Surely, it wasn't clever to try to win such a game with Cedar.

But Lucille didn't want to admit defeat now, even if it was hard to continue this. She wanted to embarrass Cedar at least a little. She could barely keep herself from hiding her face behind her hands as she replied. “Then...I really won. I will...join you.” She wanted to vanish into thin air right after saying that. Her voice barely worked as she said that, and she had to swallow in between to keep a lump from forming in her throat.

Cedar reacted as she had expected it. He kept smiling at her, but that he remained completely still for a few seconds was enough to tell her what this was about. She had taken him by surprise once again. This time, he took a moment to regain his composure again. “That is...” His voice trailed off.

Maybe he would say that he had joked and send her out, right? Probably not. Cedar was too unwilling to admit that he hadn't expected something like this. As long as Lucille insisted on playing this game, he probably wouldn't give in. They both knew that which made the situation even stranger.

Cedar scanned her expression for a while, which almost made Lucille turn around. Then he suddenly spun around and stepped to the side. At first, she thought that he would tell her to go away, but he just walked to the bathtub and poured something from a small bottle inside it. He took more time than necessary when he stirred the water, which had now become almost milky, to spread the liquid he had put inside. He spoke when Lucille had already thought he wouldn't say anything. “Well, I can't stop you. But I would presume that you don't want that at all.” He pulled his hand out of the water before he straightened his posture and turned to Lucille with a grin on his lips. “After all, that would include us getting much closer than normal. You wouldn't plan on going into the bathtub with your clothes, right?” He was trying to make her change her mind instead of backing out himself.

The last rational part of Lucille's brain told her to give up here too. She truly wasn't prepared to undress and sit in a bathtub with her lover. But wouldn't being embarrassed after voicing such a shameless reply be strange? She kept telling herself that this was about the challenge, but maybe she didn't only want to fluster her lover. Maybe a part of her wouldn't mind getting that close to Cedar, especially not when it would only allow them to be even more intimate. And they were a couple, so this was normal, right?

Lucille could barely hide the bashfulness that overcame her as she thought about that. She didn't want to give in now. “I...I...don't mind.” She did mind it a little. But to be honest, her worries about her lover seeing her naked were much bigger than her concerns about bathing with him.

Cedar was silenced by that. He continued to smile since she wasn't able to catch him by surprise anymore, but it was obvious that he hadn't expected that. “I see.” He paused for a moment before he glanced at the steaming water in the bathtub. “Then it seems like we will take a bath together. Will you go in first, or should I do it?” He probably meant to convince her to leave when she still had the chance.

Lucille was so nervous that she was seconds away from seriously reconsidering. But she still didn't want to let her lover win. She inwardly called herself an idiot, but she continued. “I can...go first.” Even if that meant that she would undress while her lover was just standing in the room. She truly was a fool. Lucille turned around to stare at the other wall and asked herself whether she would really do this. She would. Maybe she was lucky, and Cedar would stop her if she just took off her dress. She had a corset and her underskirt below that, so it was probably fine. He had seen that already anyway.

She doubted that her lover would admit defeat again though. It seemed like she would end up climbing into the bathtub with him because of that. Maybe she was too stubborn. She glanced at her lover.

Cedar had turned away. He firmly kept his eyes on the wall, maybe to give her some privacy while she undressed. Apparently, he truly did his best not to make her uncomfortable. Or he was a bit embarrassed as well.

In any case, that only made Lucille want to take this a little further. She turned away and grabbed the hem of her dress before pulling it over her head. She took it off and put it onto the cabinet next to her before she turned around.

Cedar still stared at the wall. He looked like he was frozen in place and barely dared to move.

She would like to stay in such a position as well without needing to show him her flushed cheeks. But she didn't have that luxury. She couldn't just jump into the water with her corset on. For a moment, she considered trying to untie the strings behind her back on her own, but then she glanced at her lover again. It wasn't like he had never done this for her. So, it should be fine to ask him. Still, Lucille was hesitant when she approached him. She barely managed to convince her feet to bring her to her destination. She stopped behind her lover and pressed out her plea in a weak voice. “Uhm... Could you help me with the corset? Please...”

