The next morning, Jin woke up around 5:00 AM, stirred by the sounds of movement in the room next door.
Listening closely, it seemed Hanna was already up and rustling about.
"Hanna, are you awake?" he called out in a low voice.
The sliding door opened, and Hanna peered in. "Ah, Onii-chan?...Is this your castle?"
"Yeah," Jin replied as she stepped through the threshold.
"When I woke up, I was surprised because I didn't recognize the room, but Big Sister Elsa was sleeping right next to me, so I wasn't quite sure what was going on."
"I see. You fell asleep during the banquet last night, so Martha-san asked me to let you stay here."
"Oh....Big Sister Elsa too?"
"Yeah. I thought you might be lonely sleeping all by yourself."
Jin decided to let her believe that, though his actual reasoning for Elsa staying was a bit different.
"Nngh..."
The sound of their voices seemed to have reached Elsa, who was finally waking up as well.
"............"
Elsa was not particularly fond of mornings. She sat up on her futon and stared blankly into space, still half-lost in sleep.
"Big Sister, good morning!" Hanna greeted her energetically.
The cheerful voice seemed to jog Elsa's memory; she realized she was indeed staying at Jin’s castle.
"...Good morning."
"Elsa, Hanna, let's go wash up. We'll head to the dining hall for breakfast after that," Jin said, closing the sliding door to give them privacy to change. Elsa was currently wearing the guest pajamas provided by the castle staff.
A few minutes later, Elsa opened the door, now dressed.
"...Sorry to keep you waiting. But once we've washed our faces, I’d like to go up to the rooftop one more time before we go down to eat."
Thinking back on their conversation the previous night, it seemed Elsa wanted to enjoy the view in the morning light without having to climb all those stairs a second time.
"It’s not technically a rooftop, but sure," Jin said with a smile.
After they finished washing up, he invited Hanna along, and the three of them climbed to the sixth floor. Because the stairs were quite steep, Reiko followed silently behind them, ready to catch anyone who might trip.
"Wow! It's so high!" Hanna cried, her eyes wide with wonder.
"Ah, is that the Erme River?" Elsa asked, taking in the morning landscape.
"Whoa, what a view!"
To the east, the sun was just beginning to peek over the mountain range. While the actual sunrise had occurred a bit earlier, the high peaks meant the direct light only reached the village at this hour.
After admiring the scenery for a while, the three of them headed back down.
"Shall we go for a morning soak?" Jin suggested. They had missed their chance to use the baths last night because of the banquet.
"Mm."
"Yeah!"
Since both Hanna and Elsa were in favor of the idea, they decided to head for the hot spring. They could stop by Martha’s house on the way to pick up towels and a change of clothes.
"Ah, Jin-san, good morning."
As they stepped onto the path leading toward the village, a voice called out from behind. It was Lishia. She was already dressed for the day and appeared quite refreshed.
"Lishia-san, good morning."
"Good morning."
"Tax collector big sister, morning!"
"I'm not exactly a tax collector anymore, you know," Lishia replied with a light laugh, returning Hanna’s greeting. "You're up early, Jin-san. Where are you heading?"
"Oh, just for a morning bath. There are baths in the castle, but I figured nothing beats the hot spring."
When Jin explained, Lishia looked at him hopefully. "Oh, that sounds wonderful! Um, would it be alright if I joined you?"
"Sure, I don't mind. How about you two, Hanna, Elsa?"
Both girls gave a quick nod of approval.
"Thank you! In that case, I'll go grab my things real quick!" Lishia said, turning and sprinting back toward the castle.
"...Jin-nii, how do you know her exactly?" Elsa asked once Lishia was out of earshot.
"Well, she came to the village last year as a tax collector. I helped her transport the tax wheat to the next village."
"Is that all?"
Elsa was unusually perceptive today.
"...I gave her some advice along the way, and I helped her out when she was attacked by a golem."
"And you also repaired her sword for her, didn't you, Father?" Reiko added from behind, providing a detail Jin had omitted.
The mention of the sword seemed to trigger Elsa's memory. "Ah, the person from that house in Alban."
"That’s the one."
"Onii-chan, you were really nice to that lady from the very beginning, weren't you?" Hanna added.
Jin felt a bit flustered by their tag-team questioning. Elsa, however, just tilted her head slightly. "...Jin-nii is quite soft on girls, isn't he?"
Her observation felt slightly skewed, and Jin found himself at a loss for words.
Just as he was struggling for a reply, Lishia returned. "Sorry to keep you waiting!"
Relieved by the interruption, Jin started walking toward the village, only to be stopped by yet another voice.
"Good morning, Lishia-san! Are you out for a stroll?"
It was Pascoe Rush. He, too, had risen early and was out for some morning air.
"Good morning, Pascoe-san. We're all heading to the hot spring."
"What?! Wi—with Jin-dono as well?"
The alarm in his voice made his concerns obvious even to Jin.
"No, no, the bathing areas are strictly separated by gender," Jin clarified.
Pascoe's tension visibly evaporated. "Ah... I see. Well, would it be alright if I joined you as well?"
"Sure, go ahead," Jin replied, knowing they would be in the men's bath together anyway.
"Then please, go on ahead. I'll catch up once I've fetched my things." Pascoe turned and bolted toward the castle at full speed.
Jin and the girls walked at a more leisurely pace, stopping first at Martha's house to get their towels and clothes. Martha and Mine were already busy in the kitchen. When they asked about breakfast, Jin explained that he would be eating back at the castle with Lishia’s party. Hanna looked a little disappointed to miss a meal with him, but she didn't complain.
Finally, they reached the hot spring, arriving just as Pascoe did.
Jin and Pascoe headed for the men's bath, while Hanna, Elsa, and Lishia entered the women's bath. Reiko remained outside to stand guard.
"Yay! It feels so good!" Hanna cheered, stretching out in the warm water.
Beside her, Elsa and Lishia soaked side-by-side.
"Elsa-san, your skin is so fair. It's really beautiful," Lishia remarked.
"...Lishia-san is beautiful too."
Unlike the more curvaceous Barbara or Belle, Lishia had a build very similar to Elsa's own. It made Elsa feel a quiet sense of relief, a feeling she hadn't felt since her time with Beena.
"Ehehe, but look at me. My face and arms are so tanned from being out in the sun—it's practically a different color."
Having served on the front lines, Lishia's exposed skin was quite dark from the sun. Elsa, by contrast, was naturally fair and spent most of her time indoors, leaving her skin pale and pristine.
"It's okay....I'm sure the hot spring will help it fade."
"I hope so..."
Finding a strange sense of sympathy in their shared proportions, the two continued their conversation naturally. Hanna, meanwhile, simply enjoyed the water at her own pace.
"............"
".................."
(This is awkward...)
(I have no idea what to say to him...)
On the other side of the wall, Jin and Pascoe soaked in the men's bath in absolute, crushing silence.