Chapter 90: Beauty and Business

I immediately started developing new clothes.

The existing dresses were too cumbersome and heavy.

It was an inevitable result of preferring flashy and voluminous styles.

As for everyday wear being pretty and comfortable? Absolutely not.

Usually, people wore something like slightly yellowish pajamas around the house, and only dressed up when going out.

Naturally, that was incredibly bothersome.

When would you even have the time?

I wanted to create clothes that were much simpler and more stylish.

Enough to wear to formal occasions without looking out of place.

A dress with a jacket would be nice.

What you’d call wedding guest fashion, perhaps?

In truth, it wouldn’t be truly comfortable.

Nothing could beat something like baggy pants.

But it’ll be way better than those ridiculously heavy dresses.

I sat Martin down and gave him various instructions.

As I explained while drawing sketches, he nodded quickly.

“I think I get the vibe.”

“How long will it take?”

“Give me about two days, and it’ll be plenty.”

“I’ll need several pieces. In various colors, since I’ll be sending them.”

“Don’t worry about a thing.”

Martin wore a confident expression.

Well, the dress was a bit different, but the rest wasn’t much of a change from what he’d been doing.

He’d made countless men’s jackets, after all.

“Take care, then.”

“Thank you for your concern, Your Grace.”

I left so Martin could focus on his work.

Then I headed straight to the Midias shopping district.

Even though it was getting dark, the place was incredibly crowded.

It felt like all the off-duty workers had flocked here.

“I should make something like street lamps.”

Torches were hung here and there, but it was still pitch dark.

I felt uneasy, like an accident might happen.

Better prepare in advance.

Since I was on my way to see Vargas anyway, the timing was perfect.

A sorcerer from Nermeia was basically a mage, right?

He should be able to make magical lanterns easily.

But I must have had too high expectations.

“Huh? I can’t do that. We’re potion specialists.”

“Then what can you do?”

“Uh……. Attack magic?”

“Come on!”

I couldn’t bring myself to call him useless.

He’d done too much for me already.

“Forget the lanterns, then. What about the beauty salon?”

“Steward Wilkins already built a place in advance. We’re planning to remodel that one—how does it look?”

“Nice location. Close enough to the city.”

“We deliberately put some distance from the Midias shopping district. Figured it’d be good next to the suit store.”

Look at this guy.

He’s got some real sense.

In fact, both the suit store and beauty salon were spaces for nobles.

The privileged class wanted to be treated specially.

They wouldn’t want to set foot in the bustling Midias shopping district.

Especially since the beauty salon required coming in person, it needed a more upscale feel.

“Then, can you make glass?”

“Of course. If I couldn’t even do that, could I call myself a mage?”

He couldn’t make something as basic as a magical lantern, yet his mouth was still running.

Anyway, it was great news.

To make it a place everyone wanted to visit, we had to show off how luxurious and nice the interior was.

Plus, it would satisfy the vanity of the salon’s users.

“I’m going to fill this entire front with glass. Can you do it?”

“All of this?”

“Yeah. Not just any—it has to be sturdy too.”

“It’s not difficult, but it’ll cost a pretty penny.”

“That’s fine. It’ll be worth the price.”

In this world, glass was something only mages could make.

And with reinforcement magic, it’d require considerable funds.

But it didn’t matter.

The beauty salon’s clients would happily fork over fortunes anyway.

“We’ll need stylists, but hiring barbers probably isn’t right?”

“Just pick people with good skills, right?”

“The main customers are noble ladies, so we need to differentiate.”

Even in this fantasy world, it was basically medieval.

People here were bound to be very conservative.

A male barber handling a noble lady’s hair?

Ugh! That’d cause a scandal. A huge one.

Like female knights guarding noble ladies, we needed women’s touch here.

And we couldn’t entrust it to just anyone.

With their massive vanity, would they accept service from commoners?

Like how imperial maids were from noble families, we needed at least daughters of quasi-barons or knights.

“This, I can ask Steward Xavier about.”

Lately, Miller Xavier was fired up about recruiting talent.

The Carius Duchy and Midias operations had grown so much that we were short-handed.

But then, a loud noise suddenly erupted.

“Wait a second!”

“Ah, seriously. Please stop popping out like that. You’re startling people.”

“Protecting VIPs! That’s my primary duty.”

“But you’re always absent when actually needed.”

“Ahem! Who could’ve known something would happen while I was away briefly?”

“Oh, really?”

The man who emerged from the shadows was none other than Cordell McNeil.

I’d complained about startling people, but actually, no one was around.

The beauty salon remodeling was just starting.

Anyway, what was this guy yelling about now?

“But why shout ‘wait a second’?”

“Ah, about hiring people. I think I’d be good at that.”

“Huh?”

“Weren’t you looking for daughters of quasi-barons or knights?”

How did he know that when I hadn’t even said it out loud?

I stared at him incredulously, and Cordell smiled meaningfully.

“I’ve got an incredible intuition when it comes to ladies.”

“Ah! Is that so?”

