25 — Roll Out!

My dress was finished a week later.

According to the madam, my order was given the highest priority.

I really didn’t like the feeling that I was throwing my financial weight around, though.

She summed up my completed dress and the matching accessories I had purchased as “absolutely stunning!”

It was a pity that I was going to be the one modeling them, then.

It was now one week until the party.

I had the art of dance thoroughly drilled into me during the mornings by Rohtas, and was massaged, steamed, and squeezed by the Spa Squad in the afternoons. The result of everyone’s time spent bettering me—the fruits of their labor, I guess—was that I had come to resemble something of a respectable young wife.

That resemblance was entirely subjective, though.

Since I was so stressed from being sashayed and squished and squeezed all day, I begged the servants to let me do housework.

At that point, Rohtas and Dalia understood that this was just who I was.

And then... I was ready, and the day of the party finally arrived.

Since I wanted to avoid things that would wear me out right before I charged into battle, I had the Spa Squad take it easy on me. Afterwards, Mimosa applied my makeup and I felt like a new woman. No stiff robotic movements, today!

“You look all the more stunning today, Madam!” Mimosa said, and I could see her eyes twinkling in the mirror as she stood behind me.

I sure know I was surprised by how I looked.

Rather than looking like the textbook example of poor fashion sense and mediocrity, as I usually did, what I saw in the mirror was a graceful young lady—nay, a young wife!

It was a complete and glorious transformation, if I do say so myself.

If I’d had before and after pictures, I’m certain people would have thought they were of two different girls.

“You really didn’t hold back, Mimosa! This is amazing. I look like a different person.”

The more I looked, the harder it was to believe it was really me.

I was born with hooded eyelids, but my eyes aren’t actually that big. Now, though, they looked wide open. Oh, the power of eyeshadow!

My lips were normally nothing to write home about, either, but now they were full and glossy, and with a charming sparkle.

I’ll have to be careful not to eat anything so I don’t rub off the lipstick!

The eye catching corsage on the bust of my mermaid-style dress hid my flat chest. And although the frills that cascaded from around my hips down to the hem accentuated my youthfulness, they actually functioned to make my hips look bigger, too.

Overall it was a simple yet glamorous look. The dress was truly a testament to the madam’s skill.

“I really didn’t put that much makeup on you. You’re already so naturally pretty that I didn’t have to,” Mimosa pouted cutely in response to my subdued reaction.

“Then I’ll just say it again! Your makeup skills are outstanding, Mimosa. There’s no need to be modest about it!”

As Mimosa and I got into a discussion about this, Dahlia chimed in with, “No, the beauty is all your own, Madam. Here, let me put this on you and you’ll be all set,” as she spun me around and put my jewels on me.

The set consisted of a choker made of diamonds and sapphires delicately woven with platinum threads, along with matching earrings.

I was struck by their glittering beauty and brilliant shine.

Once they were on, this young duchess was truly ready for her night out.

I never said I wasn’t a little shallow.

Just as I finished the last of my preparations, there was a knock on the door.

“Are you ready, Madam? Master has come to collect you,” I heard Rohtas say through the door.

“You look even more lovely than usual,” he said with a gentle smile when he saw me.

“You really think so? I think the dress, the jewelry, and the makeup really had their work cut out for them, making me look like this,” I answered, looking myself up and down in the mirror.

“Not at all. Your dress and everything else are only drawing out your natural beauty,” Rohtas snickered at me, as if I had said something funny.

“I don’t look strange?”

I’m wearing such a high-end dress, I mean, don’t I stand out?

And that would be unbecoming of a duchess.

I’ll be next to my very well-known—not to mention, very good-looking—husband, too.

There’s nothing I can do to turn that comparison in my favor, but even so, I want to try as hard as I can. But at the end of the day, I’m only an ordinary girl from a penniless noble family, so I just have no confidence in myself.

This is still nerve-wracking for me.

“There’s nothing strange about you at all. One might easily mistake you for a princess from some foreign kingdom!” Rohtas joked with me. He read me like a book, but his casual manner relaxed me.

He led the way to the entrance where Mr. Fisalis was already waiting for me. He looked great normally, but he was so dazzling all dressed up for the party that I wished he’d share some of that sparkle with me.

Any normal girl would swoon if she could see him right now.

And with our matching outfits, when the two of us stood side by side, there would be no denying that we were a real couple.

“My word, you look beautiful today!”

I was making my first appearance after what I could only describe as a total transformation. Mr. Fisalis gazed at me in wonder.

Shouldn’t that be “today, as well” not just “today”?

But whatever, once a plain Jane, always a plain Jane.

