Puck with the devil
They worked with gentle, practiced hands, meticulously wiping away the shadows of exhaustion, the dark circles from nights of crying, and the dull, dry ache that had lingered on my skin since my father fell ill.
Next came my hands and nails. I sat in a plush velvet armchair while a manicurist buffed away the ink stains on my fingers—remnants of long nights spent drawing fashion sketches at my tiny desk. She shaped my nails into elegant, almond-shaped crescents, painting them with a subtle, translucent shade of rose quartz that made my fingers look long, delicate, and aristocratically pale.
Then came my hair.