TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 53
Today as well, the quiet Young Lady’s Room.
3 o’clock in the afternoon, with warm sunlight streaming through the window.
Normally, the Young Lady would be taking a nap at this time, but ever since Bar Teacher’s home visit, she had bid goodbye to naps and was sitting in a chair for the first time in a while.
The Young Lady glanced around like a Cat.
She was wary that another Bar Teacher might visit to educate the Young Lady, who was rumored to be a hub of reactions.
Wrapped up snugly in a blanket, the Young Lady, seated in front of the table, was reacting sensitively to even the smallest movements.
Flinch, at the sound of rustling.
Hide her head under the blanket, at the sound of scuffling.
Upon seeing the shadow of a tree swaying in the wind, she would call out “Hiiiik” in fright.
Wrapped up like a Gimbap in her blanket, the Young Lady pointed her finger at a black button lying on the floor and said.
“Ricardo, look over there….”
“Yes?”
“That… isn’t that a Cockroach?”
I bent down and picked up the black button.
“Oh…”
The Young Lady peeked out from her blanket. Seeing her frightened face made me want to tease her a little.
I stood still and stared at the button.
I needed a way to tease her without lying. If my prank was too clumsy, the Young Lady would surely catch on.
After observing carefully and coming up with a good idea, I suppressed a laugh and said to the Young Lady.
“Something rather large just fell.”
“Large…?”
“Yes, I wonder where something like this came from… Oh dear…”
Shaking my head and clutching the button tightly in my hand, the sharp sound of “Crack!” echoed through the room. The Young Lady let out a strange noise and pulled the blanket over her head.
“Hiiiik… Hwaaah!!”
Feigning a gesture of handing something over, I startled the Young Lady. Maintaining a nonchalant expression, I opened my hand to reveal the broken pieces of the button.
“It’s just a button that fell.”
The Young Lady glared at me.
“Don’t joke around.”
“It’s not a joke though…”
“Liar.”
The Young Lady pouted with a sullen expression, glaring at me with a piercing gaze.
Just as the corners of my mouth were about to lift at her cute expression, the increasingly perceptive Young Lady warned me, “Don’t laugh,” before continuing.
“From now on, any word starting with ‘Bar’ is banned.”
“Barquie.”
“Eeeek!!!”
The Young Lady threw a fork from the table.
*
Today was the day to make Bath Bombs.
Together with the Young Lady, who had given up her nap, it was a rare day to engage in something creative.
On the desk were the ingredients for making Bath Bombs and one thick book laid open.
[Anyone Can Make Bath Bombs!]
The book was filled with detailed instructions and illustrations on how to make Bath Bombs.
Frowning and reading the instructions, the Young Lady and I scratched our heads at the unexpectedly challenging content.
“Uh… One spoon of citric acid, five spoons of food coloring?”
“No, it’s one spoon.”
“Oh, right.”
The Young Lady and I carefully added the ingredients to the prepared beaker, concentrating as if we were cosmetics researchers.
To prevent any possible accidents, we wore white lab coats and protective goggles, adding to the atmosphere, though our clumsy actions betrayed our inexperience.
The desk was cluttered with various items.
Powder to serve as the main ingredient for the Bath Bombs and beakers.
Scents to add to the Bath Bombs and molds for shaping them.
Though it might be amateurish for beginners, the setup was sufficient to soothe the wounded heart of the Young Lady, hurt by Bar Teacher’s appearance.
When we saw the test batch of completed Bath Bombs, the Young Lady’s eyes widened.
[Apple-Scented Bath Bomb]
“Oh…!”
It seemed to have turned out better than expected.
From the color to the perfectly round shape, it was quite an impressive creation for beginners.
“Is it finished?”
“Yes, I made it according to the book for now…”
“Hooo!”
The Young Lady grabbed a new beaker and exhaled deeply, a clear sign of her surging creative energy.
Smiling faintly, I said to the Young Lady.
“Let’s each make our own now.”
-Nod nod.
“It’s my first time making one, so it might turn out a bit clumsy…”
Before I could finish speaking, the Young Lady tossed aside the blanket and started adding ingredients to the beaker.
Grabbing whatever was within reach, she tossed it in with a grin that made her look like a crazy alchemist.
“Hehe… My very own Bath Bomb.”
One hour later.
Smoke was rising from the Young Lady’s beaker.
Black Smoke billowed from the beaker.
Bubbles were frothing up, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding about what had been created.
Even after rubbing my eyes and looking again, nothing about the beaker changed.
The Young Lady had thrown all sorts of things into the beaker.
Pulling out chocolate from her Treasure Pouch, she dunked it in with a Satisfied Smile, then squeezed toothpaste into the mix and nodded in satisfaction.
Looking like a witch concocting poison, I asked the Young Lady.
“Is this poison?”
Zap. The Young Lady glared at me with sharp eyes.
“It’s not poison.”
“Anyone would think it’s poison.”
Shaking her head, the Young Lady replied.
“It’s a Vanilla Ginseng Mint Chocolate Bath Bomb.”
“Pardon…?”
“It tastes like toothpaste. So, it’s Mint Chocolate.”
“Why did you add Ginseng?”
“It’s healthy.”
The Young Lady was creating something incomprehensible. Mixing chocolate and toothpaste was one thing, but adding Ginseng… that was something else. Maybe it was actually a good idea.
