“Kayla. Haven’t you bathed yet? Come in quickly.”
“I-is it really okay…?!”
She trembled as if she couldn’t believe it.
Normally, I would never have allowed this.
But now was different.
If I left the two of them alone, there was a high chance they would fight.
It was better to bathe together and keep them by my side.
“Erina. If you want to come in too, you can.”
“R-Really…?!”
“Yeah. But put down your sword.”
“Yes…! I’ll be right in!”
If you can’t avoid it, might as well enjoy it, they say.
Right now, I decided to simply enjoy without overthinking it.
How often does one get to bathe with two such beautiful women?
I grabbed Kayla’s hand and pulled her into the open-air bath.
Her hesitation was brief.
She sat beside me and relaxed in the warm hot spring.
Once in the water, her face turned red with pleasure.
She slowly approached me and rested her shoulder against mine.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen…”
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s just bathe today and get some rest.”
I didn’t want apologies or explanations.
Right now, I just wanted to relax and enjoy the warmth.
“I-I’ll go in too…!”
Erina suddenly appeared in the bath with just a towel draped over her.
With even fairer skin and a slender figure than Kayla.
She possessed a beauty that would captivate anyone’s gaze.
“Is it okay if I sit next to you?”
Without waiting for an answer, she sat beside me, folding her arms.
I didn’t object. I decided to let her be as she wished for now.
We sat together in the bath and enjoyed the warm water.
Both of them stayed close to me, watching over me.
Erina leaned her head against my shoulder, her arms folded.
Kayla held my hand and leaned against my shoulder.
It was the first time I could see their beautiful faces up close.
Looking back, I always felt eyes on us when I was with Erina in the capital.
Especially from men with longing looks.
There was even a man at the inn who once started a fight over her.
To think I could have such beautiful faces all to myself. It felt like incredible luck.
The same goes for Kayla.
She was always covered in robes, making her beauty less noticeable, but she was also incredibly beautiful.
If she had walked around without her robes, she might have attracted as much attention as Erina.
So the three of us enjoyed the bath together.
They didn’t leave my side, staying close.
Suddenly, I noticed the necklace around Erina’s neck.
She had taken off all her other jewelry except for the necklace.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes. If it’s a gift from you, how could I not?”
Just hearing that made me feel better.
It might not be as useful as other equipment, but it was a gift given in commemoration.
I hoped she would cherish it dearly.
Suddenly, I noticed Kayla. With a deeply flushed face, she leaned against me.
Her body relaxed in the warm water.
She seemed exhausted from battling monsters all day.
Erina also quietly enjoyed her bath, spending time with us.
For the first time, a peaceful atmosphere settled between the two of them.
‘How nice would it be if it were always this quiet.’
It was an unattainable dream, but for now, I decided to enjoy the present.
***
Perhaps I hadn’t made such a foolish choice after all.
“Why is Kayla here too?”
The dawn receded, and morning approached.
When I woke up, I felt a heavy weight on top of me.
Erina often used to fall asleep with me.
There were various reasons. She clung to me under the pretext of being cold or climbed onto the bed complaining of loneliness.
After the incident where Erina caused trouble and got angry, the frequency decreased.
But after bathing together, it seemed to have returned to normal.
The problem was that I didn’t expect Kayla to be there too.
There was undoubtedly a prelude. Last night, I recalled the two of them.
Since finishing bathing, Erina had continued to cling to me with her arms folded.
“Could you let go of my hand?”
“Yes. I understand.”
Erina smiled and released her hold on my arm.
But she still stayed by my side, never leaving, pacing around me.
After the bath together, she became even more actively attached.
She followed me like a puppy, giggling and smiling broadly.
It wasn’t particularly unusual behavior, so I just let it be.
At least she seemed to have shaken off her melancholy, which was fortunate.
And Kayla was the same.
“My lord…”
She murmured quietly to herself, staring at me with a peculiar look.
Gone was her usual stoic and expressionless demeanor, replaced by subtle smiles and lively eyes.
‘She seems a bit different.’
Even the smallest gestures seemed to exude an inexplicable charm.
And strangely, we seemed to complement each other.
“Would it be alright if we continued bathing together in the future?”
“No. Today was unavoidable, so I allowed it. But don’t ever come in again.”
She, who always quietly followed me, now began to take a slightly more assertive stance.
When I decisively refused, Kayla’s expression turned disappointed.
She looked like a woman rejected by a lover.
Perhaps I had done something foolish after all, and regret washed over me belatedly.
‘Does Kayla like me too…’
I reflected on everything up until now.
She also seemed to show affectionate feelings towards me.
