Scrubbing Her Back

Under Molly's curious gaze, Adele finally voiced her question. Her eyes were wide and filled with a mix of fear and concern. "Molly, did… did some male creature barge in on you while you were bathing?"

As soon as she asked, her expression changed to one of anger, and she gritted her teeth. "Who was it? Which bastard dared to do such a thing?! Scum like that don't deserve to live! I'll grind them to dust!"

Of course, nothing like that had ever happened to Molly. With her sharp ears and keen sense of smell, even if someone had tried to sneak in on her while she was bathing, she would've wrapped herself up tightly before they could see anything. And she'd have made sure that any male creature foolish enough to try would get a one-way ticket to hell.

Though Molly didn't frequent public bathhouses, she knew all too well what could happen in such places. In her time with the human resistance, she had saved a few girls from similar situations in bathhouses. Those male creatures weren't just there to sneak a peek—they had far worse intentions. But any that tried such things with Molly found themselves regretting it, if they were even alive to regret it.

Adele shouldn't have asked such a question, knowing how strong Molly was. But in her mind, Molly was still a weak person, and she hadn't fully adjusted to the idea of Molly being powerful. That's why she asked.

Molly couldn't help but let out a sigh, a hint of frustration in her voice. "Miss, can't you have a little more faith in me?"

Her less-than-friendly tone snapped Adele back to reality. Right, there was probably no male creature capable of barging into Lady Dawn's bath. Realizing she'd asked something silly, Adele blushed with embarrassment.

But Molly was already checking the water temperature. After pulling the curtains shut and securing the door, she called Adele over, offering to help her wash up. Hearing this, Adele's face turned even redder, and she hesitated. "I can manage on my own… you don't have to…"

Molly interrupted her gently, "Miss, you've got a lot of dirt on your back that you can't reach. Let me help." Maybe it was because she was older, but Molly didn't feel the least bit awkward about this, even though she now knew they both had feelings for each other. She was calm, having already helped Adele bathe several times before.

Molly had scrubbed the large wooden basin until it was spotless, filling it with the warm water she had just prepared. Adele knew she was quite dirty, and the sight of the hot water was too tempting. In the end, she couldn't resist and nodded, though she wrapped a towel around herself for modesty. With Molly's urging, she turned her back to Molly, undressed, and slipped carefully into the basin, keeping the towel on.

As Adele settled into the basin, the water spilled over the edges, dripping onto the wooden floor. Molly paid it no mind, instead grabbing a towel and preparing to scrub Adele's back. Knowing how shy Adele could be, Molly decided to focus on her back and hair, leaving the rest for Adele to handle herself.

Molly wet the towel, then gently poured water over Adele's head, using the towel to carefully clean her hair. Adele's hair was soft and smooth, and the dirty leaves and grime washed away easily under Molly's touch.

After finishing with the hair, Molly lifted Adele's hair, gathering it to one side and resting it over her shoulder. Then, she pulled the towel down a bit, revealing Adele's back.

As the towel slid down, much of the dirt was already wiped away, revealing her smooth, pale skin. Vampires tended to have fair skin, and Adele's was especially so. When Molly placed the damp towel on her back, Adele couldn't help but shiver.

To be precise, she flinched, and Molly, ever observant, noticed the goosebumps rising on Adele's neck and shoulders. As the towel moved across her back, Adele gradually relaxed, though her posture remained stiff.

Through the towel, Molly could feel just how soft Adele's skin was, so smooth that the towel seemed like it might slip right off. This was the first time Molly had scrubbed Adele's back while she was awake, and the first time she realized how much Adele had grown into a beautiful woman.

Adele's hands clutched the towel at her chest, while her exposed back, with its slender neck, delicate shoulders, and smooth expanse, caught Molly's full attention. Strands of her silver hair, still damp, clung to her back, seemingly insignificant but impossible to ignore once noticed.

Those strands didn't just rest on Adele's back—they tugged at Molly's heart. In that moment, Molly had to admit that Adele had a strong pull on her. She shifted her hand slightly, reaching out a fingertip to lightly touch Adele's back, just above the towel.

