Countess Youngae’s Money-Sweeping Makeup Shop - Chapter 62

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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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62

 

As the usual Ricardo was formed, he picked up the mirror and smiled.

 

“Ricardo.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“There was something I wanted to ask you.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Have you decided to keep your distance from me now?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Well, looking at the content of your letter, it seemed that way.”

 

I suppressed the anger rising from within with a bright, smiling face.

 

Right now, when I should be pushing forward relentlessly, is this push-and-pull, or are you pushing me away?

 

If you do that, I have no choice but to just fold my feelings completely, you know?

 

Perhaps that’s actually what Ricardo wanted.

 

Greetings, Sillia.

 

Thank you for contacting me.

 

However, I think it would be difficult to accept that proposal.

 

I would want to meet with Yeongae and spend time together right away.

 

But since Yeongae seems disappointed in me, I don’t want to have an enjoyable time by myself.

 

If our relationship becomes okay later, would it be alright if I make the proposal then?

 

I hope you will always stay healthy.

 

From Ricardo Jesuert.

 

I still remembered the shock I felt when I received this letter.

 

So first, if someone seems disappointed, shouldn’t you meet them or exchange letters to discuss improvements or clear up misunderstandings?

 

Second, if you want to meet, you can meet and act cute or make it enjoyable in your own way to make me happy too.

 

Third, why did you become such a coward?

 

My hands trembled as I held the letter, and I made plans to kidnap Ricardo.

 

And today, I had attacked the Jesuert Mansion very early in the morning without any notice.

 

Even when I worried about getting scolded, I remembered how Ricardo had told me in the past to come find him anytime I wanted to see him, which made me confident.

 

I believed without doubt that Ricardo would handle everything.

 

Right?

 

When I smiled brightly and cupped my face with my hands, Ricardo blinked and then averted his gaze.

 

What? Has his heart really cooled?

 

When I followed Ricardo’s gaze, the eyes that had been deliberately avoiding mine hesitated before meeting my eyes.

 

“I’ve never thought about wanting to keep my distance.”

 

“Then why are you avoiding me?”

 

“Because Sillia seemed angry at me.”

 

“I’ve never been angry though?”

 

“Then, are you tired of me?”

 

“There’s nothing to be tired of since we haven’t done anything.”

 

“You’ve lost interest in me since we left Berinea’s shop.”

 

“Since Sichel Yeongae’s shop?”

 

Huh?

 

When I was making plans?

 

What had Ricardo said back then?

 

I thought about it carefully, but I couldn’t particularly remember.

 

As I tilted my head, thinking it couldn’t be, I glared at Ricardo sharply.

 

“I think that’s all because of Ricardo though?”

 

“What did I do wrong—”

 

“It’s not that you did something wrong, but you made me competitive.”

 

“Competitive, you mean?”

 

“Yes. We made a bet. You said you’d grant any wish.”

 

“What does that have to do with this?”

 

“Because of that bet, I couldn’t pay attention since I was busy making plans. We didn’t really do anything special to begin with anyway. Right?”

 

“That’s correct.”

 

“But does digging yourself into a hole alone produce any answers?”

 

“It didn’t.”

 

“Then what about now?”

 

“I think it has.”

 

“So what about the date proposal?”

 

“…I’ll accept it.”

 

“Today we’ll go anywhere Ricardo wants. I need to get paid properly for my daily wage!”

 

“Where I want to go.”

 

Ricardo touched his chin, pondered, then looked out the window.

 

After a long pause, his golden eyes turned toward me.

 

“There’s a place I’d like to visit.”

 

***

 

Following Ricardo’s words, we arrived at a dessert shop.

 

What was a bit unusual was that the cakes were flower-shaped, or the decorations on top were flower-shaped chocolates?

 

Anyone could see these were expensive-looking desserts.

 

Does Ricardo like this kind of thing?

 

We ordered several desserts and sat at one of the few window seats.

 

Despite having carefully arranged and tied his hair, Ricardo naturally took off his mask as soon as he sat down and placed it on the table.

 

If he was going to do that, I wondered why he wore the mask in the first place.

 

As I rested my chin on my hand and stared at him intently, Ricardo blinked.

 

“Is something wrong?”

 

“Mm, it’s nothing major. It’s just that lately I feel like I’m seeing your face without the mask quite often. I was curious if you’ve gotten used to showing your bare face now.”

 

“Ah.”

 

Ricardo apparently wasn’t aware that he took it off frequently.

 

His eyes widened briefly, then he lowered his gaze to the table and pondered.

 

“Do I take it off that often?”

 

“Compared to when I first saw you, you take it off incredibly often.”

 

“I do seem to be taking it off more frequently compared to the past. Still, I feel a bit uneasy about leaving the mask behind.”

 

“Do you feel comfortable only when you’re holding it in your hands even if you’re not wearing it?”

