A Bath for Two, and Half a Year Later...
Arona and Perona, the twin sisters, no longer skipped their duties as they pleased. They rose early in the morning to attend to Marian's attire, headed to the dining hall to wash the dishes, and if they saw laundry piled up, they washed it and hung it out to dry in the sunniest spot. Finally, they could be called proper maids, and today too, they entered Marian's bedroom to help her dress.
What the hell.
How am I supposed to take this?
Her mind reeled.
"What's with you two? Why aren't you moving?"
Putting aside Chloe, the vicious woman who had threatened to ship them off to a brothel...
"A bath, you say?"
"It's not a difficult request, is it?"
"N-no, of course not. We'll prepare it right away."
Why would a tutor—not even a close acquaintance or a maid—offer to attend Marian during her bath? It made no sense.
"Why, though..."
"Yeah, seriously..."
They scrubbed the pristine white bathtub until it gleamed, filled it with water heated to the perfect temperature for soaking, and floated in some fragrant oils and flower petals to complete the preparations. But the question lingered stubbornly in their minds.
"No way...!"
"No way what?"
"You think that woman likes the young lady?"
"Are you nuts?"
"Then why else would she bathe with her?"
"The young lady must've thrown a tantrum."
"Ah, yeah, that makes sense. She's just indulging her whims."
"Look at that woman's chest. Makes you wanna cry 'mama,' doesn't it? Growing up without parents, it'd be weirder if she didn't act spoiled."
"True, she's a bit immature."
With just a wall between them, the sisters gossiped about Chloe and Marian behind their backs. Once everything was ready, they straightened their twitching lips and stepped out.
"Then, we'll return in an hour."
"We'll bring fresh clothes too, so please enjoy your bath at your leisure."
They meant to leave with those polite words, but...
"Lips."
"Pardon?"
"Watch your mouths."
Chloe tapped her own ruby lips with her index finger in warning.
"What you've done so far, plus that little chat just now—that makes twice. There won't be a third."
"Ah..."
"Uh..."
"Get out."
"Y-yes, ma'am..."
"We're sorry..."
The sisters paled in terror and fled the bedroom like rabbits. Marian tilted her head, wondering what their deal was, and looked up at Chloe.
"Ignore them. Shall we get to our bath?"
"Yeah!"
There was no reason to heed Chloe's advice to ignore them anyway. Marian scampered into the bathroom with a grin, and Chloe took her hand, leading her to the tub.
"How is it?"
"Warm."
"Just the right warmth. Perfect to slip right in."
"I suppose..."
Whoosh, rustle.
Before Marian could finish, Chloe stripped off her nightdress and undergarments in one swift motion.
"Eh...?"
While Marian blinked in confusion, Chloe scooped her up with a grunt and settled her into the tub.
"S-so fast..."
"Ahaha..."
"Chloe, are you actually a maid? Even maids aren't this quick."
"Who knows? Maybe."
She decided not to mention how her assassin days included "entertaining" duties that involved undressing middle-aged ladies. Not a fond memory.
"I'll join you now."
"Uh, o-okay..."
To bathe together, they both needed to be in the tub. Chloe undressed as well.
"I-I won't look."
"Covering up like that hides nothing."
"Ah, uh..."
With a sharp snap, her bra came undone, baring her breasts completely. Marian couldn't tear her eyes from the adult woman's naked form—her first time seeing one.
"Ch-Chloe..."
"Yes, miss?"
Chloe's bare presence approached from behind, the water level rising as her heavy breasts pressed against Marian's back.
"C-can I get as big as you, Chloe?"
Marian didn't yet grasp sexuality, but the ticklish press of another's breasts against her back felt instinctively strange. She covered her face with both hands as she asked.
Why she asked, even she didn't know. Perhaps it stemmed from a vague longing to be like Chloe, feeling starkly what she lacked but Chloe had.
And Chloe replied,
"That depends on you, miss."
"On me...?"
