Two days after the appraisal at the Court Mage Corps, a messenger arrived from the palace. Messengers had come before, but this time it was different, much more formal. The Director greeted them at the institute’s entrance, no less. Called by him, I joined in welcoming them. After the stiff exchange between the Director and the messenger at the entrance, we moved to the Director’s office together.
Why such a grandiose messenger? Because he brought a letter addressed to me from His Majesty the King. Summing up the letter: “I’d like to meet you at the palace tomorrow.”
Uh, isn’t this what they call an audience?
“Director.”
“What’s up?”
“I don’t have clothes to wear to meet His Majesty.”
Reading the letter, I recalled my first meeting with the king. He’d mentioned something about a formal apology back then, so maybe that’s it? No, I’m pretty sure I said a big apology wasn’t necessary and turned it down but maybe I didn’t refuse hard enough? Liz taught me some basic manners for this world, but not enough to handle a royal audience. So, I tried using clothes as an excuse to get out of it. That didn’t work.
“There’s no need for Lady Sei to prepare anything. Everything will be arranged at the palace.”
There you go. I tried admitting my manners were shaky and declining honestly, but they insisted it was fine and urged me to come. The messenger’s polite demeanor gave me a twinge of unease, but I figured refusing further might cause issues, so I agreed. I could’ve kept saying no, but it felt like that’d lead to something even bigger. When I met the king in the library, he tried pushing land, titles, and all sorts of things on me. If I refused this and they thought I was still mad, preparing those would be a nightmare. I can’t handle that stuff.
I also worried that too much refusal might trouble the Director. From the institute’s perspective, the king’s the head of the higher-ups. Being summoned from another world, I might be exempt, but the Director, a native, could face repercussions. Even if not, he’d be stuck between me and his bosses, which would be tough. Middle management’s rough. The Director’s been good to me, so I didn’t want to burden him over this. If I told him my worries, though, he’d probably just say, “Don’t worry about it.”
The day after the messenger’s visit, I headed to the palace early in the morning to prepare for the audience. Meeting the king apparently requires a lot of prep. I thought starting so early was overkill, but the messenger shot that down easily.
The palace had prepared a spacious suite-like room with a bedroom and living area connected. As soon as I entered, maids swarmed me. They whisked me to the attached bathroom, stripped me down in no time, and started with a bath. I bathe daily at the institute, so I didn’t think a morning bath was necessary, but they wouldn’t budge. They washed me thoroughly from head to toe. It’s beyond embarrassing, but I’d been through this before, right after being summoned when I lived at the palace briefly. You get used to it, scary as that is. The maids here were the same ones assigned to me back then, which might’ve helped me endure the embarrassment.
After the bath, they massaged my whole body with practiced hands. They used body oil with geranium and bergamot essential oils, filling the room with a lovely scent. Their skilled massage felt amazing. With the early start, I couldn’t help dozing off. It’s only natural right? While I was groggy post-massage, they quickly did my makeup. A voice calling “Lady Sei” snapped me back, and I looked in the mirror. “Who’s this?” I wanted to say. I was polished beyond recognition. My hair was just down as usual, but after being treated with scented oil and brushed carefully, it had a halo-like shine. The maids seemed pleased with their work, satisfied with the result.
With my body prepped, all that was left was changing. The outfit they spread out wasn’t the dress I’d expected but a glossy white robe with elegant gold embroidery. After all this prep fit for a high noble’s daughter, I was surprised. I’d assumed I’d be squeezed into a corseted dress. The robe resembled what the Court Mage Corps wore, only fancier. Looking at it, I couldn’t help thinking… this feels very Saint-like. My cheek twitched.
I didn’t do anything during the appraisal to confirm I’m the [Saint]. But rethinking it, my actions were pretty gray, leaning black. I didn’t write my status, which probably looked suspicious. It is suspicious. My attitude might’ve led them to assume things, and the palace could already be treating me as the [Saint]. As I mulled this over, the maids steadily dressed me.
Fully prepared, I looked in the full-length mirror and saw a [Saint]. Yup. What am I saying? I’m shocked myself. I looked so pure and Saint-like, like a halo was glowing behind me. Who is this?
“You’re beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
The head maid, I assume, complimented me. It’s thanks to their skills, so I thanked her sincerely. I’d been proud of how nice my skin got since coming here, but pros take it to another level. It’s even brighter now, which cheered me up a bit. Amazed, I leaned closer to the mirror to inspect, when they announced a visitor. I’m already presentable, so I told them to let the guest in. I was in the bedroom, so I checked myself in the mirror once more before heading to the living area.
“Lord Hawk?”
Entering the living room, I saw the Knight Commander sitting on the sofa. Huh? Why? My eyes widened, and he stood, walking toward me.
“Morning, Sei.”
“Good morning. Um… what’s going on?”
My awkward phrasing made him tilt his head briefly, but he quickly guessed what I meant. I’m meeting the king today, and he’s here to escort me to the audience chamber. Escort!? No, I don’t need one just to move around the palace, right? My shock earned a troubled smile.
“I thought you might feel uneasy alone, but was it unnecessary?”
“No, not at all!?”
“Good.”
“Uh, thank you.”
I shook my head frantically, and he looked relieved. Apparently, even locals get nervous for their first audience. Having a familiar face nearby could help, so he came on purpose. He said the Director mentioned the audience and was worried too. Their kindness warmed my heart. Thank you. As I mentally expressed my gratitude, I noticed him staring at me.
“Something wrong?”
“No… You look different today, but still beautiful…”
Asking about it, he hesitated before dropping a bombshell with a soft smile. I’d gotten a bit used to the Director’s compliments lately, but the Knight Commander’s hit hard too. A faint blush on his cheeks and that gentle tone… Ugh! My face turned red so fast I swear it made a “pop” sound. I’m not used to compliments! Stifling the urge to yell, I looked down to hide my face partly because I couldn’t meet his eyes.
“Sei…”
He took a step closer. I caught his hand rising at the edge of my vision. As it neared my cheek, I squeezed my eyes shut.
“T-The maids worked hard, so…”
Mid-sentence, I suddenly remembered the maids. W-What kind of weird vibe am I giving off in front of people!? Panicking, I glanced around and saw the maids by the wall sneaking peeks. When our eyes met, they looked away. They saw… Oh, I want to crawl into a hole… Wanting to clutch my head and crouch down, I was interrupted by a knock. The awkward air in the room vanished instantly, and a maid moved to answer.
Relieved yet oddly disappointed as his hand lowered, I felt a mix of emotions. The knocker was a civil servant, here to say the audience was ready. The maids saw us off, and we followed the official to the throne room. It was a decent distance, so we walked silently down a long corridor. Alone, my nerves would’ve spiked, but with the Knight Commander right behind me, I stayed relatively calm. At the throne room doors, the official explained the procedure. I took a deep breath, and the guards opened the doors.