Princess Mia Relaxes
Let’s go back in time a bit.
Mia gladly headed for the bathhouse as soon as she arrived at Saint-Noel Academy after leaving Saint Mia Academy to relieve her travel fatigue. In case anyone was curious, Anne had also made a beeline, but she went to several acquaintances in the academy to quickly let them know that Mia had returned. Mia was a passionate fan of girl-chat powered by a hot bath, so her maid’s absence left her feeling more than a little let down.
She continued as Bel followed her into the bathroom, “By the way, Bel, you were getting along with the kids back there, weren’t you?”
“Yes, I was! They were so adorable.”
Bel was ecstatic to have been given the opportunity to assume the position of big sister. Mia smiled at her when she saw her grinning.
“However, simply visiting the location was the most incredible thing. After all, it’s the legendary Saint Mia Academy! I never imagined that I would get to walk on it. What a memorable event that was.”
“Ah. Well, I’m delighted you enjoyed it so much. At least they were performing quality work there.”
If all they had to show for was that large, expensive building and that wooden sculpture, she might have immediately lost it when she arrived.
“But the experiments didn’t seem to be very promising,” she added. “Arshia and Cyril are undoubtedly making an effort, but at this pace, it’s unclear when we will actually obtain a few kernels of the wheat in question.”
Mia clenched her lips in reflection.
“It would seem that I should maintain excellent relations with both Perujin and Chloe’s father.”
It could be argued that Ganudos Port Country was important as well, but they ought to continue cooperating as long as the empire was running smoothly. Probably.
“Hm. It might be a good idea to pay Chloe and Rania a cordial visit.”
She muttered as she stepped into the changing room, “I suppose it’s time to do some catching up with the two of them.”
“My! What a fortunate moment.” When she caught sight of the person she had been envisioning, her eyes glistened. “Rania, it’s been awhile.”
“Hm? Princess Mia, oh my! It certainly has,” a happily surprised Rania replied.
Mia questioned, “Are you here for a bath too?”
Rania chuckled. “I am, but it is not that important right now. I reserved the use of the public baths because I wanted to try a common type of bathing in Perujin.”
“Now, did you? Fascinating!”
Mia was, to put it simply, a bath freak. She enjoyed long soaks almost as much as she enjoyed eating and sleeping. She believed that the trio made up the perfect ‘pleasure trifecta.’ Therefore, she was going to give any suggestion for enhancing her bathing experience her full and undivided attention. It was a fundamental aspect of her existence.
“Chloe gave me some bath herbs a while back, and when I used them, they produced a lot of smoke. Is Perujin’s of the same caliber?”
“Smoke isn’t a part of the experience. Why don’t you actually take a look for yourself?”
She swiftly undid her clothes and entered the bath area as Rania motioned for her to do so. As soon as she did, something else along with the warm, musky aroma of the vapors entered her nostrils.
“Do I smell some sort of fruit, my?” As she looked through the cloud of steam, she slowly saw the bath.
“Is that what you think it is…?” She blinked. “It is! There are floating fruits in there!”
Several yellow fruits with an oval form floated up and down in the water. Although she had seen a fair number of fruits in the forest, Mia had never seen anything like these despite her significant experience in jungle survival. She used to have fantasies about living off the forest’s wild fruit. Her past experience had served as a sobering reality check.
Now she knew, and have realized how difficult it was to find a single edible fruit in a jungle. She had concentrated her learning on edible plants, mushrooms, and a little bit of fish as a result. She had become accustomed to the staple meals of the woodland survival scenario by this point. She was arguably a modest expert as compared to the average nobility. However, she hadn’t used the same strict methodology of meticulous memorizing as her other subjects because, at the end of the day, it was still more of a hobby than anything more.
Mia enquired, “What are they?”
“They are referred to as southstar lemons. They are extremely sour and are grown further south of Perujin.”
Following her inside, Rania picked up one of the floating fruits and extended it to her.
“Notice how it smells by coming here.” As directed, Mia gave it a sniff.
“I see. It smells really strongly.”
“Southstar lemons are frequently used as spice in food, but if you put them in a bath like this, it’s thought they help cure weariness.”
“My! What then are we holding out for? Let’s try them out.”
Mia hurried over to the shower room and scrubbed herself clean. Her moves were rehearsed and effective, defying the stereotype of pampered princesses who were bathed by their servants and instead, she was giving off the vibe of a seasoned bather. She cleaned up quickly and was prepared to soak. So she did, lowering herself into the warm embrace of the pool’s water and initiating the immersion with that guttural ooof shared by grandparents everywhere who enjoy taking baths. She might have been getting a little too experienced in the bathroom.
Every pore in her body radiated heat. Her muscles relaxed from the tension. She had the impression that all of her previous exhaustion was leaking out of her. It would be wise to keep in mind that, despite the fact that she may have appeared to be a youngster, she was actually older than twenty. She had to cope with adult issues like stiff necks and hurting backs as a working adult, but wait, twenty-year-olds don’t get those kinds of difficulties. She was yet in some of her most innocent years.
She was just out of shape, which meant there was really only one other possible explanation.
In any event, she was charmed with the soothing effect.
“What a wonder these fruits are!”
A beaming Bel who was soaking next to her gushed, “It feels so nice, Mia-neesama!”
“Indeed, it does. Fruits floating in a bath was a concept I had never heard of. Fascinating.”
A southstar lemon that had drifted close by and Mia picked it up. The ovoid fruit caught her smiling.
“I must admit, Rania, I find it surprising that Perujin royalty enjoys bathing as well. I had no idea you were conducting this kind of study.”
The last person to enter, Rania, shook her head.
“No, bathing is not a practice that is especially common among Perujin royalty. We simply clean ourselves before calling it a day.”
She grinned.
“This is more of an export item. We’re continuously looking into new crops and ways to market them so that our nation can become wealthier. It is the Perujin method.”
Mia couldn’t help but notice a hint of sadness in that smile for some reason.
