15 — I Managed to Get Ready and Nothing Went Wrong

15 — I Managed to Get Ready and Nothing Went Wrong

Back in my room, for the time being, I was once again near panic.

“What should I do? I can’t go out in public without Mimosa, so maybe I can just stay home?” I thought out loud, trying a more optimistic angle.

“No, that is not an option. There’s no point in worrying. It’s time to face the facts.” Dahlia viciously shot down my desperate attempt at escape.

“Yeahhh, I figured.” I admitted defeat. Dang it.

I sat down at my vanity with a pout on my face, still unsure of the solution. Er, actually... I suppose saying I was unsure is kind of misleading.

If it was just a matter of some basic makeup, I could apply powder and blush just fine myself, but if I went out to a high society event looking like that, I could only imagine the reactions.

“Who is that?”

“We’re letting those sorts of people in?”

“Duchess Fisalis? Surely, not. No, you don’t say? Dear me, what a plain-looking thing she is. Ah ho ho ho!”

Images of beautiful women snickering behind lacy fans flashed behind my eyelids.

I’d be the family pariah if I did something like that.

All of the compliments I’d ever received were made possible only through Mimosa’s stunning formal makeup and unparalleled sense of style! But I didn’t have the time to stand around indecisively forever.

I reluctantly picked up my brush and began to comb out the same strawberry blonde locks Mimosa complimented every day. She always took her time to make sure my hair came out smooth and shiny. Oh, Mimosa, thank you! I never realized how much you meant to me until you were gone (er, until you had the day off)!

From deep inside my mind where I had let myself begin to drown in irrational sentimentality, I heard a light knock knock knock on my bedroom door.

Could that be Rohtas coming to tell me it’s time to go already? Or Lady Fisalis descending upon me in a rage, unable to wait for me anymore?

Regardless of which it was, neither could be ignored, so I gave Dahlia a quick, nervous look, but she only smiled, as if to say ‘don’t worry,’ and opened the door.

Revealing...

“Time to get ready, Madam!”

The ever-bright Spa Squad.

No sooner had they sashayed in than I was met with a perfect line of smiling faces and thumbs up. They really were smiling almost too much.

Wait... what’s with those looks... you’re all about to mob me, aren’t you?! I shrieked internally as I tried to back away.

“We haven’t the time to give you a full rub down today, so we’re giving you an express treatment!”

“Right this way, Madam! Let’s start by getting you into the bathtub lickety split!”

“I’ll prepare your dress and accessories in the meantime!”

“We’ve got you covered! Mimosa told us everything we needed to do! Everything will be just fine as long as you do as we say!”

The walk to the bathroom felt more like a walk into a BDSM dungeon. I was so overwhelmed, I was completely at their mercy. Two maids stayed behind, one of whom I assume infiltrated my dressing room and identified her target. The other took her position by my vanity, wielding my brush excitedly.

I guess this isn’t too different from my usual spa and makeup routine. I’m better off leaving it to them instead of doing it myself, and I can relax knowing that they’re doing as Mimosa instructed them. I’m in good hands, then!

My dress and jewelry had been laid out by the time I came back from my short bath. We didn’t have the time to order a custom dress, for better or for worse, so I was going to wear something picked out from my closet.

“Mimosa’s last request was that you wear something bright, so that’s what we shall do!”

“She’s not dying! You can’t call it that when the person’s still alive!” I corrected my airheaded maid as I looked over what she had brought out. It was a bright orange with lovely white flowers of various sizes decorating the bodice. The neckline was fairly low, but with the addition of the flowers, it would conceal my flat chest quite nicely. Operation breast deception was a go. I was very impressed with Mimosa’s choice; she clearly knew my closet like the back of her hand.

Next to the dress was the box containing the custom-made pigeon blood ruby necklace and earrings from my in-laws. No matter how many times I saw them, their price tag alone made me tremble. I still can’t help but think they’re wasted on someone as common as me. But if wearing them will make my in-laws happy, I can do it for them. I mean, there’s the possibility that I’ll faint if I focus on the price too much, but that’s a risk I’ll have to take.

Anyway.

