53

Chapter 53: Finally bathingNotes:

This specific scene was requested a long time ago and I was honour-bound to fulfil the wish.

You can skip this chapter if you want and you will miss nothing! (Although it is the longest chapter I have ever written)

EDIT: 25.000 Hits!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 53

Although Tanya had slept a few hours during her journey that hardly made her feel well rested. The stress of the encounter with Regulus had nullified any relaxation that might have accumulated on the bumpy ride either way. So it was no surprise that youngest royal candidate wolfed down a late dinner after she returned to the Astrea mansion and promptly fell into bed to sleep off the after-effects of using her cursed Type 95 computation jewel twice in one day.

The next morning (which was only a few hours away due to her late arrival) was a beautiful one. At least to her, for she indulged herself in the rare pleasure to just stay down and observe the clouds through the half-open window. Normally there was always something happening that required her attention, but not in this moment it seemed.

And she was thankful for that.

The birds were singing, the wind was rustling through the curtains, the sounds of the already busy city echoed in the distance, the sun shone warmly upon her outstretched hand and most importantly...

There was no danger to her life. Nobody here wanted to kill her either openly or when she wasn´t looking. For the first time since very long ago did she feel safe.

It was a wondrous feeling.

But perhaps, she conceded, the recent events of unsettling revelations and mortal threats were colouring her judgement. Tanya recalled being similarly awed by the soft beds and the delicious food as well after all. Depriving a human of even the most basic delight would naturally make them thankful for its return. That was simple psychology.

Still it didn´t change how exquisitely comfortable she was feeling. Enjoying a calm summer morning in bed had only been possible for her in the past when she was confined to the hospital. Making the most out of unusually positive situation was the most logical decision, she tried to convince herself.

However all good things must come to an end eventually and so the young woman forced herself out of bed when the maids came knocking to dress her for the day. Initially she resisted, because she could pick her outfit herself, but after a few minutes of arguing it felt petty and pointless to resist any longer. This fantasy world appeared to be in the Middle Ages so these kinds of rituals were most likely expected from members of the nobility.

The upside to being cared for like a baby was also that she got served an opulent breakfast which made her appreciate the efforts of the servants more. Afterwards however the work day began for her as well. She even felt a little guilty by lazing around, because Reinhard had apparently already left the house to inform the council of yesterday's happenings and organize for the remains of the White Whale to be recovered. What an excellent subordinate... How could she reward him if he kept that work ethic up?

Food for thought. For now she had to spread the webs of her small (but growing) social network. For example she started to write a letter to Subaru who had to stay at Crusch´s mansion for his treatment. Unfortunately this would pull him out of her sphere of influence for a while and she could not publicly visit him without arousing suspicion. So she would instead converse with him through letters under the guise of advising him on his training for knighthood. Yes, that would be a perfectly believable excuse that would also make him more dependent on her guidance! Now she was extra glad that she had planted this foolish desire in the boy.

Another letter was addressed at Lady Karsten herself to propose a possible location and date for their meeting. In return for the duchess´s "assistance" against Petelgeuse Tanya had promised her negotiations about a possible alliance and she intended to keep that promise. Crusch had stayed behind at the Mathers estate to talk with Emilia and if their conversation had turned out amiably then nothing should stand in the way of a three-way truce. (Or so she liked to think. Being X regularly dashed her hopes for peace.)

A butler recommended a nice restaurant at the edge of the city to her to serve as the meeting place. It was "neutral ground" so to speak, in contrast to either their respective homes. The man helpfully reminded her that it would send mixed signals if she wanted to discuss conditions on "her territory". Yet she could also not risk letting Crusch dictate the terms of their small conference. Meeting in a public space was ideal.

Before she could begin to draw up lesson plans for her newly formed battalion or educate herself more on the political landscape of Lugnica a servant reminded her that the bath she had ordered to be drawn was now ready. She urgently needed to clean herself from yesterday´s carnage, because dumping a bucket of cold water over herself a few hours earlier did not count.

Yes. A proper bath would do her well.

Omake: Tanya washes herself?

(For the degenerates of my discord server. Blame ZorionCosima! You won´t miss anything if you don´t read this so you can skip it if you are not a fan of slightly NSFW stuff! This is my first time writing anything that could be vaguely considered smut and it is shamelessly self-indulgent. You have been warned!) Imagine the OC to look and speak somewhat like Lupusregina Beta from Overlord.

Tanya sat and stared silently. It wasn´t often that she spent her time doing something this unproductive, but the situation warranted it. Reverently she watched and didn´t dare to move a muscle, almost as if she was living through a divine experience. What could it be that had entranced the normally stoic girl so much?

Water.

Clear, aromatic, steaming water.

The way it flowed into the basin was simply mesmerizing. Seldom had she seen something so inviting and beautiful. This bath was calling to her on a primal level that not even the cursed corruption of the Type 95 could accomplish.

