Countess Youngae’s Money-Sweeping Makeup Shop - Chapter 83

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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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83

I quickly turned my head to look in the direction where the voice was coming from.

There, the girl who had helped me return to the human world before—no, the spirit—was selling herbs.

Right, this area was where she was located!

Maybe I could solve this mystery?

“Ricardo, let’s stop by there for a moment.”

“You don’t seem to be feeling well, wouldn’t it be better to go straight home?”

“The physician said earlier that I’m perfectly healthy!”

“He also said you were experiencing fatigue.”

“Oh come on, are you going to be that strict about it? This won’t do. Ricardo, you stay here. I’m going!”

“Sillia.”

After speaking curtly and walking toward where the spirit was, I heard a worried voice from behind.

Still, he didn’t try to stop me.

Eventually, when some distance formed between us, Ricardo followed and walked alongside me.

When we arrived in front of the store, the girl sent off a customer and then looked at me with a faint smile I hadn’t seen before.

“It’s been a while, miss. You returned safely.”

“This child is…?”

“She’s the one who helped me return from the Spirit World. Oh, and she’s also the owner of our business partner who produces our ointments!”

“I know about the latter. The former… Then this person isn’t human either?”

The girl looked at Ricardo intently, then placed one hand near her heart and bowed her head before raising it again.

“Let me introduce myself again. I’m El, a life spirit.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Ricardo greeted her properly, following El’s formal introduction.

More importantly, a life spirit.

The life spirit I saw in the Spirit World back then also seemed gentle like El, yet indifferent to everything.

Do all life spirits have this kind of personality?

“You didn’t just come to say thanks, did you?”

“Gasp, can you read minds…?”

“Nothing like that. You just seemed very curious about something.”

“Is it that obvious?”

El didn’t answer.

Was it because I was staring too much?

I thought I was pretty good at hiding my emotions.

Her gray eyes looked back and forth between me and Ricardo, then she opened the store door.

“Shall we go inside and talk for a bit? It’s a bit awkward to chat outside.”

I looked at Ricardo.

As if noticing my gaze, Ricardo turned his head toward me.

We exchanged glances and entered the store.

The inside of the store was ordinary.

Various herbs and empty bottles stacked on wooden furniture.

I thought this was what an apothecary would feel like.

El seated us in chairs and moved around busily, then poured tea into wooden cups and handed them to us.

“What are you curious about?”

“Do you happen to know anything about dark magic?”

Ricardo flinched, perhaps not expecting the topic of ‘dark magic’ to come up.

I was so focused on thinking it was dangerous that I unconsciously didn’t tell Ricardo about this possibility.

I deliberately ignored the sweat trickling down and fixed my gaze on El.

Then El peacefully sipped her tea and closed her eyes.

“I know dark magic well. It’s my natural enemy.”

“Then can you also tell if something has dark magic cast on it?”

“It’s not difficult. I can tell just by looking.”

Just by looking.

I took out the handkerchief I had used to wipe the eyeshadow and handed it to El.

As soon as El saw the handkerchief, she frowned.

Then, as if she didn’t want to touch it, she used a wooden stick lying nearby to lift it up.

“I wondered why I was getting a bad feeling, it was coming from here. Miss, are you researching dark magic or something?”

“That’s the handkerchief I used when wiping off eyeshadow. I brought it wondering if dark magic might have been used. I wasn’t certain.”

“I can guarantee this. Dark magic was definitely used. I’d need to study it to know the exact details, but what I can sense is brainwashing magic.”

“Brainwashing magic?”

“I don’t know exactly what kind of brainwashing it is. I don’t know the activation method either.”

“Then what about a method to break the brainwashing? Is there a way?”

“A method… The best would be for Phil to come and devour the brainwashing. But I doubt that person who finds even coming to the human world bothersome would come.”

“By ‘Phil,’ you mean the life spirit in the Spirit World?”

“Yes. Since dark magic ultimately devours life, the great spirit Phil can resolve it.”

Should I offer a ritual to Phil to get my customers back?

But when I saw him last time, he seemed to find everything bothersome.

I wonder if he’d even accept a ritual.

He’d probably say something like ‘I don’t want to see rituals either, too bothersome~’ out of annoyance.

