Chapter 334: This wasn’t going to be easy
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I noticed was that the sun was already setting. I blinked my eyes a few times, the tiredness gnawing on my flesh and bones.
I was exhausted even after sleeping for so long.
’I think I heard someone talking.’ I thought.
The golden-orange hue from the setting sun slipped into the room, stretching across the floor with beautiful rays.
It was attractive.
How long did I sleep? I wondered as I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes, only to realize I wasn’t alone.
My maids stood just next to my bed, May out of the line with her hands poised in front of her, standing in front of me, while the others stayed in an organized line, with different pieces of what looked like one single outfit in each of their hands.
Ah, it was like those dramas where the FL wakes up and finds the maids ready to serve.
They usually didn’t do this though. They didn’t have to hold the clothes up.
I could see white everywhere. White suit, white waistcoat, white shirt with long sleeves, white pants, white shoes... The only thing that wasn’t white was the brooch.
A pretty gold brooch that complemented my eyes, even if my eyes weren’t completely gold.
I guess this was the theme. White. Or maybe it was just Jin-Yeok’s personal preference.
I looked at the maids again.
"It’s time to take your bath, master." She said and I scratched my aching back.
Ah. So, they were the ones who woke me up, after all. Then the voice I heard was probably from May trying to wake me up without touching me.
I flipped my blanket off.
I was still in my robe from bathing that afternoon, and now I was going to bathe again.
I think I’m bathing too much these days, haha.
I dropped my legs and then stood up, only to feel a sharp twitch under my feet.
Ah, the aftereffect of the exercise. I could feel it all over my body.
I reached my hand forward, dropping my other hand on my waist. I needed support before I collapsed, and without realizing it, I dropped my hand on May’s shoulder.
It took her by surprise but I was too busy trying to steady the cramp in my leg. This wasn’t going to be easy.
"Are you... Alright, master?" She asked, and I raised my head, planning to dismiss the worry, but then I saw her face.
The normal stoic expression was nowhere to be found and rather, a flustered expression. She looked like she had something caught in her throat and that caused her to falter.
Ah, this was the first time I was seeing such an expression on May. So, she wasn’t a robot after all, haha.
"I’m fine, May," I said, laughing subtly. "But it looks like I’ll have to rely on you guys to help get rid of the fatigue in my body. I can’t go out like this."
"Ah," her shoulders jerked, as if excited. "You can leave it to us, master."
I smiled at her.
"Alright."
We went to the bathroom, and what should’ve been a quick bath, since I wasn’t originally dirty and they just wanted to wipe the sweat and massage oil out of my body, ended up taking an hour plus.
The good news is, my fatigue completely disappeared. The bad news was, I still felt aches in my torso and shoulders.
Well, it was more bearable now.
Next came the makeup.
Wow, it was the first time we would actually be doing makeup.
I mean, I’ve always gone with my natural face since I’m pretty enough but since it was a formal event, they probably wanted to make sure I looked more than my best.
A soft brush swept across my face, featherlight but persistent, sneering powder in all the right places.
I sat still, watching in the mirror as color and powder covered up signs of exhaustion, and then closed my eyes a few times so they could take care of my eyeliner, as well as my eyebrows.
They were especially meticulous near the scar. Making sure to cover it up as naturally as they could, as though the very sight of it would ruin the entire illusion they were sculpting. None of that.
They probably needed to do it this way so no one would find a single flaw to criticize me.
Then, their fingers combed through my hair, arranging it carefully with just the right amount of gel to keep it back. My hair was kind of stubborn, haha.
And it was longer than usual now, so they trimmed the edges.
"I don’t want it short." I suddenly said, feeling like they might just go ahead and give me a proper haircut while trimming. "I want to grow my hair out, so just a light trim is fine." I said, smiling at April, who was in charge of the scissors, and she nodded, her ears lightly flushing pink to my notice.
They were unusually giddy this time. I wonder what they are, haha.
They brushed my hair back and slicked it beautifully so that the lazy strands at the edges grazed my collar. Yeah, my hair was that long already but just a few strands reached there. My hair wasn’t long enough for the entire thing to fall down my back.
After that, they began to dress me up in my attire.
By the time the maids stepped back, I was no longer myself. At least, not the version of myself I was used to. Not the free and lazy Jo-Pil who stayed in bed, on the couch, in the library with a book in hand. Or probably sleeping the day away.
I could see none of that in the new image they crafted for me.
The person I saw in the mirror... My reflection, of course... Looked polished and flawless.
It was an image so pristine it could’ve been framed in a magazine. Ahem, I was that pretty anyway and a little touch of makeup was all it took to bring out that hidden beauty.
I looked rich. I am rich, but... I looked like an aristocrat.
Vogue models would definitely lose their jobs if I decided to become a model.
I couldn’t see the scar I had from the Su-yeon incident that stretched a bit from my head until it surfaced on my forehead. It was hidden so well, and so was my tiredness from just waking up from sleep was also completely erased.
But I knew better.
Beneath the powder and fabric was still a scar. I wondered why it couldn’t be erased. I mean, everything else was erased thanks to their advanced technology when they could even clean out the burn on my back.
I touched my hair, a single strand that escaped the rest that were slicked back.
"I’ll help with that," April said and then brushed the hair back. I smiled. It was just one strand.
It at least represented how I was completely different from the rest of the world but now she put it back. How mean, haha.
"Hey, April," I called, standing before them with my coat hanging over my shoulder nicely. "How do I look?"
The question took them a moment to respond.
The maids, every one of them, looked away, as if searching for the answer in some invisible dictionary flying around.
If they told me these girls were all robots given human hearts so they could pump blood and feel warm, then I would totally believe it.
I mean, just look at them.
It’s like they don’t answer in simple terms.
This wasn’t the first time I was asking how I looked after a dress up but each time, they fidgeted, unable to give an answer from their own thoughts.
And if they did give an answer right away, it was a systematic answer.
Like when a girl asks their nonchalant boyfriend how they looked in their new dress and hairdo, not knowing it was all new, he would answer, ’It looks great,’ and go back to what he’s doing.
That doesn’t work out well.
It’s a compliment without thought. A compliment without reason. A compliment without care.
And that’s what the maids had been doing so far, as if they were forbidden from having their own thought process and looking at me with eyes of a fellow human.
"Hm, it’s fine," I said, interrupting their contemplation. Wouldn’t want to hear something like, ’You look great as always, master,’ after all that thinking.
I might just feel irked.
So, instead of ruining this mood, I changed the question.
"Do you like brushing long hair?" I asked, none in particular and they looked at me, their eyes subtly moving towards my hair.
Great, they got the hint.
"I plan to let my hair grow out so you can have fun brushing my hair and playing with it a bit," I said, and sat on the chair. "Isn’t it boring having to brush short hair? It takes quite a short time."
"But we don’t mind," May said. "Your hair is precious, master. Whether it is long or short, we will take care of it to the utmost of our abilities, till you’re satisfied."