Disclaimer: I hold no ownership over Umineko.
On Monday, she tried wearing lip gloss, a shade of lush pink that tastes like strawberries.
When she spotted Kanon watering the roses in the morning on her way to catch her boat to school, she put on her best smile as she said a cheery good morning, hoped in her heart that he would say she looked nice today.
He nodded politely, returned the greeting, and went back to work.
On Tuesday, she tried a new nail polish, a deep shade of red, the color of love and passion and romance.
She tried to wave at him, the color of her nails caught the glint of the sunlight. He nodded politely again, went back to work again, and she's left waving until she stopped herself, just feeling plain silly.
On Wednesday, she tried to apply mascara, poked her eye out, and left without a word to him at all so he wouldn't notice the uncomfortable way her eye was twitching in pain.
Attempts like these have been going on for quite a while now.
By the end of the week, she's ready to give up trying altogether.
Jessica's just about ready to throw her makeup box at the wall, those damn little trinkets sapping away her allowance, and for what result? She's starting to think all the stupid girl magazines hidden under her bed (God knew the grief she'd get from her mother for reading "that trash") and their advice on makeup's a bunch of bullcrap. Want him to acknowledge your existence? Check out these tips! Sure-fire ways to get the man of your dreams! Yeah, right. She remembered all the hours she'd spent carefully practicing how to apply the makeup with Shannon helping her out, making sure it was smooth and clear.
Maybe Kanon just wasn't the type to notice those kind of things... Maybe that was it. It still didn't change how much effort she'd spent all this time. She just wanted him to notice her as a little more than just an esteemed member of the Ushiromiya family.
She let out a loud groan of frustration. "Dammit!" Jessica quickly grabbed her makeup box, blindly hurling it out of her sight, and the crash when it struck her bedroom startled her. She quickly scrambled over to where the box laid on the floor in ruins, the top broken off its hinges. One of the nail polish bottles had broken, a blue liquid that was starting to leak all over the beige carpet.
"Ah, crap crap crap..." She muttered, quickly grabbing a hankerchief to wipe up the nail polish. Well, it couldn't be worse, right?
"Milady, what in the world happened? What is that mess?" She heard a startled voice from behind, and a jolt went up her spine. Crap!
"K-K-Kanon-kun!" She sharply turned to see him standing the doorway. "U-Uh, wh-what are you doing here?"
"I was sent to call you down for dinner, and I heard a scream and a crash from your room, so I came to check if you were alright."
Jessica's cheeks flushed right to the tip of her ears. I can't believe I let him hear me like that... A tiny part of her did like that he rushed to check on her, even if it might've been only out of his duty as a servant... Damn, now she's depressed again.
He quickly rushed to her side. "What is all this?"
"U-Uh, o-oh, these? Oh, they're nothing special... some makeup, that's all." She laughed nervously.
"Why is it in such a mess?"
"N-No reason. Just had a little accident!"
Kanon's eyebrows furrowed. She could tell he didn't seem convinced. He sighed.
"Well, I'll have to bring some remover later..."
Jessica fidgeted, looking down at her lap. "S-Sorry to trouble you like this..."
"Do not worry," he spoke calmly, "It is a part of my duty as a servant... Milady? What's wrong?"
"Wh-What-" She stopped when she felt his fingertips at her temple. Was she crying? Oh God.
"You're crying..."
"I-It's nothing!" She jerked away from his touch, quickly wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "Really..."
"...Milady, is... there anything bothering you?"
"N-No, it's nothing."
Kanon sighed, exasperated. "Milady, I can see quite plainly that something is troubling you. I don't see any use in lying."
Her mouth was drawn in hesitation and before she could stop herself she was stammering incoherencies, feeling her face burning even more as frustrated tears popped up, and she's just rambling. "I-It's just that, there's this guy, well, I-I j-just wanted him... to notice me, I guess. I-I keep trying to put on a little makeup, hoping he would pay a little attention to me, but I keep trying and nothing really happens, a-and, I just want to give up." She looked down her hands folded tightly on her lap. She hated how embarrassing she knew she must have looked in front of him.
"...I do not see why you go through all this trouble." He spoke simply.
"L-Look, it's just... what girls do! They try to look pretty for the–" She quickly stopped, feeling the heat rush to her cheeks, before quietly finishing, "...the... guy that they like."
She looked away, and he ended up looking away too. Dammit, dammit, why was this so awkward?
"...Milady." His voice was quiet.
She turned to him, startled.
"My opinion may not mean much... But I think..." Kanon's face was a light pink, his voice trailing off until it was barely above a whisper, "you are lovely the way you are."
Her face froze, Jessica could feel her cheeks bloom red. She looked down at her hands, folded tightly on her lap, clenched her mouth shut to avoid stuttering.
"...Just smile... It will be fine."
"R-... Really...?"
"...Yes."
She pressed her lips together, trying to hold back a smile and failing at it. Her cheeks were warm with happiness now.
"...Thank you, Kanon-kun..."
"No need for thanks... As I said, my opinion does not–"
"No." She cut him off. Then she looked at him, and his eyes widened at the wide smile she let show on her face, "It means a lot."
The next morning, Kanon carried out his usual duty to water the roses in the garden. Jessica passed by him on the way to the port. When she walked by, she smiled brightly. There were no traces of blush or mascara and even any lipstick. It was simply Jessica, being the way she was, showing him that smile, bright and warm like the sun.
"Good morning, Kanon-kun."
He nodded back, "Good morning, Milady."
She went on her way. It wasn't until she was a few feet away that Kanon softly let out the words he'd been holding in, wondering if she would hear.
"You look very nice today."