Rubica! Rubica!

As usual, Rubica was going to the river with a bunch of dirty bandages to wash in her arms. She then heard the voice of the man she had been trying to forget but had been thinking of at the same time.

Ar man.

The resentment shed been piling up quietly melted away at the voice eagerly calling out to her. She called him back only once in a small voice, but Arman could hear her. He ran toward her from afar. He ran into others on his way, but Rubica couldnt go to him as she was carrying too much.

Careful! Why are you in such a hurry?

Rubica scolded Arman as he breathed heavily in front of her. His pants and shirt had stains as if he had just run out of the lab. Even though he was being scolded by Rubica, he couldnt help but smile. That smile made Rubicas resentment surface again.

She had been so worried about him for the last two months

Rubica, take this.

Before Rubica could say anything, Arman put something on her hand. Rubicas heart started to beat fast. Now she wondered that maybe she wanted Arman to present her a ring or something. But at the time, what was put on her hand was something round and grey.

What is this?

Rubica tried to hide her disappointment and asked kindly.

Its soap.

soap?

Most soaps Rubica had known had been beautiful and white, but what was on her hand was in a crude shape.

Its cheap soap.

cheap soap?

Her disappointment gradually turned into joy.

After hearing what you said, I thought cheap soap would be good too, so

Then what youve been doing during the last two months

Yes, I didnt know much about chemistry, so it took me some time to study. It would have been impossible if Priest Lefena hadnt read the books to me. This is the first soap I made, so I dont know if it will make foam.

The smile slowly disappeared from his face, and he spoke nervously. Had Arman come looking for her the moment he succeeded, even without thinking of testing it?

Rubica couldnt hold back her excitement and took his hand.

Lets test it, now!

Then, the two headed straight to the river. Rubica dipped the bandages in the water. Arman, meanwhile, started to sweat, worrying that his invention might not work. Rubica put the small soap on the bandages and started to rub.

Look, its making foam.

Really? Really, Rubica?

Yes, a lot of foam.

Arman, who had been nervous, started to smile.

Bum!

Rubica still couldnt forget the heartbeat she heard then. She couldnt forget Armans smile which she saw back then.

She was probably going to remember it for the rest of her life.

The expression beautiful wasnt enough to describe that smile. If the gods smiled, they would smile like that. Rubica wanted to call that smile sacred.

Wouldnt the gods gladly let her?

Without Armans soap, countless patients would have lost their lives because of dirty bedsheets and bandages.

***

Ms. Rubica, you dont like the scent?

Oh

The maid carefully asked when Rubica stopped making foam with the soap and blankly stared at the water.

No, the scent is very good.

Rubica realized she had been in a daze for a moment and smiled.

The maid relaxed and said, Thats good. I was so worried, that you might not like both scents oh, and my name is Jenny.

Unlike other maids hands, Jennys hands were neither thick nor rough. She appeared to specialize in welcoming guests and helping ladies to dress up. While Rubica washed her face and hand, Jenny brought about eight luxurious-looking containers.

These are?

Creams. We dont know what kind of cream you normally use, so the housekeeper told me to bring all the creams we had

Jenny asked Rubica to tell her which cream she normally used. Of course, in her childhood, Rubica had used creams similar to those in front of her now. The problem was that it was so far in the past, so she couldnt even remember.

In addition to that, all the creams Jenny brought had been made in the best workshops. Even Mr. and Mrs. Berner had never let Angela use such cream.

Is the cream you use not among these? When Rubica kept staring at the creams without saying anything, Jenny asked nervously.

Some people would pretend to have used the creams they have never seen before to keep their pride.

However, Rubicas curiosity was bigger than her pride. She wanted to find out what kind of texture and scents the creams of famous shops, which she had only heard of, had.

Can I use them all?

What?

Ive never used any of these would it be okay to just test them all?

Jenny was rather surprised to hear this. She had been told Rubica Berner was from a baronets family, but she didnt know what kind of life she had led. Then, she spotted Rubicas hands. They looked even rougher than her own and that gave her the answer.

Then, would you like me to apply them one by one?

Yes, thank you.

Still a bit surprised, Jenny first opened the closest container and applied the cream on Rubicas hands. Rubicas hands were warm, and they absorbed the cream.

This scent is

It is argan added with rose.

Argan? Oh, are you talking about the fruits of argania tree?

Yes, to be specific, the seed of the fruit.

Argania trees only grew in some parts of warm regions in the south, so it was an ingredient very hard to get.

Rubicas curiosity started to grow even bigger.

Does it just smell good? Or does it do something else?

Jenny started to talk faster.

It is good for the skin. The skin will become moist if you use this cream for some time. I sometimes lightly apply argan oil to the tip of my hair.

You apply argan oil on your hair?

Yes, just a little bit.

Jenny glanced at Rubica. She would sometimes use the leftover ingredients on her hair and hands, and she was worried that Rubica might realize it and not like it.

Oh, it must be why your hair is so smooth, but her mistress, who was about to become the duchess, said something quite unexpected, But isnt this too expensive to be used often?

I normally use olive oil as it has similar effects.

Which of them do you think is better, argan or olive?

No one had asked such a question to Jenny before. At first, she explained calmly.

It depends on the persons skin, but my favorite is baobab cream. Argan is more expensive, but baobab is much moister.

However, her voice started to grow as she started to talk about baobab cream. Then, she picked up the container and started to apply the cream on Rubicas hand, even though she hadnt been told to do so.

Look. Its been much easier to absorb and its moister. The most expensive items are not always the best.

Then she started to massage Rubicas hands in a unique way.

Rubica tried to observe and memorize how she did it.

Doing this makes it absorb even better, Jenny explained.

yes, it does.

Rubicas hands started to turn smooth thanks to the baobab cream. Plus, its scent was fresh and not heavy at all.

Should I choose this for my face?

Jenny started to really enjoy it when Rubica liked the cream she recommended.

Yes, I think it fits your skin type, too.

The two went on talking about various ingredients of creams, their effects, and prices. Jenny softly rubbed Rubicas face to make sure the cream was absorbed. She was right, baobab cream was for Rubicas skin type, and she was surprised to see her skin was brighter and smoother than before.

Its really impressive.

Its not that much.

No, youre really good at it. How could you choose the right cream for the skin of someone you just met? Its amazing!

Compliments delight people. Jenny was proud of herself, and her hands felt itchy.

I cannot finish it just here.

Was it because Rubica hadnt used cream for a long time? Her skin changing with just one cream touched some kind of desire inside Jenny.

She wanted to do more.

She wanted to make Rubica become even more beautiful.

Um, miss?

Yes?

Why dont you let me massage you?

massage? Oh, but Im not tired now.

No, I didnt mean a massage meant for relaxing. I meant a massage to apply the cream on the entire body to improve the skin.

Rubica had been wondering what she was supposed to do on their way to the dukes mansion. As she wasnt sure she could endure doing nothing for such a long time, she gladly nodded.

Good!

Using cream on the entire body, that was an extravagance she had never imagined, and she started to feel good already.

As there is no bathtub in this carriage, you cannot take a bath, but if I wipe your body with a wet towel and use tea tree cream, it will be fine as tea tree has an antimicrobial effect.