Published: August 10, 2026
Afternoon Granado Castle, bathed in soft sunlight.
I rested my elbow on the desk and offered my hand to Tunic. With nimble fingers, she slid a fine brush over my nails.
"How is it, Lady Marie?"
At her question, I lifted my hand into the air.
The nails on all five fingers had been painted a bright peach pink, with floral patterns drawn on top. I let out a soft sigh.
"It's amazing... so pretty. It's as if spring has been packed into something so tiny as my nails."
"Heehee, I painted the spring flowers of Dilz on each finger."
Tunic puffed out her chest proudly. On the desk beside her hand were rows of small bottles filled with dyes and glittering particles. Those were what she had used to beautifully decorate my nails. I stared at them in a daze, utterly entranced.
"It's my first time having my nails colored..."
"If you get used to it, you'll be able to do it yourself too."
"Really? I feel like I'd never be able to do it in my whole life."
Just then, there was a light knock at the door.
Lately, I had started to recognize visitors just from the sound of their knock. Since Tunic was holding my hand, I remained seated and called toward the person outside.
"Lord Cyrus. Please, come in."
Then, a tall man peeked in through the open door. When our eyes met, he gave a gentle smile.
"Hey, Marie. I came to invite you for tea, but... are you in the middle of something?"
"Yes, look. Tunic is painting my nails."
I held out my hand to him as he approached, and Lord Cyrus bent down to stare at my nails.
...Generally speaking, men aren't interested in women's beauty routines. If you show them something like this, they'll only find it bothersome—or so they say. But Lord Cyrus was not that kind of person. His mysterious green eyes sparkled even brighter.
"Huh... nail coloring has been around for a long time, but this is the first time I've seen such detailed paintings worked into it. Is that glow pearl powder and mica?"
Tunic grinned.
"As expected of my master, you got it right. By the way, the base is made from beeswax and egg white."
"I see. The material cost would make it hard to spread among the common people, but it might become fashionable among the upper class."
"The artisan's skill would probably cost more than the materials themselves."
Saying that, Tunic used tweezers to pick up a golden fiber thinner than a strand of hair and fixed it to the tip of my nail. Then she poked and twisted it into place, creating a vine pattern.
...Indeed, this was true craftsmanship. In this world, perhaps Tunic alone could do this.
Lord Cyrus, clearly moved, let out a warm sigh.
"I'm proud that I was able to give my beloved wife the finest beauty artisan in the world."
Well now... Hearing that, both Tunic and I ended up exchanging glances, then smiling shyly at the same time. This was one of those wonderful things about Lord Cyrus.
But... amid that cheerful atmosphere, there was someone who had remained silent in the corner of the room the whole time. Lord Cyrus finally noticed her presence and spoke to her.
"What, Mio, you were here?"
"...I have been here from the beginning."
At her curt reply, Lord Cyrus frowned.
"What's with you? This is your usual self, I suppose, but you look even more sullen than usual."
At that, Tunic and I exchanged another glance.
...Now that he mentioned it, that was true. Mio was always quiet, but even so, when she was in this room, she never stayed silent the whole time. Today, though... was she a little upset?
"I have nothing to say. I am, after all, merely a maid, and not in a position to criticize Lady Marie's actions."
"That way of speaking means you've got something on your mind. Just say it already."
I didn't really understand, but as expected of Lord Cyrus, who had spent so long with her almost like a brother, he could see through the tiniest change in Mio's expression. Mio seemed to give up, letting out a small sigh.
"If you insist on questioning me so much, then I shall say it. I do not recommend this 'nail coloring.' If it were only applying color, that would be one thing, but I wonder about placing hard objects on top. There is the danger of accidentally scratching the skin, or of something peeling off and falling into a dish at mealtime."