Heartbeat
Elizalina’s Side
…Around the same time.
“…I’m so glad that’s resolved~! Not that a quarrel between nobles could possibly remain unresolved once I step in, though~!”
Having managed to calm the nobles who had been on the verge of civil strife through her eloquence and intellect, Elizalina murmured those words to herself.
“Haah, honestly, without me this country would have already gone through at least ten large-scale civil wars by now~! There was a time when I wondered why I had to deal with such troublesome things, but now, when I think of it as being for Lux’s sake, I can keep pushing myself~!”
Saying this loudly, Elizalina began, as had practically become her daily habit, to imagine things about Lux.
“Just two days until the swordsmanship tournament… I wonder if he’s training hard with his sword right now, giving it one last push before the event~! …Ah, that’s it!”
Associating from the tournament, Elizalina came up with an idea, and then, imagining it on her own, began to speak cheerfully to herself.
“Once the swordsmanship tournament ends, maybe I’ll go over to Lux’s house that very night and surprise him… Then I could tell him that I really did watch how hard he worked in the tournament, and at Lux’s house with neither Felisiana nor Violet around, just the two of us… And then, by chance, Lux and I might end up physically closer, and he might tell me I’m cute… Eh~! Wait, wait! If something like that happened, I really wouldn’t be able to hold back anymore! But still…”
After that, Elizalina spent a while pouring her brilliant mind into her imagination of Lux.
Lux’s Side
“V-Violet-san? What did you just say…?”
Because what Violet-san had just said was so unbelievable coming from her, I asked again, and she opened her mouth once more to repeat it.
“Since I believe your body must be tired, Rodwell-sama, I suggested that we take a bath together.”
“A-A bath? The two of us, me and Violet-san?”
“Yes… I imagine you might have some thoughts about bathing with someone of the opposite sex, but due to my work I am thoroughly familiar with the human body, and I also know the proper ways to approach a fatigued body.”
I see… in other words, because my body is currently fatigued, Violet-san wants to bathe with me in order to properly heal it. In other words, this too is part of training…!
“…I understand, if that’s the case… but Violet-san, is it really alright with you? That is… when taking a bath, the most we’d wear is towels wrapped around our bodies, and clothes…”
“If it were any other man, that would be another matter, but since it is you, Rodwell-sama, I have no problem with it… Rodwell-sama, would you be dissatisfied if the one bathing with you were me?”
“N-No! Of course not! It’s just that… thinking of bathing together with someone as beautiful as you, Violet-san, makes me a little nervous.”
“…! I-I see…”
With that exchange, Violet-san and I began walking together toward the bath.
Violet’s Side
Violet usually kept her heart calm at all times, but now, as she walked down the Rodwell mansion’s hallway alongside Lux, her chest was pounding.
Rodwell-sama called me beautiful… And if he said he was nervous, that must mean he is at least somewhat conscious of me as a woman…
Just the thought filled Violet with happiness.
At that moment, Violet recalled something Siana had once said.
“…It’s not that I wouldn’t feel embarrassed at all about bathing with Lux-kun… but more than that, I want to become close enough to the Lux-kun I love that we can draw nearer to each other.”
Ojou-sama… Now, I understand the meaning of those words very well… I too want to draw closer to Rodwell-sama and have him see me as a woman.
As Violet quietly held such thoughts while walking with Lux, the two of them arrived before the bath. Lux went in first, waiting for Violet inside.
After a short time passed and Lux had entered the bath, Violet stepped into the dressing room of the Rodwell mansion, removed her clothes, and looked into the full-length mirror.
Reflected there was Violet, with her beautiful purple hair, well-shaped features, fair skin, a toned body, long legs, and a large chest, giving her a very feminine figure.
Until now, Violet had not liked her own womanly figure very much.
She had believed that even if she had a feminine body, it would have no meaning throughout her life.
But… that was only until now.
“If Rodwell-sama finds me even a little bit attractive…”
It wasn’t that she felt no anxiety at all… she did feel some, worrying about what if Lux didn’t find her attractive.
Even so… just imagining the possibility that Lux might think her body was attractive made Violet’s chest pound uncontrollably.
With those feelings still in her heart, Violet wrapped a towel around her body and opened the door to the bath where Lux was waiting.