Countess Youngae’s Money-Sweeping Makeup Shop - Chapter 77

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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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77

I blinked my eyes.

Why are you coming out from there?

No, why are you only coming out now?

After being unable to speak for a while, I opened my eyes sharply.

“Why?”

At my question, Ricardo only moved his lips wordlessly, giving me no answer in return.

Come to think of it, he’s barefaced today.

His scars are well hidden too.

Who did that for him?

My heart churned.

After quietly staring at the silent Ricardo, I pulled my hand away from his weak grip.

“If you have nothing to say, I’ll go to work. You might not know, but today isn’t a holiday.”

I regretted speaking so bluntly for a moment, but what else could I do!

You’re the one who ignored my messages first, Ricardo!

With a somewhat bitter feeling, I moved my steps toward Felix.

Just before my hand could reach Felix, a hot hand grabbed my hand again.

There was a slight force in it.

When I turned my head, Ricardo was looking at me with pleading eyes.

Why- are you looking at me like that?

His pupils seemed to be shaking.

He ignored my messages, Sillia.

So I shouldn’t be swayed by this…

I put strength in my mouth and turned my head away again.

My heart ached.

I pulled my hand away again and grabbed Felix’s hand.

As I hung my head low, Felix held my hand preciously.

Soon he slowly let go of my hand and I heard a sigh.

“It’s both our faults for never having dated before, it’s our fault.”

With those words, Felix, who had let go of my hand, grabbed my shoulders to turn my body around and then pushed my back.

Unable to maintain my balance, I helplessly fell into Ricardo’s arms.

When I looked at Felix in confusion, Felix stared at us expressionlessly before finally chuckling.

“Go have a talk and come back. There aren’t any people anyway, so what’s the point of going quickly. The other kids can handle the basics.”

“No, I-“

“Please take care of the shop for a moment.”

“What?”

I looked back and forth between Felix and Ricardo.

What kind of situation is this?

As I moved my lips wordlessly, soon the fact that my body was touching Ricardo’s made my heart start going crazy too.

Why are you acting like that!

Why is the well-behaved one suddenly going crazy?

This is all because Felix threw me into a sudden situation. That’s what it is.

Is that… really it…?

I was confused because I didn’t know what I really wanted.

In that situation, Ricardo carefully took my hand and then moved his fingers to interlock them.

“Could you spare me some time?”

“Seeing as you’ve already interlocked our fingers, you don’t plan on letting go anyway, do you?”

“Ah… Well, that’s not wrong, but if Sillia really dislikes it, I’ll let go.”

“Do you have an excuse prepared for not contacting me?”

“I don’t know if it can be called an excuse.”

Ricardo’s gaze rolled to the side like a dog watching its owner’s mood, then returned to me.

Watching that sight quietly, I sighed and raised the corners of my mouth.

“Felix, I’ll be back soon. Take good care of the shop!”

“Yeah. But if possible, come back quickly. Your shop is kind of scary!”

As Felix answered loudly and headed to the shop alone, Ricardo came to my side and slowly moved his steps while interlocking our fingers again.

“I won’t go far. Let’s walk and talk for a bit.”

“Alright. …But does Ricardo find my shop scary too?”

“Hmm. It’s quite a place that men uninterested in power would find scary.”

“What power…?”

***

We passed through the bustling town and walked along the street by the river, behind the buildings near the forest.

Several building shadows stretched out, but thanks to the wide open road, it wasn’t scary.

This place felt exactly like a space cut off from the world.

The noise heard from a distance created a sense of alienation.

Following Ricardo as we walked, we arrived at a bench hidden by the building shadows.

Ricardo brushed off the bench with his hand and then laid down a handkerchief.

Even doing that, dust would still get on our clothes just the same.

Still, at his look that seemed to say sit down, I sat down without saying anything.

I watched Ricardo sit next to me without laying anything down, then looked straight ahead.

A few people crossing the large stone bridge were the only entertainment visible from here.

My hand, which had been released for a moment, was somehow intertwined with the large hand again.

What am I, some kind of comfort doll?

Phew, I exhaled slowly and leaned my back against the bench.

“So? What happened?”

“First, as soon as I received the letter, I started investigating the relationship between my brother and those two people. And I went around doing social activities.”

“Are you saying you didn’t reply because you were busy?”

