Lumiere and Lucretia Arc.
(POV: Lumiere)
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After getting Silica ready to go, I admired the look as she twirled around in her white t-shirt and long blue pinafore with golden buttons, and styling her hair in a braid.
Obviously, I could braid hair, after all I was more attune with the women in my house than the men.
Jeez, imagine me asking Salmarc for hair conditioning advice...
Anyways, Lana already taught me how to properly braid hair, so doing my daughter's hair wasn't difficult in the slightest.
Silica looked at her clothes and exclaimed, "Wow, Daddy has magic hands! I look super pretty! Even Mommy doesn't dress me this well."
I chuckled at her enthusiasm and replied, "Well, it's your first time going out with me, so you need to look perfect."
Silica jumped with joy and shouted, "Yay, perfect!" before giving me a high five.
Glancing at myself in the mirror, I was dressed in a stylish black and gold tunic, a casual twist on the usual design, which alternated between a tunic and a sweater with pockets.
Thanks to Fasit's knowledge of master-class tailoring and my knowledge of modern fashion design, it was possible.
I was tired of opting for the usual long, over-exaggerated robes with lots of intricate designs. The only one I would wear now was the one that Serena had made for me because... well she put a lot of effort into it and Serena's an angel, so I feel it'd break her heart if I wasn't wearing it.
"Alright, looking perfect!"
I adjusted my tunic once more.
After, I turned to Silica, giving her a smile, and said, "Alright, let's get going."
But Silica hesitated, saying, "No, Daddy. Something's missing!"
She dashed back to the closet, determined to find what she was looking for, while I watched her, grinning, as I gently twiddled some strands of my hair.
And then I noticed...
"My hair..."
It was a little tangled, and sure that wouldn't bother any boy, but it did bother me because Lana had a thing for my hair. It was always so straight even since birth, so it being a little rough was disturbing to me...
It was like I went out of default mode.
"Huh, when did I get so unkept..."
I looked around and then saw a brush by my side, it was the same one I'd used to brush Silica's hair. And so, I used it to my hair to neaten it.
As Silica rummaged, frowning in concentration, she suddenly emerged from the closet, presenting me with a purple ribbon.
"What's this?" I asked.
Silica insisted, "You have to wear it so me and Daddy can match and look super awesome!"
I hesitated, but seeing her pout, I relented, "Fine, I'll wear it."
With a shout of excitement, Silica declared, "Yay! Now Daddy and I will match!"
I picked up the purple ribbon from Silica and used it to tie my long hair into a messy bun.
Turning to face my daughter, I flashed her a smile and asked, "So, how does it look?"
Silica grinned brightly and clapped her hands, exclaiming, "Yay! Daddy looks more like a man now!"
I raised an eyebrow, teasingly asking, "You got a problem with the way I look?"
Silica shook her head vigorously and explained, "No, Daddy. I love how you look. I just want you to look super scary so no one can mess with you."
Chuckling, I told her, "We'll do it again when we're heading back to the university..."
"Aye!" Silica enthusiastically agreed, high-fiving me.
The wings on my back dissolved into particles of darkness, and I stretched my arms, letting out a yawn before urging her, "Come on, let's get going."
She took my hand, and we started walking, emerging from the alley with the grand Efistes Company towering on our left.
Silica's eyes widened as she exclaimed, "Woah, the building is so super huge."
I nodded, agreeing with her observation as I said, "Yeah, I'm starting to notice that now more and more."
The last time I came here, it wasn't this big, and it wasn't that it increased in size or anything mysterious like that. No, it was just that, this was the first time I was seeing it broad daylight and Silica saying it was big actually made me notice how big it was.
As Silica and I approached the imposing Efistes Company, we walked down the bustling street and turned the corner, and there it was, rising grandly into the sky. We spotted an enormous line of people, comprising the high and mighty Barons and Baronesses, among others, patiently waiting for their turn to enter the building.
I've never been one for hobnobbing with nobles, so I assumed we could just waltz past this line straight into the building.
But just as we were about to stroll by, we were intercepted by a burly man guarding the entrance.
"Excuse me, miss, the estimated waiting time is 65 minutes," the man declared in a gruff voice.
I raised an eyebrow, puzzled by the assumption that I was a woman. I looked like one, but with the tied hair, I thought it'd make even maybe a small change. "Huh?" I exclaimed.
Silica giggled at the misunderstanding.
The man repeated his statement, informing me of the lengthy wait.
"I'm not a woman, I'm a guy for goodness sake," I retorted firmly, trying to clear up the misconception.
The man scrutinized my appearance and remarked, "That can't be possible. You look even prettier than my wife."
I sighed and explained, "Gee, thanks, but I'm really not a woman." I didn't even see the point in us talking about something so awkward, it wasn't like we knew each other. "Look, can we get of this case?"
The man nodded sagely and remarked, "Well, I understand that, but do you know where you belong?"
I rolled my eyes and replied, "Uh, yeah, why wouldn't I?"
He continued, "You belong in the back of the line."
Exasperated, I facepalmed and groaned, "Not this again." Turning to face the man, I informed him, "I don't have time for this. I'm friends with the owner of this company, Lucretia Efistes. She's expecting me."
The man let out a boisterous laugh and retorted, "What would the boss lady want with a pretty boy like you?"
I quipped with a smirk, "I wish I knew." Because as it was, I honestly didn't, she just told me to come help her with some stuff today and didn't even specify on what it was. Honestly, that woman was spoiled a little too much.
The wealthy nobles in the line erupted into protest, shouting that I was unjustly bypassing the queue, declaring it unacceptable.
"That young lady and her child should join the line!"
"Unless she has a higher standing than all of us here, which I'm sure she doesn't, she belongs in her rightful position!"
"I don't think that's a woman."
"Well I don't give a damn, he or she should get in the back of the line! I have a lot of things to do today so I need to get inside here early enough to get myself some chocolates!"
Basically, the man and several others stood their ground and insisted that I should join the line.
The confrontation seemed to be reaching a standoff until a woman with short blonde hair emerged. Yes, it was Simone and she stood behind the burly man.
As always, Simone looked calm and elegant. You would think she was her own lady and not the personal assistant of Lucretia. They were likely close friends from what I'd seen so far of the two of them, so her dressing in such a diligent manner would be normal for her.
"That won't be necessary," Simone interrupted, her voice firm. "This man is Lady Lucretia's special visitor."
The burly man stammered in disbelief, "R... R... Really...?"
Silica and I proudly nodded. "Mhmm," we said.