I got dressed quickly with the help of the maids who had prepared my outfit. I was then handed over to the maid waiting by my vanity. I would be getting my makeup done by a professional today, after all!

Since it was to be a formal event, my usual no-makeup look would have to be upgraded. In other words, a complete transformation was in order. It was a little— No, it was pretty depressing, honestly, to be rendered so powerless.

I sat still and quiet on the vanity stool, having accepted my fate to be painted like some art project, but the maid finished after what felt like just the first coat. She stopped after just some eyeshadow and lipstick.

“Alright, Madam! Your makeup is done!” It seemed as if she had only just begun.

My face was done up much more lightly than I had expected. She was almost a ‘rush-job’ level of fast! Am I even fit to leave the house?! I had some concerns, given how disappointingly fast she had finished.

“Er, you finished very quickly! And I don’t seem to have that much on. Am I really good to go out like this?” I asked the maid.

“Why of course! There wasn’t much that I needed to conceal to start with! I only did exactly as Mimosa instructed. I’m super jealous! You look perfect!” she replied, whipping out a piece of paper upon which was written detailed instructions. Is... Is that a diagram she included, too?

“I wrote down exactly what Mimosa told me.”

“I see,” I said, looking the paper over. “It looks like she didn’t leave anything out.” This goes beyond ‘detailed’ and into ‘obsessive’ territory, I thought to myself, slightly unsettled. Also included in the instructions, in big block letters, was ‘FOUNDATION IS NOT A MASK! MAKE USE OF WHAT’S ALREADY THERE!’

“If ‘what’s already there’ means ‘my face,’ then shouldn’t I have a lot more makeup on?” I mumbled absentmindedly.

“No, Madam, we can go with light makeup precisely because it’s your face!” the maid corrected me.

Well, that’s just not adding up, then. Oh, she must mean I look fine now after the Spa Squad and Mimosa worked their butts off to clean me up. Yeah, that must be it! They’re all so humble, they just didn’t want to sound condescending! I get it now.

With makeup out of the way, it was time for my hair. I was passed over to another maid, her own smile reflected back in the mirror, like a baton between two sprinters.

“We’re going with a half-up, half-down look for today. I’ll add some volume to the top to give it a little more flair, and then use fresh flowers to accessorize. Does that sound good?” The maid sounded like she was having even more fun than Mimosa usually did.

“Fresh flowers?”

“Yes! Some that you planted in your garden the other day! Mimosa was quite pleased with how beautifully they bloomed, so she had Bellis bring some in.”

When I looked in the mirror, what did I see but the very flowers Mr. Fisalis had bought for me! Of the three colors that I had planted, the red and white ones had been chosen because they matched my ensemble the best, then cut out from a bouquet while their stems were still submerged, and were now laid out in neat rows on a tray.

Cutting them with their stems still in water will keep them from wilting over the course of the party. That was smart thinking on Bellis’ part. He’s really in a class all his own! He definitely pays closer attention to detail than me... He’s got me beat there, for sure, so I won’t focus on it too much.

“They’ll look really cute in my hair!”

“They certainly will! Let’s start getting your hair up now. I might not be as good as Mimosa, but you can still count on me!” the maid said, as she began to fiddle with my hair.

A short while later:

My hair was done, complete with floral trimmings, and my transformation into Duchess Fisalis was complete!

“Eeee! You look amazing, Madam!”

“You really do! You’re the pride of the manor!”

“It’s such a shame Master can’t see you now!”

“Walk free into the world, and let everyone witness your beauty!”

“Heh heh heh. I bet Mimosa would pay an arm and a leg to be here.”

The maids were raining compliments on me, but I was still a little bit worried because my hair and makeup did not appear all that different from my usual look.

“Um. Am I all set to go out in public, then?” I asked timidly.

“Oh ho ho, Madam. Please, take a look in the mirror.” This wasn’t one of the maids patting herself on the back, oh no, this was Dahlia as she led me over to the full length mirror.

Looking back at me in the mirror was... me.

Since it wasn’t an evening ball I was going to, it seemed Mimosa and the Spa Squad had gone with a “bright and fresh-faced young wife who likes to go outside” look.

I looked vibrant in the orange dress. I felt... nice.