Chapter 19

As night fell, Helka returned, and after dinner, it was time for a bath.

(Man... magic sure is convenient.)

Every time she got into the bath, Laila marveled at the tub filled with warm water. This was Laila's personal bathtub, and Helka always prepared the water at the perfect temperature. All you had to do was fill it with water, and then use magic to heat it up instantly.

(...Hmm? Come to think of it, I often see Helka and Verneli use magic, but I rarely see Master Julius use it.)

Since he was a Great Mage, he must be able to use much more advanced magic than Verneli. Recently, he had been going out a lot with Verneli, apparently to help people in nearby towns with their troubles using magic.

But the only time Laila had seen Julius use magic was when he cast a sleep spell on her to help her fall asleep on their first night together.

(I'd like to see his magic once... but I can't really ask him, can I?)

While thinking this, Laila started to undress. She suddenly looked at her reflection in the mirror.

Average build, average height. She was short enough to fit under Julius's chin when standing in front of him. Unfortunately, her chest wasn't particularly large, and her waist wasn't extremely slim. However, according to her mother, the women on her mother's side tended to have larger hips.

(Hmm... should I try to lose a bit of weight?)

Thinking this, she consulted Helka, who was preparing towels. Helka turned around sharply, her eyes narrowing.

"Did that rude person say something to you?"

"N-no, no, Verneli didn't say anything. I was just thinking that if I stand next to Master Julius, I might look better if I lost a bit of weight."

"There's no need to worry about such balance."

Helka, who usually responded more gently to Laila, sounded unusually firm this time.

Laila, wide-eyed, watched as Helka took a deep breath and gently pushed her back with the towel in her hand.

"Laila, you are perfectly charming as you are. Now, go soak in the bath."

"..."

"Or would you like me to wash your back?"

"I'll go in myself!"

(Oh, right... in the beginning, Helka insisted on washing my body...)

Helka had argued that "a lady of a noble family should be treated this way," while Laila had shyly declined. In the end, Laila won, and things had been this way ever since. However, when Laila hesitated to get into the bath, Helka would use this as a threat, forcing her to hurry to the bathroom.

(Charming... hmm... really?)

Pinching the flesh on her stomach, Laila sighed.

---

Confirming the sound of Laila starting to run the bath, Helka quickly turned and stepped into the hallway.

"Verneli, you're just in time."

"...What? Isn't it Laila's bath time now?"

"I need you to do something. Find out what Master Julius thinks about Laila's body."

"Huh?"

Verneli, who was holding towels for Julius's upcoming bath, stared in disbelief at her colleague.

"Are you asking me to ask such an indecent question!?"

"Oh, right. If you're too shy, I'll ask him myself, okay?"

"I'll go. You stay with Laila."

"Alright, thank you."

With a click of her tongue, Helka returned to the bathroom entrance with light steps.

"If this helps ease Laila's worries a bit..."

Her whisper was drowned out by the sound of Laila running the bath.

---

Accompanied by Helka, Laila headed to Julius's bedroom. Usually, only Julius was there, so Helka would say goodnight and Laila would enter alone.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Master Julius."

"It's fine, come in."

Julius's bedroom, dimly lit, had become Laila's bedroom as well.

It had been a month since she moved in, but Laila had only used her own room's bed a couple of times. Only when she was feeling unwell during her period and didn't want to disturb Julius during the night.

On those nights, they would hug tightly before bed to absorb magic, and again in the morning to prevent an excess of magic. Despite his lack of knowledge about women's bodies, Julius was considerate of Laila's condition, saying, "You don't have to push yourself when you're not feeling well," and Verneli followed suit, which Laila appreciated.

The bed, neatly made by Verneli every day, was wrinkle-free. Laila sat down next to Julius, and the scent of different soaps and shampoos filled the air. Laila loved this scent and always found herself sniffing it.

(Now that I think about it, Master Julius's hair has been looking really good lately.)

When they first met at the ball, his hair was neat and clean, but it seemed a bit lackluster. Now, with proper meals and sleep, his wheat-colored hair had a healthy shine and felt soft to the touch.

Julius's profile, with his hair down and flowing over his shoulders, showed that he had gained some weight. His eyes, though still slightly sunken, seemed to give his sharp, slanted eyes a more appealing look.

"Shall we go to sleep now?"

"Yes."

Julius pulled her to the bed, and Laila lay down. Pulling the covers was Julius's job.

When Julius turned off the light, Laila turned her back to him. As usual, Julius would lie down facing the same direction and wrap his arm around Laila's body.

"Laila..."

As always, Julius's left arm wrapped around Laila's waist, pulling her close. But...

(What... is he touching my stomach?)

It felt like Julius's left hand was gently stroking her stomach through her negligee. The touch wasn't lewd, but it was very noticeable, as if he was checking something.

"Um... is something wrong?"

"Laila, you're so soft and cuddly."

"Ah!?"

A soft voice accompanied a warm breath on her neck, making her jump. Given their position, it was inevitable that his breath would touch her neck when he spoke.

"You're so different from me, small and soft. You smell so good, and holding you makes me feel happy."

"R-really...?"

Laila, who had been tense, relaxed at Julius's words.

(...Ah, Helka must have talked to him.)

While Laila was in the bath, Helka had disappeared for a moment. Laila had thought she had gone to get something, but she must have caught Verneli and talked to him.

After a moment of silence, Laila placed her left hand over Julius's hand on her stomach.

"Um... am I fat?"

"That's a mean question. A man can't say a woman is fat, can he?"

"That's true, but..."

"I already said, I like your softness. I've never thought about whether you're fat or thin. I just—"

—think you're a woman.

Whether intentional or not, the words whispered in her ear made her body jump. His left hand slipped away, brushing against her chest.

(Ah...! Ahhhhh!?)

She quickly hugged herself, and behind her, she heard a soft, amused laugh.

"Laila... you're so cute."

"Ah!?"

"In the dark, I can't see, but... look, your ears are so hot, you must be blushing right now."

(Don't touch my ear while saying that!)

Actually touching the edge of her left ear, stimulating both her hearing and touch, was incredibly uncomfortable.

"Please don't ask if you're fat in the future. It makes me wonder how to answer, and that's difficult for me, okay?"

"U-Understood..."

"Good girl."

Finally, Julius's fingers, which had been tracing the line of her ear, pulled away. If he had continued touching her, Laila's ears might have fallen off from embarrassment.

(Master Julius is so proactive...)

Initially, he had seemed rather quiet, so the contrast was striking.

"Let's go to sleep! You have to go out tomorrow, right!?"

"Right, right. There's a child who's having trouble controlling their magic, and I'm going to check on them."

Julius, speaking in a drawn-out voice, pulled Laila closer again. This time, his hand didn't playfully stroke her stomach; instead, he held her tightly, enjoying her warmth.

(...Master Julius...)

Listening to the breathing of someone other than herself behind her, Laila closed her eyes. She quickly fell into a comfortable doze.