I Healed the Cold Dark Goddess’s Loneliness, and Now She Won’t Let Me Go! - Chapter 15

“So, um, this is where we wash our bodies, but…”

“It is unnecessary for me.”

“Right, figures~”

We finally made it into the bathroom together, but Lady Reine doesn’t get dirty. Normally, she has absolutely no need for a bath.

“I mean, Lady Reine, how does the ‘not getting dirty’ thing even work? What happens if dust gets on you?”

“I decompose it and turn it into nourishment. Since I am constantly doing so, I never become soiled.”

“I see~ …Wait, no, that’s not the point!”

What a convenient and enviable constitution… but put that aside. Even if she doesn’t get dirty, today she’s going to experience a shower.

“It might be pointless to you, but just for today, I’m going to have you wash your body here!”

“Pointless! That is not quite right, Haruno.”

“Oh, really?”

If it’s not pointless, does that mean the “silky-smooth” effect of shampoo actually works on divine hair? As I was wondering, Lady Reine suddenly took my hand.

“Indeed. How could any time spent with Haruno be a waste?”

“A-ah, s-so that’s it…”

I’ve thought this for a while, but when Lady Reine isn’t in “jealousy mode,” she is way too sweet…! And to think, all I did was promise to stay with her forever… well, technically I just asked her to let me be a parasite for the rest of my life… Ugh, saying it out loud makes me feel pathetic. Anyway, is it really okay for me to be loved this much? All I can do in return is stay by her side forever!

“T-then, Lady Reine! Please have a seat here!”

“Very well.”

I lead Lady Reine to a rather nice-looking bath chair she manifested herself. The more I think about it, the more I realize I have absolutely zero reason to be acting so superior, but for now, I’m going to go all-in on the “hostess” vibe with shameless confidence…!

“Alright, first is the shampoo.”

I move behind Lady Reine as she sits on the chair and pick up the shampoo bottle. With a pump, the familiar white liquid spreads across my palm.

“You put this in your hair, work it into a lather, and wash.”

“I see…”

Just as I finished my proud explanation and began rubbing the shampoo into my hands, I froze.

Wait! I’m the one washing her? Right in front of me is Lady Reine’s silver-ash hair. Beautiful hair that flows all the way to her waist. And I’m going to…?

“…Haruno? Is something the matter?”

“Ah, no… it’s just…”

I mean, is this okay? Thinking rationally, Lady Reine doesn’t need her hair washed. If so, doesn’t that mean the act I’m about to perform is 100% for the sake of my own desires…? Isn’t it a sin to touch a God’s hair for my own selfish satisfaction?!

“Hey, Haruno?”

“E-err, well, how do I put it? I suddenly felt it was a bit sacrilegious.”

“Sacrilegious?”

Sacrilegious. That’s one way to put it. But as soon as I said the word out loud, I realized how incredibly late I was to be having these second thoughts.

“Hehe. Those hardly sound like the words of someone who told me she ‘couldn’t do anything’ and ‘wanted me to protect her.'”

“…You are absolutely correct…”

There really was no point in being reserved at this stage, but how do I put it? It feels like the context has shifted. The problem is the “impure feelings” getting mixed in. Not that I invited Lady Reine to the bath with those kinds of intentions, but still…! As my mind spun in circles, Lady Reine spoke.

“Haruno. You are my Priestess, are you not? Then you should strive to fulfill my wishes. My desire to feel Haruno closer to me. Am I wrong?”

“You are not wrong…”

Again with the effortless, embarrassing lines… Honestly, I’m so glad her back is turned right now. I really don’t want her to see my blushing face.

“T-then, I will take the liberty of washing you without restraint, okay?”

“Yes.”

“Is it really okay for someone like me to touch and comb through your hair to check the texture?”

“I prefer it to be you, Haruno.”

She said it, right…? I got permission. With trembling hands, I touch her hair. It’s silky and truly beautiful. Since she doesn’t get dirty, I guess it’s only natural, but I’m still jealous she can maintain this hair quality.

As I work in the shampoo, fluffy bubbles begin to form. I wash her hair using the pads of my fingers to gently massage her scalp. I’ve never washed anyone else’s hair before, but I feel like a professional. I am definitely not getting distracted by the sensation of her head beneath my hands!

During the process, Lady Reine remains passive and silent. I start to worry that maybe she doesn’t like it, but just as I try to peek at her face, I hear a small voice.

“…It feels pleasant.”

It wasn’t a polite compliment; it was a sincere, honest impression that just spilled out. It makes me so happy.

