Chapter 3
Clael and Reina had dinner together.
After enjoying a warm meal and some quiet time alone, it was time for a bath.
He wanted her to soak slowly in the water heated by a magic item and warm herself up, but... Reina shook her head.
"A-a bath? Um... I've never taken one before. It's scary..."
He thought she should wash her body clean in the bath, but Reina trembled like a little puppy and refused to bathe.
In this world, bathing is something only the relatively wealthy can afford.
Commoners usually have to make do with washing themselves using well water.
"If I can borrow the well, I can bathe there, so it's fine."
"Hmm... Even though it's early spring, bathing in a well is still cold. If possible, I'd like you to use the bath..."
That said, asking someone who's never bathed before to go in alone is a bit much.
There was one optimal solution to this problem... but he hesitated to choose it.
(Should I bathe with her? With a ten-year-old girl?)
An eighteen-year-old young man and a ten-year-old girl.
It was a situation that reeked of criminality.
If this were Japan, it would be a clear violation of the law and the police would be called.
(Even so... it's also true that there's no other option. I can't just leave her like this...)
Reina's entire body was filthy, and her clothes were in tatters.
Her hair, which should have been a beautiful silver, had dulled to a gray.
Not washing her body was not an option.
"Um... if Priest-sama gets in with me, then I'll take a bath..."
"Ugh..."
Reina was the one who brought it up.
With no escape left, Clael groaned.
"I-I'm sorry... someone dirty like me, you must hate the idea of bathing together... I'm sorry..."
"N-no! That is absolutely not true!"
Seeing Reina's sad expression, Clael hurriedly raised his voice.
"Let's bathe together. It's okay, I'll teach you how to use the bath!"
"Okay... um, please, take care of me..."
In the end, they ended up bathing together.
The two of them went to the changing room, undressed, and became completely naked.
The guilt was overwhelming... but the moment he saw Reina's bare body, that feeling vanished.
"This is..."
"Priest-sama?"
Naked, Reina looked up at Clael's face with a puzzled expression.
Reina's body was covered in countless scars.
From new to old... just how long had she been subjected to violence?
Bruises that looked like she had been punched, whip marks, and burns that seemed like cigarettes had been pressed against her.
Clear signs of abuse. It was a stark display of just how horrific Reina's environment had been.
"............Heal."
Clael bit his lip and activated a healing spell.
Reina's body was enveloped in a soft green light.
The wounds engraved on her pale skin disappeared without a trace.
The dirt remained, and her skin wasn't in perfect condition, but... it changed to unblemished white skin.
"Priest-sama, my body... the oozing is gone."
Reina touched the skin that had been covered in wounds just moments ago, her jade eyes blinking.
"It used to sting all the time. But now, it feels so much better... am I broken or something?"
"No... this is normal. There's nothing to be afraid of."
Clael forced a smile onto his pained face and spoke gently.
"Thinking that pain is normal was never right to begin with... now, let's get in the bath. Please sit over here."
"...Okay."
He sat Reina on the bath chair and slowly poured hot water over her.
"Hau..."
"Was it too hot?"
"No... it's okay. I think...?"
Having never taken a bath before, Reina seemed confused by the unfamiliar sensation and shrank back, letting herself be led.
He poured water over her several times, washing away the dirt clinging to her hair and body.
When he thoroughly scrubbed her skin with a towel, smooth skin appeared.
Her poor nutrition meant it wasn't exactly like a polished gem, but it would improve from now on.
The traces of abuse were so heartbreaking that the guilt of bathing with a young girl had faded—a small mercy.
"Okay, you're all clean now."
"This... is me...?"
Seeing the mirror attached to the wall, Reina opened her eyes wide.
Reflected in the mirror was the face of a well-formed girl.
Her long bangs still hid her face, but she was cute enough to show hints of a beautiful girl.
Like a raw diamond of enormous size.
The heroine of an otome game, a beautiful girl who would one day be revered as a Saint, was right there.
"You've become beautiful. This is the real you."
"Beautiful? Me...?"
"Yes. You're very cute."
"Ah...!"
The beautiful girl in the mirror looked like she was about to cry.
She really was a crybaby.
Clael gave a wry smile and gently lifted Reina's body into the bathtub.