Countess Youngae’s Money-Sweeping Makeup Shop - Chapter 72

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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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72

 

Cat ears of a color that was confusing whether it was yellow or orange fluttered from behind the white desk.

 

Soon, a cat that peeked out its face made eye contact with me.

 

“Cheese.”

 

My mouth moved on its own and the cat stared at me intently before its pupils turned blue.

 

As my vision became blurry, the cat transformed into something in human form and stroked my hair.

 

“Don’t just stay here doing this, hurry up and go give Jesuert Youngsik a good beating!”

 

Along with that voice, a bright light flashed.

 

“Huh.”

 

My breath caught and I opened my eyes again in Ricardo’s Bedroom.

 

I could see the sunset sky and Ricardo sitting at his desk moving a quill pen.

 

Who was that I just saw in my dream?

 

That voice sounded exactly like Felix’s voice, but was it a hallucination?

 

I looked around, but Felix was nowhere to be seen.

 

What was that?

 

Even as I tilted my head, when I sat up feeling refreshed, Ricardo’s head turned toward me.

 

“Are you awake?”

 

“Ah, yes. Right now-”

 

“Right now, about a day and a half has passed. In total, it’s been about 4 days since your vacation ended.”

 

I blinked at his words that poured out as if he had been waiting, then got up from the bed.

 

My clothes had been dried at some point, and I was wearing a fluffy shirt and pants.

 

I thought they would usually put on pajamas or something comfortable, but I figured this was better than showing such a state in front of Ricardo.

 

My legs weren’t wobbly and I wasn’t having trouble breathing.

 

However, perhaps because I had been lying down for so long, my body was stiff, so I stretched with a long yawn.

 

I could hear cracking sounds from my bones, but stretching seemed to make my body feel much better.

 

After letting out a sigh, I approached within about two steps of the desk.

 

“Was there anything unusual while I was out?”

 

“While you were out. Hmm, if you’re talking about unusual things, there was something worth mentioning.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Um, a makeup shop similar to ours opened.”

 

“Ah~ What’s it like, what are the reviews?”

 

“Not bad. …That shop is also targeting the same nobles.”

 

“Is that so.”

 

“Sillia, excuse me for saying this, but why aren’t you concerned? They’ve taken quite a lot of our customers.”

 

“Well, that’s natural, isn’t it? When a new shop opens, customers will naturally go check it out too. New openings have more benefits, don’t they.”

 

“But what if they steal all our customers?”

 

“Hehe, everyone has their preferences, so people who like that shop’s makeup will go there, and people who like our makeup will come to us.”

 

“Then that’s fortunate.”

 

“But who opened the shop? Oh, did you also buy cosmetics from there? I’d like to see what they’re like!”

 

At my words, Ricardo, who had been thinking for a moment, took out a luxurious box that looked like it might contain accessories and handed it to me.

 

When I opened the box, a palm-sized case with gorgeous gold trim and patterns pressed onto purple velvet fabric appeared.

 

When I opened that case too, it contained four bluish-red eyeshadows.

 

“Marquis Nekiard opened the shop.”

 

Marquis Nekiard? Juber?

 

Juber wasn’t a character related to makeup or beauty anywhere in the original work.

 

A guy who was only interested in power suddenly doing makeup?

 

Wasn’t he not particularly greedy for money either?

 

Is he trying to gain support from young ladies through makeup?

 

Well, for me it’s good to have a rival company for comparison and learning.

 

This eyeshadow palette even had a really luxurious feel, making me think I should pay more attention to packaging when selling cosmetics in the future.

 

Come to think of it, where did my bag go?

 

I need to go to Lucian to return the contract since I’m back.

 

As I looked around like a meerkat again, Ricardo stared at me intently for a moment, then pointed beside the bed.

 

“If you’re looking for your bag, it’s over there.”

 

“Ah, thank you!”

 

Somehow after coming back from the trip, it felt like Ricardo and I were more in sync.

 

At this rate, won’t he end up reading all my thoughts?

 

I approached the crossbody bag and checked if the contract was intact.

 

And looking at the wrapping cloth, the video stone that should definitely have been there was missing.

 

I never even took this out, so where did it go?

 

While I was feeling puzzled, I sensed a presence behind me, and before I could turn my head, something caught my back.

 

“Huh?”

 

“Sillia.”

 

Ricardo, who had embraced me from behind, made a tickling voice.

 

I flinched and turned my head back to face forward and down, feeling another head touching mine.

 

“Do you remember the promise?”

 

“Promise?”