As she had imagined, Adele's skin was incredibly smooth and soft, almost as if there was a magnetic force keeping her from pulling away.

Molly's fingertip was warm, and compared to the heat of the basin's water, Adele couldn't tell which was warmer. But the feel of Molly's finger, different from the towel, made Adele's nerves tighten again, her grip on the towel tightening, and she shivered once more.

The subtle tingling sensation that started from Molly's fingertip spread all over Adele, making her feel like a cat with its fur standing on end.

Adele turned her head, her gaze holding a hint of accusation. Molly, seeing this, decided not to tease her any further and instead focused on thoroughly scrubbing her back. After a short while, she set the towel aside and stood up, addressing Adele's back. "Miss, your back is all clean. Do you think you can manage the rest on your own?"

Adele nodded vigorously, too eager for Molly to leave. She didn't even turn around to speak to her, knowing her face must be bright red. She refused to acknowledge that her blush was because of Molly—it was definitely from being in the hot water too long!

Seeing that Adele agreed, Molly stepped out of the room. She made sure no one was passing by before stepping into the hallway and closing the door. As she shut the door, she could hear the sound of water splashing inside, and she couldn't help but blush herself.

Usually, Adele was the one who got embarrassed, her face turning red from Molly's smallest actions or words. Molly, on the other hand, was always the calm one. After all, she was supposed to be the "cool beauty" type—if she didn't stay composed, she wouldn't live up to that image. So, she maintained her calm demeanor, even though, deep down, she knew she was naturally a calm person.

With two lifetimes behind her, Molly was practically middle-aged. Even though she had a playful side, she was far more mature than many who had lived for centuries. Despite her maturity, Molly found herself blushing and her heart racing after seeing Adele's back.

Am I turning into a lecherous old fool…?

Molly didn't want to admit it, but the truth was hard to deny. To hide her embarrassment, she changed into her Lady Dawn persona. She stood guard in the hallway for a while, her back straight as she waited outside the door. Occasionally, other guests passed by and couldn't help but steal a glance at the black-clad, veiled Lady Dawn.

But Molly shot them a glare, her imposing presence as Lady Dawn too intimidating for the scruffy non-humans in the shabby inn to handle. They had no choice but to slink away, grumbling under their breath. Molly huffed. Cowards.

If these had been stronger non-humans, it might've turned into a confrontation. What are you looking at? → I'm looking at you, so what? → Look again, I dare you. → I just did. And then it would've escalated into a fight.

Molly's mind wandered, thinking of all sorts of things to keep herself from focusing entirely on what was happening in the room. After a while, Adele finally called out, letting Molly know she was done. Molly opened the door and walked in to find Adele sitting on the bed in soft pajamas.

The pajamas were one of the items Molly had brought from Blake Castle, made of smooth silk. Adele's hair was still damp, wrapped in a towel, and she was gently drying it. The bedding beneath her was also from Blake Castle, looking far more luxurious than anything else in the room.

Adele, dressed in her elegant sleepwear, looked entirely out of place in the small, shabby room. The yellowing walls, decaying wood, and old furniture didn't suit her at all.

Molly stepped in, picking up the remaining bathwater to dispose of it. But Adele bit her lip, hesitating before asking, "Molly, aren't you going to take a bath?"

I am, but I'm not going to use your leftover bathwater.

Molly shot Adele a silent, exasperated look, just like the one Adele had given her earlier. Adele cleared her throat, realizing how silly her question was, and quickly added, "Make sure you come back soon."

Molly did indeed return quickly. She went to the public bathhouse for a quick rinse, drying off and hurrying back. Partly because the bathhouse was in poor condition, and partly because she encountered an idiot who tried to barge in while she was bathing. The bathhouse ended up soaked in blood, and Molly made sure to relieve the foolish non-human of his wallet.

Guests at such a cheap inn didn't have much money on them.

Molly sighed to herself, How am I going to support the young lady?