Countess Youngae’s Money-Sweeping Makeup Shop - Chapter 28

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

28

 

“Th-that’s not it!”

 

I jumped up from my seat and shouted.

 

Ricardo looked up at me with a calm expression.

 

That’s not it? Not what exactly?

 

I moved my lips, thinking of what to say next.

 

If I stood up like this, I couldn’t just end it here – I had to say something more!

 

If I sat down now, we’d have to eat in an incredibly awkward atmosphere.

 

I wasn’t sure about other things, but this much was certain.

 

“I, th-that’s not it. Jesuert Youngsik’s appearance was so beautiful that I was admiring it! Without realizing it, I…”

 

“Without realizing it?”

 

“I wanted to do your makeup!”

 

Yo, yo, yo…

 

My voice echoed through the dining hall like an echo.

 

And then the silence that immediately followed.

 

Why is it getting quiet?

 

Say something, Ricardo!

 

Wouldn’t it be better if you just cursed at me?

 

When he took off his mask before, I could see some emotion, but now I can’t tell at all.

 

I couldn’t sit down, and I couldn’t keep standing either.

 

As I stood there awkwardly, Ricardo looked at me for a long time before lowering his head.

 

Seeing him resume eating as if nothing had happened, I wondered what to do and sneakily watched for his reaction.

 

But wait a minute.

 

Why should I be reading the room?

 

I mean, what’s wrong with a makeup artist wanting to do someone’s makeup?

 

It wasn’t like his weird thoughts – it was a lip recommendation!

 

Once my thoughts were organized, I furrowed my brow again and glared at Ricardo.

 

“I do makeup…!”

 

“Wouldn’t that be fine?”

 

“What would?”

 

“You said you wanted to do my makeup.”

 

“…I can do it?”

 

“It’s not like you’re pouring poison on my face – just doing makeup shouldn’t be a problem.”

 

“Aren’t you busy?”

 

“I am busy. However, as a business partner, I’m simply curious about the makeup process. To sell products, it’s important to understand them first.”

 

“What a stroke of luck.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Oh, did I just say that out loud?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Forget it.”

 

“Understood.”

 

Only then did I quietly sit back down.

 

At times like this, I was grateful he was someone who let things slide easily.

 

“Phew.”

 

My emotions going back and forth over something like this made me tired.

 

After letting out a long sigh, I also slowly continued my meal following Ricardo’s lead.

 

The Count’s Mansion made delicious food too, but the Ducal Family was definitely different.

 

Even a picky food critic would surely give it 5 stars.

 

As I ate without worry and thought about doing Ricardo’s makeup, various positive emotions surged up inside me.

 

***

 

“But do you have makeup materials?”

 

After finishing our meal, Ricardo casually threw out a question as we walked down the corridor.

 

I touched my chin and pondered for a moment, then made an “ah” sound and my eyes lit up.

 

“Should we try it with the colors that were made when we took our final exam? They actually have you do makeup and decide the successful candidates based on that.”

 

“What about other materials…”

 

“You still have what I gave you before, right? Did you use all of that?”

 

“No. There’s still some left. I also used the brushes besides that.”

 

“Have you ever seen a craftsman being picky about tools? Of course, they’re picky when working, but not in daily life.”

 

“Is this daily life?”

 

“I suppose so? Since I’m not getting paid for it.”

 

“I see.”

 

The masked face turned slightly and glanced at me sideways.

 

Soon he looked forward again and guided me to the reception room.

 

“The servants will bring them. Let’s wait here.”

 

I nodded at Ricardo’s words as he sat on the sofa.

 

I could see the familiar sofa I had sat on last time.

 

I went to that sofa, sat down, and grinned while resting my chin on my hands on my knees.

 

I get to do whatever I want with that face under the pretense of testing… hehe.

 

***

 

Ricardo began to suspect his recent hypothesis that Sillia was making him strange.

 

After all, she had appeared suddenly, knocked his soul out of him, and shaken Ricardo’s mind.

 

After acting that way herself, Sillia saying it wasn’t like that and making Ricardo seem like the strange one was irritating.

 

He wasn’t sure if it was unpleasant, but it was definitely irritating.

 

How could only makeup and business talk come out of a woman’s mouth when talking to a man?

 

It would be more plausible to say that Sillia was actually a son raised like a daughter by the Ebennain Family.

 

Before and now too.

 

Sillia’s eyes lit up when she saw his unmasked face.

 

Last time it stopped there, but today she even swallowed her saliva!

 

He couldn’t understand why she was coveting him when there was perfectly good food right in front of her.

