Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: The Transparent Waters
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I dove into the hot hot spring.
Lydia wrapped her arms around my face like a mother cradling her child.
Pulling it toward her lower abdomen.
“…!”
The loose towel barely covered her plump breasts.
But.
“Pfft…!”
The half-unraveled end fluttered endlessly in the water.
Thanks to that, I could see the smooth, intimate skin stretching down from her lower belly.
A hill of pure white jade.
“I’m fine, so you can go now.”
Unaware of it all, Lydia spoke calmly to the attendant.
With my face pressed against her belly, she forced a smile.
“Hurry… Hnng….”
Her body shivered as my bubbles tickled her stomach.
As if trembling from pleasure she’d never felt before.
“Yes, I hope you have a pleasant time.”
The attendant tilted her head at the sight of Lydia’s half-lidded eyes.
Then she slowly closed the door and vanished, following the princess’s order.
“Aah….”
The princess’s thighs parted wider without her realizing.
Drawing my face even deeper in the process.
“Hnng….”
Still, she held back until the attendant’s footsteps completely faded.
Was it because she was trying so hard to endure?
Her hands unconsciously pressed my face down harder.
Even lower than her lower belly.
“Haa….”
Her lips parted from the tickling breath and bubbles.
Finally, she covered her mouth with one hand to stifle the pleasure.
‘How long do I have to wait…?’
I kept my eyes shut, waiting patiently.
But the moment I cracked them open out of frustration.
――――――!!
My eyes widened at her intimate skin, now even closer than before.
Beautiful curves and parted flesh.
The sight was so captivating I even forgot to hold my breath.
“Puhaa…!”
Water flooded my throat, forcing me to shoot up from the hot spring in a panic.
I crouched, legs bunched, gasping for air.
“Are you all right…?”
Lydia asked with an apologetic look.
“F-Fine….”
Was it from holding my breath underwater in the hot spring so long?
I swallowed the water pooled in my mouth and answered.
“I’m pretty confident at holding my breath anyway.”
“…”
Lydia clutched her towel tightly with one hand.
Then she asked cautiously.
“Your face is beet red, like it’s about to burst?”
“Ah, it’s just the hot spring water.”
The princess stared at my flushed face.
Then, as if struck by doubt, she glanced down at her own body.
“…”
It couldn’t just be the hot water—my face looked far too flustered for that.
And that flustered expression soon…
“―――!!”
Spread to her own face.
“The, the towel…!”
The towel she thought she’d kept securely in place.
It had come completely undone from the shock when she shoved my face underwater.
Far from covering her, it now floated loosely on the surface.
“Aah…!!”
The princess realized she’d been naked with my face nestled between her thighs.
Her face turned completely red, on the verge of collapse.
“Why is it undone!?”
The Third Imperial Princess first wrapped her trembling body with shaky hands.
Then she stared up at me blankly and asked.
“You didn’t see it, did you…?”
“See what?”
I tried to play it off, but the princess’s eyes were already unfocused.
Her red eyes burned fierce, like a beast ready to pounce.
“I’m not in the mood for jokes.”
I swallowed hard at the Eastern ruler’s serious tone.
Somehow keeping a straight face, I barely managed a reply.
“If you mean your nude form, I didn’t see a thing.”
I controlled my facial muscles as tightly as possible.
One twitch of a smile here, and this place would be my grave.
“The water’s murky, so I kept my eyes closed the whole time underwater.”
Lydia fixed me with a cold stare.
Then she let out a deep sigh and replied.
“Fine, you’re not the type to lie about something like this.”
“Of course. How could I dare lie to you, Your Highness?”
The princess fell silent for a moment at my confident response.
“It wasn’t just to interrogate you.”
Lydia wrapped the towel tightly around her body again.
With a serious glint in her eye, she murmured.
“In our Eastern lands, it’s taboo for men and women to see each other’s nude forms.”
She stood up slowly from the bath, having secured the towel as best she could.
To lighten the mood herself, she flashed a bright smile.
“Well, good thing you didn’t see. The attendant bought it too.”
The princess cleared her throat and reverted to her ruler’s demeanor.
Hands on her hips, she declared proudly.
“This is all thanks to my quick thinking.”
“Truly swift action on your part.”
I praised her while pressing my sunburnt cheeks.
Lydia apologized with an awkward expression.
“Sorry for making you hold your breath so long. But it was the only way.”
“No, no—it was a valuable experience thanks to you…”
I reflexively answered the now-relaxed princess.
Just seeing her face now conjured images of that pale, alluring nude form.
“Experience?”
“Yes, like a kind of breath-holding drill.”
I shook off the hazy feeling and forced a smile.
“I’m glad you see it that way, Mikhail.”
The princess fiddled with her towel while standing in the hot spring.
She wanted to secure it properly before heading out.
“…”
But unlike the attendant’s expert tying, doing it herself was incredibly tricky.
“Um… could you help me a bit?”
The princess looked up at me shyly.
“Yes, of course.”
I steadied my breathing and approached her from behind.
And then…
I faced her smooth, enticing back.
Even in her dancer’s outfit, her skin had peeked through tantalizingly.
But after the hot spring soak, it looked even more luscious and pale.
“Just a moment, please…”
To prevent another towel mishap, I focused intently.
I gripped the knot and began tying it firmly against her back.
“Hnng….”
The girl, freshly come of age, let out a sultry breath at the tightening sensation.
Fresh from having her nudity exposed, waves of shame made her whole body hypersensitive.
In that state, the firm pull of the towel clinging tight.
“There, that should do it….”
I’d inadvertently stirred something strange in her.
“Doesn’t it feel too tight?”
“No, it’s perfect like this.”
I stepped back from her slowly.
But Lydia remained standing rigidly in the hot spring.
