Chapter 228
Chapter 228
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 228
Chapter Title: Emily's Witch Makeover
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The day of the promise had arrived. Before heading to the witches, during the final fitting and check, I discovered one issue.
This wasn't a problem with the clothes or with Emily—it stemmed from a regrettable peculiarity inherent to the witches as a group.
Emily's skin was too dark.
Emily's skin is fair.
Emily herself has very fair and translucent skin, but since her main job is following me around, that translucent skin never had a chance to tan.
That's why people who don't know her often mistake her for a noble lady instead of a maid.
So, if someone like Elin or Elizabeth had heard my thoughts, they would have called me crazy.
But the problem was that when compared to witches, Emily absurdly came off as dark-skinned.
From the moment their talents awakened, witches lived mainly in dark spaces and showed a dislike for sunlight, making their skin not just white, but pallid.
It was so white that you could visibly see the light reflecting off it.
Of course, that wasn't the issue.
Finding colors that match skin tone is a designer's basic skill—if you can't, you won't make money.
The problem was that the clients were picky witches who strongly pursued individuality.
To satisfy those finicky people as much as possible, Emily needed at least a hint of a witch-like aura.
Fortunately, witches were still human.
And humans could mimic it to some extent with makeup.
"Emily, let's do your makeup."
"Me?"
With a serious face, I brought up makeup—something I never even mentioned, let alone suggested before—and Emily pointed at herself in surprise.
"Why all of a sudden? Do I look weird today?"
Showing slightly anxious eye movements, she hurriedly grabbed a mirror and frantically checked her face by tilting it this way and that.
"No, it's not that. With the veil, your face looks too washed out, so I want to match it to the witches' skin tone."
"Ah... I see."
I gently took the mirror from her and explained it was no big deal, and her tense face relaxed a bit as her wide, round eyes returned to their usual sleepy state.
But soon, furrowing her brow, Emily looked at me with reluctant eyes and spoke up.
"But Young Master, there's a huge problem."
"What is it?"
"I don't have any makeup."
"...Right."
I had overlooked the simplest fact.
You can't do makeup without cosmetics.
Nobles carry makeup to touch up anytime, but a maid couldn't.
And since I'm a man, I didn't have any either.
"No helping it. Wait here a sec."
I didn't want to use this method, but work came first, so I left Emily in the break room and headed to the workshop.
"Need someone to lend makeup so I can do Emily's makeup."
"What?"
I flung open the workshop door and shouted to the staff at work, and Elizabeth and Panny Lady's hands froze mid-motion.
"William, say that again."
"Who are you doing what to right now?"
"Gonna doll up Emily."
The two smiled softly, set down what they were holding on the workbench, and stood up.
"I think I can help with that."
"Perfect timing. I can help too."
"Great, thanks."
The two who offered to help with Emily's makeup first called for their attendants.
"Need someone to help with Emily's makeup."
"Not Your Highness, but Emily?"
"You said 'to' Miss Emily for makeup?"
"Yeah."
"We'll prepare right away."
And Sera and Panny Lady's maid, Maud, reacted much like their mistresses had at first, hurriedly packing up cosmetics.
I led the now four women in a line back to Emily and grinned at her.
"Got the makeup!"
"Young Master, have you lost your mind?"
Of course, the reaction was intense.
It was only natural—these were cosmetics used by royalty and nobility.
And the people helping with makeup were nobles.
To Emily right now, my suggestion must sound like asking to smear gold dust on her face.
"N-No, I'm not doing it."
So, a refusal immediately popped out of Emily's mouth.
I could understand her feelings.
But unfortunately, that was Emily's problem.
"William, any requests before we start? Ideally none, so we can do whatever we want."
"Uh, I said I'm not doing makeup..."
"Sadly, just one: I want her skin pale like the witches'."
"I said no?!"
"Just that one thing?"
"Yeah."
"Perfect."
