Chapter 17

"Whoa... I thought it was someone else."

After getting out of the bath.

As she changed into a new dress and stepped out of the changing room, Sylphie, who had been waiting, put her hand to her mouth and said,

"Really, that much?"

"Yes. The dirt on your skin is gone, and your hair is so shiny... You look completely different."

Because of Sylphie's straightforward way of speaking, Amelia knew these were words from the bottom of her heart.

"The shine in your hair is thanks to the shampoo."

"I understand. When I first used it, I was impressed by how wonderful it was."

Shampoo, a magical item that, when applied to the hair and rinsed with water, gives an unbelievable shine. According to Sylphie, it is made by mixing essential oils with coconut milk and honey.

(Mixing with essential oils means I can change the scent freely... lavender and lily of the valley... no, nemisia too...)

Amelia's urge to mix things started to kick in.

She thought she would someday investigate the exact proportions and mixing process to create her own original shampoo.

"You still need to eat a lot and gain some weight."

Sylphie said this while looking over Amelia's figure.

"I'll try my best, as long as it doesn't upset my stomach..."

"And most importantly, dresses and accessories. We need to go shopping for them at some point."

The dress Amelia was wearing was one she had brought from her old home.

Dresses, being expensive, were rarely given to her at home, and when they were, they were cheap and plain. The dresses she had brought were all far from fashionable, and some were even crumpled and smoky.

It was hard to believe that a duchess would wear such dresses.

"But, even if I dress up..."

"What are you saying?"

Sylphie took Amelia's hand, which was hanging down without confidence, and said,

"Amelia, you have a very good base. If you gain back to a healthy weight and properly dress up, you will... no, you will definitely transform."

"R-really...?"

"Yes, there's no doubt about it. I guarantee it."

Sylphie nodded deeply with a serious expression, and Amelia couldn't help but believe her.

But because she had been called ugly and bony so many times, being complimented on her appearance was a first, and it was hard to believe.

(But...)

"...Thank you. I'm really happy you said that."

She truly felt that way.

For Amelia, whose self-esteem had hit rock bottom, being complimented by someone made her feel as if she were on top of the world.

Unintentionally, her cheeks started to smile, so she turned her back to Sylphie to hide it.

"Let's head back to the room for now."

"Understood."

On the way back to her room, Amelia's steps were much lighter than on the way there.