"Alchemy can brew potions to enlarge breasts. But I don't recommend it—too many side effects. And you're beautiful without them anyway."
"Hehe..."
Chloe picked words Marian would love, then placed a hand on her lower belly and pulled her close.
"Let's relax like this for now. No one will disturb us for an hour."
"Okay, let's."
For both Marian and Chloe, sharing warmth where their skin touched felt wonderful.
#
"You two, come here a moment."
"Y-yes, ma'am..."
"Understood."
After the bath, Chloe called Arona and Perona aside and scolded them harshly. Hadn't they learned yet? Know who they served and show some reverence. When would they grow up?
She pressed them harder than last time. The simplest solution would be to kill them outright or tell Rosetta or Haksen to dispose of them, but...
Stupid and disloyal is better.
With fools like these sisters, as long as they disrespected Marian, they'd get their comeuppance—like today. Gossiping right outside the bedroom about the very subjects inside? Obvious.
They were idiots. But that's why, if corrected just once, they could be trusted at her side.
Smart and disloyal ones are suspicious.
The clever but treacherous were hard to spot, and threats wouldn't change their minds.
"W-we'll do better. Never again, promise..."
"F-forgive us just this once."
"Haa... go."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Thank you!"
Keep threatening like this, make them feel the need to change, and live by their new values. Stupid and disloyal would naturally become stupid but loyal.
"When will they ever mature..."
Chloe sighed and returned to the bedroom.
"Alright, back to our lesson."
"Yeah!"
Snow globe crafting resumed. Marian could already make one solo. With Chloe's tips, the second was more refined than the first, the third even better—a natural progression.
Chloe took the third snow globe artifact—featuring a waddling penguin family—and sought out Rosetta.
"Did you sleep well last night, madam?"
"Well enough. With my husband risen from his long illness, how could I not?"
Rosetta's complexion was visibly brighter than before. No doubt she and Haksen had shared passionate nights since his awakening. Chloe presented the snow globe.
"What's this...?"
"A small token. Or you could call it an achievement."
"Explain."
"The miss made it herself. An artifact infused with the mana you taught her."
"So, you want praise? That your little pupil can make such a thing?"
Little pupil. Marian's old slurs—brat, bastard, that bitch, whelp—had softened. Thanks to Haksen's recovery stabilizing Rosetta.
"As I said, it's a gesture. From the miss and me to you."
"A gift? Is it poisoned?"
"No need for such suspicion. I understand your resentment toward her, but you're also her teacher. This is her first creation as your student. Perhaps display it in a corner of your bedroom?"
"Ha, Chloe..."
Rosetta rarely used her name—a bad sign, judging by the mocking tone.
"In just a month, you've become that bitch's doting mother? Like some overzealous parent meddling in academy affairs and even other kids' parent-teacher stuff?"
And Chloe responded,
"Can't a mother do that?"
"What?"
"Even if not a mother, I could be a sister. I'll raise the miss with affection."
"Don't assassin guilds pick up orphans, teach them skills, and pass them down? You saying you won't raise her like that?"
"Yes. She won't become someone like me to be a good adult. As her tutor, I plan to make her a good person, an excellent assassin, and a brilliant alchemist in five years."
She restated her philosophy to Rosetta. Unchanged, save for adding affection.
"You'll leave after five years?"
"Yes, I must."
"Sweet five years for her. She'll cling to you."
"I'll still go. After five years, I live my life."
"Now I see—you're harsher on her than I am. Better to ignore her outright."
Rosetta had a point. Chloe's affection was mostly self-indulgence, consequences be damned.
"I know getting closer will hurt her too. So I won't."
"We'll see if that works."
"It will. Affection serves education, not the other way around."
And so half a year passed, bringing the Evergreen Grand Duchy’s winter.
"Eek..."
"Mmm, Chloe... boobies..."
Making her vow half a year ago ring hollow, Chloe now shared a blanket—and bed—with Marian.