Chapter 6: A Scholar’s Discovery

Lia left Klein’s room, clutching a heavy tome.

The book’s cover was made from some kind of tough magical beast hide, stamped with the title A Brief Treatise on Magic in gilded, archaic script.

Klein’s expression had been stern when he handed her the book.

“Take this back with you and read it. There are several chapters on the theory of motion. I expect to hear your thoughts on them tomorrow morning.”

Lia took the book, her arm dipping under its weight.

“Of course, Mentor.”

She lowered her head in assent, though inwardly she was groaning.

A full day of intense mental focus had left her feeling like a wrung-out sponge, her back sticky with sweat.

All she wanted now was to find a place to take a proper bath.

Lia carried the book back to her room, set it down, and then headed downstairs, finding Adèle organizing books at the entrance to the second-floor library.

“Senior Adèle.”

Upon hearing her name, Adèle’s body visibly stiffened before she turned around.

The way she looked at Lia had completely changed.

The disapproval from the first day was gone, replaced by a complex mixture of awe and curiosity.

“Lia, is there something I can help you with?”

“I was wondering, is there a place to bathe in the tower?”

Adèle blinked, then nodded immediately.

“Yes, of course. The washroom is on the first floor. I’ll take you.”

“Thank you, Senior. I’d appreciate that.”

Adèle set down the book she was holding and led the way.

As they descended the quiet spiral staircase, their footsteps echoed in the vast emptiness of the tower.

“Lord Klein… has he been like this all day?”

Adèle couldn’t help but ask in a low voice.

Lia thought for a moment.

“Like what?”

“You know… discussing academic matters with you for the entire day.”

“I’m not sure.”

“Today was my first time meeting the Mentor.”

Lia’s answer was honest.

Adèle fell silent.

She probably felt it was a foolish question to begin with.

Who could possibly fathom the mind of Archmage Klein?

The first-floor washroom was tucked away in an inconspicuous corner behind the staircase.

Adèle pushed open a heavy wooden door, revealing a surprisingly spacious area within.

The large space was divided into several individual stalls by stone walls.

“This side is for the male apprentices, and that side is for the female apprentices. But since we’re the only two women in the tower right now, you can choose any stall you like.”

Adèle’s voice was soft.

She led Lia to the innermost stall and retrieved a fresh set of towels and an assortment of bottles and jars from a nearby cabinet.

“These are your bathing supplies; they’re all new. The basin and the tub in the room have permanent heating runes. Just turn the valve, and hot water will come out.”

She pointed to a bronze-colored valve on the wall.

“The left is for hot water, the right for cold. You can adjust it yourself. Be careful not to get scalded.”

“Thank you, Senior Adèle.”

Lia thanked her sincerely.

“I’ll leave you to it, then. Once you’re finished, you can go straight back to your room and rest.”

With that, Adèle turned and left, thoughtfully closing the main washroom door behind her.

Lia entered a stall, closed the door, and slid the bolt across.

The room was clean, dominated by a large wooden bathtub that came up to her waist, with a stone washstand beside it.

The air was filled with the faint, clean scent of soapberry and damp steam.

She stretched languidly and began to undress.

Having only arrived yesterday, she had only managed a quick sponge bath.

After sweating so much today, she couldn’t stand it any longer.

Outer robe, shirt, trousers.

The garments fell one by one at her feet.

She stood by the tub, gazing at her blurred reflection on the water’s surface.

A small frame, slender shoulders, a flat stomach, and a mane of long, somewhat disheveled golden hair.

Lia’s movements paused.

This was her body.

She tried to tell herself it was merely a biological vessel composed of protein and water—nothing to be alarmed about.

She walked to the wall and twisted the left valve.

Hot water gushed from a metal spout shaped like a lion’s head, splashing into the tub and sending up clouds of warm steam.

The room quickly became wreathed in mist.

When the tub was nearly full, she closed the valve and tested the water’s temperature.

Perfect.

She lifted one leg and carefully stepped into the tub.

The warm water enveloped her instantly, drawing a sigh of comfort from her lips.

She leaned against the wall of the tub, closed her eyes, and tried to empty her mind.

But her physical senses were sharper than ever before.

She could feel the gentle, delicate touch of the water flowing over her skin.

She opened her eyes and raised her hand.

The fingers were long and slender, the nails neatly trimmed.

The palm and fingertips bore none of the familiar calluses.

Her gaze traveled up her arm, settling on her smooth shoulder.

On a strange impulse, she reached out with her other hand and lightly touched her own collarbone.

The sensation at her fingertips was peculiar.

The skin was smooth, the shape of the bone beneath distinct.

‘This is for the sake of understanding myself.’

She told herself.

Then, her hand began to drift downward, seemingly of its own accord.

It swept across her chest.

An indescribable softness.

Lia’s breath caught for a sharp moment.

A flush of heat rushed from her neck to her cheeks.

It was just the steam from the tub, she was certain.

Her mind was screaming, telling her this was strange, that she should stop.

But instinct—and that damnable curiosity—drove her hand to continue its exploration.

She picked up the soapberry nearby, worked it into a fine lather, and began to wash her body.

The motion forced her to touch every inch of her skin.

From her neck to her stomach, from her back to her thighs.

She was like a scholar handling a precision instrument for the first time, cautiously familiarizing herself with every component of this body.

Whenever her fingertips traced an unfamiliar curve, the corresponding biological term would pop into her head as she tried to suppress the mounting sense of shame with logic.

‘Adipose tissue, muscle groups, skeletal structure.’

But it was no use.

When her hand finally came to rest in a certain place, her reason shattered completely.

An uncontrollable thought exploded in her mind.

‘So this is what it’s like.’

Lia’s mind went blank with a buzz, and her entire body turned as red as a boiled shrimp from head to toe.

‘What am I doing?!’

Shame washed over her like a bursting dam, drowning her in an instant.

Lia plunged her entire head under the water, releasing a stream of bubbles as she tried to cool her burning cheeks.

Submerged, she could hear her own heartbeat, fast and loud, pounding against her eardrums like a drum.

After a long moment, unable to hold her breath any longer, she burst from the water, gasping for air.

Droplets of water slid down her golden hair, tracing paths across her flushed cheeks and neck.

Not daring to make another extraneous movement, she scrambled to wash herself quickly from head to toe before climbing out of the tub as if fleeing for her life.

She hastily dried herself with a towel and threw on her clothes, the entire process a single, fluid motion, as if she were escaping some ferocious beast.

When she opened the stall door, the corridor outside was empty.

Lia leaned against the cool stone wall, only then feeling her unsteady legs grow firm again.

Her knees were still weak.

She rested against the wall, closed her eyes, and let out a long breath.

‘Was that really me back there in the bathroom—face flushed, heart pounding, touching and staring at my own body?’