“No. Being busy is just an excuse. So- I was trying to contact you after solving it and creating results. It seemed like Sillia didn’t like personal stories.”

“Personal stories…?”

“Your letters always only had work-related stories written in them.”

“I thought Ricardo was agreeing since there were no replies. I thought Ricardo had sided with that person.”

“I’m sorry. I have nothing to say as it was the result of carelessly thinking you naturally wouldn’t suspect anything.”

I glanced at Ricardo, who was speaking in a low voice with his head down, then fidgeted with my fingers.

Since it was a misunderstanding, I don’t know whether to be glad about this or blame both of us for creating each other’s misunderstandings.

After closing my eyes and organizing my thoughts, I finally smiled and gripped Ricardo’s hand tightly, then leaned my head against his solid arm.

“So what do you want to do from now on?”

“If you’ll allow it, I’d like to exchange letters about personal matters too and have various conversations.”

“That- I agree with that too. I think we haven’t talked enough.”

“And.”

“And?”

“Whenever I have even a little time, I’ll come find Sillia right away.”

“What? There’s no need to push yourself that hard?”

“No. Thinking about it, the person who said he was courting didn’t come to see the object of his courtship very much.”

At Ricardo speaking in a serious voice, I opened my eyes and lifted my head slightly to look at Ricardo.

Then Ricardo’s gaze came toward me and our eyes met.

Soon his lips, which seemed like they would awkwardly freeze, moved to form a smile.

Thump thump thump.

My memory of seeing his barefaced smile was hazy.

Perhaps because of that, my heart moved on its own with a mind of its own.

I felt my pupils shaking.

Feeling like my cheeks had gotten hot, I quickly dropped my head and turned it the other way.

“Oh, i-is that so? I see, so, um, that means-. I, I thought Ricardo did such good cover makeup today that he got it done by that person!”

“Sillia tells me to be forward, but when I actually am forward, she seems to get embarrassed. I did this myself. Just as Sillia taught me.”

“Wh-when did I ever get embarrass-ed?”

Along with a hmm sound, I felt like I could sense breath near my ear.

My heart was racing wildly, my breath caught, and my vision spun around.

Even while laughing ahaha, I couldn’t easily look toward Ricardo.

“After stealing my first kiss, what is there for you to be embarrassed about?”

“Wh-what?”

When I looked toward Ricardo in confusion, his face suddenly came close.

Soon a soft sensation touched my lips and I unconsciously squeezed my eyes shut.

Pop, when the pressure disappeared from my lips, I heard a moist sound.

When I carefully opened my eyes, golden eyes that wouldn’t die in shadows cast by buildings held me within them.

“Uh, uhh…?”

“I trust that from now on you’ll properly take responsibility and accept it.”

His tone felt playful.

I opened and closed my lips before looking at Ricardo and murmuring softly as if enchanted.

“Yes…”

***

When I returned to the shop fanning myself with my hand, the still empty shop greeted me.

Then it felt like my blood completely cooled.

I rubbed my brow at the dizzying situation in a different sense.

“It seemed like there haven’t been customers lately, but I didn’t know it would be to the extent that none come in at all.”

“This state has been maintained for three weeks now. Sigh… I thought it was good that a rival company appeared, but I completely take that back. I think we need to go check it out on a day off.”

“Originally I was planning to go check it out today myself.”

“Alone?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

“What’s wrong?”

Lucian said he didn’t know, but the possibility and this uneasy feeling kept bothering me.

No matter how much it’s just intuition, a woman’s instincts are powerful, right?

I stared intently at Ricardo who looked like he was asking what the problem was, then made a hmm sound and shook my head.

“Don’t go alone, let’s go together. My day off is in two days, so let’s go then.”

It’s better to know the reason quickly, but just in case there’s that possibility.

Ricardo nodded without a moment’s hesitation.

After getting his answer, I went to wash my hands and happened to see Ricardo and Felix talking.

“Oh…”

That’s really like a painting.

Since it’s come to this, should I make a photo spread and use it for promotion?

If I circulate it after customers return, the target demographic would expand and it would be a double event.

I closed my eyes and imagined makeup that would suit the two of them.

The creative desire hidden within me rose up.

If I prepare clothes together with Berinea too- ah, this is it.

I grinned and approached the two of them, grabbing both their hands with mine.

“You two, any thoughts about trying modeling?”

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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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