Keeping Me Waiting

The Imperial Palace guest chambers.

A woman sat quietly before a full-length mirror.

A dozen or so Imperial Palace maids clustered around her.

"The rouge on your lips looks a little pale. Shall I make it brighter?"

"No, it's fine."

The maids were experts at dressing high-ranking officials and honored guests of the Imperial Palace.

Even when dressing members of the Imperial Family, they didn't get especially nervous or crowd around in their dozens.

But now, more than a dozen maids were at work. Every one of them moved with the precision of a craftsperson handling a work of art.

The Imperial Family had ordered them to take particular care, but the maids had already planned to do so.

They were naturally devoted to beauty and well-versed in adorning others...