Chapter 18

Chiara

When I go back to the room with the dress in a bag, Alessio is no longer there. The one waiting for me now is Gio.

“Where is he?” I ask, trying not to show that I’m disappointed.

“I’m afraid I can’t answer that,” Gio just says in a clipped tone. “Let’s go.”

With that, he takes me back to the mansion. Marie and Kana meet me by the door, and when I arrive at my room, I see that they already prepared makeup and styling tools. Wordlessly, as though they’re told to be quiet, they both begin to work on me, assisting me in the bath first.

When I’m done, Kana curls my hair and twists it up into an elegant knot with tendrils framing my face. My makeup is done by Marie, and it’s subtle, just highlighted by the red lipstick that’s the same color as my dress.

Before leaving, Kana hands me a box. “From Master.”

“Thank you,” I mutter, caught off guard. I look up at her to ask when she talked to him and if she knows where he is, but she leaves promptly.

Really keeping a tight gag on things, h