Chapter 71: ☆Only One?
After the academy ended, Erika and Felica were happily chatting while walking down 7th Street in the evening light.
The reason Erika had come with me today was that I was showing her the shop where we buy skin-care products.
Felica had come along because her own supplies were running low and she wanted to buy more.
I decided it was best to ask women about women’s skin-care products.
After all, I have a girlfriend, but the most reliable way is to ask the women who actually use them.
Our destination was Flower Garden.
I had thought it was only a clothing store, but it also sold skin-care products.
Maryka-san was surprisingly involved in many things.
...Otherwise, how was she running a store in this royal capital?
Before long, we saw a lively shop with many female customers even though it was evening.
The store’s green-based color scheme seemed to appeal to women.
It wasn’t too bright or flashy, so ordinary people could probably enter easily.
After Erika and Felica went inside, I followed them while admiring the store’s atmosphere.
Even though we were in different genres, we were run by the same person — I had a lot to learn from her.
Inside, what caught my eye first were the clothing items and the pillows Dil and the others had created.
There were also men’s clothes, but there were far more women’s items.
The prices were set at a level that even ordinary citizens like me could afford.
If I looked further inside, there were some more expensive clothing items — probably for people with money or nobles.
...That pillow with the embroidery Maryka-san had done is on display there.
That means they are also setting the price higher.
Erika happily took my hand and led me to the place where the cosmetics were displayed.
I looked at the skin-care products I don’t usually buy in wonder and picked one up.
Then I tilted my head and asked Erika and Felica, who were squealing while holding the cosmetics.
"By the way, you two don’t use cosmetics much, do you?"
"...That’s right, Raide-san. When I’m with you, I keep it light."
"Me too. But if I’m invited to a party or the castle, I put on the full thing."
"...I see."
Erika and Felica smiled awkwardly at my reaction and continued explaining.
It’s fine to wear makeup, but it’s hard to take it off after going home.
If it’s light makeup, it comes off quickly, so they do light makeup but don’t want to do heavy ones.
I folded my arms and rested my chin on one hand while thinking. Erika smiled elegantly and touched her lips with her index finger.
"But when I’m with Raide-san, I put extra effort into the lip balm, you know?"
"Me too..."
"...Thank you."
At Erika’s words, Felica blushed slightly and said shyly.
I smiled and thanked them, and both girls smiled happily back.
Men feel great when the women they love dress up for them.
Erika showed me a round, cute hand-sized box with a smile.
It was the skin-care cream.
When she opened the lid and showed me the contents, it was white cream.
"This cream contains ’Ryohe.’"
"...Not ’Roe’?"
"Eh?"
"Hm?"
I wasn’t familiar with cosmetics, but I was confident in my knowledge of item and herb names and their effects.
The ’Ryohe’ Erika mentioned was supposed to have a burn-prevention effect in the game.
I remembered ’Roe’ as the description for skin-irritation prevention.
During my adventurer days, I knew players who created and sold cosmetics to townspeople.
Since it was an VR game, the townspeople used it in front of me, and it looked shiny, which made me happy.
I picked up the small bottle with transparent liquid, which I thought was lotion, and asked the frozen Erika,
"What is this?"
"...That one uses ’Soyhe.’"
"...Not ’Myohe’ or ’Hoshor’?"
"I’ve never heard of those..."
When I tilted my head and looked at Felica, she shook her head too, saying she didn’t know either.
Actually, I had only played as an adventurer, so I had never created any.
But from the bulletin board and conversations with players, I knew the names of the herbs used in the formulas.
’Soyhe’ was for UV protection, ’Myohe’ was for moisturizing, and ’Hoshor’ was for hydration.
The lotion was probably made by combining other herbs.
Of course, because the players were skilled, they weren’t all the same.
The herbs they mixed also varied — there was no fixed formula, but three ingredients were used.
At least, they hadn’t used only one herb.
"Welcome. You were here, Erika-sama, Raide-sama, Felica-sama... What can I do for you?"
The three of us were tilting our heads when a voice called from behind.
When I turned around, Maryka-san was standing there smiling.
Maryka-san looked at our expressions and asked curiously.
When I asked her about the herbs, she tilted her head, thought for a moment, and went to the back of the store, saying, "Please wait a moment."
Erika tugged slightly at my sleeve with a puzzled expression and asked,
"Where did you learn the names of the herbs, Raide-san?"
"...I was an adventurer when I was young... around that time."
"By the way, Raide was an adventurer until he went to war..."
"...Yeah."
While I told Erika and Felica about my adventurer days, I waited for Maryka-san to return.
Since it was something I had actually experienced, there was no strange feeling in my voice.
Soon after, Maryka-san returned holding three small bottles with transparent liquid and one cream box the size of a palm.
She said the mixer had tried making a sample and wanted us to tell her the results.
She smiled and said she would give them to us for free.
I glanced at Erika, who was looking at the cream in wonder, then smiled and nodded at Maryka-san.
...Erika, if the results are good, it’s Erika who should invest, right?
Felica had cream on the back of her hand, and Erika was happily spreading it while smiling.
I watched the two of them for a while, then picked out what I wanted and left the store with the three girls.
The three adventurer girls, who had been waiting outside, told us they had been shopping at Flower Garden.
We walked back together, chatting happily.
It was past 1 AM.
After closing the tavern at midnight and finishing dinner at the table,
I was looking at the cream Maryka-san had given me.
I tilted my head, wondering if a man like me could use it and get a good report.
Then Nimi, who had been washing dishes, walked over smiling, wiping her hands.
"That’s the cream you were talking about, right?"
"Yeah, but... Nimi, can you try it?"
"Of course."
Nimi came over and held out both hands. I gently took her hands and pulled her onto my lap so her back faced me.
Nimi sat on my lap without resisting and only turned her face toward me with an awkward smile.
"Umm..."
I rested my chin on her shoulder and applied the cream to her palms and back of hands with both hands from behind.
I spread it slowly from the palms to the backs of her hands, then between her fingers.
Nimi smiled while leaning against my back and said,
"Your touch is gentle, isn’t it?"
"...I suppose so."
"Nn... That part doesn’t have anything to do with the cream. Aah, nn."
I moved both hands from Nimi’s palms to her marshmallow-like breasts.
I kissed her neck while sliding my hands between her breasts and said with a wry smile,
"You’re troublesome, Nimi."
"Two days later [Suzuya] is closed, so how about we go somewhere? Shall we?"
Nimi smiled happily and we decided where to go together.
The next morning, Nimi reported happily that her skin felt much better.
Profile
Rain
Height: 158 cm Age: 16 Hair: red hair, two ponytails with hair extending to her waist.
Her expression still has childish features Personality: bright.
Body type: slightly slender Breasts: slightly smaller than an apple.
She is one of the three popular songstresses who are just starting to gain fame.
She is said to be a small demon based on her speech, actions, and appearance.
She doesn’t actually intend to look down on people, so she feels a little down when she’s called that.
When that happens, she acts spoiled with Win.
Thanks to being helped by Raide, she has recently started wanting to be honest with him.
Even though she knows how to pamper, she doesn’t know how to act spoiled herself, so she is troubled.