Her silent amazement was disturbed by the sounds of clothes crumpling to the floor. She turned her head only to immediately avert it again in embarrassment. Karmila, the maid who had prepared the bath with soaps and oils, had begun disrobing herself. She was a well-endowed woman with long, red hair who appeared to be in her early twenties. Understandably Tanya was put off guard by her behaviour.

"W-what are you doing?" Tanya asked somewhat flustered.

"Stripping Milady." she stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Well, in a way it kind of was reasoned Tanya´s brain unhelpfully.

"But why?"

The maid looked like she had just asked her why coaches had wheels. Was the answer that apparent?

"I cannot wash you properly from outside the bath Milady. So I shall join you."

All Tanya could do was nod as if she actually agreed with the reasoning. It was a good argument that she couldn´t refute easily without making herself look like either a fool or a slave driver. After a short moment of silence she desperately blurted out the first thing that came to mind before the servant could undress herself further.

 "That won´t be necessary! I can wash myself!"

"Nonsense Milady. You won´t be able to reach all the places and someone of your standing deserves to be cleaned suitably! Besides, it won´t do for a noble lady to wash herself! Just relax Milady. You will be in good hands."

"I guess..."

The little, blond girl was less than enthusiastic to be seen naked and touched by a stranger, but she had survived worse. If this was the social norm here then what could she do? When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

So she begrudgingly took off her own clothes and stepped into the gigantic pool without looking back. There was a bench underwater where she could comfortably sit mostly submerged and enjoy the pleasantly scented water.

Karmila slid into the water behind her and brought Tanya´s back to her sizable chest.

"Oh no! I can feel everything..." thought an uncharacteristically blushing blonde. While she had seen naked woman before it was still an incredibly rare experience. And despite the fact that she had accepted the sex change from her first life long ago her preferences for the female gender had stayed the same. This was more arousing than anything she had done in both her lives!

Her body tensed, but Karmila gently petted her head.

"Hush... Just relax Milady. First let us get all the filth and grime off you, shall we?"

The maid had grabbed a washcloth from somewhere behind her and started to softly wipe along Tanya´s arms.

"Ahhhh..."

She couldn´t help but sigh blissfully as the piece of flannel slowly dragged itself over her body. The way its rough texture rubbed over her sensitive scars, both new and old, acquired from a thousand battles, was sensational.

In the last few months after the heat of the war had died down she had a few truly pleasant moments. A hug from Visha, a bar of chocolate, the meals here in Lugnica, the bed in Reinhard´s home...

But none could compare to the feeling of pure pleasure that wracked her body upon being washed now. Of course she had cleaned herself as regularly as she could and as someone of noble status she had access to plenty clean water in Lugnica. Nonetheless Tanya had always held her visits to the bathhouse quick and "professional". She was a busy woman after all and every moment that she wasted could become her downfall in this unknown land.

There had never been a day to relax like this.

Not truly.

Not since...

Since when?

When had she specifically taken time just for herself? Not in her first life as a salaryman. Not in her second life as a child soldier.

Involuntarily she sucked her breath in due to the shock.

All this time she had put her job first before her own well-being. Anyways... The existential crisis would have to wait for later. For now she would seize this opportunity and use it for all it was worth. She snuggled deeper into the warm embrace of the maid who carefully let the cloth trail over her pale skin.

On and on it went in small circles to loosen all the dirt and blood that had accumulated. It stained the water but seemed to instantly vanish. How was that possible? Magic probably. She needed to know if she could learn that spell...

"Lady Tanya, are you comfortable?"

She hummed as an answer and closed her eyes to fully concentrate on the texture of the cloth and the skin contact on her back. It just felt too good.

Karmila delicately touched under her chin and ran her long fingers over her collarbone which caused a slight shiver to go through her body.

"Stay calm, Tanya... This is normal... Socially acceptable stuff... You´re supposed to enjoy it..."

The need for closeness and personal intimacy was present in all mammals, especially those with highly developed brains. It was a simple rule of biology that Tanya had successfully ignored throughout the last few decades of her existence. For this reason it came to no surprise that her repressed urges broke themselves free and violently flooded her mind with unknown feelings.

"Ahhhhh..." she shuddered as her nerves felt like they were being lit on fire.

"What a beautiful body you have Milady. So much hardship has been drawn on your skin. You must be so strong." Karmila whispered into her ear as she leisurely traced a particularly large scar on her stomach. It was unclear to her foggy mind if it was the touch or the words which gave her goosebumps.

Most of her past injuries had become faint silver scratches that were nearly unperceivable, but this one was pink instead. It was where Mary had rammed her dastardly bayonet into her and the potent magic saturating the blade had made it impossible for the wound to fully heal like the rest.

"Ughhh..." was the only response that Tanya´s tongue could form.

