TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 153
Today, the Young Lady’s room was peaceful as always.
“Eeeek..!”
Sitting on the bed, the Young Lady was being brushed while enjoying the cool breeze.
As the tangled hair unraveled under the slow strokes of the brush, the Young Lady frowned and let out a strange noise.
“Eeeek!”
“Anyone watching might think I’m committing Noble Abuse.”
“Exactly!”
“That’s not true.”
The Young Lady’s hair, which had a slight wave to it, was persistently fluffy and difficult to manage.
Should I call it a Noble’s passive trait? Without a Butler, the Young Lady’s hair would always puff up messily, constantly requiring the Butler’s touch.
“Eeeek! Don’t pull!”
“I’m not pulling; it’s your hair that’s following the brush.”
“Eeeek!”
The Young Lady’s head kept being tugged along with the brushing.
Watching her head move back and forth, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“No… I told you not to move!”
“But Ricardo, you’re the one pulling, so I have to move!”
“That’s why I told you to sit still and hold your posture.”
“I don’t want to! It’s bothersome!”
As I endlessly brushed the Young Lady’s hair, which was as soft as a puppy’s fur, a sudden thought struck me—I wanted to play with her hair.
I was bored.
And it seemed like it would be fun.
Though I had no intention of asking for her consent, I decided to inquire out of courtesy while I began braiding her hair strand by strand.
“Why did you stop?”
The Young Lady, who turned her head at the sudden pause in brushing, looked ready to assert her Noble privilege with a Sullen Expression, but I responded with a Small Smile.
“Young Lady.”
“Yes?”
“How about I create an Art Piece with your hair today?”
“Like a barbarian?”
“No. Not a Chicken Comb hairstyle, but something a little more elegant and refined.”
“Hmm.”
The Young Lady pursed her lips and fell into thought. Having always worn her Long Hair as it was, she wasn’t accustomed to trying new things.
During her days as Desmond’s Villainess, she had tried elaborate hairstyles surrounded by many Servants, but she had never experienced hairstyles commoners wore. With an Intriguing Smile, she nodded, seemingly excited by the idea.
But.
The Young Lady also disliked anything she found bothersome.
Staring out the Window, she spoke in a blunt Voice.
“There’s no one to see it anyway, so why bother?”
As I smoothed down the Young Lady’s hair, which she was whining about with Whiny Complaints, I spoke in a soft Voice.
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Who?”
With a smile, I pointed to the most handsome face in the world.
“Me.”
“…Not funny.”
“Sometimes, a change in hairstyle can be refreshing, don’t you think?”
At my persuasion, the Young Lady slowly nodded. It seemed she found the suggestion interesting upon reflection.
Watching the Young Lady quietly sit and offer her hair to me, I smiled at her Back Figure.
With a soft rustle, I began braiding her hair to the side. The Young Lady entrusted her hair to me without a word.
And then, she added her own Hopeful request.
“Make it pretty.”
“Of course.”
“Not like the Pineapple Hair you did when I was little.”
“…”
At her sharp remark, recalling the prank I played in her childhood, a Chuckle escaped me.
“Understood.”
As the breeze from Outside the Window blew in, I worked on her hair. Though the wind-blown strands tickled my face, I decided not to close the Window, seeing the Young Lady savoring the breeze with her mouth slightly open.
The weather was lovely today.
Though it was late winter, the unexpectedly warm breeze lifted our spirits.
After the Clock’s small hand moved twice.
A small hand mirror was held up in front of the Young Lady, who had been dozing off with her head nodding from drowsiness.
“Hmm… Huh!”
The Young Lady, seeing her sleepy reflection, wiped the drool from her mouth with her Sleeve and shook her head.
“Don’t shake too much. You’ll ruin your hair.”
“Huh?”
“Ta-da…!”
Finally, the Young Lady saw her hair.
Taking the offered Hand Mirror, the Young Lady let out a small exclamation of “Wow” as she examined her transformed hair.
“It took a while since I’m not used to it, but what do you think?”
“Wow…”
“I was tempted to do Pineapple Hair midway, but I managed to resist.”
The Young Lady widened her eyes as she looked at her side hair in the mirror, marveling at the neatly braided style. Her cautious head movements brought a smile to my face.
“Amazing. It’s so pretty.”
“Is it?”
“Yes.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
With her Long Hair lightly wrapped into a side braid and her hair cascading below, the Young Lady’s hairstyle resembled that of an Elf from a fantasy novel.
It wasn’t a childish style like Tomboy Pippi’s, but an elegant Noble look that made the Young Lady exclaim in admiration. She turned to check herself in the Full-Body Mirror I had prepared in advance.
