CH 18.5

Amanda couldn’t take her eyes off the ornate Duchess’s drawing room. In terms of opulence, Charlotte’s chambers were no slouch, but this was far more luxurious, elegant, and aristocratic.

Her mouth went dry just looking at it. She listened intently to Lila and Karin’s conversation, though her mind wandered briefly to the fragrant black tea she had consumed earlier.

With her natural dexterity and focus, Amanda was actually quite the handyman, and Charlotte looked down on her for being ugly.

“Okay, Karin. You know the drill, don’t you?”

“Yes, Madame, but… am I really going to be any good at it?”

At the worry in her voice, Lila looked at Amanda and smirked.

“Then you’ll just have to practice.”

Amanda was surprised to see Lila looking her straight in the face. Anyone else would have gagged or cursed at the mere sight of her.

“Amanda, why don’t you come over here and sit down?”

Amanda, who had been standing and listening to their conversation, moved quickly at Lila’s command.

Sitting down on the stool, Amanda suddenly realised how close she was to Lila.

Two dark sapphire jewels seemed to be intricately crafted and embedded in her face, which was as smooth and shiny as if dusted with sugar.

Her long eyelashes fluttered like a pair of mauve butterflies flapping their wings, making my heart tickle unnecessarily.

Thick lips, a little darker than a walnut, opened toward her.

“Amanda.”

“Yes, Madame.”

“Will you entrust your face to me?”

“…?”

Lila opened a new palette and pulled out the rose-shaped brush Lucas had given her as a gift.

“There are no women in the world who aren’t beautiful. They’re just women who haven’t found their charms, or can’t hide their flaws, or can’t accentuate their strengths.”

The clean, languid tone sent shivers down her spine, even from the same woman. Amanda couldn’t tear herself away from the mesmerising dark sapphire eyes.

“Amanda.”

“Yes…”

“Do you realise how attractive your eyes are?”

Lila, who had just finished applying a quick coat of foundation as she spoke, picked up her palette.

“Mi, mine?”

“Yeah, they’re a weird mix of pink and violet, like a lilac blossom, like the colour of my hair.”

“No, no, no! I, I can’t possibly…”

Amanda tried to wave her hand away in disbelief, but Lila smirked and grabbed her hand, placing it gently on her lap.

“Don’t move.”

“Ah, so, I’m sorry!”

Amanda was horrified at her mistake. In Countess Pinatelli’s estate, every time she made a mistake, a punishment would fall.

She patted Amanda’s trembling shoulders.

“You just need to look at me, Amanda.”

She quickly raised her eyes to meet Lila’s. The round, cobalt-coloured eyes looked cool.

Lila studied Amanda’s face for a moment, then applied a make-up base that matched her complexion, and her hands moved quickly as she applied foundation.

Karin and Jessie’s mouths dropped open, unable to take their eyes off Lila’s moving fingertips.

Amanda’s cheekbones were very pronounced. But her eyes were long and cool, and her lashes were long and full, so the eyes themselves didn’t seem small.

But in terms of Imperial beauty standards, a nasolabial fold 1 creases in the skin extending from both sides of the nose to the corners of the mouth. AKA ‘laugh lines’ is definitely not a favourite.

Highlight under the cheekbones and shade the chin. For the hollow lid, use a darker colour for the eyeliner. This will make her eyes look deeper.

Lila finished her lips with a pink colour to match her eyes, but she was disappointed.

“I wish I could use all the cosmetics I have.”

Amanda couldn’t see her transformation. She was only aware of the soft brushing on her face, and she was both excited and uneasy as Jessie and Karin, who were nearby, exclaimed in admiration.

“Amanda, see how beautiful you are.”

Lila’s confident tone made Amanda tremble as she took the hand mirror in her hand.

Her heart pounded so hard she thought it would break through her skin.

When she finally saw her face in the mirror, she was too stunned to say anything.

All her scars were gone, and her cheekbones, which had been shapeless and bulging, looked lovely.

Her rough lips were now plump and full, and her eyes, which had always been thin and unconfident, were now deep and luminous.

Amanda’s lips trembled, and her eyes filled with tears.

“This, this…”

Who the hell is this? She wanted to ask, but…

Her throat closed up and she couldn’t speak.

“You can’t cry. Here, breathe, breathe, breathe.”

Lila found a fan and unfurled it. As she gently fanned her eyes, Amanda looked at Lila with an expression she didn’t understand.

“Crying takes off the make-up. Now, wouldn’t you hate it if you got all glowy and then it just disappeared?”

“Huhu, Madam…”

Amanda had never been treated like this in her life. This kind of affectionate treatment.

As the eldest daughter, she had always had to give way to her younger siblings and was expected to work hard.

Her first days working for the Count might have been promising, but the rest of her life was a nightmare and a living hell.

But ironically, Lila, the Duchess, the noblest of the nobility, had treated her with warmth.

A commoner she had only seen for the first time today.

“Madam… I will never forget your kindness.”

