Chapter 498: Enchantingly Silky Hair
It was still far too early in the season to be bathing outside. So, instead, I decided to borrow the bath that was being cleaned. There was even a shower here, after all.
As Fabienne and I made our way toward the bath, Mira, sensing something, came literally flying over.
“Kyuu, kyuu!”
“Now, Mira, I’m not going to play with Fabienne. We’re about to test out something new I made.”
“Oh my, and what sort of experiment might that be?”
“Mother!”
It wasn’t just Mira who had come over. Well, that made sense. Mira had spent the morning together with Mother. Lately, Mira often stayed by her side, perhaps out of consideration, as though she didn’t want to get in our way.
…No, that wasn’t it. A bit of dried fruit clung to Mira’s cheek. I see. Mother had been feeding her snacks.
Mother’s eyes then turned toward the things in my hands.
“Julius, what are you holding there? Is it a new potion?”
“No, this is something called shampoo and rinse—a daily item for washing hair. I just finished making it, so I thought I’d test it out now.”
“And that’s why you and Fabienne were headed to the bath. My, my, I see. I quite misunderstood.”
What sort of misunderstanding was that supposed to be? I didn’t even want to ask. Could she really have thought I was about to do something indecent with Fabienne in the bath? Outrageous.
Well… to be fair, I would get to admire Fabienne in her swimsuit, so I wasn’t entirely without ulterior motives.
Mother tilted her head thoughtfully, as though considering something.
“Julius, Fabienne dear, would you mind if Mira and I joined in and tried it as well?”
“Kyuu?”
“Of course, Mother.”
“But of course.”
Apparently, Mother had deemed my behavior suspicious. She wasn’t going to let it go unchecked. And at the same time, she must have been curious about this hair-washing item.
After sending for Mother’s swimsuit, we finally headed toward the bath. I nearly panicked when she tried to go without one.
Sadly, it was also here that we had to part ways with Nero. He begged me to excuse him, and I couldn’t exactly force him along. Everyone else would be in swimsuits, after all.
“Nero could’ve just come along with us,” I muttered.
“Kyuu.”
“He’s already part of the family, after all,” Fabienne added.
Remembering how stubbornly Nero had refused, Fabienne gave a wry smile. I must have been making the same face myself. Why had he grown up to be such a hardheaded child?
“Have I kept you waiting?” Mother asked.
“No, we were just about to start. Since we’re only washing our heads, we’ll make do with the shower.”
“All right.”
“Then I’ll go first. It should be fine, but just in case.”
As I began to wash my hair, Mother immediately lent her hands. Truly a mother through and through. Fabienne also joined in to help.
Thanks to them, it didn’t take long at all to finish.
“Once we’re done with the shampoo, we apply this rinse. The effect is stronger if we let it sit for a while, so in the meantime, let’s wash your hair. Seems like the shampoo is working just fine.”
Next came Fabienne. This time, Mother and I worked together on her long hair. What a task it must be for women to manage this on their own.
When she was done, with the rinse applied, it was Mother’s turn. Naturally, Fabienne and I took care of it together.
“To think the day would come when my son and daughter washed my hair,” Mother chuckled.
“Well, usually the servants do it, after all.”
“This shampoo feels quite different from soap, doesn’t it? My fingers glide so smoothly through it.”
“I adjusted it to improve that. Soap tends to leave hair rough and stiff—it’s not good for it.”
Soap was more than enough to get hair clean, but I always thought it did more harm than good. I never paid it much mind, but the women had always applied some sort of oil afterward. Whether that actually helped, I couldn’t say.
I rinsed her hair thoroughly and applied the rinse. Everything was ready.
“Last is Mira—come on over.”
“Kyuu!”
All three of us washed Mira together, her whole body quickly puffing up with suds. We scrubbed and lathered before working in the rinse. Judging by how content she looked, she didn’t seem to dislike shampoo at all. I was glad Mira was cleanly by nature.
“And that’s that. By now, it should be about time to rinse mine out.”
“Then let’s see how it feels. I’m excited.”
“So am I.”
Their voices sparkled with anticipation. Just from the shampoo alone, they must have realized this was on a different level from washing with soap.
For me, it was more a wave of nostalgia—“Ah yes, this is how it felt.”
Good thing I had developed the shower as well; it made rinsing hair effortless.
“My goodness!”
“This is…!”
Mother and Fabienne ran their hands over my hair again and again, as though savoring the silky texture with wide-eyed wonder.
“Um, may I have my head back now? Next is Fabienne.”
We switched places, seating Fabienne to rinse her hair.
Yes, it was as smooth as silk. The kind of hair you could never get tired of touching. Opportunities to run my fingers through her hair had been rare, so I couldn’t resist indulging now.
“Um, Julius-sama?”
“Julius, that’s a bit much. Don’t overdo it.”
“M-my apologies. It just felt so incredibly smooth…”
“Well, I can hardly blame you,” Mother admitted.
Even so, she herself was gently stroking Fabienne’s hair as well, though with a tender, caring touch. Ah, so that’s how you’re meant to do it. I’ll have to take notes.
After thoroughly enjoying ourselves, we moved on to Mother. This time, Fabienne and I rinsed her hair together. Fabienne herself seemed entranced.
“It’s just like silk…”
“You think so too, Fabienne?”
So it wasn’t just me. Truly, the effect was astonishing—though I suppose it was only natural, given I’d made it from ingredients also used in potions. The results were on an entirely different level.