I Became an Ant Lord, So I Built a Hive Full of Beauties-Chapter 203: Kai’s Cleaning!

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She wore a simple bathing robe made from woven silkweed. The cloth, light as gossamer, clung to her curves, still damp from the bath. The outline of her regal form was nearly visible beneath, but she stood proud, commanding as always, antennae gently flicking with calm grace.

Kai paused a few steps away. His gaze rose to meet hers.

"The bathing room is ready," Akayoroi said softly, voice as smooth as still water. "We’ve finished. You may use it now."

She glanced over her shoulder briefly.

Behind her, the other assassin ants were drifting back into the tunnels. Sha with her hair tied loosely, Vel and Naaro adjusting their thin robes and whispering about whether the queen was going to speak with Kai alone. Azhara was last to exit, hips swaying slightly with her natural flair for mischief.

She gave Kai a toothy grin.

"Sir Kai," Azhara cooed, tilting her head with exaggerated innocence, "need a hand with the scrubbing? Or... would you prefer something more personalized?" Her voice dripped with playful implication.

Kai gave her a look of practiced neutrality.

"You can assist the wounded," he said flatly, brushing past her with barely a glance.

"Ouch," Azhara said with a pout, placing a hand to her chest. She thinks, "Cold as always. One of these days, Sir Ant... I’ll make you mine."

He kept walking.

Akayoroi let a small amused breath escape her lips. "You have no shortage of admirers."

"I didn’t ask for any," Kai muttered, pausing near her.

She tilted her head, studying his expression. "Then why help us so willingly?"

He didn’t answer right away. His gaze flicked briefly down the hallway—where the others had disappeared. Then back to her.

"Because I could."

Akayoroi gave a quiet nod. "Then let us return the courtesy, Kai. Rest well. And enjoy the bath. Our waters may be humble, but they feel warm."

"I’ve seen worse," he said simply, stepping forward.

As he passed, his shoulder brushed hers slightly—an accidental graze of contact that lingered in the still air. She did not move.

Kai turned the corner and entered the bathing chamber, steam rising in curling sheets around him.

Akayoroi watched for a moment longer before turning to join her sisters.

In the stillness behind him, a single thought drifted across Kai’s mind like fog through the trees. "This place is strange... but strangely peaceful."

He stepped through the curtain of mist. The stone path sloped downward into a cavern lit softly by glowing moss and warm mineral vents. The air was thick with humidity and tinged with the scent of crushed herbs—clearly a healing bath meant for warriors.

He undressed slowly, armor clinking as he placed it on a rock shelf. His back was lined with muscle and marred with some claw scars. Steam curled around his body as he stepped into the shimmering blue pool fed by a hot spring. He sank into the warmth, closing his eyes.

Far above, in a narrow gap between support columns and hanging rocks, four shadows peered down with widened eyes and twitching antennae.

"I... I thought we were just making sure he was okay," Sha whispered, her voice breathless.

Naaro’s mandibles clicked nervously. "That was the original plan."

"It’s turned into something else entirely," Vel murmured, her antennae stiff with curiosity and something else.

Azhara elbowed Vel playfully. "Well, what’s wrong with some innocent admiration? We’re warriors, not monks." Her amber eyes gleamed with amusement. "Besides... you all saw the way he moved in that fight. That back wasn’t carved by accident."

They all lean a little closer.

Kai shifted in the water, sighing as his muscles loosened. Droplets ran down his jaw, his hair slicked back, shoulders glistening under the faint moonlight.

Sha’s breath hitched. "By the Queen’s glands... he’s really handsome. I mean—how is his waist that slim?"

Vel’s cheeks darkened. "His hip ratio is... incredibly balanced. That’s rare in insectoid evolution. It must be some mutation from the east."

Azhara chuckled. "I think it’s called ’perfection.’ Do you think his abs are sharp enough to cut our silk?"

They all snickered softly.

Kai shifted again, water lapping against his chest. One leg extended over a flat rock, the muscles along his thighs tensing.

Naaro gasped softly. "Is it normal to feel this... fluttery? Is this pheromones or just... attraction?"

Azhara smirked. "Probably both. Don’t worry, little antennae. You’re just catching feelings."

Sha covered her mandibles with her hands. "I’m catching something, alright..."

Vel gave her a sidelong glance. "You’re the one who said you’d never like a man who got harem potential. But... here you are admiring him like a little girl, who found her first love."

"I didn’t expect his whole body to be a trap!" Sha whispered harshly. "How do you defend against... that?!"

The savage rabbit girl Azhara giggled again. "With surrender."

Down below, Kai had no idea of the eyes watching him. He was lost in his thoughts, memories of Luna and Miryam flickering behind his eyes. His fingers traced a pattern on the water’s surface, absent-minded.

"I need to get back soon," he murmured. "They’re definitely worried..."

But he stayed a little longer, letting the heat wash away the battles and the burdens. Above, the girls kept watching, sighing in unison.

Sha leaned her head against Vel’s shoulder. "If he asked me to train alone with him in the deep forest or tunnels, I’d say yes."

Naaro hummed. "If he offered to carry me across mud puddles, I’d cry."

Azhara placed her hands behind her head, relaxing against the stone. "If he sneezed in my chest, I’d thank him."

"What!!! Why sneeze? Why don’t you think about him playing with your body?"

Their whispering giggles echoed softly, barely louder than the steam rising off the bath.

Vel finally said, "We should probably leave before we get caught."

"But just five more minutes," Azhara begged.

"Fine. Five more," Sha agreed, her eyes never leaving Kai’s shoulders.

As the steam thickened and the air grew warmer, the line between innocent admiration and full-blown crush began to blur.

Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om