#14. Bath Attendance (2)

Chloe could only stare blankly at the Duke without being able to respond to his words.

“Aren’t you hot? Looking at you now, you’re wearing quite many layers. Why are you wearing so many? Can you properly assist with my bath wearing all those layers?”

As the Duke said, the bathroom air was stuffy, perhaps due to the warm water filling the bathtub.

Maybe it felt hotter because she knew the Duke was watching her.

“Ah, I get cold easily compared to others, so I need to wear multiple layers.”

That’s all she could say.

“Hmm…, is that so?”

“Yes.”

“For someone who claims that, you’re sweating on your forehead right now?”

Chloe wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.

Indeed, beads of sweat had formed on her forehead.

So much for being a Sword Master.

The Duke seemed to have sharp eyes as well.

To think he could see the sweat on her forehead from that distance.

“This isn’t sweat, it’s just water that got on me.”

“The smell of sweat is giving me a headache all the way here, yet you insist it’s water.”

Ugh, that talk about smell again.

Just because she was sweating a little on her forehead, now he’s saying the smell of sweat is terrible.

But considering how the Duke had been going on about body scents lately, she decided to let it slide.

“I’ll wash your hair, so please lean back comfortably in the tub.”

Chloe quickly changed the subject.

Fortunately, the Duke didn’t press further and closed his eyes while leaning back in the tub.

Phew.

Chloe let out a big sigh as she moved closer to the bathtub.

While she had experience washing her mother’s hair when she was lying down, she had never washed a man’s hair before.

It shouldn’t be much different just because it’s a man’s hair.

If anything, it should be easier since it’s shorter, right?

Chloe knelt down near the Duke’s head and positioned herself.

Oh my!

It was neither easy nor similar at all.

Because the Duke had slid down while leaning his head back on the tub, his upper body from neck to chest was exposed above the foam.

Moreover, as the small ripples in the water made the foam alternately hide and reveal the Duke’s vast and firm chest, it somehow felt more dizzying and…

Though she quickly averted her gaze from his chest, her eyes now fixed on his thick and long neck above it, with its prominent Adam’s apple – so thick it seemed it wouldn’t fit in both her hands.

She found herself involuntarily swallowing.

Some other healthy place, some plain other part!

Chloe’s gaze now leaped up from his neck to his forehead, which was clearly visible as the Duke had tilted his head back.

Compared to his scandalously attractive chest and neck, his forehead was remarkably neat.

His eyebrows, which stretched in a straight line before slightly curving near the corners with thinning hair, were as neat as if drawn with a brush.

Such an erotic body, yet such a neat forehead and eyebrows. It was ironic yet perfect.

When the Duke slightly frowned with his eyes closed, his thick and long eyelashes – long enough to balance three matchsticks – fluttered delicately.

She had thought that the word ‘pretty’ didn’t suit the Duke, but perhaps that wasn’t entirely true.

Even his eyelashes were truly pretty.

Before she knew it, her gaze had traveled down to his straight and sharp nose bridge.

How did such a perfectly straight nose come to exist in this world? Were the previous Duke and Duchess sculptors?

“What are you doing?”

The Duke suddenly opened his eyes and asked.

Chloe, who had been lost in unexpected appreciation of the Duke’s appearance, finally came to her senses and gathered his hair with both hands. A pleasant herbal scent wafted strongly from his soft dark brown hair that had fallen down.

“Wow!”

Startled by her own exclamation, Chloe accidentally let go of the Duke’s hair.

“I’d prefer if you didn’t breathe so heavily above my head.”

The Duke said with furrowed brows.

Chloe felt her face flush with heat.

It seemed she had become too immersed in her role as a male servant who had fallen in love with the Duke, captivated by his appearance. Perhaps she had become enchanted by his beauty while observing his face from such close proximity.

Though she had thought she was long used to the Duke’s face, where had that familiarity gone, leaving only admiration?

She hadn’t become used to it at all. She only believed she had.

Focus only on the hair! Just the hair.

Steeling herself to look only at the Duke’s hair, Chloe supported his head with one hand while beginning to pour water with the other.

“Your hands are small too.”

“Eek.”

A strange sound escaped at the Duke’s words.

“It’ll take half a day to wash my hair with those hands.”

“…No, it won’t!”

What’s the big deal about hair? It’s even shorter than her mother’s.

As if to prove it was only about two fists’ worth, Chloe firmly grasped the Duke’s hair with both hands.

“What are you doing? My hair isn’t even fully wet yet!”

“Ah! Yes, yes!”