For the first time, she felt confident in her own face, and though she tried to keep the tears from falling, she couldn’t stop the sobs.

Lila gently fanned Amanda’s face with a sympathetic look and patted her shoulder.

Jessie and Karin couldn’t help but look at Lila with admiration in their eyes. A little too much…

“Okay, then. Karin, why don’t you give Jessie a practice run, just like I did. It’s easy.”

* * *

In his office, Lucas flicked through his papers, concentrating, not moving an inch from his seat, and it was driving Owen to death.

He hadn’t even taken his usual tea break, so he was thirsty and his bum ached. Owen, whose patience was second to none, finally gave in.

“Duke…”

“What?”

“The day is already over.”

“And?”

“It’s also past dinner time.”

“So…”

Lucas, who had been concentrating on his paperwork, replied impatiently and then looked up.

“It’s past dinner time?”

“Yes…”

Lucas turned his head to the window, watching Owen struggle to answer. The red sunset had long since passed, and the dark night sky greeted him.

“I’ll finish …”

Lucas gathered up his papers, unable to hide his excitement. Owen squinted at him, a little puzzled.

Then Lucas handed him a sheet of paper.

“Look him up.”

“This is…”

Owen scratched his head as he looked at a Count whose biographical details were spelt out in full on the document.

“Who’s calling me a sodomite…”

It wasn’t like Lucas didn’t know the rumours about him. He just ignored it because he didn’t feel it was worth talking about.

Owen looked at the papers and replied.

“I see, so I’m supposed to find out about the relationship between the two Counts?”

“Yes. Well, my mind is made up, and I need to take advantage of that imposter.”

“I can see where you’re coming from…”

“Yeah, sure.”

Pulling out a mirror that wasn’t even in his office to check his hair and clothes, Lucas gave a short bow and quickly left the office.

He hadn’t eaten dinner, but he didn’t feel hungry. All he could think about was the promise Lila had made earlier.

“Hmph…”

Humming a tune, he took the stairs quickly, smirking as he remembered the positions he’d wanted to ask her to do.

Sometimes Lila called him a ‘horny wolf’, but Lucas figured that was to be expected.

He was descended from wolves.

He knocked cheerfully and opened the door. Lila would be in the parlour again today, working on her cosmetics.

Then he heard Lila’s voice. It wasn’t her usual cheery greeting, but a harsh voice that sounded like a scolding.

“No! Karin! Look graceful! Look lovely! Look confident! Do you understand?”

“It’s… Madame.”

“That’s right, Amanda. Well, it’s a shame, but I think you look fine the way you are.”

“Madame, my face hurts so much.”

“Jessie, I know your sacrifice, hang in there.”

“I don’t know how many times to wash, Madame… Please…”

With her hands on her hips, Lila marched toward Amanda and Karin.

Lucas stared in silence, wondering where her slender form had gone, now replaced with an imposing figure.

Then he turned around and slammed the door behind him. He stared at the door for a moment, then turned and ran up the stairs.

He returned to the office.

Owen, who had just risen from his seat, looked at Lucas with questioning eyes.

“Duke…”

“That.”

Cutting off Owen’s call to him, Lucas took off his jacket. He sat back in his chair and snapped his fingers for the papers he’d handed over earlier.

Owen, who wanted to go home and rest for now, took them from his briefcase.

“Just out of curiosity, are you sure this guy likes ceramics?”

“It’s already rumoured…”

Sinking back into his chair, Owen took off his glasses out of exhaustion. He pinched the bridge of his nose and put them back on.

Nevertheless, the peacock that was visible still looked like a ghost, a ghost that wanted to strangle and kill oneself.”

“Are you sure Count Pinatelli is on the estate now, and not with this man?”

“…I’ll find out.”

“Yes, yes. Ah, yes, and where is that pig-eating woman?”

Staring blankly at Lucas, who seemed to be getting a little angry, Owen couldn’t help but pull out the papers he’d stashed away in his briefcase.

“It turns out that Charlotte Pinatelli is in the Marquis of Benière’s.”

“The Marquis? Why there?”

“…I don’t know the details, but from what Ganja 2 a person who handles internal affairs or affairs related to personnel in an organization says, it looks like she’s been imprisoned.”

“Imprisonment…”

Lucas wasn’t too curious about Alfonso’s sudden behaviour, he was just curious about Charlotte’s location.

Even if the Emperor was helping him for once, he didn’t need it. He was going to get his revenge himself.

“Hmph, whatever. Not that it matters right now.”

Lucas waved a nervous hand at Owen.

“How are the regional leaders doing. How’s the stockpiling going?”

Owen stared at Lucas, who snapped his fingers as if to report, then pushed his glasses up with an equally nervous gesture.

“We’ve already bought most of the wheat, and…”

Lucas looked at Owen in concentration, but he couldn’t get the image of Lila from earlier out of his head.

‘I see my wife… is more dependable than I thought.’

Stunned by her unfamiliarity, Lucas listened to the report in a daze. He didn’t notice Owen, who continued to adjust his glasses with an irritated gesture.