Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Warm Soup and Swimsuit Talk
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"Hoo... This soup is nice and warm."
"Right?"
After playing in the valley for a while, we came back out.
Lize, who had been hesitant at first, ended up splashing water on us enthusiastically and really... had a blast.
Ella and I kept dousing her with water, and before we knew it, Lize was playing along with us.
We played like that for almost an hour, just like little kids.
"Young Lady, you haven't dried off completely yet."
"Oh?"
"Yes, there's still water on the back of your neck and in your hair."
"Then dry it for me."
"Yes."
We were now out of the water, all eating lunch together.
We sat at the table under the tent, sipping warm soup.
Maybe because we'd been in the water so long before coming out.
It was just plain soup with bread dipped in it, but every bite warmed us up from the inside.
"Thanks."
"Yes."
Anyway, we were taking a short break like that.
Of course, Ashley was still lounging comfortably on her sunbed.
She was resting so peacefully that it felt wrong to disturb her.
"Camellia, that Ashley teacher over there. It's really okay to just leave her like that?"
"Hmm... I think it's fine? She sleeps a lot normally anyway. She'll probably be okay...."
Probably...?
I had thought about waking Ashley up, but she was definitely going to fall asleep again soon anyway.
It seemed better to let her lie there comfortably and enjoy nature.
When I was lying next to her resting before, she really did nothing but lie still and sleep.
Wearing a bikini with just a towel draped over her afterward, she slept so obediently.
"Ella, want some more bread...?"
"Are you full?"
"Not exactly..."
"Then why?"
"...I'm on a diet."
"...Huh?"
I overheard Ella and Karen talking next to me, and for a moment, I was dumbfounded.
Of course, I understood being conscious of looks and such, but I didn't think Karen needed to diet.
""...Why?""
Thanks to that, both Ella and I had no choice but to ask Karen.
We honestly couldn't understand it.
Especially now, she was in a swimsuit, and her stomach was visible.
Not just her stomach, but all her body parts... were on full display.
"...Huh?"
"No, do you really... need to diet?"
"...Right? Why do you think that?"
Ella and I stared at her in utter disbelief as we asked.
Her figure was even more apparent in the swimsuit.
Karen's words were just... incomprehensible.
"Why are you all like this...?"
"Well... I just don't get it."
"...Same as Ella."
"Yes...?"
...Did Karen perhaps think she was fat or something?
I briefly recalled Karen standing up just a moment ago.
...She didn't look chubby at all.
If anything, her waist was surprisingly slim compared to her bust size... it was a body that really looked great.
Plus, she seemed a bit taller than Rozalin.
Shorter than Lize, but her proportions were perfectly balanced for sure.
Anyway... we chatted about Karen's sudden weird comment while finishing lunch.
*
"Camellia, this place seems really nice."
"Yeah?"
After lunch, we were each resting on our own.
Ashley was still asleep on her sunbed, and we were just relaxing.
"The sunlight is just right, and it's so quiet—perfect for sitting and chilling."
Rozalin was lying on a sunbed, basking in the sun.
I was sitting right next to her.
Karen, Ella, and Lize had gone back into the water to play, though.
"Yesterday's mountain walk was nice, but the valley feels even better."
"Those three down there seem to think so too."
"Hehe, they're kids, after all."
Rozalin was right.
Well... we were all young.
They could enjoy water play so much because of that.
My body was young too, but somehow I felt tired...
So I ended up resting next to Rozalin like this.
"You're okay not going down there to play, Camellia?"
"Yeah. Sitting here like this is nice too."
"Really?"
Rozalin smiled and replied to me.
...Though I couldn't focus properly because of Rozalin right beside me.
"Is it that fun...?"
"Just being here with you makes me so happy."
"...Then I'm glad."
"You're not having fun? Just sitting here resting."
"No. I'm having fun too."
I was just sitting still and resting, but I didn't feel bored at all.
I'd played so hard before lunch that resting felt better, actually.
Being still felt more comfortable than boring.
"Then I'm relieved."
