Chapter 6 Warm Your Body and Mind With a Ginger Bath!

About ten days have passed since we arrived in the Eudrais territory.

“Wow, it’s cold.”

“As expected, this is a very cold place. I’m freezing.”

When I went outside with Luke to buy some groceries, I couldn’t help but shrink from the cold.

When I exhaled into my hands, my breath came out white. It wasn’t the snowy season yet, but it was still quite cold.

When we went outside, we heard whispers.

“That woman bullied the Baron’s daughter and the Prince broke off their engagement.”

“Wow, what a mean person! Why did such a woman come to this land?”

“Apparently, the Duke’s family abandoned her because her engagement was broken off and she was banished here.”

“Even her own family has lost patience with her, how mean can she be…?”

“I wish she’d just get out of this land.”

I started walking quickly, trying to shake off those voices.

It seemed that the people of this land hated me.  Whenever I go out, I always hear people talking bad about me.

The reason seems to be that the rumors about the broken engagement were heavily exaggerated and spread far.

Because of this situation, no one comes to the bath cafe I run, and so far there have been no customers.

“Lady Lydia, are you okay?”

Luke, walking next to me, looks at me with concern.

“I’m not worried. Don’t worry, everything’s fine.”

“But…”

“All I care about is having a bath. I wonder what kind of aroma oil I should use today.”

“I was stupid to worry. You’re still as strong-minded as ever, and a bath-obsessed fool.”

“Hey, don’t join in the bad-mouthing.”

Finally, not only the residents, but even my guardian knight are starting to talk bad about me. The world is coming to an end. Well, it’s my fault for loving baths too much.

 Well, even though the residents are saying bad things about me, I’m still in good spirits and can have a light-hearted chat with my servant like this.

“I’m back.”

After safely finishing my shopping, I return to the bathhouse/cafe/residence. There’s a fireplace, so it’s warm inside the house.

Lina was cleaning up the cafe space.

“Welcome back. Was it the same today?”

“They’re still talking bad about me. Even Luke badmouthed me.”

“He’s a traitor. He’s a terrible man.”

“Yeah. He’s the worst.”

“Hey, can you stop whispering?”

Luke pleaded with a haggard face.

“Well, you can melt my heart, which has been frozen by all the bad-mouthing.”

“Lady Lydia, you’re always hot-headed, so you’re not going to be cold at all.”

“A bath is the best thing ever! I’m coming!”

Ignoring Luke’s words, I grabbed the things I bought today and headed to the bathroom. No customers will come anyway.

 Bath Cafe Hot is the place I opened.

This shop has a bright and gentle atmosphere, and the wallpaper is a pale orange color. There are a few wooden tables and chairs in the dining area so that you can relax after taking a bath.

The bathroom is made of pale colored tiles, giving it a calming feel.

Hehehe. It was all built with the compensation money I took from the royal family.

“What kind of bath are you going to take today?”

As I was admiring the bath in my castle, Lina called out from behind me. It seemed like she was also planning to take a bath.

“It’s especially cold today, so I’m thinking of taking a ginger bath to warm myself up.”

“Ginger? Ginger?”

“Yes.”

In my previous life in Japan, during the Edo period, “seasonal baths” became popular, where seasonal fruits or plants that had specific effects or were grown during that time were added.

 December yuzu baths and May iris baths are famous, but… Ginger was a seasonal bath for October in my previous life. It’s perfect for the cold season when autumn turns to winter.

“I bought some ginger today, so I’ll use it. It helps improve blood circulation.”

“Really?”

I immediately grated the sliced ​​ginger. I put a few pieces of grated ginger wrapped in gauze into the bath.

I also wanted to enjoy the scent, so I diluted orange aroma oil with vegetable oil and added a few drops to the bath, being careful not to add too much. Then, a gorgeous citrus scent drifted into the bath.

Rina and I quickly took off our clothes, washed our bodies, and got into the bath.

“Ahhhhh, it’s warming us up~”

“That’s right. It’s helping to relieve our fatigue.”

As I was enjoying the orange scent, I poured the hot water over my shoulders. The stiffness in my shoulders caused by the cold eased. I also felt the ginger warming my body.

“I’m so happy to have this big bath all to myself.”

Suddenly Lina murmured.

“Oh, when we were at the mansion, all the maids used to take baths together, right?”

“Yes. That was fun too, but this feeling of superiority and immorality can only be experienced here.”

“Well, if the store becomes popular, I won’t be able to take a leisurely bath like this.”

“In that case, you don’t need a prosperous business.”

“Hey, that’s a bit much to hear!… Well, I have enough money to live on even if the business doesn’t flourish.”

The compensation from the government was huge, so that was enough to live on for a while.

In addition to that, I received financial support from my father. I refused many times, but my father was stubborn and finally bowed his head and said, “Please accept it.” That’s how I ended up receiving financial support from my father.

So, I don’t think I’ll have any trouble making ends meet for a while. But…

“But I want to repay my father and spread the word about the good things about the baths. I want to make sure they’re doing well.”

When I muttered this, Lina chuckled.

“That’s right. Then let’s work hard together.”

“Yeah, that’s right!”

“First of all, we need to clear up the misunderstandings about the bad reputation.”

“Ugh, that’s going to be hard…”

Currently, the people around the store only know me as a “bad girl.” They think I’m running a shady store, and don’t even dare go near me.

“I wonder why so many bad rumors are being spread about me.”

Lina thought about my question for a bit before speaking.

 “…That’s a little strange.”

“What?”

“The Eudrais territory is far from the royal capital, and rumors spread too quickly. Besides, Lady Lydia’s impression is too dramatized…”

There’s silence between us.

Just as she said, the amount of dislike I’ve received here is a little strange. I wonder if there’s a special reason.

“Well, there’s no point in thinking about it. For now, I’ll just work hard to promote the store. That’s all there is to it.”

“That’s right. Let’s do our best.”

There’s no choice but to work hard. After all, it was none other than me who decided to work hard at running the bath cafe.

I once again got myself fired up.