“It’s done, Madam.”
“Oh, you’re so beautiful.”
The maids surrounding Yelena made a fuss.
The days before the festival quickly flew by.
Before she knew it, the first day of the festival, in other words, the day of the first date that Yelena eagerly anticipated, arrived.
“It’s dazzling.”
“You look like a fairy.”
“I think the goddess of beauty will be jealous.”
The maids relentlessly praised Yelena after she had finished dressing up.
‘…?’
It was true that Yelena put particular effort into dressing up today, but even so, all the maids’ attitudes were strangely enthusiastic.
Yelena, who was unaware of how her image had settled among the servants a few days ago, tilted her head and looked at herself in the mirror.
Smooth silvery hair braided to the side.
A yellow dress that slightly exposed her shoulders.
A necklace crafted with fine blue jewels that covered the emptiness of the neck and collarbone.
‘…Did I put too much effort?’
Yelena felt a little self-conscious and fiddled with her elegantly braided hair.
Not only the hair and clothes but also the makeup was more elaborate than usual. However, no matter how fancy her attire was, it wouldn’t mean much.
Because the festival Yelena was going to go to was a masquerade festival.
“Madam, here you go.”
Abbie finally held out the white mask to Yelena.
“Thank you.”
As she was wearing the mask, Yelena suddenly made eye contact with Abbie through the mirror.
“Abbie, how do I look now?”
Then the veteran maid, Abbie, opened her mouth as if she had been waiting.
“Once your wings are healed, I believe a message to return to heaven will immediately arrive in front of you.”
“…!”
The faces of the maids around them were instantly dyed with admiration and attentiveness.
She could have just said, ‘You are just like an angel’. Yelena couldn’t believe she transformed these six words into such a verbose and plausible way.
‘It’s strange.’
It was then that the maids in their positions nervously exchanged glances with each other.
Someone knocked on Yelena’s door.
At this point, there was only one person who would come to Yelena’s room.
Yelena raised herself, holding the mask in one hand.
“Open the door.”
As soon as the maid opened the door, Kaywhin, who had finished dressing up, stood there.
Yelena swiftly approached her partner.
“You’re here?”
Perhaps it was because Kaywhin hadn’t expected her to welcome him, so he hesitated before speaking.
“Am I late perhaps… ”
“No. I just finished getting ready.”
Kaywhin was wearing formal outdoor clothes.
The buttons that were neatly fastened up to the end of his neck exuded an ascetic atmosphere.
Yelena glanced at her husband’s sleeves.
The cufflinks she gifted were proudly showing off its existence.
“Shall we go?”
With a broad grin, Yelena led Kaywhin.
The two moved to the parlor.
This was because Sidrion, who would take the two of them to the festival venue today, was waiting there.
“Oh, by the way.”
Yelena stopped walking down the hall and carefully looked around.
There just happened to be no one around.
Yelena took a step back from Kaywhin, thinking it was an appropriate time.
“How do I look?”
She was also taught that if she asked such a question, she had to turn around in her spot.
Yelena spun from where she was standing.
The dress, which transitioned to a darker yellow color towards the end, spread out like a flower in full bloom.
Kaywhin replied without hesitation, “You’re beautiful.”
“…”
Yelena stood still and stared at her husband.
It was a compliment. It was a compliment, but…
“You’re not embarrassed today?”
“What?”
“Before, whenever I asked you to compliment me, you always looked troubled.”
How long had it been?
Yelena recalled what happened in Kaywhin’s office.
Back then, she abruptly asked him for compliments, under the guise of teasing her husband.
At her request, the husband was so flustered; he made it seem like the most difficult task in the world.
“Ah, that’s… ”
Kaywhin promptly answered as if he remembered that day.
“At that time, it was my first time.”
“…First time?”
“It was the first time I praised someone’s appearance. That’s why I was like that.”
Yelena blinked her eyes.
‘Really?’
On that day, she did have that thought in passing.
She wondered if this person had never complimented someone else’s appearance.
She half-jokingly had that thought, but it was true.
“Rather than a man, it’s a stone shaped like a man…”
Yelena recalled the allegations she had previously and intently stared at her husband and inquired, “So you’ve never looked at someone and felt that they looked pretty or beautiful? Or did you feel that way, but you didn’t have a chance to express it in words?”
“The former.”
“Really?”
Yelena, who was inadvertently pondering over Kaywhin’s answer, suddenly paused.
Yelena was the first person to be told by Kaywhin that they were beautiful.
That fact was…
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