"What?"
Ghislain replied, pretending not to know as he gave her a playful smile.
Belinda patted her chest in frustration.
"That! Give me cosmetics! And lots of it, please. It's time to take my skincare seriously."
"Didn't you say you didn't need it?"
"What are you talking about? I volunteered! It's just that those fools blocked me from getting it. Oh, ho ho, our young master really is capable of anything, isn't he?"
Belinda responded shamelessly.
Ghislain chuckled, picking up a few of the cosmetics piled nearby and tossing them to her. He had prepared plenty with the intention of testing them on multiple people anyway.
"Eek! Thank you!"
Hugging the cosmetics to her chest with a broad smile, she quickly left.
Following her, Kaor and the mercenaries stepped forward boldly.
"Could you give us some, too?"
"Aren't men not supposed to use this sort of thing? Besides, you guys never cared about appearance."
Most mercenaries, with a few exceptions, didn't pay much attention to personal grooming.
No matter how much they took care of themselves, a rugged guy would just become a well-groomed rugged guy.
Kaor, seemingly annoyed by being lumped into the same category, nudged a mercenary beside him.
"…It's to give someone."
"What?"
"I want to give it to a woman as a gift. To win her over."
"…I appreciate your honesty."
At their earnest desire, Ghislain shook his head with a smirk.
"Take what you need, and share it with the other mercenaries. But make sure they report back if there are any side effects."
"Yes, sir!"
Ghislain handed them a few boxes of samples.
The mercenaries cheered and hurried off with the cosmetics.
"Wendy, distribute some to the other servants in the castle. Make sure they report their results."
"Yes, my lord."
Ghislain handed several more boxes to Wendy.
The other attendants, who had been watching, took a container or two with glee and headed back to their work.
Only Claude and the mages, nervously biting their nails, looked on with worry.
Ghislain turned to them and spoke firmly.
"You're not allowed any. We're still in the middle of the bet."
"Ugh… so unfair."
The bet's outcome hadn't been decided yet.
But with the rumors of Gillian's successful results spreading, Claude and the mages were getting anxious.
They had rushed to see for themselves by obtaining a sample but were promptly turned away.
"Let's head back. There's no reason to panic yet. We still have plenty of time."
Claude consoled the mages, leading them away.
After all, it was just one person who had shown results. Gillian could've seen improvement from other factors due to his mana usage.
The mages nodded at Claude's words, finding some comfort.
Once everyone left the office, Gillian arrived to see Ghislain.
Ghislain greeted him with a smile.
"Oh, Gillian, come in."
This was the man who had volunteered to test the product when everyone else had refused.
Thanks to him, more people volunteered, making the testing process much easier.
"Your skin does look noticeably better. How's it been? Useful, right?"
"Yes, I feel younger already."
Gillian flashed a confident smile.
His once rough skin now had a sheen, looking smoother and more youthful.
"So, what brings you here? You should still have some left. Are you here to report on training?"
"…Could I get one more, please?"
"Huh?"
"I'd like to send some to my daughter."
"Ah, I see. This is a parent's heart."
Since Rachel was with Elena in Perdium, it had been a while since he'd seen her.
Naturally, he'd want to send his daughter a nice gift, even if he couldn't be there to care for her directly.
Ghislain handed over several jars, smiling.
"Thanks to you, we've gotten a lot of volunteers. You deserve credit for this. Once things settle here, I'll bring Elena and Rachel back, so hold on a little longer."
"Thank you. I'm sure everyone else will be just as satisfied when they try it."
Gillian replied with confidence.
Ghislain looked at him with a smile.
With so many participants, he would be able to verify the effects properly.
"Hmm, speaking of which… Maybe I should bring some to Vanessa. She's been constantly training."
Ghislain decided to personally visit Vanessa, who had secluded herself in the training grounds.
She had been isolating herself to break through to the 6th-circle.
When he arrived without warning, she blushed and stammered.
"Oh, m-my lord… what brings you here so suddenly?"
"Wow, you…"
Ghislain looked at her with surprise.
She'd been so absorbed in training and research that her appearance was unkempt.
Her hair was tangled, and her clothes looked like they hadn't been changed in ages.
Clearing his throat, Ghislain handed her the cosmetics.
"Have you heard the rumors? This is cosmetic. Try applying it when you have time."
"Yes, thank you!"
"Also, while research is good, remember to sleep, eat, and, well, clean up a bit."
Vanessa lowered her head with a slight smile.
She didn't know exactly what to do with it, but she was touched to have received something from him.
As Ghislain turned to leave, he peeked back through the door.
She placed the cosmetics carefully in a corner and slipped back among her stacks of books.
Then, sitting amidst the hundreds of books, she resumed her research.
"Wow, how can she read all that? Does it all go into her head?"
Mages often used cleansing magic to maintain basic cleanliness.
Most mages were embarrassed to appear disheveled in front of others.
But Vanessa was so engrossed in her research that she didn't care about such things.
"I suppose she never really had the chance to study like this. It's impressive."
She had always studied diligently, even while doing menial work at the Magic Tower.
Now that she could devote herself entirely to training and research, she must be thrilled.
"I'll have to raise her magic power to the fullest soon. She's definitely reliable."
Ghislain smiled contentedly as he returned to his office.
Then, he issued a new order.
"Tell everyone who still needs some to come and collect it."
His order spread quickly throughout the castle.
A flood of people, who had heard the news belatedly, arrived, and the sample stock ran out fast.
The response was explosive.
"Have you tried what the lord gave us? It's amazing! Everyone's going crazy over it."
"Oh my, look at my skin! It's firmer after just two days. Don't I look ten years younger?"
