1 — How Do You Do?

Although a tad weary, Mr. Fisalis returned home from Aurantia without a scratch. What’s more, he actually participated in an event at the Royal Palace like a real functioning adult! We were all shocked at that, I tell you!

The Mr. Fisalis we knew would have probably said something like, “I skipped the dinner because I missed Viola so much,” and would have just ignored the event, along with his subordinates (how is it that they can all do that, anyway?)

It’s better that he’s taking things more seriously now, I suppose. It’s better that he is... well, better.

But he didn’t stop with just attending the work function: he even obeyed me when I suggested he turn in early, exhausted as he was (although really, I also suggested this because the servants would have lost precious R&R time the later he stayed up). This, too, was unexpected.

I don’t understand why he’s suddenly gotten so obedient, but... well, I’ll just be happy he made it home in one piece and leave it at that.

Just as I turned back towards my room, intending to go to bed after escorting Mr. Fisalis to his own chambers, Dahlia cleared her throat.

“Off to bed with you as well, then, Madam. Tomorrow you’ll be going to the repatriation ceremony,” she declared most unfortunately. It was just like her, though, to be calm and collected no matter the hour.

“Huh? Isn’t my father-in-law going in our stead?” He went to the deployment ceremony, so I was sure he’d go to this, too. So there’s no point in me going as well, right? I thought, tilting my head in confusion.

“It would not be at all unusual for you to go, considering it would be a hard-earned moment of glory for Master. The former duke and duchess will also be in attendance, so there’s nothing for you to worry about,” came the reply.

The earlier deployment ceremony was an event to send off the troops and wish them well amid lavish spectacle. Mr. Fisalis’ special ops division generally operated under secrecy, so they left with no such fanfare. There were only regular soldiers at the deployment ceremony, if I recall. And some of them even tried hitting on me there... great, now I’m remembering something unpleasant. It was a good thing Mr. Fisalis wasn’t there. If he ever found out I’d been hit on (and maybe accidentally hit on them back?), who knows what that idiot would do. Those guys narrowly escaped a painful death, what with Mr. Fisalis not being around!

Anyway, let’s just put those thoughts aside.

Right, this time around, Mr. Fisalis and the other division members would be the main focus of the ceremony. Buuuut, that and whether I actually wanted to go were two different things.

“No, no, my father-in-law being there isn’t the problem, it’s that I can’t stand official functions...” I whined, earning me a scowl from Dahlia that scared me so badly my voice dropped to a mumble at the end.

“And besides! Mimosa still isn’t feeling well, so she won’t be able to transform me, right? The other maids could do a decent job, but it’ll look sloppy without her finishing touches at the end, right? We can’t let all of high society know what a plain, average girl I really am! Or rather, I can’t let them see me like that.” In truth, I wasn’t sure who would have a harder time—my peers realizing what I really looked like, or me.

“That is no cause for worry. My daughter will be here tomorrow. She will get you ready.” My opposition was dismissed like it was nothing.

“Who will do what now?” I literally did not understand the words that Dahlia was saying and stared dumbly, mouth slightly ajar.

“I already informed you of this matter some time ago. Mimosa’s replacement.”

“Oh! Yes, you did!”

“So you’ve remembered?”

“Yep!”

“Her replacement will be my daughter, Stellaria. I am quite relieved that we acquired a suitable substitute in time for the repatriation ceremony.”

Ah, yes, that’s right. Dahlia did tell me that her daughter would be coming here! She said right after Mimosa’s pregnancy was revealed that she would hire a replacement. We have a lot of maids, but they each already have their own jobs to do, so we couldn’t just tell one of them, “You’re Madam’s new personal maid starting tomorrow, ’kay☆”

This information had come out after the deployment ceremony, a month and a half ago.

On that note, up until now Dahlia and the other members of the Spa Squad had been taking turns helping me. I had been going to see Mimosa so frequently that I had completely forgotten about her incoming replacement!

“Okay, I remember now. Your daughter is coming tomorrow and her name’s Stellaria, yes. I get it now. What a cute name!”

“Thank you very much. She has her faults, but I do hope you’ll be a suitable match.”

It’s not like you’re giving her away for marriage, Dahlia! “I’m excited to meet her. I really hope we can be friends.”

