16 Peace at Home

My mother came rushing towards me as soon as I came through the door. Before I could even take another step, I was already dragged into my mother's embrace.

"Oh, I'm so glad you are safe; I've been worried all day." Holding me tightly, I was once again struck with pain, but I tried to bear it as I didn't want to ruin this moment or make her worry.

"I-..." I was also at a loss for words since I haven't felt this kind of embrace in years, and I forgot how to speak due to the surge of emotions that welled up inside me. All I could do was hug back and try not to let any tears escape. If there were one good thing that came from this timeline swap, it would be that my mother is alive again.

"Alright, I should get back to the kitchen before dinner ends up in flames. The bath is also already filled, so feel free to take one before we eat." Pulling away from the hug, she gave me a smile before walking back.

"Okay, thanks Mum." It was an indescribable feeling that melted away all of the horrible feelings I had been going through and gave me a sense of peace.

'I probably should take that bath though.' Not wanting to waste any more time, I quickly dropped off my bag in my room and grabbed what looked like a one-piece dress that was neatly folded on my bed, thanks Mum. Quickly moving to my closet, I picked out a new pair of underwear which was quite awkward and made me feel like I was snooping in someone else's drawers, but I kept telling myself that this is mine and I am not some creep.

Once I gathered everything I entered the bathroom, hot steam rose from the small tub engulfing most of the room with the only vent being a small vent in the roof. Stripping down to just my underwear, I looked in the mirror to see the state my body was in. There were quite a few brown spots on my ribs, but nothing too severe.

'Hopefully, these will be the last marks I receive.' While staring, for some reason, I impulsively touched the bruise and winced in pain.

'God damn, they are tender.' I have no idea why I did that to myself, but anyway, I take off my remaining clothes and step foot into the bath. The temperature was set perfectly, making me wonder if magic was capable of being that precise. As far as I could tell, my mother used magic pretty easily, but I didn't know how good she was at it or the bath had that kind of function.

Letting myself sink into the water, it felt extremely refreshing to be able to relax properly. Not to say hanging out with Lyra wasn't nice, but with old feelings resurfacing, my heart is constantly on overdrive.

'I really do like rushing things... It's only been a day, and I'm already trying to date a different version of my best friend.' It was quite bizarre to think about, but it was also a bit of a reality check to calm down.

I still had so much more to learn about this world and how to survive in it, that dating should be the last thing I worry about.

'Although, do I really need to? This world is already quite similar. I'm just missing culture and common knowledge, which I will eventually learn about.' It was quite an internal battle if I should worry about such things since I am content with what I know so far. On one hand, it would be helpful, but more often than not, it is almost the exact same, just under a different name.

'Oh well, maybe my focus should be on just getting through this school year. If anything, that's the most immediate problem and probably the most avoidable.' Knowing it was just the beginning of the bullying, I needed to find a reliable way to protect myself while also not ruining my life in the process.

Hurting a noble is out of the question, as it would be if I got sued by a multi-million-dollar company. I could run away, but that would most likely add fuel to the fire rather than be helpful.

There was also the idea of achieving noble status, but the more I thought about it, the more unrealistic it became. As cool as I wish I was, my magic seemed normal, meaning it wouldn't be possible at least for now.

*Sigh* 'I really have no way to avoid getting bullied unless I stick to Lyra like glue.' I sank even lower in the bath and blew bubbles into the water, hoping some sort of eureka moment would happen.

However, now that I was getting distracted, my thoughts began to wander, and I looked down at myself. The steam made it hard to see, but once again I was facing the reality of being a girl and getting turned on by myself.

'With such a good-looking body, I'm surprised I don't get mistaken for a noble.' Feeling the curves of my body with my hands, it really was the ideal body type. I had great proportions, smooth skin, and surprisingly, no acne or some kind of skin problem. What more could I ask for? I already had my natural beauty stat maxed out.

As I continued to respectfully examine myself, I couldn't help but feel a few tingles when touching some sensitive parts.

'Ren would kill to be in my position right now; I bet he would spend all night enjoying himself... kind of gross to think about, and I couldn't imagine the mess.'

'However… I am in the bath; maybe I could just this once.' Curiosity getting the better of me. My hands begin to slide down and started exploring certain areas… ahem, I'll be right back.

*

<One long bath later>

'Phew, that felt a lot better than I imagined, and I feel like I could have kept going.' Coming out of the bathroom in the one-piece dress that was ever so slightly see-through, I made my way to the kitchen, where it looked like dinner was about to be ready. Luckily, my bruises were not visible through the dress, and none appeared on my arms or legs, which was a relief.

"Hey sweetie, enjoy your bath? You were in there for quite some time." My mother worked away in the kitchen still cooking, asking about my bath, which more or less was enjoyable.

"It was nice, especially after such a long day." I couldn't admit what I spent most of my time doing, but I did indeed enjoy the bath.

"That's good." Looking up from the kitchen to have a look at me, she turned her head for some reason, and I got extremely worried.

'Please don't tell me there was a bruise I didn't see. I know I was quite dazed when getting out, but I'm sure I checked.' Waiting to hear what my mother had to say, I fidgeted as she looked.

"Your face is quite red; was the water too hot? Do you feel sick?" Relief washed over me, as it was a lot more tame than I thought.

"N-n-no, the water was perfect, and I feel fine." Stuttering my way through the explanation, I realised that there was no way that my mother didn't think something was up.

"Hmmm, okayyyy." Turning back to her cooking with a smirk, I felt my face burn up from embarrassment. The image of my mother being innocent was shattered right then and there. Although it's a given that my mother isn't innocent, it's not something I'm comfortable with yet.

I wanted to bash my head against the wall as a swarm of thoughts invaded my mind, which I wished to unthink, but no matter what, my brain resorted to something lewd.

'Urghhh, why did I have to fall to temptation already? The steam must have gotten to my head.' I felt the world spin as I tried to think of an excuse, but no matter how I put it, I finally caved into my intrusive thoughts and violated myself. It would have happened sooner or later, but I thought my will was stronger. No doubt, if I were in a timeline where I didn't have things to worry about, that bath would have been 10 times longer! But no, I need to have some self-control.

'If you can't beat it... I think It's just about time I embrace this feminine side that I never thought would manifest.'

'All those times I thought about being a girl and wearing their type of clothes... it is TIME TO FULLY EMB-'

"Dinner time, sweetie." As I was hyping myself up to accept the feminine side within me, dinner was placed right in front of me.

"O-oh, thank you, Mum." My thoughts had come to a complete halt, and suddenly the inspiration I felt was nowhere to be seen.

*Sigh* 'Maybe it isn't time yet.' Picking up the fork, I began to eat my sorrows away alongside a failed attempt at accepting reality.