Chapter 49

“To put it simply, it means the Saintess is in dire need of a makeover!”

In other words, Emily was saying I needed to get dolled up.

“You have to flaunt your wealth while keeping it tastefully restrained so people won’t look down on you.”

‘What kind of “hot iced americano” logic is that?’¹

Emily suddenly lowered her head, murmuring as an ominous aura radiated from her.

“The unholy are already defiling the Order of Ralphican as it is… If anyone appears and dares to disregard our Saintess, I will never be able to forgive myself…”

She looked so grimly determined that I couldn’t even bring myself to tell her to take it down a notch.

“Now, Saintess! This is beauty water made from the scales of a Lycan, specially flown in from the Luxini region! It’s the legendary beauty water that became famous after the First Princess of the Brishwin Kingdom—who was known for her obsession with beauty—personally visited to claim it!”

What the heck are Lycan scales? That sounds like the name of a magic beast; surely it’s not, right? I stared at Emily, my mouth hanging open, but she didn’t notice my state at all and simply continued her excited explanation.

“Ah, and this is a medicinal herb famous for being presented to royal houses by the Duchy of Ketlini! It purifies the waste inside the body and smooths the skin texture! They say it’s made by grinding the horn of a Juzelu…”

Juzelu were rare magic beasts, and since they only had one horn, it was said to be extremely difficult to obtain.

‘They really do make these out of magic beast body parts.’

I realized that human obsession with beauty persists whether in the past, the present, or even in a virtual world… It was the same logic as how invasive species with high fertility rates are turned into endangered species once rumors spread that they’re good for the body. I almost felt sorry for the magic beasts.

After that, cosmetics continued to pop out of the trolley endlessly. She had brought various types of hair oil—this probably meant shampoo or essence—and a whole collection of fragrant oils for the body. Mid-explanation, Emily must have realized something, as she quickly added that I wasn’t in such a desperate state that I had to apply all of these.

“O-of course, you already have wonderful skin, but this will make it even more translucent and healthy!”

Emily tried desperately to fix her slip-up, but to me, it sounded like she was just confirming the kill. Wasn’t she basically saying we should compensate for my lacking appearance with expensive, rare cosmetics and makeup techniques?

‘Well, Belita certainly doesn’t look like someone who manages her appearance, even as a flat lie.’

And it was probably even worse since I had possessed her.

‘Would I have had the mental energy to do things like… skin care?’

I was always too busy washing up as fast as possible with my eyes closed before rushing out. Since it was someone else’s body, I couldn’t help but feel like I was committing a crime. Besides, I didn’t have the money for that. I’d rather use that money to donate to Mo Je-won’s stream.

“Now! Allow me to introduce the three people who will make the Saintess look absolutely gorgeous!”

Emily pointed to a green-haired woman.

“This friend is a therapist who receives love calls not just from the Imperial Palace, but from all over the world. She will be in charge of the skin care and massages to add vitality to the Saintess’s skin!”

“H-hello… My name is Olivia…”

Olivia slightly lifted her skirt and bowed her waist in greeting. Next was a curly-haired woman with an exotic appearance.

“This friend is the best hairdresser on the continent, and she’s going to trim the Saintess’s beggarl—no, her slightly unkempt hair!”

“Greetings! I’m Lora! I’m really good at cutting hair. Please take care of me!”

Lora boldly reached out for a handshake, but Emily pointed out that it was against etiquette. Lora grumbled that in her country, a handshake was a formal greeting reserved for the highest-ranking person. Emily apologized on her behalf, explaining that Lora had come from the hot central regions and hadn’t adapted to the etiquette yet.

‘I thought her speech sounded a bit awkward.’

So it was because she was a foreigner.

“I guess the Saintess has never seen a Ravil person before!”

“Lora, that’s informal speech.”

It was news to me. In times like this, it was best to just smile and move on.

“And finally, this friend will handle the clothing.”

“Hello. I am Ail, the head designer of Beryl Boutique.”

Even the only male member was present. Having at least one person of the same gender made me feel a bit more at ease. Just as I thought it was over, Emily suddenly stepped in front of me, pointed at herself with her thumb, and declared.

