LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 121.2
Refined By Aromas? Indulgence At Home, Bath Salts
With a splashing sound, Leopold smiled cheerfully. Since he was fully immersed in the bath, only his shoulders and a little below were visible. His long hair was tied up, so from behind, one might mistake him for a woman. However, even though he didn’t appear particularly muscular when wearing clothes, his shoulders and back, though slender, were well-muscled, a testament to his former adventurer status.
Yuuri glanced over at Kurresh, who was vigorously washing his hair next to him. Kurresh was of average build—neither overly muscular nor unfit. He often said that his strengths lay in support and scouting, but his physique wasn’t particularly impressive, nor was he extremely strong. Even so, compared to Yuuri, who was utterly untrained and flabby, Kurresh had muscle in his arms and back, and his abs were a little toned. But then.
“…I think Leone-san has more muscles than Kurresh.”
“Yuuri, I can hear you.”
“Yuuri-chan, I can hear you too.”
Yuuri’s muttered remark seemed to reach both of them clearly. They both responded with discontent, each for a different reason. Kurresh, still young, asserted that he had plenty of time to build up muscle. True, he wasn’t a frontliner and hadn’t trained as much, but being told he had no muscle didn’t sit well with him. He wanted Yuuri to understand that he was training in his own way. As for the beautiful lady.
“I’ve already retired from adventuring, you know. It’s true I have some residual muscle from back then, but I don’t really like that kind of thing. I don’t like dangerous things.”
“…Just the other day, you killed a foolish adventurer in front of the guild in an instant.”
“That was a different situation, wasn’t it? Just because of that, it’s unpleasant to think I enjoy violence.”
“I don’t think that at all, it’s just that I didn’t expect you to have so much muscle from how you look in clothes.”
“…I’m truly glad I have a body that looks slimmer in clothes.”
Leopold sighed. Well, it was true that a muscular physique wasn’t necessary for a perfume shop owner. Even if he were a healthy, lean muscular type, it might conflict with the image of a perfumer. Had they not known his past, they would never guess that beneath his graceful appearance lay a well-trained body. Unconcerned with Leopold’s thoughts, Yuuri finished washing his head and body and sank into the bathtub. A soft splash was heard. The milky white water felt soothing on the skin. After moving around a bit in the water, Yuuri noticed his skin becoming smoother.
(…Wow, the effects are really kicking in.)
He kept this thought to himself, sensing instinctively that if the beautiful lady heard it, it would cause a lot of trouble. He didn’t care about the health benefits like warmth retention or improved circulation at this point. What was concerning were the effects on his skin, particularly the moisturizing effects that would directly impact his skin’s smoothness. After all, this bath product was made with the bath skill of the [Eyes of God] holder. It felt like such an enormous waste of ability. As usual.
“Leone-san, aren’t you going to wash your hair?”
“Ah, I know this shampoo is good, but I didn’t bring the hair oil I use after drying my hair.”
“…Using hair oil after drying? Are you really a perfectionist about hair care, Leone-san?”
“You should pay more attention. Your hair ends are damaged.”
“Well, I’m a guy, so my hair is short. Camille seems to care about it though.”
“Ah, that child has beautiful blonde hair, so it’s a good thing.”
As Yuuri and Leopold chatted leisurely, Kurresh, having finished washing his head and body, joined them. At Scarlet Lynx, it was customary to enter the bath only after finishing washing. Since multiple people bathe together, it was to keep the water as clean as possible. True to form, Kurresh chose to sit next to Yuuri, not Leopold. It wasn’t that he disliked Leopold, though. He did often find himself wondering, “What’s up with this person?” due to his unique sensibilities. However, Kurresh respected and admired Leopold’s abilities. …Despite his flamboyant side.
“Oh, my skin feels so smooth.”
“The bath salts have moisturizing effects.”
“This one smells better than the last, so the ladies will probably like it.”
“Yeah, that’s true. Leone-san, can I have a sample of the prototype?”
“Of course. It’s thanks to Yuuri-chan that I can make this.”
“Thank you so much.”
Leopold agreed readily, and Yuuri smiled in response. Kurresh nodded seriously. He thought to himself about how, even though he had been dragged into this situation, he alone was getting to enjoy the luxury of a bath made with Leopold’s high-quality perfume bath salts. If the women found out, they would definitely scold him. He knew for sure that Yuuri wouldn’t be angry.
“…With this, I won’t get strangled by Lelei or Hermine…”
“Kurresh, you sound like you’re full of melancholy.”
“Oh my, are those two really that dangerous?”
“They are. Lelei especially, she acts before thinking, and Hermine just rushes in with her emotions.”
“You sure have a hard time, huh?”
“…Leone-san, you look super happy about this.”
Kurresh muttered, asking Leopold not to enjoy his misfortune. Leopold laughed merrily. Yuuri, though looking a little down, knew that Kurresh wasn’t as depressed as he seemed and continued to enjoy the perfect bath without worry.
Meanwhile, thanks to the prototype bath salts that Yuuri managed to get, the women’s bath was transformed into a wonderful bath, and they were all in high spirits that day.