Reincarnated Princess Wishes To Avoid Death
chapter-595

Offence and Defence

After her meeting with the Serpent Priestess Valentina, Citrina was led to the bathhouse in the abandoned castle that served as the Serpents’ base. The fact that there was even a bath in the abandoned castle came as quite a surprise to Citrina.

‘Perhaps it’s only natural that the Serpent Priestess would have the power to have something like this be prepared.’

Convincing herself of this, she began undressing and stepped inside.

‘Honestly, I don’t like the idea of bathing alone in enemy territory. But if they wanted to kill me, they could’ve done it anytime.’

With that thought, she decided to stop worrying. The faces that appeared in her mind at that moment were those of her dear friend Bel and the Wisdom of the Empire, Mia Luna Tearmoon.

‘They have a similar aura about them. If it were them, no matter the situation, if they were asked to take a bath, they would definitely enjoy it. I even heard that when Mia-sama was captured by the revolutionary forces of the Kingdom of Remno, she still took a bath.’

The ground beneath her bare feet was rough and slightly painful. Compared to places like Saint-Noel, the construction felt crude.

‘Are these stones the same as those used to build the castle walls? Does that mean this bathhouse has been here since the castle was built?’

The doubts she harboured about the existence of a bathhouse in such a fortress-like structure, which she had noticed while walking, quickly evaporated in the steam surrounding her. She had assumed they must have brought hot water from somewhere, but it seemed to be a natural hot spring.

‘Rather than building the bathhouse out of necessity, it seems they decided to make one simply because there was a natural hot spring. But where exactly could this hot spring be located? I’ve heard of one near the Kingdom of Remno.’

As she mentally traced a map, she surveyed the bathhouse. Though it wasn’t as large as Saint-Noel’s, it was still spacious enough to comfortably accommodate four or five people. The bath itself, overflowing with water, was also quite roomy. In the washing area, there were three small bottles, each with letters engraved on them—clearly luxury items!

After confirming the writing, Citrina picked up the bottle of shampoo and poured a generous amount into her hand! It wasn’t because of any rude comment the Serpent Priestess had made earlier. She wasn’t at all offended by being told she smelled sweaty—what an impolite remark to make to a maiden! Nor was she planning to use up the entire bottle out of spite. That would be a gross misunderstanding. She simply wanted to test it out.

‘Hmm, this is quite high-quality.’

She observed it carefully in her palm. The slightly viscous liquid had a refreshing floral scent. When she rubbed it onto her arms, it spread smoothly and lathered perfectly. It was clear that it had been made with high-quality oil.

‘There’s probably a connection to some noble family. If the story about the Priestess being a princess of the Kingdom of Remno is true, could it be the royals from Remno? Or perhaps linked to some merchants? It’s also possible that the nobles or merchants themselves are members of the Chaos Serpents.’

She had heard that when Prince Echard of Sunkland was approached, it had been a merchant dressed in the style of the Equestrian Kingdom.

‘The man who kidnapped Rina also seemed like that, but who knows…’

While deep in thought, she carefully began washing her hair. She thoroughly enjoyed the rich lather of the shampoo, washing her hair once, rinsing it off with warm water, and then washing it again with extra care. Of course, it wasn’t because she had been told she smelled sweaty. It didn’t bother her at all. Citrina simply wanted to ensure she stayed as clean as possible to avoid being caught off guard again. It wasn’t because she was worried about being disliked by Bel or anything like that. Really. After washing her hair, she cleansed her body with a generous amount of soap before entering the bath. The water was clear and colourless. She checked the temperature with her fingers, scooped some up with her hands, and gave it a sniff.

‘It doesn’t seem like we’re near a volcano.’

Even Citrina, as sharp as she was, couldn’t analyse the components by smell or taste unless there was something very distinct. Giving up on figuring out the location, she slipped into the water. The bath was large enough that she could stretch out her body completely. She stretched, gave a long sigh, and then began massaging her calves and thighs. After being bound and transported, her body had stiffened. She needed to loosen up so she could be ready for anything. She knew that she couldn’t escape on her own. Citrina was well aware that her physical strength was average at best for a noble lady. Even so, she wouldn’t neglect her preparations.

‘Bel-chan and Mia-sama will definitely come to rescue me.’

After finishing her self-massage, she placed a hand on her stomach and rubbed it.

‘Two and a half, no, maybe three days, I think.’

