Chapter 156: The Angel Who Crossdresses (6)

Episode 156: The Angel Who Crossdresses (6)

Saint Iriel Bathhouse.

A bathhouse named after an archangel that existed in the other world. It was a famous spot, often chosen as the most beautiful place in St. Lucia Academy, which was already renowned for its beautiful scenery.

However, the young angel currently had no time to admire the bathhouse.

The scent of various herbs based on the warm aroma of water. And the familiar yet unfamiliar scent of another’s skin.

Leffrey’s cheeks couldn’t help but flush red.

“Miss Laffrey, this is the Saint Iriel Bathhouse.”

“…I see. But…”

“Come now, don’t be shy, let’s go in together. There’s nothing more pleasant than a nice bath.”

Beyond that door, the female students of St. Lucia Academy must be swarming. And they would be lightly dressed, or…

“Wow, it smells so good.”

“Want some? It’s an essence made from flowers that only grow in the Reflection Forest…”

…Or perhaps they wouldn’t be wearing much at all.

Leffrey, hearing the girls’ sweet, lighthearted chatter, took a step back.

‘The Saint Iriel Bathhouse. It’s too strong of an enemy..…!’

Gone was the courageous Leffrey, heading for the bathhouse, and all that remained was a frightened little angel, backing away.

“Miss Laffrey?”

“Ah, Miss Lucera, um, I suddenly remembered something urgent I have to take care of. I’ll remember where this is, so I’ll come back later by myself.”

“Something urgent? Can I help? We can come to the bathhouse together after it’s done.”

Lucera, oblivious to Leffrey’s inner turmoil, smiled innocently.

“I-It’s okay. It’s something I need to handle alone.”

“But… I want to bathe together with Miss Laffrey.”

It was truly an unbelievable excuse.

Well, let’s just say he managed to get away with it this time. But this girl, Lucera, wanted to bathe with Leffrey for some reason. This made it difficult for him to make excuses and avoid it. And then there was the problem of changing clothes together in the morning.

‘I have to find the Fallen Hero quickly!’

Otherwise, he might be in danger for a different reason.

“Miss Lucera, please go ahead and wash first!”

“Ah, wait…!”

Thus, Leffrey left Lucera behind and ran towards Leffriel Hall. Or rather, to his room in Leffriel Hall, Lucera’s room.

* * *

“This is troublesome.”

The Saint Iriel Bathhouse was empty, as it was almost bedtime. And a certain angel was bathing alone.

“I didn’t expect I’d be able to find her on the first day, but…”

Still, to have absolutely no clues like this.

‘Will I even be able to find her in two weeks?’

And would he be able to hide his identity for that long.

Leffrey knew that fulfilling his mission would bring him various trials, but he had never imagined that this kind of trial would be waiting for him.

*Bubble bubble bubble*—Leffrey submerged in the large bath and blew bubbles. He found it fun and his mood instantly improved.

And at that moment…

“Hmm…”

He heard a girl murmur from behind him. It was a voice that seemed familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time.

‘Someone came in…?’

Leffrey couldn’t bring himself to turn his head that way, only focusing on the sound of approaching footsteps splashing in the water.

“Oh, there’s someone here at this hour.”

“…”

The angel discreetly covered the part that shouldn’t be seen with his hand. Leffrey, unable to speak, tried to quickly get out of the bathhouse.

But it wasn’t easy.

Why?

Because this unknown girl approached Leffrey without any hesitation.

“Who are you? I’ve never seen you before.”

“H-Hello.”

Leffrey took a shy posture and tried to slip past the girl’s side.

“I’m Laffrey from the Central Academy. I’m sorry, but it’s almost bedtime, so I’ll have to excuse myself.”

Good. He sounded natural.

Or so Leffrey evaluated himself.

But no matter how much he thought that, it didn’t make his flushed face return to its original color.

‘I’m showing my naked body to a girl.’

He was incredibly embarrassed.

A kind of embarrassment he had never experienced in his life.

