Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 138: Bathing
Owen took out four sheets of oiled paper and carefully wrapped up the four bars of soap he had made, then carried them out of the laboratory.
Seeing Owen emerge, Mapel, who had been waiting outside, quickly followed after him.
“Perfect timing, Mapel.”
Owen handed her one of the oiled-paper-wrapped bars.
“Here, this one’s for you.”
Taking the package in her hand, Mapel asked curiously.
“Lord Owen, what is this?”
“Soap,”
Owen explained.
“A kind of cleansing product. It can effectively remove dirt from the skin and keep it clean.”
“Thank you, Lord Owen.”
Mapel carefully tucked the soap away. Since it was something newly invented by Owen, she needed to treat it with care.
“Try using it when you bathe tonight,”
Owen suggested confidently.
“I guarantee the results will surprise you.”
“Yes, I will.”
Mapel nodded.
Since Lord Owen recommended it so highly, she thought, she would definitely give it a try tonight.
Owen had made only four bars in total. Apart from keeping one for himself, the other three were meant as gifts—Mapel had just received one of them.
Next, Owen took Mapel along to the school, arriving just as classes ended.
He spoke with Theresa to hear how things had been going lately at the school, then presented her with a bar of soap, strongly recommending she try it out when bathing.
On the way back, Owen stopped to pick up Euchina. The last bar of soap was intended for her.
When she received the gift, Euchina was overjoyed. She tore it open eagerly and found a yellow solid with a pleasant fragrance.
Thinking it was something tasty, she nearly took a bite out of it.
“Wait! You can’t eat that!”
Owen stopped her just in time.
Patiently, he explained.
“This is soap, not food. It’s for bathing—it can clean your body thoroughly.”
“Oh, so it’s not food.”
Euchina instantly lost interest in the bar of soap.
Even though she was a vampire who could survive just on blood, she was always curious about human food. Truly, she was a little glutton.
When they returned to the castle, and it was certain Owen would not be going out again that day, Mapel’s duties were done and she could finally go home to rest.
That evening, Mapel instructed her maid to heat up a large pot of boiling water, pour it into the wooden bathtub, and mix in cold water until the temperature was just right.
Once the bath was prepared, Mapel entered the bathroom.
Her armor was long since removed, leaving her in only thin, white underclothes that outlined her graceful figure.
After spending the entire day accompanying Owen around town, and sneaking in some training during her spare moments, she had worked up quite a sweat. Her skin felt sticky and uncomfortable, and now at last she could enjoy a refreshing bath.
She untied the ribbon holding her hair in a ponytail, letting her long blue hair cascade down freely.
Then, slipping out of her clothes, Mapel went over to the wooden tub and stirred the warm water with her hand. The temperature was just right.
As she was about to step in, she suddenly remembered the soap Owen had given her, recommended especially for use during bathing.
Turning back, she retrieved the bar, unwrapped the oiled paper, and lifted it to her nose.
A delicate floral scent wafted up, refreshing and delightful.
“Smells like roses.”
Mapel guessed.
Time to test it out.
“Ahh—”
She lowered herself into the tub, lying back as the warm water rose to her collarbones, enveloping her whole body. A soft moan escaped her lips from sheer comfort.
After a day of exertion, soaking her tired body in hot water felt heavenly.
Then, Mapel picked up the soap and rubbed it along her arm. To her surprise, it produced lather—bubbles of foam. How fascinating.
Scooping up some hot water with her hands, Mapel rinsed away the foam. Instantly, the sticky, clammy feeling of sweat clinging to her skin vanished, replaced by freshness and smoothness.
The cleansing effect delighted her. No wonder Lord Owen had so strongly recommended it—this soap really was an excellent thing.
Experiencing the benefits of soap for the first time, she couldn’t wait to scrub her whole body with it and wash away all traces of that sticky feeling.
“Ah!”
But with just a little extra pressure, the soap slipped right out of her grasp and plopped into the wooden tub.
“This soap gets way too slippery once it’s wet.”
Shaking her head helplessly, she reached into the warm water and fished it back out.
This time, she made sure to hold on tight.
Standing up in the tub, Mapel began rubbing the soap all over her body.
When Mapel finished and returned to her bedroom, she felt as though her whole body had grown lighter.
Tonight had been the most comfortable bath she’d ever had. The usual stickiness was completely gone, and her skin felt firmer and smoother than before.
After changing into clean clothes, a refreshing coolness spread throughout her body.
Lifting her arm, she could still catch the faint scent of roses lingering on her skin, leaving her relaxed and in a cheerful mood.
Sitting down on the bed, Mapel pressed her hand against the soft mattress. Tonight, she thought, she would definitely sleep well.
Just then, she remembered that Theresa had also received a bar of the same soap.
“She must be enjoying her bath just as much as I did tonight.”
For some reason, a pang of jealousy stirred in Mapel’s heart. If only that bar of soap had been a gift meant just for her from Lord Owen.
Knock, knock!
A maid knocked on the door from outside.
“What is it?”
Mapel asked.
“Dinner is ready, Miss Jarvis.”
Came the reply.
“I understand. I’ll be there shortly.”
After the maid left, Mapel shook her head, lightly slapped her cheeks, and reminded herself:
“I mustn’t let personal feelings get in the way. A knight’s duty is to protect her lord—nothing else should matter.”
…
Meanwhile, Owen also tried the soap after returning to the castle, and the results were outstanding.
After bathing, he went back to work, feeling as though his thoughts were clearer than before—though he wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination.
That afternoon, Owen had decided to form a fleet, so he quickly pulled out the blueprints to review how best to build ships suitable for transporting cargo.
Summoning the system, he opened the folder and flipped through several ship design drawings.
After reading them, Owen fell into deep thought. What kind of ship should he build?
Most of the designs provided by Winston were for large steel cargo ships, built primarily from iron and steel.
Without a doubt, such vessels were the best choice—strong, durable, and capable of transporting massive loads.
However, building them would consume the entire stockpile of iron ore in Bianshu Town.
If all the iron went into shipbuilding, what would happen to the production of steam engines, muskets, and cannons? What about all the other places where iron was needed?
Clearly, that approach was unwise.