He couldn’t see his sleeping face himself, so he’d just have to trust me for today. “Gabriel, there’s still time before Adele and my mother arrive. Why don’t you get some more rest?”
“No, I’m fine. Thanks to you, I slept well, even if it was only for an hour. I don’t feel drowsy or fatigued at all anymore.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Since we’d been working at a breakneck pace until today, there wasn’t anything urgent left to take care of, so we could relax until my family arrived.
“It’s good to have my energy back, but I’d like to do something about my dull complexion and the dark circles under my eyes,” he said. “Would washing my face help?”
“I don’t think that would be enough. I could hide them with makeup, though.”
“Makeup? I’ve never tried it before. Do men use makeup?”
“I assume stage actors wear some, but I’ve never heard that other men do.”
“I see.” Gabriel crossed his arms and furrowed his brow, deep in thought.
“If you don’t want to, I won’t force you.”
“No, could I ask you to do it for me?”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m nervous about wearing makeup for the first time, but I also don’t want our guests to see my current condition.”
“All right.”
Makeup wasn’t my strong suit, but for Gabriel’s sake, I’d try my best. I retrieved a makeup kit from my room and stood in front of him, ready to begin.
“Can you apply your own makeup, Fran?” he asked.
“Yes, well, I suppose you could say I was forced to learn how...”
Before my family’s downfall, an attendant had done it for me, and afterwards, I hadn’t even had time to think about wearing any. But after getting engaged to Gabriel, I had set my mind on looking my best. I had bought all of the basic cosmetics, only to despair because I didn’t know how to apply them. After much agonizing, I had tried my best to remember what the attendant had done, then practiced over and over until I’d gotten it right.
I stared into the distance, lost in thoughts of the past. Gabriel immediately noticed. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked,” he said.
“No, that’s not true.” I told him about my situation at the time, and his expression gradually darkened.
“I see. You needed cosmetics too. It was thoughtless of me to send you nothing but food when you were living in the old part of town.”
“No, the food helped me the most! I was even able to share it with my kind neighbor, and I’m grateful for that.”
“That’s a relief.”
Our conversation had taken us away from the matter at hand. I needed to start working on his makeup. “Can you take off your glasses and close your eyes?”
“Of course.” Gabriel did as told.
I applied lotion and beauty cream to his face and then foundation around the dark circles. If I laid the makeup on too thick, sweat would make it smear, so I repeated the process in thin layers. Finally, I used a makeup brush to apply powder.
“Oh my, it turned out better than I expected,” I remarked, holding up a mirror.
He looked surprised when he saw his reflection. “I didn’t know that makeup could improve one’s complexion so well.”
“You have clear skin, so it looks great on you.”
There wasn’t a single flaw in his beautiful face. With more makeup, he could look like an androgynous elf.
“I have less to worry about now,” he said. “Thank you, Fran.”
“It was my pleasure.”
Cuddled together, we spent the remaining time chatting as we waited for my mother and sister.
Constance came to the room and informed us that the imperial delegation had arrived. After exchanging looks, the three of us headed to the front entrance to greet them.
It was clear that Gabriel, my mother-in-law, and Mrs. Molière were nervous. To reassure them, I smiled at the two women and gently patted Gabriel on the back, whispering in the latter’s ear that everything would be fine.
Constance opened the front door, revealing my mother and sister accompanied by a large convoy of escorts. It was my first time seeing my sister since Prince Mael had banished her around three years ago. She’d become much, much more beautiful than I remembered. Now she had the majestic air of a crown princess—her mere presence was overwhelming.
My sister greeted Gabriel first. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Duke Slime.”
“Likewise, Your Highness. It is an honor to meet you,” Gabriel replied in a dignified manner, as if to say that he wasn’t the slightest bit nervous.
“Francette, it’s been a while. I missed you.”
Since the imperial delegation was behind her, I was probably obligated to address her formally. “Yes, I am sincerely happy to see you as well, Your Highness.”
I bowed deeply and she told me to raise my head. An air of loneliness seemed to flash over her features for a moment in my peripheral vision, but when I looked at her face again, she was back to her usual stoic expression. Had I imagined it?
Following our greeting, Gabriel went to dine with the delegation. He led them to the hall in a distinguished manner.
Meanwhile, I brought my mother and sister to the parlor. I had arranged for us to have tea with my mother-in-law and Mrs. Molière, followed by lunch. I knew they would be tired from the journey, and this way, they could rest for a while.
However, when we arrived at the parlor, my mother stopped outside the door and said, “Adele, you must wish to speak with Francette, no? Why don’t you two spend some time together first?”
Her voice was calm, but her suggestion was outrageous. In our family, my mother’s words were absolute. Everyone knew better than to defy her. As such, the carefully planned schedule in my head instantly fell apart.
If only my sister had refused, this situation could have been avoided, but alas, she accepted the proposal without hesitation. “Yes, you’re right. Francette, let’s spend some time together, just you and me.”
“O-Okay,” I said unenthusiastically, casting a quick glance at Constance and Rico. They nodded, confirming that the parlor was ready and tea had been prepared. I was sure I could trust them to handle whatever was to happen next. “I-In that case, please come inside, Your Highness.”
“Thank you,” my sister said, entering the room with elegant steps.
I suggested that she take a seat on the sofa, but instead, she stood still, her back turned to me. What was the matter?
“Adele?” I asked.
With a sob, she faced me and threw her arms around me. I was taken aback by the tears streaming down her face.
“Wh-What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
“No... Francette, I’m so sorry!”
“A-About what?”
She didn’t elaborate. As she continued to cry, I wondered what she could be apologizing for—I hadn’t the faintest clue. All I could do was pat her back and wait for her to calm down. Ever the sensible ones, Constance and Rico refrained from serving us tea in the meantime.