"Hehe! Then don't blame me when I absorb all the medicinal essence in this pool!"
Lux laughed smugly.
The next second, she took a deep breath, sank down, and dunked herself completely under—head and all.
A moment later—splash!—she popped back up, panting in quick little breaths. Her cute face was flushed bright red from holding it in, but she looked ridiculously pleased with herself.
Seeing her being so goofy, the others couldn't help but chuckle.
Before long, they all started to feel a cool sensation blooming inside their bodies too.
It wasn't an uncomfortable kind of cold—more like a clean, internal chill that paired with the hot spring's warmth and somehow made everything feel even better.
The girls all narrowed their eyes, savoring the moment. Their bodies gradually softened, a lazy looseness settling into their bones.
Lux drifted back to the edge of the pool and leaned her head against it, letting the water's buoyancy hold her up. Eyes closed, she allowed herself to float with the gentle ripples—drifting, drifting.
Her face was full of smiles. She felt unbelievably light.
Then she bumped into something… soft.
She opened her eyes and saw Sona watching her with a gentle, warm smile.
"Ugh…!"
After glancing once at what she'd bumped into, Lux looked like she'd taken critical emotional damage. Her voice even quivered like she was about to cry.
She flipped over and dove back under, paddling a few strokes—only to collide with a lush, full thigh.
She lifted her head and found Yurna looking down at her too.
Lux stared—then her eyes snapped to Yurna's chest, and she widened them in disbelief.
"No way… Yurna, you've been hiding that kind of firepower too?!"
At that, Fiora and the others looked over as well. And yeah—there was definitely something there.
Yurna usually didn't draw attention to herself at all. Who would've guessed she was… not small. She looked only a little less than Sona.
Then Lux turned and looked at Fiora. And after that, her gaze shifted to Kahina, eyes watery.
"Kahina… you're the only one who's truly my sister!"
"…Sigh."
Kahina let out a long, mournful sigh. In that moment, she really, really didn't want to accept that responsibility.
So she sank herself into the water, pretending she hadn't heard anything.
Lux lowered her head and sighed too—but then she remembered she was still growing, and her mood improved a little.
Sona sighed as well.
She glanced down at herself, looking oddly troubled. But unlike Lux, Sona's "problem" was that over the past few days, her chest seemed to have gotten bigger again.
It was all the prince's fault. She'd already decided she was going to slim down, and now not only had she failed—she'd gained weight.
Every girl there had her own worries.
They soaked and chatted, their clear, bright voices carrying laughter through the night, painting a beautiful scene.
But after a while, they noticed something strange.
Lux frowned. "Why does it feel like we haven't heard that guy in forever?"
"It's not just a feeling," Fiora said. "We haven't."
Ever since he'd lazily explained one thing earlier, he hadn't said a single word again.
Even if he was alone on the other side, it didn't make sense for there to be absolutely no sound at all.
Curiosity stirred. What was Luke doing over there?
A thin veil of mist drifted above the pool. Looking at the white curtain in the middle, they couldn't really see anything.
That only made them more suspicious.
If he was quiet while they were talking, fine.
But now that they'd all noticed he was quiet—and there still hadn't been any movement—then he had to be doing something sneaky.
"Mmm… this is so nice."
Only then did Luke's satisfied voice finally drift from the left side.
Too late.
Water rippled. Then, right in front of Luke's stunned eyes, the curtain was lifted.
Holding up one corner stood Fiora, calm and unhurried.
Even with the mist curling around them, at this distance it was still easy to make out the clean lines of her balanced figure. Her collarbones were delicate, and her smooth, pale shoulders were framed by two black straps—making what was covered beneath them feel frustratingly half-revealed.
She was wearing undergarments. That didn't surprise Luke.
The problem was—he wasn't wearing anything.
Staring into those cool eyes looking at him, Luke shrank down a little in the water and said weakly, "Isn't it kind of shameless to peek so openly?"
Fiora ignored that completely. Her gaze dropped to the water near Luke, and she smiled faintly.
"What were you drinking behind our backs?"
Floating there was a wooden tray. On it sat a small cup and something like a little flask.
So that was it. No wonder he'd been quiet—he'd been sneaking drinks.
Because it was a medicated bath, the hot spring water had darkened quite a bit, and there was no way to see what was happening beneath the surface.
But Luke's upper body was above water, bare. His skin looked smooth, and his build was surprisingly good—lean muscle that wasn't overly bulky, with a kind of clean aesthetic to it.
Then a few heads popped out behind Fiora—Lux, Kahina, and Sona all peered over too.
"Aha! I knew it—why you were so quiet!"
"Exactly, Your Highness—good stuff should be shared!"
Lux and Kahina fired off one line each.