While I was seriously thinking about various things with my brow furrowed, Ricardo put down his cup and looked at El.

“Isn’t there another way? If this great spirit called ‘Phil’ doesn’t come, the entire Empire could be devoured by dark magic.”

“There is another way. You can put a spirit’s power into your body while having magical power. If you can endure it mentally, it’s possible to handle multiple people.”

“Is that possible? Spirits can’t have magical power.”

“It’s not that we can’t. It’s difficult. Because it’s incredibly painful. Miss, you learned how to use spirit power from Roo, right?”

“Yes, I learned it.”

“Wasn’t it hard then?”

“It was… difficult, wasn’t it?”

“It’s more painful than that. That’s why there’s talk that we can’t have it. If you keep your mind straight, you can do it too, miss. However…”

“However…?”

“It doesn’t create resistance, so you might get brainwashed again.”

“We need to pull it out by the roots.”

“Yes.”

“How about if El goes to the imperial palace and speaks directly? If it’s dark magic, they won’t be able to avoid punishment.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Why…?”

“Because there’s nothing good about revealing I’m a spirit. Spirits are good keys and experimental subjects.”

Ricardo fell silent at those words.

That means if I’m discovered, I might receive the same treatment.

Then how should I prove it?

El looked at me intently and tilted her head.

“Miss.”

“Yes?”

“Did you give this cosmetic to Lucian?”

“Yes. To confirm if it was dark magic…”

“Then wait a little. A clue will be found soon. There’s an eccentric child in the tower.”

“Eccentric?”

“An eccentric who tries to find dark magic by any means necessary.”

Then what I need to do is break the brainwashing.

I should probably handle multiple people at once if possible.

If I do it one by one, there will definitely be no progress.

I closed my eyes and thought carefully.

To avoid having my identity discovered, I need to do this secretly.

For that, it would be best to do it inside a building if possible.

And it should be a place with many noble young ladies.

I need to grasp the situation immediately.

Honestly, there’s only one place!

“That purification thing, is it possible to do it inside a building where various magics are mixed together?”

“It’s possible if you can endure it mentally. Since it’s treated as one type of magic, there won’t be any rejection. …You’ll definitely have trouble enduring it alone, Miss.”

“Then couldn’t El do it for me?”

“Spirits don’t have space to contain magical power. Conversely, humans who can use magic don’t have space to contain a spirit’s power.”

“…Are you saying only Sillia can do it?”

“Yes.”

Ugh, there’s nowhere to escape!

This makes it feel like the Empire’s fate really depends on me, and it’s incredibly burdensome.

As I broke out in a cold sweat, El extended her hand to me.

I blinked and placed my hand on top of hers.

Whoosh—.

White light emanated from our overlapping hands, and I felt something entering through my hand.

My body gradually felt lighter.

Soon the light disappeared and El’s hand fell away from mine.

“How do you feel?”

“Somehow, refreshed.”

“When it comes to healing, I’m confident since I’m a life spirit. I can heal physical damage to some extent.”

I repeatedly clenched and unclenched my fist, then looked up at El upon hearing her words.

Does that mean she can help me continue using my power as long as I stay mentally focused?

Seeing the possibility, my heart began to race.

“At a recoverable speed, that is.”

“So I need to prepare my mental strength and a body that can endure it?”

“That’s right.”

El got up from her seat and opened a drawer, searching for something.

Then she took out a glass bottle containing several white spheres and approached me.

“The human body’s strength is adaptation. Maximum two pills per day. This will restore your body to its original state.”

I received the glass bottle she handed me and held it preciously with both hands.

“But remember this. A severely damaged body won’t recover immediately. Do your training with Lucian’s magical power.”

“…Won’t my magical power work?”

“Lucian is the one who made a contract with the Great Spirit. Lucian’s magical power causes the least damage.”

Ricardo fell silent at El’s words.

Soon he turned his gaze away, and seeing this, El looked back at me.

“Contact me when you’re ready. I’ll come help you.”

“Understood. …Um, this is a random question.”

“Yes?”

“Is there a reason you’re helping me like this?”

“Well, if the shop fails, I can’t make money either. You’re my supplier, Miss.”

“Ah.”

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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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