The Sleeping Devil

Busy yet peaceful days passed, and the refreshing early summer breeze, devoid of humidity, rustled through the hair.

A year and a half had passed since the baptism, and before anyone knew it, it was time for Licht's entrance exam at the academy. Although he would be a year behind his peers, with Didier there, it should be fine.

"Licht, if anyone says something mean to you, tell Didier immediately. Also, if someone tries to take you behind the school building, it's okay to fight back as long as you don't get hurt too badly. I'm sure you'll be fine since you've studied a lot this past year, but if there's anything you don't understand, ask your brother. And..."

"Sheriel, isn't that enough already? More importantly, don't you have anything to say to your beloved brother whom you won't see for a while?"

"Please take care of Licht for me. And please don't do anything bad."

"Is that all?"

Once again, Didier, who had grown taller, grabbed Sheriel's head from above, looking dissatisfied. Though Sheriel thought she had grown quite a bit, she still seemed far from catching up to Didier.

Licht had also grown quite robust since coming to our house. To avoid interfering with training, his somewhat peculiar ash-colored hair was cut shorter, enhancing his boyishness.

Watching the two of them get into the carriage and depart, Sheriel felt a bit lonely as she returned to the castle.

Over the past year, there had been various things to do, such as analyzing magic, researching products, studying manners and laws to support children being treated in the northern forest, and so on, so the days flew by in an instant.

Today, she was supposed to have a meeting with Dior for business.

"I apologize for being late. We got carried away in conversation."

"As long as Didier left safely, that's good. Before we begin, could I ask for the usual?"

"Yes, of course."

Taking out her wand, sheriel put ice in the glass, brewed the tea a bit stronger, and poured in the cooled-down black tea.

Since last summer, Dior seemed to favor iced tea.

She carefully brewed the tea leaves in plenty of hot water to prevent bitterness, and when the time was right, she filtered the tea leaves without agitating them too much.

Having researched the proportions of water and tea leaves, as well as the steeping time, and even made an hourglass for iced tea, Sheriel knew she would be called upon by Dior frequently this year as well, serving as her personal ice maker.

The maid placed small slices of lemon and baked goods on the table.

While enjoying the refreshing citrus scent, they promptly got down to business.

"Mother, thank you for arranging the property. I received a report from Bergal, and it seems to be in a very good location."

"Yes, it's prime real estate in the noble district. Since it's a salon supervised by me, we can't settle for anything less, can we?"

Why did she go from researching cosmetics to purchasing property...

It was because, just around this time last year, while her research on mud was progressing smoothly, she had a realization. She remembered that there was no bathing culture in this world...

And the products she planned to sell from now on were all things that wouldn't be used without the habit of bathing...

The city's water wasn't very clean, and washing with it dried out the skin. For nobles who could cleanse with magic, there was no natural inclination to boil water and bathe.

So she decided to create a facility where one could experience everything from bathing to hair washing, skin treatments, makeup, and hair styling, like a fusion of a spa and an esthetic salon.

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Noble women, who didn't sweat in their daily lives, layered white powder over oil and wiped their faces with damp cloths, leading to a life that wasn't very kind to their pores.

By experiencing everything in the spa and making bathing a habit, she believed her products would naturally sell.

"For now, let's have the second floor renovated into bathing rooms and train the staff in the meantime. We'll need at least twenty pairs, right?"

"If that's the case, they'll gather soon enough. There are always lower-ranking noble girls who can't become maids or find marriage prospects smoldering away."

"Is that so? Then please gather around fifty people. Also, about the magic stones, will it be okay if I infuse them with magic from the empty stones?"

"I can't allow members of the Marquis's household to sell magic as if it were merchandise. Is magic really necessary to that extent?"

Hmm, this is troublesome. It's fine for a maid to assist the master with bathing once a day, but if it's for staff, they might not have enough magic, especially for multiple times a day.

Physically boiling water with fire could save energy, but the skin would dry out if the water wasn't magically produced.

"In that case, shall we have the customers bear the necessary magic? How about offering a discount in return?"

"True. High-ranking individuals usually have maids with them, and lower-ranking ones, though they may have lower magic, are willing to pay for services since they're focused on their business."

I see. It might be a good idea to develop magical tools that can easily attach magic stones, like home appliances from my previous life.

"For customers who enjoy the baths, we plan to provide information on suppliers and sell beauty products."

"Yes, that foam pack was very popular. Some people are even interested in bathing now that they've learned about facial cleansing methods. I'm looking forward to the opening of the spa."

Ah, I see... The shampoo has always been sold out, but the soap's sales were a bit strange.

Normally, only a few bars were sold per month, but occasionally, customers would come in and buy out all the soap in the shop, so ultimately, soap was also in short supply.

"If they don't bathe, do they wash their faces with a bucket themselves? It must have been difficult to get used to..."

"Middle-ranking individuals originally washed their own faces, didn't they? So, I only taught it to middle-ranking individuals who seemed motivated and obedient."

Ah, I see. I remember seeing them washing their faces with buckets in the maids' break room. Maids are educated not to show their preparations, so I had completely forgotten.

"I think we can open by the time the renovations are complete. We plan to invite about ten people for a trial run, so could I ask you, Mother, to handle the selection?"

"Haha, you're as thoughtful as ever. It'll be a bit lonely without factions, but if they disappear, we can deal with other territories."

It seems there are factions even within the Beriard territory. However, it's more like a group of friends among the ladies, for leisure purposes.

"It seems there are still those who intend to oppose you, Mother."

"It's not really opposition. In any territory, factions tend to form between the local nobility and those who married into the family."

It's like the old guard versus the newcomers. However, there are aspects that those raised in the territory can't handle alone, so it's helpful in some ways.

