Chapter 33: Natural Beauty

An hour before the dance began, Mia was alone in the communal baths. Was this the self-assurance of royalty? The confidence of the elite? The laxness of attitude afforded only to those who believed that showing up late was fashionable? No, it was not. As a matter of fact, Mia was close to tears.

“Hnnngh, this is the worst... This is the absolute worst!”

Extravagant dresses that required wrapping themselves in layer upon layer of fabric were all the rage among the young ladies of the nobility. Combined with the extensive application of makeup, it was easy to see how preparing for a ball could take several hours.

So why, then, was Mia sitting in a bath, all by herself, with not even Anne in sight? The answer lay in her hair, which was covered in some sort of sticky, mucus-like substance. Currently, she was frantically lathering her hair in an attempt to clean it...

To explain this situation would require replaying the events that led up to this moment.

Mia got up early that day and after lunch began changing into her dress, with plenty of time left until the party. Her excessively doting father, the Emperor, had sent her a dress of the finest quality that couldn’t be found in any other kingdom. Though it was especially time-consuming to put on, it was also incomparably gorgeous. By the time she’d finished putting on the elaborate dress and had applied the perfect makeup look to compliment it, there were still two hours left until the party. That two-hour leeway and the comfort it afforded would prove to be her downfall.

“Since there’s still some time, perhaps I should take a look around the academy...”

As she strolled around the school grounds, she happened upon a new sight. The equestrian club was walking its horses.

This is the first time I’ve seen them up close like this.

As she idly regarded the horses, one of them brought its nose down to her. Mia wasn’t averse to animals. Figuring the creature just wanted to nuzzle, she reached out her hand, intending to give it a pat.

Ker-choo!

The horse sneezed on her.

“Hyaaaaaah!”

It was a mighty sneeze, accompanied by a heavy payload. After the burst of air passed, Mia found herself covered in horse snot.

“Ughhh... Why... Why did this happen...” said a sniffling Mia on the verge of tears.