Chapter 25: The Secret to Beauty

"What a wonderful bath this is!"

An eager Mia arrived at the communal baths just as it opened. The bathing facility in Saint-Noel's girls' dormitory used water extracted from a natural hot spring deep in the ground. Standing in the bathing area with an expansive tub filled to the brim with steaming hot spring water and absolutely no one else in sight, Mia beamed her pleasure.

"...I wonder if this is what heaven feels like."

Anne couldn't help but giggle at the sight.

She really does love her baths, doesn't she?

Bathing was a surprisingly uncommon practice in noble circles. Very few people ever partook in it. Part of the reason was the fact that the scarcity of volcanoes on the continent made natural hot springs rare. In order to soak the entirety of one's body, a sufficient amount of water had to be both transported and heated, and few nobles found the effort to be worthwhile. The prevailing opinion among them was, "What's wrong with just wiping yourself off?"

If anything, it was the sweat-soaked working people who were fond of bathing. Unlike nobles, who never lacked for entertainment, commoners had little to look forward to in their days. The few public bathhouses that dotted the city were, therefore, widely enjoyed by the masses as one of their few sources of recreation. Even among the Empire's frequent bathers, however, Mia was widely known to have an unparalleled love for baths. Though she rarely indulged in extravagance, bathing was the one luxury that she allowed herself. Considering she had her bath filled and heated on a daily basis, her obsession became a popular talking point among her maids. She hadn't always been this way, though. In the previous timeline she had no such infatuation. Her three years in the dungeon, however... had changed her.

During her time as a captive, she was only allowed a barrel of cold water once a week. After three years of this she'd developed an intense yearning for a hot bath. But no matter how many times she asked, her pleas fell on deaf ears. Ultimately, the only warm bath she would take was at the guillotine in a pool of her own blood. After being reincarnated she wanted to bathe on a daily basis. Even though she knew that blind indulgence would lead her straight back to the guillotine, her love for bathing was the one desire she couldn't suppress.

At first, Mia's request had left Anne baffled. She couldn't understand why a princess like her would long for an activity that was considered to be so...common. Her doubts, however, disappeared after she witnessed the pleasure Mia derived from lounging in the bath, and she started scouring the town for ways to improve the bathing experience. Seeing it as a chance for her to repay her master's kindness, she searched for popular bath herbs, procured water from the few hot springs in the area, and did whatever else she could to create the perfect bath environment.

The result of all this was that over time, Mia acquired a number of things, such as tender, healthy-looking skin that glowed and smooth, flowing hair that had a beautiful luster. She, however, had no idea. So long as she enjoyed her bath everyday, she was satisfied, and thus she remained none the wiser. The Empire's social circles, however, certainly did take note, and unbeknownst to her, a steadily growing number of admirers had begun to liken her beauty to that of the moon goddess.

I must say, I sure get a lot of comments about how my skin is pretty and my hair is beautiful these days. I wonder why...?

Such was the extent of her own obliviousness.

"All right. I'm going to wash your back for you, Princess Mia."

"Yes, go ahead."

Anne proceeded to carefully scrub Mia's back, taking care to check the condition of her skin.

Hm... she thought, her skin feels a little rough. It must have been the long journey.

Fortunately, the spring water used in this bath was said to be good for relieving fatigue and revitalizing dry, damaged skin. With a dab of herbal soap and a massage, followed by a nice long soak, her skin should be back to prime condition.

Still, I wonder who the person is that Princess Mia wants to approach?

Though Mia had left the question unanswered, Anne's curiosity did not wane.

I thought for sure she liked Mr. Ludwig, but—

Anne shook her head.

Regardless, my job is to take perfect care of her so that every man who sees her will find her irresistible. Let's see, what's next...

After washing Mia's body, she started brushing through her hair.

No split ends? Check. Volume and shine? Check.

"All right. I'm done, Milady Mia," said Anne with a satisfied nod.

"Thank you, Anne. You always take such good care of me."

Mia turned around with a pleased smile on her face but then frowned as though remembering something.

"Hm... Ah-hah! That's it! I should wash your back for you from time to time," she declared with a grin.

"Wh-What? No way! You're my master, Princess Mia! I can't possibly have you wash my back!"

"Please. Enough with the modesty. It's not like anyone is watching, and I'm sure you're tired as well. Consider it thanks for taking care of me every day."

To Mia, Anne was an invaluable ally and a loyal subject. Even more importantly, though, she was the one who stayed by her side until her final moments — the one to whom Mia owed so much. It was a priceless debt that she knew she could never repay.

She pushed Anne down onto the seat and, disregarding her continued objections, quickly circled behind her and began scrubbing her back.

"There we go. Nice and clean now. Let's jump in, then."

Just as Mia was about to step into the bath, she heard a soft laugh behind her.

"Gosh, you two are such good friends, aren't you?"