Chapter 11
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 11: Naked Bonding
“Phew….”
The grand bathroom boasted by the Grace Viscountcy.
In the middle of it, Noel, soaking her body in the giant bathtub with flower petals floating on it, was staring blankly into empty space.
Warmth spreading to every corner of her body.
A sweet scent pleasing her nose.
Steam rising softly.
Being like this, she felt like all her worries and anxieties were flying away with the steam──
“I’m really in a bind now.”
As expected, that wasn't the case.
While her fatigue was relieved thanks to soaking in hot water, her firmly knotted anguish was an exception.
Even the pleasure of a bath couldn't melt away Noel’s worries.
Tomorrow, 「The Bridges of Imperium Town」 would be officially published. Along with the fairy tale book Noel wrote, 「The Bridges of Imperium Town」 would be revealed to the world.
Noel was feeling emotions similar to what she felt when she signed her first publishing contract and started paid serialization in her past life.
On top of that, with the added concern of ‘Is this really okay?’, her head was complicated.
‘As expected, I failed to control the intensity level….’
Even if she released dopamine, she should have done it gradually so people could adapt, but she felt belated regret wondering if she didn't mass-spray too much at once.
She tried to modify it somehow, but those who already tasted it didn't accept a downgrade, so she had no choice but to give up.
‘Ah, I don’t know, I don’t know.’
Continuing her fruitless worries, Noel swept back her wet hair and decided to stop thinking.
It’s spilt milk.
She should just think positively.
‘If I sprinkle a lot of dopamine, that many more people will know the taste and seek it, and demand will create supply. Amidst that supply, something I can enjoy will come out too.’
Good is good.
Concluding like that, Noel enjoyed her bath imagining her life as an author that would start in earnest from tomorrow.
Then she felt a presence entering the bathroom.
Because her head was complicated and she had many thoughts, she had refused bath attendants today saying she would wash alone leisurely.
But someone came into the bathroom?
‘Is it Noah…?’
Unable to think of anyone else in this house who enjoyed morning baths, Noel spoke while maintaining her gaze on the empty air.
“Make sure to wash your body clean before entering the tub.”
“Yes, I will.”
Thinking it was undoubtedly her sister Noah, Noel hummed with her eyes closed and spoke.
Startled by the unfamiliar voice she heard, she turned around.
She thought the additional guest would be Noah, who had developed a habit of enjoying morning baths following her sister── but it wasn't.
“Princess?!”
Her patron, client, editor-in-chief, and fanatic fan, Princess Lydia was there.
Dazzling platinum blonde hair appearing through the steam.
Needless to say how surprised Noel was the moment she saw that.
“I apologize…! I thought it was my sister….”
“Fuhu.”
Saying it was fine, Princess Lydia smiled softly.
Just as Noel said, she washed her body meticulously, walked making splashing sounds, and soaked her body in the bathtub.
It was a large bathtub that wouldn't have a problem even if a dozen people entered at once.
However, the Princess deliberately took a seat close to Noel and sat down.
“Lady Noel also had a hobby of enjoying morning baths like me. What a truly delightful coincidence.”
Seeing Princess Lydia speaking with a beaming smile, she replied moderately, “Indeed,” but,
‘Was there such a setting in the original work…?’
Noel harbored such a question inwardly.
It was a past life where she bought various merchandise related to Spring of Gran Ark Academy without missing anything, as much as her fan spirit.
Naturally, art books and setting books existed among such merchandise.
Even if not to the level of memorizing them perfectly, she liked them quite a bit and read them several times… It was a setting book that included all sorts of miscellaneous character settings, but she didn't recall a setting that Princess Lydia had such a hobby.
Although it felt somewhat strange, she thought it was just a difference between reality and the game, and decided the correct answer here was not to voice that doubt.
“By tomorrow, Lady Noel’s name… no, pen name will be known to the whole world.”
“Y-yes….”
It wasn't a situation to care about trivial things anyway.
“But why did you deliberately choose such a pen name? Of course, it suits you… but usually everyone operates under their real name to make a name for themselves.”
Princess Lydia continued speaking while tilting her head.
“Homer. Surely… it meant a writer, a novelist in the ancient language, right? It is a pen name fitting a literary figure like Lady Noel, but personally, I think it would have been better if the name Noel spread widely.”
At such words from the Princess, Noel smiled awkwardly.
The reason she used the pen name Homer?
Well, because the pen name she used when she was a web novel author in her past life was also Homer.
If she was going to write, to operate as an author, using that pen name felt like wearing cozy clothes that fit her body perfectly.
Author Homer.
Author Noel.
Thinking about which one felt more familiar and less cringy when called, the answer was obvious no matter how much she thought.
Actually, in her past life, she had regretted choosing the pen name Homer thinking it was too grandiose, but she didn't feel like changing it either.
So she chose Homer this time too.
Coincidentally, the word ‘Homer’ existed here too, although with a different meaning, so it was perfect to use.
