The search for saltpeter had turned into a hike. Taylor, determined to map the geological resources of Oakhaven, had dragged a reluctant Luna and a suspiciously stealthy Violet up the mountain slopes behind the iron mine.
"My Lady," Luna panted, clutching a picnic basket. "Why are we climbing? Did the castle floor become lava? Are we refugees?"
"We are prospectors, Luna," Taylor said, checking a primitive compass she had magnetized herself. "The sulfur deposits in the mine suggest volcanic activity nearby. And where there are volcanoes, there is heat. And where there is heat..."
She stopped.
Ahead of them, hidden behind a thicket of frost-covered pines, was a clearing. But unlike the frozen ground around them, this clearing was green. Moss covered the rocks. Ferns grew wildly.
And rising from a natural rock pool in the center was a pillar of white steam.
"Jackpot," Taylor whispered.
It wasn't just a puddle. It was a **Natural Hot Spring**.
To a normal person, it looked like a nice bath. To Taylor, it looked like:
1. Infinite Free Energy: (Geothermal heating for the castle).
2. Tourism Revenue: (Luxury Spa for rich nobles).
3. Hygiene: (Finally, a hot bath that didn't require boiling twenty cauldrons of water).
"Is that... smoke?" Luna asked, trembling. "Is it a dragon's nest?"
"It's better," Taylor said, shedding her heavy cloak. "It's a bath."
***
[The Scene: The Steamy Mist]
Ten minutes later, the area was secured (mostly just Taylor checking for bears).
"My Lady! You cannot undress outside!" Luna shrieked, covering her eyes but peeking through her fingers with intense interest. "It is improper! It is scandalous! It is... magnificent!"
"It's just us, Luna," Taylor sighed. She was covered in coal dust, sweat, and stress. The allure of hot water overrode her modesty.
Besides, Arthur's memories were fading. The dysphoria was still there, but the desire to not smell like a horse stable was stronger.
Taylor stepped into the water.
"Oh..."
She sank down to her chin. The heat penetrated her muscles, melting away the tension of the last week. The water was rich in minerals—sulfur and magnesium. Good for the skin. Good for the soul.
"Heaven," she murmured, closing her eyes.
*Splash.*
"Room for one more?"
Taylor's eyes snapped open.
**Violet** was standing in the water. The stepsister had appeared silently, as always. She wasn't wearing a towel. She was wearing a smile that was equal parts innocent and predatory.
"Violet!" Taylor yelped, instinctively crossing her arms over her chest (a habit Arthur had picked up quickly). "Where did you come from?!"
"The bushes," Violet said happily, wading closer. The water rippled around her. "I wanted to be clean too. Like a boiled potato."
She moved through the water with the grace of a crocodile. She sat down next to Taylor—*right* next to her. Their shoulders touched.
"Your skin is very white, Big Sister," Violet whispered, staring at Taylor's collarbone with unblinking intensity. "Like milk. Can I drink it?"
"No drinking the sister!" Taylor chopped Violet gently on the head. "And personal space, Violet! Personal space!"
"Space is for strangers," Violet giggled, hugging Taylor's arm. The sensation of skin-on-skin made Taylor stiffen. Violet was soft, small, and clung like a barnacle.
*Splash.*
"I cannot allow this!" Luna shouted.
Taylor looked up. Luna had stripped down to her undergarments (which were surprisingly frilly) and was charging into the water with a scrubbing brush and a bar of the new lavender soap.
"The Young Miss is defiling the Lady!" Luna declared, her eyes burning with righteous jealousy. "I am the personal maid! It is my duty to wash the Royal Back! Step aside, you blonde gremlin!"
"Make me, servant girl," Violet hissed, narrowing her eyes.
"Both of you, stop!" Taylor shouted, sinking lower into the water until bubbles reached her nose. "This is supposed to be relaxing!"
"Relaxation requires scrubbing!" Luna insisted. She grabbed Taylor's other arm.
Now Taylor was trapped. On her left, a yandere stepsister hugging her bicep. On her right, an obsessive maid lathering soap on her shoulder with religious fervor.
"My Lady's skin is so soft..." Luna breathed, her face flushing red from the steam (and other things). She ran the soapy sponge down Taylor's back. "It is like washing a cloud. A holy, expensive cloud."
"Stop breathing on my neck, Luna," Taylor begged.
"I am just checking for dirt!" Luna lied, moving closer.
"Big Sister," Violet interrupted, squeezing Taylor's arm. "Why is your heart beating so fast? Are you excited?"
Violet looked up. Her wet hair plastered to her face, her blue eyes wide and glistening in the steam. A drop of water rolled down her neck.
For a split second, the "Arthur" inside Taylor's brain short-circuited. *This is an anime trope. This is the hot spring episode. I am the protagonist. But I am also the girl. I am confused.*
[System Alert]
[Mental Stress Level: Critical]
[Nosebleed Risk: 40%]
"I'm not excited," Taylor squeaked. "I'm hyperthermic. The heat. It's too hot."
"Let me cool you down," Violet whispered. She scooped up water in her hands and let it trickle down Taylor's chest.
"GYAH!" Taylor scrambled backward, splashing water everywhere. "Okay! Bath time over! Everyone out! I'm wrinkled! Look at my fingers! Prunes!"
She bolted out of the water, grabbing her towel and wrapping it around herself like a cocoon of safety.
Luna and Violet remained in the water, staring at her.
Luna looked disappointed. "I missed a spot behind the ear..."
Violet just smiled, sinking until only her eyes were visible above the surface. "Next time," she bubbled into the water.
***
[The Aftermath]
As they dressed, Taylor tried to regain her dignity. She was the interim administrator of the estate. She was a genius engineer. She was not a flustered teenager.
"Listen," Taylor said, wringing out her hair. "This spring is a secret. We don't tell the Count yet."
"Why?" Luna asked, still looking dazed.
"Because I need to design a piping system," Taylor said, her eyes gleaming with a new plan. "We can pipe this heat into the castle walls. Central heating. No more freezing winters. And..."
She looked at the natural pool.
"We can build a bathhouse. Charge the merchants 5 silver for a dip. We'll call it the 'Oakhaven Thermal Spa'."
"Will you be in the bath?" Violet asked, buttoning her dress.
"No," Taylor said firmly.
"Then no one will pay," Violet said simply.
Taylor ignored her. She turned to put on her cloak, but as she did, the wind blew the towel from her shoulder.
"My Lady," Luna said, her voice suddenly serious.
"What?"
"Your back."
Luna walked over and touched a spot on Taylor's left shoulder blade.
"There is a mark here. I didn't see it when I washed you just now."
Taylor froze. She craned her neck to look.
There, on her pale skin, red from the heat, was a symbol. It looked like a bruise, or an irritation.
But it was shaped perfectly.
A letter.
**"A"**
It wasn't a tattoo. It was written in... lipstick? Or waterproof ink?
Taylor touched it. It smeared slightly.
Someone had marked her.
"When?" Taylor whispered. "I was in the water..."
She looked at Violet. Violet was humming, tying her shoes.
She looked at Luna. Luna looked genuinely horrified.
Or... had it happened *before* the bath? Had "A" marked her clothes, and it transferred to her skin?
Taylor rubbed the mark furiously until her skin was raw.
"The bath is over," Taylor said, her voice cold. "We're leaving."
The comedy was gone. The fan service was over.
"A" had touched her.
And Taylor felt dirty in a way no soap could fix.
[Ding!]
[Quest Updated: The Masquerade]
[Clue Found: The Mark of the Beast]
[Paranoia Level: Maximum]