As soon as I reached my quarters, I was tackled (there was no other word for it, really) by my waiting servants. They were all in tears, especially Megumi. Her elfin face looked so heartbroken.

"Lady Hinata, where did you go?" she was bawling her eyes out, her pointed chin quivered.

"I just went for a quick walk outside," I replied, guilt coupled with bewilderment echoed in my words. "What happened to you?"

"We thought you were abducted! We didn't hear you leave so when Ryuko-san noticed that you weren't in your room, she woke us to help look for you," Yoko explained.

"We were about to alert the guards of your disappearance when Lady Mami's servants blocked our way," Aya recounted. "They vehemently opposed the idea of searching for you. They insisted that you'll be back soon."

"That made us suspicious. We thought Lady Mami ordered them to take you so she could punish you for humiliating her earlier," Tsubaki inspected my arms and legs for bruises and cuts. "Thankfully, you're unharmed."

"I went outside for an evening stroll," I repeated my alibi. "Sorry for making you worry. I had a hard rime sleeping and I didn't have the heart to wake you all up."

"My lady, we are at your disposal. We will do whatever you want us to do," this time, it was Ryuko-san who spoke. "Whether you want to go outside during the wee hours of the morning or you just feel like doing something random, please don't hesitate to let us know. We are at your every beck and call."

Now I felt even guiltier. I just nodded my head in response, I didn't want to lie to them more. I wish I could tell them what I saw but, in the words of Ryuko-san, the palace walls have ears. And it's not that I don't trust them, I just didn't want to 'implicate' them. The scene I saw earlier must never leak, otherwise the entire palace might be in total chaos. Best leave it to Shouta to let Kaname know about it.

~~~

Because I slept late, I also woke up late. The maids, learning from a previous experience, did not wake me up. Unless it was urgent, they let me sleep in. When I opened my eyes, my first thoughts were on Ayaka. I decided to pay her a visit after my brunch.

Tsubaki and Nanami were helping me get ready when Megumi went into the room with a wooden box containing traditional makeup. Nanami was expertly twisting my hair into a bun while her twin handed her the baubles for my hair.

"My lady," Megumi started, her face awash with eagerness. "Would you like to put some makeup on today?"

When Ayaka and I first started getting close, she asked me why I never "dolled up" around Kaname. I of course told her that I did and even showed her my makeup kit, however she laughed at me and called me weird because those weren't makeup. She then dragged me to her room and showed me how she set about doing her toilette.

She showed me several tools that helped her achieve her chalky-white-face and blood-red-lips look. From the razor that she used to shave her brows to the little brushes that let her apply the teeth blackening agent that gave her the perfect ohaguro. I learned that black teeth was the sign of a woman's s.e.xual maturity during this era. From samurais to farmers, married women blackened their teeth until it looked like s.h.i.+ny, black lacquerware.

"White teeth look positively barbaric on married women like us," she said as she gave her teeth a fresh coat of the sumac-leaf gall, sake, and iron mixture. When she realized how insulting her words could be, she grabbed my hands and apologized. "Forgive me, I was not thinking."

"It's alright," I replied absentmindedly, I was totally enraptured by what she was doing at the time to take offense in what she said.

Now, seeing that Megumi has prepared all the necessary tools to "prettify" me, I was tempted to shave my brows and say goodbye to my pearly whites. But was it worth it? Will I look good sporting a caked Mona Lisa[1] look? More importantly, was I brave enough? Did I have it in me?

I took a deep breath and, without thinking about it more, I nodded my head. My acquiesce earned me three thrilled shrieks.

~~~

I looked at my face in the mirror. I examined every detail of my makeup, inspecting the quality and manner it was applied.

The moment I agreed to what Megumi had planned, she opened the wooden box straightaway. Tsubaki then went to get the rest of the maids into the room. Their animated faces almost made me want to go back on my word. Their excitement worried me, for some reason.

Nevertheless, now that I finally saw how I looked like in traditional makeup, I eventually found out that my fears were unfounded and that the look suited me.

"So beautiful," Ryuko-san beamed. "The shogun will be all over you when he gets back and sees you, my lady!"

"You really think so?" I smiled shyly.

"We're absolutely positive, Lady Hinata!" Megumi clapped her hands together for emphasis.

I was about to say my thanks when a voice interrupted us.

"The great seis.h.i.+tsu[2] has arrived!"

"It's Lady Mami!" Yoko exclaimed. "What could the reason behind her visit be??"

"Time to find out," I stood and plastered a smile on my face. "Let's go and meet her. We mustn't make her wait."

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[1] Brow-less.

[2] j.a.panese term for the official wife of a high-ranking person, e.g. the shogun.