I'm in heaven.
I am quite sure.

I am inside of a big room, located at the farthest corner of my district, created with the usual binding agent.
Nothing special about this place if not for one certain quality.
There is a large pool filled with steaming water.
Not necessarily hot, but considerably warmer than the environment.
And this while the underground is already much warmer than the surface.
All the others accompanied me here as my mum insisted on their presence while being the whole time terribly secretive about it.

 

<Do you like it? I thought this was really necessary. It was intended to be a surprise.> (F)

"How is this even possible?" (E)

 

When was this built?

 

"Your mother insisted that this is necessary as an addition to your personal cleaning. The workers performed tirelessly, covering the construction with the progress on the meeting hall. She was adamant that it would be superior in comfort and like this good for your... mental health." (K)

 

I know she wanted to say production, I just know it.
But I can only agree with mum.
Nothing can surpass a bathhouse.

This is pure luxury.
If I see right it's heated from below through little holes where the burnable material gets put inside.
The water on the other hand, as indicated by many, many huge earthen vessels lying nearby, was brought portion by portion from the lower levels where the reservoirs are.
This must have been an incredible effort.
And apparently, one that has to be repeated as I can see something that looks like a drainage inside the pool for when the water will eventually get dirty.
This place is the pinnacle of modern amenities.

 

"Is this really for me?" (E)

"Well, yEs. But Ie thought there's no reeason why iet shouldn't be freee for everyone to use. EspEcially your guests mieght appreeciate the gEsture beefore they have to deepart." (F)

"It's a bit late for that. I mean they'll be leaving tomorrow." (E)

 

At this moment Temia enters the room.

 

"So, what exactly am I doing here?" (T)

"Ah, wondErful that you had tieme. Iet would bee great ief you could joien us." (F)

 

Did I mishear?

 

"Okay, mum. What exactly are you suggesting?" (E)

"Ie don't know? A bath partye?" (F)

"This? Are you serious?" (E)

"Ie asked Sukie to brieng your frieend TEmia." (F)

"Wha- Mum! You can't call her that! She's a noble!" (E)

"What could hAppEn? Ie am rather sure wee are heere no part of the juriesdiection of Tarsona." (F)

 

This is still absolutely no reason to provoke them.
Is mum actually enjoying this?
That she can tease a noble without having to fear any repercussions?

 

"I am as well not sure how the "mother-of-an-insect-princess" would be seen as. To avoid a diplomatic incident, I'd suggest I'll ignore this." (T)

"ThEn theere's no reason why you couldn't joiien us." (F)

"Join?" (T)

"Wee will now all inaugurate thiez wondErful addietion of culture to our reealm by takieng a bath togEtheer. Thee room for thee clothes iez on the right." (F)

"Mum!" (E)

"Where's thee problEm? Wee're all girls heere so there's nothieng to be afraied of. And anye man who would enter thee proxiemity has first to get past thee guards and would after this be annihilated before there's eeven a chance to peeep." (F)

 

While this sounds completely unfair for dad and Toris, I doubt that gender would be the only reason why someone of greater status like, for example, a rich merchant or a noble lady would abstain from stripping in front of us.

 

"You couldn't possibly expect our guests to do something so immodest!" (E)

"I'm in!" (O)

 

What!?

Ah, Temia and Olira both winced just now.

 

"Urgh, hearing you in my head is extremely hard to get used to. But what were you expecting? We were cooped up here the whole time without any real means to wash up, aside from the nurses' questionable advances. And now I've got sprinkled with your body odor. I feel dirty and could really have a bath. And taking one with princesses and people of high rank doesn't seem too indecent." (O)

 

I absolutely don't know what to say.
Maybe "sorry for the stink"?
My nose is already so tasked with all the pheromones that I barely notice other smells.
Looking for confirmation that this is a stupid idea I turn to Temia.
But she doesn't seem to agree.

 

"It's like she said. The air is humid down here and I had no intention to let myself get licked clean by the nurses. And my status wouldn't allow me to use the tubs in the living quarters for the common folk. So I spent an entire week with only the most basic scrubbing. I need a bath." (T)

 

If she says it like that...
I feel like an extremely bad host.

 

"Now come, Eryes. Thies will bee good for you." (F)

 

I feel extremely pressured into doing this.

 

"It's said in Yamata this is normal. Or in Sulon. Yet for the latter is more mixed bathing in the royal harem. Maybe not the best example." (O)

 

Don't try to convince me with traveler's knowledge!

 

"Can we please go on with this? You're keeping us all waiting by playing the shy maiden." (T)

"Okay! Fine! You win." (E)

"Wonderful, my princess. Please accompany us to the changing room." (K)

 

You mean "stripping" room.
Sigh, but as I have nothing to retort I walk in there.
It's as one might expect just an empty room.
But one side has many holes made of etched stone where one could store the clothes.

The others meanwhile assemble as well.
Olira shows off quite the tanned skin tone.
Probably from being often outside and traveling for trades.
I get it that she's hardworking and extroverted, so sitting in an office wouldn't suit her.

Temia is something else.
It's astonishing how she shows not the slightest bit of reluctance towards getting naked in front of me.
Something else that is contradicting my expectations would be that she's covered with quite the number of scars.

I've heard about fighting nobles.
Even about fighting noblewomen, but it's not like those are common.

This leaves mum.
Well, I know how she looks without clothes.
And then it's my turn.
My nurses once more prove their incredible nimbleness and I'm naked before I even realize that I was touched.

And now I become really aware why I was so much against doing this.
It's not as much that I'm too shy to stand naked in front of others.
It's that I'm showing off my half-insect body.
Looking at myself, I think most looks still as it's normal for a human.
Maybe my waist grew a size, but not out of proportion.
My skin is colored now a bit in a brownish-green shade but it's barely to distinguish from a normal human's complexion without staring very closely.

What is much more disturbing is naturally that now everyone can see how the ovipositor is attached to my body.
I seriously had no intention to display my biology like that.

And another point I don't want to show off would be my abs.
Which in truth are none.
Rather it's this inner carapace that gives my body a certain sturdiness that makes it seem as if I'm well-trained.
Which I'm not.
All in all, I'm very concerned about my looks.
So like every other teenage girl, right?

Right?

 

"Oh, I expected anything but you've actually quite the body to show off, princess." (O)

 

Is she trying to curry favor?
I mean, it's not like I dislike that I even appear in her mind in that competition.
It's just that I believe, stinger tails would rather be off-putting for most sane people.
Also, it's not like I did anything to get this body.
Most of it is armor and any muscles developed on their own without any effort from my side.

 

"Guess it depends on the individual's taste. There are all kinds." (T)

 

Uh, that's closer to my own assessment.

 

<Skreak!/Would you please make place?> (L)

<Liseti!?> (E)

 

Why is now the incredibly important insect princess getting naked in my bathhouse?
I can only stare while two nurses help her to get out of her gown.
Not like her naked body is something I haven't seen before.
To be precise, it's literally the day she started wearing clothes.

 

<O-Okay, what is happening here?> (E)

<As it was conveyed I was convinced that this is a human custom to interact with each other. Am I excluded?> (L)

<Ehk, no, surely not.> (E)

 

I can't be this rude.

 

"Then shall we get in? I can't wait to get a good bath." (O)

 

Fine, okay.

At this point, I can just go with it.