And──.
‘I also have something else in mind.’
Noel chose the pen name Homer instead of her real name because she had her own plan.
That was to make the name Homer into a ‘Symbol’.
If that worked out well,
‘I’ll be able to avoid suffering from deadlines too.’
Noel believed she could complete a world where everyone was happy.
As the first step for that utopia she dreamed of, she decided on the pen name Homer following her past life, but right now there was no one who understood that grand intention.
Princess Lydia was just expressing regret that she wasn't operating as an author under the name Noel, even though the pen name suited her.
Noel, who was accepting Princess Lydia’s words moderately,
“Princess, I think I will get up first. I think I’ve been soaking too long.”
Decided to end her bath around here.
Because of the Princess’s sudden appearance, she had been soaking longer than usual.
Since she was starting to feel slightly dizzy because of that, she decided to finish her bath and leave now.
“Ah, then I will scrub your back for you!”
“Pardon?”
At the Princess’s unexpected proposal, Noel opened her eyes wide.
“Such… for a Royal to serve in a bath, I am too awestruck to accept.”
What is this Goldie saying right now?
Noel declined filled with such a feeling, but Princess Lydia didn't back down.
“I beg you, Lady Noel. Actually, I really wanted to try something like this once.”
Bathing with a friend and scrubbing each other’s backs.
Building friendship through such bathing that often appears in places like novels.
To Princess Lydia, who sent sparkling, desperate eyes saying it had been her dream for a long time, Noel eventually lost.
“Ugh, then, I ask… of you.”
“Yes! Leave it to me!”
Why was the escort knight who supported the Princess like a shadow always absent at times like this?
Come and stop your liege a bit.
Nodding with a heart wanting to shout that, Noel turned around with a resigned, transcended appearance.
Seeing Noel’s pale back and the pink hair with flower petals stuck on it flowing down over it, Lydia smiled brightly.
“Fuhu.”
Not sure what was so good, Princess Lydia began scrubbing Noel’s back with a smiling face throughout.
Since she was meticulously managed by receiving maids’ service every day, no dirt came out but… Noel felt embarrassed regardless.
‘Is it really okay to make the Princess do something like this?’
She kept feeling iffy, but she decided to think of this as a sort of fan service and just let Princess Lydia do as she pleased.
Compared to the maids who could be called experts, her touch was woefully unskilled.
However, that touch filled with sincerity felt not quite bad.
Especially, she was surprised that she was quite skilled at handling hair.
“How is it? I’m pretty good, right?”
The Princess also spoke with a smug feeling as if she sensed Noel’s reaction.
Because usually Rosalyn wasn't interested in dressing up or anything like that and didn't manage her hair either.
Since she couldn't think of anything proper to do for the knight who suffered because of her, she ended up taking care of Rosalyn’s hair, so she was confident in hair handling.
Certainly not bad.
No, she had dexterity; it was quite good.
Unlike her appearance, Noel didn't have good hair texture, so if she neglected care even a little, it became frizzy.
Naturally, Noel was equipped with a guy’s mindset of ‘So what if my hair sticks up a bit?’
Instead of such a Noel, it was the maids’ job to wash, wipe, apply nutrient cream so the ends wouldn't split, and groom it every morning.
Entrusting her hair to the Princess’s touch which was no less than such maids, Noel fell into other thoughts.
‘Rosalyn, huh…. That knight lady was also a heroine, technically.’
She wasn't a solo heroine, but a 1+1 heroine who was captured together as various events opened like a bonus if you raised the Princess’s affinity.
Noel fell into thought wondering if Goldie’s individual route had been implemented, maybe there would have been a 'Flower in Both Hands' (Harem) ending adding Rosalyn Miller too.
“What are you thinking about so deeply? Are you perhaps uncomfortable…?”
“Pardon? No, not at all. You are doing well, Princess. I, just… was thinking that the book gets published tomorrow.”
“Ah….”
Princess Lydia nodded as if she understood.
The face that was clouded with anxiety wondering ‘Am I annoying her?’ brightened up radiantly.
“It might be weird for me, who has no publishing experience, to say this, but I understand that heart.”
You can be certain of one thing, so relax.
Princess Lydia continued as if reassuring her.
“Lady Noel’s novel will surely become a basic virtue that any young lady of the Empire—no, the continent must possess.”
“I-It is an… honor?”
That’s not it.
She hoped it wouldn't go that far, but because it seemed like it really would, Noel was afraid of that.
And amidst such different dreams in the same bed, 「The Bridges of Imperium Town」 was revealed to the world.
Result-wise, both Noel and Princess Lydia were wrong.
“Guaaah! What on earth is this novel!”
“Stand straight, Publisher. Why did you not publish the second volume together?”
“Why is it fun? Why the hell is this so fun?!”
Because 「The Bridges of Imperium Town」 captivated not only women’s hearts but men’s hearts as well!