âIt smells nice. What is it?â
âItâs an oil that you can use for hair care, and it will control your hair from becoming frizzy.â
âOil! But donât hair oils have a more peculiar scent? Most of them are white in color, but the bottle contents are transparent.â
âThis one is made from vegetable oil, and no animal fat is used. It doesnât have an unpleasant odor and doesnât clump when applied on long hair.â
Rishe had made all preparations before leaving Garkhain.
Most of them were based on the premise that she would meet Myria at the Grand Shrine.
In addition to the stuffed animal she used for her magic trick, she also has an assortment of homemade hair oil, hand cream, and everything else that made Myria appreciated in her life as a maid.
The three bottles of hair oil she took out from her trunk were each Myriaâs favorite scents in her previous life.
âWhich one of these do you like best?â
âIâm not sure which one I like best!ãI like them all, but I think Iâm in the mood for lilac.â
âPfft. Then, letâs go with lilac today. Please sit here.â
She sat Myria in front of the mirror stand and poured out the bottle content into her palm.
A sweet, but not overpowering floral scent gently permeated. She rubbed the oil in both hands and carefully applied it into Myriaâs hair.
âIâve never seen hair oil like this before. Is it distributed in Garkhain?â
âNo, itâs mainly distributed in the eastern continent. Itâs not easy to find on this continent, so I made them.â
âYou made them? Rishe-sama?â
âYes. Itâs easy as long as you have all the ingredients, so let me teach you how to make them next time.â
After she finished applying the oil, she received the brush from Myria.
As she combed through the tangled hair, she tamed the hair that became frizzy from the humidity. Myriaâs eyes sparkled, watching the change.
âAmazing⦠It was so shaggy just now.â
âWe have plenty of time, so letâs just continue braiding it. Can I leave that to you?â
âO-Of course!â
Myriaâs cheeks flushed as she looked at Rishe through the mirror.
âSomehow, it feels like when my mom asked me.ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
It was an inaudible and brief soliloquy.
Myria probably didnât mean for Rishe to hear it. She understood it, so she just smiled and she didnât reply.
Instead, she chatted with her casually as she let her braid her beautifully colored hair.
âOh, by the way, how was your dress yesterday?â
âI didnât try it on and put it right back! The measurements should be right, and I didnât want to spend too much time changing.â
âOh, you canât judge the balance of the hem and sleeves until you try it on, can you?â
âBecause weâll dye the dress? It might be the right length for a white dress, but it will probably be different for a pink dress! If thatâs the case, Iâd better get it done fast. Weâll dye it beautifully, and if I feel that the balance is not right, we can adjust it on the spot!â
âHmm, indeed. Youâre right, Myria-sama.â
As they were talking, Myria suddenly looked out the window.
When Rishe followed her gaze, she saw Leo walking in the courtyard. He was not heading for the forest, so he was probably running an errand.
âMyria-sama, do you ever chat with Leo over there?â
âI donât want to talk to that kid, because he takes me as a child all in all.â
âItâs true that you are a year younger than himâ¦â
âAh, itâs experience, not the number of years youâve lived that determines your mental age!â
Myriaâs gestures were childish as she sat on a chair and swayed her legs while stating something mature.
But all of a sudden, her expression clouded. She gently lowered her eyes and muttered melancholy.
âIâm sure Papa has no qualms about taking in a child from an orphanage.â
Rishe nodded, feeling the echo of melancholy in her words.
âPapa brought Leo in as a servant out of the blue. At an orphanage run by the Order, Bishop Schneider asked him to help because he was fighting all the time.â