathe?’
He had just called her a Temple test subject.
And he still hadn’t signed the contract.
If it was because he didn’t trust someone he had just met, she could understand a little.
Still…
It hurt.
He had taken good care of her until now, only to act like this.
“A-Anyway! I’m completely fine!”
Lucy waved her hands, trying to hide how disappointed she felt.
Just thenā
Rip.
“…”
“…”
Part of the sleeve of her ragged clothing, soaked with monster blood, tore away completely.
The mold and old grime from the prison hidden beneath the patched fabric became fully visible.
As if the monster blood wasn’t even the biggest problem.
Edward frowned in disgust.
“Go wash. Right now.”
“…Yes, sir!”
Lucy nodded automatically.
“…What terrible luck.”
A few minutes later…
Lucy stared at the bathroom door while cold sweat ran down her back.
Every attempt she had made to delay this had failed.
“Duke… I mean, Master! I really don’t think this is appropriate! You washing me is impossible!”
“Then?”
“…I’ll wash you instead!”
“You’ll…”
“I’ll wash you while washing myself! I’ll even prepare a special bath! Have you ever heard of a milk bath?”
She had proudly declared it, hoping to buy time by preparing the bathwater.
Then Rosendal had looked at her suspiciously.
“The bath already contains magic that helps restore vitality. There’s no need to add anything strange.”
Her plan had completely failed.
Her first impression had already been bad enough.
She couldn’t afford to make Rosendal dislike her even more.
Holding back tears, Lucy returned and filled the bathtub.
Then she heard rustling behind her.
When she turned aroundā
‘Aah!’
She found herself staring directly at Edward’s naked body.
She froze.
Unable even to scream, she slowly looked away.
‘What did I just see?’
He truly had an incredible body.
Perfect abs.
Broad chest.
Powerful muscles beneath it.
A narrow waist.
Strong thighs.
It looked as though a god had carved him by hand.
But just as Sephina had described…
The most terrifying weapon wasn’t any of those.
‘A… thermos.’
No.
Even that seemed too small.
‘It looked about as thick as my forearm.’
Without thinking, Lucy even raised her own arm to compare.
Then she screamed internally again.
Meanwhile, Edward calmly walked toward the bathtub.
“I-I’ll go prepare something else outside!”
“If you take too long, I’ll assume you’ve run away.”
“…!”
“If that happens, I’ll come get you myself.”
After giving her a meaningful look, he stepped into the bath.
That had happened only moments ago.
Now Lucy stood outside the bathroom door, biting her lip.
‘He wasn’t joking about coming after me.’
He really would come looking for her.
He probably wouldn’t even care if everyone saw him naked.
He might even think of himself as displaying a magnificent work of art.
‘The scary part is… some people would probably agree.’
She imagined the enormous “thermos” chasing after her while the maids admired it with sparkling eyes.
What a disaster.
“Did you run away?”
Edward’s low voice came through the bathroom door.
Lucy shut her eyes tightly and shouted,
“Of course not! I’m coming!”
“…”
“It’s my first time washing someone, so I was practicing by myself! Haha!”
She took a deep breath.
‘He’s not some delicate noble lady.’
She only needed to scrub his back.
That was all.
Besides, in romance novels…
The bathwater was always covered with bubbles or rose petals.
Nothing important should be visible.
‘Close your eyes and finish this quickly!’
Making up her mind, Lucy pushed open the bathroom door.
Creak.
Warm steam immediately rushed toward her.
The air was hot and damp.
She unconsciously held her breath.
Then she noticed a familiar scent.
The same fragrance she always smelled whenever she was in Edward’s arms.
The scent that had lingered when he whispered,
“You do have some use after all.”
It was the smell of Edward’s soap and bath oil.
Realizing that, her nervousness changed into something else.
Swallowing hard, Lucy rolled up her sleeves and walked toward the bathtub.
‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’
She sighed as soon as she saw beyond his broad back.
Unlike what she had expected…
The bathwater was crystal clear.
It was so clear she could see far too much beneath the surface.
Even through the rising steam, the presence beneath the water was impossible to ignore.
‘Such a beautiful face… and such an outrageous weapon…’
Lucy deliberately unfocused her eyes.
‘Don’t think about it.’
‘It’s just flesh, Lucy.’
‘Everyone’s body is the same… Well, maybe not that part… but still…’
She stood frozen, trying to calm herself.
Edward spoke again.
“You said you practiced.”
“O-Of course! I’ll show you the real thing!”
Lucy thoroughly washed her hands before picking up a sponge and soap.
Squeeze.
She squeezed the sponge so tightly that water ran down her wrist, over her elbow, and soaked her skirt.
She rubbed the sponge with soap, then, trembling, carefully brought it toward the back of Edward’s neck.
The instant it touched himā
Edward’s body suddenly flinched.
Lucy jumped in surprise as well.
