After finishing breakfast with Arnold in the dining hall on the second morning after arriving at the Grand Shrine, Rishe saw him off to his official duties and returned to her room.
She took out a leather trunk case from under her bed, which contained many small bottles. Rishe pondered and took out three of the bottles.
The glittering bottles were decorated with floral patterns made by glass convex.
She stowed them in a small bag and left the room with them, heading for the floor where Myriaâs room was located.
The Duke, Myriaâs father, was standing at the door.
âGood morning, Your Excellency Jonal.â
âYouâre here, Rishe-sama.â
The Duke turned to Rishe and gave her a polite bow with his hand on his chest.
âIâm sorry, my daughter is still getting ready⦠Iâm very grateful for your assistance in preparing for the festival. You are still in the middle of your own rituals, but as her father, I canât be of much help.â
âPlease donât worry about it. Besides, Iâve made an outlandish request.â
She meant the ârequestâ she put forward through Arnold last night. The duke immediately thought of it and smiled, âOh.â
âIt is nothing outlandish. It would be my pleasure.â
âIâm glad you agreed. It might come as a surprise, butâ¦â
While they were chatting, a sulky voice came from behind the door.
âWhat are you talking about, Papa and Rishe-sama?â
âItâs nothing. That aside, didnât I tell you to come out, Myria? Youâre keeping Rishe-sama waiting.â
ââ¦â
Myria fell silent, and the Duke sighed.
âMyria, are you listening to me? Thatâs why I told you to let the maids stay. It will take a long time for you to get ready by yourself.â
âI can put on my dress by myself!⦠I did it⦠properly.â
âThen quickly get out of there. Itâs almost time for your rehearsal.â
âPlease wait, Your Excellency. Would you mind stepping away from the door for a moment?â
Rishe took over the Dukeâs place and spoke gently to Myria.
âMyria-sama⦠Are you perhaps not changing your dress right now, but taking care of your hair?â
â!!â
She heard a gasp. In light of her reaction, she was convinced that she guessed it right.
Thatâs right. ââ This is the 13th reason why Young Miss doesnât come out of her room in the morning. âOn humid mornings, you should know that your fluffy hair is even fluffier!â
Rishe neatly composed herself and whispered to Myria.
âIf thatâs the case, please let me help you get ready⦠Do you mind letting me into your room?â
ââ¦â
After a moment of hesitation, the door opened a crack. The Duke saw it and called out to his daughter in a rush.
âMyria!â
âPapa canât come in here! Only Rishe-sama can enter my room!â
âMy apologies, Your Excellency. Please respect the ladyâs pride and wait here for a while longer.â
âW-Whatâ¦â
Rishe left the Duke in a daze and entered Myriaâs room.
Then, there stood Myria on the verge of tears and her pale violet hair puffed out in a fluffy mess.
âRi-Rishe-samaâ¦â
She must have been struggling for a long time. Her purple hair was tangled in the brush clutched in her small hands.
It must have been painful when she tried to comb by force.
âWhat should I do? If I donât do something, Iâll be late for the festival rehearsal. I donât want to show this disgusting head to my dad or the archbishop!â
âDonât worry, Iâll take care of it right away.â
âBut Iâve been up early and kept at it long ago. And yet, itâs no good at all. Iâm never going to make itâ¦!â
On the side table, there was a tray that seemed used to carry breakfast. The soup bowl was empty, but there was more than half a loaf of bread left.
Perhaps she had been struggling without eating properly.
I need to finish quickly and have her eat breakfast.
Rishe opened her bag and took out three small bottles from inside.
âMyria-sama, please open the lid of this bottle and smell the scent.â
ââ¦Floral scent?â
âYes. This bottle has a lily fragrance, and this blue bottle has an orchid fragrance. The clear bottle here is lilac.â
Myria sniffed the vials that Rishe showed her.