Volume 2 Chapter 14 Serving (The One Who serves)
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Why do I have to do something like this…?”
”Oh? Are you dissatisfied?”
”…No, it’s fine. Just—still kind of awkward, you know?”
Tiet kept her tone light, masking the flickers of doubt and unease in her eyes. She slipped off her tunic with practiced composure, revealing her bare form beneath. Klock’s first thought upon seeing her was simple and honest—scrawny.
He hadn’t expected this. Accompanying her to the bath was one thing. Being ordered to help wash her back seemed like a minor inconvenience at worst. But now she wanted help changing? That hadn’t been part of the deal. And come to think of it, shouldn’t she feel more embarrassed about undressing in front of a man?
Without hesitation, Tiet lowered her trousers and reached for the last piece of clothing.
As she slid the garment down, she leaned a little too close—close enough that her skin brushed his cheek for a moment.
”Oops. My bad,” she said in a singsong voice, exaggerated and insincere.
Klock glanced up and caught her smirking. That was no accident.
Suppressing a sigh, he picked up her discarded clothes and tossed them into the bamboo basket at the side of the room.
Tiet stood unabashed, her figure illuminated under the dim glow of the bathhouse lamps—fair skin, flowing golden hair, a frame still on the cusp of maturity. Her chest was modest, and her body unadorned by adulthood. For a moment, Klock caught himself thinking she looked like a child.
He quickly looked away.
As he began removing his own clothes, he could feel her gaze on him—bold and unwavering. She didn’t even try to hide it.
Being watched so directly made it difficult to act natural. He wanted to say something, to tell her to go on ahead, but judged it better not to provoke her tonight.
”Alright, let’s go,” she said as soon as he finished changing.
Before he could take a step, Tiet suddenly slipped her hand around his waist. Then, slowly, her hand wandered lower, brushing across his backside.
Again, a prank. She’d been teasing him like this since earlier—leaning in too close, touching without warning. What exactly was she after?
He turned to look at her, only to find her eyes not on his face—but slightly below, her gaze openly fixated.
Her expression made it clear: whatever reservations she’d had earlier were gone, replaced with something far more direct.
Klock sighed inwardly. He remembered being that age—when thoughts of desire crept in constantly, uninvited. She was young, full of energy, and clearly not shy about it.
Honestly, it was a small miracle she hadn’t tried anything back in the changing room.
”This bath is quite something. It’s an open-air bath, right? There wasn’t anything like this back in the royal capital,” Tiet said, looking up at the star-speckled night sky.
”…Yeah. Places like this tend to be more common in the countryside. They make use of natural terrain and resources.”
They stepped into the bathhouse.
Steam rose gently from the large stone tub, fed continuously by flowing hot water. The air carried a faint scent of minerals. The setup resembled a hot spring, but no firewood burned beneath it. The floor was laid with stone tiles, and the overflow of water trickled softly into a small drainage channel.
”It’s like spring water. Or rather, it’s hot spring water? Does hot water naturally spring up like this? I wonder how it works,” Tiet mused, kneeling beside the tub.
Klock followed her gaze as she pointed at the edge of one of the rocks.
”Look. There’s a fire magic circle carved here. It’s hidden along the joint between the stones.”
He squinted, leaning closer. Indeed, there was a delicate inscription, runes etched in tight formation around the seams.
”Ah… So that’s it. A branch of the dragon vein must run beneath here. By carving a fire-element magic circle, they can heat the area directly. The water might be drawn naturally, or generated on demand with a water magic formation.”
A clever system—magic channeled through nature, quietly keeping the bath warm.
Though this was his second time entering, he hadn’t noticed it before. He hadn’t paid much attention then.
”…Hmm. Feels good. Let’s wash up quickly before soaking,” Tiet said, already moving to the washing area. “Klock, do you know how to use soap?”
”Yeah.”
Tiet tossed a piece of soap toward him, and he caught it reflexively.
It seemed she really expected him to wash her, just as she’d declared earlier. A strange position to be in, but not the worst fate.
She scooped warm water with a wooden bucket and poured it over the wooden chair. Then she sat down decisively and passed the bucket to him.
”I usually start with my hair.”
”…Is that so?”
Tiet turned around, glancing back at him with wide, expectant eyes. Her straightened back gleamed under the lamplight, her composure somewhere between royal poise and childlike trust.
”…Alright. I’ll start.”
Klock dipped a hand into the water and gently poured it over her head.
She closed her eyes and let the water cascade down, seemingly content to let him do all the work. She clearly wasn’t planning to lift a finger tonight.
