PLML 08

CHAPTER 08: Let’s Get That Haircut at a Salon

After staring blankly at a book for nearly an hour, Jeyna quietly stood up.
The test wasn’t until tomorrow anyway. No need to start studying now.

Just as she flopped onto the bed, the door suddenly swung open.
Jeyna jumped to her feet.

“Milady? What are you doing?”

Ellie set a teacup on the desk as she asked.

“Oh? Oh, I was just doing a little light stretching. Got up too early today and started getting sleepy, you know. Ha ha ha.”

Jeyna gave an awkward laugh and pretended to stretch.

“Ellie, can you please knock before coming in next time?”

“Ah! I’m so sorry!”

Ellie immediately bowed in apology.

“There’s not even a proper door, and the butl— I mean, Mr. Homel was standing right outside, so I just came in. I’ll be careful next time, Milady.”

“It’s fine, really. Everyone makes mist— Wait, what?”

Jeyna leaned in close and whispered so no sound would escape through the open doorway.

“Did you say Homel is outside?”

“Yes.”

Seriously? Isn’t he a butler? Doesn’t he have work to do? Why is he standing in front of someone else’s door like a guard?

Jeyna crept slowly toward the door.
She didn’t hear anything or even see a shadow outside.

Where is he, then?

She cautiously poked her head out—

And locked eyes with Homel, who had tilted his head to match her line of sight.

“Is something the matter, Milady?”

“AAACK!”

This was the second time Jeyna had screamed at the sight of Homel.
She knew it was rude to yell and point at someone, but she couldn’t not scream.

Homel calmly asked the flustered, now-fallen Jeyna:

“Is something wrong, Milady?”

What do you mean, what’s wrong? Wouldn’t YOU freak out if someone was just standing there like that?

Jeyna barely swallowed back what she wanted to say and shook her head.
Homel smiled gently and pulled out her desk chair.

It was the unspoken pressure to sit and get back to studying.
Jeyna began inching away on her knees.

“Homel, wait. I actually have something I need to do today.”

“If it’s a task, you can have Ellie handle it.”

“Yes, Milady! I’ll do whatever you need!” Ellie replied enthusiastically, rolling up her sleeves.

All Jeyna wanted was to avoid studying.
She racked her brain to come up with something urgent—something only she could do.

Is there even such a thing?

There was. Something she couldn’t leave to the servants—something only Jeyna could do.

“I’m going out with Theoris today!”

“But His Highness doesn’t have any outings scheduled today…”

“No, I mean—my hair! I need to cut my hair!”

“You mean a haircut?”

“Yes! That!”

Surprisingly, Homel let her go without much protest.
Jeyna fled to Theoris’s office like she was escaping a prison.

“Theo!”

She barged in without knocking.
Theoris looked up from the mountain of documents and books piled on his desk.

“Whoa. Stupid handsome.”

Jeyna slapped a hand over her mouth, shocked she’d said that out loud.

“What did you say just now? Stupid… handsome?”

Thankfully, Theoris didn’t seem to understand the slang.

“Oh, nothing.”

“What is ‘stupid handsome’?”

This was already the third time she’d used a term that didn’t exist in this world.

Come on, Jeyna. Get a grip.

“It just means you’re insanely good-looking.”

Theoris looked away, slightly embarrassed.

“I don’t think I’m particularly handsome… but I appreciate the compliment.”

Are you kidding me? If that face isn’t handsome, who on earth is?

With his tousled black hair, silver-rimmed glasses perched loosely on his nose, and sleeves rolled up while going through documents, Theoris looked downright sculpted.

Honestly, hiding that face behind hair felt like a crime.

“Theoris, let’s go out.”

“Didn’t we go out yesterday? If you need anything, I’ll have Homel fetch it.”

“No, I’m not trying to shop. I’m taking you to get a haircut.”

“I refuse.”

Theoris was unexpectedly firm, but Jeyna didn’t back down.

“Why not?”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, there has to be a reason you don’t want to.”

After a short pause, Theoris answered.

“I don’t like strangers touching my body.”

What kind of nonsense… Well, hair is part of the body, technically…

“Then I’ll tell them not to touch you—just the scissors. Sound good?”

Jeyna felt she’d nailed it.
But Theoris shook his head.

“What now?”

“I don’t like showing my face either.”

