I slapped my cheeks gently to wake myself up, then dragged myself to the bathroom.
Without wasting ti, I showered and used way too much shampoo and body wash until the bathroom basically turned into a bubble world.
It was such a tiring bath, but I guessed it was worth it, because once I stepped out, I slled like fresh flowers.
Maybe it would be nice if Lando could sll too, but unfortunately, he sent a ssage saying he had sothing to do first and would be ho at three.
[Isn’t that good, Host? That way, you can surprise Lando with your beauty!]
I rolled my eyes and teased, "You should’ve turned that into a random quest."
But I guess Penny didn’t bother because my current random quest already covered that anyway.
"Well, at least I can guess how people might react to by using Lando’s reaction as a reference."
===
Around noon, my makeup artist—July—and my hairstylist—Maya—arrived almost at the sa ti. But for so reason, they both looked pale and a little lost, like they couldn’t process where they were.
"A-Are you really Ms. Helcia Orszebet?" July finally asked. She looked around the house nervously and even flinched when she almost touched a shiny flower vase.
"Yes! And you can just call Helcia." I tilted my head and gave them a bright smile. "Is sothing wrong? My husband already paid your fee, right?"
I just wanted to make sure, since I worried he might have forgotten. And honestly, with how busy he always was, it wouldn’t be surprising.
But once I saw July and Maya nod at the sa ti, I let out a relieved sigh. "Good." I started walking, motioning for them to follow . "Co on, you can get ready in my bedroom."
To save ti, I chose to take the elevator. But July and Maya suddenly looked even paler. Maya nervously asked, "W-Why do you have an elevator inside your house?"
While pressing the elevator button, I answered casually, "My husband uses a wheelchair, so he built this to go upstairs easily."
July and Maya didn’t say anything after that. They only spoke again while preparing their tools in my bedroom.
"Um, Helcia... are you sure you want to use my service?" July asked softly, barely eting my eyes.
"Yes, of course. Why not?" I said, confused.
Before July could explain, Maya answered for her, "It’s just... we’re still new. We’re scared you won’t be happy with our work." She added in an even softer voice, "And... we usually only work with ordinary clients. I honestly thought you were just going to soone’s party."
Right. I only told them I wanted a glamorous style, but I never actually ntioned it was for a famous charity gala. Honestly, the only reason I even said that much was because I already liked the portfolio they posted on social dia.
And besides, I wasn’t planning to show up looking overly dramatic anyway. I’m still a rookie. If I appeared too flashy, it would just make look silly and probably cause backlash later for trying too hard to impress everyone.
The safest option for right now was to show up without being too flashy, but still manage to catch their attention.
It would be hard, since my gown was really sparkly and had such an eye-catching color, but I could balance it with makeup that wasn’t too bold.
"I hired both of you, so doesn’t that already show that I’m trusting myself in your hands completely?" I reassured them. "Don’t worry, I’m also just a rookie in this industry. Everyone starts as a newbie, but that doesn’t an you’re not talented."
Both of them froze for a second, like they didn’t expect that answer. Then, slowly, their shoulders relaxed.
"Thank you..." July whispered, looking a little emotional. After a second, her eyes lit up and she rolled up her sleeves with new enthusiasm. "Let’s get you started!"
July and Maya worked together, moving in sync like they had practiced this a hundred tis. They whispered to each other occasionally, double-checking products, fixing brushes, adjusting the lighting, clearly nervous, but trying so hard to do everything perfectly.
It was funny to think this was their first ti eting each other, yet they already worked so smoothly side by side. They were careful, focused, and honestly very talented.
Watching them, I felt sure of one thing: they had potential. Real potential. So from today onward, I needed to keep a good relationship with them because I could already see them becoming big nas one day.
After working hard on my look for around three and a half hours, they finally finished their job.
"Wow..." Maya whispered, staring at like she couldn’t believe what she just created.
"You look amazing!" July added, sounding shy but so proud.
I turned to the mirror and honestly forgot how to breathe for a second.
My hair was styled in a soft updo, with a few loose curls falling to fra my face. Tiny white pearls were placed between the strands, making look like so kind of ocean princess, especially paired with the shimring purple gown.
The makeup didn’t look too bold at all, just like I asked. July used soft colors like pink and silver for my face, and even chose a gentle, glossy lipstick shade since the focus of the makeup was my eyes.
"Thank you," I said, and I could feel my confidence rising fast.
I twirled in front of the mirror for a mont before finally stepping out of my bedroom when the clock hit four in the afternoon.
Lando had already co ho earlier and was getting ready too. When I texted him that I was heading downstairs, he waited for at the bottom of the stairs.
[Lando’s favorability increased by 2%]
His eyes widened, and I widened mine too because I thought I wouldn’t be able to increase his favorability since we didn’t have any progress with physical contact.
But here he was... his favorability went up just because he was stunned by my beauty.
"Helcia..." he breathed out, almost like he forgot how to speak. He swallowed hard, standing there frozen as if he needed air. When I reached the last step, he finally managed to say, "You look... beautiful."
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