"Well, maybe not ten… but you look at least ten hours younger."
"This is the sort of thing only nobles use. When else would we get to try it?"
"I heard the ingredients are super expensive. I should use it sparingly. I should've grabbed an extra jar!"
Everywhere, people chatted enthusiastically about the cosmetic Ghislain had made.
Those who didn't usually care for their skin were thrilled by the visible results.
Ghislain continued to receive progress reports from everyone who had used the cosmetic over several days.
"Good, most of the feedback is positive."
The results were overwhelmingly favorable.
Not a single person had a complaint, and many were asking for additional jars.
The perception that they were trying something usually reserved for nobles also added to the cosmetic's popularity.
After all, people rarely dislike expensive things.
As the atmosphere in the castle grew more lively, Claude and the mages grew more anxious.
"Damn it! Have you seen everyone's faces lately? They're all getting smoother! Is this really a dud? What are we going to do?"
Alpoi cried out in a panic, and Claude replied with a calm expression.
"Relax. The results aren't in yet. Why the rush? In gambling, haste is dangerous. No one knows the outcome until the final cards are shown."
"But everyone keeps praising it! And their skin actually seems to be improving!"
"They're just caught up in the hype. They probably just got a good night's sleep and think they look better. You might not know this, but it contains some really expensive herbs, so it could look good temporarily."
"What? So it actually works!"
Claude scoffed, unimpressed.
"If success were that easy, the Magic Tower would've nailed it ages ago. Mixing good things without knowledge can be harmful. Even nobles are careful with this stuff."
"Well, that's true…"
"So don't worry. Just relax. I mean, think about it. If it wasn't us but the lord who succeeded, it just doesn't make sense, right?"
"Y-yeah, you're right."
Alpoi, still somewhat uneasy, nodded.
Claude struck the table with determination.
"We're intellectuals! We make judgments with cold reason and intelligence! We can't let ourselves be swayed by an ignorant, irrational person."
Encouraged by his words, Alpoi nodded again and left.
The mages, who had overheard the conversation, followed suit, reassured by Claude's logic.
Once they'd left, Claude sighed and shook his head.
"Sigh, really. Why do people with weak nerves gamble at all? They shouldn't have joined the bet if they were so scared. Tsk tsk tsk."
Wendy, watching him from behind, looked at him in shock.
'You're the one who convinced them!'
No matter what else, his shamelessness and sharp tongue were undeniably impressive.
Shaking her head, Wendy urged him to get back to work.
"Head butler, there's a lot of work to catch up on. The next task is to check on the construction of the military warehouse…"
But Claude started nervously chewing his nails.
Wendy stopped talking, realizing he couldn't hear her.
'Damn it, what do I do? It really does seem like it's working. Could he actually pull this off?'
Having been around Claude every day, Wendy saw the improvement in people's skin and knew the bet was practically lost.
'Ugh, I can't even sabotage this now!'
He'd thought of trying to interfere, but now it was too late.
So many people had received the cosmetic, including not only the castle workers but also the mercenaries and vassals. He'd have to sabotage the entire estate to stop them all.
Unless he was a grand mage, it was impossible.
'Ugh, what should I do?'
When Claude caught Wendy's gaze, he snapped.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that, you traitor! You've been using cosmetics, haven't you? Look at your smooth face."
Wendy looked away with a mix of contempt and pity.
She'd learned that engaging with Claude's sharp tongue only led to trouble.
Claude shook his head, trying to convince himself.
'There'll be some side effects for sure. Cosmetics aren't so easy to make. The lord can't possibly pull this off. I'll just confirm it on the last day.'
Even a few cases of side effects would be enough for him to argue for a draw.
Nobles would reject anything remotely risky, so the product's value would drop instantly.
'There's no need to panic before the results are in. This thrill is the essence of gambling. Guess I've gotten soft, huh?'
It was classic denial, but Claude was too caught up in his hopes to realize it.
"Let's go, let's get to work."
If he neglected his duties over the bet, he'd definitely face harsh consequences.
The lord might seem easy going but could be quite tenacious.
While Claude struggled to deny reality, Ghislain was reviewing the stacks of reports with a pleased smile.
"Zero cases of side effects."
Despite so many people using it for over two weeks, there hadn't been a single adverse reaction.
It had taken less time than expected to remember the detailed manufacturing process, so he'd succeeded sooner than he'd prepared for.
Not only was he thrilled with his success, but he was pleased to see people enjoying the cosmetic. It meant that people had found some peace of mind.
After a moment's thought, Ghislain issued a new command to his attendants.
"Everyone's been working non stop. Soon, I'll be hosting a banquet. Even if time is tight, proper rest is essential for continued strength."
The attendants were stunned.
Their work-obsessed lord, who'd never once held even a simple dinner, was hosting a banquet?
"What's gotten into our workaholic lord?"
Watching the surprised attendants, Ghislain continued.
"The banquet will be held on the final day of the bet. Prepare food and drink so everyone in the castle and the estate can enjoy it. Since some will need to stay on duty, we'll extend it over two days."
It was a chance to see the bet's outcome while giving everyone a well-deserved break.
This time, the bet was almost certainly a victory for the lord.
With the crops, they couldn't see results until the sprouts emerged, but cosmetics were different.
They could observe the changes on people's faces daily, making it easy to see the effects.
With everyone excited about attending the banquet, only Claude and the mages wandered around gloomily.
Desperate, they prayed to the goddess every day.
"Please, let the world end. Send a demon king or something."
In their minds, a world-ending disaster seemed preferable to losing the bet again.
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]