“Aren’t you coming out?”
At my question, Lydia bit her lip for a moment.
Then…
“My tension’s eased, and I feel a bit dizzy.”
She glanced up at me with embarrassed eyes.
“If you wouldn’t mind, could you help me up…?”
She who always kept her cool ruler’s gaze, even in dire situations.
Who clung to icy composure amid life-and-death crises.
“My legs cramped up…”
Everything that happened in the hot spring had broken her completely.
“Yes, of course.”
I chuckled and approached her again.
Thinking I meant to carry her piggyback, the princess stared straight ahead with a smile.
As if she’d orchestrated the whole thing.
But.
The situation unfolded completely against her expectations.
I had no intention of just giving her a piggyback.
‘You shouldn’t move someone with leg cramps….’
In my hazy state, I pondered how to carry the princess.
Then my gaze drifted to her armpits, where water pooled and dripped seductively.
“Alright, lifting you now.”
Following instinct, I thrust my arms forward.
And scooped the princess up like a cat.
“…!”
Her flexible body stretched out like cheese.
“Wh-What are you doing…?”
She stared down at me in bewilderment.
“As you can see, transporting Your Highness.”
I carried her silently out of the hot spring.
Droplets fell from her body like a drenched cat.
“Who carries a person like this!”
Each time Lydia cried out, her elongated body dangled and swayed.
But having already picked her up, I carried on steadfastly, unperturbed.
“P-Put me down, quick…!”
“Got it.”
I wobbled as I set her down on the floor.
The princess frantically covered her armpits, pouting tearfully.
“Who treats someone like an animal?”
Still half-dazed from the prolonged submersion, I blankly watched the fuming princess.
Her constant “nya-nya” at the end of sentences did make her seem catlike.
‘Cute.’
I couldn’t help thinking she was adorable deep down.
The Third Imperial Princess of the Empire, no less.
“A commoner who doesn’t even know how to carry a person properly.”
The princess jabbed a finger into my soaked spa robe.
“My apologies.”
I smiled and apologized.
“But it’s not easy to piggyback someone with leg cramps. This was the best method.”
I offered a plausible excuse.
“Th-There was a reason like that?”
The princess, hands covering her armpits, stared intently.
Realizing my intent, she looked apologetic.
“If there was a reason, no helping it. My fault for not knowing Western rescue methods.”
The awkward princess fiddled with her side hair.
Then cautiously explained why she’d gotten so huffy.
“Still, be careful next time. If the towel had come loose like before, it would’ve been disastrous.”
Her legs somewhat recovered, Lydia took tentative steps, twitching slightly.
She glanced back at me and said.
“In our Eastern lands, if a man and woman see each other’s nude forms, they must become husband and wife.”
“…!”
Her words pricked my conscience sharply.
“Th-There’s a tradition like that…?”
“Yes. So if one shows theirs, the other must strip completely too.”
Lydia grinned mischievously.
She gently pinched the soaked spa robe clinging to my body.
“You got lucky, Mikhail.”
With a teasing touch, the princess lifted the clinging fabric.
She shook it playfully, as if to strip it off.
“If the water hadn’t been murky, you’d have had to strip naked right in front of me.”
I swallowed hard at Lydia’s recovered, leisurely smile.
Her words evoked the chilling Eastern tradition.
“Really glad the water was murky…!”
I let out an awkward laugh and smoothed my clothes.
Then hurried to prepare my escape from this sticky hot spring.
“Well, you seem fine now, so I’ll be going.”
The princess watched me shake my head with a peculiar grin.
Like beholding a wild animal soaked through.
“Your face is still so red. You sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, better than getting caught by the attendant again.”
The now-composed Third Imperial Princess clasped her hands behind her back.
She watched leisurely as I headed toward the wall.
“Alright, take care. Mikhail.”
Before leaving, I bowed politely in greeting.
Then vaulted over the tall wall with practiced ease.
“…”
Lydia watched silently.
Only after the man’s footsteps fully faded did she turn her head.
The princess approached the bath with leisurely steps.
She peered down at the crystal-clear hot spring water.
“The water was murky, huh…”
Recalling the earlier events, her lips twitched.
Her expression turned curious, wondering if the man had told the truth.
“…”
Lydia quietly surveyed her surroundings.
Then she squeezed her eyes shut and dove underwater alone.
“Hnng….”
It was so warm her face burned.
She felt sorry for burying him there for two whole minutes.
Vowing to repay him later, the princess opened her eyes.
And in that instant.
“Blubblub…!!”
Far from murky, the hot spring’s interior was crystal clear even underwater.
“…”
Every marble tile gleamed pristine.
Her eyes began twitching beneath.
“Puhaa….”
Emerging from the bath, the princess froze like a broken doll.
She stood blankly for a moment, staring only at the falling cherry blossoms.
“…”
The undone towel.
Embracing the man’s face between her thighs, oblivious.
His breath tickling her nude form so tantalizingly.
The princess realized the man’s words had been the sly lie of a fox.
“Uwaa….”
She covered her face with both hands.
And mumbled like a girl caught with erotic drawings.
“Bael…!!”
Lydia stomped her feet in the water with pitiful cries.
Her flailing splashed the once-calm hot spring.
“…”
Soon regaining her composure, she parted her fingers slightly.
She gazed down at the rippling surface with flickering red eyes.
Flower petals floated on the waves from her kicks.
“How dare he lie to me…?”
Two petals drifted into Lydia’s view.
The princess gently placed them on her palm.
“Incorrigible, Mikhail.”
She slowly pressed the two leaves together.
Her lips curved into a sly grin.
“I’ll make sure you take responsibility….”
Her cherry-blossom-red eyes gleamed.
With resolve set, she smiled like a little devil once more.