"But today nobody will watch you Milady. Today you can be just yourself without any worries." she continued.

The maid made a show of wringing the washcloth out over the water before carrying on with washing Tanya´s upper belly.

"It has only been a couple days since you came into this house, but I have never seen Master Reinhard so happy and full of life. You have given him new purpose beyond being the sword saint of Lugnica. We all are very thankful for that."

"Eep!" shrieked the Argent as her servant touched her mostly flat chest. Not there was much to touch after a lifetime of malnutrition and puberty-preventing stress. Nonetheless had the sudden contact on the sensitive flesh startled her.

"Hush Milady... You are very pretty. There is no need for you to be ashamed of such a wonderful body."

Had the water become hotter somehow? Tanya tried to squirm out of Karmila´s lap but the older woman held her pressed against her large chest.

"Hold still please, so I may wash you."

Tanya noted the futility of her struggle since she would need to use a strength enhancement spell to break free and resigned herself to her fate. It was for the best. Although a small part of her demanded to take back control of the situation and clean herself a much larger part relished the attention she was receiving.

If she was honest with herself...

Then she wanted to be touched there.

She could resist right now like she had done countless times with the temptations and poisonous promises of Bing X, but what would be the point? Karmila was right. Today was the one day where she would finally let loose.

As a result she fully melted into the embrace.

One hand lifted from her torso to her head and began to affectionately stoke her hair. The other drew slow circles around her breast which caused Tanya to shiver again.

"You are stunning Milady. Although it seems that I will have to tell the cook to increase your portions a bit. Imagine how much better you will look with some more flesh on your ribs." she grinned into her ear. Tanya herself smiled as well; already excited for the heavenly food she was going to eat.

Her maid switched to the other side of her chest and used more stimulating rubs this time. Tanya gasped and she laughed quietly. It was a nice sound in Tanya´s opinion. Full of contentment and fondness. She wouldn´t mind hearing more of it.

The moment appeared to last a small eternity until Karmila withdrew her hand and she instantly missed the contact. An unhappy mewl escaped her lips which she instantly regretted. Karmila chuckled and gave her breast one last teasing flick.

"Now Lady Tanya, please lean forward. Your back must be washed too, you know? I am sure I can handle it just as enjoyable as your front side." she smirked with a certain smugness that made Tanya eager to know what exactly she had in mind. The problem was only that her limbs felt like they had dissolved into butter and wouldn´t move a centimetre.

"Ughaa... Can´t..."

"Aww... Already spent? I see... Fufufu."

A soft arm snaked itself around her shoulders and lowered her closer to the steaming surface of the water while the second expertly massaged all the strained muscles in her back. Knots that had remained tense for months became loose and overwhelmed Tanya with unexpected pleasure. Never before had she moaned this loud. Panic set in and she hastily slapped a hand over her mouth, splashing water everywhere.

"No need to hold back Milady. I am the only person who can hear you. Let it all out. It´s quite cute fufufu."

Normally she would have resented any attempt to categorize her as cute, but today she decided to let it slide. Endearing herself to the mansion staff could only be beneficial after all.

Promptly another blissful moan tore itself from her throat as Karmila worked her magic hands on her. She lost track of time again as the maid kneaded her entire shoulders, switching from side to side with her hands and occasionally rubbing her with the washcloth. The whole event blurred together into a haze of delight and relief. It was – for lack of a better word – divine.

"Wasn´t that nice Milady? How about we scrub those shapely legs of yours now, hmm?"

"Yeee..." she slurred out and Karmila chuckled.

"I am happy that I could be of service Milady. Your pleasure is my reward."

As if to emphasize her point the washcloth dipped in between her legs and rubbed over her thigh. She jerked from the touch of such a private place on her body as well as the improper thoughts that entered her mind upon contact. This situation was getting too lewd!

"Now, now Lady Tanya. Don´t squirm and let your trusty maid take care of you. She will make you feel good if you act like the good girl you were undoubtedly taught to be. Are you a good girl Lady Tanya?"

Much to her embarrassment her head unconsciously nodded and Karmila´s grip on her smaller body tightened. This was so degrading! But also enticing! What was going on? Why was she feeling so strange? Something had to be wrong!

"Wonderful." the maid breathed into her ear as all her senses screamed 'danger'.

Agonizingly sluggish the cloth continued its path along her thigh until it rubbed her knee. Tanya let out a sigh of relief now that she had seemingly escaped the compromising position only for Karmila´s hand to return to her inner thigh and make her tense again. The redhead pretended not to notice and dutifully continued her work.

"Don´t worry Milady. I am your loyal servant and will fulfil your every wish. I will not hurt you. You are safe."

Tanya forced herself to nod. Making her subordinate´s job harder would be rude and could reflect poorly on her character. Nobody was watching. She just needed to relax and get this over with.

"Good girl."