“Then wear a mask.”

“……”

“What, now it’s the fear of someone behind you with scissors?”

That half-joke turned out to be dead-on.

Jeyna, who knew his past, understood where that fear came from.
Theoris had grown up constantly dodging assassination attempts.
Someone had even come at him with scissors once—an aide of the Empress.

Of course he’d have trauma after all that.

As she considered how to persuade him, a familiar prompt appeared in her mind:

[Hug him with teary eyes.]
[“If you’re not ready, I won’t push you. Just let me know when you are!”]
[Stop being difficult. (Drag him out by the wrist.)]

Have I seen this prompt before?

She was sure she hadn’t.

Well, whatever. It’s not like I have to pick one of these.

None of the options really appealed to her.
She didn’t want to get all emotional or force him either. Trauma wasn’t something sheer willpower could cure.

In that case…

“How about I cut it for you?”

“…What?”

Theoris had said he hated having strangers behind him with sharp tools and being touched.
But with Jeyna, they’d had physical contact before—even kissed foreheads.

He clearly trusted her.

“Wait here, okay?”

Jeyna ran to the kitchen and brought back scissors.
Not hair scissors—huge kitchen shears.

She also made a haircutting cape out of a tablecloth and grabbed a spray bottle.

“Welcome to Jeyna’s one-day-only hair salon.”

“Jeyna, wait…”

“Don’t worry, Theo. I’m pretty good with scissors. Probably.”

She beamed and wrapped the tablecloth-cape around him.

“Did you just say ‘probably’?”

“Oh, you misheard. Come on, Theo—you do trust me, right?”

“…I do.”

With a resigned expression, Theoris closed his eyes.

Jeyna snapped the scissors together like a street barber preparing for battle.

She had cut hair before in her past life—well, only her bangs.

Cutting bangs or doing a full haircut, it’s all the same, right?

She had a vision in her mind: short but stylish, easy to manage.

She chopped the messy back hair, cleaned up the bangs hiding his brows, left just enough sideburns…

Hmm? The lengths don’t match?

Did I cut it a bit too short…?

Uh-oh…

She quietly put down the scissors.

“…Is it done?”

She couldn’t answer.
This was not the hairstyle she’d pictured.

She’d meant to keep it stylish and neat, but…

To every hairstylist I’ve ever accused of cutting too much—I’m sorry. This is hard.

Staring at the now buzz-cut-like Theoris, she stepped back.

But how is he still this good-looking?! Is that even legal?

His smooth forehead, elegant nose, perfectly groomed eyebrows (somehow), and those long lashes framing jewel-like eyes…

With a face like that, who even cares about the hair?

“…Jeyna, isn’t this a bit short?”

“Theo…”

She mustered the most loving expression she could and smiled.

“I’m going to go study now so I can be the best duchess ever. See you later…!”

“Wait, Jeyna—”

And with that, Jeyna ran away, leaving behind a freshly buzzed Theoris.

Back in her room, Jeyna realized something.

This is Theoris’s mansion. I’m going to run into him again anyway.

Maybe she should’ve just apologized on the spot.

But seriously, who wouldn’t run after giving someone that haircut?

She half-heartedly flipped through a book while brainstorming apology ideas.

“It actually looks great on you!”

No, that sounded fake.

“Sorry, Theo. I’ll do better next time.”

Too little, too late.

“Ugh… this is driving me crazy.”

Knock, knock—

She looked up, praying it was Ellie or Homel.

Nope. Theoris.

“May I come in for a moment?”

“…Yes.”

Head hanging like a guilty child, Jeyna sat quietly.

“I’m sorry to disturb your studying,” he said gently, “but I felt uneasy when you ran off earlier.”

He didn’t sound the slightest bit angry.

“…You’re not mad?”

“Why would I be?”

He seemed genuinely puzzled.

“…Do you like your haircut?”

“Yes.”

Wow. His tastes are… unique.

“How could I not like it when you cut it?”

His words hit her like a wave, and her heart skipped a beat.
The way he smiled, as if he truly meant it, made her face warm.

“For the first time, I wasn’t afraid to have someone behind me with a sharp tool.
I hope… you’ll keep cutting my hair forever.”

“Well… if that’s what you want, I guess I can.”

“Thank you, Jeyna.”

(To be continued…)