The Purification Ritual

The field study finally concluded amidst a peculiar blend of chaos and harmony.

As the three of us emerged from the tranquil forest and stepped onto the academy’s flagstone path…

My only desire was to instantly teleport back to my dorm, plunge myself into a bathtub, and wash away the pervasive fatigue and the lingering scent of vegetation.

However, my two escorts clearly had other plans.

“Lady Lilliana,”

Beatrix suddenly halted, blocking my path to the dormitories.

Her golden eyes swept over me, her brow furrowed as if she had witnessed something utterly intolerable.

“You cannot return like this.”

“…Huh?”

I was utterly bewildered.

“Why?”

“It would be an unforgivable affront.”

Her expression was grave.

“To walk the academy’s paths bearing the dust of the forest, the lingering scent of monsters, and the smoke from that man’s explosion—it would be a desecration of your noble status.”

“I agree completely!”

Ella nodded vigorously from the side, her small face radiating fervent agreement.

“What if those specks of dust contain unknown pollen, causing an allergic reaction on your skin? It must be dealt with immediately!”

“So?”

A premonition of dread washed over me.

“Please proceed to the S-class exclusive changing rooms.”

Beatrix gestured with an inviting hand, her tone leaving no room for argument.

“There, you will find a full suite of cleansing facilities and fresh attire. Please permit us… to purify you.”

‘Purify?’

‘Are they describing washing and changing clothes as some kind of religious ritual?’

I desperately wanted to refuse.

But one glance at Beatrix’s eyes—eyes that suggested she’d commit ritual suicide if I declined—and then at Ella’s eager, almost fanatical expression, as if she clutched holy water, made me reconsider.

‘…Fine. Washing is washing, no matter where it happens.’

“…Lead the way.”

I conceded.

The S-class changing room rivaled the opulence of a luxury hotel suite.

Heavy velvet curtains blocked out the sunlight, while magical lamps cast a soft, ambient glow.

The air was infused with a faint lavender fragrance.

With a resonant click, the heavy wooden door locked behind us.

In this enclosed space, only the three of us remained.

Beatrix swiftly checked the room’s security.

Then she turned, and the stern, unyielding demeanor of a disciplinary committee member vanished instantly, replaced by a look of…

…almost pilgrimage-like devotion.

“Pardon my intrusion.”

She approached me and knelt on one knee.

Without a word from me, she reached out and gently took hold of my ankle.

“Please raise your foot.”

Feeling a touch of unease, I steadied myself on the nearby chaise lounge and, as instructed, raised one foot.

Beatrix didn’t immediately move to remove my shoe.

Instead, her calloused hands, through the white silk stocking, gently and slowly caressed my instep and calf.

Her hand was scorching hot.

After the epiphany in the forest, the vital energy within her seemed to remain in a constant state of fervor.

Now, that heat transferred through the stocking, searing my skin and making me instinctively want to pull my foot away.

“…Don’t move.”

She looked up, her gaze meeting mine.

Her eyes were profound, and her voice held a slight rasp.

“Here… there’s a speck of mud.”

She pointed to a spot on my stocking just above my heel—a speck of dust smaller than a grain of rice, practically invisible without a magnifying glass.

“Unforgivable.”

She murmured softly, and then…

She didn’t use a handkerchief to wipe it away.

Instead, she lowered her head, drawing closer to the blemish.

Her warm breath fanned across my ankle, sending a tingling sensation through me.

“Wait, what are you doing—”

Before I could stop her, she extended the tip of her tongue, and through the stocking, at that very spot…

…she gave a delicate lick.

‘Wet.’

‘Rough.’

The sensation was like an electric current, shooting from my ankle straight to the crown of my head.

“Ugh!”

I flinched violently, nearly losing my balance.

“Beatrix! Have you lost your mind?!”

I stared at her, utterly aghast.

‘Was this still the fastidious, obsessive knight I knew?’

Beatrix lifted her head.

A trace of glistening moisture clung to the corner of her lips, and a dark, incomprehensible gleam flickered in her golden eyes.

“It’s… clean now.”

She stated calmly, as if what she had just done was the most natural thing in the world.

“For a knight, removing their master’s impurities in such a manner is… the highest form of loyalty.”

‘…She must be joking, right?’

‘What knight’s code of conduct dictates that?!’

Before I could even recover from this profound shock, Ella, not to be outdone, pressed closer from the other side.

“Lady Lilliana, your hands… also require cleansing.”

She brought over a basin of steaming warm water, adorned with a few floating rose petals.

She soaked a soft towel, wrung it dry, and then carefully lifted my hand.

Unlike Beatrix’s almost aggressive service, Ella’s movements were as gentle as if she were polishing fragile crystal.

The warm towel enveloped my cool fingers, and the comforting heat allowed my taut nerves to relax slightly.

“Your fingers… are so beautiful.”

Ella murmured in admiration as she meticulously wiped between my fingers.

Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes, hazy with a strange light, fixated on my fingertips.

“So slender, so long… and always so cool.”

As she continued wiping, her actions began to change.

Instead of wiping with the towel, she intertwined her fingers with mine.

In that instant, our palms pressed tightly together.

“…Ella?”

I looked at her, puzzled.

“Ah… I’m sorry!”

Ella released my hand as if shocked, her face flushing crimson, almost as if blood would drip from it.

“I-I just felt… that without such thorough contact, it might be impossible to completely eliminate those unseen bacteria…”

‘An excuse…’

‘Surely, that was just an excuse?’

I observed the two young women, flanking me on either side.

One knelt on the floor, ready to help me remove the now-‘purified’ silk stocking, her gaze fervent and focused.

The other stood beside me, holding a warm towel, yet her eyes constantly darted towards my unbuttoned collar, her breathing quickening.

The air in the changing room grew progressively hotter and more humid.

That scent—a blend of lavender, hot water vapor, and the pheromones emanating from the girls, signaling their desire…

…made me, a social recluse, feel utterly dizzy.

‘This was no purification ritual.’

‘This was clearly…’

“…Enough.”

I finally reached my limit.

I pulled my hand away, then, with a bit more force, freed my foot from Beatrix’s grasp.

“The rest… I’ll do myself.”

I turned my back to them.

I strove to keep my voice as indifferent as usual, using it to mask the blush that crept across my face from the embarrassment and the unsettling atmosphere.

“Both of you, guard the door. No one is to enter without my permission.”

“…Yes, Lady Lilliana.”

Two slightly regretful replies echoed from behind me.

Only when I heard the door click shut did I let out a long sigh of relief, collapsing onto the chaise lounge.

I gazed at my reflection in the mirror.

My clothes were slightly disheveled, and the corners of my eyes held a hint of moisture, a reaction to the excessive ‘service’ I had just endured.

On my ankle, where Beatrix had licked, the silk stocking remained somewhat damp, clinging to my skin and creating a persistent, strange sensation that was both cold and burning.

I reached out and lightly touched the spot.

My heart uncontrollably skipped a beat.

‘…These people are truly beyond saving.’

I thought, a hint of despair in my mind.

I had only intended to find two assistants, hoping they would allow me to peacefully read books within the academy.

But it seemed…

…I had instead acquired two carnivorous beasts who, once they tasted sweetness, would never let go.

And the most terrifying part was this:

Faced with such a blatant transgression, I actually…

…didn’t feel genuine disgust.

‘Was this what they called…’

‘…the frog in boiling water?’