Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Chapter 18: Carriage Ride Relief
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"Ugh..."
"Were you very uncomfortable?"
"Not really..."
It was an expensive carriage, so it was definitely less bumpy than most.
But riding in even that for so long was still uncomfortable, and the moment we arrived at the inn, I had no choice but to collapse onto the bed.
"I'm just tired..."
"Well, we rode the carriage longer than usual today because of the schedule, so I can see why."
"Ugh..."
"Camellia, why don't you lie face down for a bit?"
"Face down?"
"Yeah."
"...?"
I had no idea what she meant, but I lay down as Rozalin suggested.
It wasn't a difficult request—just lying there. Besides, I was already plenty satisfied just lying on the bed.
It was only the first day since leaving for the Eastern Region, but the journey already felt grueling.
Somehow Rozalin had joined the trip, but aside from the uncomfortable carriage, it wasn't bad at all.
Riding in the same carriage as her and chatting was honestly fun.
-Squish...
"Eek!?"
Suddenly, Rozalin pressed down on my lower back, and I let out a weird noise without thinking.
So that's what she meant by lying face down. I'd thought she just meant to rest lying down. A massage, of all things.
"Are you okay? Did that hurt a little?"
"Ah... Yeah... Please be a bit gentler..."
...It didn't hurt because she pressed too hard. I was just startled by the sudden pressure on my back.
I was surprised, but it was true that my back hurt from all the time in the carriage, and a massage was just what I needed. We had to ride again tomorrow, so if she didn't loosen it up now, it would definitely ache.
And so... I began receiving Rozalin's massage.
She kneaded the muscles around my lower back—squish, press—slowly, while I lay still.
It wasn't like the tension melted away completely, but it felt better than just lying there doing nothing.
"Hmm..."
"We're still a ways from the Eastern Region, but we covered a lot of ground today. We should arrive in a few days."
"Really...?"
"Yeah, we were originally supposed to rest this afternoon, but we pushed the carriage longer on purpose, right?"
"That's... true..."
She was right. We'd ridden longer today for good reasons.
Of course, arriving a little late wouldn't make it impossible to attend the social gathering. We'd just planned to arrive earlier to prepare.
"Hehe, or should we just take a full rest day? We've traveled hard today. Skipping one day wouldn't mess up the schedule."
It wasn't... a bad idea.
Honestly, the suggestion was a bit tempting.
But no, that wouldn't do. No matter how tired I was, we'd only been traveling for a day. Resting too soon in the middle of a multi-day carriage journey would cause more problems.
Better to rest a few days from now—I was sure that was the right call.
"We still have to go tomorrow. We decided to travel faster than the original pace from the start. Changing plans after less than a day would be too much."
"If that's what you say, Camellia, then I guess we have no choice."
"Besides, the knights probably want to arrive quickly too."
The inn we were at was just a regular village one. The upscale ones William had reserved in the Eastern Region had better facilities and amenities.
It would be better for everyone to get there sooner.
It wasn't even that tough, really—maybe I just felt it more because I was small.
"Ugh..."
"Young Lady, the bath is ready."
"Ah... Really?"
Lize entered the room while I was getting the massage from Rozalin.
Bath... Come to think of it, I hadn't bathed yet. I'd been so tired upon arrival that I'd just flopped onto the bed.
"Go wash up. Lize?"
"Yes."
"Camellia seems a bit worn out, so help her bathe and ease her fatigue while you're at it."
"Understood."
And so... after Rozalin's massage, I ended up being washed by Lize's hands.
Normally I wouldn't think much of it, but today... it felt amazing.
I'd been so worn out from the carriage, but somehow it all turned so comfortable. I wouldn't normally ask for massages, but it did cross my mind.
"Lize."
"Yes?"
"...Give me a massage."
"...Pardon?"
"Riding the carriage so much is more tiring than I thought. Usually, I only ride for an hour at most."
Maybe that's why.
I'd said that while Lize was washing me. I'd never asked her something like that before.
Perhaps Rozalin's massage had been even better than expected. It had felt great. Of course... asking my elder stepmother Rozalin for daily massages would be terribly rude.
So I'd tried saying it to Lize.
"You can't?"
