Chapter 9: I Want to Bathe with You

Outside the bathroom door, Meilin hesitated for a moment, but in the end, her worry overcame her shyness.

She knocked gently once more, her voice betraying her concern.

“Lady Selis, may I come in?”

“I’m still bathing.”

For the first time, Selis refused her, but Meilin didn’t give up.

“I… I want to bathe with you.”

“That’s not really appropriate, is it?”

Meilin placed her hand on the doorknob, a faint blush lingering on her face, but what shone through more clearly was her genuine concern for Selis.

“What’s so wrong about it, Lady Selis? We’re both girls, after all.”

“Maybe… some other time.”

After a few seconds of silence, Meilin turned the doorknob and opened the bathroom door.

Selis, caught off guard, instinctively covered her chest and retreated to the deepest part of the bathtub.

“Meilin?”

“I’m sorry, Lady Selis. I just wanted to confirm something.”

Meilin looked at Selis’s back, then asked, “You’re hurt, aren’t you? There seem to be a lot of… Punishment Scars on your back?”

Lowering her eyelids, Selis didn’t respond or reveal her back. Her expression carried a subtle, almost cold distance.

She didn’t want Meilin to know about this.

Meilin naturally noticed Selis’s withdrawal. Although it pricked her heart, her pain only made her more persistent.

“Is it because of us? Because you keep helping us, Lady Isavel punishes you like this?”

Lady Selis was the Saintess of the Aos Empire, a position of great reverence, and the whip marks on her were clearly signs of punishment.

The only one who might treat her this way could be none other than Lady Isavel, also a Saintess.

Isavel’s reason for punishing Selis was simple—she repeatedly saved Rose Knights who should have died, ruining Isavel’s Training Plan.

That was all Meilin could think of.

Selis lowered her head, her silver hair curling from the dampness. Her eyes darkened, and her voice was low.

“This is not something you should concern yourself with.”

Meilin instinctively clenched her fists, her emotions growing intense.

“How is it not my business! Seeing you bear all this for us while I know nothing and can do nothing! It hurts me more than any Training Plan!”

“At least… at least let me… help you apply medicine…”

Inside the bathroom, Selis was silent for a while.

When she spoke again, her tone softened, laced with a deep, heartbreaking fatigue.

“Meilin, some things are better left unknown. I… want you all to move forward without hesitation, not lose the courage you should have because of some matters.”

“…So, you’re bearing everything alone? Carrying all of this for us?” Meilin bit her lip.

“Go back now, Meilin. When you’ve truly grown strong, if you still want to know, I will personally tell you everything.”

“But for now, please allow me to keep this… small secret and dignity, alright?”

Selis wrapped her arms around herself, half her body submerged beneath the water.

It was then that Meilin noticed the exhaustion etched on the face of this stunning young woman. She hugged herself tightly, radiating a strange loneliness and solitude.

Yet even so, the kindness in her golden eyes remained unchanged.

Even bearing everything, she was still as gentle as before.

“…I understand. I’m sorry, Lady Selis. I was too willful.”

“It’s alright. It’s getting late—go back and rest.”

“Mm.”

Perhaps it was the warmth of the steam in the bathroom, or the guilt and remorse stirring in her heart, but Meilin’s face flushed completely.

She looked deeply at Selis, then turned to leave the bathroom.

Just as she was stepping out, she suddenly remembered something and asked:

“By the way, you’re leaving tomorrow morning, right?”

“Yes. I’ve been away from the Oracle Hall for a day now. If I don’t return soon, she will come looking for me.”

Who was “she”?

Although Selis didn’t say outright, Meilin understood it referred to Isavel.

That detestable fake Saintess.

Without saying more, Meilin left after hearing this, while Selis exhaled softly and sank back into the warm water, letting herself relax.

……

The next day, just as dawn broke.

The well-prepared carriage arrived early in front of Meilin’s home.

Selis had quickly tidied herself up and was ready to board, leaving Anna Town behind.

Madam Mariel stooped as she came out of the house to see her off, but the only thing that puzzled her was the absence of her daughter, Meilin.

She hadn’t seen her since early morning.

With a hint of reproach, she complained:

“Sigh, I don’t know where that girl Meilin has gone. Not a trace of her early this morning, and she didn’t even come to see you off. Honestly, she’s so thoughtless.”

“She probably didn’t expect me to leave so early,” Selis smiled and explained on Meilin’s behalf.

“Lady Selis, thank you for taking care of my daughter these past days. Please be careful on your way back.”

“Mm. If I have the time, I’ll come visit you all again.”

Waving her hand, Selis moved toward the carriage. She lifted her skirt at the hem, just as she was about to step onto the carriage’s steps, a voice called out from not far away.

“Wait!”

Looking toward the sound, Selis saw Meilin rushing over at full speed. Clutched in the girl’s arms were several unopened White Lilies.

No wonder she hadn’t been seen earlier—she was preparing a farewell gift.

Unopened White Lilies—a fine present, carrying the scent of her homeland.

Selis smiled helplessly.

Catching her breath beside Selis and Madam Mariel, Meilin paused briefly before, to Selis’s surprise, handing the unopened White Lilies to her mother.

Then she bowed deeply to Madam Mariel.

Though she said nothing, Madam Mariel understood everything.

“You’re leaving?”

“Yes, Mother. I’m sorry for lying to you, but please don’t worry. Your daughter will be fine.”

“…You’ve grown up.”

Madam Mariel’s eyes reddened suddenly.

Meilin stepped forward and hugged her tightly. After a moment, she rubbed her own reddened eyes and said, “But not enough yet. Your daughter still needs to keep growing.”

A gentle breeze blew, and Madam Mariel unconsciously clutched the White Lilies in her arms, her voice hoarse.

“W-Will you come back?”

Pausing briefly, Meilin nodded firmly.

“Lady Selis once said that the most beautiful moment for a flower is the ‘expectation’ of believing it will one day bloom. If you miss me, just look at these unopened White Lilies.”

“When the flowers bloom, I will definitely come back.”