2

“Huh, a hot spring trip? Is that right, Naranda-sama?”

Naranda, who had taken a bath in the Japanese cypress bath at Beth’s house, wore a silk after-bath robe with a truly comfortable expression and was drinking milk with orange juice in it that Beth had served him.

“Ah, Beth. Truly, your bath is addictive. I came to bathe yesterday as well, and yet I ended up coming again today.”

Naranda blushed slightly in embarrassment.

Unlike Eloise, Naranda possessed reserve, common sense, and moderation.

And yet, unable to resist the charm of Beth’s bath no matter what, he had been frequently visiting the two’s house like this and letting himself bathe there.

Naranda had also tried installing a Japanese cypress bathtub in his own home, but somehow, he could not make it into a bath as charming as Beth’s.

It was not only the bath; the fact that after the bath, Beth always served him a drink at just the right temperature, exactly the drink he had wanted at that moment, was also very good.

Yesterday, what Beth had served him was a drink of strong carbonated water with ginger syrup, and before that, cold mint water.

Beth could not use magic, but she was good at sensing the small things people’s hearts and bodies needed.

With a puhaa sound that was rather contrary to noble manners, Naranda finished drinking the milk in satisfaction.

“It is not a hot spring trip, Beth. I am going to a country with hot springs for work. As Queen Eugenia’s representative, I have been appointed goodwill ambassador for friendship with the royal family of the neighboring country. My stay in the neighboring country was formally decided earlier, but Eugenia-sama wishes me to take Noel-sama along as well. Would you like to come too?”

Naranda, though at the lowest rank, was registered as a member of the royal family. For friendship with royalty, one needed to be royalty.

No matter how much Naranda wanted to devote himself to research, the minimum obligations as royalty still arose.

This time, that was what it was.

“Noel-sama is going too?”

Noel was likewise fresh from the bath, leisurely throwing himself onto the swing installed on the deck by the outside window, enjoying chilled white wine.

Noel, who had completely gotten hooked on baths thanks to Beth, had wanted to enjoy a good breeze after the bath and had gone out of his way to install a swing woven from bamboo on the outside deck.

Thanks to that, after a bath, one could go out onto the deck, gently sway on the swing, and be blown by the supremely comfortable breeze carrying the scent of greenery from the Magic Institute’s woods.

At the feet of the swing on the deck was a footrest made from a green bamboo split in half, brought from Beth’s Village, and when one grew tired of sitting, one could rock the swing while stepping on the fragrant green bamboo, which was also comfortable.

Incidentally, this green bamboo was an old one Beth had used since the time she had lived in the countryside.

Though its construction was luxurious, this mansion, whose interior was not supposed to be surrounded by anything especially showy, had become, by Beth’s hand, an oasis-like place of supreme comfort for the nobles of this country.

Noel deftly caught Beth, who had toddled out to the deck in search of Noel, dropped a kiss on her forehead, set her on his lap, and said.

“Ah, it is true that I am going with Naranda as part of his goodwill ambassadorship, but the other side actually mainly has business with me. There is someone ill among their royal family.”

“Ill? Surely there are doctors in that country too, are there not?”

Beth tilted her head curiously while quietly being swayed on the swing.

It was true that no one in this country surpassed Noel in healing magic and potion creation, but he was not a physician.

“When I say illness, it is what is called a skin disease, and their life is not in danger. However, the skin is inflamed, it is terribly itchy, and because it does not look good, they have shut themselves away. It seems that the cause lies in the organ that generates magical power, but because the cause is not clearly understood, they are apparently troubled by doing nothing but symptomatic treatment.”

“Oh, how pitiful. I once touched a tree that made my body itch and had a terrible time too.”

Beth shook her head tremulously, remembering that unpleasant experience.

No matter how much she washed and washed, the itch would not go away, and in the end, her grandfather took her to town, where a medicinal compress was applied, finally calming it down somehow.

“The people in a position to diagnose royalty are limited, you see. In that country, the weight placed on outward beauty is apparently quite heavy, and because of that person’s position, they do not want it to become widely known within the country. For that reason, they want Noel-sama, who handles all the potions for this country’s royal family, to examine them incognito and give his opinion.”

Indeed, having a healing magician accompanying a goodwill ambassador carry out medical treatment for a noble of that country as part of the goodwill visit was a good method that would not become politically exaggerated.

“Yes, I see…?”

Beth’s face did not look entirely convinced, so Noel laughed and, holding her dearly in his arms with affection,

“Beth, the neighboring country has hot springs. I had wanted to take you there once, but to cross the border and go to the neighboring country, quite a lot of procedures are necessary, are they not? Naranda gave permission to register you as my assistant. What do you think, Beth? Would you like to go to the hot springs with me?”

Noel, putting on an arrogant, triumphant face, showed Beth her most beloved crinkly smile, with many wrinkles forming at the corners of his eyes.

Noel was known for his sharp, beautiful face, but Beth thought this crinkled face of Noel’s was the most beautiful.

“Yes! Hot springs are those things where hot water bubbles up from the ground, right, Noel-sama? I want to go! How wonderful! I love you, Noel-sama! Thank you, Naranda-sama!”

Even though it was a friendly nation, the border with the neighboring country was strictly controlled.

It was not impossible to go sightseeing if one followed the procedures, but the procedures were complicated, and it was common to wait years before permission was granted.

Beth was a dyed-in-the-wool country girl and had never gone on a trip. Patting Beth’s head, Noel, who had stayed many times in the neighboring country for academic conferences, taught her.

“Beth, hot springs are wonderful, but hot spring towns are truly fun. There are many delicious things too. Even going around silly souvenir shops would be fun if I were with you.”

Beth’s eyes sparkled, and she was overjoyed.

“Noel-sama, please finish your work quickly and play with me! I am looking forward to it!”