“Really? Oh, thank goodness…”

“Yes. Being touched by Haruno is enough… but this sensation, as if my head is being stroked, is not bad at all.”

Lady Reine’s voice is softer than usual. It’s a sound of total security, something I couldn’t have imagined from our first meeting.

Lady Reine once said she’d be happy if she could feel that I was letting my guard down around her, and now I understand that feeling perfectly. Knowing that I am a “safe zone” for Lady Reine right now makes me feel incredibly peaceful.

“Alright, let’s rinse it out.”

I pick up the shower head and check the temperature. The shower she created is perfect, and water at just the right temperature comes out immediately. Oh, but is “just the right temperature” for her the same as it is for us…?

“Um, is this temperature okay?”

“It is no problem. Though, for me, there is essentially no such thing as a problematic temperature.”

“Eh, what do you mean?”

“I possess the function to measure temperature, but it is not linked to pleasure or discomfort. Therefore, I may not understand the human sensation of soaking in water slightly warmer than body temperature and finding it ‘good.’ I apologize.”

“That’s nothing to apologize for!”

So she can recognize high temperatures, but she doesn’t go “Hot!” or “So warm~!” It’s a bit of a shame we can’t share the joy of a bath… but the fact that she’s indulging me anyway makes me just as happy.

“However, Haruno’s body temperature is different. That warmth, which allows me to feel you, brings me true bliss.”

“Th-thank you very much…”

She said another incredibly embarrassing thing… I mean, I love it, but still! If I blush at every little thing, we’ll be here all night. I try to stay as calm as possible and carefully rinse her hair. As the bubbles wash away, her wet silver-ash hair looks even more lustrous than before.

“Next is the conditioner. This will make it even silkier and shinier though your hair is already beautiful enough, Lady Reine…”

As I apply the conditioner, I accidentally let my true thoughts slip. Is there even any point in adding conditioner to this? Well, maybe the “Strongest” can evolve into the “Super-Strongest”… As I was thinking that, Lady Reine let out a soft chuckle.

“Even so, if it is you doing it, Haruno, there is meaning in it.”

“Lady Reine…”

She slowly turns around. Her wet hair looks strikingly alluring, and combined with her gentle expression, I start to feel a sense of “specialness” that I probably shouldn’t.

“Furthermore, if it means Haruno’s hands touch me for even a moment longer… that is what I desire.”

My heart skips a beat. Making eye contact while saying that is totally unfair. My hands are just the hands of an ordinary high school girl. And yet, for her to want them so much… only Lady Reine would say that.

“Huh…! I-I see…!”

As she commanded, I take my time washing her hair again from the start. I try to keep my mind as blank as possible. After a period that felt like both a split second and an eternity, I finish rinsing the conditioner.

After that, still in a daze, I move by muscle memory to put body soap on a towel and lather it up.

“O-okay, next is your body… your body?!”

I startled myself. I was shocked by my own words, and shocked that I hadn’t anticipated this naturally following step.

Lady Reine’s back. Her white—truly white—skin. It looks as delicate as porcelain, as if it might break if touched… and I’m going to touch it? Isn’t that forbidden…? I know I’m having the same internal conflict again, but isn’t bare skin on a completely different level than hair…?!

“Haruno. Surely I do not need to say the same thing twice?”

“Eh, ah, y-yes!?”

Seeing my hands stop, Lady Reine beats me to the punch. We aren’t in a relationship where I should be holding back anymore; in fact, she wants this. I know that. But still…! This is more of an issue with my feelings.

“Um! As for the body! It’s just that I’m worried or rather, it feels like I’m crossing a line… or rather, I can’t stop myself from looking at you in an erotic way, Lady Reine… Ah.”

Wha-wha-what did I just say?! What did I just say?! E-erotic way?! I said it out loud?! Idiot! Oh no, Lady Reine is just staring blankly at me! There’s a total silence! What do I do?!

“Ha… Haruno… what did you just say…?”

“Na—well, I wonder… I wonder what on earth I just said… Ahaha…”

“Haruno. Tell me once more, clearly. What did you just say?”

“Eh… as for the body, I’m worried…”

“After that.”

“Crossing a line…”

“After that.”

“………………I looked at you… in an e… erotic way, Lady Reine…”

What is this? When did this become an interrogation room…? Well, I guess it can’t be helped. If Lady Reine interrogates you, anyone would confess. I’m basically being moved seamlessly to a courtroom where I await her sentence.

“Is that so… Haruno looks at me…”

The escapist word-association game in my head vanished the moment I heard that murmur. A slightly flushed face, averted eyes, and a tone of voice I had never heard before.

Lady Reine being shy. Her destructive power was just that strong.