There was a reason Citrina hadn’t eaten anything. Part of it was caution against being poisoned, but more importantly, she was using her hunger to measure the passage of time. She didn’t want her internal clock to be disrupted by the intervals at which food was provided. As her stomach let out a soft rumble, she rubbed it and shook her head slightly.

‘If that had been pointed out, I might have been shaken again.’

Had someone scolded her for something improper like a growling stomach, it might have unsettled her. The Serpent Priestess read minds and manipulated emotions. Citrina couldn’t afford to show any weakness.

‘I’m sure Bel-chan and Mia-sama wouldn’t be rattled if they were in my position. In fact, if it were Mia-sama, she might have even demanded something to eat.’

Citrina couldn’t help but envy Mia’s strong-willed nature.

“I’m talking to myself a lot… Maybe it’s because my heart is getting weak…”

She splashed water onto her face and steeled herself. After soaking in the bath for a long time, she sat on the edge to cool down, then slipped back into the water once more. Needless to say, it was an act of defiance against the Priestess. She intended to take a long bath and make her wait—her little form of revenge. It wasn’t right to tell a maiden she smelled sweaty. After her bath, she returned to the dressing room. Her clothes, which had been there earlier, were gone, causing her to panic slightly. Upon closer inspection, she noticed a brand-new dress had been laid out nearby.

“Don’t scare me like that.”

Of course, it was only natural for a host to prepare a fresh set of clothes for a guest after a bath. Still, the brief moment of panic had made her feel as if she had been toyed with, which irritated her. The slightly oversized dress most likely belonged to the Serpent Priestess. Though she didn’t feel great about wearing it, it was better than staying in her nightclothes, so she accepted it. Just as she finished getting dressed, someone came to fetch her, and Citrina gasped when she saw who it was.

“It’s been a while, Citrina Etoile Tearmoon.”

Standing there was her mortal enemy—the Wolf Master. Escorted by the Wolf Master, Citrina was once again brought before the Serpent Priestess. Seeing Citrina, Valentina greeted her with a sweet, knowing smile.

“Did you enjoy your bath? You were in there for quite a while.”

“Oh, yes. It was a wonderful bath. I was able to wash away all the sweat from my journey.”

Citrina daintily lifted the hem of her skirt in a polite curtsy.

“Hehe, it suits you quite well. Now, come, take a seat.”

With that, Valentina led Citrina to the table, where steaming cups and tea snacks were laid out.

“I just brewed some tea, so why don’t we go ahead and enjoy it?”

Citrina sat down and prepared to take control of the conversation.

“Before the tea, may I ask you something, Serpent Priestess?”

“Please, don’t be so formal. Call me Valentina, Rina-san.”

Being addressed so familiarly sent an uncomfortable chill through Citrina.

“Please call me Citrina. That name is reserved for those I’m close to.”

It was only a nickname, yet having the Serpent Priestess use it unsettled Citrina. She clicked her tongue softly at her own weakness.

“Hehe, then I shall surely call you Rina-san as a sign of affection. After all, you were once one of us, a Serpent, part of our family.”

She had been prepared for the Serpent Priestess to try and unsettle her with words, but even so, the subtle assault of Valentina’s words gnawed at Citrina’s heart. Not wanting to let her take control, Citrina decided to ignore it and launch her own counterattack.

“I have a question, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course. I promised you, didn’t I? Ask me anything.”

With a calm smile, Valentina waited. Citrina took a deep breath and went all in.

“How can the Chaos Serpents be destroyed?”

Valentina’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh my. Hehe, that’s quite a difficult question you’ve asked.”

“You said I could ask anything.”

Citrina sipped her tea, her face neutral, as Valentina shook her head.

“Unfortunately, I can’t answer that question. Not because I’m being mean, but simply because I don’t know myself.”

“You don’t know? Despite being the Serpent Priestess?”

Citrina looked up provocatively, staring with an upward glance. Valentina, in return, gave her a serene smile.

“Oh, of course. After all, Serpent Priestess is nothing more than a title.”

Shrugging her shoulders, Valentina continued.

“What exactly is a Priestess? Nowhere in the Serpents’ scripture, The Book of Those Who Crawl the Earth, is there any mention of elevating or leading a Priestess. So, this is what I think: the Priestess of the Serpents was merely a false authority created by the head of the Fire Clan to maintain their power.”

“A false authority…”

“Well, it was probably a clever idea. After all, the Priestess, rooted in the Fire Clan, gave rise to many Serpents.”

With that, Valentina popped a cookie into her mouth, savouring it.