Chapter 73: This, My Friends, Is the Life!
“This is the bath you’ve been dreaming of all this time,” Abyss said as the maid pushed open a fragrant wooden door, revealing the scene to Leona and Flora.
It was a luxurious bathroom, steam rising from a large bathtub carved from a single log in the center of the room. The air was filled with the sweet scent of flowers from the various petals floating in the hot water. Beside the tub was a small copper table with a bottle of dwarven spiced liquor and several crystal glasses. Next to the main bathtub was a smaller stone tub filled with ice, a faint chill emanating from it.
Located in the northwestern corner of the continent, the Western Empire had a unique bathing tradition—soaking in scalding hot water, followed by a shot of strong liquor, and then a final rinse in ice-cold water. It was said to dispel fatigue and induce complete relaxation.
“This… This is the life I want!” Leona exclaimed, jumping in delight. This bathing style was sophisticated! Invigorating! This was how a princess should live!
“You… You and Flora can bathe together. I booked this bathroom specifically for you two,” Abyss said with a smile. “You haven’t had a proper bath since joining me. Now that we have time, relax and enjoy yourselves.”
“Good job, ABC! I’ll remember this and reward you later!” Leona said excitedly, patting Abyss’s hand.
“If you want to reward me, you actually have a chance tonight…” Abyss murmured, then put on a gentle smile. “Take your time. When you’re done, there will be a maid waiting outside. She’ll escort you to your room for the night. Don’t worry, I spent a lot of money on the room. It’s guaranteed to be luxurious and comfortable.”
“Alright! You can go now. Flora and I are going to bathe!” Leona said cheerfully, pushing Abyss out, having the maid close the door, and then pulling Flora to undress.
“I feel like Abyss is hiding something from us today…” Flora said, walking towards the clothes basket as Leona pulled her along. “Don’t you think he’s acting strangely nervous?”
“Nervous? Is he? Oh, he’s a wandering mage. He probably rarely visits such high-class places,” Leona said, quickly stripping naked and then helping Flora with her more complicated mage robes.
Once Flora was also undressed, Leona held her arms and scrutinized her body.
Although Leona was also a girl, Flora couldn’t help but blush. “Um… What…?”
“The Church is amazing. They’ve trained your body to perfection. If I’m not mistaken, you’re only seventeen, right? My goodness, everything is in the right place. If I were a boy, I wouldn’t be able to resist you.”
Leona observed Flora like a piece of art, nodding repeatedly.
Flora blushed even harder. She had bathed with other girls before—as the Saint of the Church, she had four maids attending to her during her baths. But no maid would ever dare say such things to the esteemed Saint.
“Look at me, although my figure is also quite impressive, my skin isn’t as good as yours,” Leona said, puffing out her chest, which was as flat as a board, and then patting her upper arm. “Feel my skin here. It’s tough, it can deflect a charging bull. But yours, my goodness, it’s as smooth as pudding. I feel like it would tear if I poked it.”
Flora, flustered by Leona’s comments, ran to the bathtub and jumped in, her head bobbing above the water as she blew bubbles.
Leona, finally satisfied with admiring Flora’s perfect body, jumped into the bathtub with the grace of a gymnast.
The bathtub wasn’t just a container for water. It had a compartment at the bottom with a heating magic circle. Water flowed in from a small hole at the bottom and circulated back, keeping the water at a constant temperature of over fifty degrees.
Immersed in the hot water, Leona and Flora, both undead with naturally low body temperatures, immediately felt the comforting warmth penetrate their pores, making them want to moan in pleasure. It was like a long-awaited rain after a drought. The warmth spread through their bodies, making them feel truly alive again.
“Ah… My goodness… This is heavenly,” Leona said, her head above the water as she half-squatted in the tub, unable to sit without being submerged. She balanced a flower petal on her nose and looked at Flora, who was meticulously scrubbing the dirt off her body, with a dreamy expression.
The undead didn’t sweat or have a metabolism. The potent preservation magic of their high-level necromancy prevented bacteria from growing on their bodies, so they wouldn’t develop any unpleasant odors even without bathing. What they needed to wash off was the dust accumulated from lying in their graves for forty years. It wasn’t difficult to clean, but these pampered noble ladies, out of habit, wanted to be completely spotless.
Leona and Flora helped each other wash their backs and hair, soaking in the tub until their faces were flushed, their bodies fully revitalized by the heat.
“Let’s have a drink. It’s been an unforgettable day,” Leona said, leaning on the edge of the tub, pouring two glasses of the spiced liquor, and handing one to Flora.
The fiery dwarven liquor burned as it went down, a wave of heat traveling from the tongue to the throat and down to the stomach. Then, the intense aroma of the spices exploded in their nostrils, stimulating their senses. Even the gentle Flora couldn’t help but cover her nose and let out a long sigh, while Leona gasped in delight, as if expelling forty years of loneliness with each breath.
“And now for the highlight of the Western Empire’s bathing ritual!” Leona said, stepping out of the hot tub and, after a brief moment of preparation, plunging into the ice-cold water, submerging her head completely.
A Dou Warrior’s body was resistant to extreme temperatures, but after a momentary delay, the icy cold water engulfed Leona.
“Ugh… Hah…” Leona gasped, her head above the water, her eyes closed, her rosy lips slightly parted as she breathed rapidly. Her muscles and bones felt like they were melting, her entire body weightless.
This was it! This was the true Western Empire bathing experience!
Flora, after a moment of hesitation, lifted her long, slender legs and stepped out of the hot tub, entering the cold water. As a Saint, she had been forbidden from taking cold baths, as it would damage her skin. But now, as an undead, her skin would remain eternally beautiful, and she was no longer bound by the Church’s rules. So, with a sense of excitement, she experienced the ice bath she had never had in her previous life.
“Ahh…” Flora gasped as she submerged herself in the icy water.
It was so cold! But her body felt so relaxed! It was amazing!
…
Flora and Leona spent two hours in the bathroom. After sending their clothes to be washed and changing into the bathrobes provided by the inn, they emerged, their skin glowing, their damp hair cascading down their backs, their lips plump and rosy from the moisture, looking radiant and beautiful. The splendor of their former lives was fully restored.
The maid, who had been waiting outside, led them down a long corridor to a luxurious suite.
“This is your room, ladies. Please rest well. If you need anything, just call for me,” the maid said respectfully, opening the door made of fine wood for Leona and Flora.
“Where’s Abyss?” Flora wondered.
“Boys bathe quickly. He must have finished long ago and gone to his room to sleep. He’ll probably come find us tomorrow. Come on, I can’t wait to roll around on that soft bed!”
Leona pulled Flora into the room excitedly.
Several magic lamps cast a soft glow, illuminating the ornate furniture, the bookshelf filled with various books, the exquisite and expensive paintings, and the handicrafts imported from the Elven Kingdoms.
And a luxurious bed, five meters wide.
Seeing the bed, Leona’s smile froze.
Abyss was sitting on it, cross-legged. He seemed to have bathed as well, wearing the inn’s pajamas, his bare feet white and clean. He looked at them with a smile.
“You’re here. I’ve been waiting for you. Come join me in bed.”
Abyss patted the bed and grinned, his teeth gleaming.
Leave a Reply