Chapter 72: Bathing, soft clothes
The blasted sunshower came out of nowhere, no warning at all! Ailiya, using her sopping maid coat as a makeshift umbrella, ushered Liliane under the corridor’s shelter. Rain drifted in, splattering the polished marble with tiny droplets. Outside, golden sunlight mingled with the untimely drizzle, casting a hazy, warm glow, like the world was draped in a soft, misty filter.
“Ugh, seriously…” Ailiya shook her drenched coat, water spraying everywhere. Glaring at the bright sun and the offending cloud, she ranted inwardly. Is the weather schizophrenic? Sun and rain at once—what’s this, performance art? Picking on recovering patients and hardworking maids?
Liliane stood quietly, rain dripping from her silver hair, unfazed. Her gaze settled on Ailiya’s puffed-up, rain-soaked face, then drifted downward. Ailiya’s white hair clung to her forehead and cheeks, droplets rolling down her chin to her collarbone. She’d used her coat to shield Liliane, leaving herself exposed to the downpour.
Ailiya, feeling an itch, nearly shook her head like a wet cat but froze as Liliane’s cool hand reached out. With delicate care, Liliane brushed the wet strands from Ailiya’s forehead, flicking away the droplets. The gentle touch sent Ailiya’s heart stuttering, her cheeks flushing. Huh?
She stood rigid, staring into Liliane’s focused violet eyes, softer than ever before. A rush of warmth made her dizzy. “You…” she stammered.
“Don’t move,” Liliane said, her voice cool yet softer. “Shake like a dog, and you’ll splash me.”
Ailiya’s fleeting flutter crashed. Three seconds of kindness, max! Just worried I’d ruin her fancy clothes! Scowling, she grabbed Liliane’s wrist, placing her hand back on her own head, and roughly dried her hair with the coat. “Yeah, yeah, got it, Your Ladyship.”
Peeking through the coat, Ailiya noticed Liliane’s silk nightdress, its hem damp, clinging to her slender legs, outlining their graceful curves. She just got over a fever! Frowning, Ailiya said, “Go take a hot bath. You can’t afford to catch a cold.”
Liliane’s eyes flicked to Ailiya’s soaked uniform. “You need one more than I do. If I hadn’t insisted on a walk, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
Typical. Ailiya sighed inwardly. Always keeping that perfect, distant noble air, thinking of others but hiding her own thoughts behind a wall. “Enough already,” she said, tossing the coat to Liliane. “I’m tough—haven’t been sick in years. You, though? If you relapse, Clara’ll have my head. Go!”
Liliane, seeing Ailiya’s impatience, relented, taking the coat. “Dry yourself properly, too.”
“Got it. I’ll borrow your room to dry off,” Ailiya replied.
Liliane nodded, heading to the bathroom. Watching her unsteady steps, Ailiya called, “Need help?”
“I’m not that fragile,” Liliane replied without turning, her tone carrying a genius’s stubborn pride. “I’m not some delicate damsel.”
“You’re still a damsel, and I’m your maid—worrying’s my job,” Ailiya shot back.
Liliane paused, about to retort, when—“Achoo!” A loud sneeze cut through. Liliane turned, smirking. “Very healthy, huh?”
“Shut up! Go bathe!” Ailiya, mortified, shoved her into the room.
The wet clothes clung coldly, sapping her warmth. Shivering, Ailiya entered Liliane’s massive bedroom, locking the door with a click. Finally, some peace. Standing before the huge floor mirror, she unbuttoned her uniform, the damp fabric peeling off with relief. Grabbing a soft towel, she dried herself.
Her reflection showed a slim, pale frame—a scrawny beanpole, nothing special, she thought, sighing. If only I were taller, curvier…
A knock startled her. She clutched the towel, wrapping herself like a spooked rabbit. A maid entered, bowing. “Miss Ailiya, Lady Liliane has finished bathing. She requests you bathe as well, and… permits you to use the main family’s grand bath.”
“Grand bath?!” Ailiya’s eyes lit up like a hundred-watt bulb. The legendary marble bath with rose-scented water?! Jackpot! Suppressing her glee, she nodded calmly but asked, “She’s done already? Is she okay? Not just a quick rinse, right?”
“Rest assured,” the maid smiled. “She’s fine. The water’s ready for you—please hurry before it cools.”
Led through corridors, Ailiya reached a carved wooden door, steam wafting out. Filthy rich… Next life, I’m gonna be loaded! Stripping and rinsing, she pushed open the door with anticipation.
“Wow…” Rose-scented steam enveloped her, the bath a misty paradise. She stepped into the warm water, sinking in with a sigh. The heat massaged her skin, melting away cold and fatigue. This is the decadent life… Her thoughts drifted. Where’s Liliane? Back in her room?
Glancing through the steam, she spotted a figure in the mist, seated on the pool’s jade steps, water lapping at their waist. Silver hair, wet and fanned out like seaweed, shimmered. Droplets traced a graceful spine, skin glowing porcelain-like.
The figure turned slightly. A delicate collarbone, rounded shoulders, and skin flushed faintly pink from the steam… Ailiya’s breath caught, her heart stopping.
Then she saw the face—flawless, divine, with startled violet eyes.
Lady Liliane?! Ailiya’s mind blanked. Wasn’t she done bathing?!