Dima walked along the narrow paths of the garden, surrounded by blooming plants and the evening freshness. A servant girl followed him, leading him to the open-air bath. He eagerly anticipated the moment he could relax in the warm water.
The couple walked leisurely, with Dima noticeably tipsy, lazily dragging his feet and blinking around with a somewhat goofy smile on his face. Upon reaching another door, the servant girl slipped ahead and slightly opened a silk curtain, inviting the guest to enter.
Dima stepped inside; the bath looked impressive: massive wooden walls were adorned with exquisite carvings, and the water in the pool sparkled, reflecting the soft light of the torches illuminating the area. The servant girl, noticing his admiration, smiled and, stifling a laugh, said,
"Here you can relax," she said, bowing and leaving the guest alone.
The guy quickly stripped off his expensive clothes and plopped into the very warm, almost hot water.
The crystal-clear water enveloped him, and Dima closed his eyes, enjoying the comfort. He sat back against the stones, gazing at the starry sky above, which looked so close that it seemed ready to fall right into the pond.
"Hmm, I wonder if they have soap here?"
…
Kiechi left the dining hall immediately after Dima, contemplating the outcome of their game in her room. The girl collapsed onto the bed, rubbing her face on the pillow as she muttered,
"Well, at least I didn't embarrass myself. At least not badly." Memories, like haunting visions, reminded her of her not-so-appropriate reaction and the surprised face of her companion.
The girl was genuinely concerned — what Dima had told her was simply incredible, offering hope and terrifying her to the bone at the same time.
The identity of the guy remained a mystery to her, and it was clear that one conversation was far too little for truly getting to know a person.
"Perhaps we have too many differences in our communication culture." The girl recalled what her grandfather had told her, which sent a shiver down her spine. Calming down, Kiechi got up from the bed and exhaled.
"Alright, today was a very tough day; I can afford to rest a little."
Half an hour later…
Dima felt good; his body had thoroughly relaxed in the hot water, cleansing his system as well as any spa treatment, and the alcohol in his blood added extra enjoyment to the procedure. He would have laid there in a light doze, eyes closed, when suddenly he heard the sound of an opening door.
The doors swung open, and Kiechi entered the bath naked. Surprise sparkled in her eyes, but it quickly turned to rage when she saw Dima sitting in the water.
"What are you doing here?!" her screams echoed off the walls.
Awakened, Dima tried to understand what was happening and quickly got to his feet, trying to cover himself, but it was too late. Shame engulfed him, and Kiechi's shocked gaze only exacerbated the situation. She looked ready to accuse him of anything.
"What are you doing here, you pervert?!" her voice rang out angrily and sharply, as if the words coming from her mouth had real weight and flew straight at Dima to knock out his very soul.
"I... thought this was a common bath," Dima mumbled, trying to compose himself as Kiechi prudently turned away.
The girl clearly had no intention of listening to his excuses and continued to shout, pointing out that he was a shameless pervert, and it seemed she was about to lose it and lunge at him with something heavy, giving vent to her explosive nature. She waved her arms energetically, urging him to get out, while Dima felt utterly helpless.
"I'm leaving," he said, not waiting for her tirade to finish. His desire to rest and relax had been spoiled, and a feeling of regret arose in his heart. He quickly exited the bathhouse, ignoring her continued reproaches.
The servant girl, though looking embarrassed, continued to watch him from her hiding place in the garden. She had heard how much rubbish he had just been subjected to, but a command is a command, even though she felt human sympathy for the guy.
As Dima stepped outside, he felt the fresh air on his face, but Kiechi's anger still echoed in his ears, leaving a bitter aftertaste. The guy tried to find that damn servant girl who had pushed him into such a mess with her carelessness, but without success.
"Damn it, she's gone…" he muttered to himself, unsuccessfully searching for his pack of cigarettes. "I smoked them all on the way, damn it, agh…"
"What a day it's been; I've completely sobered up," he nervously glanced toward the bathhouse. "I hope Kiechi isn't too upset… And still, she has a fabulous body."
Dima concluded his thoughts as he headed into the inner building of the palace, where he faced no problems or disorientation; his experience of wandering through monastery walls was paying off.
The guy quickly found another servant girl, who promptly led him to the guest quarters.
…
Kiechi glared at the wall of the bathhouse, submerging herself in the hot water up to her neck. Her inner feelings were boiling, and she couldn't shake off the anger that was painfully pressing in her chest.
"What was he even thinking?" she thought, feeling her heartbeat quicken. "He can't just walk into the women's section as if nothing had happened. This is not just a blatant offense to my honor; it's a direct insult to my clan!"
The girl pondered the possible consequences, fully aware of history: wars had begun over less, but this was a different case. Considering his status as an envoy of Khor, no one would condemn him, and since he was there secretly, everything would likely be overlooked.