“I’m sure you will. She is twenty-one, so not all that much older than you.”

“Oh really? She’ll be like an older sister, then!”

“I’m honored to hear you say that. Do sleep well, now that you’ve been reassured.”

“Whaaat? But there’s more I wanna ask! Like, does Stellaria look like you? Or does she take after Cartham?”

“...People often say she has her father’s face...”

“She must be gorgeous, then! Not that she wouldn’t be beautiful if she looked like you, though. She’d be pretty no matter which parent she looked like. I’m beyond envious! What’s her personality like?”

“Hmm, how would I explain it? Perhaps it would be better if you observed her and learned for yourself. That would be one more thing to look forward to.”

“Oh! Good thinking!” Well said... not! Dahlia was definitely the more eloquent one in this conversation, I realized.

“Well then, tomorrow will be another early start, so be sure to get plenty of rest.”

“You bet! The sooner I go to bed, the sooner tomorrow will come, and the sooner I’ll get to meet your daughter!” I said, getting more and more excited.

I crawled under the covers at Dahlia’s behest.

So I’ll get to meet her tomorrow. And she takes after Cartham. Does that mean she’s the cute type? Maybe she’d be the elegant type if she resembled Dahlia. Hmph, it’s hard to picture what a combination of Cartham and Dahlia would be like. The both of them tend towards extremes, in a way. It’s really testing my imagination.

Either way, I’m totally looking forward to seeing what kind of person she is! I hope tomorrow comes quickly...

...Woah, it’s already morning...

“Good morning, Madam.”

“Morning, Dahlia.”

Bright sunlight filled my bedroom when Dahlia opened the curtains. What a refreshing way to wake up!

Dahlia came to wake me up, like she always did, but this time, the maid trailing behind her was neither Mimosa nor any member of the Spa Squad.

Huh, a new maid... Argh, I’m trying to think while half-asleep again. It’s Dahlia’s daughter, duh! I’m such a ditz when I first wake up. I guess it’s better than not waking up at all, though. Either way, I must be a sorry sight standing here in my nightgown.

She didn’t much resemble Dahlia at first glance, but then again, that isn’t usually something you can tell right away.

Dahlia pointed out her daughter to me as I put on the shawl she’d handed me.

“I know it’s still very early, but I brought my daughter with me. This is Stellaria. She’ll be your helper, assisting you in getting ready and throughout your day, in Mimosa’s stead,” Dahlia said, introducing her daughter.

Just as Dahlia had told me yesterday, a gentle smile bearing a striking resemblance to Cartham’s spread lightly across Stellaria’s face.

“How do you do, Madam? I am Stellaria, Cartham and Dahlia’s daughter. It’s my utmost pleasure to serve you in Mimosa’s stead. I intend to put my heart and soul into this, so I do hope you’ll be pleased with me,” she said with a clear voice and a deep bow. Her manners and attitude certainly do resemble Dahlia’s! And now that I think of it, so does her voice.

Getting another good look at her face when she turned to face me, I saw that her wavy blonde hair and deep green eyes not only made for an impressively gentle look, but very much did resemble Cartham. And the way she’s allowed a little bit of her soft-looking hair to fall out of her bun is really stylish! Like Dahlia, she’s not very tall—but she has Cartham’s model-quality features. I thought she’d be more of the cute type, but I’m surprised by how refined she actually looks.

“Stellaria! I’m Viola. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I gave a little nod of my own.

Dahlia watched our introductions without a word, but spoke up here when we paused.

“Now that the introductions are out of the way, let’s get you ready. Time is not on our side today,” she said, returning us to our old routine.

“That’s right. Let’s try to be done before breakfast,” Stellaria added, following in her mother’s footsteps. I shouldn’t have expected these two would be on anything but the exact same wavelength. I was strangely relieved.

“I’m going to draw your bath. I’ll be back shortly,” Dahlia said, turning to the bathroom.

“And I’ll go take a look at your outfit and jewelry for the day.” Outwardly, Stellaria’s lenient attitude resembled Cartham the most, but her tone of voice and mannerisms were direct, just like Dahlia.

While Dahlia was away tending to the bath, Stellaria gathered my clothes and accessories from the dressing room. Whoa, they’re really in sync with each other.

