Days in the Jilgista Kingdom 3
※※※※※
One
month has passed since the report to His Highness the Second Prince. I
have been spending my days buried in work as usual.
Tonight,
there is an evening banquet at the royal castle, inviting dignitaries from various
countries. The work I was given in the afternoon took quite a while to finish,
so I hurriedly rushed home by carriage amidst the late autumn dusk.
「I have just returned.」
「Layla, returning at this hour, just what
are you thinking?」
「I apologize, Mother, but the work……」
「Work again. Honestly, you are so
inefficient, so learn from Aisha. That child came home properly before
noon and has already finished getting herself ready.」
In
addition to the work I was ordered to do, I had also finished the work that Aisha
was supposed to do before returning. Yet, my mother scrunched up her face and
raised her eyebrows at me.
「Mother, please do not blame Oneesama.
People have things they are suited for and unsuited for, after all.」
Ringing
out a voice like a chiming bell, Aisha came down the stairs leading to
the entrance. Wearing a pink organdy dress, her hair was tied up high, and a
flower-shaped hair ornament shone near the top of her head. A scent of roses
drifted from her body, which she had hurried home to polish, and her fresh,
vibrant skin was translucently white.
「Oh, you are so beautiful, Aisha.
Look closely, Layla. Aisha returns home early every day and never
neglects taking care of her hair and skin. In contrast, what about you? Coming
home late at night using work as an excuse, making no effort to be beautiful is
a disqualification as a noble lady. Learn from Aisha a little.」
Comparing
me and Aisha, my mother bathed the failure that was me in cold gazes and
words. For a woman, the most important thing is to possess an appearance that
attracts men. Refining oneself for that purpose and being chosen is a woman's
happiness— that is my mother's pet theory.
「Madam, Carter-sama has
arrived.」
「I came to escort you to the evening
banquet, but Layla, you are still in that state?」
Quickly
looking over my entire body, he let out a clearly displeased voice, though he
refrained from clicking his tongue.
「I apologize. I was searching to see
if there were any other cases we should confirm besides the materials I
received.」
The
materials handed to me by Carter-sama being insufficient is nothing new.
I am told that it is also my job to gather materials on similar cases on behalf
of the busy Carter-sama. I ended up being late because I was searching
for those. And yet.
「Are you saying that what I handed
you is not enough?」
「That is not what I mean, but, Carter-sama,
you previously……」
「Ah, enough. You immediately say
things like 'But' or 'Because'. You truly lack charm. You should learn from
your younger sister Aisha and become a little more docile.」
Being
told the same words as my mother, I bit my lip. "Why," I almost said
again, but I swallowed it and quietly endured.
「Now, now, Layla, it is
exactly as Carter-sama says. A woman should listen to what men say and
make an effort to dress up cutely. Carter-sama, I apologize for having
such an inadequate daughter despite you taking the time to come. I will have
her get ready in a hurry, so for now, please head to the venue with Aisha.」
「That is right. They are going to
give a reward for your research results at this evening banquet, Carter-sama,
so we cannot afford to be late.」
Eh,
a reward. I hadn't heard about that. Even if it isn't announced under my name,
I was the one who produced those research results.
And
yet, Carter-sama did not even pay any mind to my surprised state. He
took Aisha's hand, walked right past me, and headed for the carriage.
With
a clack, the door closed. Looking at me left behind, my mother simply
threw the words, 「Hurry up and get ready,」 before going up the stairs.
I
trudged up the stairs as if following her, and headed to the bathroom alone. My
personal maid had already disappeared years ago. When the days where I was so
busy with work that I couldn't even return home continued, I heard from Aisha
that she was fired because she was no longer needed.
Even
though she had taken care of me since I was little, I couldn't even say goodbye
to her.
The
hot water had long since gone cold, so having no choice, I firmly wrung out a
towel, wiped my body, and changed into a dress. I haven't been to an evening
banquet in years, so I only have dresses tailored when I was fifteen.
It's
a slightly childish design for a nineteen-year-old me, but I chose a navy blue
dress from among them.
「I wonder if I can wear this if I
take off the big ribbon decorating the chest. As for my hair, if I work some
oil in and do a half-up style, I might be able to do it myself.」
Hair
that hasn't been properly cared for doesn't gain luster just by applying some
oil. Because of my messy hair and tired skin, my makeup sits terribly on my
face. My completely thinned-out body floats inside the dress, looking
incredibly awkward.
Even so, the reason I headed to the evening banquet was because there was a reward for the research results. Even if the words of praise were directed at Carter-sama, I wanted to hear them with my own ears.
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