The Daunting Task of Bathing

You decided to teach Aile from the very beginning.

This is your first time being a parent.

You’ve never found this task so daunting.

Like bathing, it’s become a difficult chore.

Splash, splash, splash.

Inside the bathroom, the sound of water pouring from above echoes continuously.

The girl sits obediently in a wooden tub, her eyes wide open as water cascades over her. This world is far from convenient, lacking the mechanical conveniences of a shower. He can only heat water by hand and pour it into the large wooden tub.

Just boiling the water feels like a decade of work for Mingqian. He scoops water and gently sprinkles it over the girl’s head. Fortunately, before this, Chris had used magic to clean the girl thoroughly.

The girl remains motionless, neither speaking nor closing her eyes. As her guardian, Mingqian decides to mold Aile into a refined and gentle woman. Over the years, the girl has only managed to escape, and many things need to be taught from scratch. Therefore, he decides to start with small tasks.

“Aile, when washing your hair, you can close your eyes.”

“It’s dark, it’s scary.”

The girl’s petite frame is unhealthily thin, with visible bone structure in some areas. Naturally, her skin isn’t in good condition. Surviving in this crisis is a miracle. Mingqian sighs, knowing that the girl’s condition is partly his fault, making him her tragic culprit. If there’s an enemy in her life, it’s him.

“It’s okay, Aile. There are no enemies here.”

He gently pats Aile’s head and speaks softly.

“Try closing your eyes.”

“Cl… Closing… my eyes!”

Her words are forced, as if struggling with something invisible. The girl tries to close her eyelids but immediately opens them, then lowers her head like a scolded child.

“I’m sorry, I’ll try my hardest. Please don’t abandon me…”

She tries to close her eyes again, but quickly opens them in terror. Every time she closes her eyes, she sees her mother’s death. Tears stream down her face, but Mingqian doesn’t stop her. In this nurturing game, he must display some authority.

…Absolutely not! This isn’t about being a weakling in front of a yandere, regaining self-esteem only in front of a child! It’s not that! This process repeats many times until Aile can barely keep one eye open and the other closed. For now, this is her limit.

“Good job.”

Mingqian gently touches her head, helping her wash her hair. A faint light flickers in the girl’s eyes. After washing her hair, Mingqian hands Aile some soap and turns away as she looks surprised. This house has nothing, so he plans to borrow some clothes for the girl from the villagers.

“Ming… Mingqian.”

The girl timidly calls his name.

“Wh… What is it?”

Her large eyes flicker, confused about what’s happening. Naturally, Mingqian isn’t a lolicon. How could he genuinely bathe the girl? Besides, if he helps her this time, she won’t do it herself next time. As the ancient saying goes, ‘Teaching someone to fish is better than giving them fish!’ Now, if the girl learns the importance of respecting personal space, many future issues will be easier to handle.

“Aile, a woman’s body is precious and should only be touched by someone important.”

“Precious? Me?”

She tilts her head, not understanding Mingqian’s meaning. In her past life, only her parents had ever called her ‘precious.’ Those who called her ‘treasure’ are now all dead. In this moment, she feels a bit afraid that Mingqian might consider her a treasure. If so, perhaps he too will die mysteriously someday.

“I’m not precious at all.”

She stubbornly insists.

“No, Aile, you are my treasure.”

As Mingqian’s legal daughter, Aile is actually a duchess’s child. However, she doesn’t know this, and Mingqian has no intention of telling her. At least until the day he finishes the simulation, he wants to give her some compensation for his actions. This is his plan.

“Is that so?”

The girl clearly isn’t convinced, her body tense as she sits up. It’s been so long since she last bathed that she doesn’t know what to do. Mingqian leaves the girl, who seems to be performing some strange ritual, and steps outside. He asks the neighbors for clothes, of course, paying for them. The area is too rural, with not a single decent shop. He pushes open the door and is stunned by the scene.

“…”

Aile lies in the wooden tub, which has been knocked over, water seeping into the cold floor. The girl is motionless, waiting.

[When you approach, she curls up]

This is a ‘receptive posture,’ where she shrinks in fear, but her body trembles from the cold. She’s afraid of being scolded for the mess and terrified of losing her shelter. Mingqian rushes forward and lifts Aile up.

“After a bath, you need to dry off.”

He grabs a towel from the side and dries Aile’s body. In her frightened eyes, he gently wraps her wet hair in the towel.

“This will dry faster… Aile, are you listening?”

“Yes! I’m listening!”

“I’m sorry, I made a mess…?”

Her voice trembles. Knocking over the tub was her attempt to practice closing her eyes alone, but she found herself in even greater fear than when Mingqian was present. She struggled wildly and accidentally toppled the tub. But above all… she didn’t want to be abandoned.

Mingqian places his hand heavily on her head. Aile makes a sound of fear, her terrified eyes meeting his.

“It’s okay, Aile.”

He gently lifts Aile onto the bed. He places the clothes on the bed, which are more simple than the white dress Chris had prepared for Aile. But he is a farmer, and his daughter should dress modestly. The girl fumbles with the clothes in front of him. Pure and cute… at least, she’s a normal girl. Compared to her past hardships, even these simple clothes feel like a blessing. She gazes at her reflection in Mingqian’s eyes, ordinary but good.

Due to the limited space, Mingqian decides to let Aile stay in the main room while he takes the smaller one.

“Aile, this is your home now.”

“My… home?”

Aile murmurs, tears glistening in her eyes.

[Aile isn’t good at many things, but you decide to raise her as your own daughter]

[Aile Claudius]

[From this day forward, you are officially her guardian]