He worked the soap into a lather, lifting her long golden hair and applying the foam evenly. No matter how radiant it looked, hair gathered dirt quickly. The first pass of soap vanished almost instantly.
He re-lathered, repeating the process.
”…Long hair’s a pain to wash,” he muttered.
”Hmm? Yeah, I guess. But once you get used to it, it’s just routine. You’ll get used to it too,” she teased.
”…Spare me,” he replied with a sigh.
While he continued working on her hair, Tiet lazily reached back with one hand, fingers brushing around his knee and thigh. The touch was light, almost playful—but there was something underneath it, an intent that made it linger just a bit longer than it should have.
”Hmm. Do you dislike it that much? What’s bothering you?”
”Huh? Everything, probably. What are you even talking about?”
As she demanded obedience from others, she often said such strange things. Did she see herself as someone who thrived on being defied?
”Klock. Be honest—how do I look to you? I think I have a decent appearance, don’t I?”
”…Huh? I mean, I guess. Yeah.”
”…’Guess’?” she huffed.
He sighed, not bothering to argue as he kept scrubbing.
”I don’t like bragging, but I’m fairly popular. I’ve had more proposals from nobles than I can count. It got to be such a nuisance that I pushed all public appearances onto Hermine and the others. And yet—despite traveling with me—you were the one who made the first move on a complete stranger. A maid, no less. I was quite shocked.”
”…I see.”
So this was where the conversation had been heading.
But her tone wasn’t angry. She didn’t seem upset about the act itself—just surprised.
”I won’t claim to be some unparalleled beauty. My figure’s still growing. But when it comes to power, there are only a handful who can stand beside me—Anna, maybe. Being close to someone like me… is a rare privilege. Don’t you think so?”
”…Yeah. That might be true.”
”Of course it is. So, Klock, you—”
As he began scrubbing her scalp, Tiet suddenly quieted.
”I’m going to rinse now. Close your eyes.”
”Mm.”
He filled the bucket again and poured it over her head. The first rinse washed away most of the foam, and a second, more careful rinse ensured nothing was left tangled in her hair.
”…Alright. That should do it. You feel refreshed, right?”
Klock nodded to himself, mildly satisfied. He remembered washing his little sister’s hair long ago. Whether his technique was correct or not, he couldn’t say, but it seemed to work well enough.
”Not bad. Now, let’s move on to the body.”
”…Sure, sure.”
He had expected this.
He wrapped the soap in a soft scrubbing cloth, poured water over it, and worked it into bubbles.
Just as he was about to press the cloth to her back, Tiet raised her hand.
”Wait—”
Her voice halted him in place.
”Hmm? What’s wrong?”
”Wash with your hands. Just soap and your hands. Don’t use anything else.”
”…Huh? Why not?”
”Just do it.”
The request was unusual—washing with hands alone. Could scrubbing with bare hands truly remove the dirt properly? It felt like an odd demand.
”…I’m not sure I can do it well.”
Putting aside the foamy cloth they had prepared, Klock began creating bubbles with his hands once more. As he gently applied the suds to Tiet’s back, she flinched slightly. He decided not to comment on her reaction, fearing it might upset her, and instead continued carefully rubbing and polishing her skin. A soft “Mm” slipped from her lips.
What was this feeling? Was it the soap or something else?
He moved upwards to her shoulders, then down along her arms, scrubbing lightly as if giving a gentle massage. Occasionally, Tiet twitched in response to his touch. Klock started to suspect that the reason for being told to wash her by hand—and why they ended up bathing together—was more than just about cleanliness.
She was so slender… yet her skin was soft and warm. How could such delicate arms hold such strength? Where did it come from?
The places he was allowed to touch on a woman’s body were limited, and he had never had the chance to feel her so closely before—not her back or arms. Everything felt new and fresh. As he became aware of her femininity through the softness beneath his hands, an unexpected warmth began to rise within him.
”I’m done with your back and arms.”
”Mm. The front too. Everything.”
”…Understood.”
He wasn’t just being asked to wash her back. “Everything” implied a more complete task. He could have hesitated and started elsewhere, but Tiet was someone he had been close to countless times before. There was no need for awkwardness now.
Creating fresh foam in his hands, he slid his arm around her from behind, placing his hand over her chest.
Tiet reacted sharply, as though she had been waiting for this moment. *This is what you wanted, right?* he thought, kneading gently. Stroking her carefully, she leaned against him, letting out soft sighs.
Tiet leaned into him, acting unusually tender. His hands played more than they washed, yet she never scolded him—she simply surrendered herself to his touch. Occasionally, a soft sound escaped her lips, low and warm, and at the sound, Klock’s feelings grew stronger.