After thinking it over a bit, Kiechi felt somewhat relieved. Now wasn't the right time for confrontations.
The image of Dima floated back into her mind: he was a foreigner, a wanderer in her world, completely clueless about their traditions and customs.
Understanding this, her anger slowly receded, giving way to reflection. She decided that she had perhaps overreacted. "I just need to be more lenient with him," she thought, blowing bubbles through her nose while sitting in the water.
"And his body isn't half bad; wait, what am I even thinking?" The girl, startled by her thoughts, surfaced from the water into the cool evening air.
"I'm being too dramatic," she said tiredly.
"Maybe he just mistook the door, or that's how it is in his homeland. But even so, he should have warned me!"
With each passing minute, she felt her reasoning and logic beginning to outweigh her anger. Perhaps this encounter would allow both of them to understand each other a little better.
"Wait, I forgot about something." Kiechi's face contorted with a new flash of anger. She recalled the old man's words, and she knew her grandfather too well; everything added up.
"You old bastard, you're dead!"
…
On this starry night, when the moon illuminated the castle like a small sun, Ason and his deputy Kan sat in an office, isolated from the outside world. On their table stood glasses filled with alcohol, and the air was thick with the scent of strong wine. As their discussion of current affairs progressed toward the end of the barrel of wine, the topics shifted to more personal matters, and soon they touched upon the subject of Dima — the envoy of Khor.
"I don't understand, Ason," Kan began, sipping his wine. — It still seems to me that your joke, how should I put it, is too much.
Ason poured himself more wine, fixing a piercing gaze on his deputy.
"Kan, you don't understand the essence of the matter. This is merely a prank. We were trying to figure out what this guy is worth, nothing more," he replied, his voice sounding confident and resolute.
"Yes, maybe I pushed it a little too far, but in our line of work, one cannot afford to be overly kind, especially since I simply couldn't miss the chance to remind my beloved granddaughter that we are on solid ground, not in her girlhood fantasies."
Kan sighed, continuing to shift his gaze from the abbot to his glass.
"Perhaps, but such manipulations could cause unnecessary problems. He's a new person in our world, but that doesn't mean we can mock him like this. Besides, Ason, you know your granddaughter; she could very well cut him down, and then there would be an envoy no more."
Ason leaned closer to Kan, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"I disagree with you on this point. Dima is a force that could become a powerful ally, but we needed to test him. We can't allow just anyone to walk into our home, even if Chorus personally vouches for him, and more importantly, Chorus. A lot is at stake, and he has passed the test."
Kan remained silent, feeling his doubts beginning to weaken.
"But misleading him… you know that could push him away?" he said, trying not to let his uncertainty show in his voice.
"Kan, why are you being such a buzzkill? A grandpa just wants grandchildren. Ahh, you're young; you wouldn't understand." Ason raised his glass and continued.
"If my granddaughter finds happiness because of my "prank," then I can only rejoice. She is talented and determined; in my opinion, she deserves more than just the path of a clan leader, which she will become after me."
"Ason, are you already preparing for the afterlife? There's so much interesting stuff happening around!" Kan, now significantly tipsy, had completely lost his sense of subordination, to which Ason was even glad.
The head of the Mena clan jumped up, shaking his fist at the invisible interlocutors, screaming like a madman. "Damn you all! You, Tunu, and that bitch Arisa!"
It happened so fast and suddenly that the burly Kan nearly fell off his chair, but managing to regroup, he was able to regain his balance.
"Ason, just admit that you were trying to set them up, not just out of parental concern." The head of the Mena clan shot a spiteful glance at his companion, clearly indicating that this topic was inappropriate for their conversation.
But as if he hadn't noticed this, or perhaps really didn't, Kan persistently continued to probe his superior.
"Are you sure about that?" Kan asked somewhat restrainedly. "Dima is not quite an ordinary person, but even so, would you really want to hand over your granddaughter to him literally on a platter?"
"That's the whole paradox, Kan!" exclaimed Ason, his voice filled with enthusiasm. "Dima is not a warrior, nor a strategist, nor a scholar — he is another person whose mission is to save our damn kingdom, and he accepted it. Not everyone would agree to even try to shoulder that burden, but he took it on."
"I've spent over a week with him, and before that, I actively read the reports sent by Chorus, and he definitely deserves my respect. Moreover, he arrived from a more developed world, and Kiechi wanted change; he is the one who will organize that change.
"Right now, he's dead weight, but with our proper effort, he could flourish, and then this country will have no room for anyone else."
Kan nodded thoughtfully, realizing that his superior might be right. His arguments seemed quite logical to him, and this alliance could be extremely promising for both of them, as well as for the clan and possibly even the whole country.
"I'm not against your plan; I just want to emphasize that we should be cautious in such delicate matters." Kan raised his glass in agreement.