Chapter 94 : Exchange Meeting

A ballroom.

A place where beautifully dressed women and elegantly attired men gather amidst enchanting music and softly glowing lights, harmonizing in a dreamlike atmosphere.

Even imagining such a place is enough to make one’s heart flutter.

At one point, it was my dream to attend a place like this.

Why wouldn’t it be? Just imagining the dancing and conversations among so many people brings joy.

Unfortunately, such a place didn’t exist in my world.

Even if it did, I wouldn’t have been able to go.

And even if I had gone, I probably would have been kicked out because of my face, which resembled a dented tin can.

But now, things are different! I’ve been reborn into a new world, and this world is unlike the one before.

That’s why, for the first time, I have a chance to experience this so-called ballroom.

Apparently, according to Agnes, the exchange meeting I’m attending is practically a ball, just without formal gowns.

Anyway! Here I am, about to attend the exchange meeting!

But there’s one problem.

And that problem is…

I’m not attending this event as a man.

I’m attending as a woman.

Damn it.

“Is this really necessary?” I asked the empty air, my eyes shut. Bliss’s response came from the darkness I couldn’t see.

“Of course!”

As she spoke, I felt something soft brush across my face, smoothing it over.

I frowned slightly, a clear sign of my discomfort.

“No matter how casual the exchange meeting is compared to a ballroom, you can’t show up bare-faced to such a gathering!”

That’s right. I was currently being made up—getting makeup applied.

To be more precise, powder was being applied to my face.

The first time in my life that anyone had ever applied makeup to me.

This all started when we returned from the Everglow mansion.

Once the preparations for the hunting festival were mostly complete and the time for the exchange meeting approached, Bliss suddenly claimed that there was something urgent I needed to do immediately.

Normally, I wouldn’t have paid her any attention. But her expression was so urgent that I couldn’t help but get curious.

Curiosity is a scary thing. You could just ignore it, but it compels you to check anyway.

Couldn’t I have just resisted? Honestly, could you?

Imagine a box with a big question mark on it right in front of you. Don’t you want to know what’s inside?

That was my situation—a box of curiosity right in front of me, teetering on the verge of opening.

Of course, I tried to ignore it at first.

But her expression was so intense that it broke through my resolve.

She shattered my curiosity box like a red-headed lunatic smashing through barriers, leaving me no choice but to open it.

Little did I know, this box was Pandora’s box.

“What do you mean we’re going?” I had asked, tilting my head in confusion.

“Makeup. Are you not planning on doing your makeup? The exchange meeting is about to start.”

Still puzzled, I tilted my head further.

“No, I wasn’t planning on it. Is that really necessary?”

Her shocked expression was priceless.

“Wait… Did I mishear you? Are you seriously saying you’re not going to wear makeup?”

When I nodded silently, Bliss froze for a few seconds, then screamed as if she were the protagonist of The Scream.

“No way!”

“What…?”

“I said, no way!”

Before I could protest further, she grabbed my wrist with surprising force and started dragging me somewhere.

“Let go of me!”

I shouted and resisted with all my strength, but her grip, bolstered by divine power, was too strong for me to break.

Thus, I was forcibly dragged to the Everglow mansion.

Once there, Bliss gave instructions to several people, and soon, a group of attendants appeared and began dragging me off again.

I begged them to let me go, but my pleas fell on deaf ears.

The place they brought me to was a closed-off, dimly lit room, where every wall felt suffocatingly sealed. The oppressive atmosphere made my legs tremble.

They forced me into a chair in the middle of the room.

Then, without warning, they closed my eyes and began… touching my face.

I couldn’t do anything.

Their hands moved across my face and body, and all I could do was silently weep over the absurdity of the situation.

For some reason, my body felt unusually sensitive, probably because my vision was blocked. The unseen touches heightened every sensation, making my skin crawl.

“What should we do next?”

They murmured among themselves, their breath audible in the oppressive silence.

Eventually, they stopped their unsettling actions and leaned closer to my face.

And then, they started applying makeup.

Look, I wasn’t exaggerating.

Your face is part of your body, makeup was being forced upon me, and the attendants were breathing loudly while meticulously working on my appearance.

So, here I was, enduring all of this.

And that’s how I ended up stuck here, having makeup applied against my will.

‘How much longer do I have to wait?’

I furrowed my brow further. It had been quite a while since the makeup session began.

By now, it seemed like it should be finished, yet there was no sign of it ending.

I squinted and asked, “Uh… how much longer will this take?”

“Just a little more,” Bliss said cheerfully. “They’re almost done, so hang in there!”

Sighing, I closed my eyes again.

Since it wouldn’t be much longer, I figured I could endure a bit more.

Finally, ten minutes later, the ordeal came to an end.

Damn it.

The hands that had been relentlessly patting and applying makeup to my face withdrew, and at last, the cursed process was over.

“You can open your eyes now,” Bliss said.

I slowly opened my eyes and immediately turned to the mirror in front of me. I needed to see the results of the minutes—no, nearly an hour—I had wasted.

‘If it’s unimpressive, I’m going to give them a piece of my mind,’ I thought, steeling myself as I looked into the mirror.

Then I froze.

The makeup wasn’t just good—it was extraordinary.

The reflection in the mirror wasn’t someone I recognized.

‘This… is supposed to be me?’

