A Messenger came from the palace two days after the appraisal at the Court Mage Division.
They had come many times before, but this time was different.
Everything was normal up until the point when the Director greeted the Messenger at the entrance.
The Director called me and took me along with him to where the Messenger was waiting.
The Director and the Messenger formally exchanged pleasantries and then we all moved to the Director’s Room.
Why was such a pretentious messenger here? He came delivering a letter, addressed to me from His Majesty.
The letter went like this:
I would like to meet you at the palace tomorrow.
Mhmm, is this not an audience with the King?
“Director.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t have appropriate clothes to wear when meeting His Majesty.”
I was reminded of the first conversation I had with His Majesty when I looked at the letter.
He told me at that time that there would be an official apology. I wondered if this was about that.
I felt like I’d rejected such an over exaggerated apology before; had he disregarded it?
Liz taught me a little about the customs in this kingdom, but I hadn’t learnt enough to have an audience with His Majesty the King.
Therefore, I tried to refuse the invitation by using my clothes as an excuse, but it failed.
“There is no need for you to prepare anything, Sei-sama. All your preparations will be taken care of at the palace.”
That was it.
It was inevitable, and even if I refused by frankly saying I was worried about my manners, he would just say that it wasn’t a problem.
I felt a little uneasy at the Messenger’s respectful attitude, but it would become troublesome if I kept on hesitating so I accepted.
It would have been better for me to refuse, but I felt that things would get even more complicated if I did.
Even when I had met His Majesty at the library, he had tried to gift me with various things such as territories and titles.
If I refused this time, he would be aware that I was angry. I would be extremely troubled if he started preparing things for me.
Unmanageable things.
Furthermore, I worried about causing the Director inconvenience if I refused more than I already had.
From the viewpoint of the Research Institute, His Majesty was the equivalent to a head of a superior organisation.
At any rate, the Director, who was a person of this world, might get some kind of blame for it.
Even if no one blamed him, there would be a dilemma between me and the superiors, which smelt like trouble.
It’s the troubles of middle management.
I didn’t want to bother the Director with such things because he always did so much for me.
Well, even if I told the Director that I was worried over this, he would just end it with, “Don’t worry about it.”
The day after the Messenger came.
I went to the Royal Palace early in the morning and began my preparations for the audience with the King.
It seemed that various kinds of preparations were needed in order to meet His Majesty the King.
I told the Messenger that I didn’t think it was necessary to prepare so early in the morning, but he ignored me.
I was getting ready in a large room that looked like a hotel suite, with a bedroom and living room.
As soon as I entered the room, the maids, who were waiting, gathered around.
They ushered me into the bathroom and, before I realised what was happening, stripped my clothes and gave me a bath.
I didn’t think I had to take a bath again this early in the morning since I took one every day at the Research Institute, but it was non-negotiable.
The maids washed every nook and cranny of my body, from my head to my toes.
It was really embarrassing, but I’d already experienced this before, when I lived at the palace after being summoned here.
I felt scared of getting used to it.
The maids who were currently in this room were the same ones I had with me when I was first summoned, so I was able to bear with my embarrassment.
The maids also carefully massaged my body after I got out of the shower.
A nice smell spread throughout the room from the essential oils that they were using, such as geranium and bergamot.
Because the maids were skilled, it felt really nice.
Because it was early in the morning, it was inevitable that I dozed off.
They quickly finished my makeup while I was absentminded after my massage.
I came back to my senses when I heard a voice call, Sei-sama. I looked into the mirror and saw how refined I looked and wanted to ask, “Who’s that?”
My hair was down like it usually was, but after applying the perfumed oil, it looked so silky that a ring of angels could be seen.
The maids were also satisfied with their work.
The work on my body was done so now I needed to change.
The dress in the maid’s hand was not the type of dress I’d thought I would wear. It was an elegant, shiny white robe, embroidered with gold thread.
I wanted to retort, whose high-ranking aristocratic young lady is that for? I was a bit surprised that the maids, however, continued on with the preparations.
I thought that I would surely wear a dress that tightened around the waist.
The robe was similar to the ones that the Court Mages wore, but it was even more extravagant.
When I saw it, I thought that……
It somehow looked like something a saint would wear.
My face inadvertently twitched.
I didn’t remember doing anything during the appraisal that would out me as a 【Saint】.
When I thought back, however, I did act more on the grey side than the black side.
I didn’t write my status after all, so they could see that as guilt.
Actually there was something that would reveal who I was.
The palace may have already decided to treat me like a 【Saint】from observing my various actions.
The maids steadily changed my clothes while I was thinking.
When everything was finished I looked at my body in a full body mirror and there stood a 【Saint】.