Chapter 25

Chapter 25

In order to allow young men to show off the beautiful bodies they’d developed through rigorous training and exercise, the rule at imperial palace banquets was that they must wear dress shirts with an open front. Because of this, viewing them at the right angle would provide a tantalizing peek at their tight chest muscles. If they weren’t careful, their nipples could even show. This served as occasional eye candy for the noblewomen.

As this exposure happened so often for men, styles focusing on the upper body began to gain more traction. Men who usually wore tightly wound silk cravats, which covered most of their neck, would instead opt for long, thin fabric scarves around their necks—styled like a slim ascot—on days when palace banquets were held. This fashion exposed the usually hidden physical beauty of men, and it made the noblewomen go wild.

Body chains were also currently in vogue. Body chains were a style of metal necklaces woven into a netting and draped over the torso. They loosely hung over the chest and belly button, and usually sported gems. These were evocative of actual chains, adding to the risqué factor. It had been Eve’s great-grandmother, the emperor before the Emperor’s predecessor, who had popularized the body chain. Many noblewomen had greatly respected her.

Peony and Lianne, who’d been working assiduously on Mikael’s face for a while, straightened up with proud looks.

“His face makeup is done. What do you think, Sir Agnito?”

“I wouldn’t know how to feel even if you told me.”

“Shall we ask Her Highness to have a look, then?”

Mikael, unable to refuse, was forced to walk over to Eve. Eve focused her attention on his face so she wouldn’t stare at his bare torso.

“Oh!”

This time she failed to contain her gasp. His purple eyes were so dangerously alluring. Eve was bewildered.

Wait, what did they do to him?

She’d always been told that makeup for men was intended to enhance their base features and nothing more. And it was true, Mikael’s handsome looks hadn’t changed much. Still, there was now something significantly more seductive and ravishing about his gaze. It seemed as if Peony and Lianne had worked some kind of dark magic on Mikael’s eyes. Mikael spoke when he realized Eve was too busy staring to comment.

“Do I look strange?”

“Mmm... Huh? Oh, no, not really...”

Peony explained her technique with a very proud look on her face.

“This is a makeup style for the eyes that’s regarded as a prized secret weapon among noblewomen’s husbands. It’s supposed to capture the shining, passionate eyes of a man experiencing the height of pleasure. People call it the ‘starry night makeup’ technique. My uncle on my mother’s side once seduced a countess with this makeup.”

“...”

Eve was dazed, processing everything a little slowly. Then she grew appalled.

Peony! You can’t arm a man of peerless beauty like this with such a powerful weapon!

Peony didn’t seem to notice Eve’s confused bewilderment and continued to speak in a serene tone.

“Perhaps, Your Highness, if you like what you see, tonight you’ll take him to—”

“Enough, Peony.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Banquets were always made to be events that ignited romance, so Peony had assumed that Mikael, Eve’s personal knight, would be joining her in bed tonight. Eve glanced back and saw that Lianne and Hugh appeared to think the same. Ironically, only Eve and Mikael—who’d never slept together—were left feeling awkward as they had not followed the customary traditions of a member of the imperial family and their personal knight.

Eve quickly changed the subject.

“I’m really quite thirsty. Sedella, will you get me some tea?”

“Yes, my lady!”

It just so happened that Sedella had prepared chamomile tea, known for its calming properties. Meanwhile, Mikael’s dressing continued. After light makeup was applied to his upper body, a thin and beautiful golden body chain was draped around his neck. Mikael’s upper body was now bound in slim chains decorated with exquisitely tiny topaz, olive green garnet, and peridot gems. There was a decadent quality to his overall beauty. The maids helped him put on a dress shirt and loose tie. Then Hugh, the attendant, brought out some accessories on a velvet tray.

“It is required by custom that personal knights and knights of the Imperial Guard wear these at palace banquets.”

It was an eye patch made of black lace. It allowed people to immediately distinguish between homunculi and nobles in crowded places. It also reinforced the notion that homunculi were inhuman objects by allowing people to avoid eye contact easily. Despite the imperial family’s shallow pretensions, they were well aware of the psychological aspects of controlling their slaves.

They’ve successfully held homunculi in slavery for hundreds of years for a reason.

The thought bothered Eve, but Lianne and Hugh were blissfully unaware as they chattered about the eye patch.

