Chapter 74

And so, Ceres and her father went to the public office to complete the procedures for her to become a slave.

...I see, they really do go through the proper channels for this. It’s quite different from what I imagined when I heard the word "slave."

While waiting for the procedures to be completed, we waited in a waiting room. Since everything went smoothly, I can now take Ceres back, fulfilling the contract. I’ll take her back to the forest and paint her a lot!

"...Still, Togo, I didn’t expect you to be so articulate."

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Fay said this, and I was surprised. ...But when I thought about it, yeah, I guess I was.

"That was... well, I kind of just repeated what the teacher said, you know, almost word for word."

"Ah, that makes sense. I thought it didn’t sound like you."

Yeah, I just used the teacher’s words, so they really weren’t mine.

Of course, the teacher isn’t a painter, so I changed that part. But the teacher was generally known as 'mild-mannered,' and because of that, they were often taken lightly, or rather, for various reasons, they were often underestimated...

...After arguing in front of me, the teacher was in a terrible state, feeling self-loathing and embarrassed. But thanks to the teacher, I can now take Ceres back, so it was for the best. I’ve learned a lot from the teacher.

"You surprised me. I didn’t expect you to be able to say things like that."

"...I’m starting to feel a bit embarrassed."

"No, it’s fine. You know, it’s good for you to be a bit more relaxed sometimes."

...Lao and Fay are both grinning, and I kind of understand why the teacher was embarrassed in front of me. Yeah.

"By the way, it’s already night. We’ll get a room for tonight, finish Ceres’s errand tomorrow, and then head back. Ah, it’s been quite a day."

"Yeah. I’ll wash Ceres at the inn. I need to check the color."

"Your day is far from over, huh?"

Yeah. If his hair color or something isn’t in my paints or in the forest, I’ll have to buy it in the capital. And I might not be able to reproduce the color of his eyes. I don’t have much blue paint... Hmm.

"Alright, let’s get a room and take a bath. It looks like they’re done."

...And just as our conversation came to a pause, Ceres and her father came out.

Ceres’s father glared at me, but I glared back, feeling that I hadn’t done anything wrong.

"...Um."

Then, Ceres came to me.

"Um... well, nice to meet you."

...Yeah.

"Nice to meet you. My angel model."

When I replied to the slightly confused and wilted Ceres, she nodded awkwardly and looked away. Well, it will take time for her to get used to humans.

...And so, we took her to the inn on the main street of the capital.

"Didn’t we stay here before?"

"Yeah. The number of rooms is just right."

Coincidentally, we got the same room we stayed in before. The place where we stayed when we were invited to the royal party. Yeah, there are four rooms, so it’s perfect.

"Alright, let’s get you in the bath."

After putting down our luggage, we started preparing for the bath.

...Most importantly, Ceres was really, really dirty. We needed to clean her up quickly. To check the colors and for public health. Yeah.

"Alright, let’s go in."

But the moment we were about to take a bath, Ceres froze and wouldn’t move. I couldn’t lift her, not because I’m weak, but because she was bracing herself.

"I’ll go last. You go first."

"No."

"If you’re worried about the room getting dirty, I’ll wait outside."

"No."

Does he hate baths? That’s a problem. I need him to take a bath, even if it’s uncomfortable for him.

"Alright, Ceres, go ahead and wash up."

"There are two baths. You can use the other one."

Fay and Lao will use the other bath, so there’s no need to be shy.

"...Shall we go in? Or, do you not want me to wash you?"

"No, it’s not that... I don’t like that either."

Yeah.

...Ceres hesitated a bit.

I waited for him to say something... and then Ceres slowly raised his gaze, looked at me, and started to speak.

"You’re not going to say you won’t pay now, right?"

"Yeah."

"What if I’m not suitable as a model?"

"...Huh?"

I tilted my head, not understanding what Ceres meant... and then Lao, who had approached from behind, lifted the hem of Ceres’s shirt.

"Ah!" Ceres cried out, and Lao made a grim face... then gently lowered the hem.

"...As I expected."

...I somehow understood from their actions and reactions.

"Can I take off your shirt?"

When I asked Ceres again, he reluctantly took off his shirt himself.

...The skin under the shirt was covered with burn marks and scars. Lao made a grim face, and Fay looked pained.

Surrounded by such gazes, Ceres huddled even more.

"...I didn’t mean to deceive you. It’s just... you guys just decided I was an angel and made me a slave! But, the deal is the deal! The money, the money is—"

"We’ll pay you. 50 gold coins. ...And I’ll paint you."

To reassure the frightened Ceres, I said clearly.

"It doesn’t matter if you have scars. I need 50 gold coins worth of work from you."

