Jun Hao stared at Lion's "bad girl" expression. Normally, he would've fired back immediately, but now wasn't the time.
For the moment, he had to avoid being cornered. Otherwise, after this "battle," he probably wouldn't even be able to walk.
The real problem was... where could he even hide?
The Royal Navy bathhouse was spacious and brightly lit, but in Jun Hao's eyes, that only made things worse.
Lion didn't give him any time to think. With a playful smile, she suddenly grabbed his head with both hands.
In the next instant, his vision went dark. An overwhelming force pushed him straight into the warm water, followed by a soft, elastic pressure pressing firmly against his cheeks.
At that exact moment, the door opened.
"Splash!"
Accompanied by the soft sound of water, four elegant figures stepped into the bathhouse.
Illustrious, who led the group, immediately noticed Lion leaning casually against the edge of the pool.
"Good afternoon, Miss Lion."
Her smile was gentle, her voice as soothing as ever.
-ILLUSTRIOUS-[1]
"Here for a soak as well?"
Lion subtly adjusted her position, shielding the water behind her more completely.
A faint, lazy smile curved her lips.
"What kind of question is that? What else would I be doing here if not soaking?"
Illustrious stepped forward, allowing the warm water to slowly rise around her.
Her gaze drifted past Lion's back as if by accident, though a flicker of curiosity passed through her blue eyes.
"That's true~ But with the Commander currently staying with the Royal Navy... places like this can sometimes be used for more than just bathing, don't you think?"
Hearing the pointed remark, Lion let out a soft snort.
"How amusing. Just earlier, I thought I heard someone lecturing her younger sisters about maintaining a proper, lady-like image at all times. And now, in the blink of an eye, you're the one saying something so... suggestive?"
Illustrious remained completely unfazed, her composed smile never wavering.
"Oh my, it's perfectly fine. There are no outsiders here, after all."
Her gaze swept the bathhouse once more before settling behind Lion.
"The only ones here are a certain gentleman's wives, aren't they?"
'What a troublesome woman...'
After just a few exchanges, Lion realized Illustrious was far more difficult to deal with than she had expected.
As expected of a "senior" who had been with the Commander since the early days of the Port.
If she wanted tomorrow's date to go perfectly, then she had no choice but to risk everything today to keep him hidden underwater.
Meanwhile, beneath the surface, Jun Hao was reaching his limit. He carefully shifted his body, trying to find a blind spot where he could steal a quick breath.
Lion felt the movement and couldn't help but tremble slightly.
"Ah!"
Illustrious immediately looked over, concern flickering in her eyes.
"Is something the matter?"
Lion lightly slapped the surface of the water.
'Commander, stay still!' she thought, barely holding back her reaction.
At the same time, she stretched her arms casually, disguising the movement as natural.
"It's nothing. Today's been exhausting. You know how difficult New Jersey and the others can be."
As she spoke, she deliberately stirred the water with her arms, creating gentle ripples that masked the disturbance Jun Hao made when he briefly surfaced for air.
Jun Hao seized the brief opening to quickly scan his surroundings. Whether it was Illustrious or her younger sisters, all four of them carried themselves with graceful elegance.
This wasn't just a feast for the eyes, it was outright indulgent.
At that moment, Jun Hao was completely certain that hiding had been the right choice. Otherwise, let alone dealing with them, his body probably wouldn't have survived the situation in more ways than one.
Just as he sank back underwater, Victorious's bright, lively voice rang out.
"Sister Illustrious, Miss Lion, do you think the Commander will really come to the bathhouse? If he does... does that mean we might have a chance to..."
-VICTORIOUS-[2]
"Ahem. A lady should mind her words, Victorious."
Illustrious gently cut her off.
"Oh..."
Victorious fell quiet, sounding a little aggrieved, though the excitement in her eyes didn't fade.
She still remembered that warm moment between Jun Hao and Elizabeth. Ever since then, she had secretly hoped that one day, she would receive that same gentle treatment.
Formidable appeared composed on the surface, but inwardly, she felt oddly restless.
Her instincts were telling her something. If she didn't switch places with Indomitable now, she would definitely miss out on something.
And she chose to trust that feeling.
"Um... Indomitable, could we switch places? It feels a bit too warm on this side."
-FORMIDABLE-[3]
Indomitable didn't even try to hide her reluctance.
"That's just your imagination. Honestly, how troublesome..."
-INDOMITABLE-[4]
"Please, it's just a quick switch. It won't take any effort. Just this once, Indomitable..." Formidable insisted softly.
Faced with her persistence, Indomitable clicked her tongue in mild annoyance.
"Tsk... fine."
"Great! I'll bring you some cake next time."
With that, the two swapped places. The moment they did, Jun Hao felt his heart sink.
His original plan had been to quietly move toward Indomitable's side, then slip away while Lion kept Illustrious and the others distracted.
As for Indomitable, given her lazy nature, he was certain she wouldn't bother exposing him.
But now that Formidable had taken her place, that plan was completely ruined.
So now... how was he supposed to escape?
Meanwhile, as Lion casually continued her conversation with Illustrious, she subtly checked beneath the water, only to find that the familiar presence was gone.
Her heart tightened instantly.
This Commander... how could he just slip away without a word?
With Illustrious watching her so closely, it wasn't easy for her to dive down and check.
At this point, without Lion's cover, Jun Hao had no choice but to take a gamble. He would have to trust that Formidable wouldn't expose him either.
With that in mind, he quietly swam closer and lightly tapped her thigh.
"!"
The sudden touch made Formidable flinch, immediately drawing Illustrious's attention.
"Is something wrong, Formidable?"
"N-No, nothing at all. The water just feels a little too warm. Sister Illustrious, Miss Lion, please continue your conversation. There's no need to mind me."
As she spoke, Formidable subtly shifted her position, as if shielding something behind her.
Illustrious raised an eyebrow slightly, as though confirming a suspicion. After a brief pause, she chose not to press further and calmly resumed her conversation with Lion.
Lowering her voice to a whisper only he could hear, Formidable murmured toward the water,
"Commander... what exactly are you doing here...?"
Jun Hao quickly gestured in response.
| I can't explain it right now... just cover for me while I get out. I'll bring you some cake later. Your favorite. |
"Hmm... alright. But next time, I want the Commander to feed me personally. I heard Miss Lion say you did that for Miss New Jersey and the others."
| Fine, fine. It's a deal! |
Jun Hao gave her an "OK" sign, then, using her as cover, swiftly slipped out of the pool in one smooth motion.
-+ + +-
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Novels Available:
-> Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street. (Translation)
-> Azur Lane: Don't Fight! You're All My Wives! (Translation)
-> Zenless Zone Zero: Death in White. (Original - P@treon Only Until It Reaches 30 Chapters)
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