 

“It seems, like that.”

 

“Still, I think it’s good that Ricardo seems to have gained confidence?”

 

“Confidence?”

 

“People might think differently, but I feel like wearing a mask and going around gives a sense of hiding somewhere. So?”

 

“Is that so.”

 

“Yes. And I like that you can show this beautiful face to the people of the world. The scary atmosphere disappears too?”

 

I smiled brightly and conveyed that my feelings were sincere.

 

Ricardo’s gaze turned toward me, then slowly went elsewhere before returning.

 

Just then the desserts arrived, and Ricardo slowly opened his mouth.

 

“Is it okay if my face gets targeted by others?”

 

“*Cough, cough! Cough! Yes, yes? Targeted?”

 

I was drinking water when I was so surprised that I choked.

 

No wait, I shouldn’t be choking, so why was I so startled?

 

Of course, since Ricardo’s face is beautiful, sculptors, painters, or new makeup artists could target it.

 

But my heart beat fast and hard, unlike my calm head.

 

Ricardo, as if my confusion wasn’t important, rested his chin on his hand like me and closed the distance between us.

 

Thanks to suddenly getting much closer, his refreshing scent that cooled even my heart gently touched my sense of smell.

 

Gulp, I swallowed my saliva.

 

Feeling unnecessarily ticklish, I pulled my body back and sat up straight.

 

“M-many artists must have already taken Ricardo as their muse, right?”

 

“Are you saying you don’t mind?”

 

“Even if I said I minded, that wouldn’t solve anything!”

 

“I suppose I asked too indirectly. Sillia, don’t you get jealous?”

 

“Jeal… ous…?”

 

“If you don’t, that’s fine.”

 

“Wh-what kind of person do you think I am to want me to be jealous?”

 

“What kind of person?”

 

Why does it feel like he’s staring at me so persistently?

 

The tickling sensation seemed to make my body heat up.

 

My pupils couldn’t stay still.

 

Rolling down, they fell to the cake below as I pressed it with my fork, cut it, and stabbed a piece.

 

I pushed the small piece into my mouth, chewed it, swallowed, then glanced sideways at Ricardo.

 

“Like, like kidnapping you and locking you in my room to do makeup all day…”

 

“By room, do you mean bedroom?”

 

“That would be it, right? …Ah, no!”

 

“Locked in a bedroom doing makeup all day. That does sound like a dream life.”

 

“How is that a dream life?!”

 

“Isn’t that the ultimate goal for a canvas?”

 

I was left speechless by Ricardo, who spoke such outrageous words with such a calm expression and tone.

 

My face felt like it had turned bright red right now.

 

It was burning hot as if I had caught a cold.

 

I pursed my lips and focused on eating the strawberry cake with a slightly sulky expression.

 

This person seems to be getting more and more brazen by the day.

 

I never made Ricardo evolve like that!

 

Thanks to Ricardo, I couldn’t tell how delicious the strawberry cake I was eating actually was.

 

While eating the cake, I noticed that Ricardo hadn’t taken a single bite and was just staring at me.

 

Making a “mmph” sound, I gently pushed Ricardo’s face back with one hand.

 

“Sillia?”

 

I didn’t bother to answer his calm voice that might have been confused.

 

Ricardo’s eyes were covered by my hand.

 

Then my fingers lost strength and spread apart, revealing his golden eyes.

 

Even my hand felt hot under his gaze that was still looking at me.

 

I slowly dropped my hand and cleared my throat with a “ahem.”

 

“Stop looking at me and eat your cake.”

 

“Mm.”

 

“Why, again…?”

 

“Actually, I don’t prefer desserts.”

 

“…What? You said you liked them before!”

 

“I said that to spend time with Yeongae.”

 

To say such things so confidently without even blushing…

 

I felt depressed that my dessert tour friend seemed to have disappeared, but at the same time, I found Ricardo cute for trying so hard to eat something he couldn’t eat well, and these thoughts mixed together chaotically.

 

All I could grumble was this one thing.

 

“Liar.”

 

Hearing that, Ricardo stared at me intently, then rolled his eyes as if he had done something good and made a hurt expression.

 

“Why?”

 

“Isn’t this something you can overlook? Sillia made secrets from me too. Hiding our first meeting.”

 

“If I had told you then, we wouldn’t have even become friends, would we?”

 

“Isn’t it the same on my side?”

 

“Jesuert Youngsik makes me speechless.”

 

“Please call me ‘Ricardo.'”

 

“Greedy.”

 

“I can’t deny that when it comes to Sillia.”

 

“Did you plan this today?”

 

Ricardo’s gaze turned to the side for a moment.

 

Soon he lifted the corners of his mouth slightly and smiled.

 

Ricardo looked back at me and lightly tapped the hand holding my fork.

 

“Weren’t you the one who kidnapped me and told me to plan this today?”

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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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