Cedar seemed to be rather tense. He turned around at a painstakingly slow pace before he made eye contact with her. He showed her a little smile before he spoke up. “You...don't have to do this. You know that, right? If you want to use the bathtub, I can leave and let you take your time. This is a little...”

Lucille wasn't sure what she was doing here herself. She could only nod at her lover and avert her eyes. “I...know. I don't mind, or...I wouldn't do this.”

Cedar remained silent for a moment before he showed her a little smile. “Well. It seems like I have no choice but to assist you then. Show me your back.”

Lucille spun around immediately. This was a perfect chance to hide her face, so she was glad. Her relief quickly turned into more embarrassment when her lover began untying the strings of her corset though. For some reason, his hands on her back felt much more endearing than they should. She wasn't sure why, but her skin tingled whenever his fingers brushed over it, so she was almost disappointed when he was done. “Thank you.”

Cedar pulled his hands away as soon as he had finished and took a step back too. “Gladly. But I still think that...” He didn't voice his concerns this time either. Instead, he just turned around to look at the wall again. “I am a bit surprised to hear that you suddenly agreed to something like this.”

Lucille was surprised too. “Well, we've...been together for a while. So, getting closer...isn't...bad.” She hadn't meant for that to sound like she planned on doing more than bathing together. She considered correcting her words, but that would make it worse. So, she stayed quiet and just spun around. She took a few steps before glancing over her shoulder.

Cedar kept his eyes directed at the other end of the room still. Then she could probably undress and slip into the bathtub without any issues. Hopefully.

Lucille had to swallow down her rising uncertainty and hurried to take off the rest of her clothes to put them onto the cabinet as well. She held her arms in front of her body while she glanced at her lover. He didn't gaze in her direction. Lucille took that as a sign to hurry to the bathtub. She put one leg inside, and the warmth of the water welcomed her. So, she sat down and let the water immerse her body. She moved her back against the end of the bathtub, where she pulled her knees closer and hugged herself.

One probably couldn't see much but her legs, arms and shoulders now. Thanks to the bubbles on the water and the milky soap, the rest was covered. Good. Even this much was embarrassing enough.

For a few seconds, nothing happened.

Then Cedar spoke up, still without turning around. “Are you sure about this? Maybe it would be better for you to finish before I get inside.”

Lucille was almost tempted to agree, but that would defeat the original purpose of why she was actually doing this. “No...” Her voice was shaking. That was embarrassing. “You wanted to go in. So, I can't just...push you out.” She lowered her gaze to the water and stared at her knees. “You can...come in too.” But she definitely wouldn't look while he got undressed.

Cedar didn't say anything in response. She heard some small noises and then someone walked over to the tub. After that, something on the other end of the bathtub quietly splashed, and the water swayed while it rose a bit. Apparently, Cedar had come inside too. The bathtub was rather big, so they weren't touching each other, but this was still quite intimate.

Lucille barely dared to lift her head.

Cedar sat in a similar position as she did. He certainly was a bit more relaxed than she was, but that might have been because he could cover up his nervousness. He met her gaze for a moment before he looked to the side. “Well. I didn't expect that we would do this today.”

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Lucille nodded in affirmation before she stared down at the water again. She drew some small circles into it but didn't find the words to say anything. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who felt this way.

Silence followed. Maybe neither of them wanted to make the other uncomfortable, and that was why they felt like they were tiptoeing around.

A few seconds passed before Cedar broke the silence in a quiet voice. “Sometimes, I'm not sure whether you are doing this on purpose.”

Lucille lifted her head and stared at her lover. He scanned her with something strange in his gaze. She almost wanted to kiss him to distract him from that, but she didn't dare move. “What do you mean?”

Cedar looked straight into her eyes as if he was able to pierce her very soul with that. “It happened a few times already. I make a joke to embarrass you. Then you suddenly agree with what I suggested, even though it was way too daring. And afterward, none of us can back out of it anymore. Maybe I should get used to withdrawing if you counter my jokes like this. I will have to be a bit more careful from now on.”

Lucille didn't necessarily want him to do that. She liked it when her lover made jokes and teased her. She also liked teasing him back despite her embarrassment in such situations. But if she worried him with that, she might have to retreat at some point too. “I'm sorry. Are you...uncomfortable with this?”

