In the evening, Jin was guided to the bathhouse by Lyla, the member of the Royal Secret Maids assigned to him.
"Oh, if it isn't Jin."
"Ah, Count Kuzuma."
It so happened that Count Kuzuma was also arriving for a bath at the same time.
As Jin made to excuse himself and return later, the count stopped him.
"This is perfect timing. I've been wanting to have a little chat with you. Why don't we go in together?"
Offered such a direct invitation, Jin couldn't very well refuse. He decided to join him.
"Ah, you girls stay out here."
The count ordered the maids to wait outside the changing room.
Jin braced himself slightly, wondering if there was some complicated matter to discuss. In reality, Reiko was secretly following him, having vanished from sight using Stealth.
"Phew. Soaking in hot water really is the best way to relax."
Count Kuzuma stretched his limbs out in the bathtub. The tub was so spacious that even with the count—who stood about 180 centimeters tall—stretching out, it didn't feel the least bit cramped.
While the count was on the leaner side, he was reasonably well-muscled. Jin looked at his own puny physique with a touch of resentment. No matter how much he trained, he just couldn't seem to put on any muscle.
"So, Count, what was it you wanted to talk about?"
Feeling a bit restless, Jin prompted the conversation himself.
"Oh, right, right. That’s it."
As he spoke, the count looked down as if deep in thought, then looked up, then looked down again, repeating the cycle.
After doing this several times, he finally seemed to reach a decision.
"Jin, what exactly is your relationship with Beena?"
"Huh?"
Jin let out a dumbfounded sound in spite of himself. He had expected some difficult consultation, so the shift was jarring.
"You seemed to be quite supportive of her, and the other day you even invited her to your base. Beena seems to have truly opened her heart to you as well."
Once the count started talking, the words kept flowing.
"She is... admirable. Yes, admirable. Despite not being in a blessed environment, she studied magi craft, supported her younger siblings, and remained pure of heart despite all her hardships."
"I-I see."
Jin was completely overwhelmed by the count's sudden fervor.
"Her idea of using those skills for the sake of the common people is also magnificent. And she's beautiful..."
Having listed those qualities in a single breath, the count finally came to his senses, flushed crimson, and fell silent.
"Count..."
No matter how dense Jin was, he could take a hint when things were spelled out this clearly.
"Hahaha, go ahead and laugh. From the moment I first saw her, she seems to have taken up residence in my heart."
＊ ＊ ＊
After getting out of the hot water, Jin watched Count Kuzuma pouring cold water over his head while he pondered how to respond.
For quite a while after that, he had been forced to listen to the man gush about his feelings.
The count seemed to be serious. He wasn't thinking about social status at all. He would surely be able to make Beena happy.
"Phew."
Wiping the droplets from his hair with a towel, the count glanced at Jin as if urging him for an answer. Sensing the unspoken question, Jin spoke his honest feelings.
"She is like a handful of a little sister to me."
It was the same answer he had given Reinhard. Upon hearing it, Count Kuzuma's face brightened instantly.
"I see! So to you, she is a sister!"
With that joyous expression still on his face, he pressed further.
"In that case, is the person you have feelings for Lady Elsa?"
Now that he realized there were no obstacles to his own romance, he had regained his original cheerfulness.
"N-No, Elsa is... a bit of a worrisome little sister, I suppose."
Hearing that, Count Kuzuma hummed thoughtfully. "Hmm, so they are both like sisters to you. Could it be that you prefer mature women like Rianna from the Royal Secret Maids?"
As the count said that, there was a loud thud from somewhere nearby.
"Hmm? Is someone there...? No, that's impossible. Well, how about it, Jin?"
Jin shook his head at the count’s inquiry. "Well, I wonder."
"The type of woman I like is simply the type of woman I've happened to fall for."
It was like a Zen riddle.
"What on earth is that supposed to mean?"
As expected, even the count couldn't wrap his head around it and knitted his brows.
"Well, for now, there isn't anyone like that," Jin added.
Count Kuzuma stood up and prepared to leave. "The woman of your destiny often appears suddenly just when you're thinking that. Just like she did for me!"
With those parting words, he left the bathroom.
＊ ＊ ＊
Jin remained behind, soaking in the tub. Then—
"...Father."
"Reiko, huh?"
Reiko deactivated Stealth and appeared by the tub. She spoke without preamble.
"Father, do you prefer adult women with large breasts?"
Jin, who had been leaning comfortably against the edge of the tub, slipped and splashed into the water.
"Wh-What are you talking about!?"
Jin scrambled out of the bathtub, dripping wet.
"I want to grow larger."
Jin was stunned by Reiko's sudden declaration.
"H-Hey, Reiko, what's gotten into you?"
"If you like large women, Father, then I..."
Jin reached out and gave Reiko a light tap on the head.
"Don't be silly. I wouldn't fall for someone just because they're large."
As Jin tried to soothe her, she countered, "But Elsa said that Rai-nii has a soft spot for women with large breasts."
That time, huh? Jin recalled. If he remembered correctly, she had mentioned that her cousin was always a sucker for well-endowed women.
Jin wondered why she was able to interpret that perfectly when it came to Reinhard, yet became so blind when it came to him.
"Listen, Elsa and Beena are both friends. And you are my precious daughter. I love your face and your form just the way they are."
"Truly!?"
Seeing Reiko looking as if she were about to leap for joy—and indeed, she actually did a little hop—Jin sighed with relief.
"So don't worry so much about the girls around us."
"...I understand."
Jin had his doubts about whether she truly understood, but since it wasn't good to occupy the bathhouse for too long, he decided to dry off.
Reiko vanished once more using Stealth.
In the hallway outside the changing room, Lyla was... sitting on the floor, sound asleep.
"..."
He wondered what to do about this for a moment, but decided he should wake her up. Jin reached out and poked Lyla's head.
"Wha—!? Is it an enemy attack!?"
Lyla leaped to her feet, flipped up her skirt, and drew the knife strapped to her thigh.
In her haste, she managed to slice right through her own skirt.
"Kyaaaaaaa!"
With her short drawers and thighs exposed, Lyla let out a shrill scream.
Just then, Elsa and Beena arrived to take their turn in the bath.
"Jin! What do you think you're doing!?"
"...Jin-kun, are you a beast?"
Finding himself perfectly misunderstood, Jin’s heartfelt cry echoed through the hallway.
"I'm innocent!"