Inside the underground hot spring pool that had been built as an extension to the cabin, Talulah lounged with a face full of bliss. She stretched out comfortably in the warm waters, her curious gaze wandering over the room that had taken that annoying guy less than ten minutes to put together.
Sure, she already knew he was ridiculous in all sorts of ways, but sohow—every single ti—he managed to refresh her understanding of what "ridiculous" even ant.
When he said he'd "boil so water," she'd thought it was exactly that: boil a pot of hot water, nothing more. Who would have expected him to go so far as to construct an entire bathhouse?
How he made use of that ss of strange abilities of his, she had no idea.
Still, no matter the thod, being able to sink into a steaming bath and soak in warm water like this… for people like them, it was a luxury so unattainable that most could only dream about it.
After all, they were infected—ostracized to the extre in Ursus. To have hot water at all was already a rare blessing. As for bathing in it? That was sothing out of a fairy tale.
Compared to Talulah, who was still looking around with a mix of wonder and disbelief, Alina seed far better at simply enjoying the mont. Reclining in the bath with only her slender shoulders peeking above the surface, she had gone soft all over, like a piece of fluffy cotton candy lting away.
"You know," Talulah said suddenly, swishing her freshly-washed silver hair—still carrying the faint, refreshing scent of shampoo—and leaning close, "maybe I should just sell you off to him. I'd definitely be able to squeeze a ton of benefits out of him that way."
She jabbed Alina's slim waist beneath the water as she teased her.
Alina's skin was flawless—far too smooth and delicate for soone who'd lived her whole life on the snowy tundra. Her body, like her personality, was soft and yielding. With how little she exercised, her waist gave under Talulah's poke like jelly.
"If you tried that, he'd only spoil with all those benefits," Alina retorted, opening her eyes to glare after springing up like a startled rabbit. But her mock indignation didn't last long, and she let herself drift along with the joke. "If you really want to wring advantages out of him, you'd be better off selling yourself instead."
Even the most harmless fawn could crack a joke at tis like this.
And to be fair, it wasn't entirely a joke either. If one really were to end up in that kind of relationship with him, then yes—getting whatever one wanted from him wouldn't be a problem at all.
Both Talulah and Alina knew perfectly well that Steven was fiercely protective and indulgent toward those that are close to him.
"Huh? But my relationship with him isn't as close as yours." Talulah splashed a handful of hot water at her friend, laughing. "How about you take one for the team and sacrifice yourself for the sake of your poor, pitiful friend?"
She could tell at a glance—Steven definitely liked this gentle little fawn more than her.
Not that she blad him. If she were into girls and had to choose between Alina's kind, sweet nature and soone with her own personality… well, she would've picked Alina too.
After all, wasn't this girl the very picture of a perfect wife?
"Stop joking around with already," Alina pouted, ducking her head shyly. "Why would he ever fall for a village girl like ? I don't have much knowledge, I'm not all that pretty… Forget about comparing to you—even the girls in the nomadic cities are all way better than ."
Alina gave a small shake of her head, a trace of sorrow flickering across her expression.
Even soone as gentle as her couldn't completely escape feelings of inferiority.
And honestly—looking at all of Steven's qualities—couldn't he easily choose soone with far, far better conditions than hers?
Talulah hadn't expected her casual joke to hit so close to ho. Seeing her friend react like this, she realized with a start: So she really does think that way…
"That guy doesn't actually have that many good points, you know. How could you think like that?" Talulah murmured, her voice softening despite herself. "Besides—his attitude toward you, can't you tell? When have you ever seen him treat anyone else so gently?"
As she said it, Talulah found her own tone souring without aning to.
Steven had never once shown Alina a bad face—always nothing but patience and warmth. Unlike with her, where every eting seed to turn into a fight waiting to happen.
"But… he really is just… so good."
Alina bit her lip, unable to explain it properly. From her point of view, there wasn't a single flaw to pick at when it ca to Steven. She couldn't even understand why he treated her so well.
"You're impossible." Talulah sighed, throwing up her hands. "That guy's temperant is terrible—yet sohow, to you, even that counts as a good thing. Honestly, why don't you just sneak into his room tonight and ambush him?"
