Wonderful Bathing Time

Afterward, I continued cleaning my body, repeatedly dipping the towel into the wooden basin, wringing it out, and continuing.

The water in the basin turned murky at a visible rate.

I had to change the water twice midway to get myself truly clean, but in return, my body gradually began to feel refreshed and comfortable.

Splash!

I poured the last basin of hot water directly over my head.

My entire body felt as if it had received a blessed favor; the warm current sent a slight shiver through me.

“Haaa…”

Feeling the residual warmth left by the hot water on my skin, I let out a long sigh.

Some hot water remained in the basin, which I used to dampen a towel.

While my hair was still wet, I sat on the chair, tilting my head to let my hair hang down as I began to wipe and clean the strands.

If only there were soap… I always thought this whenever I washed my hair.

The average man wouldn’t understand how much energy goes into caring for long hair; there were several times I wanted to just cut it all off.

However, as soon as I remembered how many times these long strands had saved my life, I dismissed that foolish thought.

“Being able to bathe at all is already good enough.”

Anything more would be a luxury.

Splosh… I wrung out my long hair, listening to the sound of water hitting the basin, and used an extra dry towel to pat it down.

Slowly standing up from the chair, I began to coil my hair while using my foot to nudge the chair toward the wine barrel.

By the time I had twisted my hair into a bun, the chair was right next to the barrel.

Sizzle…

Not forgetting to use the wooden basin to bring the heated stones along, I stood on the chair wrapped in a towel and carefully poured the hot stones into the wine barrel.

The red-hot stones kicked up violent splashes as they hit the water; even after sinking to the bottom, countless bubbles surged upward.

I carefully reached out to touch the surface.

When I felt that heat—so diametrically opposed to the surrounding frigid air—I couldn’t help but tremble, whether from the cold or from the sheer emotion of it.

Ah… finally…

Splash!

“Waaah…”

The hot water rose past my shoulders, with a bit spilling over the edge, making a trickling sound as it ran down the wood.

I slowly sat down on the stool I had placed inside the barrel beforehand.

Feeling the water temperature seep into my very soul, I couldn’t help but let out a cry.

“This is… pure bliss…”

I went completely limp in the embrace of the hot water.

To improve my circulation, I deliberately pressed the soles of my feet against the stones, which were now at just the right temperature, enjoying the dual service of water and stone.

Resting my arms on the rim of the barrel, I folded the towel I had brought into the water and placed it on my head.

Leaning back like this, I soaked in the heat while admiring the magnificent sky.

Even though it was daytime, the stars in this sunless world were still numerous.

Gazing at the flickering stars, this alien scenery became the best seasoning for my bath.

At times like this, one has to remark that humans are truly creatures of their environment.

After so much suffering, a single bath made it feel as though everything had vanished into thin air…

“Glub, glub, glub…”

I slowly submerged my body, playing with bubbles from my mouth.

Of course, that was just a joke born from being a bit lightheaded from the soak.

Staring at the rising bubbles on the surface of the water that covered the bridge of my nose, I slowly closed my eyes.

Plop!

I submerged myself entirely beneath the surface.

—You must die here.

Just the simple act of sinking into the water brought that scene back to my mind.

I had reached out with all my might to grab the shimmering light above, but in the end, the heartless seawater dragged me into the darkness.

I haven’t forgotten for a single moment—all the humiliation and suffering I have endured.

“Ha!”

Splash, splash, splash!

I burst out of the hot water, having held my breath to the limit, and gasped for the air outside the barrel.

For a moment, the cold on my upper body and the heat on my lower half intertwined.

Savoring this contradiction, my body returned to a state of calm, and I sat back down with a look of pure contentment.

“It looks really comfortable.”

“It is… being able to bathe is truly supreme—eh?”

I didn’t pay attention to the voice at first, even giving a response, but the moment I realized what happened, I whipped my head around.

“That look of enjoyment is truly enviable.”

Standing behind me, staring straight at me with wide eyes, was Hisaba.