In terms of politics, Beriard is too unique for factions to form. Despite all the fuss about political policies and lineage, ultimately, they're all at the mercy of Sergio's whims, so the retainers have formed a unified front to prepare for Beriard's defense.

It seems people unite in the face of great evil.

"In the future, we might want to expand to other territories, so it might be better to invite without regard to factional relations."

With the general direction set and the meeting with Dior concluded, it was time for a magic class.

Last year, I came to know Julius's true nature, but we've been getting along without any major issues. At least, that's what I think.

"Teacher, I want to make magical tools!"

"Magical tools, huh... As long as they're not weapons, it's fine. What do you plan to make?"

"I want to make a magical tool that dispenses hot water and one that blows warm air."

"In that case, you just need to draw the appropriate magic circle."

Huh, is that how it works? I thought it required specialized knowledge in magical engineering.

"How do you make those complex boxes?"

"Oh, those are only necessary for highly confidential magical tools. If it's a daily-use circle, it's fine if others see it."

So, those intricate designs were just for concealing the circle? They don't increase magical efficiency or adjust circuits or anything like that?

"I want to be able to set the temperature. Is it easy to do?"

"No, adjusting the firepower or hydraulic power is the user's responsibility, so it's unrelated to the magical tool."

"Then I want the magical tool to control it!"

Julius muttered, "I see," and smiled with amusement.

Over the past year, Dalia has brought in quite a lot of old documents, and my analytical abilities have improved significantly. As long as I understand the language, assembling them is easy. It's the same as in my previous life, like programming.

"First, let's have a detailed explanation of what they'll be used for. Just a box won't cut it, right?"

"That's right. Shall we have Professor Julius experience bathing too?"

"Huh? Why would we do that?"

Accompanied by Julius, who seemed a bit pale, we headed to the bathing room used by Sergio and the others. Since they usually use magic and only bathe about once every three days, they haven't installed baths in their rooms.

"This is the bathing room. You fill this tub with water slightly warmer than body temperature and wash your whole body in it."

"Wash a person like clothing? Are you serious?"

As an experiment, when we filled the tub with water, Julius tentatively dipped his fingertips in. His expression softened as if he were a cat, but Julius himself was dead serious.

"It's warm... I don't particularly like the feeling of wet skin."

"It feels nice, you know? I'll call in an assistant who can help with bathing, so please, give it a try."

"No, I'll pass. I absolutely won't get in there."

"Why not? Are you afraid of water?"

A smile of composure turns to silence as he bites his lip. Oh, surprising... Even the teacher has things he's not fond of.

"Washing should suffice. There's no need to soak in water unnecessarily."

"Warming the body helps relax the muscles and feels good."

Despite his stubborn refusal, we ended up just trying out hair washing without soaking in the tub. After draining the water, I had him lie down on his side in his clothes.

The custom-made bathtub we're using has a slightly unique design. It's like a combination of a bathtub and a shampoo station at a salon, with a slight indentation for the headrest. At first, water spilled onto the floor, so we made improvements to prevent the maids' clothes from getting wet.

"You'll be washing me, right?"

"I have no choice, do I? Just don't complain if I'm not good at it."

Julius intensely dislikes being touched by others.

It seems more like a form of self-defense than a matter of cleanliness, as I've been cautioned not to let anyone other than the designated maids touch me.

Kneeling beside the maid's chair, I used both hands to pour warm water over Julius's supple hair.

"You always use cleansing magic to wash your hair, right? Why is it so shiny?"

"I wonder. Anyway, could you not flick water onto my face?"

Apologizing for my carelessness to his slightly furrowed brows, I continued to wash his long hair, lathering it up with a citrus-scented shampoo. It was a bit difficult with small hands, but with some reinforcement to my fingertips, it wasn't impossible.

His hair, free of damage, didn't tangle at all, so I carefully massaged his scalp as if giving him a scalp massage.

"Your scent is different from mine."

"I'm a man, so I don't particularly like sweet scents."

"Oh, it's not bad."

"Customer, do you have any itchy spots?"

"Who's a customer?"

After rinsing away the foam with warm water, I dried his hair with a large cloth. Since we used an oil-based shampoo, there was no need for conditioner. After thoroughly removing the water, I dried his hair while blowing warm air with one hand and combing through it with the other.

"I want to create magical tools that can dispense hot water and blow warm air like this. Also, a magical tool to maintain a constant temperature in the bathtub. Right now, I've drawn the circles directly under the bathtub, but for the spa, I plan to use magic stones, so I want to remake everything as magical tools."

"Hmm. Shouldn't you warm the well water?"

"The local water dries out the skin. Do you know why?"

Julius said he would verify it later and closed his eyes, seemingly enjoying the sensation. I thought he might be wary of me touching his head, but it seems he just dislikes water. Next time we argue, I'll use water magic against him.

After his hair dried, Julius's originally shiny hair now sparkled like the night sky.

"How's that, Professor? It's very glossy, isn't it?"

"What's the use of making a man's hair shiny... Well, it wasn't bad."

He pinched the tip of his hair and sniffed it. Since he didn't seem displeased, it should be fine.

"It's a bit too refreshing for you, Professor. A more woody scent would probably suit you better. If only we had a perfumer..."

"I think I look quite refreshing, don't you?"

"...It seems there's a difference in our concepts of 'refreshing'."

Julius seemed to have enjoyed his first hair wash and asked me to teach Owens how to do it. Adding more work to my plate, I felt apologetic, but I'll definitely suggest bathing next time. Maybe we should even make a larger bath for Didier and the others to use.

Since it seems I've conveyed what I wanted to do, I'll return to my room with Julius, who is incongruously fresh, and finally begin developing magical tools.