The bath was nearly ready, the steam rising lazily from the water. Just as she was adjusting the herbs, a familiar voice broke through her thoughts. "What exactly are you doing?"
Anchhi froze, her heart skipping a beat. She barely had time to compose herself before turning to face him. Shuo Jin stood there, half-dressed with his bare chest, making him appear even more imposing. Her breath hitched involuntarily at the sight.
"I—uh—nothing," Anchhi stammered, her pulse quickening as she tried to keep her composure. His sudden appearance unnerved her.
Shuo Jin raised an eyebrow, stepping closer, his gaze moving from her face to the steaming bath behind her. "Nothing, you say?" he repeated, his tone casual, yet there was a knowing edge to his voice.
Anchhi swallowed hard, suddenly aware of how close he had come. The air felt thick between them, and she could feel the heat from his skin even before he reached the tub. His presence was overwhelming.
She quickly stepped aside, trying to play it cool. "Your bath is ready," she said.
His eyes lingered on her for a moment, longer than she would have liked, before he turned his attention to the bath. He took a step forward, his fingers lightly grazing the surface of the water. Anchhi held her breath, waiting for him to react, to sense the itching herbs she had mixed into the bathwater.
"Thank you," Shuo Jin said finally, his voice smooth, as he began to unfasten the remaining fabric from his waist. Before she could react, he let the cloth drop, revealing his bare torso completely.
Her eyes widened, and heat rushed to her face as she instinctively turned away, covering her eyes. "Oh my—!" she blurted, her voice coming out in an awkward rush.
"It's not like this is the first time you've seen me like this, is it?" His voice held a teasing edge, clearly enjoying her flustered state.
Seeing him half-naked startled her, though it wasn't the first time. Her mind, traitorously, flickered back to their encounter at the royal bathhouse. The memory surged through her, causing a deep blush to spread across her cheeks. She remembered their accidental kiss, how their lips had met in that brief, awkward moment.
Oh, gods, how could I have forgotten that? Embarrassment surged through her, and before she knew it, she was hastily retreating toward the door, intent on escaping the awkwardness.
His hand immediately shot out, holding her wrist. She stiffened, her heart hammering in her chest. She could feel the tingling warmth of his touch.
Why had he stopped her? Did he know about the prank she had pulled? Her mind raced, imagining the worst. Had he figured out her plan? Was he going to scold her? Or worse, retaliate?
"Leaving already?" Shuo Jin asked, his voice soft but with a hint of something more beneath it—something that sent a shiver down her spine.
Anchhi swallowed hard, her thoughts a tangled mess. "I—uh—shouldn't be here while you... you know, bathe," she muttered, desperately trying to avoid his gaze.
But he didn't let go. His grip remained firm, though not forceful, and his thumb brushed lightly against her skin. "You seem eager to leave," His voice was like silk, wrapping around her, making it difficult to think clearly. His eyes searching hers, as if he could see through the layers of her pretense.
Anchhi opened her mouth to respond, but the words seemed to catch in her throat. She felt her skin flush under his gaze, the room growing impossibly warm. His hand still held hers.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Shuo Jin released her wrist. "Go then," he said, his voice low, almost teasing. "But I'll remember this."
The whole situation left her feeling flustered, confused. She wasn't used to this side of his—or perhaps she wasn't used to him at all, not this way, not up close.
In her hurry to leave the bathroom, Anchhi stepped onto the slippery wet floor unaware of water that had splashed from the bathtub when Shuo Jin had lazily lowered himself into it. Her foot slipped unexpectedly, and she stumbled forward, losing her balance completely.
Before she even registered the fall, her body instinctively reached out to grab onto something—anything—to stop her fall. Her fingers clamped around Shuo Jin's bare shoulder—a shoulder she wasn't prepared to touch.
The sudden weight of her body threw them both off balance. His hand shot out, but the slippery floor offered no grip. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as he tried to steady them, his dark eyes widening with surprise. But before Shuo Jin could do anything to stop it, they tumbled, limbs tangled awkwardly, straight into the wooden tub.
Water splashed everywhere, drenching them as their bodies collided. Anchhi gasped, the warm bathwater enveloped her. Her head was spinning from the sudden fall. She landed half on top of him, her chest pressed against his, their faces just inches apart. The chaos of the fall left her breathless, her heart pounding even faster now, but for entirely different reasons.
The intimacy of their proximity caught her off guard—she could feel his steady breath against her cheek, and for a fleeting moment, her mind went completely blank. Everything about this felt strange, intense, and undeniably awkward. But as her senses returned, Anchhi realized something else.
A strange tingle began to spread across her skin. At first, she ignored it. But the sensation grew—subtle at first, then increasingly insistent. Anchhi froze, her mind snapping back to the mischievous prank she had so gleefully concocted earlier. The herbs. Her eyes widened with horror.
"Oh no…" she whispered under her breath.
Shuo Jin, still recovering from the shock of the fall, sensed something was wrong. His brows furrowed when he noticed the look of realization on her face. "What did you…?" His voice trailed off as he, too, began to feel the itch. At first, it was just a slight tingling sensation, but it quickly escalated, spreading across his body like wildfire.
Both of them froze in place, the itching crawling over their skin, intensifying by the second. His expression darkened. His eyes narrowing as everything made sense to him. His voice, usually composed and calm, was now tinged with irritation. "What did you put in this water?"
Anchhi scrambled, water splashing everywhere as she tried to distance herself from him within the small tub. "It wasn't supposed to—ah!—happen to me too!" she squeaked, her arms flailing as she desperately scratched at her skin, already feeling the relentless itch that had begun to torment them both.
Both of them were caught in the mess she had created. Shuo Jin attempted to stand, but the slippery tub and the s itching made it nearly impossible. "You," he growled, though the irritation wasn't just about the itching. It was the situation, the absurdity of it, the fact that she had—without meaning to—dragged them both into this ridiculous scene.
"Are you… laughing?" she asked, incredulous. Her eyes widened at the sight of him, still covered in water, scratching his arms.
Shuo Jin met her gaze, his lips twitching slightly, though he tried to suppress it. "You're right," he said dryly, "It does serve you right."
Anchhi couldn't help but burst into laughter, though it was half out of frustration and half because the situation had become utterly ridiculous. "Of all the ways this could've gone wrong…" she muttered, shaking her head.
She tried to climb out of the tub, water dripping from her soaked clothes. The prank may have backfired, but in a strange way, the moment had brought them closer, breaking down their walls.
"Next time," Shuo Jin pulled his words, smirking slightly as he scratched at his arm, "stick to the herbs I asked for."