Vol 1 Chapter 42 – The Princess and the Bath【Vol 1 – Spoiled Princess Arc】

Hum, hum, hummm.

Debora was in an exceptionally good mood, even humming a little tune.

Such a sight would have been unthinkable until very recently.

It was only after meeting Erik that Debora had begun to express such cheerful emotions.

Meeting him and going on an adventure had allowed her to start showing her true, childlike feelings.

Humming to herself, Debora began to undress.

Ordinarily, a maid would be there to help her, but since she was feared as the “Spoiled Princess,” she didn’t have any personal maids.

Even so, one would think someone would be assigned to the task, but this time, Debora herself had refused.

The reason for that was…

“Come on, Erik, you get undressed too.”

“Er…”

When Debora spun around, she saw Erik standing there with a strained smile.

Here was a man who was not a member of the family, in the same room as a princess of the kingdom while she was undressing.

Objectively speaking, it was a situation that would undoubtedly land him in prison.

If her doting father, King Rei, saw this scene, it’d be the guillotine for him, no questions asked.

It wasn’t that Erik had snuck in with that expectation. …Well, it was true he was expecting the guillotine.

He was here because Debora had summoned him.

“You’re tired too, right, Erik? A bath will help you relax.”

“Ah… I’m sure it would, but…”

A bath was a rare luxury.

Erik traveled all over the country on King Rei ‘s unreasonable quests, but inns with baths were few and far between.

“However, is it really alright for me to get in? No, even if I have permission, to bathe with you, Princess Debora …”

“It’s fine! I’m the one saying it’s fine, so I won’t let anyone complain!”

Debora declared it with the magnificent selfishness befitting the “Spoiled Princess.”

She cast off all her clothes and, shamelessly revealing her naked body to Erik, slapped a towel over her shoulder.

Slap!

Completely naked.

She wasn’t a little girl with a completely flat chest; there was a definite swell to her breasts, and her figure was no longer that of a child.

Completely naked.

Debora had very little sense of shame.

He was her Knight of Fealty , Erik, so she figured it was fine.

On the other hand, Erik wasn’t some runaway train who would dive at the sight of a female body.

In fact, given his particular… proclivities, he was frighteningly calmer than any other man his age would be in the same situation.

“Besides, I’ve been wanting to take a bath with someone. Come on, hurry up and get undressed, Erik!”

“Hmm… But for me, a man, to get in… wouldn’t that be a problem? Should I call for Miriam?”

“I don’t like her. And besides, there’s nothing wrong with it, is there?”

Her face twisted in blatant disgust when she thought of Miriam, and then she tilted her head for the second part.

Should one call it a lack of sexual knowledge, or a sign of her trust in Erik?

Having heard Debora ‘s words, Erik …

“You have a point.”

“Right?”

…began to undress.

It was true, just as Debora said. There was no problem at all.

He didn’t see her in a sexual way, and besides, if they were discovered by someone, that would be just what he wanted.

Being executed was something he would beg for.

With that in mind, Erik joined Debora in the bath.

“Haaah… As expected of the Royal Castle ‘s bath. I’ve never seen one so magnificent.”

Erik let out a breath of admiration at the vast, splendid bath.

The large tub was filled to the brim with hot water, deep enough to soak up to his shoulders.

“Really? This is my private bath, but there’s a grand bathhouse, too.”

“I see… so this is a place only for the royal family.”

“Hmm? Nope. I don’t let Papa in anymore. I just don’t like bathing with him.”

“King Rei …”

Is this just what the relationship between a father and his maturing daughter is like?

Erik couldn’t even begin to imagine the look on the doting King Rei ‘s face when he was turned away.

Still, he once again questioned if it was truly alright for someone like him, a man without the proper bloodline, to be in a place that even her father was refused entry to.

Well, if he was found out, they’d probably execute him, so from Erik ‘s perspective, there was no problem.

“Erik —wash my hair.”

“Ah, yes.”

He headed over to where Debora was sitting in front of a mirrored wall.

She handed him something that looked like a bar of soap.

Erik hadn’t used it much himself, but he sometimes gave it to Miriam as a gift to thank her for the daily agony of her recovery magic, so he knew how to use it.

He lathered it up and was about to run his hands through Debora ‘s long hair when…

“Oh, and if you hurt me, I’ll kill you.”

“Oof.”

Debora said it with a bright smile.

Thank you very much.

Erik briefly considered pulling her hair on purpose as he began to wash it.

“Ahh… feels surprisingly good. You’re no match for my personal maids, though. Have you done this before?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Good. I was getting annoyed and was about to explode.”

I made the wrong choice!!

Though stunned, Erik continued to wash her hair carefully.

Since he wasn’t used to it, he was a bit timid and cautious, but that didn’t seem to be a bad thing for Debora.

“Mmm… rinse me now.”

“Yes. Please close your eyes.”

“M-kay.”

Erik slowly poured hot water over Debora ‘s head, rinsing away the foam.

Debora shook her head briskly, sending droplets flying.

pish, pish

The droplets and her hair slapped against Erik, but he was all smiles.

“Alright! Now it’s my turn to wash you!”

“Eh? Is that alright?”