Chloe put down the Duke’s hair from her hands and started pouring water again.

It seemed she would need some time to adjust to giving bath assistance, as it was her first time.

No, what adjustment! She should hope this would be the last time.

* * *

It didn’t look like a body that would weigh 63kg at all.

Moreover, why was he wearing so many layers? Those clothes alone must weigh quite a bit.

Just looking at how he wore his clothes made it obvious, but the legs revealed under the lifted clothes were so thin that it seemed amazing he could walk well on them.

His arms were the same. They were as white as his face, and seemed so thin they might snap if he decided to break them.

He wondered if he could wash his hair with those fragile arms that looked like they might break, lifting and lowering his head.

He had definitely touched those seemingly breakable arms and legs before…

Swoosh.

Just as he was about to pull up some memory, Clyne suddenly turned to face him. With challenging eyes, as if asking what he was looking at. So impudently.

Is that really the proper look for a servant?

Ever since he brought back this person who had once tried to quit, there were quite a few moments when his attitude toward his master could hardly be considered that of a servant.

Is it because he sees me as a love rival?

Insolent one. Even recording false physical information. I’ll reveal both your true intentions and real appearance.

That way, I can find the woman faster.

However, having him give bath assistance only confirmed one small piece of false information. It felt like there was something else, some other falsehood that needed to be uncovered, but he couldn’t quite grasp what it was.

Moreover, the problem grew worse as time passed.

Squish, squish. Is this guy kneading my hair like dough now?

Clyne Liden was driving him crazy, lifting and dropping his head, pouring water then stopping.

It was problematic enough having this person so close to him.

Massaging his scalp. Occasionally stroking behind his ears and nape with those soft hands. His breath constantly falling on his face, the sensation of small, soft hands wrapped around his scalp.

Damn it all!

And why was his body scent becoming so strong!

It was so intense it seemed harsh, yet it was a scent he didn’t want to part from, making him want to get intoxicated by it. It had always been like this when close to this person since the imprinting.

He was getting dizzy, and it was fortunate he was lying in the bathtub.

Ah, this won’t do at all. I need to send him out first.

As Clyne was pouring water over his head for the fourth time to rinse it, Hughgray roughly pulled his hair from Clyne’s hands and stood up in the bathtub.

“You, get out!”

“Eek!”

Suddenly Clyne screamed and fell on his bottom. Covering his bowed head with his wet hands as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have.

What’s with this person? Why is he  acting like this?

“Your Grace!”

Now he even shouted while keeping his head down.

He’s really going too far now.

“Your Grace, suddenly standing up like that… it’s not… proper. I was startled… wasn’t I?”

What are you saying? Your bizarre behavior startled me more!

“What, should I say ‘I’m going to stand up now’ before standing? Can’t I do what I want with my own body? Why is my attendant acting so strange?”

“Then, um… the bath… will you… continue standing?”

Clyne kept his head down, stammering without even looking at him.

Why is he stumbling over his words, and why are his ears so red?

“Hey, raise your head. What kind of manners is it to speak with your head buried like that?”

“No.”

“What do you mean no? Raise your head.”

Clyne’s behavior was extremely suspicious.

Keeping his head bowed so low it might touch the floor while talking back sharply – it was hard to believe this was the same person who had been attending to him for the past few months.

“I said raise your head.”

“No!”

“Stand up and raise your head.”

“Only if Your Grace sits back down.”

“Ha!”

This was ridiculous.

What kind of brazen servant was this? Now he’s even giving orders to his master?

“Your Grace, I have nowhere to look if you stand up completely naked like that.”

What?

What nonsense is this man talking… Ah!

Is he really into men? Does he really look at other men that way?

Disgusting guy.

“Do as you please. Leave or not. Keep your head buried there if you want.”

In the end, he decided not to deal with the deranged attendant anymore. His own condition wasn’t very good for continued confrontation either.

It was because of that person’s body scent.

Somehow, he was starting to feel a dull throbbing sensation.

It wasn’t particularly a state he wanted to show his attendant. Especially not to this man who was acting so creepily right now.

Bath or whatever, he needed to get away from that person immediately.

He got out of the bathtub and put on a bathrobe. While providing the bathrobe was also part of an attendant’s bathing duties, that thoughtless guy showed no willingness to perform any duties.

Having bathed alone until now, he didn’t feel like insisting he do his job properly by pointing out his roles.

It seemed dangerous for both of them if their bodies were to touch.

“Get out!”

As soon as he put on the bathrobe, he practically shouted at Clyne, who was still keeping his head down.