2nd Day (12) | The Waterfall in the Garden (2)

"That's right. That's why it's better if we either heat or filter this water first if we want to drink it," Sebas explained, pouring the water in his hand back into the river.

"Would building an artificial channel to our settlement be possible?" Anastasia inquired, tilting her head in thought.

"I would say it is possible, my lady," her knight, Martha, replied, nodding slightly. "We could make a direct one by digging a straight line from the river here. However, while it is possible... it would take quite a while to construct one."

"I see..."

"Well, all in due time, Lady Ana," Sebas chimed in, offering a reassuring smile. "We can always chalk it up as a future construction project. Right now... let's just enjoy the water~."

"That sounds reasonable," the mistress agreed. However, as she stepped closer to the river, her expression grew hesitant. "...Sir Sebas, just to make sure... is this water truly clean and safe to use?"

"Of course, my lady."

"Then... it is all right for me to use it..." She paused, a tint of red on her cheeks, "...to clean myself?"

Sebas smiled, amused by the noblewoman's bashfulness. "Indeed, my lady."

Hearing his confirmation brought a bright smile to the redheaded young woman. Her excitement was not hers alone, but also shared by her blonde maid and even her ponytailed knight.

After all, Anastasia and her entourage had been traveling for the last couple of days before reaching here, and even when they had arrived in this land, they had been too preoccupied with the events of the day to even tend to their hygiene.

But now... the thought of clean water cleansing their bodies brought them great joy.

"Bella, please prepare our bathing essentials," Anastasia ordered her maid, her voice carrying a rare hint of eagerness.

"Y-yes, my lady!" Bella responded, mirroring her mistress's excitement—perhaps even more.

The maid quickly unfastened the backpack on her back, pulling out not just Anastasia's change of clothes but also her own and Martha's.

Anastasia then turned toward Martha... her expression slightly concerned as she glanced at her knight's bandaged form.

"Martha... would you be able to bathe in your current state?"

"I... might be able to, my lady," her knight admitted. "Most of my injuries have healed well enough for me to be able to touch water."

Hearing her words brought relief to Anastasia, who smiled with reassurance as she turned to both Martha and Bella. "Then... would you two kindly help me bathe?"

"Of course, Lady Anastasia."

"Y-yes, right away, my lady!"

The three ladies were quite eager, starting to undress themselves... but then, they stopped in their tracks.

A moment of silence ensued between them... before a realization struck them.

At the same time, they all turned their heads—toward the fourth member of their group.

And here... they found their male butler, Sebas.

He was just standing there... a look of interest evident on his face as he watched the three ladies.

The three ladies themselves stared blankly at Sebas, while he, on the other hand, remained perfectly composed, watching them with his usual calm demeanor.

If anything, the slight tilt of his head suggested mild curiosity—as if he were wondering why they had suddenly stopped moving.

And then...

"K-KYAAAH!"

Their delayed reaction exploded all at once!

Anastasia's face turned a shade of deep crimson, Bella frantically covered herself with her arms, while Martha, in a fit of rage, stomped forward, pointing an accusatory finger at the butler.

"You—! D-Don't you dare peep on us while we're bathing, you shameless butler!" Martha roared, her own face beet red just like the other two.

"Peep?"

"YES, PEEP!" Martha shouted again, her face growing redder by the second. "Hurry up and leave, you damn butler!"

Anastasia and Bella, still flushed, nodded frantically in agreement.

Sebas let out a quiet hum of understanding before offering a small, amused smile.

"Understood, my ladies," he said nonchalantly, courteously bowing his head. "Well then... I shall excuse myself."

Then, as if their outburst had no effect on him at all, he casually turned on his heel, dusting off his sleeves as he walked away.

"I'll take this opportunity to clean up the monsters we slew earlier. Do enjoy your bath," he added, waving a hand without looking back.

The three ladies remained still as they watched his departure.

"...Tch." Martha clicked her tongue, crossing her arms. "That damn butler... why does he always act like nothing ever fazes him?"

Bella herself let out a sigh of relief, the feeling of being naked in front of the butler finally subsiding.

But Anastasia...?

The redheaded young woman simply stared at Sebas's retreating figure... an odd tugging feeling inside of her.

< | X | >

And so, minutes later—

They were all in their birth suits, dipping into the cold, yet oddly comforting river water.

The initial shiver from the temperature melted away as their bodies adjusted, allowing them to fully enjoy the sensation of fresh water washing over their skin.

"Ahh... this feels divine...!" Bella sighed, sinking deeper into the river, her golden hair floating gently on the surface.

"Yeah... this feels really good..." Martha agreed, the feeling of the cold water soothing her aching muscles.

Their mistress, though... was also enjoying the water.

She scooped the running water into her hands before pouring it over her head—the cold water ran through her long red hair and down her bare figure.

'...Bathing in the open wilderness... and with your own servants, no less,' she thought, finding the experience somewhat surreal.

As a noblewoman, Anastasia had only experienced bathing in a private, luxurious bath, with female servants waiting patiently to tend to her every need.

While the latter part still somewhat held true right now, with Bella and even Martha helping her, she couldn't help but feel an odd sense of irony in her situation.

She'd imagined that she wouldn't be able to properly clean herself for quite a while in this region, nor that she would be able to find clean water for her leisure use...

But...

'...It's not as bad as I thought it would be.'

She was proven wrong... and she was enjoying this new experience quite thoroughly.