Cedar glanced to the side as he moved backward a bit to lean his back against the wall of the tub. “No. I don't mind. It's just that this may be a bit...quick. You are usually rather sensitive when it comes to things like this. And this...is really intimate. We didn't do anything remotely similar to this.”

Lucille would disagree here. Some of their kisses had gotten pretty passionate. Surely, that wasn't the same as bathing together, but both were part of a road that led to one destination. Lucille lifted her hands to cover her cheeks at that thought. She fought the urge to let her face splash into the water and tried to calm down a little. “I...know. But it's not...too bad. We didn't even see anything.” Not that she would have minded that if she wasn't so self-conscious.

Cedar lifted his hand to draw something onto the surface of the water before he replied. “You're right. And yet, this is... Well. It doesn't matter.” It took a few seconds, and then his playful grin came back. “Now you are sitting in the water that I wanted to use to clean myself after being covered in sand. I'm not sure if that is helpful. So, maybe you should wash first and get out before I let all the sand from my hair slip into the water.” She had a feeling that this was an excuse.

Yet, Lucille nodded along and moved forward a little. She only froze in the middle of her movement. She couldn't quite lean backward to wet her hair, or she would risk accidentally showing too much of her body. But she couldn't continue to hide her chest while she poured water over her head either. Lucille was silent for a moment before she made eye contact with her lover. This should be fine. “Can you...wash my hair?”

Cedar blinked at her before he replied. “Sure. If you turn around and show me your back, I can do that.”

Lucille complied immediately. She did her best to move without making the water wash over the wall of the bathtub while turning and then pushed herself backward until she had reached her lover. She wasn't sure whether she had gotten too close, but he didn't complain, so she stayed there.

Cedar picked up a small bowl from the edge of the tub and filled it with water. Then he put one hand on her forehead and gently guided her backward. “Careful. We don't want that getting into your eyes.” He said that but positioned his hand so that he shielded her face anyway. Then he poured the water over her head. He repeated that twice before he let go of her. He took some shampoo and began spreading that in her hair.

Lucille hadn't expected him to do that part too, but she happily accepted. It felt like a pleasant massage like this. She closed her eyes.

Her lover probably noticed how she slowly relaxed and continued to massage her for longer than necessary. When he poured some more water over her head to get rid of the shampoo, he was as gentle as before. He did his best to keep the liquid and bubbles from coming close to her eyes, so he took a bit longer before slowly releasing her. “All done.”

Lucille sat up again and opened her eyes. She was still a bit drowsy, and her head tingled in a pleasant manner, which just revealed how good Cedar was at showing her his affection. She took a few seconds before regaining her motivation to move. She slowly turned around and looked at her lover. “Thank you. Should I wash your hair too?”

Cedar showed her a little smile as he let out a chuckle that made her chest feel warm. “That would be more exhausting than if I did it myself. I'm a little taller than you, right? But I am thankful for the offer anyway.”

Lucille wouldn't have an issue helping him. She could just keel behind him if he didn't turn around, but she wouldn't insist. “Alright.” She remained silent after that, and her lover did the same. During that time, she just scanned him while trying to figure out what to say. She opened her mouth twice but didn't find anything. Though, she did realize something as she kept watching him.

Cedar was embarrassed. She was almost completely certain that he was because he avoided her gaze more often than not. And still, his faint smile captured her heart once again. Any doubts about whether she was in love would be wiped away now if she hadn't been sure before already.

Lucille bargained with herself. Could she try to do what she wanted now? It was a bit daring. Still, she would like to act on her impulse, so she tried it. She was already pretty close to her lover, so it was easy to lean forward a bit while she rested her hand on the edge of the tub. She gently placed her lips on her lover's.

Cedar froze for a moment before he carefully returned the kiss. He put his hand to her cheek and stroked over her skin.

Lucille enjoyed the kiss, but her position was a bit unfavorable. After all, she was currently trying to keep herself upright while leaning forward. So, she gave up after a few seconds and allowed herself to move closer to her lover to hug him. She only noticed that that might have been a bit sudden afterward.

