The Life I Refuse to Waste

'Hera?'

"Come in," Zeldryn said.

The door slowly opened. Hera stepped inside carrying a tray of food with both hands, but this time she wasn't alone. Two male servants followed behind her, carrying a large wooden bathtub between them. It was already filled with water, forcing them to walk carefully so none of it spilled onto the floor.

Zeldryn stared at the thing in surprise.

Hera stopped not far from the table. "My apologies, Lord. Would you like to eat first, or would you prefer to bathe right away?"

Only then did Zeldryn remember their earlier conversation. He had indeed said that he would take a bath that afternoon, but from the beginning, he had imagined going to a bathroom like he used to in his previous life.

Not having a bathtub brought directly into his room.

'What the hell is this?'

The two servants were clearly here to place the tub inside his room. The water had even been prepared in advance.

That meant he really was going to bathe here.

For Reka, who had grown up with modern bathrooms, the idea of bringing a tub full of water into a bedroom felt incredibly strange. Zeldryn considered asking Hera about it, but immediately stopped himself. Asking about something that should have been part of his routine before losing his memories would only invite unnecessary questions in front of the two servants.

"I'll bathe first," Zeldryn answered.

"Very well, Lord," Hera said with a nod.

The two male servants carried the tub to a part of the room some distance away from the bed, then carefully lowered it onto the floor. Once they were finished, Hera gave them a brief glance. Apparently, that alone was enough of a signal, because both men immediately gave a small bow before leaving the room and closing the door behind them.

Hera then placed the tray of food on the table and approached Zeldryn, who was standing beside the bed.

Zeldryn watched her in confusion as Hera stopped directly in front of him.

"My apologies, Lord," Hera said.

Without any further explanation, Hera reached toward Zeldryn's clothes.

Zeldryn instinctively stepped back before her fingers could touch what he was wearing.

"What are you doing, Hera?" Zeldryn asked.

Hera flinched and immediately pulled her hands back. "M-my apologies, Lord. Didn't you say that you wished to bathe first?"

"Yeah, I did say I wanted to bathe," Zeldryn replied, looking even more confused. "But why are you suddenly trying to take off my clothes?"

The confusion remained on Hera's face for several moments before she seemed to remember something.

"M-my apologies, Lord," Hera said carefully. "Could it be... that you've forgotten your bathing routine as well?"

Zeldryn fell silent.

A short while later, after Hera explained what she meant, Zeldryn finally understood the situation.

Zeldryn had always been assisted by Hera whenever he bathed. She helped him remove his clothes, cleaned his body, washed his hair, and took care of various other things throughout the process.

Zeldryn let out a long breath.

Ever since waking up in this world, he had repeatedly rejected various noble customs that he considered excessive. He preferred doing many things himself because that was what felt normal to him.

This time, however, he found himself a little curious.

'Hmm... maybe trying it once in a while isn't so bad.'

He glanced at the bathtub behind Hera.

'I'm also kind of curious what living like a noble is actually like if I stop rejecting everything.'

After thinking about it for a moment, Zeldryn finally allowed Hera to help remove his clothes.

Even though it had been his own decision, the awkwardness remained. The body he possessed now might only be twelve years old, but the consciousness inside it belonged to someone who had lived for more than thirty years. Being naked in front of a woman was still embarrassing, especially since the last time someone had bathed him was when he was still a child.

Zeldryn sighed and tried to ignore the awkwardness.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

He walked toward the bathtub. Several bathing supplies had already been prepared beside it, including something that looked like a bar of soap, a small container filled with an unfamiliar liquid, and several other bathing tools.

Zeldryn placed one foot into the water and immediately felt its warmth. After making sure the temperature was comfortable, he climbed all the way in and sat down inside the tub.

"Hmm... pretty comfortable," Zeldryn murmured.

The warm water actually felt pleasant. However, in his previous life, Reka had grown up in a tropical country and much preferred bathing in cold water, especially after sweating.

"This feels nice, but after sweating like this, cold water would feel even better," Zeldryn muttered without thinking.

Hera, who was standing behind him, apparently heard him.

"V-very well, Lord. From now on, I will prepare colder water for you," Hera replied.

Zeldryn turned slightly in surprise. He hadn't actually meant to make a request, but since Hera had already taken it that way, he eventually just nodded.

"Yeah... all right," Zeldryn said.

Once his entire body was wet, Hera began cleaning him with the bar of soap that had been prepared.

Not long after the soap touched his skin, Zeldryn noticed an unfamiliar smell. The soap he knew from his previous life usually had a pleasant fragrance, while this one smelled somewhat rancid. Its texture also felt rougher when rubbed against his skin, and it produced very little foam.

'What is this made from?'

Zeldryn tried to recall what little he knew about soapmaking.

'Animal fat, maybe?'

He wasn't sure, but the smell and texture made the possibility seem reasonable.