 

Then Sillia’s persistent gaze poured onto Ricardo’s lips.

 

His heart pounded.

 

This was the fear of a beast being targeted by a bigger beast.

 

He wondered if Sillia might be a woman his younger brother had sent.

 

The kind who seduces and makes you lose your mind.

 

Ricardo seriously considered whether he should keep his distance from Sillia.

 

When he casually threw out a question to test her, Sillia’s face turned bright red.

 

Had he seen such a face before?

 

As he was asking himself that question, a desperate voice followed Ricardo’s words.

 

“I wanted to do your makeup!”

 

As soon as Ricardo heard those words, he seriously pondered what kind of string of words this was.

 

‘What does it mean to want to do makeup because someone is beautiful?’

 

He had heard of artists making such requests because they wanted to create artwork,

 

but saying you want to decorate someone more because they’re beautiful was something he’d never heard in his life.

 

Wouldn’t that mean there are parts that need to be supplemented?

 

Shouldn’t ‘too beautiful’ not be included anymore?

 

But no matter how much he thought about it, there was no way he’d find an answer.

 

As if telling her to go ahead, he casually threw out:

 

“Wouldn’t that be fine?”

 

Then Sillia’s eyes sparkled.

 

She made a happy expression like a child receiving a toy as a gift.

 

I wondered if he was really that happy, but seeing his smiling face made my twisted feelings melt away again.

 

He could be happy. After all, he’s someone who likes makeup.

 

And that night, Ricardo rubbed his brow and couldn’t fall asleep for a long time, thinking he’d been had again.

 

***

 

The servants brought the cosmetics and placed them on the table like last time.

 

When I patted the seat next to me like calling a cat, today he sat down right away without hesitation.

 

So he really was nervous last time.

 

As expected, someone who’s been to a makeup shop follows along more naturally.

 

He even knew I’d ask him to turn his head, so he sat facing me from the start.

 

Then when he removed his mask and placed it on the table, a cold handsome man with closed eyes appeared.

 

What should I do. He’s so admirable.

 

I felt like I might cry from how proud I was.

 

The way Ricardo prepared like this somehow reminded me of a cat that sits when you tell it to sit, so I couldn’t help but feel proud.

 

Following what I’d told him, I dipped a handkerchief in the prepared disinfectant, wrung out the moisture, and wiped my hands.

 

Then I squeezed some ointment foundation and color correcting foundation onto the back of my hand and began covering the scars little by little.

 

Using my hands made delicate touches difficult, but I was faster than before and successfully covered the scars quickly.

 

Now I need to do color makeup using these shades.

 

I looked at the three people’s colors and decided I should work on contouring first, so I picked up the shade Gabil had made.

 

I lightly created shadows with the ash-toned cool brown.

 

Since his face was already perfect, I used minimal pressure and gently blended the edges so it wouldn’t become too dark.

 

Next was eye makeup.

 

Rather than an overall warm feeling, I need to focus on point colors to give strength to the eyes.

 

I mixed Beliw’s reddish pink with Michelle’s colors bit by bit and applied them along his eye shape.

 

Rather than covering the entire eye, I made it as straight and sharp as possible, creating a natural gradation.

 

A gradation that gets darker toward the ends.

 

But thinking of maple leaves so it wouldn’t feel stuffy.

 

Finally, for the lips, I mixed a little water with Beliw’s red and orange-toned colors and applied them.

 

But just enough to add a hint of vitality without being too obvious.

 

After all five fingers became colorful like that, my Ricardo makeup was complete.

 

The reddish tones felt quite decadent yet warm.

 

An image that would treat you kindly, but might be plotting schemes behind your back.

 

If I just put glasses on him, it would perfectly capture that feeling.

 

I clicked my tongue in regret.

 

Still, I was quite satisfied.

 

I wiped my hands on the handkerchief and smiled brightly.

 

“Done! Jesuert Youngsik, go look in the mirror! It’s been so long since I did unique makeup that my hands felt like they were flying. Everything just flowed so well, you know?”

 

Ricardo got up from his seat and approached the mirror.

 

Seeing his body flinch today too, he seemed surprised.

 

Since this kind of makeup isn’t something you can easily try, I really showed off my skills.

 

If I had brought cosmetics and brushes too, I think I could have done even better.

 

Will he let me do it again next time?

 

I approached the mirror with anticipation.

 

As I was craning my neck around, Ricardo looked at me through the mirror.

 

When I met eyes with Ricardo in the mirror, I unconsciously hesitated then smiled brightly again.

 

But that smile was cut short before long.

 

“But what do you mean by ‘it’s been so long’?”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————