Countess Youngae’s Money-Sweeping Makeup Shop - Chapter 61

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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61

 

When Lucian heard my words, he paused for a moment, then flinched and opened his eyes sharply.

 

“Is there some reason I should hate you?”

 

“Well, because I broke off the deal?”

 

“Do I look like such a petty person to you? You were the cause of the cancellation in the first place!”

 

He frowned and got angry, then cleared his throat and crossed his arms.

 

“With Helena, well, I just felt sorry for breaking it off so I got some meals from her, and we became friends. Why are you suddenly getting worked up? Why are you so interested in other people’s private lives-”

 

“Then what do you think of Helena?”

 

“You’re probably the only one who interrupts me.”

 

He sighed deeply and closed his eyes, then slowly opened them gently and shook his head.

 

“Helena is a foolish woman. That Crown Prince is beyond redemption anyway, so I have no idea why she keeps staying by his side.”

 

“Don’t you want to elope with Helena or anything?”

 

“Ew, what elopement? I’m not some thoughtless playboy who would mess with someone who’s already taken, you know?”

 

Isn’t this following the original story?

 

Lucian’s answer confused me even more.

 

With a groan, I pressed both index fingers firmly against the throbbing parts of my head.

 

I still don’t have clear certainty, but right now there’s someone who could threaten the business.

 

Let’s focus on protecting the business from Casual.

 

I should also contact Ricardo and tell him to be more careful about document security.

 

And at least while I’m alive, let’s make everything certain.

 

Anything ambiguous might create a path back to the original story.

 

I don’t know about after I die, but while I’m alive, I should live according to my wishes.

 

***

 

Returning to the manor, I took out the checklist of things to do before my life-threatening adventure.

 

“So this week’s lessons are finished too…”

 

Check marks filled the spaces next to the sentences one by one.

 

1. Finish Lucian’s 5th makeup class✔

 

2. Announce vacation and adjust shop schedule✔

 

3. Prepare next season’s cosmetic colors✔

 

4. Teach Lili the complete shop manual✔

 

5. Contact Ricardo

 

6. Spend money to my heart’s content

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

There were several other sentences besides these, but all had check marks except for two.

 

I held the paper with both hands and pondered for a while.

 

There were less than 3 days left until departure.

 

Number 6 didn’t matter since I planned to do it thoroughly the day before departure.

 

5. Contact Ricardo

 

I couldn’t easily read sentence number 5.

 

Only after forcing myself to read it several times did it register in my mind.

 

Why don’t I want to talk to Ricardo about this?

 

Is it because he might try to stop me?

 

It’s not like I won’t do it just because Ricardo tries to stop me anyway.

 

I took out light blue stationery and stared down at it.

 

I held the quill pen, but the nib didn’t easily touch the paper.

 

When the nib that had been hovering over the paper finally touched it, either impulse or confidence surged up and I wrote down the words.

 

Come to think of it, he said he wanted to buy time too, so I could give him my time to settle the daily wage.

 

Though I wrapped it up in various words, it was essentially a date request to Ricardo.

 

Just try rejecting it. I’ll make you regret it so much you’ll beat the ground.

 

***

 

“Sillia?”

 

One letter that arrived late in the evening.

 

Ricardo examined the letter from various angles, and as soon as he unfolded it and saw the words ‘Sillia Ebennain’, he tilted his head.

 

Wasn’t Sillia disappointed in him and sulking?

 

Maybe it was content about pretending not to know each other from now on.

 

Calming his anxiously beating heart, he read the densely written text.

 

Hello, Jesuert Youngsik.

 

After always contacting you only for work, it seems I’m contacting you for personal reasons after a long time.

 

I’m sorry for the sudden contact.

 

But after hearing the next story, you might welcome even this sudden contact.

 

You know our shop is on vacation starting the day after tomorrow, right?

 

So I’ll have some free time for once.

 

I think it’s time to repay you for working hard for those 3 days.

 

There’s also something I want to give you before going on vacation.

 

Is your schedule okay?

 

I’ll wait for your reply.

 

From Sillia Ebennain.

 

After reading the letter, Ricardo felt like he had been sucked into some other dimension.

 

Wondering if someone else had sent it, he examined the letter envelope from all angles to double-check if Sillia had really sent it.

 

Only after confirming with magic that it was indeed a letter from Sillia did he fall into even more confusion.

 

Looking at the content, it was clearly asking to meet, like a date- or something.

 

‘Why?’

 

Ricardo’s mind filled with question marks.

 

Had Casual seduced Sillia and made her call him to a place where she had enemies?

