A troublesome character had appeared.
Yuri let out a light sigh. Sticking to the principle of “out of sight, out of mind,” she had no intention of paying attention to Iris, who was floating in front of her.
She picked up the bar of soap provided in the bathhouse. After wetting it, Yuri gently rubbed it between her hands a few times. Before long, her palms filled with fine bubbles, which she pressed onto her fair skin and began to wash and scrub.
But Iris wasn’t the type to give up on causing trouble just because Yuri was ignoring her.
Through the hazy steam, Yuri could still catch a glimpse of the little Evil God’s figure circling her slowly, plotting who knows what.
Let her be. After all, she’s just a projection and can’t actually affect me.
Once I finish washing, I can finally enjoy a comfortable hot bath—something I haven’t had in ages.
The last time I had a hot bath was the night before leaving Anvil City. Back then, I didn’t dare show up at the public bathhouse, so I spent extra to get a room with a private bath at an inn.
Thinking back on it, Yuri’s heart still ached.
The price for that one night wasn’t cheap for her, but after the bath, she’d had the most peaceful sleep she’d enjoyed in a long time.
The next day, a refreshed Yuri left Anvil City and set out for the Withered Mountains. She ended up staying in the mountains for more than half a month. If she was lucky, she’d spend the night camping near a river and could still wash with hot water.
Most of the time, though, she’d eat dinner and fall asleep beside the campfire, using fallen leaves as a pillow. At dawn, she’d get up and press deeper into the mountains in search of the secret treasure.
But instead of finding the treasure, she’d accidentally released a troublesome little Evil God—and ended up unexpectedly becoming a girl herself.
Ugh… It’s clearly my own body, but as I wipe myself down, my skin tingles like I’m being shocked, and my cheeks heat up uncontrollably.
Why am I feeling shy about just washing my own body?
Ugh…
I guess it’s impossible to get used to it so quickly. Is this unfamiliar girl’s body really my own now?
No, Yuri, this is who you are now.
This is your own body. You’re just giving yourself a bath—there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.
She patted her flushed cheeks, trying to calm herself down.
“Hey, Yuri-chan, you’re being too sloppy with that spot. The bubbles aren’t even spread evenly.”
The sudden voice by her ear snapped Yuri out of her inner conversation. The heat on her face faded a little.
She instinctively glanced at Iris. What was that girl up to?
“There, not there. It’s your waist. Mhm… Now that’s right. You can use a little more strength when rubbing. Yes, just like that… No, Yuri-chan, you’re pressing too hard. No one uses that much force.
A girl’s skin is very delicate, you know. Do you think you’re still who you used to be? If you keep rubbing like that, you’ll scrape it raw before long.”
This girl…
How did it turn into her giving instructions while I’m washing myself?
Ignoring Iris’s voice, Yuri continued cleaning her body at her own pace. As she washed, she raised an arm to her nose and gave it a light sniff, making sure the sewer stench was finally gone.
“Oh, and don’t forget below your tummy. You need to wash there carefully. Hey, I said to be careful!”
Even through the curtain of water, Iris’s dissatisfied voice came through loud and clear—so noisy.
Yuri kept scrubbing every nook and cranny with the soap. When she reached the youthful curves, she hesitated, but still put her hand there.
In that instant, it felt like a jolt of electricity ran through her body. Her knees went weak, and she almost couldn’t stand.
Ugh… This spot is even more sensitive than I imagined.
It’s my own body, but… her cheeks flushed red again. She could only grit her teeth and push through her embarrassment, speeding up her motions. All the while, a pair of crimson eyes watched her hands intently.
“Ohh~ finally showing them off! Though they’re a bit smaller than I expected. Hmm… I know! Yuri-chan, you should massage them more often. Maybe it’ll help with development.”
“Who’s going to do that?!”
Finally, driven to the brink by all the incessant chattering, Yuri snapped and yelled.
Luckily, she instinctively kept her voice down, so it wasn’t loud. The other women showering nearby just glanced over in curiosity. Seeing nothing amiss, they decided they must’ve misheard and went back to their own business.
Phew… That was close.
It’s all her fault, saying weird things out of nowhere!
“I’m bathing. Please give me some privacy.”
Yuri gave her marching orders, but Iris only grinned mischievously in response.
“What’s the problem? We’re both girls here—what’s wrong with me watching? Besides, the way you’re bathing is all wrong. It’s nothing like how a girl should do it. I’m giving you valuable pointers, you know.”
“This is my body. I’ll wash however I like. I don’t need your instructions.”
“Eh… But you still missed a few spots, like here, here, and here…”
As she spoke, Iris pointed at different spots on Yuri’s body.
“Of course, there are lots of things you’re supposed to do after a bath, too. But with these rough conditions, I guess we’ll have to skip them for now.”
Listening to Iris’s nonstop babbling, Yuri felt her head was about to explode. All she wanted was for Iris to shut up and let her finish in peace.
“Iris, can you please be quiet?”
“Hah?
I’m seriously trying to instruct you, you know.”
“I said I don’t need any kind of instruction. It’s my body, and I’ll decide what to do.”
“Alright, alright, you win.”
Iris shrugged helplessly. Since Yuri-chan didn’t want it, there was nothing she could do.
“But, Yuri-chan, I suggest you keep your voice down. Otherwise, if you make too much noise, you’ll attract attention. You don’t want everyone noticing you’re talking to yourself, right?”
“That’s only because…”
“Quiet, now.”
The little Evil God blinked innocently, playing the victim.
If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be making all this commotion.
Ugh, if this Evil God had a physical body, I’d pin Iris down on the floor and give her a good rubbing.
But… considering our difference in strength—
If Iris really did have a physical form, I’d probably have been restrained by now, and she’d be all over me, “teaching” me how to bathe.
So, having Iris only appear as a projection is actually to my advantage?
As much as I hate to admit it, it’s the undeniable truth.
Damn it…
For the rest of the bath, Yuri could only shut her eyes and try her best to ignore Iris’s mental harassment.
As long as I don’t see her, I won’t get annoyed. If I tune out her voice, I won’t notice her existence.
In this almost self-deceiving state, Yuri finally made it through this torturous bathing ordeal.
After confirming that the sewer stench was gone, leaving only the faint fragrance of a girl’s skin mixed with the subtle scent of soap, Yuri turned off the shower, grabbed her towel, and made her escape from the bathing area.