Lucas, Aislyra, and Katerina arrived at the bathroom door.
"Katerina, could you wait outside? I'd like to speak with the queen alone. Don't worry—we'll call you when it's time to wash her hair."
"I understand, Lady Aislyra. I'll remain outside the door and ensure no one enters," replied Katerina with a graceful curtsy.
'What could Aislyra want to talk about with just the two of us?' Lucas wondered, both curious and slightly uneasy. If it was something concerning his true identity, there was no reason to exclude Katerina. But if it was a personal issue that she could only confide to him, he was more than willing to listen and help however he could.
"Perfect, let's go in, Your Majesty. I'm all sweaty from that fight with Fo, and I really need a bath," Aislyra said casually, taking Lucas by the arm and gently pulling him into the bathroom.
"No matter how many times I see it... it's really huge," muttered Lucas, glancing around. The space looked more like a private spa than a bathroom, complete with lavish marble, high ceilings, and steaming water.
When he turned to look back at Aislyra, she had already undressed, revealing her toned yet shapely figure and sun-kissed skin.
The ease with which the women in this world stripped in front of him was still something he was struggling to get used to.
"As usual, you're slow at undressing," Aislyra remarked, smirking. "I understand—I am very attractive—but hurry up. I'd rather talk while we're both soaking in the warm water."
"Y-Yeah, you're right. Sorry!" replied Lucas, cheeks burning as he started to undress.
'No matter how many times I see them... they're ridiculous,' Lucas thought, now fully undressed, as he glanced down at the large, ever-present "obstacles" attached to his chest.
His eyes lingered on them for a few seconds too long, and then panic set in. 'Wait! Aislyra's watching me!' Based on how she'd reacted in the past, Lucas braced himself to be insulted, threatened, or possibly even punished.
With nervous eyes, he glanced at his new sister—but to his surprise, Aislyra didn't look remotely angry or judgmental.
"I see you're done. Come on in," she said, stepping gracefully into the massive tub.
"Sure," Lucas replied, blinking in confusion. 'Didn't she notice...?' he wondered as he followed her into the hot water.
The moment he slipped into the luxuriously warm bath, a wave of comfort washed over him. The subtle fatigue from the morning's events began to melt away. Most of all, it was doing wonders for his back, which—due to two obvious reasons—had been giving him trouble ever since his reincarnation into Alberia's body. Thankfully, he'd recently discovered that Katerina was an expert masseuse, and he'd grown accustomed to requesting at least one back massage a day.
Even so, Lucas couldn't quite relax. Aislyra had said she wanted to talk to him alone, and if she had gone out of her way to exclude even Katerina, it had to be something personal—maybe even serious.
Several minutes passed in silence.
Aislyra hadn't said a word since slipping into the tub. She just occasionally glanced in his direction, only to look away again. It was clear that something was on her mind, but for whatever reason, she was struggling to say it.
Just as Lucas opened his mouth to break the silence and help her out—
"Thank you so much, Lucas," Aislyra said at last, her voice sincere. "Just having you here... is really saving me."
Lucas's pupils dilated, and a bitter expression clouded his face.
"No, Aislyra… you're wrong. It's your presence that's saving me. Without your help, we would never have defeated that chimera. And on top of that, I couldn't even stop you from getting hurt like that..." he said, his eyes fixed on the gently steaming water. "On the very first day I accepted the role of Alberia, I promised myself that I would protect you but…"
Hearing this, Aislyra took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eyes.
"So you made a promise like that… under that tree."
Her voice carried a gentle strength, tinged with affection. "The fact that you made such a promise truly makes me happy, Lucas. I appreciate your feelings more than I can say. But remember—protecting you is my job. It's natural that I'll get hurt from time to time. Even seriously."
She paused, then continued with calm conviction. "Besides, you've only just begun learning how to fight—and that's even with my sister's powerful body. It's normal that you can't do everything yet. So for now, focus on your training. Become strong enough to protect me someday. But don't expect me to sit back quietly—I still have my pride as a bodyguard. I've got no intention of simply letting the person I am supposed to protect do my job," she finished, flashing a confident, teasing smile.
"Yes… I understand. You're right," Lucas replied, smiling faintly, though a trace of melancholy lingered in his expression.
But in his heart, one thought burned like fire:
'I won't let Aislyra suffer like that again. I refuse to watch another little sister disappear right in front of me.'
He took a breath, then said, "Sorry, Aislyra. You said you wanted to talk to me about something, and I ended up changing the subject. What was it you wanted to say?" Lucas scratched the back of his head, sheepish.
Aislyra's cheeks flushed slightly, and for a moment she hesitated. Then she spoke again, her voice softer and more vulnerable than usual.
"The reason I asked you to take this bath with just the two of us… was simply because I wanted to thank you."
Lucas blinked.
"As I said before, just having you here… really is saving me. You might not have noticed—because I try not to show it—but my sister's absence still hurts me deeply. Some nights, I wake up in tears just from remembering that she's not here anymore."
Her gaze softened, drifting to the rippling surface of the water.