“It’s a pity you need to wear that eye patch with the makeup on.”

“I’d love to see how jealous the other princesses get of our princess.”

Peony countered with a different viewpoint. “But I think it’s romantic, actually, that only she gets to see him fully. I have no doubt she’ll take off Sir Agnito’s eye patch herself at night and...”

“Enough, Peony.”

“Yes, my lady.”

The girl seemed set in her assumptions. Eve sighed and directed Hugh, “Put the lace eye patch aside. It will be uncomfortable, so he can put it on when we leave.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Mikael then put on a pure white, luxurious knight’s uniform, complete with epaulettes and tassels and also adorned with gold embroidery. The uniform resembled a coat, like the normal uniform, but the front could not be closed. It was a design meant to expose the torso that would be adorned with a body chain. The outfit also had a fancy belt that wrapped tightly about the waist, revealing the wearer’s well-defined thighs.

He was now completely dressed, save for his lace eye patch, and the result was nothing short of a sculpted male deity in the flesh. This marble statue of a man would become a famous art heritage in the empire.

While Eve marveled, Sedella gave Eve some sad news.

“Your turn to be dressed, my lady.”

“Hmph... I guess it’s time...”

Eve told Mikael that she’d be back and entered her bedroom with her three maids and Sedella. Eve’s hair still needed to be done and her dressing session took twice as long. Her ample lime blond hair was lightly curled to give it waves and let hang down, and then part of her hair they tied up for a half up-do.

Her dress was a vintage light purple trimmed with golden brown and fell down to her ankles when she wore heels. The chiffon skirt was flared and had many folds, so if she walked a little fast or turned quickly, it made the dress open outward like a peony blossom. Her exposed shoulders were covered with a long cape made of silver mesh. It resembled fairy’s wings, made to flutter behind her when she walked and attract everyone’s gaze.

“This is a modified version of my mother’s dress, isn’t it? It’s lovely. Good work, Sedella.”

“I’m afraid we didn’t have enough time to make it completely fit today’s standards. I hope that next time you’ll be able to wear a much more beautiful, finished dress.”

“That’s all right. You don’t need to be burdened with sewing any longer, Sedella.”

The final adornments were some amethyst accessories that matched the color of Mikael’s eyes. Peony and Lianne spoke elatedly as Eve stood in front of her full-length mirror.

“It’s so satisfying to serve someone beautiful.”

“Yes, but we shouldn’t be the only ones to get that satisfaction. Let’s go show Sir Agnito as well, Your Highness.”

“Oh, you girls...”

Sedella, Peony, and Lianne were masters at their art, and Eve had to admit she looked and felt very beautiful right now. She wasn’t sure Mikael would react much, however—he’d overthrown a kingdom using his good looks, after all. Eve went out to the reception room, expectations low. But she was greeted with a pleasant surprise.

“Prin... cess?”

Mikael, who’d been fidgeting with his collar, froze as soon as he spotted Eve. He seemed to have forgotten to blink, staring at her in astonishment.

Huh?

Lianne and Peony gave her looks that said, “Told you so.”

Eve felt a rush of pleasure once her initial surprise subsided.

Come to think of it, Mikael has just begun life in the palace. He’s probably not used to seeing people so fully decked out.

Mikael’s current age was 21, two years older than Eve. Though he was an adult, it was natural for him to be easily influenced by the beguiling standards of high society—for his whole life he’d been locked up in the tiny, lightless world that was the training center.

Eve decided to poke fun, seeing that Mikael wasn’t able to speak.

“You do recognize me, right, Mikael?”

“Of course,”

Mikael said, finally coming to. Eve laughed lightly when his deep purple eyes looked away with some embarrassment and confusion.

Bang! Pop! Crackle!

That was when the sound of fireworks started outside. They signaled that Rosenitte’s imprint ritual was over.

“Hmm. It took five hours.”

“Well, that has to be a new record.”

Beloved White Rose that she was, she would not escape some gossip about this. Lianne and Peony, in fact, had already begun.

“Sir Millard must have been a difficult homunculus to imprint.”

“Well he can’t have been nearly as hard as Sir Agnito, but considering how little talent in alchemy the eighth princess has, I’m hardly surprised.”

“Shh,” Sedella chastised, holding a finger to her lips.

Eve mumbled sadly to herself, “So poor Sir Millard has become Rosie’s personal knight...”