After his body had been cleaned and rinsed, Hera moved on to his hair. She poured a little of the liquid from the container Zeldryn had noticed earlier, then slowly worked it through his hair.

Its scent was completely different from the soap. Zeldryn caught something that reminded him of rosemary mixed with dried flowers. The smell was certainly more pleasant, but after his hair was rinsed, the result wasn't particularly impressive. His hair actually felt coarse and drier than before.

He almost complained, but quickly stopped himself.

The standards of personal care in this world obviously couldn't be compared to the modern world. Even the bathing products used by a noble were still far simpler than the cheap products Reka could once find in an ordinary store.

'Hmm... I can add this to the list for later.'

Zeldryn glanced at the soap and the container of liquid beside the tub.

'Soap that actually smells good, and shampoo that doesn't leave my hair this dry.'

A simple idea began forming in his mind. He still didn't know how to make either of them or what ingredients were available in this world, but there was no harm in keeping the idea for the future.

Zeldryn leaned back slightly against the tub.

'But damn... being bathed like this is still embarrassing.'

After a while, however, he had to admit that the experience wasn't entirely unpleasant.

'Still pretty comfortable, though.'

When the bath was nearly finished, Hera picked up a small piece of linen cloth and a container filled with powder. She dampened the cloth with a little water, sprinkled some of the powder onto it, then handed it to Zeldryn.

Zeldryn accepted the cloth and stared at it for several moments before looking back at Hera.

"Hera, I don't know what I'm supposed to do with this," Zeldryn said.

Hera paused for a moment, but apparently remembered that Zeldryn had lost most of his memories.

"You only need to wrap the cloth around your finger, Lord, then use it to clean your teeth," Hera explained.

"Oh, I see," Zeldryn replied.

He followed Hera's instructions, wrapping the cloth around one of his fingers before beginning to rub the surface of his teeth with the powder sprinkled over it.

The moment some of the powder touched his tongue, a salty taste filled his mouth.

'Ugh... salty.'

After a few moments, the taste became bitter. The powder also left a strong scent of dried herbs in his mouth.

Once Zeldryn finished cleaning his teeth, Hera held out a bowl of water.

"Please rinse your mouth with this, Lord," Hera said as she handed him the bowl. She then prepared another empty bowl. "You may spit the water into this one."

Zeldryn followed her instructions and rinsed his mouth several times. Once he was finished, his mouth felt slightly dry.

He looked at the cloth still wrapped around his finger.

'Damn. A toothbrush and toothpaste are going on the list too.'

The longer he stayed in this world, the more he realized just how useful many simple things from modern life had actually been.

Once the bathing process was finished, Hera picked up a larger linen cloth.

"Please stand, Lord," Hera said.

Zeldryn stood up from the tub, and Hera used the cloth to dry his body until no water remained dripping from him. The cloth absorbed water well enough, but its texture felt much rougher than the modern towels Reka had been used to.

Once she finished, Hera walked toward the wardrobe and took out a set of white clothes. She approached Zeldryn again with the clothes in her hands and prepared to help him put them on.

Seeing Hera approaching him again, Zeldryn felt that the embarrassment he had been holding back all this time had finally reached its limit. Allowing himself to be bathed was already awkward enough. If she helped dress him as well, he genuinely didn't think he could endure any more of the noble experience for one day.

Zeldryn immediately raised a hand to stop her.

"I'll put them on myself," Zeldryn said.

Hera stopped and looked slightly surprised. "V-very well, Lord."

She handed him the clothes without objecting.

Zeldryn accepted them with a slight sense of relief and began dressing himself. It was then that he once again noticed the style of clothing he now had to wear every day.

It was completely different from what Reka used to wear. In the past, T-shirts and hoodies had been more than enough for him. They were practical, simple, and required almost no thought. The clothes he wore now had shapes and layers that were far removed from his personal taste.

'Damn, hoodies really are the best!'

Once Zeldryn finished dressing, Hera walked toward the door and opened it. The two male servants who had carried the bathtub earlier immediately entered again, seemingly already aware that the bath was over.

They cleaned up the splashes of water left on the floor, gathered the bathing supplies, then carried the wooden tub out of the room.

Meanwhile, Hera began lighting the candles one by one as the light outside continued to fade.

Once the room was tidy again, Hera approached Zeldryn.

"Very well, Lord. The only thing left is to comb your hair," Hera said. She paused for a moment before continuing somewhat hesitantly. "However, my apologies. In the past, you did not like having your hair combed. Would you like me to comb it now?"

After the entire lengthy bathing process, Zeldryn had no desire to drag things out any longer.

"No need. I'll comb it myself," Zeldryn replied.

"V-very well, Lord," Hera said with a slight bow.

She then glanced toward the table where the food had been placed.

"I have already placed your food by the table. Please enjoy your meal, Lord. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave," Hera said.

Zeldryn nodded. "All right."

Hera turned around, walked out of the room, and gently closed the door behind her.

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