The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 153

Chapter 153: The Barber and the Massage

After dinner, having warmed my body in the sauna, I called the barber to my room.

“Madam, I am Tori, and I will be performing your treatment today. I will do my utmost best.”

The one who bowed deeply was a barber with brown skin and black hair. She looked to be in her early twenties. True to her profession, her hair was neatly styled and glossy, her skin well-cared for, and her large eyes a beautiful blue, giving her an exotic atmosphere.

“Nice to meet you, Tori. I’m Melfina, and this is my secretary, Marie.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you both. Today, I will be cutting your hair, performing a hair treatment, and giving you a neck and shoulder massage.”

Saying so, she laid a hemp cloth on the floor and placed a chair on top of it. As I sat down, she smoothly draped a lustrous silk cape—what would be called a cape in my past life—over the chemise I was wearing.

“How long would you like your hair to be?”

“I haven’t had it cut in about a year and a half, so could you take about fifteen centimeters off? I’ll braid the sides, so please even them out around my chest.”

Adult noblewomen and married women usually style their hair up for formal occasions, and wigs are also fairly common, so only unmarried young women among the nobility generally wear their long, beautiful hair down.

Melfina was betrothed immediately after coming of age and did not have a debutante ball in the royal capital. Moreover, using the excuse that her marriage was virtually null and void, she often wore her hair down, only lightly braiding it.

Marie, on the other hand, mostly styles her hair up during the day, so seeing her beautiful, light blonde hair down was quite refreshing for Melfina.

First, she swept my hair back and carefully brushed it. When hair is grown long, it tends to become frayed and tangled, but Tori’s touch was gentle and meticulous as she carefully combed my hair.

“This is a brush made from boar bristles. It makes the hair easier to manage, and the more carefully you comb, the more shine it produces.”

My long hair was completely combed, and then the scissors came out. They were evidently well-sharpened; with each snip, snip, the sound of the hair falling onto the cloth spread on the floor could be heard.

“Tori has beautiful black hair. Black hair is rare in Francesca, but is it common in Romana?”

When spending time in the Enkar region and at the lord’s mansion, one tends to forget, but it is extremely rare for servants and commoners to speak to nobles. When I asked Tori, who had remained silent and concentrated on the treatment, there was a momentary hesitation.

“There are only women here, and I sometimes like to enjoy a chat. Don’t worry about being impolite; feel free to talk to me.”

“Yes… My hair is dyed.”

“Is it? Hair dyeing in Romana is quite advanced. I couldn’t tell at all.”

“We use a special plant-based dye, so it may be somewhat unusual.”

The fact that it’s dyed such a beautiful, deep black probably means it’s a dye made from a combination of henna and indigo, among other things.

It’s somehow enjoyable to know that methods for enjoying hair dyeing exist in this era.

Indigo… speaking of indigo, in my past life, jeans were standard, but dresses and accessories dyed that color might become popular in this life as well.

“What color was your original hair?”

“A dull gold. In Romana, blonde hair is considered very rare and noble. If a commoner woman has blonde hair, it often leads to bad connections, so at my brother’s suggestion, I dyed it this color.”

“I see…”

Romana is a republic, but until shortly before Melfina’s birth, it was a kingdom like the surrounding countries, ruled by a king. The conflict between the oppressive royal family and the senate ended in victory for the senate, forcing the king to abdicate, and the country has since followed the path of a republic.

In this world where war is avoided by the temple and the church, the most recent war was essentially that political upheaval.

Just as Melfina was born into the Crawford family, from which several women had married into the royal family, blonde hair is the color of the royal family. As a result of repeated political marriages by the surrounding royal families, many members of the royal family have this hair color.

If a noble or wealthy merchant has blonde hair, it suggests that they have distant royal blood…

Authority and prestige are surprisingly ambiguous things. Even though the royal family is gone, some feel nostalgia and reverence for their distant bloodline, while others may wish for their own family to possess that color.

“Tori is amazing. You earn your own living and even travel.”

Refusing to be surrounded by nobles and the wealthy is an unusual choice in this world.