Just as he debated whether to keep washing normally or continue teasing her, Tiet’s hand reached behind him. She must have noticed his touch on her back. Her foam-covered fingers found him and grasped him firmly, beginning to stroke with gentle pressure, making quiet, wet sounds.
It looked like this would lead to something more before the bath.
Sensing what was coming, Klock flicked her nipple lightly with one hand while casually washing her abdomen with the other. He stroked downward roughly but avoided more sensitive areas, instead sliding his hands around the base of her thighs, teasing gently. The base of the thighs was sensitive, and Tiet’s reactions were enough to show it.
She trembled and leaned her full weight against him. Now fully trusting him, her hands remained wrapped around him, continuing their rhythmic movements.
”K-Klock…”
”Hmm? What is it?”
”W-What’s wrong? Today, you’re supposed to be at my mercy.”
Her tone was playful but accusatory, a gentle challenge. Klock understood what she meant. As a small act of rebellion, he decided to return the favor.
”No, that’s exactly why I’m washing you—because you told me to.”
”Cut the chatter! Just touch me already!”
”…Right, right.”
Without hesitation, he complied, pressured by her straightforwardness. Tiet disliked formalities and preambles; she wanted things straightforward and simple. Though he thought she might benefit from a little more modesty, he respected her wishes.
Reaching behind her to the places she could not see, he carefully lathered the area thoroughly with foam.
Tiet gasped sharply, startled. The sound was so sharp it might have carried to the others nearby.
”Hey, if you make noise like that, the maids might hear.”
”Hmm? Oh, sorry.”
She agreed reluctantly, then suddenly released his hand. She shifted her hips slightly and moved the wooden chair she had been sitting on aside. Sitting on the cold cobblestones, she leaned heavily against Klock, pushing him down behind her.
”Klock.”
”Hm?”
”Hug me from behind, tightly.”
”…Alright.”
Her requests intensified. Klock chuckled quietly, noting that her demands felt more like those of a lover than anything else. He had no intention of judging her preferences but couldn’t help thinking that perhaps she should say these things to someone her own age, not a man nearly twice as old.
Then again, maybe it wasn’t so simple.
Her preferences seemed normal, but this wasn’t just typical role-play. Beneath it all, she often looked down on him.
He recalled the windowless wooden house—the first time the power dynamic had flipped, and now on the last day, when she took on a more submissive role. And today’s playful harassment, along with her current behavior—it was a dance of give and take.
She simply liked being cared for.
Perhaps she even enjoyed being treated like a princess.
There was no winning a power struggle with Tiet. Unless she was willing, nothing would happen. There was no clear “receiver” here—it was all her will. She allowed it because she wanted to, and she consented because she desired it.
”Mmm, ahh… mmm, mmm.”
He embraced her firmly with one arm from behind, while his other hand traced gentle circles, stroking and soothing her.
Tiet spread her legs, using Klock as a backrest, breathing heavily as she leaned into his care. Her idle hands roamed up his legs, and she buried her face in his chest, relaxing completely.
”Mmm, ah, Klock… Klock.”
”Yes? What is it?”
”Ahh, I want more…”
”…Alright, understood.”
She could no longer hold back and finally voiced her desire for what was to come. Should he praise her for enduring so long, or be annoyed and tell her to finish bathing first? For now, he chose to prepare for what was to come.
If she had been weaker, he might have prolonged the moment, but denying her now would be like taking food from a hungry lion.
”I’m going to start.”
”…Hurry up.”
She couldn’t wait even to rinse the soap away. Quickly, the hot water washed over her, leaving her smooth and slick. Klock guided her gently, pulling her down onto the cobblestones.
Tiet lay back, cheeks flushed, eyes half-lidded, melting into his gaze. She parted her legs, fully ready.
”I’m ready.”
She spoke plainly, as if to confirm. Without replying, Klock simply looked at her and moved closer, beginning to close the distance between them.
Notes:
• Tiet – A companion and friend of Anna. A holy knight from the royal capital. She wears light armor and carries a shield adorned with a dragon holding a sword, indicating her affiliation with the National Military Police. She is concerned about Anna’s well-being and tries to support her emotionally.
• Hermine – A companion and friend of Anna. She is pragmatic and encourages Anna to focus on her duties as a hero rather than her personal revenge.
• Anna – The legendary Hero, chosen to defeat the Demon Lord. Her past life is Sylvia Croce. She is described as a heavenly being with overwhelming skill and a merciless attitude.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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