I touched my cheek, and the person in the mirror mimicked the action.

Only then did I accept that the face in the mirror was mine.

As I studied it more closely, I could still see hints of my original features, enough to recognize myself upon closer inspection.

“What do you think?” Bliss asked, her tone brimming with pride.

“I… um… it’s really… unbelievable,” I replied, unable to hide my disbelief.

I had always heard that makeup could make a significant difference, but I never imagined it would change me this much.

As I stared at the mirror in stunned silence, Bliss placed her hands on my shoulders and said, “Come on, let’s go meet the others! They’re probably waiting for us by now since we agreed to enter together.”

She grabbed my arm and began pulling me along.

I didn’t resist. I was still too shocked by my transformed appearance to think clearly.

It wasn’t until I thought of Reina that I snapped back to my senses.

“Wait,” I said, stopping in my tracks and pulling my arm from Bliss’s grasp. “Where’s Reina? Where is she right now?”

“Oh! Reina? She’s… right over there,” Bliss replied, clapping her hands as if the thought had just occurred to her.

She began looking around before pointing to a corner of the room.

Following her gaze, I spotted Reina.

She was sitting in a large chair, her feet unable to touch the floor.

Her head rested against the wall, and her closed eyes and even breathing revealed that she had fallen asleep.

“She must’ve gotten really bored waiting. At some point, she just went quiet, so I checked on her and found her like this,” Bliss explained with a small smile.

“I see…”

I nodded silently. Considering how long the makeup session took, and Reina’s habit of napping often, it wasn’t surprising that she had dozed off while waiting.

Though her sleeping face was adorable, it was time to wake her up.

I gently shook her shoulder. “Reina… Reina, wake up. It’s time to go.”

Her eyelids fluttered slightly before she slowly opened her eyes.

“Mm…?”

Rubbing her eyes, Reina looked around in a daze. Her head tilted slightly as she struggled to fully wake up.

I waited patiently, giving her a moment to collect herself. Before long, her grogginess disappeared, and she seemed fully alert.

“Are you awake now?” I asked.

“Yes…” she answered, yawning softly before looking at me.

Then she froze.

“Who… who are you?”

Her wide eyes stared at me, filled with confusion and surprise.

She turned her head, scanning the room as if searching for someone—presumably me.

However, when she didn’t find the person she was looking for, she glanced back at me with a mixture of uncertainty and bewilderment.

Her reaction was so endearing that I couldn’t help but smile as I asked, “Who do you think I am?”

Hearing my voice, which she recognized, Reina’s face lit up with realization.

“Ruina?”

I nodded, and her response was immediate.

She jumped off the chair and pointed at my face, exclaiming with wide-eyed excitement, as if she had discovered something truly fascinating.

“Wow! Ruina, your face changed!”

Reina exclaimed, then ran over to Bliss, shouting excitedly, “Bliss! Look at this! Ruina’s face changed!”

Bliss chuckled, patting Reina’s head before turning to me with a smile. Her face radiated anticipation.

“If Reina reacts like this… I can’t wait to see how everyone else responds.”

I could only give her a wry smile in return.

‘Do I really look that different? Honestly, I don’t think it’s that dramatic.’

With that thought, I glanced at the mirror again.

The transformed face stared back at me.

‘It’s… definitely pretty,’ I admitted to myself.

It wasn’t enough to make my heart race, but I couldn’t deny the striking beauty in the reflection.

If my usual appearance evoked purity and simplicity, this look shone with brilliance and vibrance.

If it weren’t for this situation, I might never have seen myself like this.

I turned my face side to side, scrutinizing every detail.

‘At least the time spent was worth it.’

Though my pride had been chipped away during the process, and I’d felt as if my personal rights were violated, I had to admit the result was impressive.

Still, it was unlikely I’d ever see this face again.

There was no way I’d voluntarily put on makeup in the future.

So, I decided to enjoy the moment while it lasted.

Staring at the woman in the mirror, I let the corners of my lips curl into a faint smile.

The reflection mirrored my expression, a subtle smile gracing her lips.

Looking at her, I thought, Not bad.

***

After the commotion subsided, Bliss, Reina, and I made our way to the room where the others were waiting.

Walking through the wide hallway, we soon arrived at the door to their meeting place.

Bliss raised her hand to knock, but instead, she suddenly flung the door open and shouted,

“Everyone, are you ready to enter the exchange meeting? If you are, take a look at this!”

Bliss’s loud announcement drew everyone’s attention as she turned to me, gesturing for me to enter.

I sighed deeply.

I had planned to slip in unnoticed, blend into the background, and remain as inconspicuous as possible. But that plan was now in ruins.

Damn it.

Swallowing my frustration, I lowered my head and reluctantly stepped into the room.

I couldn’t bear to walk in with my head held high.

With my head hung like a criminal, I stepped into the room.

After hesitating for a moment and fidgeting with my fingers, I cautiously lifted my gaze.

What met my eyes was the sight of the hero’s party frozen in place, their faces blank with shock.

I froze as well.

It was as if time had come to a standstill.

The room, its people, and even the air seemed to freeze.

In the midst of this surreal silence, only one voice broke through.

“Well? Everyone?! Isn’t it amazing?! Say something! Artorius, you first!”

Bliss’s cheerful voice echoed through the room, undeterred by the stillness.