Alice playfully laughed as she looked at Vera’s blouse.
“I got it with my bonus. You know, even Alice, the secretary, has such unique curly hair that you could spot it from 100 meters away! How about getting a treatment or something?”
Vera said while fiddling with Alice’s hair.
Vera, who was very interested in grooming, had been casually mentioning treatments ever since she witnessed the staff whispering about Alice.
Vera had nagged her several times to either get a perm or at least put on some makeup, but Alice’s response was always the same.
“Curly hair has its own charm.”
When Alice replied with a smile, Vera shook her head as if she expected that response.
“Lunch is at the company cafeteria. You know that, right?”
Vera left after saying they would meet for lunch.
Alice arrived at her desk and immediately looked for a mirror.
“Oh, I almost forgot because of Vera Rowan.”
Alice rummaged through her bag to find her brown eyeliner. Vera had playfully poked her cheek while gesturing.
Alice quickly moved her hand to darken the freckles that had lightened a bit.
With a firm press.
“Alice, the secretary, are you playing with colors since this morning?”
At that moment, a familiar voice came from above her head.
Alice froze.
She had momentarily forgotten that Ryan had arrived before her.
The high-tech glass separating their offices was set to opaque, so she hadn’t noticed he was there.
She hadn’t expected Ryan to come out while she was coloring her faded freckles…
How strange would it look,
Ah, what excuse should I make?
It’s the trendy freckle makeup these days?
This was the first time she had been caught like this, and Alice felt her lips tremble in embarrassment.
Unable to move, she subtly raised her head and smiled.
“Yes! I was testing the performance of cosmetics… and coloring.”
I don’t know. Just say anything.
Ryan’s eyebrows twitched, as if he didn’t like Alice’s smile.
Ah, she remembered something he had once casually mentioned.
Excessive smiles don’t convey sincerity.
I’m not smiling insincerely.
Please let it go. Please.
“Alice, the secretary, I’ve been curious for a while, is that perfume you’re wearing? Or is it the scent of hand cream?”
Phew, thank goodness. It was a strange excuse, but it seemed to have been brushed off lightly.
As the topic changed, Alice noticeably brightened.
“Oh, it’s a mix of my favorite body cream and perfume. It has a unique and pleasant floral scent, right? I love fragrant products.”
“I thought it didn’t smell common, so I asked.”
“Isn’t it nice? I layered two perfumes with the body cream. This combination gives a unique yet fresh lingering scent, and the floral notes blend in so well. It feels like I’ve developed my own scent that I’ve never smelled anywhere else. Would you like to know the products I combined?”
She was grateful that the topic had changed, and now they were talking about scents!
She would completely forget about the freckle incident. Alice’s eyes sparkled brighter than ever.
“No, it’s okay. Please check today’s meeting schedule for me.”
“…Yes, understood.”
After finishing his words, Ryan disappeared into his office.
Was it too burdensome? Anyway, it felt good that he liked the scent.
Alice was particularly sensitive to smells. Perfume and body cream were essential.
After mixing her favorite scents, she had been consistently using the same combination since she found it.
She felt relieved but also thought she might have overdone it. Ryan seemed to have hurried back to his office for some reason.
By the way, it was surprising that Ryan asked such a question. He was a man who usually didn’t care about others.
Vera had once said, “The vice president seems to be quite friendly with you,” and expressed envy.
After pondering, Alice concluded that it wasn’t friendliness but rather that she was more comfortable than others around him. Unlike other women who were busy showcasing their charm whenever Ryan was around, she had remained uninterested in him for two years.
As a romantic interest, they didn’t even exchange glances. Their relationship was convenient enough that he had proposed marriage.
Even after marriage, he only respected Alice’s existence, and there had been no change between them for four months.
“Is it good or bad to be treated comfortably?”