"E-Excuse me? Listen to me..."
We had already decided to do Emily's makeup.
"Let's start right away."
"Finally, Miss Emily's face won't go to waste."
"Every time I saw that face, I went mad wanting to powder it."
"W-Wait, hold on, just wait... Ugh... Eek...!"
And since Emily had no way to fend off royalty and noble ladies, her timid resistance lasted about three seconds before she was surrounded by the four and turned into a meek puppy, trembling all over.
_
"Done!"
Emily endured about an hour of fussing from one royal and three nobles, receiving gasps and praise throughout, before she was finally released.
"How is it?"
With proud smiles, the women parted to reveal Emily and pushed her toward me.
"Ugh..."
"Oh..."
Emily, blushing and slightly bowing her head, was stunningly beautiful.
The pale powder on her skin made her look somewhat sickly, but that only enhanced her tragic noblewoman vibe.
"Pretty."
Piling on fancy words felt like it would ruin it, so I gave a straightforward compliment with a smile.
Honestly, during the makeup, Emily had been blocked from view, and I'd thought Elizabeth and the others' exclamations were a bit over the top, but seeing this, it was warranted.
"Our life's masterpiece."
"Can't get more perfect than this."
"Yeah."
This could rival Emily in her maid outfit.
"Let's head to the Magic Division before the makeup fades. The witches will fall for this."
"What do you..."
"Go on, Emily. Go dazzle those witches with your beauty."
"D-Don't say weird things...!"
_
"This is the new outfit suited to your image."
Rushing to the Magic Division to meet the witches, I cut straight to showing off the world's most beautiful Emily with a proud smile.
"Seductive."
"Not bad."
Wondering if the effort of asking Elizabeth and Panny Lady for makeup help had paid off, the witches' reactions upon seeing Emily were mostly positive.
It was what Emily was wearing, with slightly more coverage, similar to their usual attire, and most requests maximally accommodated, so it was expected.
"What do I do? I'm a woman, and I'm falling for her."
"Should we just kidnap her as a witch like this?"
"If we wear that, do we look like that too?"
"Minus the chest, maybe?"
"But we can't minus that..."
There were a few more reactions toward Emily because our Emily was too pretty, but no negativity toward the clothes.
"Everything's good, but it seems like oppressive clothing that doesn't protect breast freedom. Human flesh needs space to breathe."
"You could get arrested for indecency."
"They let witches go with a sigh."
"......"
Of course, couldn't satisfy every strong personality, so a tiny minority of nudists protested, but they were the radicals even among witches, so ignorable.
"We'll go with this design."
"Ahh...! Stop the breast discrimination...!"
Lady Ailin didn't even pretend to hear the nudists and finalized the design.
"Understood. So, how do you plan to produce the clothes?"
"Ideally quick. Can you make outfits for all witches within two weeks?"
"How many witches total?"
"Thirty-two including me."
"Thirty is tough. That many would take two months."
"Hmm..."
Lady Ailin's face, which had brightened at not meeting the deadline, crumpled slightly.
Looking troubled at Emily, something seemed to strike her; she licked her lips, glanced cautiously at me, and carefully spoke.
"Count, if it's not too much trouble, is it okay to have this design made elsewhere as is?"
"There are conditions, but sure. Our atelier often sells designs rather than clothes."
Examples were scattered in the Magic Division.
Our witches treated the capes—designed to block sunlight—as little more than that and rarely wore them properly...
"Hmm~ Buying the design... Sounds good. So, what's the condition?"
"Commission through the Tailors' Guild. Just follow that, and anywhere's fine."
"No big deal. Got it."
Lady Ailin nodded with a satisfied smile and pulled a sheet of paper from her bosom, placing it on the table.
"Contract now."
"Thanks for agreeing so readily."
The deal started smoothly.
Not forgetting the cape precedent, I wrote a sufficiently high price and sealed a very satisfactory transaction.