"Um... Eden..."
At this point, Elysia knew all too well that if she didn't make things clear, both she and Durandal were headed for total social suicide today.
Faced with the choice of dying of embarrassment in front of one person or an entire crowd, Elysia chose the former.
She dropped the act and laid her cards on the table.
"The thing is, Durandal and I aren't really in the right state to do a photo shoot today. How about we do something else instead? An interview, or maybe even recording an album—anything works!"
Eden: "..."
Well, even though Elysia hadn't spelled it out, Eden managed to catch the drift.
"An album, you say... Putting aside the fact that you aren't actually debuting as idols and there's no rush to record, even if we eventually need to record a promotional track for Schicksal, I wouldn't let you into the booth until you've had professional training and your vocals are up to par."
When it came to her professional domain, Eden never compromised—not even for the two highest-ranking individuals in the organization.
Just as Elysia's face began to fall, Eden continued, "However... an interview is doable."
"Oh, Eden! I knew you were the best!"
In the past, Elysia might have lunged forward to give Eden a massive bear hug. But ever since she enrolled at Chiba Academy and took Durandal's advice to heart, she had been consciously mindful of personal boundaries when interacting with others.
It was only when facing Durandal that she remained as she'd always been... or rather, even more intensely affectionate.
"Even if it's just an interview, you can't go on like this."
Eden looked at the two bare-faced girls and beckoned to the makeup artists. After giving a few detailed instructions, the pair was whisked away to the vanity mirrors.
Truth be told, Durandal and Elysia were such natural beauties that without Eden's specific guidance, the makeup artists would have felt quite lost on where to even begin.
Eden's request was simple: apply light makeup suitable for studio lighting, but with a different emphasis for each.
Elysia's style focused on a sweet, fresh look—ideally giving off the vibe of a charming, well-behaved girl next door.
This would soften the "aggressive" nature of her beauty and make her appeal to everyone, regardless of gender.
As for Durandal, her style leaned toward sharp and cool, heightening the immediate sense of reliability she projected—an impression Eden wanted the public to associate with Schicksal itself.
Eden's instructions were crystal clear, and the company's makeup artists were top-tier. In no time at all, the looks were finished.
Elysia stood up and leaned into the mirror to inspect herself. She turned her head toward Durandal.
"Hmm... at first glance, it doesn't look much different from how I usually look, but if I look closely, I can feel a subtle change. Durandal, do you think I look better like this, or how I usually am?"
Durandal: "..."
Even she knew that answering this poorly was a death trap.
However, Durandal's personality being what it was, she wasn't about to give a pandering answer just because the question was tricky.
She actually leaned in, giving Elysia a thorough once-over before speaking.
"There is a difference. Usually, when you shift your expressions and moods, you give off many different vibes. But now? Try it—try making a face like you're planning something mischievous. That 'femme fatale' aura is definitely toned down. It makes you look more playful instead."
Hearing this, Elysia actually tried the expression in the mirror.
Just as Durandal said, that mysterious, "bad girl" vibe that made it hard to tell if she was being sincere or wicked had vanished. In its place was a purely positive, quirky charm.
It wasn't necessarily better or worse, but this image was certainly more fitting for a spokesperson representing Schicksal to the public.
"Wait a second..."
Elysia nodded to herself, acknowledging Durandal's point, before it suddenly clicked. "Did you just call me a 'bad girl'?"
Durandal: "..."
Did she? Wasn't that just a turn of phrase?
"Ahem. I said a 'bad girl vibe,' not that you are a bad girl. There's a big difference between the two."
Durandal's words, coupled with her current makeup which amplified her look of unwavering integrity, left Elysia with no ground to keep questioning her.
"Hmph," she pouted, "I'll let you off the hook this time!" Elysia said, sounding somewhat reluctant.
"Alright, girls. Follow me to the studio."
The "studio" was actually the original set for the photo shoot, just rearranged with two sofas and a round table. The background was a simple green screen; photos or footage would be added in post-production.
Since the schedule had changed on such short notice, the originally invited host couldn't make it—after all, they were a big star and wouldn't have an opening without a prior booking.
Fortunately, Eden was a polymath. Since the scripts were already prepared, she could easily step in as the host herself.
Eden had prepared two versions of the interview script.
One was for Elysia and Durandal, assuming Elysia successfully convinced her friend.
The other version was a backup: if Durandal had refused and Elysia had declined as well, Eden intended to send Kevyn in.
Actually, the twins Fuxi and Nuwa would have been great candidates too, but they had the potential to turn any interview into a comedy routine.
To avoid any public misunderstandings about Schicksal's image, Eden had painfully decided to pass on them.
Kevyn could be a bit airheaded at times and was famously tone-deaf, but she had one redeeming quality: as long as she didn't have a partner to bounce jokes off of, she could play the part of a quiet, elegant beauty quite convincingly.
One only had to look at how groups of fangirls everywhere treated her like a "Prince Charming" to see that it worked.
Still, Kevyn's solo appeal lacked a certain something, so the duo of Elysia and Durandal was naturally the superior choice.
Of course, if Mei had already joined Schicksal, a pairing of Kevyn and Mei wouldn't necessarily be inferior to Elysia and Durandal.
In fact, Mei's reputation as a genius scientist would have been a massive selling point.
But Eden wasn't disappointed.
After all, who said Schicksal could only have two spokespeople?
Why couldn't there be two pairs, or even more?
In fact, introducing more representatives to showcase the many facets of Schicksal was a key part of the project's success.
So, once Mei joined, packaging and debuting her alongside Kevyn was already part of the plan.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.