Cedar caught her when she fell toward him, but he went rigid just a second later. He didn't end the kiss immediately but waited for a moment before he slowly moved his head back. He didn't meet his lover's gaze this time. “I don't think... Doing this now is a really bad idea. Maybe we should...wait with that...” He was right.

At this moment, both of them were naked, and getting too close might feel a bit strange. But wasn't it already too late?

Lucille pressed her lips into a thin line while she stared at the wall behind her lover. “Ah. Yes. I agree. I'm...sorry.” She had overdone it today, hadn't she? The only good thing about this was the fact that she had managed to tease Cedar a bit without embarrassing herself more. After all, she was already red, so she couldn't blush even more.

A few seconds passed before her lover spoke up. “You...don't have to apologize for that. It's just...” He paused again and opened his mouth, but he didn't say anything else. Instead, he just leaned forward a bit and met her halfway for another kiss.

Lucille gladly accepted that and wrapped her arms around his neck. That ensured that Cedar was the one who needed to carry her weight, but he didn't complain. So, they continued to kiss.

Lucille had to admit that her heart was beating much faster than normal. Suddenly doing this in such a different way made her body act like she was crazy. It felt like her emotions weren't sure what to convey, and her brain didn't work like it should. She always enjoyed kissing Cedar, but today, it felt even more intense than usual. She was completely immersed in their kiss so that the world around them seemed to fade.

But as always, it seemed like someone had to disturb them. A knock sounded all of a sudden and almost gave Lucille a heart attack. She jumped up and lifted her head while she whipped her head around to the source of the noise.

Cedar below her had tensed as well while he stared in the same direction. It was understandable that he was a bit on edge. Someone had knocked on the door of the bathroom despite the servants rarely coming into the master's chambers without permission.

Both Lucille and Cedar already expected the worst until the woman outside spoke, sounding a bit worried. “Excuse me?” Thank the gods. It was Darlene.

Lucille wasn't sure why the maid was here, but she was still relieved. She slouched her shoulders and allowed herself to rest on her lover for a moment. She would have liked to stay quiet, but she didn't want to risk Darlene coming in, so she forced herself to speak. “Yes?” Her voice was so shaky that it was painful to listen to even to her. Apparently, she had been unable to mask that even in the slightest.

Darlene sounded more relieved than amused though. “Oh. I sincerely apologize for interrupting you. You didn't hear me when I knocked thrice before even though I knew you were here, so I came inside on my own. I am sorry. I merely wanted to tell you that His and Her Majesty wanted to invite you for dinner. But if that is unfitting, I can inform them of the fact that you will arrive later. We do not wish to disturb you.”

Lucille had thought that blushing until she looked like a tomato couldn't get outdone. But then she imagined what Darlene was thinking and just let her head fall forward. She rested her face in the crook of her lover's neck and tried not to think about how Blanche and her maids would use this against her. They would tease her relentlessly.

Cedar waited for a few seconds, and when she didn't speak, he replied in a much more composed voice. “We will be there. You can tell them that we will be there in...in half an hour. Maybe a bit earlier than that, but Lucille still needs to dry her hair, so they shouldn't expect too much.”

“Alright. I will ask them to wait for you before eating. Take your time. I wish you a lot of fun.” With that, faint footsteps followed and proved that Darlene left the room.

Cedar let out a little sigh. “How unlucky. We have been eating dinner with the rulers quite often recently.” That wasn't anything new though. Cedar probably had just said this to distract her again. Even his body language revealed that he was quite unwilling to face this directly. He glanced to the side and still refused to look at his lover.

Lucille lifted her head slowly and tried to gaze at him without making eye contact. This only worked because he looked away, and for once, she was thankful since it allowed her to see something special. Lucille almost had overlooked this because she was embarrassed herself too but caught a glimpse of it anyway.

She could swear that Cedar's cheeks were a bit redder than normal.

Lucille couldn't be sure whether she had just imagined that, but she smiled and pressed a kiss onto her lover's cheek. She didn't regret doing this at all. It might have caused her heart to work much harder than normal, but in return, she had received a glimpse of something nice. If she had managed to coax such an adorable reaction out of Cedar, her mission had been a complete success.