"But the more I watch you, the more I realize how similar you are to her. You're a little less elegant, not quite as regal, and honestly, sometimes even less brave than she was. But every time I see your curiosity, your kindness… your occasional clumsiness… it feels like she's come back to life, if only just a little."
She smiled gently, but there was a deep ache behind it.
"Of course, I know you're not really her. No matter how much you resemble her or act like her, you're not Alberia. But still… having a new big sister—one who's trying so hard to live up to what my sister left behind—warms my heart. It helps me move forward. Even though my sister Alberia is gone… I now have a new big sister. She might be a little clumsy—but she's someone I can trust completely… just like I trusted her."
She looked at him with a sweet, unwavering smile.
Lucas sat in stunned silence. He had suspected Aislyra hadn't yet fully come to terms with Alberia's death—but he had never imagined that his simple presence was giving her so much strength.
The realization filled his chest with warmth—so much that tears welled in his eyes, slipping down his cheeks before he could stop them. Fortunately, Aislyra didn't seem to notice. With the steam rising from the bath, she likely mistook them for droplets of water.
Lucas wiped his eyes and gave her a heartfelt smile.
"I see… Thank you for telling me that."
He exhaled deeply before continuing.
"Honestly, I can't fully understand what you're going through. I never met Alberia in person. But if just being myself is enough to help you… then I promise I'll keep being me."
Despite the emotional weight of their conversation, Lucas found comfort in her words—and a stronger resolve to carry on.
"So… my personality is really that similar to hers? That's hard to imagine. Our lives must've been so different."
"As I said, it's not that you're exactly the same—there are differences," Aislyra continued, a nostalgic smile forming on her face. "But for example, when you visited Macro's laboratory for the first time a few days ago, you looked exactly like my sister did the first time she saw the lab of the previous Minister of Technology and Alchemy."
"Ah… then I hope I didn't make Macro suspicious," said Lucas with a nervous smile.
"Don't worry. My sister's behavior in laboratories—whether it was Macro's or his predecessor's—hasn't changed much since that first visit. If anything, to Macro, you must have seemed a little more excited than usual, nothing more" Aislyra reassured him.
Lucas breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
Seeing that Aislyra had likely finished what she wanted to say, he leaned back, allowing himself to relax in the soothing warmth of the bath. The water was doing wonders for the persistent ache in his back.
But after a few minutes, Aislyra began glancing at him again—this time, with a subtle, yet unmistakable air of discomfort. Her gaze would linger, then dart away, her expression tinged with visible embarrassment.
"What's wrong, Aislyra? Is there something else you want to tell me?" Lucas finally asked, breaking the silence.
Aislyra looked away once more before finally replying, her cheeks turning noticeably red.
"Well… to tell you the truth, yes. There is something else I wanted to say…"
She hesitated, clearly choosing her words carefully. "These past few days, I've been threatening you—whenever you looked too long at the more… important parts of my sister's body, or whenever I thought you were acting like a pervert. Even though, if I really think about it, it's pretty obvious that for someone who used to have a male body, adjusting to this would be hard. Especially when it's a body as curvy as my sister's."
Lucas's face was already beginning to flush as she continued.
"So, I want to apologize. My behavior was childish. I should have listened to what Katerina and my mother were telling me. That body may have belonged to my sister, but now it's yours. And honestly, considering the person you've proven to be—and the responsibility we've placed on your shoulders—my sister would definitely have let you do whatever you wanted with it."
She paused, observing Lucas's growing embarrassment, then took a deep breath and concluded:
"So even though it might not mean much… I want to say it clearly: you have my permission to do whatever you want with my sister's body. Just—if you plan to do anything inappropriate—make sure you're in private, alright?"
Lucas stared at her in shock. While what she said explained why she hadn't scolded him earlier in the bath, it also made him feel just a little guilty—especially when remembering the exploration he'd had with Alberia's body a few days ago.
"Are you sure about this, Aislyra?" Lucas asked quietly, the guilt plain on his face.
"Yes. I trust you, Lucas," Aislyra said with calm conviction, arms crossed. "I know you wouldn't do anything scandalous in public. And as Katerina already told you, the sooner you get used to that body, the better."
"T-Thank you, Aislyra. I'll do my best to adjust as soon as possible," Lucas replied, his face tomato red—but also visibly relieved. The idea that he might no longer be the target of Aislyra's terrifying glares was, in itself, a huge weight off his chest.
The two of them lingered in the bath for a few more peaceful minutes, enjoying the heat and the silence that now felt far more comfortable between them. Then, realizing it was almost time for Lucas's lesson with Sequoria, they called for Katerina and quickly finished washing up.
Lucas hadn't expected such a meaningful conversation to take place during a simple bath. But as he dried off and changed, he couldn't help but feel that the relationship between him and his new little sister had deepened. And that, in itself, was a welcome and surprising gift.
The next day arrived, and after completing his morning duties as queen, Lucas was now standing in the underground training room, ready for his daily magic lesson with Katerina.
"Mr. Lucas," she began in her usual composed tone, "now that you've mastered most of the basic light spells, I believe it's time we move on to more advanced material. But with the Tournament of Golden Tree just around the corner, we'll focus on the magic that made Lady Alberia famous—Laser Magic."