Rishe opened another glass bottle, dipping a small prepared brush inside. The contents were a milky color, made by mixing the sap of various herbs. Carefully, she smoothed the mixture over her nails. On top of that, she painted on the pink color, making sure there were no bumps.
Ten seconds later, the liquid began to feel hot. She waited several minutes, being careful not to do anything with her fingers. When she finally touched her nails, she found the lacquer glossy and hard. It set just as she was hoping.
Perfect. Rishe gazed at her rose-colored nails with satisfaction. The hardened sap shone like gems on her fingertips.
This was a substance Rishe had invented during her life as an apothecary. She’d used this concoction to strengthen the cracked nails of the injured. It was made of the sap of the common collini trees, mixed with three kinds of crushed herbs. The lacquer solidified in just a few minutes.
I need to experiment with other flowers to make sure the colors come out and how well they harden, she was thinking to herself when Elsie appeared.
“My lady, I thought I told you to take a break.” She had been checking on Rishe all day and was thoroughly displeased to find her still in the kitchen. “I’ll make you some tea, then you should sit down—”
She stopped, apparently having noticed Rishe’s nails. Her eyes lit up like stars. “They’re so shiny!”
Rishe couldn’t help but chuckle at her adorable squeal of excitement. “You’ve come at a good time.” She’d had a feeling Elsie would like this.
She instructed Elsie to wash her hands thoroughly and sit down across the table from her. After making sure that Elsie didn’t have any open cuts or wounds, Rishe went to work. She dipped the brush into the milky-white liquid, explaining how it worked as she painted Elsie’s nails.
“In a country far to the east, they have a culture of dyeing their nails with flowers. If we use this strengthening ointment for your nails below the pigment, the dye should last for a while, even with your cleaning duties.”
Curious, Elsie asked, “Do you mean it makes your nails stronger? Mine break so easily.”
“This should help with that. But the best remedy for brittle nails is to eat balanced meals rich in plenty of meat, fish, and legumes. Nails are a part of your skin. What’s good for your skin is good for your nails.”
“Meat, fish, and legumes,” Elsie muttered. “I’ll remember that. My family is poor, but I have my wages now!”
“You mentioned your family has fallen on hard times.”
Elsie nodded. “Even when we do buy meat and vegetables, it’s only enough to feed my younger brother and sister.”
Rishe had learned about Elsie’s family back before Elsie was her maid, when she’d mentioned why she needed this job so badly. It was all for their sake.
I know the capital city contains slums—one of the knights from our journey mentioned it after the bandit attack. He told me he was from a poor district. Rishe painted more base coat onto Elsie’s nails. Doubtless Arnold’s measures aren’t enough to save everyone. His policies have been so unpopular, some people have tried to block them.
Having finished the base coat, Rishe brought out the dyed sap polish. Elsie was transfixed, letting out a little coo of admiration as she watched. “It’s so beautiful. I’ve never seen anything so glossy and pretty.”
Elsie liked dressing up. She seemed to enjoy choosing Rishe’s gowns and doing her hair. She was so deft with her hands that she’d likely be excellent at applying polish on her own.
Rishe said, “I only have pink right now, but tell me what your favorite color is. I’ll give you the bottle when it’s finished.”
“Oh, no, I couldn’t possibly accept something so lovely.”
“On the contrary,” Rishe said. “You should most certainly accept. For my sake too. Seeing all of you wear my creation will make me happy.”
“My lady, I…”
Rishe let out a breath of relief as she finished with Elsie’s right hand. Mistakes with the polish were hard to fix. “What color would you like? We could do the pale blue of forget-me-nots or yellow of sunflowers. There’s also red, orange, pink, or purple. Your skin is so pale, I’m sure any color would look good on you.”
Elsie gazed at Rishe in wonder. “Oh.” Tears welled in her eyes.
“Elsie? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Rishe panicked a little. Did she have a cut that Rishe had missed? It wouldn’t be good for the liquid to seep in.
Elsie shook her head. “No, it’s just…” She blinked away her tears, stemming the drip of the pearl-like droplets. “I’ve never worn something so pretty before.” She couldn’t seem to hold herself back. “My siblings always came first. Whatever money we got a hold of was spent on essentials.” Her quiet voice was strangled down to a whisper. “I’ve never had anything to dress my hair, and my clothes have always been worn hand-me-downs from the boys. This maid’s uniform is the first thing I’ve had that’s mine.”
Rishe remembered just how upset Elsie had been over her dress getting stained at their first meeting.
“I was overjoyed to officially receive this uniform when you took me into your employ. I never thought I’d actually be allowed something so beautiful of my own.”
Elsie wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. “I’m happy, my lady. I promise. I don’t even know how to tell you how happy.”
“Oh, Elsie.” Rishe gently patted the girl’s head.
“I’m so happy!” Elsie sobbed louder.
Right then, Rishe understood what it meant that all her maids were working for their families’ sakes. No doubt they were like Elsie, pushing aside their dreams and aspirations.
Thanks to the insights from my current life, I now know what this business deal with Aria has been lacking.