There was too much evidence to dismiss it as a misunderstanding.
Just listening to the question I had asked earlier confirmed that.
If she had suggested bathing together in the first place, there was no need to investigate further.
Even though I might be insensitive in this regard, I could still pick up on these things.
I just worried that her change had become too overt.
Already struggling with just Erina, I wondered if I had unleashed another beast.
Moreover, this atmosphere continued until the very moment.
“Why are you getting on my bed?”
“Can’t I?”
“Can’t you grant me permission just this once?”
Three people couldn’t sleep together on a single bed. I pushed them away and lay down.
But deep down, I knew.
When I opened my eyes, Erina would be by my side.
Unfortunately, my expectation wasn’t wrong.
No, it was partially wrong.
To see Kayla climbing onto the bed as well made me sigh involuntarily.
‘Surely she won’t continue like this in the future.’
With a foreboding feeling that’s never wrong, I started my morning.
“Ah…”
The first one to wake up was Kayla. She yawned, rubbing her half-open eyes.
After stretching for a moment, our eyes met.
I froze in place. Slowly, her face turned red as she stared at me, pupils starting to contract.
“Good morning…”
“Yeah. Thanks to you, I slept really well.”
Despite knowing I had made a mistake, she cautiously got out of bed.
But she remained beside me, still tucked under the blanket.
Though I wished she would move over a bit, she showed no signs of getting up.
Meanwhile, Erina continued to sleep soundly, murmuring something in her sleep.
“Master…”
Still, she seemed as blissful as sleeping peacefully.
Her peaceful expression while asleep seemed angelic, untouched and clear.
I gently stroked her head.
Her hair was always soft to the touch.
‘I’ve really done a great job with the customization.’
Among the characters I created, Erina was undoubtedly the one I held a special affection for.
Now, I couldn’t simply call her my character anymore.
Still, her face, body, and hair—all had undeniably been born from my touch.
“Seo-Hyun…?”
“Yeah?”
“I-I would also like you to touch my head too…”
Even as she spoke, hesitation filled her voice.
With a face as red as a beetroot, she lowered her head and offered her hair.
She addressed me as ‘lord’ or ‘master’.
It felt so natural that I almost didn’t notice.
“…If you feel uncomfortable, it’s okay. But still… if you do it for Erina but not for me…”
Her eyes glistened with a hint of disappointment.
Gone was her usual composed demeanor, replaced by a face that seemed endlessly soft.
Yet I couldn’t simply leave it be.
Like with Erina, I gently ran my fingers through her hair.
“Ah…”
Just touching her hair elicited a strange moan.
She seemed to subtly tremble, her cheeks flushing.
Since yesterday, she had been behaving in ways that subtly tempted me.
But unlike with Erina, it felt a bit harder to push her away.
‘This is a new side of her…’
Still, compared to her usual tense and guarded self, she seemed much more relaxed.
Perhaps this was her true nature, something I hadn’t seen before.
“Okay, that’s enough.”
I finished stroking her hair gently and withdrew my hand.
She still looked a bit regretful, but nodded as if she was satisfied enough.
It was time to start getting up.
I gently shook Erina’s shoulders, who had peacefully fallen asleep.
I patted her back and shook her gently. Slowly, her eyes opened, waking up from her slumber.
Even in a dazed state, she never took her eyes off me.
She smiled broadly and hugged me tightly.
“Good morning…”
“Yeah. Let’s get up.”
Today, I had to move quickly. I had to finish off the monsters in the snowy wilderness.
I had roughly planned for about a week, but thanks to Erina, a significant amount of time had been shortened.
But the real reason wasn’t just about dealing with the monsters in the snowy wilderness.
‘Frostbloom and Snow Maiden.’
The reason for coming to Norton Village, with its long distance and inclement weather, was clear.
The reason I came to Norton Village, plagued by its distant location and harsh weather, was clear.
Consume Frostbloom to gain resistance to the cold attribute. Defeat the sealed Snow Maiden to grow stronger.
Ultimately, conquering the snowy mountain was necessary.
In the game, the snowy mountain was renowned for its rugged terrain.
To reach the summit required thorough preparation.
‘At least be prepared for a week-long climb.’
Still, with Erina and Kayla by my side, the chances of failure were almost nonexistent.
Anyway, today’s task was clear.
“Today, we’ll sweep away all the monsters in the snowy wilderness.”
“Yes. Got it.”
“Understood.”
From a sluggish tone to a confident voice.
From a messy speech to resolute and firm words.
Both of them had changed their attitudes.
They were indeed reliable comrades.
