Chapter 5 -5

Ayla was unaccustomed to luxury, she washed up in icy cold water more often than not, even in wintertime. So sitting in a bath with enough milk to feed a household for several months was overwhelming.

The gold bath was more akin to a small pool, the soothing warmth seeping into her skin.

A maidservant walked up behind her to skillfully gather her hair up, her motions gentle.

"Immersing yourself fully is important for the bath's efficiency," Carme said, stepping down from the dais.

Ayla forced herself to sink in deeper. The bath was incredibly pleasant, and that was what made it all the more difficult to relax.

"How long do I have to sit here?" She asked after several long minutes of excruciating silence.

"For at least an hour, my lady." The reply came.

Ayla expelled a breath, consciously softening her voice. "You don't have to stand and watch me the entire time, it's not like I can leave." She said.

"But, my lady..." Carme was quick to protest.

"Return when its time for me to step out," She cut her off, keeping her tone gentle. "I would like some privacy."

The maidservants shared another look, Carme had been about to tell her that they had little else to do but attend to her.

"Very well, my lady," She agreed instead.

"We will wait outside the door, simply call out if you need anything." Hanna tagged on.

Ayla watched them troop out, only relaxing when the doors clicked shut. She had hoped to completely send them away but this was better than nothing.

She didn't move hastily, carefully studying the interior of the room from where she sat. The bathtub was so deep that her knees didn't break the surface of the bath when she bent them.

Flower petals floated on the soft-red liquid, and despite it being a milk bath, it didn't feel sticky against her skin.

The room was simply made, for no other purpose than the ritual bath so her options were limited. The windows were small and placed high up, no doubt to retain steam.

Her searching gaze soon fell on a side door, there was no telling where it led to, but the main doors were blocked off by the maidservants assigned to her, so it was her only option.

Ayla only intended to explore at first, regardless of where it led, as long as it wasn't completely closed off, she could possibly utilize it. After all, the ritual baths were supposed to continue for a week.

She carefully stepped out of the bath, her pale skin glistening from milk and honey. It was strange walking around completely naked, but she was so tense that she barely paid attention to it, gingerly trying the side door.

It opened directly to a different section of the hallway, a sight that lifted Ayla’s spirits.

Making a decision in a split second, she scooped up clean water from one of the barrels neatly lined up in a corner, rinsing off the remnants of the bath from her skin. The scent of honey and flowers still clung to her skin despite that.

She hastily rifled through the stack of clean towels and robes until she found one that properly covered her up... well, it covered her as well as a bathrobe could.

Ayla would have worn her old robe but while she wasn't looking, the maidservants had put it somewhere she couldn't find.

There was no time to search further because the sooner she left the room, the more time she would have to make her escape before an alarm was raised.

So in nothing but bathrobes and bare feet, clean water still running down her pink-tinged skin, Ayla slipped out of the side door.

She moved quickly and with purpose for someone who didn't have even the faintest idea of where she was going. She held bathrobe closed with her hands although the tight knot she had done was practically impossible to undo.

The castle was like a maze, it made her head spin. All the hallways were dimly lit, the curtains drawn, so every path looked similar to her.

After walking for what felt like hours, she finally heard voices. Ayla couldn't say if that reassured her or not, she was simply seeking an escape route, not help.

But she knew better than to approach the voices, instead, she went around them. If there were people here, an exit might be nearby.

She had been right.

Ayla almost couldn't believe her eyes when she was outside the castle. There had been no obstacle in her path, and save for the voices she heard, there was no one else.

No servants on the castle grounds, not even a guard or a noble. She didn't dwell too much on it, these were demons after all.

Her goal was simply to get as far away from the castle as possible, she would cross other bridges as she came to them.

The skies were gray and solemn but it was a bright as twilight, it was difficult to tell what time of day it was.

Even the gates of the castle were unmanned so she could just freely walk out without restriction, it was rather strange.

As she walked out of the open gates, one of the carvings on the pillars opened its eyes. It was made of stone but its eyes were eerily life-like, tracking her as she flat out ran down the wide path that led away from the castle.

-+-

Inside the bath, there was pandemonium. Carme and Hanna had come to inform their lady that the ritual bath was over.

They were supposed to replace the ritual bath with a proper one so she could completely clean up before she retired to her room, but the King's bride was nowhere to be found.

It was also clear that she had been gone for a while, it was almost like she had vanished from the room itself.

They immediately hurried to seek out Lord Vitalis, pale with fright. Only to find out that the Lord had left the castle and wouldn't return for a while.