‘I want to die from embarrassment!’

Leffrey, the Embarrassed Angel. Truly, an angel’s shame.

“Why? Won’t you stay and chat for a bit?”

But the girl, oblivious to Leffrey’s feelings, continued to block his path.

Snicker snicker- Glance glance-

Leffrey could feel the girl’s gaze fixed on his white skin.

‘Uuugh…! This feels a little strange!’

Thinking about it, it was. Her voice sounded a little… forced. As if she were trying to hide her original voice.

And the way she was staring at him was also a bit off. Even Leffrey, who was unfamiliar with the world of girls, knew that staring so blatantly at someone else’s body would be rude anywhere.

Perhaps?

Leffrey subtly raised his head,

To see the girl’s identity.

“Raise your head. Why do you keep averting your eyes?”

“…!”

Although he couldn’t see her face clearly because the girl was naked, Leffrey could at least see the long pink hair.

The identity of this girl standing before him was none other than Hongwol.

“Oh, it’s Wol.”

“Ah, you caught me.”

“Stop teasing me…”

Leffrey muttered in a slightly sulky tone.

“I wasn’t trying to tease you. I was just wondering if you also show your naked body like this to other girls too.”

“Of course not!”

“Right. Boy, it’s good that you don’t.”

And Hongwol’s voice gradually became more ominous. Cold and sharp, the expression ‘filled with killing intent’ really suited it.

“Otherwise, many eyes would have to lose their light.”

“…?”

With that, Hongwol entered the bath. Leffrey could tell by the splash sound.

“Ugh, the water feels weird. I should hurry up and get out.”

He could hear Hongwol complaining.

Leffrey was trying to leave this place slowly and carefully, leaving Hongwol be.

But Hongwol didn’t stop talking.

“Don’t show that kind of sight to anyone else. Just thinking about it makes me sick. I can barely even control myself, how would other girls act.”

“Do you think I enjoy doing this…”

“Anyone would have a hard time controlling themselves, seeing you like this…”

And Hongwol’s gaze still laser-focused on him. Leffrey, feeling like a prey before a predator, had to ask Hongwol again.

“What is it that you can’t control?”

“…Want to know?”

Splash—Slish slosh—The sound of Hongwol getting up and approaching Leffrey.

“Do you want to know what I find hard to control?”

No matter how much he lowered his gaze, eventually Hongwol’s white feet came into view, and now even he was finding it hard to resist as the voice became somewhat seductive.

Only then did Leffrey realize what it was that Hongwol could barely control.

“Well, my thought is that…”

“Yes, I’m a good girl, so I’ll respect the boy’s thoughts.”

Hongwol’s long finger gently touched Leffrey’s waist,

And Leffrey felt goosebumps rise from that ticklish touch.

“Tell me quickly.”

“I…”

Completely red-faced, Leffrey shouted.

“I don’t think lewd things are allowed!”

And then he ran.

He ran away with those words.

Left alone like that, Hongwol could only stand still with her tail lowered, staring at the place where the boy had left.

“Coward, If you act so cowardly.”

Hongwol’s eyes gleamed, taking the shape of what people call cat eyes. But some would call them the eyes of a predator.

“I have my own thoughts too.”

* * *

Anyway, Leffrey somehow managed to overcome another obstacle. Though it was just one day of the remaining fourteen days, but still.

“I’m so tired.”

He hadn’t even found the Fallen Hero yet, hadn’t even fought her yet, so why was he so exhausted? Leffrey really couldn’t understand.

Sighing like that, Leffrey returned to his dorm.

And what he could see as soon as he opened the door was…

“Ah, Miss Laffrey, you’re back.”

Lucera, wearing a thin negligee, greeted him. The fabric was so sheer that he could see through it, leaving Leffrey nowhere to rest his eyes.

“Yes, I’m back.”

“How was it? The Saint Iriel Bathhouse.”

Lucera waited for Leffrey’s answer with sparkling eyes.

‘What? Why is she so eager to hear my reaction so much?’