Sona nodded along, and the three of them "condemned" Luke's secret drinking with righteous indignation.
Since he'd been caught anyway, Luke said with complete shamelessness, "There isn't much of this medicated wine. Of course I'm going to prioritize myself!"
Most alcohol took time to brew, sure, but it wasn't like Demacia didn't sell regular wine. Luke had bought some, mixed and diluted it himself, and turned it into something more nourishing.
After diluting it, though, it was only one flask—really not much.
Now that he'd been found out, there was nothing to do. He sighed.
Then he lifted his hand and pushed the wooden tray toward the right side. The tray glided like a little boat and came to a stop in front of Fiora.
Luke leaned back against the pool edge and closed his eyes again. "There's not much left. Drink it however you want."
After a beat, he cracked one eye open and glanced toward a certain little blond menace. "Minors aren't allowed to drink."
Lux's smile vanished instantly.
She huffed, shot Luke a glare, turned toward the center of the pool, and sank herself down again.
Fine! Then I won't drink!
I'll just absorb every last drop of medicinal essence in the whole pool!
Meanwhile, Fiora studied the tray that had drifted to her.
There was only one cup.
And it was obviously the one Luke had been using.
She glanced up at Luke—eyes closed, enjoying himself—and realized he'd probably forgotten about that little detail.
After thinking for a moment, she picked up the flask and tilted it gently. A thin stream of pale-purple medicated wine flowed out, filling the cup with a soft, rising sound.
Two seconds later, the cup was full.
Fiora lifted it—and drank it all in one smooth motion.
The delicate mouthfeel made her eyes brighten slightly. Then she caught a mellow fragrance unlike beer—richer, rounder.
After swallowing, the aftertaste lingered pleasantly on her tongue.
It was… very good.
She handed the flask to Kahina beside her.
Kahina poured herself a cup too, copying Fiora and downing it in one go—only to find it wasn't nearly as harsh as she'd imagined. It was gentle and smooth.
Definitely wine, but… surprisingly easy to drink.
"I can taste a hint of grape," Kahina said, pleasantly surprised, "and something floral."
Sona's movements with the cup were soft and elegant. The moment the wine hit her tongue, she narrowed her eyes.
The flavor really was excellent—sweet and fragrant, easily the most pleasant wine she'd ever tasted.
Afterward, they didn't forget Yurna. Kahina took the flask over to her side as well.
There wasn't much left in the flask, and the cup itself wasn't large, so the four of them simply took turns drinking.
Before long, they noticed the cool sensation from the medicated bath fading—replaced by a gentle heat spreading through their bodies, a warm, cozy glow.
Kahina looked around, confused. "Do you still feel that coolness?"
Fiora, Sona, and Yurna all shook their heads.
Only Lux—who had everything below her neck submerged—still felt cool.
Then Luke's explanation drifted over from the left side.
"That wine is meant to go with this medicated bath. Once you drink it, it helps you absorb faster."
"So that's why," Kahina said, nodding in realization.
They kept taking turns, wrapped in that warm comfort.
But it didn't take long before they noticed Lux's resentful little stare.
She was watching with wide, pleading eyes—clearly wanting a sip.
Seeing her look so pitiful, Fiora beckoned gently with one hand.
Lux's eyes lit up. She glanced toward the left side once, then slowly floated over.
Fiora smiled. She poured a cup and handed it to Lux, then raised one finger—telling her not to make a sound.
Lux nodded furiously, understanding immediately.
Then, eyes sparkling, she stared at the pale-purple wine in the cup and lifted it carefully to her lips.
"By the way, this wine also helps keep you alert—"
"Cough—cough…"
Luke's voice suddenly popped up from the left side.
Lux jumped so hard she instantly choked on the mouthful she'd just taken. She coughed in panic—covering her mouth so she wouldn't make the sound too loud.
After a few muffled coughs, her face was even redder. She glanced toward the left, and when it didn't seem like she'd been caught, she finally relaxed.
The girls couldn't help laughing under their breath.
After finishing the cup, Lux looked completely satisfied. She blinked happily at Fiora.
Watching the blonde girl perk right back up, Fiora's lips curved into a small smile, her gaze softening.
She'd already judged the alcohol content—low enough that one cup wouldn't get Lady Crownguard drunk.
Over on the left, Luke didn't even need to look. From the very obvious coughing, he knew exactly what had happened.
He didn't say anything, just kept resting with his eyes closed.
The alcohol content really wasn't high. It had been designed to support the medicated bath—more function than intoxication.
With this kind of drink, if Lux wanted to end up like she did yesterday, she'd need at least five cups.
Anything under five was basically fine.
Normally, people weren't advised to drink while bathing.
Some folks had weaker constitutions—alcohol dilated the blood vessels, hot water dilated them further, blood pressure dropped, and in a poorly ventilated space you could faint.