When I said that, Ceres looked relieved. Yeah. I hope he can feel more at ease soon.

Then, I carried Ceres to the bath.

The inn, being a royal-approved establishment, had a luxurious bath. Just having two baths in one room is quite luxurious.

"Wait, what’s this?!"

"It’s hot water."

I don’t really understand how the shower works, but hot water comes out of it. It’s luxurious. I like it. In the forest, we just pour boiled water over ourselves, so I might want to install a shower. I should look into how it works later.

"Something got in my eyes! It hurts!"

"It’s soap. Ah, it stings if it gets in your eyes, so it’s better to keep them closed."

"Tell me that before you do it!"

"Sorry."

The bath amenities are also luxurious. The soap has a floral scent and is clearly of high quality. I lathered the soap and washed Ceres’s head. (There’s no shampoo in this world, just soap. Simple and good.)

"...The bubbles are gone."

"Huh? Is it done?"

"Ah, um, yeah, I’ll tap your shoulder three times when it’s done, so keep your eyes and ears closed until then."

When I said that, Ceres closed his eyes and covered his ears with his hands. Yeah, keep it that way.

...It’s amazing. The soap bubbles disappeared so quickly. It must mean Ceres was really dirty. The soap couldn’t keep up. Human oil is no joke.

I rinsed the soap off and washed him again. ...Ah, this time, the bubbles are a bit better...

I washed Ceres a few more times.

After washing him about four times, his hair was clean, and his body, which he had already cleaned himself, was also clean.

...After cleaning him up, I filled the tub with hot water and had Ceres soak in it. I wanted to warm him up, improve his circulation, and help him sleep well, looking healthy.

"...Your color has changed a lot."

"Huh? Oh... yeah."

When I saw Ceres soaking in the tub, I was surprised.

Mostly, his color changed after all the dirt was gone. His skin, though scarred, was smooth and pale.

His eye color didn’t change, but his impression changed a lot. After warming up in the bath and relaxing, he might be a bit sleepy. His drowsy eyes were completely different from before. Hmm, interesting.

...And most of all, his hair color changed a lot.

His hair, which was dirty and looked black, gray, and brown, turned out to be a beautiful flaxen color when cleaned. A light golden color with a hint of gray.

His hair, which is now flat and obedient when wet, will become wavy when dried carefully. I know it looks very angelic.

"...You really do look like an angel."

"...Are you okay, man?"

"Yeah. Hey, are these scars on your back from having your wings cut off?"

"Shut up! I’m human! What’s wrong with you?"

I’m a painter.

Then, I lifted Ceres out of the bath, dried him, and dressed him.

...I borrowed Fay’s fire spirit to dry him. I thought they would mess with Ceres, but his hair was completely dry in less than five minutes. Amazing.

"Here’s your nightwear."

"...When did you...?"

While Fay was drying Ceres with the fire spirit, I drew and prepared a T-shirt, shorts, and underwear in my bedroom, and dressed Ceres in them.

They were a bit big, making him look relaxed... but it somehow made him look more angelic.

"Good night."

"Huh?"

"'Kids should go to bed early,' my teacher used to say."

Then, I carried Ceres to his bedroom and placed him on the bed. Buried in the white sheets, he looked very angelic.

"Good night. Or are you worried about sleeping alone?"

"...No, I’d prefer to be alone."

"Got it. Good night."

Ceres, who had been watching me warily, seemed to relax a bit when I waved from the door, and he tilted his head in confusion and waved back to say good night.

After Ceres fell asleep, we planned for the next day.

"Alright, breakfast will be delivered to the room, so let’s eat that. We could go out, but Ceres might not be comfortable."

I feel like room service at a hotel is less comfortable... but whatever.

"After that, we’ll do Ceres’s errand. Cake, cookies, tea, bread, and a knife. And something pretty, right?"

Yeah. Ceres’s errand is quite challenging. What pretty thing should I bring back?

...Honestly, the prettiest thing I’ve seen since coming to the capital is Ceres, so if I bring him back, that’s it... but...

"Then, we should buy what Ceres needs."

Fay said.

"...What Ceres needs?"

That phrase stuck in my mind, and I searched for an answer.

What is it? Something Ceres needs, something that’s bothering me...

"Huh? Like, clothes. Dishes. Furniture... even if you provide it, he might want something. There’s probably something, right? Probably. We can get it when we return to the Redgard territory, but since we’re shopping on the main street of the capital, it would be easier to get it all done at once..."

I see. Clothes, dishes... and things he wants.

At that moment, I remembered Ceres wandering in front of the slave shop.

And... among the child models I saw, there was a child with a similar color palette to Ceres.

The price of child models was around 50 gold coins.