It did not take Melissa long to clean her face, and she carefully applied a light pink foundation to her cheeks and black mascara to her eyelashes, braiding her hair neatly with the help of the maid, who made everything easier this time. Before, it had taken Melissa a great deal of effort to apply foundation and mascara that she had only seen rich girls from her village used on their faces, but now, with Maria's assistance, everything seemed to happen in the blink of an eye, and Melissa realized she hardly had to do any work at all because Maria had done most of it.
Melissa had thought the maid was very strict and always carried a poker face like Lucien, but it turned out Maria was not so impassive. While she helped Melissa apply makeup, Maria opened up to her, and the two of them shared a few stories. When Melissa asked her what she had looked like earlier in the hallway with her face all messy, Maria giggled and laughed, saying Melissa had looked like a ghost that haunts at night.
Melissa immediately felt embarrassed and regretted asking Maria.
She wondered what Lucien must have thought when he saw her face that had become a mess from crying. But then, she thought that he was the reason for her crying. Well, it was her choice to cry, but she could not help but think how he had dropped such a reward—something she had wished for all her life—so casually, as if it meant nothing at all. Well, for him it might mean nothing, but for her it was a huge deal.
After she finished cleaning her face and applying some light makeup, Melissa left the room and followed Maria through the hallway.
Melissa soon stepped out of the palace and reached the center of the garden, where there stood a large raised house or room—she did not even know what to call something that big—its walls and ceiling were made entirely out of glass, and she wondered how anyone had managed to build such a thing.
What if the glass ceiling fell down on their heads, or the walls cracked during a storm?
"My lady, I have other duties to attend to, so I can only guide you this far," Maria said, bowing her head slightly to Melissa.
"Um, sure," Melissa replied, and she began to walk alone toward the teahouse, passing through its huge entrance, which was wide enough for three or four people to enter at once.
She gasped when she saw who was seated at the table, and she immediately hurried over to hug them.
"Mom, I missed you so much," Melissa said, hugging her mother tightly, and her mother stood up to return the embrace.
Melissa glanced at her father out of the corner of her eye, noticing that he remained seated and did not stand up to greet her. His eyes flickered to the left, as if trying to silently direct her attention in that direction.
Melissa followed his gaze and saw the duchess and duke sitting there, sipping tea. The duchess had a wide, cheerful smile on her face, and the duke looked as stern and rigid as the rumors about the Northern Duke had always described.
Melissa quickly let go of her mother and bowed awkwardly to the duke and duchess. "I am sorry for my behavior. I just got too excited seeing them here," she said, worried that her actions might seem rude. She had completely forgotten about the duke and duchess the moment she saw her parents. It had only been a day or so since she last saw them, but she already missed them deeply.
"There is no need to apologize to us, Melissa. How long do you plan to keep your head bowed? Make yourself comfortable," the duchess said, her voice smooth and pleasant like honey. Melissa slowly, awkwardly lifted her head and took a seat beside her mother.
"We have some plans for you, and we hope they will be to your liking. This is the least we could do for your help, but you can ask for more if you are not pleased," the duke said as he set his teacup on the table. He had a strong, muscular build like a bear, his hair was pitch-black like Lucien's, and his eyes were black, unlike Lucien's silver ones.
Melissa shifted uncomfortably in her chair under the duke's gaze, her eyes flickering between the duke and duchess. The duchess wore a playful smile, her eyes sparkling with mischief, but that mischievous look only made Melissa feel more nervous instead of giving her any relief.
"What kind of plans, your grace?" Melissa asked, keeping her voice steady even though she felt tense.
"First of all, I would like to thank you for your help," the duke replied, bowing his head toward Melissa.
Melissa quickly put out her hands and waved them. "It's the least I could do. There's no need to bow your head to me," she said.
The duke lifted his head, and for the first time, a slight smile appeared on his lips. "We have decided to give your family a home in Norwind City, and we will open a bakery shop for your parents. We will sponsor all the costs, and if you need anything else, just let me know," he said.
"What? Why a bakery?" Melissa asked, her eyes wide. She wanted to say that she had already received a reward from Lucien for her help, but the duchess spoke before she could.
"The bread I tasted this morning, the one your mother made, was truly delicious, and I can still remember the taste even now. You remember the bread you brought with you, and how I took a bite of it earlier. I could not help but tell my husband about it, and since your mother clearly has a real talent for baking, we both thought it would be wonderful to open a bakery shop for her. Your parents are more than happy to run the bakery here in the city, and we will make sure to open the shop right in the center of the market, and we will sponsor all the costs until the business can support itself. If you need anything, you must let me know. We are also thinking about sending you to the academy next year, since your parents mentioned that attending the academy is your dream," the duchess said, her voice so pleasant and casual that it made everything sound so simple, as if these generous offers were nothing out of the ordinary at all.
Melissa glanced at her parents, who sat beside her with that kind of guilty look people have when they know they have been found out. She realized that maybe they had not mentioned her wish to join the academy for any bad reason. Still, they must have known, deep down, that if they brought it up, the duke and the duchess would offer to sponsor her fees and everything else. In the end, they had let it slip, whether by accident or on purpose. It was strange to her because she had always thought of her parents as gentle and quiet people who would never ask for much. Now, in this moment, she wondered if maybe they were a little greedy, or maybe just the kind of people who saw a small chance for something better and decided to take it, just for the well-being of their daughter.
"Um, I am fine with the bakery shop, but I am supposed to join the academy this year, not next year, your grace," Melissa said respectfully, doing her best to explain herself clearly.
***
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