 

But it was a large square during busy lunch hours with many people.

 

Or maybe Sillia had been brainwashed…?

 

Ricardo, who had been imagining all sorts of things, felt joy and anxiety mixing chaotically.

 

Hesitating, he took out stationery in his unsettled state and wrote down words.

 

And Ricardo had no idea what kind of incident that letter would bring him.

 

He really had no idea at all.

 

“Ricardo Jesuert!”

 

Two days later, from the morning, he had no idea he would find himself in a situation like a demon king from a fairy tale.

 

“Come out right now!”

 

A booming voice echoed through the manor like someone performing a summoning ritual.

 

Ricardo, who had gotten up in surprise, came out to the terrace and looked toward the main gate.

 

There he made eye contact with Sillia, who was looking directly at Ricardo’s room like a righteous knight with her blue hair fluttering in the wind.

 

With both hands on her hips, she seemed somewhat angry, but the corners of her mouth were turned up.

 

Ricardo’s pupils shook at her subtle expression.

 

The gazes of everyone from the knights to the working servants all turned toward Ricardo.

 

He felt heat rising to his face.

 

He couldn’t tell if it was embarrassment or happiness, the exact emotion was unclear.

 

But it was certainly not an unpleasant feeling.

 

Thump thump, his heart beat rapidly.

 

‘Did I like this kind of thing?’

 

Ricardo, who had been making eye contact with Sillia while covering his mouth with one hand, quickly washed his face, changed clothes, put on his mask, and went down to the first floor.

 

While going down to the first floor, countless gazes and whispers followed Ricardo.

 

Finally arriving at the first floor, opening the door and approaching Sillia, the voice of Ricardo’s father, the Duke, stopped him.

 

“Who is that young lady? How rude to cause such a commotion from the morning.”

 

Sillia’s confident expression briefly faltered upon facing the Duke, but then she showed a strong smile again.

 

And she greeted him with proper etiquette.

 

“Hello, Duke Jesuert. I am the young lady who has a date appointment with Jesuert Youngsik today.”

 

“If he didn’t come, couldn’t you just let it pass? Where did you learn to barge in so unreasonably—”

 

“Ah, it’s because I’m Jesuert Youngsik’s prince! Well then, I’ll be going first. Have a good day!”

 

Prince?

 

What is this about now?

 

Before I could blink and demand an explanation from Sillia, she grabbed Ricardo’s hand.

 

And then she pulled Ricardo along, practically kidnapping him into the carriage.

 

The Duke said something or other, but Sillia still smiled brightly as she greeted him and climbed into the carriage.

 

Soon as the carriage departed, Ricardo looked at Sillia in a dazed state.

 

Meanwhile, Sillia seemed intent on making the Duke’s blood boil to the end, as she stuck her face out through the window with a pretty smile.

 

“Your son says he likes me! Well then, I’ll be borrowing your son!”

 

“Wh-what?”

 

Ricardo made a flustered sound as his restless hands firmly grasped Sillia’s wrist.

 

***

 

I noticed his side hair messily caught on the ribbon string, as if he had rushed out without properly wearing his mask.

 

His long hair, which was always neatly tied, now had stray hairs sticking out here and there, making me want to laugh.

 

I stared intently at Ricardo holding my wrist, then finally burst out laughing.

 

“Ahaha!”

 

“Si-Sillia?”

 

“Did you come out in a hurry?”

 

“The young lady told me to come out quickly.”

 

“Ricardo, do you know how you look right now?”

 

“Yes? …Am I very messy?”

 

“Messy, I suppose, but I like it because it feels human?”

 

“Still, I always want to be beautiful in front of Sillia.”

 

“You want to be the perfect canvas?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Let’s fix it up while riding in the carriage. I’ll hold the mirror for you.”

 

I couldn’t see his exact expression behind the mask, but Ricardo’s hand released my wrist.

 

That means he understands, right?

 

When I took out a palm-sized hand mirror, the wolf mask came off, revealing a beautiful face.

 

And when he let down his hair too, his distinct features and long hair swaying gently in the breeze came into view.

 

Isn’t this the first time I’ve seen it completely down?

 

It was as if a god from Greek and Roman mythology was sitting in front of me.

 

Beautiful, noble, refined, yet like some nameless god who seemed to possess the surging emotions of humanity.

 

Ricardo looked in the mirror and skillfully arranged his hair, gathering it neatly into one bundle.

 

The ribbon-like string under his side hair moved like a snake, creating a tight knot at the back of his head.

 

Finally, after checking the mirror from various angles, Ricardo sat up straight.

 

“I think it’s done.”

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