‘I had a feeling this would happen, so I prepared a large mirror. Good call.’
“It’s really beautiful.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Yep.”
Seeing the Young Lady checking her back hair in the Full-Body Mirror with the Hand Mirror, I felt a sense of accomplishment.
It was something I had always wanted to try, and I was glad she liked it.
Though it was a pity she was wearing her Beloved Pajamas, which were tattered and worn, this natural look suited her well.
After staring at her hair for a while, the Young Lady turned to me with a delighted Smile.
“Am I pretty?”
“Yes.”
“How pretty?”
“The most beautiful in the world.”
“This much!?”
“No.”
Drawing a circle larger than the one she gestured, I said.
“This much.”
“Hehe…!”
“Why are you laughing?”
“Just because. I’m happy.”
The Young Lady, giggling shyly, hid her blushing face under the Blanket, shaking her head side to side.
Then, with a Chuckle, she playfully declared, “I know I’m pretty,” in a Villainess-like, brazen manner, making me burst into laughter.
After laughing for a while, the Young Lady grabbed my Sleeve and pulled me toward the Bed.
“Ricardo, come here too!”
“Me?”
“Yes! I’ll make you look pretty!”
“No. There’s no need for that. I’m already handsome without doing anything.”
“Eeeek! Come here!”
“I refuse.”
“Why!”
“Because I’m afraid of entrusting my hair to the destructive hands of the Young Lady.”
“Eeeek!”
Surprised by my honest and straightforward answer, the Young Lady let out a snort and strongly denied it.
“No way! I’m really good with my hands, you know.”
“Do you not remember the time you folded a Paper Crane into a Medusa?”
“I don’t remember.”
“…”
As if such an insult was trivial to her, the Villainess began pulling at my sleeve.
Faced with the Young Lady’s stubbornness, which seemed like she’d sulk all day if I didn’t comply, I reluctantly followed her hand’s lead.
-Softly…
The Young Lady, staring at me intently, couldn’t hide the twitching corners of her lips as she let her imagination run wild.
She seemed to be planning how to ruin my hair.
Letting down the hair I had tied up to one side, I leaned my head toward the Young Lady.
“Please handle it with care.”
“Hehehehe… Okay.”
“Please don’t laugh.”
“I wasn’t laughing.”
Seeing the Young Lady’s serious expression as she focused on her “Art,” I let out a hollow laugh and closed my eyes.
With a soft rustle, the Young Lady’s gentle touch on my hair brought a sense of calm, and I began imagining what kind of “Masterpiece” she might create.
A Chicken Comb.
A topknot.
Slicked-back hair?
It was impossible to predict what kind of masterpiece the talentless Young Lady would produce.
I figured it was better not to expect much for the sake of my mental health. If it turned out less disastrous than expected, I’d feel pleasantly surprised.
Watching the Young Lady bite her lower lip in concentration, I stifled a laugh.
Just as drowsiness began to overtake me, and my eyes started to close…
“Done!”
At the Young Lady’s triumphant declaration, I shook off my sleepiness and looked at her.
“How is it?”
Holding up a Hand Mirror, the Young Lady’s eyes sparkled with Anticipation as she showed off her work like a rookie artist unveiling their first masterpiece. Holding back the laughter threatening to burst, I slowly lifted my head.
And then.
“What is this!”
I burst into laughter at the bizarre creation—a Ponytail sticking straight up toward the sky.
“Why!”
The Young Lady shouted, defending her masterpiece. Her absurd argument, claiming the hairstyle she’d made with a Rubber Band was cute, made me laugh even harder. Pointing at the ridiculous Ponytail jutting out from my head, I responded with a flushed face.
“What is this! I’m not a 10-year-old Kid!”
“It’s pretty! It’s cute!”
“Do you know how old I am? It looks ridiculous on me!”
“Eeeek! Look closely!”
The Young Lady held out the Hand Mirror.
“Isn’t it pretty?”
“No. I look like an alien with antennas.”
“No, you don’t!”
After passionately defending her creation, the Young Lady suddenly let out a candid “Pfft” and started laughing.
“Pfft!”
“Are you laughing?”
“Pffft! Hahaha!”
“Ah, you laughed.”
“Kyaaa, hahaha… Hehehehe!”
“I said don’t laugh!”
“Antenna Ricardo…! Hahaha, it’s too funny!”
“No… Sigh.”
Unable to resist each other’s ridiculousness, we both burst into laughter, and we couldn’t stop chuckling even as we sat down for dinner.
“Antenna.”
“Stop laughing!”