 

“What you said right before you left.”

 

Before I left?

 

I briefly searched my memory, going back almost 20 days.

 

What did I say?

 

As I closed my eyes and thought carefully, one sentence quickly passed by.

 

“If you don’t like me during vacation, I’ll like you more when I come back!”

 

Along with the words about liking him more, the past and what I had done came to mind.

 

So I had touched Ricardo’s scar-

 

I quickly shook my head, and my face burned with heat.

 

It was something I did impulsively, but why on earth did I do that then!

 

I must have been crazy, crazy!

 

Since I couldn’t easily speak, there was a sound of clothes rustling and the hands embracing my waist tightened.

 

“Sillia.”

 

“Y-yes.”

 

Thump thump.

 

I tensed up my body, worried that my heartbeat might reach Ricardo’s hands.

 

I don’t know how I managed to make a sound.

 

It felt like everything in front of my eyes was spinning.

 

My hands couldn’t find their position and just gripped the bag tightly.

 

“What you meant by liking me more-”

 

The thought I had been wondering about flowed out through Ricardo’s mouth.

 

I moved my lips, then gulped and swallowed, putting strength in my eyes as I turned around to face Ricardo.

 

“You didn’t keep your promise.”

 

“Promise?”

 

“You clearly said that if you didn’t like me, I would like you more. If I woke up here instead of the Ebennain Estate, how can I believe that?”

 

“That’s.”

 

As if he had only heard what he wanted to hear, Ricardo’s words were cut short.

 

His gaze that had been meeting mine escaped to the side, and like some sulky puppy, his eyes held dissatisfaction unlike usual.

 

For a moment I almost mistook myself for saying something wrong.

 

I stared at him intently, then sighed and embraced Ricardo’s back in return, gently patting him as if soothing a child.

 

“Ricardo.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Were you very worried about me?”

 

“Yes.”

 

An answer without the slightest hesitation.

 

Slowly, the strength left my body as I leaned into Ricardo’s firm embrace.

 

“Did you miss me a lot?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“How much?”

 

“Enough to jump into the lake every day.”

 

“Pfft, what’s that supposed to mean? Why do you always jump into the lake?”

 

“Because I wanted to find you.”

 

“…Who? Me?”

 

“Yes. The owner of the tower said so. If you failed, you’d be drowning in the lake, and if you succeeded, you’d die if you couldn’t surface when you returned here.”

 

Wait, when you put it like that, it sounds like I’d die no matter what!

 

Isn’t that only telling me extremely dire futures?

 

Though that was actually correct!

 

With my face buried in his embrace, I sighed and looked back up at Ricardo.

 

“So you jumped into the lake every day? As if you knew where I’d be.”

 

“Yes. I simply prayed I might encounter Sillia and jumped into every lake I could reach.”

 

“That’s foolish.”

 

“…They say love makes you foolish.”

 

“That’s you admitting you’re a fool, Ricardo.”

 

“Do you dislike me being a fool?”

 

“Hmm.”

 

I looked at Ricardo, then playfully shifted my gaze to the side.

 

Then I put on an indifferent expression and spoke in a nonchalant voice.

 

“I suppose keeping someone who isn’t helpful around would be a bit inefficient for business.”

 

“…Berinea said you were doing well with the business.”

 

“But fool Ricardo might lose the business, you know.”

 

“I won’t lose it.”

 

“Aren’t you a fool, Ricardo?”

 

“Even if I am a fool, I won’t lose Sillia or this business.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes, really.”

 

Before it was just my name, but now the business has been added too.

 

I chuckled softly, closed my eyes, and hugged Ricardo tightly.

 

Then this time I patted his back approvingly, pat pat!

 

“Alright. I’ll trust you! Just like me a little, just a tiny bit more.”

 

“Sillia-”

 

I heard his voice, almost pleading, but I held onto my wavering heart while feeling Ricardo’s warm presence fill my entire body.

 

***

 

I recovered my strength while listening to Ricardo tell me about everything that had happened and the process of how he found me.

 

Once the discomfort in moving had mostly disappeared, I returned to the Ebennain Estate to prepare for work the next day.

 

The Count seemed worried, or perhaps surprised.

 

He quietly watched me go up to my room without saying a word.

 

It seemed Lucian and Ricardo had handled things convincingly.

 

After returning to my room like that, I also delivered the contract to Lucian, who noticed I’d returned like a ghost, and ended the day by agreeing to schedule our next appointment later.

 

The day after ending that hectic day, I walked the familiar yet awkward path to work.

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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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