But Demacians generally had sturdier bodies.
So here, "you can't drink while bathing" wasn't really a rule anyone cared about.
And just like that, the hot spring gradually fell quiet.
The bright moon hung in the sky, scattering light as white as snow.
With mist drifting and the night unusually still, their bodies wrapped in a gentle warmth, everyone relaxed completely—so relaxed they didn't even feel like speaking.
After a while, Luke finally opened his eyes and stood up out of the water.
Hearing movement, Fiora's voice came from the other side, lazy now from soaking. "Getting out?"
Luke stretched and hummed in agreement. Even out of the pool, the warmth in his body still hadn't faded.
"Soaking is best in moderation," he said, stepping toward the clothing rack. "Thirty to forty minutes is ideal. Too long and your skin will start to swell."
The medicinal essence in this bath was only really enough for about half an hour for this many people.
After that, it was just plain soaking.
Hearing that staying too long could make their skin puff up, the girls got up one after another.
The moment they left the water, it was like some kind of seal had broken—instantly, a lot of their sluggishness vanished, and their minds felt bright and energized.
It was probably the medicated wine.
They stepped out, hair wet and dripping, the undergarments they'd worn into the bath soaked through.
After a few dozen minutes, every one of them felt thoroughly refreshed.
Sona noticed her shoulders didn't feel as heavy anymore.
Fiora felt lighter all over. She rolled her arms, and her joints even gave off a few little loosened pops.
It felt amazing.
The exhaustion Kahina had built up over these days at the academy was wiped clean in less than an hour.
As for Lux—she was lively before, and she was still lively after.
But since she'd absorbed the most medicinal essence, her cheeks were rosy-red like she'd been steamed, which somehow made her look even cuter.
The girls all felt the benefits clearly. They looked at one another, eyes bright.
Their skin looked pale yet flushed, soft and supple, dewy and hydrated.
If it was this effective after just one time… what would happen after a few more?
Then, hearing the sound of someone drying off on the other side of the curtain, they all unconsciously perked up their ears.
"Oh, right," Luke's voice followed. "Since the effect is basically the same, let's do acupuncture again in a few days."
"Mm," Fiora replied.
Then she accepted a towel and a change of clothes from the ever-considerate Yurna.
Not long after, Luke finished getting dressed and sat down on a stone seat, appreciating the night.
It was summer, so he didn't have much to put on. Now he just had to wait for them.
Hearing the sounds of them changing, he glanced over.
Between the mist and the curtain, of course he couldn't see anything.
Women's clothing took a bit longer, but not by much.
Soon, the girls filed out one by one, looking refreshed and radiant. Up close, their faces were warmly flushed.
After the soak, their skin looked even more hydrated. Their hair was still damp, but no longer dripping.
At a glance, the five women each had their own charm. Even dressed again, it was hard not to remember the brief, stunning curves glimpsed in the pool.
Now, looking again… it was undeniably pleasing to the eye.
Noticing Luke's gaze, they all smiled, not making a big deal of it.
And Luke, after appreciating it openly for a moment, calmly withdrew his eyes and stood. "Let's go."
Under the night sky, they walked along the backyard path. With moonlight spilling over them, their hearts felt unusually peaceful.
Luke looked up at the hanging moon, then at the women walking beside him. In the moonlight, he couldn't tell whether the moon was prettier, or the people were.
He smiled, then checked the time. "Anyone want a late-night snack? Speak now."
"Me!"
A chorus of voices answered at once, all eyes turning to Luke.
"I'm guessing you've never had warm vanilla dumplings before."
Luke quickened his pace and returned to the main house.
He got busy in the kitchen while the girls sat in the living room chatting.
After a while, several steaming bowls were set on the table—inside were little white, pearl-like dumplings, smooth and glossy.
A set of beautiful eyes lit up instantly.
After a bath, eating a cozy late-night snack—there was nothing happier in the world.
When they finished, they went to the front yard—some sitting, some lying down.
In that moment, no one spoke. They simply admired the night, enjoying this rare sense of ease.
Ding—
A soft, gentle melody rang out.
They looked over to see Sona sitting in a chair, her etwahl (instrument) resting in her arms. A serene smile sat on her face as her fingers moved—sending beautiful notes dancing into the air.
Most of her music was improvised, the melody never exactly the same twice.
Like the one she played now—born from the quiet night, from this warm, soothing moment.
The clear, agile music continued in the courtyard. No one spoke. Everyone just listened.
The night was intoxicating.
Only when it grew late did the carriages finally begin to depart one after another, reluctant to leave.
Watching the yard empty out, Luke stretched, feeling pleasantly soft all over, and sighed in contentment.
"Looks like I'm going to sleep well tonight."
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