Chapter 55
Yuseol, following Yanghui, smiled faintly.
“Whenever I got curious and put flower dye on my hands, I had to listen to my father’s lectures.”
“Ah….”
“He always taught me that caring for husband and people instead of spending time on adornment was the virtue of a Crown Princess.”
Yuseol stared blankly at the ground. If she met her father in heaven someday, could she ask him? Whether he was satisfied with the fate of a daughter who couldn’t even properly adorn herself once while longing for her future husband and the people?
The more she thought about it, the more resentment rose up. It was because the time she had spent in the East Palace longing for only one man was so vividly clear. Was this the reward for a woman who had spent lonely day after lonely day? She gripped her jacket ties tightly and continued speaking.
“From now on, I want to try doing whatever I want to do.”
Yanghui, who had been eagerly heading toward the center of the lower village, looked around the path.
“Have you been here before? This is where the market opens every fortnight. The scale is small, but they sell ornaments, valuables, pottery, fish, and salt. Sometimes you can get good quality rouge too, which is nice.”
Yuseol looked at the currently empty stalls and answered quietly.
“I should come look when the market opens.”
“Really? I’ll escort you comfortably then too!”
In the center of the village was a large well, and next to it a pavilion was elegantly positioned. Yanghui, who had passed the pavilion, called to Yuseol in front of a neat house.
“My lady, this is it.”
When the house’s stately main gate opened, a zelkova tree was the first to greet the guests.
The women who had been spending time in the zelkova tree’s shade looked at Yuseol all at once.
Yuseol shrank her shoulders at the coolness—whether from the shade or from ominous energy. Out of the corner of her tense eyes, she caught sight of the women whispering to each other.
She was about to greet them first….
The women seemed to have no gaps in looking at each other and exchanging words. Yanghui, who had been observing the atmosphere, guided Yuseol to the central room.
“The rouge powder is over here. I’ll help you with adornment right away.”
The door opened. Beautiful mother-of-pearl furniture, pottery, and various ornaments showed off their diversity. Since in the palace, the women’s quarters were used secretly by one woman, Yuseol was simply amazed.
“Is this place a communal space?”
Yanghui opened the mother-of-pearl furniture and took out a wooden basket with her name written on it, placing it on the table.
“Yes. It’s a place anyone can use if they want.”
Yuseol sat at the table across from Yanghui and looked at the tools. White powder to apply on the face, black powder, and rouge were contained in pretty seed bowls.
Among them was also a fragrant ointment. Yuseol looked at Yanghui with considerable amazement.
“What’s this?”
Yanghui looked at the pink ointment with satisfaction and answered.
“That’s apricot seed face cream. It will remove blemishes from your face and create a glow.”
Then she opened the stopper of a ceramic bottle and poured it into a small cup, continuing to speak.
“First, I’ll apply this beauty water.”
Unlike the court ladies who applied beauty water with their hands, Yanghui absorbed it into a tiny cloth and patted Yuseol’s cheeks. When the sweet flower fragrance and cool sensation spread, Yuseol closed her eyes pleasantly.
“It feels different from the beauty water I used in the palace.”
“It’s probably because I made it by mixing various ingredients myself. Now I’ll apply the face cream.”
Yanghui scooped up apricot seed face cream with her fingertip and applied it to Yuseol’s face while melting it with body temperature. Her cheeks, which had been stiff with tension at first, relaxed comfortably.
“It’s finished.”
Yuseol opened her eyes and looked at the black mirror on the table. With vitality added to her blemish-free white face, a soft radiance flowed. Yuseol lost her words and could only admire. It seemed like Han Yuseol, who had existed like air from heaven, had disappeared.
“…I look like a different person.”
It was amazing how different a person could look with just a bright glow. She seemed to have become someone who grew up receiving endless love, knew how to give love, and also knew how to receive it. Like Meisa, whom she had met once….
While Yuseol was looking at the black mirror feeling unfamiliar, Yanghui answered as if it were natural.
“It’s thanks to your beauty, my lady.”
Soon Yanghui put powder in a small seed bowl and continued speaking.
“Now I’m going to apply powder.”
The women of the palace liked makeup that looked as if they weren’t wearing any. They paid more attention to hairstyle than to their faces.
So Yuseol had never done skin makeup before, but she trusted Yanghui and left her face to her.
The powder application continued longer than expected. Soon Yanghui put black powder in a new seed bowl and mixed it with a drop of oil, saying:
“This is powder I personally mixed from ash made by burning plum branches and special materials. The particles are fine and the adhesion is excellent, so it won’t come off. It can only be removed with camellia oil.”
Yanghui began carefully drawing Yuseol’s eyebrows and eye shape with that powder. Then she burned a thin, elongated tree branch in the candle flame and curled up her long eyelashes.
Finally, Yanghui applied deep red rouge to Yuseol’s lips and cheeks, then spread black powder lightly on the back of her own hand, dabbed it with her index finger, and enhanced Yuseol’s jawline and nose bridge. She continued examining the smaller, more delicate face from various angles.
Then the door opened and the women who had been in the yard entered and settled in the room, pretending to have other purposes. At the sound, Yuseol opened her eyes and Yanghui held out the black mirror in front of her face.
“It’s finished, my lady.”
In the black mirror appeared a woman with gorgeous makeup. The woman had a face as slender as a child’s, a prominent nose, and thick, delicate eyebrows. The corners of her large, clear eyes were upturned, making her look like an untameable young wild cat.
When Yuseol closed and opened her eyes, the woman in the black mirror moved exactly the same way. Deep admiration flowed through Yuseol’s teeth as if she couldn’t believe it.
Then a woman’s question was heard from behind.
“Hey, Yanghui. But who is she?”
Yanghui looked at Yuseol proudly, then answered the woman at the door.
“I brought Lady Yuseol from the quarters in front of the inner house.”
Absurd laughter was heard.
“That’s an amusing joke.”
They didn’t seem to believe it.
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