“We haven’t the time today, so the Spa Squad won’t be joining us, unfortunately. I’ll be giving you a gentle massage instead.”

“Fine by me.” Wow, she knew about the Spa Squad! She must have dived right into her new job.

Stellaria kneaded my relaxed, post-bath body before she put on my makeup.

“Master and the knights will be in their uniforms today, so your own clothes will be a matching shade of navy, my lady. Navy is a neat and tidy hue, so I’m certain you’ll like it. It’s a somewhat subdued color, however, so why don’t we do something to liven up the look? You’re still young, and it would be a terrible waste not to emphasize that. Oh, but don’t worry, it won’t be showy or gaudy! I’ll keep you squarely in that simple style you favor so much. As for your hair, since you seem to usually wear it tied back, I think I’ll put it in a twist for today. Changing up your look a bit will do you good.”

“You’re right. Go ahead and do that.”

She must have gotten in touch with Mimosa already if she knows my preferences and usual hairstyle! She certainly didn’t take her time getting used to her new job. And on top of that, she was more objective than even Mimosa when it came to examining her raw materials (me) and picking out a gown. It would be a waste not to emphasize my youth? That thought never occurred to me.

“Since the event today will be held in a banquet hall, you won’t need to worry about sun exposure, so why don’t we try something a little daring and show some décolletage? I’m certain you’ll look great! The jewelry will look all the more impressive on a lower neckline.”

I should have known a former lady-in-waiting would know the particulars of any function I was attending!

Stellaria then went into my dressing room, quickly found the gown she was talking about, and brought it out to show me. She really didn’t waste any time! She had everything laid out and ready so quickly that I couldn’t get a word in edgewise and could only pout petulantly. It was, in a word, astonishing.

Dahlia, for her part, had been watching Stellaria work in silence—perhaps with a small sense of competition, waiting to see what her daughter could do.

“So what do you think of this navy gown, Madam? It shows a bit of cleavage, but since your necklace is rather large, I don’t think you’ll feel too exposed. Oh, also, since it will offer a little push, you’ll be wearing your corset a bit tight, so please do bear with it.”

Seeing the efficiency with which Stellaria prepared my gown and jewelry, I got the sense that she could truly give Mimosa a run for her money. The gown was just a tad flashy in terms of its cut and it certainly did display the décolletage, both of which provided the outfit with a slight air of daring. She mentioned lacing my corset tighter to give me a push... I guess she meant that it’ll add some volume to my flat chest! She conveyed her message very well, even without saying it directly! I suppose I owe it to her to put up with it, then...

“Your skin is just so beautiful, Madam! It looks so supple and soft. You take excellent care of it!”

Even the massage she gave me before she applied my makeup made it clear she was something of a prodigy. Her touch banished my morning pallor and made my skin feel nice and elastic. Bravo! I was grateful for her compliments on my skin, too, but that was all the result of Mimosa and her squad’s hard work.

“I’ll give your hair just a light combing today, since we are short on time,” Stellaria said briskly, gazing at my hair in admiration. “Please change into this.” And just like that, I was almost ready for breakfast.

How the heck is she this efficient? When she’s quiet she seems like a laid-back beauty like Cartham, but once she starts moving and talking... boy is she ever an exercise in promptness! Mother’s gathering up my discarded night clothes and quickly putting them away, while daughter moves just as quickly to get me dressed.

Once the groundwork, you could say, was mostly laid, she ran the comb easily through my hair and dressed me in one of my usual dresses. But wait—this is a normal dress. Aren’t I getting ready to go out? I thought to myself.

“Um, what...?” I started to say to Stellaria, only for both her and Dahlia to react to my voice at exactly the same time. They’re almost terrifyingly in sync! It’s basically like I have two Dahlias! How can this be? I couldn’t hold back a subtle shiver.

“Er, Stellaria? I’m sorry, but, is this what I should be wearing right now? Shouldn’t I be in my gown?” I asked her again.

“We’ll put your gown on and do your makeup after breakfast. We’re going to knock Master off his feet with your magnificent transformation! Teehee!” Stellaria tittered, her eyes gleaming playfully as she apparently changed gears from efficiency to rascal mode.

She definitely did not inherit that trait from Dahlia. Yup, she’s got Cartham’s blood running through her veins, that’s for sure. ...She’s a perfect combination of both parents.