“Yup. You’re my knight, after all! I’ve never done it before, but leave it to me!”

The words “never done it before” made Erik ‘s heart pound. With anticipation, of course.

I hope she pulls my hair, hard.

Nngh, nngh…

However, contrary to his expectations, her washing was so surprisingly gentle that it was hard to believe she was the “Spoiled Princess ,” leaving Erik with a look of dissatisfaction.

Because of her small stature, she had to press her body quite close to him as she worked hard to wash his hair, and her small but developed chest was pressed against him, but the unsatisfied Erik didn’t notice at all.

In the end, he wasn’t given any of the pain he’d hoped for and was simply left with clean hair as they soaked in the bath.

Don’t get sullen over something so nice.

“Hee hee.”

Debora slipped between Erik ‘s knees and leaned her back against his chest, looking completely content.

After they had been relaxing together for a while…

“…By the way, Erik.”

“What is it, Princess Debora?”

Debora suddenly turned around, looking up at him with her cheeks puffed out in dissatisfaction.

Is she having a tantrum? Erik thought with anticipation.

“I said something to you before, didn’t I? Why haven’t you done it?”

“…Something you said…”

Hmm, had she given me some kind of order?

He racked his brain, trying to remember what it could have been.

“Muu…! How could you not remember?”

“Thaf hurfs, Pwincess Debowa.”

Debora started pulling his cheeks.

It was genuinely painful, so Erik was quite content.

As she leaned in to pull his cheeks, her small chest was right near his face, but he wasn’t looking at it at all.

“You’d better remember what I said.”

“What you said…”

Hmm, Erik thought, and then one thing came to mind.

“Could it be that you said I could call you Debora, without any title?”

“Yes!! So you do remember.”

Pleased with Erik ‘s answer, Debora smiled from ear to ear.

“Aren’t you happy? Here, try saying it.”

“Ehh…”

To call Debora by her name alone.

The only people who could address a royal of the Kingdom of Vilemse so informally were probably their own family members.

For Erik, who had no blood relation to them whatsoever, to be permitted to do so might have been a great honor.

But Erik wasn’t happy at all.

From his perspective, showing respect by calling her “Princess ” was better, as it made it clear he was in a lower position, which he enjoyed.

“Hurry, hurry.”

However, it was not Erik ‘s intention to make Debora, who was looking at him with sparkling eyes, sad.

No, if he could make her angry enough to cause an explosion, he would probably refuse, but for some reason, he felt that if he refused this, Debora would cry.

Therefore, Erik opened his mouth and…

“Debora.”

…he murmured her name.

I’d be happy if she decided she still didn’t like it and set off an explosion…

With that hope, Erik looked down at her face and…

“~~~~~!!”

For some reason, she looked absolutely ecstatic.

Her cheeks were flushed, and though she held her mouth tightly shut, it looked as though it might break into a smile at any moment.

“C-Can you say it one more time?”

“Y-Yes. …Debora.”

“Ooh…!”

To be called by her first name by a man who wasn’t family.

For Debora, this was, of course, a first-time experience, and the fact that someone she could allow to do so had appeared made her heart soar.

“One more time!”

“Debora.”

“One more time!”

“D-Debora …”

“Hee hee.”

Debora threw her arms around Erik in high spirits.

Various parts of her were pressing against him, but neither of them paid it any mind.

Debora , because of the joy of having her name called, and Erik, because his proclivities were so twisted.

“I’ll be counting on you from now on. My knight.”

“…Hah, you can leave it to me.”

The two of them, in the bath, completely naked, looked at each other and said so.

And it was then that the frantic sound of footsteps reached them.

thud, thud, thud

Is that the knights or King Rei, having sensed something!?

Erik thought with a delighted smile.

But unfortunately, the one who came bursting in, practically breaking down the door, was Miriam, her face etched with desperation.

Her eyes darted around, and upon seeing Debora clinging so affectionately to Erik, her eyes flew wide open.

“…What… are you doing?”

At her voice, so frigid it sent a shiver down his spine, Erik ‘s body trembled, despite being in a warm bath.

Yes… this is what I was looking for…

“Eh? We’re not doing anything. Just taking a bath together. There’s nothing weird about it, right, Erik?”

“Er, well… that’s right.”

All they’d done was wash each other’s hair.

It was only because Erik wasn’t conscious of Debora in that way that he could nod so easily.

But for Miriam , who was being shown Debora clinging to him as if to spite her, there was no way she could be convinced.

“You’re naked…”

“It’s a bath. Can’t be helped.”

Miriam trembled.

The next moment, she snapped her head up, her eyes spinning.

And then, she suddenly started ripping off her clothes.

This left Debora more stunned than Erik.

“Wh-!? What are you doing, you pervert!!”

“I’m getting in the bath too!”

“Wha-!? As if you can! Only people I approve of can enter here!”

“I don’t care! I’m getting in!”

“Don’t be ridicu—!? Sh-She’s surprisingly big… I mean, get out!!”

“I refuse!!”

Miriam , blushing, invading the bath completely naked, and Debora, somehow trying to stop her.

Erik soaked in the bath, trying to gauge the right timing to jump in and get beaten to a pulp by the two of them.