“Oh, this is just the fruit of all my maids’ labor. I did my best to look as good as you, but I’m worried I just look strange.”

“Strange! That dress looks stunning on you. I’m the one being upstaged, I think.”

Sufficiently recovered from his shock, Mr. Fisalis looked me over from head to toe, and then smiled in what looked like satisfaction. I got the impression that he was highly skilled in controlling his gaze so that he didn’t come off as dirty or rude.

“Thank you for giving me this wonderful dress and accessories.”

I swallowed my desire to continue with, “If possible, I’d like to avoid extravagant purchases like these in the future.”

Just tell him ‘thank you.’

“I’d be happy to give you more, if you’d like,” he told me with an even more brilliant smile, in a complete one-eighty from my wimpy response.

Really, though, I don’t need any more!

“Oh, heheh, there’s no need for that!” Just laugh it off.

“I do believe it is getting late,” Rohtas commented, breaking his silence. He had been quietly listening to us chat, but now he urged us to move along.

Dahlia gently covered me in a cape to keep out the night winds.

“Oh, so it is. Let’s be on our way.” Mr. Fisalis said, extending his hand to me.

So, the performance had already begun.

Very well.

“Yes, let’s go.”

I obliged and took his hand in mine.

This would be my first soiree at the royal palace. I was starting to get a bit excited, wondering what it would be like.

Bring it on, mean girls! You want Mr. Fisalis so bad? Well... you can have him!

“I’m looking forward to having a good time at the party,” Mr. Fisalis commented.

I sat across from him in the carriage on the way to the castle. I was sitting in silence, nervous as I was, when he spoke up.

“I’ll do my best to make sure you do,” I replied back. When I’d finished my last dance lesson, Rohtas had said, “If you can dance this well, you’ll be just fine,” apparently giving me his seal of approval. Considering that I looked pretty darn good with this makeup on, I figured that I’d make it through the night, one way or another.

The carriage slowly passed under the palace gate, and we got out.

And what a palace it was: all shining and sparkling. I had to cover my eyes and nearly stumbled into a wall. And it wasn’t just the fault of the lights and decorations. All of the people present glittered and shone. Everyone seemed to look like they were made of light.

Someone, help! I’m going blind! Bring me some solar eclipse glasses!

“Duke and Duchess Fisalis have arrived.” No sooner had I gotten in line with Mr. Fisalis at the entrance to the party venue than the footman announced our arrival. At that same moment, I shot Mr. Fisalis a glance. He was used to places like these, and so was wearing his usual composed smile. My face, meanwhile, was quite stiff. I could feel my cheeks twitching in shock and confusion.

Oh no, I can practically feel everyone looking at me. It’s like being zapped by dozens of tiny laser beams. This is exactly how I felt at my wedding!

When I glanced around, I saw many young women grouped in pairs, mouths hidden behind folding fans, whispering to each other.

It wasn’t just the young ones either—I spied middle-aged women doing so, too.

It must be because Mr. Fisalis is popular with the ladies, no matter what age! He likes older women, so maybe that includes middle-aged women? I don’t see any in range, though...

“We should say our hellos to his majesty, first,” the man in question whispered into my ear. He placed a hand near my lower back and escorted me in the right direction.

Oh, that’s right! I mustn’t forget our little charade, today of all days! I wasn’t used to having an arm wrapped around me or wearing matching clothes, however, and was positively embarrassed.

Surrounded by crowds of people on all sides, we made our way toward the throne.

After we were done greeting the royal couple and the guests of honor, free from any mishaps (I was careful to keep my true nature from revealing itself—er, I mean, I was careful to keep my makeup from coming off by keeping food and drink to a minimum!), we passed the time diligently by making conversation with other guests, as was proper.

During this time, Mr. Fisalis wore me on his arm like some sort of handbag—er, rather, I went where he did.

“Commander Fisalis, may I have a word?” a handsome, smartly dressed man called to him when the party was in full swing.

“What? ...Oh, this is my subordinate. Excuse me a moment.”

I introduced myself once he responded to the man, but it would have been difficult to talk in the middle of the crowd, so Mr. Fisalis excused himself and they headed toward the terrace.

Which left me all alone.

I’d never had any interest in socializing, and since I didn’t come from as much money as these people, I didn’t expect to see anyone here that I knew.

“Back to being a wallflower, I guess,” I concluded to myself after taking a look around. I moved to stand against a wall with my glass in my hand.

I rather liked people-watching... not that it mattered.

But a moment later, I was prevented from leaving my position by a somewhat harsh feminine voice asking me, “You’re Duchess Fisalis?”

It’s here? Is this it!? Is this the catfight I’ve been expecting!?