Oddly, the sight of the Young Lady proudly puffing out her chest gave me a strange sense of trust. Like how bathing in Green Tea is good for your skin, perhaps this might have some beneficial effect.
On second thought, the Young Lady might be right. Masterpieces are often born from mistakes.
The Young Lady, with a proud expression, handed me the beaker.
“You use this, Ricardo.”
“…I’ll pass.”
“Why?”
I politely declined.
No matter how impressive the invention seemed, its safety had yet to be proven. Using it for a bath might lead to skin decay rather than improved health.
With a regretful expression, the Young Lady bid farewell to her second Bath Bomb and began crafting another one.
I needed to make one too…
Staring at the empty beaker, I got lost in thought.
Watching the Young Lady pour her artistic soul into her work, I hadn’t managed to make anything yet. Tapping my fingers on the table, I pondered.
What should I make?
Should I make a Rose-scented Bath Bomb with Rose Concentrate, or a Bath Bomb with Chocolate, which the Young Lady likes?
Driven by a surge of creative desire, I began pouring ingredients into the small beaker.
Adding just one ingredient seemed insufficient.
I added Ginseng.
I added Deer Antler Velvet.
I added Potion.
As I recklessly threw things in, I ended up creating a poison with a purplish hue.
The Young Lady let out a Deep Sigh as she looked at the Bath Bomb I made.
“Ricardo, if you eat that, you’ll die.”
“It’s not for eating.”
“…Still, you’d die.”
The Young Lady was blunt.
I sprinkled Shimmering Powder over the Bath Bomb and smiled. I gave my best smile, as though asking if it didn’t look pretty now, but to the expert eyes of the Young Lady, whether it was the Mint Chocolate that resembled dung or the shimmering poison, it all seemed the same.
In the past, she used to like things just because they were pretty…
While I admired the growth of the Young Lady, I also felt a hint of regret.
It didn’t take long to create a decent-looking Bath Bomb.
Perhaps it took about three hours. Though not perfectly hardened, the Bath Bombs were complete enough to use and lined up neatly on the table.
The radiant appearance of the Healing Bath Bombs, made with Rose, Chocolate, and medicinal ingredients, brought a satisfied smile to my face.
After meeting Mikhail, I had been in a bad mood, but engaging in creativity for the first time in a while seemed to lift my spirits.
“Oh…!”
The Young Lady rested her chin on the table, waiting intently for the Bath Bombs to harden. Watching her point with her finger and repeatedly ask when it would be ready made me chuckle softly.
It was a peaceful moment.
So peaceful and cozy that it made me forget about what had happened a week ago.
Feeling a somewhat sentimental thought that choosing the life of a Butler had been a good decision, I gave the Young Lady a Small Smile and said.
“Young Lady.”
“Yes?”
“Would you like to take a bath?”
Hesitation.
The Young Lady stopped touching the warm, hardening Bath Bombs and looked at me. With excited eyes, she seemed ready to throw off her clothes at any moment.
“A bath?”
“Yes.”
“A bath…?”
The Young Lady nodded enthusiastically.
“I want to.”
Before heading to the Estate’s Bathhouse, the Young Lady gestured for me to come closer. She looked as though she was about to share a Secret.
As she whispered mischievously, I leaned in closer to her.
When I brought my face near, the Young Lady began patting my head. Stroking my Red Tousled Hair like a Puppy, she smiled.
It felt as though she was telling me not to worry, but the next moment, she plucked out a handful of my hair with a sharp tug.
An awkward silence followed.
The Young Lady, looking at the amount she had pulled out in surprise, and my expression of Betrayal met each other.
“Huh…?”
The Young Lady awkwardly stared at the hair in her hand and smiled.
With a Bright Smile, she said, “Hehe!” making me laugh unconsciously.
“Why are you pulling out someone’s hair? It hurts…”
“Does it hurt?”
Seeing the Young Lady react so strongly to the word “hurt,” I quickly shook my head, denying it. It seemed even the word “hurt” shouldn’t be uttered carelessly.
The Young Lady blew softly on the hand wrapped in Bandages.
“That’s not the part that hurts though.”
“I just felt like doing it.”
“Oh…”
Surprisingly, I didn’t mind.
The Young Lady placed the plucked Hair into a new beaker. Adding powder, she began crafting a new Bath Bomb.
Smiling with pride, the Young Lady said.
“This is a Ricardo Scent Bath Bomb.”
“…No… Ha!”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.
A Ricardo Scent Bath Bomb? I wondered if she’d even use it. Seeing her innocent attempt at making a Bath Bomb with just a few strands of hair, I plucked out a strand of the Young Lady’s Hair.
Grasping three long strands of hair in my hand, the Young Lady teared up and rubbed her sore scalp.
“It hurts.”
“I plucked it out to make it hurt.”
Clenching her Fist, the Young Lady grabbed a Stick and prepared to throw it at me. I dodged the Stick and added the Young Lady’s Hair into the beaker labeled as the Ricardo Scent Bath Bomb.
“This one is the Young Lady’s Bath Bomb.”
“Oh…!”
The Young Lady picked up the beaker and beamed brightly.
It seemed she liked it.
I wished things could always stay this way…
Looking into the Empty Space, I murmured softly.
“Ha…”
-A Quest has appeared.
[Save Yuria.]
The situation wasn’t on my side.