CH 13

I didn’t have time to feel embarrassed.

In the changing room in front of the large bath, I was surrounded by Prince Athanasios and the maids, stripped of all my clothes and left with only a tunic for bathing. By the way, Prince Athanasios had only his underwear on, and although he didn’t seem to have trained much, he had a well-proportioned and slender body.

In the Uranos Principality, there was no custom of taking baths. I had never exposed my skin to the eyes of others, and I was living in a remote monastery. I couldn’t afford to be embarrassed anymore.

“Ugh, why is this happening?”

I let out a sigh of weakness. Prince Athanasios didn’t miss it.

“What’s the matter? We’re going to the temple now. Taking a bath is a matter of course.”

“I-I see.”

“That’s right. Since you’re not used to it, I’ll help you.”

“W-Would the prince himself do that? That’s too much.”

“What are you talking about? Would I let anyone else see my wife naked?”

Prince Athanasios said it with dignity.

It seemed that in Prince Athanasios’ mind, I was already his wife.

Feeling both happy and embarrassed, I was led to the large bathhouse. It was located in a high position in the royal castle, with an unobstructed view of the sky above. Steam rose and mixed with the clouds. The bathtub was as big as a room, with rows of hot water.

First, I dipped my feet into the small bathtub for cleaning, located near the entrance. I was impressed by the mechanism that constantly circulated fresh hot water, keeping it warm and clean. I sat on the edge and Athanasios knelt on the floor behind me.

“Stay still while I wash your hair.”

I nodded silently. However, my hair had grown quite long. It was as long as my waist, and it creaked every time Athanasios touched it. I had neglected it and hadn’t eaten enough nutritious food.

“Eleni, have you ever taken care of your hair before?”

“I’m sorry, such luxury was not allowed.”

“Is it a luxury for a woman to take care of her hair? Oh, I see, you were a nun.”

“Yes, I am a nun serving the Goddess of Forgetfulness, Lethe.”

The monastery usually emphasizes simplicity and frugality, but the one serving the Goddess Lethe takes it to the extreme. They live on a limited amount of food, clothing, and shelter, and devote themselves to their training, avoiding contact with others as much as possible. It was impossible for me to grow properly in such an environment during my formative years.

My hair was messy, my skin was not rough but pale, and I had no feminine curves. Even if a man touched me, it wouldn’t be enjoyable. It wasn’t enjoyable for me either. But there was nothing I could do about it.

“What a waste of your beautiful golden hair. Take care of it properly from now on.”

“Yes…I understand.”

“How old are you?”

“I am sixteen.”

“Sixteen? With this?”

“Yes.”

“I thought you were twelve or thirteen…Are you eating properly? Oh, right, I see… You should eat as much as you want from now on.”

“Thank you very much.”

As we chatted, my hair was lathered with foam and the scent of flowers wafted down. Prince Athanasios’s fingertips were massaging my scalp, and the warm water made me feel good. At least, I wasn’t so nervous that my body was stiff. My heart was another matter.

“Eleni, is there any itchy spot?”

“No, there isn’t. It feels really good.”

“I see. Can you wash your body yourself? I’ll wash your back for you.”

“You don’t have to go that far.”

“Do you not want me to? I want to do it.”

“W-Well, in that case, can I ask you to wash my back?”

“Sure, I understand. You’re so skinny that I’m worried you won’t be able to wash yourself properly, especially your back.”

It was my first time being touched by a man even with my tunic on during a bath. However, Prince Athanasios moved the sponge with very gentle hands. I desperately rubbed my body with the soap foam, which was as fluffy as meringue, using the sponge. I wasn’t used to it since I usually just wiped myself with a cloth soaked in water, so I followed Prince Athanasios’s lead and washed to remove the dirt.

However, he said.

“You’re taking too long. Just turn this way.”

“Huh?”

“It’s okay. You probably didn’t touch the foam anyway.”

Prince Athanasios, who had lost his patience, skillfully spun me around without asking and washed me all over as if polishing my body. He didn’t touch the important parts, so I managed to protect them somehow.

After being thoroughly washed by Prince Athanasios and having my hair lightly tied up, I was thrown into a huge bathtub and soaked in hot water. While struggling to produce large bubbles in the tunic for bathing, Prince Athanasios was a little far away.

“I’ll wash up too, so wait. If it gets too hot, get out.”

“Yes.”

As instructed, I finally took a breath and looked up at the sky.

Outside, only the Styx Temple, which was even higher up, could be seen in the distance. It was as if I was in the sky. The steam rose high, and the occasional breeze that came in was cool. It was completely beyond my memory that I was just on the other side of this clear blue sky a few days ago.

The soap had a sweet smell, like the nectar of flowers, and it wafted from my hair. I had never smelled anything like it before. It reminded me of when my mother used to wear perfume, but that was a distant memory that I was trying to forget. I wanted to forget everything. The Goddess of Forgetfulness, Lethe, no matter how much I prayed, wouldn’t let me forget completely.

Oh, how ugly the world is. I hate the mundane world. I didn’t want to interact with anyone.

However, this moment feels like heaven. Athanasios, the prince, is taking care of me, treating me gently and bathing me, even though he’s a bit forceful. Isn’t that enough? I could just live here and repay his kindness with my role as Athanasios’ wife. It doesn’t matter if I’m not his real wife. Athanasios won’t treat me roughly, so I can relax.

Okay, let’s do that. Then, I might be able to do it too. Goddess of Forgetfulness, Lethe, I never really had faith in you, but I’ll make everything disappear cleanly here. Please forgive me.

As I was thinking about such things, Prince Athanasios came to my side. He was soaking in the bathtub, and his beautiful profile was very close to my face.

“How are you feeling? Is it not too hot?”

“No, it’s just right.”

“The main god Styx likes cleanliness, and it is recommended for believers to take a bath every day. Anyway, be sure to take a bath when you go to the temple.”

“Yes, I understand. Um, Prince Athanasios…”

“Just call me Thanasios. No need for ‘Prince’.”

“Then… Thanasios-sama…”

I let out a little bit of my overflowing anxiety.

“You didn’t want to marry someone like me, did you?”

I knew it was pointless to ask. Anyone would hate the idea of marrying someone they didn’t like. Even among the nobility, arranged marriages were made with someone of similar status and common understanding. But in my case, I was a princess who had become a nun, and he was a prince of a great nation. Naturally, there was no way Thanasios would have any desire to marry me.

Still, I couldn’t suppress my anxiety. I couldn’t help but speak out. Maybe I wanted to be denied, to hear that it was true. Maybe I was waiting for those words because it would be easier to hear them.

However, Thanasios didn’t use those words.

“Do you agree to suddenly become a couple with a complete stranger you didn’t even know the name or face of until yesterday?”

“No.”

“That’s right. First, nothing can start without knowing each other. Whether it’s hating you or falling in love with you, everything starts from there.”

I looked at Thanasios. His beautiful profile, bright brown eyes looking up at the sky, didn’t seem to be unhappy now.

Whether he hated me or not, just hearing him say that made me feel relieved.

Thanasios suddenly turned to me and gave me some instructions.

“And make sure you eat plenty of meat. Your complexion is too pale.”

“Y-Yes.”

“Take care of your hair and skin every day, and get plenty of rest. As for marriage or a wife, let’s think about that later. I don’t want to be accused of having a thing for young girls.”

In other words, Thanasios said this.

“Make sure you grow up to be a proper lady, okay?”

From Thanasios’s perspective, it seemed that I had not grown up to be a proper sixteen-year-old lady.

I could only answer with a faint “yes” in response.