I spent some time reading to pass the time until Illness-san came to inform me that the preparation for the Relaxation Room was complete. I followed her down the hallway, heading toward the bath area.
She had mentioned a secret door in the dressing room... but I couldn't imagine where it might be. Given the sheer scale of the mansion, the dressing room was cavernous, offering plenty of suspicious-looking spots for a secret to be tucked away.
"Kaito-sama... I have prepared a list of the services available in the Relaxation Room... Please look it over at your convenience..."
"Thank you, that helps a lot."
I scanned the memo Illness-san had prepared. Aside from the sauna, bedrock bath, and jacuzzi, it listed options for massages and aroma baths.
It felt less like a simple bathhouse and more like a high-end hotel spa. As for the massage... I wondered if there was a Magic Tool that functioned like a massage chair. That sounded perfect—loosening my muscles in a chair, working up a sweat in the bedrock bath, and finishing with a soak in the jacuzzi. It seemed like the ultimate relaxation routine.
"Illness-san, is the massage available right away?"
"Yes... There is no problem at all..."
"Then I’ll start with the massage and move to the bedrock bath afterward. To be honest, I’ve never tried a bedrock bath before, so I don’t know much about them."
"I will be your guide... so please do not worry..."
Knowing she would be there to walk me through it put my mind at ease. I’d always been curious about bedrock baths, but I’d never really had the opportunity to visit one. I never expected to find one in my own home. If I liked it, I’d have to make it a regular habit from now on.
With those thoughts in mind, we arrived at the dressing room. Now, where was this hidden door? A classic trope would be behind a large mirror, or maybe the mirror itself acted as the door...
"As for the entrance... the center of this pillar is designed to slide open... Behind it is a Magic Crystal. If a registered resident of this house touches it..."
"O-Oh, wow. The wall is sliding... and there are stairs..."
"This is the entrance to the Relaxation Room. The lighting Magic Tools will turn on automatically when it opens. Once we are inside, you can touch the Magic Crystal on the inner wall to close the door behind us..."
"That’s quite a mechanism."
It was a remarkably elaborate setup. The staircase was wide and sturdy, clearly built with careful craftsmanship. I wondered why it even needed to be hidden... but then again, Alice was the one who built it. She probably did it for the "romance" of a secret passage. I had to admit, there was something undeniably cool about a hidden door, even if it was a bit impractical for daily use.
"Please, this way..."
"Ah, right. Should I change here?"
"There is a changing room downstairs as well, so you need not worry..."
"I see."
I followed Illness-san down the stairs and emerged into an incredibly vast space. There were several rooms branching off; the atmosphere truly felt like a luxury retreat. She was definitely using Space Magic here—the area was far too expansive to be a simple basement.
"Kaito-sama... since you requested the bedrock bath, I have prepared a dedicated outfit for you. Please change into these..."
"Got it."
"The room on the Right side is the Dressing Room..."
"Understood. I'll be right back."
She handed me some clothes that resembled a Jinbei. I did have the impression that loose, comfortable clothing was standard for bedrock baths.
I stepped into the relatively spacious Dressing Room and swapped my clothes. When I returned, I was surprised to see that Illness-san had changed as well. Instead of her usual maid uniform, she wore casual attire—short sleeves and three-quarter-length pants.
She had even tied her hair back into a Short Ponytail. It was a very fresh look for her. She looked quite cute; the casual style suited her surprisingly well.
"Oh? You changed too, Illness-san."
"Yes... I thought my maid uniform might be a bit of a hindrance..."
"Hmm?"
"Now then... the massage is this way..."
It felt like a slightly odd interaction, but I didn't dwell on it. I followed her into a room filled with a pleasant, relaxing aroma.
Inside, I found a Massage Bed waiting. Wait... this wasn't what I’d imagined. I’d expected a Magic Tool version of a massage chair, but this was clearly a setup for a manual massage.
"Now then... do you have a specific massage in mind...?"
"Eh? Wait... Illness-san, are you the one giving me the massage?"
"Yes... I am proficient in all the standard techniques, so please rest assured..."
I see, so that was it. That was why she had changed her clothes. Everything she had been "preparing" finally made sense.
Apparently, the Relaxation Room was a place where Illness-san acted as a personal therapist, providing various spa treatments. It wasn't what I had anticipated, but since I trusted her, it was actually a relief in a way.
???: "By the way, her usual casual clothes are the long-sleeved, long-skirted Pandemonium robes. Even three-quarter sleeves are a rare and revealing look for her."
Serious-senpai: "Beyond that, the fact that this facility is built specifically for Illness to devotedly 'heal' him is terrifying... These two are absolutely going to end up flirting."