"...I'm sorry. I haven't learned anything like that yet."
"No, I was just saying it for the first time anyway."
"Still..."
Honestly, I'd only been half-joking. Lize wasn't a real maid—she came from nobility herself.
Even if she'd agreed seriously, I would've brushed it off as a joke.
"Hehe, it was just a joke, so don't feel bad."
"...I'm sorry."
"Hey, it's fine."
Lize took it too seriously, but that was just how she was—a bit rigid, you could say.
Her reaction was kind of funny and cute in its own way.
Anyway, we chatted like that while I enjoyed Lize's bathing assistance and relaxed completely.
Compared to the mansion's bath facilities, it was lacking, of course. But after a long day in the carriage, that didn't matter at all.
For me, a bath just needed warm water, a nice scent, and the ability to get clean—nothing more.
"...Young Lady."
"Yeah?"
"...For your hands, I could manage a very light massage."
"Huh?"
As the bath was nearly done and I lounged in the tub, Lize brought it up.
She could do a very, very light hand massage.
I didn't get why at first, but it must've been because I'd asked for one earlier. Lize looked a bit cool and composed, but she had a deeper, caring side.
She was probably bothered that she couldn't do what I'd asked.
"Hmm... Would you?"
"Yes, I'll do it. Please extend your hands this way..."
I held my hands out.
I didn't know how good Lize would be at hand massages, but since she offered, it felt thoughtful—and I was grateful.
Lize began kneading my hands.
Her hands were smaller than Rozalin's but bigger than mine, so it definitely felt like a proper massage. Not bad at all.
Of course, the tired part was my back, not my hands?
"Hehe."
"How does it feel...?"
"Pretty good. Feels like you're kneading well."
"Really?"
It wasn't amazingly skilled, but I didn't dislike it.
Lize was massaging with careful, delicate touches in her own way.
Honestly, having someone as cute and pretty as Lize massage my hands couldn't feel bad.
Plus, there was the fun of watching her pale, pretty hands up close.
"All done."
"Thanks. I feel a bit less fatigued because of you."
More from the other effects than the massage itself, though.
Still, thanks to Lize, my mood was better, and some fatigue had lifted.
*
After sleeping and waking up, things were the same.
Today meant riding the carriage steadily onward. No helping it if we wanted to reach the Eastern Region.
At least it hurt my back less than riding a horse myself.
"Camellia, if it's too uncomfortable, tell me right away, okay?"
"I know."
"And if it feels stuffy, feel free to open the window."
"Haha..."
Maybe because I'd looked so wiped out yesterday? Rozalin started worrying about me almost as soon as we got in the carriage.
It wasn't unwelcome, but the excessive concern was burdensome in its own way.
It wasn't just words—she looked genuinely, deeply worried. Lize had been concerned too, but this was more.
"Young Lady, they say we'll stop at a suitable village before sunset today."
"Really? A bit later, tell the escorts to stay vigilant. And remind the coachman to stick to safe roads."
"Yes."
Anyway... today meant wasting time in the carriage again.
Not truly wasting, though...
"Imperial Calendar Year 34..."
"That's not quite right..."
"........."
I had homework to do.
No matter how I thought about it, doing homework on the way to a social gathering felt off. I figured classes and assignments could wait until we got back.
But William and the tutors had all insisted no, forcing me to do it anyway.
I hated it, honestly.
"Hmm... The history part seems a bit lacking."
"...You're right."
"If you're going to keep solving problems like this on the way... how about I teach you?"
"Really?"
"Yeah, the history in these problems isn't that hard."
I couldn't help widening my eyes at Rozalin's words.
These assignments were truly stumping me!
Sure, it was because I had zero interest, so I'd forgotten what I'd learned. But it was still a great offer.
The carriage had been bumpy since yesterday, the problems tough, leaving me frustrated. Rozalin offering to teach... of course that appealed.
Though really, it was also because I just didn't want to do them...?
"Hehe, I'll teach you everything. Want to finish all the travel homework today?"
"For real? We can do it all today?"
"Of course—I got good grades at the academy, you know?"
"Ooo..."
Somehow I'd learned something new about Rozalin today, but I didn't dwell on it.
What mattered was that she'd help with homework!