Why was this girl acting like this? Why was she leaving aside even her diary and waiting for his reaction like this?

Then, after three seconds of deliberation, Leffrey was able to recall a familiar title.

‘Shocking! #1 Most Beautiful Academy Bathhouse in the World?! The True Identity of the Bathhouse that Even Central Superhuman Academy Students Acknowledge on Their Knees!’

Sparkle sparkle—Perhaps that’s the reaction the girl was looking for.

‘I thought maybe she’s one of those “Do you know” people…..!’

(TL Note: This is a question that Korean reporters usually ask when interviewing foreigners or foreign stars. To be exact, ‘Do you know?’.)

If this was the case, it made sense why Lucera wanted to enter the bathhouse together. She probably wanted to directly witness Leffrey’s amazed reaction to Saint Iriel Bathhouse.

Sparkle sparkle—Lucera’s gaze fixed on him pressingly.

‘Actually, I was too nervous about someone coming in to properly appreciate the bathhouse…’

But Leffrey is quite the angel when it comes to words.

“It was truly beautiful. I’m not just saying this, but it really was. Not being too flashy makes it sacred and also…”

Blabber blabber—

Leffrey did his best to appease Lucera’s academy pride.

His absolute best.

‘Thank goodness I’ve occasionally seen those nationalistic YouTube videos.’

If he hadn’t seen those videos, he wouldn’t have been able to act like this. Acting like falling over in amazement, or to kneel and be awestruck.

“I couldn’t believe it! How could even the water spouts be so meticulously crafted…!”

“Wow…!”

Lucera beamed with a bright smile at Leffrey’s intense reaction.

“As expected, you seem to have really liked it! I’ll show you many other beautiful places tomorrow…!”

Leffrey could only nod.

‘It won’t be another troublesome place like the bathhouse, right?’

He could only hope.

Though of course, Leffrey no longer prayed to anyone.

And so the tiring day, in more ways than one, came to an end.

Bedtime finally arrived.

The lights went out,

And the two girls(?) lay in their respective beds.

Then Lucera, the girl, cautiously opened her mouth.

“Miss Laffrey, actually, I know.”

Gulp—

What exactly did she know.

The fact that Leffrey was actually a boy?

Or that he was an angel?

Whatever the fact was, it was bad news for Leffrey.

“I know the reason why miss Laffrey avoided entering the bathhouse with me.”

“Pardon…..?”

Thump, thump—His heart began to beat a little faster.

“It’s to protect it, isn’t it?”

“Y-Yes?”

Protect what? What on earth was there to protect?

“Your purity.”

“P-Purity?”

What an absurd thing to say. Leffrey silently screamed. What on earth was this girl suddenly talking about?

“I’ve heard that those who value their purity naturally avoid the gazes of men and also avoid women’s bathhouses because there might be women with impure thoughts.”

“…”

So there’s a tradition like that in the other world.

It seemed even more extreme than Medieval Land.

Leffrey was at a loss for words.

‘Wait, then if I just agree, doesn’t that mean I can avoid bathing with Lucera from now on?’

“Yes, you’ve caught me.”

“Fufu, no, it’s okay. Protecting your purity is an important thing. I really understand.”

Lucera continued, her voice full of admiration.

“I never thought there would be someone like you even at the Central Academy.”

And the girl’s words pierced in.

“Just imagining it makes me sick. Carelessly exposing my skin to other men, sleeping in the same space as a man, or seeing a man’s naked body…”

If they do see it?

“You would lose your purity and then be sent to hell for that sin. I hate it. Absolutely hate it. It’s too scary…!”

“Ahahaha, I see.”

Honestly, her negligee was way too revealing. And for a man and a woman to share the same space? This too was unavoidable in this situation. To show his naked body?

…Leffrey was suffering.

He was suffering from guilt.

“We must protect our purity. We must. That’s what Heaven has commanded.”

Leffrey couldn’t easily respond to her muttering filled with fanaticism.