The Banished Black Swordsman Wants a Peaceful Life with the White Saint in the Frontier ~Huh? You Want Him to Come Back with the Saint? It’s Already Too Late~ - 43

Chapter 43: I Ended Up Taking a Bath with the White Saint

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What in the world am I doing?

Lloyd felt an indescribable emotion wash over him as he looked down and realized that the only thing protecting him now was a scrap of cloth covering his groin. This was not the kind of bath he had imagined. Bathing was supposed to involve soaking in warm water, washing off the dirt, and easing one’s fatigue. And yet, how had it become a situation where he was this tense?

The answer was, of course, the person standing beside him. When he glanced to the side, soft white skin entered the corner of his vision, and he swallowed hard.

There stood a beautiful silver-haired girl in a state that left little to the imagination. She had already removed her clothing and covered herself from chest to hips with a single piece of woven fabric. Her long silver hair was tied up so it wouldn’t dip into the bathwater, but that only further exposed her skin, stirring a man’s desire. The bathroom was illuminated only by a warm-toned magical lamp—one he had bought earlier that day—and that soft light made the scene even more sensual.

This must be what it is like when an angel casts aside her robes… 

Somehow, Lloyd found himself thinking that.

“Um… Please don’t look too much. It’s embarrassing, after all.”

Lusha said this with her face bright red, as if she were about to cry.

“No, I mean, you’re the one who proposed this compromise…”

“That’s because Lloyd wouldn’t go in first!”

He wasn’t sure why, but she scolded him. It felt terribly unreasonable. Feeling her gaze burning into his back, Lloyd reluctantly scooped hot water over himself, soaked the woven cloth with herbal soap, and washed his body. Of course, he used a different cloth from the one covering his groin. He had bought the herbal soap at the market earlier. Lusha had also purchased some hair-washing liquid, so he used that as well to wash his head.

“Umm… Are we really going in together? It’s not too late to stop, you know. I can just wait outside—”

“It’s fine, just hurry up and go in first!”

Lusha looked as if she might burst into tears at any moment. She had reached a point where she couldn’t back out anymore, and he was trying to accommodate her, so why was this Saint-sama so stubborn? Well… It was probably because she couldn’t back out now.

Still, arguing over who should enter the bath first when they were both essentially wearing nothing but a scrap of cloth was stupid. He should just get in. He dipped only his toes in at first. The water was slightly hot. They had already taken the Element Gem out of the bath, but since they’d left it in during their back-and-forth, the water had overheated.

It was a bit hot, but perfectly bearable, and he wanted to get this over with, so he pushed his legs in and lowered himself into the bath in one go. The unfamiliar, clean water seeped into his skin, and he could feel his muscles slowly relaxing. That sensation—not just getting clean, but sinking into comfort—was what made bathing enjoyable. The water splashed over the side when he entered, but that couldn’t be helped. Baths were like this. And with one more person entering soon, the water would decrease even more.

“Is it hot?”

Even though she had yet to enter the bath, Lusha’s face was already red as she asked.

“It’s a little hot, but just right. See? I went in first like I said, so why don’t you get in too, Lusha?”

“…Yes. But, um… While I’m washing, if possible…”

“Ah, I get it. I’ll keep my eyes closed, so don’t worry.”

Lloyd lifted his face toward the ceiling and shut his eyes tightly.

What kind of torture is this?

Everything pleasant was being withheld from him, and he felt like a dog being trained. Though, of course, Lusha probably didn’t mean it like that. She was simply embarrassed. With his eyes closed, he heard Lusha scooping water from the bath with a bucket and washing her body in the washing area. Somehow, this was bad in its own way. Because he couldn’t see, his imagination wandered.

“Umm… I’m done.”

He heard her voice while his eyes were still shut.

“Can I open my eyes now?”

“Y-yes”

With her permission, Lloyd slowly opened his eyes and saw the White Saint-sama standing by the bath, looking mortified. Her shoulders and limbs, exposed beyond the woven cloth, were strangely alluring. The simple fact that he could see areas normally hidden, and that such treasures were wrapped in a single strip of cloth, stirred his desires even more.

“Go ahead… Sit next to me.”

Lloyd quickly averted his gaze and made space beside him. The bath was just large enough for two adults to fit, and not much more.

“…Alright. Then, excuse me.”

Looking resigned, Lusha turned her back to him and dipped one foot into the bath. She was probably too embarrassed to face him, so she went in backward. But that was counterproductive. Entering backward meant she naturally stuck her rear toward him and with that flimsy cloth threatening to slip, her backside was positioned right in front of him. Maybe because of the heat, Lloyd’s thinking was slower than usual. As a result, he found himself dwelling on such thoughts and staring directly at her backside.

Wait! This girl is the “White Saint”! The purest maiden in the world! I cannot look at her with such disrespectful eyes! Calm down, my instincts!

He shut his eyes just in time and repeated those words in his mind, barely managing to hold onto reason. Fortunately, Lusha had sunk into the water by the time he regained control, preventing a total mental collapse. But his battle against temptation had only begun. What situations would arise next? What awkward conversations lay ahead? He couldn’t even guess.

When he opened his eyes, his gaze met Lusha’s as she sat beside him. She tilted her head slightly and gave him a shy, gentle smile.

Haa…I feel guilty, somehow.

Seeing her innocent smile filled Lloyd with immense guilt. He was certain he was the only one thinking indecent things right now. He shifted his gaze from her white skin to the ceiling and exhaled.

The bath wasn’t big, so their shoulders touched whether they liked it or not. It was just barely the size that could fit two adults and maybe one child. Lloyd remembered sharing a bath with his parents when he was little. If either of them moved, contact was unavoidable. Their shoulders and even their thighs were pressed together.

With only a scrap of cloth to hide their bodies, it felt impossible to conceal the “volcano” beneath, but thankfully, Lusha was directing her gaze toward the corner of the bathroom. Her cheeks were red. She was embarrassed too.

The two of them sat in silence for a while. Only the gentle sloshing of the water and the quiet rustling of the trees outside reached their ears. Come to think of it, their relationship was strange. He had only met Lusha a few days ago, yet they now shared their fates and somehow were even bathing together. It was absurd beyond measure.

But he didn’t dislike this time together. In fact… It felt quite pleasant.

“A small bath like this is nice too…”

Lusha splashed warm water onto her neck as she spoke, as if to fill the silence.

“Yeah. It has a charm that big public baths don’t.”

“Yes. I’ve never soaked in water this comfortable before.”

Though it’s embarrassing, she added with a troubled smile. He felt tempted to point out that this was a problem easily avoided if she bathed alone, but he decided to let it go. That would only drag the conversation out forever.

“…Lloyd?”

Just as the silence threatened to return, Lusha turned toward him with a gentle smile.

“If you don’t mind… I’d like to bathe together like this again.”

Her smile was innocent, yet tinged with embarrassment. Perhaps, for Lusha, this moment held meaning beyond simply taking a bath.

“Then next time, you go in first.”

“I’m afraid that’s not negotiable.”

At that, they both burst into laughter. A man and woman who barely knew each other, sitting together in a bathtub. Just what were they even doing? The situation was bizarre, but if peaceful days like this continued…

Lloyd found himself thinking, somewhere deep in his heart, that it wouldn’t be so bad if peaceful days like this continued on.

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