Rozalin was worrying about unnecessary things in all sorts of ways.
I didn't hate being with her.
"Ah, if you want to go play with your friends, you can head down there?"
"Yes."
I heard that, but I was still spending time right next to Rozalin, who was lying on the sunbed.
My eyes kept drifting to Rozalin lying there... but it was okay.
Probably.
I could endure it, more or less.
"Did you pick out the swimsuit you're wearing yourself, Camellia?"
"No. Lize chose it for me."
I didn't know much about this stuff to begin with.
I had no choice but to ask Lize.
Not just my bikini, but everyone's bikinis had mostly been decided after asking Lize.
If I'd chosen... there might've been more revealing or weird ones?
Yeah, good thing I asked Lize.
"Oh? It suits you so well, I thought you picked it yourself for sure. Guess not?"
"I've never worn a swimsuit like this before. Couldn't help it."
"Your usual fashion sense seems great, so I was a bit surprised Lize picked it."
"All the swimsuits Mother and everyone else is wearing today were recommended by Lize."
"Hehe, is that so? Then I should thank Lize next time."
Rozalin was talking to me while lying on her side, which made her body even more visible.
While I was having those weird thoughts, Rozalin was normally complimenting how I looked in my swimsuit.
But complimenting Rozalin's swimsuit look normally was a bit hard for me.
"How do you like the swimsuit you're wearing now, Mother...?"
"It's nice, right? The frills are a bit much... Honestly, it feels a little too cutesy. But it's pretty."
"Yeah...?"
Honestly, Rozalin's frilly swimsuit just seemed normally pretty to me.
She kept saying stuff about her age and being cutesy.
But to me, she just looked pretty, nothing else.
"To me... it just looks normally pretty."
"Really?"
"Yes. It suits you perfectly."
...Too perfectly—that was the problem for me.
The others' swimsuits looked fine too, but my eyes kept going only to Rozalin.
"You always give such generous compliments, Camellia."
"...It's true."
I couldn't figure out why Rozalin didn't easily believe my compliments.
Honestly, she was the most... attractive person around me.
Even bathing with her occasionally was really... really tough, but whenever I complimented her like this, she acted like it wasn't true...
It was hard to understand in all sorts of ways.
"Yaaawn..."
"Teacher?"
"Oh... it's still daytime..."
While resting with Rozalin like that, Ashley suddenly woke up.
...She'd slept a long time, but I hadn't expected her to wake up right now.
"Teacher? Aren't you hungry? We already had lunch..."
"I'm fine. Yeah. Stomach's... not hungry."
"That's a relief... But if you get hungry, just tell the maids. They'll kindly show you."
"That's... good..."
She'd gotten up, but she still seemed half-asleep.
Ashley bobbed her head as she replied to me.
Man... yeah.
She was in her early twenties like Rozalin, but she slept way too much.
It had always been her thing, but it was still amazing every time.
"Um... Teacher, want a pillow?"
"You have one...?"
"Of course?"
I hadn't planned to bring one originally.
But I'd prepared it specially because of someone who loved sleep so much.
"Shall I get it for you?"
"Yeah..."
"...Maid? Could you bring a pillow please?"
"Yes, right away."
Anyway... the pillow we'd prepared for Ashley ended up getting used.
I'd thought she wouldn't, but she actually did.
Coming to the valley and lying around all day, then using a pillow next...
It was so very Ashley.
"Um... Mother?"
"Yes?"
"Should we go into the water for a bit and come back out?"
Leaving Ashley who'd fallen asleep again, I asked Rozalin.
Rozalin and I had been resting on the sunbeds for a bit already, and Ashley had just dozed off again.
"What do you think?"
"Hmm... Should we? It's starting to feel hot again."
"Shall we go in...?"
Honestly, I'd been feeling a bit hot for a while now.
Not burning hot, but yeah, it was getting warm.
I wanted to get back in the cool water now.
Of course... it wouldn't be easy to play as happily as Ella and them down there, with Karen smiling and taking it while Lize joined in.