You Shiina

When the blizzards had gotten so bad that the apprentice’s family couldn’t visit her, she had become so unstable that she started following Lord Ferdinand wherever he went, like a duckling following its parent. When things were especially bad, Lord Ferdinand would have to take the apprentice into his own workshop. He did so with enormous reluctance, but anything that calmed her down was more than welcome.

ere the sound was coming from with his eyes.

Ignoring Karstedt’s astonishment, Ferdinand placed four feystones on the circle, one on each of the four cardinal directions, before turning to Rozemyne. “Rozemyne, take off your clothes and shoes, then stand on the circle.”

“Huh?!”

“H-Hold on there, Ferdinand!” Karstedt was flabbergasted. Rozemyne was still young, but that wasn’t an order you gave a woman so casually.

Regardless, Ferdinand remained unfazed, pointing at the magic circle with a flat expression on his face. “We will not be able to do this once she is baptized and adopted by the archduke. This is our only opportunity. Hurry up and do it.”

Rozemyne looked between Karstedt and Ferdinand, then blushed in embarrassment. “No way. That’s way too embarrassing!” she said, stepping back cautiously.

While Karstedt pitied her, Ferdinand apparently did not: he just glanced at her and sneered. “I am unsure where this sudden shame is coming from. You were just fine in the bathtub.”

“What?! Bathtub?!” Karstedt couldn’t believe his ears. She was “just fine in the bathtub”? Did they bathe together? Ferdinand bathed with Rozemyne?! Fixing his gaze on Ferdinand, he asked: “Ferdinand, what in the world did you do to this little girl?”

Ferdinand’s eyes widened. “D-Do not misunderstand, Karstedt! I am referring to when I observed her memories using the magic tool. I did not bathe with her!” he protested, almost in a panic.

Karstedt calmly determined that Ferdinand must have been telling the truth, given that his usual blank facade had crumbled almost instantly. But still, who wouldn’t have misunderstood that? Somebody who didn’t know about that magic tool would be convinced that Ferdinand had an interest in young girls. Had Sylvester been here, he would already be gleefully teasing him.

“Rozemyne, you were completely unperturbed back then! Why are you getting embarrassed now, of all times?!”

“I mean, at the time, I was so excited about being able to use (shampoo) and (bath salts) after so long... And I couldn’t even see you, so it was like we were just on the (phone) or something, and it was a dream, not reality, so... Anyway! I can’t take my clothes off in front of other people!” Rozemyne protested.

Karstedt now knew for sure that the bathing scene had arisen in her memories, and that at the time, she hadn’t been bothered by it.

“I am just examining your body. Is this truly more embarrassing than a bath?”