We returned to the cottage from the pier just as the sun finished slipping below the horizon. Since we’d already eaten an early dinner, the rest of the evening was ours to spend relaxing, but I decided to get the bath ready first.
Preparing it was simple enough; I only had to touch the various magic tools to activate them. A short while later, the water was ready.
"It's still a bit early, but why don't we go ahead and get the bath out of the way?"
"That sounds like a fine idea. Let us begin our preparations. Master, do you have your towels and other necessities?"
"Yeah, they’re in my Magic Box."
"I see. I have my own clothes and toiletries ready in my Magic Box as well, so there should be no issues."
Anima rose from the sofa the moment I spoke... but wait. I felt a strange sense of dissonance. "Let us"? Wait a second. Had the conversation just naturally flowed into us going in together?
Judging by her tone and the way she was already getting ready, Anima seemed fully intent on heading to the bathroom with me. There wasn't a hint of hesitation or embarrassment in her posture; if anything, she seemed to be overflowing with motivation.
The last time we’d stayed overnight during a fishing trip, she’d been incredibly shy—nervous to the point of panic—and had even fainted halfway through.
...Ah, I see. That’s what this was. Her iron will to "not repeat the same failure" was overriding her modesty. Her drive to succeed had pushed her embarrassment right out of her mind.
Confirming my suspicions, Anima fixed me with an intense, focused gaze and made a declaration.
"Master! I committed a grave blunder last time, but I will not make that mistake again! As your attendant and as your lover, I will see my duty of washing your back through to the very end!!"
"...I-I see... Right."
As I watched Anima burn with such fiery resolve, I realized I’d made a major mistake of my own. During our previous attempt at a mixed bath, Alice had fed her a lie, claiming that "it’s a mandatory rule for lovers to bathe together to foster intimacy," and Anima had swallowed it hook, line, and sinker.
I had sworn to clear up the misunderstanding later... but between the chaos of her fainting and everything that followed, the matter had completely slipped my mind.
Now, here she was, brimming with the determination to prove herself as a lover through this mixed bath. It felt almost impossible to turn her down. If I told her we should bathe separately now, she’d probably fall into a slump, thinking it was because I didn't trust her after her last performance.
Hmm. Still, unlike last time, I knew what was coming, so I had a bit more mental breathing room. The reason she’d fainted before was largely due to that unexpected incident with her tail; as long as nothing like that happened, we should be fine.
"...I just want to check, but are you really okay with this? You don't have to force yourself, Anima. I missed my chance to tell you then, but Alice was just playing a prank. There isn't actually any rule in this world about lovers having to bathe together."
"Your concern for my well-being fills me with joy, Master... but please, do not worry! I will not allow myself to repeat the same blunder twice!!"
"Right, okay. I get it... Then, shall we go?"
"Yes!"
It was no use. Her motivation switch was flipped all the way to the on position. She was in full attendant mode. Well, I didn't want to douse her enthusiasm, and since she was the one who wanted this, it wasn't as if I was particularly opposed to it.
Besides, we had promised to act like lovers, and sharing a bath certainly fit the description. I just had to stay alert and make sure no accidents happened. If possible, I wanted to finish this bath in a way that left Anima feeling satisfied, rather than the disaster of last time.
...Anyway, given my track record, the odds of an accident in the bathroom were never zero. I’d have to stay on my toes.
???: "Oh, Kaito isn't being optimistic for once. That’s a good sign."
Serious-senpai: "Personally, the mere mention of a mixed bath is enough to annoy me... but setting that aside, Kaito has gotten pretty used to this, hasn't he? He’s actually keeping his cool."
???: "Well, he’s been through it enough times. Since he’s with Anima, I guess he feels he has to be the reliable one?"