Chapter 103 : Come On, Anna, Come Have Fun
When we were rescued by Nora and brought to Ende Castle, dawn was already faintly breaking.
Although my recovery speed was relatively fast, I still rested until nearly noon before fully adjusting.
Lily... wasn't beside me. She had rested earlier, so it was natural that she'd wake up earlier too.
After completing my washing and dressing, I prepared to greet the new day with a peaceful mindset.
I left my room to find maids cleaning in the hallway. I'd heard long ago that the servants around Chris were all young, beautiful girls, and even Nora, who should be the most senior head maid, was a girl in the prime of youth.
"Good day."
"Good morning, Miss Anna."
The young maid responded cheerfully.
"I'll tidy the room, so please go to the hot springs in the back garden to find the head maid. Your companions are already enjoying the hot springs."
Hot springs, huh...
I should give myself a proper wash. I hadn't had time for a proper bath these past two days.
Another door opened immediately, and Sigrdrífa walked out stretching lazily.
"Good morning, Rifa."
"Good... morning, Anna... hm? Where's Lily?"
"Lily is at the hot springs."
The moment I mentioned hot springs, Sigrdrífa perked up considerably.
"Then let's go find Lily and the others too. Anna, you... mm, it should be fine."
It should be fine?
Ah... she's referring to my special time...
I seemed to recall the Young Miss mentioning that a girl's menstrual period wasn't suitable for hot springs. Thanks to becoming a girl, I'd learned knowledge I probably would never have needed in my lifetime.
But I remembered the game developers, while striving for realism, had also removed many things. The reason periods weren't suitable for hot springs seemed to be that it was bad for the uterus, but gynecological diseases and such had been almost entirely removed by the developers.
Since Sigrdrífa said it should be fine, then at least according to common knowledge on the Lemoria Continent, that was the case.
Sigrdrífa and I walked side by side, with lively, cute maids occasionally helping us with directions. One maid who had finished her work even enthusiastically led us to the hot springs in the back garden.
Ende Barony's castle originally had no hot springs. They were renovated during Chris's grandfather's generation. Ende wasn't a particularly strategic location, unbothered by warfare, so squeezing the training ground space a bit was harmless.
The castle was divided into inner and outer sections. The outer area was where guards trained and rested, while the inner area was Chris and the maids' private space. The layout was quite similar to a harem and imperial guards.
The maid brought us to the back garden then took her leave. Standing guard outside the door was head maid Nora.
"I've been waiting for you both. Please enter the hot springs from here. After bathing, please come to the parlor for lunch."
"Thank you."
Sigrdrífa rushed in eagerly. As I passed by Nora, I tentatively asked.
"Won't you join us?"
In principle, maids weren't allowed to bathe with their masters, but masters always needed personal maids to attend them. I thought Nora would serve Chris during bathing.
"...I'll pass."
Nora fell silent for a moment, then replied expressionlessly.
Perhaps there was some reason, but prying further would be too tactless.
I bowed slightly in response, then closed the back garden entrance door.
Rifa... eh? So fast?
In the brief time I'd exchanged words with Nora, Sigrdrífa had already vanished.
The room directly ahead was the changing room. Despite claiming to be a medieval setting, the male and female symbols were surprisingly clear.
Go to the boys' side... no wait, I should go to the pink figure's room now...
"Rifa? I'm coming in, okay?"
I pushed open the ajar door to the women's changing room to find it empty.
In one of the clothes baskets, I could see Sigrdrífa's garments. Her movements really were swift. But I understood. Elves were a very clean race. If not for being truly exhausted yesterday, Sigrdrífa would definitely have proactively suggested enjoying the hot springs.
"..."
A girls' changing room, huh... mm...
I felt subtly shy, probably because it was usually only used by youthful beautiful girls. The changing room was filled with a sweet fragrance.
The clothes baskets had no names written on them. A total of four bamboo baskets contained clothing: Sigrdrífa's, Lily's, and Carol Cat's respectively. The remaining one should be Chris's.
No attending maids, how strange. But some nobles disliked having unfamiliar outsiders present while bathing, so I wouldn't comment rashly on this.
I neatly folded my removed maid outfit and undergarments into one of the bamboo baskets, then wrapped myself in a bath towel and mustered the courage to push open the main door leading to the hot springs.
The hot springs were set up as an open-air bath under the surrounding walls. I immediately spotted Sigrdrífa blissfully soaking in the hot springs, and my heart warmed.
I'd barely taken a few barefoot steps on the bath tiles when I suddenly caught a whiff of dangerous aura.
With a "smack," I turned and grasped Chris's reckless wrist.
"Lady Chris..."
"Kufufufu... A~nna~~~"
For the first time in my life, I felt genuine fear toward a woman other than the Young Miss.
Chris's wine-red eyes had completely turned spiral-shaped, and her breathing was exceptionally heavy. If she added "Come on, beauty~" it would be no different from Pigsy grabbing a wife... no, comparing Lady Chris to Pigsy is truly inexcusable. (TN: Journey to the West.)
"Let us... get to know each♀other more deeply and passionately, Anna~"
"Please... please don't do this..."
This might be the first chastity crisis I'd faced since becoming a girl.