Rather, it is common for guardians such as parents and siblings to use that hair to arrange a marriage with a man of higher status.

“My brother often scolds me, saying I’m too strong-willed.”

Contrary to her words, Tori’s voice softens.

“The idea that somewhere in this world there’s someone just for me, that I’ll find that someone… it’s a pipe dream.”

“It’s not a silly dream. You’re a wonderful person, Tori, and I’m sure you’ll find them.”

“Madam is so kind.”

Once the cut was finished, she removed the cape and, holding my hair at the nape of my neck with her hands, combed it several times to add volume. Then Tori took out a small bottle.

“This is camellia oil. It adds shine to the hair and keeps it beautifully conditioned.”

Camellia oil was also commonly used for hair care in my past life. It is also more resistant to oxidation than olive oil and lasts longer.

She applied the oil to the ends of my hair and carefully combed it through with a comb, not a brush.

“This is also a comb made from the camellia tree. Combing your hair with this also brings out the shine and makes the hair look well-groomed. In Romana, it is customary for noblewomen to pass down a custom-made camellia comb from mother to daughter, daughter to granddaughter.”

“What a lovely custom.”

Once my hair was completely combed, I could see that my blonde hair, even under the magic stone lamp, shone even brighter.

The scalp massage was deeply pleasant; I almost drifted off several times.

“Keeping the scalp supple is essential for beautiful hair, so if you have the opportunity, please receive regular treatments. Now, I shall proceed with the neck and shoulder massage.”

Tori’s slightly low, calm voice resonated warmly through my relaxed body.

“For the massage, I will use this cream. It’s made with Roman olives. It avoids friction, prevents skin damage, and enhances the beauty of the skin.”

She took some cream in her palm and carefully applied it to my neck and shoulders. Then she traced my neck and shoulders, gently stroking them.

“The circulation seems to be somewhat poor in places, so I will gently loosen it up while warming it.”

“Yes…”

It was simply a shoulder rub, yet it was so pleasant. I could feel the blood vessels under my skin being stimulated, and a warmth spread through me.

I go to the sauna every day and rarely let my body get cold, but Tori’s hands were warm, and the cream-covered skin felt warm, making my muscles naturally relax.

She enveloped my shoulder with her hand and began applying pressure with her thumb, pressing gently. The pressure wasn’t strong, yet it felt wonderful as she gently loosened the muscles.

“Mm, ah…!”

“Does it hurt?”

“No, it feels wonderful…”

“Your shoulders are a little stiff, so I will loosen them up.”

My shoulders grew warm, and I began to slightly perspire. As she stroked my neck and massaged my nape in a circular motion, I involuntarily let out a contented sigh.

The pressure was never strong, yet it was incredibly comfortable, lulling me towards sleep.

By the time she told me she was finished, I was half-asleep.

“Madam seems to be a little tired. Please sleep well tonight in a warm place.”

“Yes, thank you, Tori.”

I could feel my cheeks flushing, my blood circulating well.

“Marie, what do you think of my hair?”

“It’s very beautiful. You always look beautiful, but it’s even silkier and more radiant.”

Apparently, even Marie’s aesthetic sense deemed it a successful treatment.

“Do you sell the boar bristle brush, the camellia oil and comb, and the cream?”

“Yes, of course.”

“I’ll buy a set for me and Marie.”

“Thank you.”

Tori, with a radiant smile, and Melfina, smiling back, stood up from the chair.

“Next is Marie. Marie works with me, so I think she’s also very tired. Make sure to loosen her up well.”

“Understood.”

Thanks to the careful massage, my shoulders felt much lighter. Having my hair cut made me feel light as well.

—This is nice sometimes.

Running my fingers through my hair, I felt its smooth, flowing texture.

Even when I was in the Marquis’s house, I sometimes had a barber style my hair, but this is the first time I’ve felt so satisfied.

—In my past life, I would call her a charismatic barber.

While listening to the sound of Marie’s hair being cut, Melfina smiled to herself, thinking such thoughts.