Chapter 32: Touch Yours

After helping Irene change into fresh clothes following her bath, her entire demeanor seemed to have improved considerably.

Of course, this was only true when she didn’t speak.

The moment the girl opened her mouth, her still-untamed stammering and mumbling shattered completely the aloof image others had projected onto her.

Tina tied her hair into a high ponytail, making her look sharper and more fitting for a sword-wielding warrior.

More accurately, a Knight? Something like a wandering Knight?

That was the first impression Irene gave her. As long as she was cared for a bit, just enough to bring her back to a normal level, she could then support herself.

“Is it ready?”

Irene toyed with her new hairstyle, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. It had been a long time since she had taken care of her hair; she usually kept it messy and unkempt.

Today was the first time in many years that she actually spoke to someone. Usually, when someone approached her, she would just listen quietly without replying, at most nodding.

If worse came to worst, she’d simply walk away and continue wandering between countries.

She had lost all her memories and didn’t know the purpose of her wandering. Was she searching for someone? Or was she simply passing time through the hardships and joys of the journey?

Who knew?

Many had asked her before: “Why do you always wear that eye mask? Is there something wrong with your eyes? Such a poor blind girl.”

But only she knew that there was nothing wrong with her eyes at all.

It was just a subconscious belief that removing the mask would bring misfortune.

Instinct—that was the real reason she dared not take it off.

“It’s done. You’re dressed now, go get something to eat. Don’t starve yourself.”

Tina was ready to send her off as soon as she finished.

“What about you? Do you need me to help you bathe?”

“…Why would you think I need help with that?”

“Because bathing… isn’t it usually done by two people?”

***

Tina suddenly felt something was wrong. Had Irene actually taken this as common sense just because they’d done it once?

This strange logic couldn’t be allowed to spread!

“Wait, don’t misunderstand. I’m helping you because you don’t know how to bathe by yourself. That doesn’t mean bathing requires two people scrubbing each other.”

That would be a disaster…

“Ugh, alright then.” Irene nodded vaguely, half-understanding.

“So, as long as I can’t bathe by myself, you’ll keep helping me?”

Tina: “?”

Is that right? Is that how it works?

Well, it didn’t sound entirely wrong.

“But you can’t keep failing to learn, okay? Have you gotten the hang of it yet?”

“No, I need, many more lessons.”

“Fine, fine, I really don’t know what to do with you.”

For some reason, although this was the way of raising a daughter, Tina felt something was off.

“I’ll help you bathe.”

Irene brought the soap over with a look so innocent and pitiful it was impossible to refuse.

“Sigh, if this helps you learn, then let’s just do it.”

Tina gave up.

Actually, looking at it another way, since she had to bathe every day anyway, whether she bathed herself or with someone else, the result was the same.

So it wasn’t entirely unacceptable. After all, Irene’s temperament was no different from a child’s right now—she wouldn’t have any bad intentions… hopefully?

“Hey, where are you touching?” When Tina felt a pinch on a certain spot, she jumped out of the water and hastily covered herself.

“Huh? When you help me bathe, you like to touch there too. But I don’t know what’s so good about it, so I’m touching you.”

Irene looked genuinely innocent, as if she was only curious.

And it was true that Tina had been the first to make a move, so she was asking for it.

“Irene, remember, you mustn’t just touch people outside. That’s only something close friends do.”

“Are we close friends?”

The girl’s question was pure, untouched by worldly cynicism.

“We’re just ordinary friends. We’re not close enough yet, so no.”

“How do you become really close?”

“Probably by pestering each other every day, helping each other out, making the other think of you all the time—that’s being really close.”

“Oh, got it. Then I’ll pester you every day.”

Tina instantly regretted it. It seemed she had just invited a big headache for herself.

Could she drop this now?

Probably too late. Sad.

After being scrubbed red in the face, Tina stopped her firmly and declared, “That’s enough for today. You’re clean enough. If you keep scrubbing, you’ll wear me out.”

Only then did Irene reluctantly stop. Though she couldn’t see Tina’s expression, she could sense that the other was actually quite happy, even a little absorbed in the moment.

Don’t ask how; it was just a gut feeling.

“Let’s go eat.”

After dressing, Tina led Irene down to the hall, where dinner was laid out specially for their new guest.

Honestly, Tina hadn’t noticed before, but walking alongside Irene now, she realized the girl was actually about a head taller than herself, roughly 170 cm tall.

She had the kind of figure Tina idealized for a woman—tall, with curves in the right places, slightly more developed than Princess Lia.

Of course, Tina wasn’t the kind to ogle a patch of flesh.

She also liked to look at feet.

While bathing, Tina had noticed that Irene’s feet, being a Knight’s, were several sizes larger, probably due to all the exercise during childhood that made her grow tall and strong.

In this aspect, Tina felt Lia had the advantage—the princess’s feet were easier to admire.

But no one was perfect; if only those two traits could be combined.

“Tina, are you looking at me?”

Irene’s intuition told her she was being stared at with a lecherous gaze, but it seemed only Tina was there.

“Ahem, I’m watching you eat. Hurry up.”

“You’re not eating?”

Irene pointed at the empty plate.

“I ate before I left. You should eat.”

Actually, if she really wanted, Tina could prepare another meal—not from the dining table, though.

“I can’t see it; I can’t get the food. Tina, can you feed me?”

Without sight, Irene had to rely on her sharp hearing, but food made no sound, so she’d been struggling to eat for a while.

“Alright, open wide. Ah.”

Though feeding her looked a bit intimate, since no one else was around, there was no need to worry.

Tina brought the plate closer to Irene and carefully fed her, mindful not to spill any sauce on her freshly changed clothes.

She felt like a nanny.

“Mm, so good.”

Hearing Irene’s blissful praise upon tasting the delicious food, Tina suddenly thought this wasn’t so bad after all.

Raising a daughter—it was good.