Chapter 48 – Drenched Lovers (II)
“What if you fall sick?” asked Tiana, “You are more soaked than I am.”
“I will live,” he said, smiling, “It’s just cold water. But it’s a different matter for you. It hasn’t been long since your recovery. You almost fainted during the walk too.”
“I only stumbled a little,” retorted Tiana, “It’s just some aftereffects from the recovery, not very serious.” She pouted.
“Of course,” said Lucius gently, but firmly, “But still you need to be warm. What if it happens again?”
Tiana thought about it for a little while. “That’s true,” she said, “But I am worried about you. You are soaked, and it’s my fault…” She lowered her head. She was touched that he cared about her so much, but he needed to care for himself as well. His kindness and niceness would harm him someday.
“Tiana…” he called. She couldn’t look up at him, her eyes were burning. She felt sad because she didn’t want to see him harmed. “Alright, I will go bathe first,” he said tenderly, “Just look at me, please.” She raised her head to look at him, unable to deny his gentle, desperate voice. He was smiling fondly at her. It warmed her heart and she was smiling in turn, too. His honey-gold eyes held hers warmly.
Warren, standing a few steps away, cleared his throat. “Ahem,” he announced, “Both of your baths are ready. If you could follow me, I can usher you to the respective washrooms.”
Tiana felt even more embarrassed. Obviously, the Grand Duchy’s mansion will have plenty of washrooms, so arguing about who would take a bath first was pointless. Tiana felt like a complete idiot. It wasn’t as if they would be taking a bath together. Tiana had been worried about Lucius that it had completely escaped her logic, apparently so did Lucius. His face was red as he looked at Warren. Tiana covered her face self-consciously. They had perhaps become a very silly source of amusement for the maids.
“This way, please,” said Warren with a soft smile.
They followed him up to the second floor. Walking along the long, wide corridor, Tiana let go of Lucius’ hand to fan her blazing face. He looked at her and walked to her other side, taking her free hand. Holding hands with him was a source of comfort for her, but she still felt shy doing it in front of the servants.
There was a need to maintain the image that their relationship was good, which wasn’t difficult to show as they both felt fond of each other. And Lucius seemed to have no qualms in showcasing it as it was. It was so different knowing him like this, rather than from the book. His character hadn’t been described in detail in the book.
“Here you are, Miss Tiana,” said Warren, stopping in front of a wide door. She thanked him.
“See you later,” she said to Lucius, “Make sure you soak in warm water for at least thirty minutes, or even more than that.”
“That’s too long,” said Lucius with a playful smile.
“I will take my own sweet time,” she said, rolling her eyes, “I expect you to be snug in the warm water when I am out. You better not be out.”
“Okay, ma’am,” he said with the same smile. He bowed and followed Warren, putting on a mock disappointed face.
Tiana laughed as he walked away. A maid opened the door and guided her inside. The washroom was huge and flashy, in a very literal sense. The walls and the stands were decorated with so many jewels that the whole washroom glittered. A large bathtub was placed in the middle with steam rising off the surface.
The maid helped her untie her dress at the back and it fell away. She stepped into the steamy tub. She leaned back and relaxed. The warm water engulfing her body soothed her. One of the maids helped scrub her back, while another one fetched more heated water to keep the temperature warm. Yet another, standing a few steps away, asked, “Are you hurt anywhere?”
Tiana didn’t know what to call her, so she responded with anything that came into her mind at the moment. “Not at all, ma’am,” she said, “Thank you so much for your hospitality. The water feels great!”
The maid was confused, having been addressed so formally. Tiana noticed this and quickly assured her. “I am so sorry,” she said, “I have lost my memory, so I am not familiar with the proper etiquette, yet.”
The maid seemed to relax. “Oh, right,” she said comfortingly, “Please take your own time to get accustomed to things.”
Tiana nodded and looked at the maid. The maid stared back at her strangely, her dark brown eyes trembling slightly.