Standing next to Ryuze after having gotten down, I looked around my surroundings. There was a pond close by here, the horse went as it pleased, and drank some water.\n\nāThere are a lot of ponds hereā¦ā\nāYeah, a lot of water was probably collected after the volcanic eruption. Although I say that, the water thatās actually drinkable is very limited, it is within the zone of the volcano. Thereās lots of components thatās mixed with the water. The pond that the horse is drinking from will probably be alright.ā\nāHeeh, horses sure are capableā\n\nOther than the transparent pond the horse was drinking from, there are muddy, reddish brown ponds too. Having got my interest caught, I approached the corner of the pond and stuck my hand in. The water within the pond was warmed up to a good temperature. Although it comes with a slight smell of rusty ironā¦\n\nāItās kind of like a hot springā\nāOyaa, Britany knows of hot springs?ā\nāā¦ Yes, um, I think I red a book with something like thatā\n\nA normal lady, especially a shut-in like Britany, would probably have no way of knowing something like a natural hot spring. I used whatever explanation that worked.\n\nāIs that itā¦ Certainly, there are hot springs in the capital too. Unlike here, the seaside gets boiled thereā\n\nThe warm water looks as though itās going to gush out of the pond. Warm Bubbles are formed in-between the cracks of small rocks.\n\nāAnoā¦ is it possible to draw this water to town?ā\nāEh? Whatās the matter, all of a suddenā¦ā\nāEtto, I thought itād be useable as bathing waterā\n\nHis eyes looked at me as though saying whatās this fatty on about? But it canāt be helped. This place probably never had the concept of using water from hot springs. It doesnāt even have a conduit after all!\n\nThere wasnāt any depiction on hot springs in the manga either. The only concept for baths is boil water, put in tub. Regardless of it being the capital or outskirts, there may be those that soak in a natural hot spring, but itās definitely not deciphered as a typical action to do.\n\nāBritany sure says strange thingsā¦ Although I there are often scenes were animals use them, to actually use it as a substitute for bathsā¦ā\nāEtto, leaving nobles aside, commoners donāt actually take baths, right? Even in winter, they only wipe themselves with cold, wet clothes. Donāt you think itās cold, unhygienic and bad for the body?ā\n\nThere are a lot of people who die from sickness in the winter, especially in lands that are extremely cold during that season. Although Iām expressing such a reasonable excuse, in truth, all I want is to bath whenever I exercise without hesitation. Protecting the health of people while Iām at it, isnāt that killing two birds with one stone?\n\nI proposed making public bathhouses to Ryuze. I think there was such thing in the past for Europe too. The me whoās lacking in skill, did not know the particular details though.\n\nāEven if we make those, thereās no guarantee that the commoners will use them. Unlike us, they have never bathed before. Wouldnāt it become a wasted effort? And, to engineer and establish such a system requires money, weāre quite a poor placeā\nāā¦ I guess so, you are quiet rightā\nāBy the way, close to the residence, thereās an area of hot water arising from undergroundā¦ itās too hot to use for water fields, thereās volcanic components mixed in the water so no oneās using it either. The stream that flows from there, does Britany want?ā\nāEh, I want! It does lies within our area, right?ā\nāOf course, within the mansionās premises. Letās consult with grandfather once we get backā\n\nRyuze is, as I thought, really soft on me. It still remains a mystery why he is so nice to this fatty.\n\nāBritany, although we canāt draw from the hot springs, there are plans to put our areaās conduit in order. I too, want to improve the sanitary conditions in this land. I studied in the capital for that purpose. Right nowā¦ just unable to put a hand on it due to the lack of fundsā\nāWas that soā¦ as expected of Ryuze-oniisamaā\nāā¦ You really have changed, completely like a different personā\nāI-is that soā¦ā\nāIt is. Previously, you only stayed in your room, eating sweets, never even thought about the territory, more likeā¦ā\nāMore likeā¦?ā\n\nI pressed for the sequel. He averted my eyes and swallowed his words. Un. Definitely an insult of some sort.\n\nāAnyways, to see to you grow like this, Iām very happyā\nāā¦ Thank you very much?ā\nāIf itās the you right now, Iāll have a piece of mind when you marry outā\nāEhā¦?ā\n\nI stared at my cousin in bewilderment.\n\nāAh, I meant in several years, of course. Your only twelveā\nāThat was a shockā¦ā\nāBut, sooner or laterā¦ youāll have to leave this placeā\nāI know. Having a political marriage is, my roleā¦ Iāll try wherever practical to marry into a rich familyā\nI doubtfully gazed at him as I replied.\nā\nSomeone as perspective as him couldnāt not have noticed Britanyās affection towards him, right? If he said those lines knowing that, I will need to reassess this male cousin of mineā¦ He is, by no means, a Ryuze-oniisama thatās only nice.\n\n\n