“Of course. Unlike a certain someone who’s never dated, I’m qualitatively different…….”

Snap.

I heard something breaking in my head.

It felt like my patience had snapped mercilessly.

Sensing the danger, Cordell McNeil quickly backed away.

This guy’s annoyingly perceptive.

I was pondering whether to crack his skull with the communication rod.

“Uh? That wasn’t aimed at Your Grace.”

“Who said it was?”

“But why did I feel killing intent for a second?”

“Must be your imagination. Come over here so we can continue the conversation.”

“No thanks. I’ll talk from here.”

There had been a slight hesitation earlier.

Wondering if I could really hit him.

But now, it was firm.

I needed to smack him once to relieve the anger surging to my chest.

“No more talk—just die!”

“Aaaah!”

Tat-tat-tat-tat!

I drew the communication rod and swung it, and Cordell McNeil bolted like mad.

Of course, with his footwork, he couldn’t escape me.

The distance closed in an instant.

But right at that moment.

“Ten by tomorrow!”

“Hm?”

“I’ll bring in neat-looking ones with dexterous hands.”

“Is that really possible?”

“Of course.”

The faster we got people, the better.

We hadn’t even started remodeling yet—what was the rush?

Obviously, there was plenty else to prepare.

You couldn’t just tell them to cut hair and expect styles to emerge.

They needed training from experts, and good tools too.

“Fine. I’ll let it slide this once.”

“Really?”

“But make sure they’re reliable.”

“Ah, I guarantee it. You won’t be disappointed.”

Cordell McNeil thumped his chest boldly.

Then he leaned in slyly and whispered.

“But who’s in charge of the beauty salon?”

“Haven’t decided yet.”

“What if I took it?”

“……”

Instead of answering, I just stared at him silently.

Cordell tilted his head.

He seemed confused why I’d suddenly stopped talking.

Why cut off mid-conversation?

Because I’d figured out this guy’s scheme.

“Why? Is there a woman among them you’re secretly meeting, Sir McNeil?”

“Gasp! H-How did you know?”

“Ugh! This guy, really!”

Smack!

In the end, I broke my promise and whacked Cordell McNeil’s skull.

Preparations for the beauty salon’s opening were progressing smoothly.

Vargas was making the full-glass front, and Steward Wilkins handled the overall decorations.

He’d designed most of the Midias shopping district, so I trusted him with this too.

In the meantime, I visited the tool workshop.

“Long time no see.”

“Ah, you’re here, Your Grace.”

“Huh? Why aren’t you in dwarf form?”

Theo looked like an ordinary person at first glance.

But his handsome face and pointed ears were definitely off.

“An elf this time?”

“There’s no host nearby, right? So I can’t maintain the same form for long.”

“So you’re cycling through past transformations.”

“Yep.”

“Not inconvenient?”

“My apprentices don’t mind much. They already know I’m a doppelganger.”

“They should be scared of a monster.”

“But since Your Grace approved me, they just accepted it. Their loyalty is no joke.”

“Man.”

I scratched the back of my head with an awkward expression.

I hadn’t expected to hear subtle praise from this guy too.

It meant I’d lived well so far, right?

“Anyway, how are the new guys?”

“They’re incredibly creative? They’ve already made things like this.”

Theo showed me a gold seashell-shaped metal piece.

At first, I had no idea what it was.

But seeing the candles nearby, I realized instantly.

“An automatic candle snuffer?”

“Exactly! Your insight is impressive.”

“And this?”

“A cheese cutter. Just lift and lower the handle, and it cuts into squares. Makes dividing cake easy too.”

They were simple but incredibly interesting items.

Likely to be used in daily life as much as the tools I’d designed.

“These can go straight to market.”

“Understood. But, Your Grace?”

“Hm?”

“Apparently, shoddy knockoffs are circulating in the market.”

“Ah, it’s about that time here too.”

Tailors imitating my style had already appeared.

So we’d started marking products from the Midias clothing store with a unique emblem.

To differentiate, using the universal dye.

It wouldn’t fade unless the clothes were severely damaged.

The tool workshop needed similar branding.

“From now on, engrave marks like this on products. You can do it, right?”

I drew a design without hesitation.

Similar to the Carius ducal seal, but much simplified.

And I added Theo’s initial, T.

“No, this is…….”

“It means it’s your product.”

Theo looked at me with wavering eyes.

He’d been oppressed by Adam’s authority, always eyeing escape.

But at some point, he’d adapted and become an excellent employee.

How could I not favor him?

“Think of it as proper compensation. I’ll give you an extra 1% of the tool workshop’s net profits, so work even harder.”

“Sniff! Your Grace!”

“But don’t cry. You’ll get snot on me.”

“Gulp!”

Theo sobbing like a child.

But right at that moment.

“Doppelganger tears? This is rare!”

Vargas suddenly burst into the tool workshop and held a glass vial under Theo’s face.

It was a truly touching scene, and this idiot had to ruin it?

Why does it feel like none of my subordinates are normal?

Sigh, the sane one like me has to endure.