She had wanted to point out Steven's flaws, to show Alina he wasn't that perfect… but after running through it in her head, she realized she couldn't actually find any real faults beyond his awful personality. Which left her no choice but to sigh in defeat.
"You're clearly overheated from the bath. Once you step outside and cool off, you'll realize just how ridiculous the things you're saying are."
Talulah shook her head helplessly at Alina's blushing face. Compared to her usual calm deanor, this side of her was far too emotional.
But Talulah knew—this was Alina's true nature, the side she always tried to hide. In the end, she was just a girl. How could she possibly be free of feelings like these?
Besides… that infuriating man really was charming, in his own way.
Not just for Alina, even she herself—
She shook her head furiously, drowning the thought before it could take root. No. I have bigger things to do. I can't let myself get distracted by sothing so trivial.
Even so, she couldn't help but slump back down until only her eyes were left above the water, cheeks puffing as she blew little bubbles in her tangled thoughts.
"…Why do you think he treats us so well?"
"I don't know," Alina admitted softly. "But your secret… when are you planning to tell him? About the curse. I really think you should explain it to him sooner rather than later. Who knows? Maybe he'll have a way to solve it."
After soaking in her conflicted thoughts for so long, Alina seed to finally regain a bit of clarity, her tone turning serious again.
It wasn't just a minor matter—it was Talulah's body and consciousness on the line. Of course Steven needed to know.
"But I already owe him so much," Talulah muttered, sinking even deeper into the water. "I can't even repay what I've taken so far. And now I'm supposed to trouble him with this, too? How would I ever face him after that?"
Talulah knew all too well. The favors she owed Steven had already piled up so high she could hardly keep count anymore. If she kept relying on him like this, then one day… she really wouldn't have the face to stand before him again.
Sure, she dared to bicker with him and trade jabs with her sharp tongue. But if Steven ever actually decided to hold her accountable, she wouldn't even need him to press the matter—she'd crumble first on her own.
And maybe it was precisely because of this that Talulah felt more and more lost when it ca to dealing with him. Maybe he thought things were fine as they were now, but she couldn't accept the idea of leaving everything for him to handle.
She had her own convictions, her own will. If she leaned on him to solve everything, then how could she ever hope to carve out a future for the Infected?
Besides… that curse on her—what were the odds that even he could do anything about it?
"This isn't about owing favors," Alina said gently, laying a hand on Talulah's shoulder. "Isn't that what friends are for? Helping each other, understanding each other. By hiding it from him, aren't you actually showing him that you don't trust him? I'm sure he would see it that way too."
Her words were calm but firm. She could see this far more clearly than Talulah could. When it cos to sothing this important, keeping secrets would only add unnecessary complications.
And Talulah knew that. Which was why she could only bite her lip hard, looking painfully torn.
"Yeah. That's what I think too."
The voice that suddenly cut in ca not from Alina—but from the wall.
Steven's voice.
The bathhouse instantly fell into dead silence.
Both Talulah and Alina froze, their faces heating up like boiling lobsters before they simultaneously plunged their heads beneath the water—if drowning themselves right there was an option, they would've taken it.
"Y-you! You bastard! What kind of creep eavesdrops on girls' bath-ti conversations?!"
After a long struggle with her own embarrassnt, Talulah finally burst back up for air and shouted toward the wall where his voice had co from.
anwhile, Steven—soaking in the bath on the other side—could only wear an exasperated look.
What, they get to enjoy a bath and I don't?
As for "eavesdropping," that was slander. The house wasn't that big, and he had good hearing. Was he supposed to just… turn his ears off?
"How is that my fault?"
"Then when did you even co over? And how much did you hear?!"
Talulah's body was flushed redder than a cooked shrimp. If he had overheard that part of her words… she really would rather die.
"Oh, I'd say I heard most of what I was supposed to," Steven replied matter-of-factly. "From little Alina handing a 'good guy card,' to soone saying she doesn't want to keep owing favors… And by the way, even if you did agree to be my girlfriend, don't think I'd just spoil you in everything."
He said it completely straight-faced, even adding that last part as if it were a solemn declaration.
"Forget it!! Forget everything you heard!!"
Talulah's only reply was a shriek so shrill and mortified that it practically rattled the bathhouse walls.
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
sdrive.google/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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