Chapter 7
Weak Against Hardworking People (1)
The grand bath that Shia-Yun showed meâoriginally meant only for the royal familyâwas spacious, white, and spotless.
Because the jinjƫ (beastfolk) attack the castle almost every night, life inside has become completely nocturnal. I was told to rest while it was still quiet, and she suggested I take a bath.
Shia-Yun had listened to my story on the bed with such seriousness that, in the end, she even shed tears.
It already hurt enough just to be dumped by my childhood friend, but when someone else cries over your story, the sense of empathy somehow weighs heavier than the comfort of being understood.
âSo thatâs the kind of story that makes people cry with me, huhâŠ
I couldnât help but sigh.
After that, when Shia-Yun guided me down the corridor toward the royal bath, she had regained her usual dignified air. Her tall, slender figure was graceful, beautifulâthe very image of an intelligent, refined lady. That must be her true self.
I took the towel sheâd given me, worked up a lather with a paste-like soap, and started washing myself. The texture was unlike anything Iâd ever used beforeâjust a little strangeâbut the foam was perfect.
When we escaped from the second castle wall, I had carried Princess Leafa, the girl with blue hair, in my arms while running. The road hadnât been paved, the rain had turned it into a mudslide, and weâd both ended up filthy and drenched in sweat. A proper wash felt like heaven.
Despite the desperate situation the castle was in, the air around me was oddly calm and relaxed. Sunlight streamed through the rising steam, filling the wide bath with a soft, white glow.
It was morning bath time in this worldâbut by my internal clock, it should have been about 1:30 p.m. in Japan. I didnât feel sleepy at all. Funny how no one ever mentions jet lag in otherworld summoning stories. Maybe Iâm the only one who thinks about stuff like that.
Even as I tried to distract myself with random thoughts, my hands would stop scrubbing on their own, and my mind would drift back to Rika.
Dumpedâestimated time elapsed: two hours.
âŠYeah, no helping it.
Iâd hoped that talking it out with an older woman like Shia-Yun might make me feel a little better, but honestly, it hasnât helped at all. Iâm still thoroughly crushed.
Even being summoned to another world, a literal once-in-a-lifetime event, isnât enough to overwrite how I feel. Just how much did I love Rika, anyway?
âHaaâŠâ
I sighedâagain, who knows the count by nowâwhen I suddenly heard a soft, sliding sound behind me.
âSlither, slither, slitherâŠ?
I turned around.
The door to the bath had opened, and there stood Shia-Yunâcompletely naked. Her face, as expected, was bright red.
âSeriously!? Why are you forcing yourself like this? Thatâs not who you really are, is it!?
She quietly shut the door behind her and, looking unsure of what to do, approached me hesitantly before kneeling down. I really wished sheâd at least try to cover herselfâmy eyes didnât know where to go. Somehow, I managed to speak.
âWh-whatâs the matterâŠ?â
âM-Marebito-sama⊠Please⊠would you allow me to uphold half of the tradition?â
âH-half?â
âI-I understand very well that, in your current emotional state, it would be difficult to receive your⊠seedâŠâ
âUhârightâŠâ
âThen at least half. Let me fulfill only the part that says, âthe pure maiden shall offer her body.ââ
âŠWhat is this woman even saying?