Her breathing quickened. Why was the woman saying that?

The cloth ghosted over her core and she shivered again. Had her toes not already been curled then they would be now. She avoided touching herself down there as much as possible, because it still reminded her of all the torment that Being X had inflicted upon her with the forced gender swap. And when that time of the month came... ugh. She didn´t even want to think about it!

But the touch of another person on her most private part stoked a fire in her belly she had never known. Mercifully Karmila moved on quickly to her other thigh, so the heat in her core had the opportunity to subside. At least that was what the logical part of her brain tried to reason before it was squashed by a wave of longing and disappointment. It had felt so good and she wanted more!

"Honestly Tanya... How shameless can you get! Getting aroused by being washed! You are lucky she hasn´t noticed yet! This could count as sexual harassment!"

"Now I am going to let go of you for a minute or else I won´t be able to reach your feet Milady."

True to her word the maid carefully pulled Tanya out of her lap and stood up to walk deeper into the water. Tanya could not help but stare at her wet skin under the dim light. How the water drops were running down her back. How her breasts swung with each step. How...

"Enjoying the show Milady?"

"Uh..." was Tanya´s more than lame response as her brain short-circuited.

"It´s alright. It is good to know that I have a body that pleases the eye of my Lady. Fufufu..."

The redhead lifted one of Tanya´s legs and started scrubbing her foot under the water. She was very thorough in cleaning in between the toes and concentrated fully on her task. From time to time she would grab various flasks with oils and other liquids from the edge of the tub and tenderly massage them into the skin.

Meanwhile her charge was rather focused on not ogling at the bountiful chest that was barely touching the surface of the pool and swayed hypnotically with each movement. Instead her eyes were glued to the tip of Karmila´s tongue which stuck out cutely from her lips. Those full red lips that seemed just perfect to...

"Oh Milady... Are you getting excited? Fufufu... I know I am."

"Wha-"

"Hush, Lady Tanya. It is only natural. A healthy, young woman like you should react that way."

Really? She was no expert on female psychology and nobody had ever bothered to explain how she was supposed to feel as a woman, but that did seem strange. Perhaps homosexuality was expected in this kingdom? Like in medieval Japan or ancient Greece in her original world. But Karmila was basically her employee! She couldn´t take advantage of her like that! The lawsuits would tarnish her reputation forever as some kind of pervert!

There was only one solution: "Better deny everything!"

"I was not... uh... I could not possibly..."

"Wonderful job Tanya! Bumbling like an oaf will make you definitely seem less like a pervert!" she thought sarcastically.

"Everything is alright. These feet look like they have not been treated properly in ages! Of course you will feel good when they are finally treated with the care they deserve. I know you were a soldier Milady, but you need to take more care of yourself!"

What?

"I... had not much time for such frivolities, you see..."

"Well, be that as it may, you now have me! So don´t hesitate to call on me whenever you desire!" Karmila beamed at her with a cute wink.

Tanya dumbly nodded and pressed her eyes shut to not lose further control. Her body was acting up strangely and her improper urges were clouding her mind. She needed to not lose focus regardless of amazing she felt right now! So she distracted herself by making up complex mathematical problems and solving them. After a while she drifted off into a light nap only to be awoken by the gentle shaking of her shoulder.

"Hey, hey, hey Milady. Wake up! We are not done here. Fufufu..."

"I apologize..." she groaned.

Groggily she followed Karmila´s instruction and let her wash her face. If possible her slender fingers felt even better when they brushed tenderly over her face or entangled themselves in Tanya´s wild hair. The floral scent of the soap and the steady strokes over her scalp were soothing enough to nearly lull her to sleep again.

Suddenly she felt the maid under her adjust her grip before lifting Tanya´s small body up and out of the water.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked (too surprised to care about how undignified she sounded), clinging tightly to the redhead to preserve her body warmth.

"Drying you Milady!" grinned the woman cheekily.

With great enthusiasm she produced a towel from seemingly nowhere and used it to rub her up and down until Tanya´s skin reddened. If it coloured from returning shame or from the comparatively rough treatment was impossible to discern.

Karmila leaned in close one last time breathily snickered into her ear:

"I guessed that you were uncomfortable with such intimacy Milady, so I went easy on you today. Next time I´ll be more... thorough... Fufufu..."

Needless to say that Tanya was full on panicking in that moment due to her standard reaction to unknown feelings: Evade and eradicate with utmost prejudice!

Even though her body would have liked nothing more than to stay in the comfortable bath and experiment with these new tempting sensations her deeply ingrained paranoia would not permit her to enjoy herself. This was all too new, too dangerous and too unfamiliar for her! So she hastily made her retreat out of the bath under the gaze of a highly amused Karmila.

Notes:

I am sure some major mistake is in this chapter, but I can´t find it, because I am way too tired. Time is for writing and not for sleeping after all :)