“And I~ will be the one overseeing the Saintess’s overall style!”

…I was already exhausted and we hadn’t even started. But apparently, I was the only one feeling that way; the moment Emily’s command dropped, the servants began moving busily.

“Olivia, please soften the Saintess’s stiff body! Lora, get rid of those dreadful bangs first! I’ve been curious ever since the expedition, and finally!”

I’d just been roughly combing my hair lately, letting it do whatever it wanted. The bangs were a bit long, but since it was straight hair, I thought it wasn’t too bad. I didn’t realize Emily felt that strongly about it.

How much time had passed? I’d fallen into a light doze thanks to the god-tier massage skills, but when I woke up to the noisy sounds and looked in the mirror, I couldn’t hide my shock.

Belita—no, the Saintess—had fallen into a deep sleep almost as soon as Olivia’s hands touched her.

“She… she must have been very tired…”

Olivia seemed flustered. It seemed she felt that way more from touching Belita’s body than from the fact that she had conked out.

“Her shoulders… and her calves are so knotted… This is going to be a tough battle. Her muscles are quite firm, too…”

Since the Saintess had been a maid performing hard labor until quite recently, she felt different from the upper-class women Olivia usually dealt with.

‘Umm, was that an impious thought?’

Lord Ilian had emphasized that I must respect the Saintess’s authority with absolute sincerity. I could guess why. I’d heard the Saintess’s position was precarious because of those bastards in the Orthodox Faction.

‘Damn them. What do they even know?’

The feeling of helplessness, being able to do nothing but hide among the crowd and tremble. That moment when all we could do was pray to God. The voice of the Savior who descended in person to drive out those horrific magic beasts and reassure the people; the rapture and ecstasy that only those who returned from the brink of death could share. Those who hadn’t experienced it would never truly understand everything I felt for the Saintess.

‘Though I never imagined the Saintess would be Belita.’

I told the Saintess that I didn’t remember much because I was too flustered, but even if some parts were fuzzy, that specific moment remained vivid in my mind.

“Wow! The Saintess’s hair is a total mess! It’s like a dog’s fur! This isn’t going to be easy!”

While I was reminiscing about my enchanting encounter with the Saintess, Lora—who was sizing up the job while touching Belita’s hair—muttered as she pulled out a clump of stiff strands caught in her hand. Even though it was a low murmur, her accent and tone were packed with shock.

“How could someone not maintain their hair at all! I heard people of the Empire love grooming! How can a person like this exist in the world’s leading nation for beauty products!”

“Lora, I told you not to speak so bluntly…”

“But the Saintess is sleeping!”

“Just because the Saintess can’t hear doesn’t mean you should speak so rudely…”

“Is that how it works?”

I wasn’t sure how someone from a minority tribe in the central deserts had become a successful hairdresser, but her Continental Common Language was still clumsy, making communication difficult. They say people living on isolated islands or in remote areas develop their own unique languages and cultures. I’d heard that some tribes interact frequently with the mainland and host many travelers, so they can speak the Common Language to some extent. Lora must have been one of those cases.

‘Her background and skills are guaranteed, but…’

I didn’t realize her mouth would be such an issue. I could only hope she wouldn’t commit any further blunders toward the Saintess. No matter where she was from, surely she knew the power of the Church. She would probably watch herself.

“Still, the Church gave me plenty of money, so I can do it! Silky hair! I’ll make it happen!”

Whether it was because she enjoyed the challenge or simply felt stubborn, Lora seemed to have made up her mind. Emily gave her a bright smile.

“Alright. I’ll trust you, Lora!”

Once the massage ended, it was Lora’s turn. The three of them worked together to settle Belita into a chair. Fortunately, Belita didn’t wake up during the process. Relieved, the three of them secured her hair and began to seriously deliberate on the style.

“Since she’s a member of the clergy, should we go for something calm and clean?”

“Umm… if she changes too much, the Saintess might be horri—no, she might not be able to adapt. I think we should keep the changes minimal for now.”

“Hmm. Adaptation, huh.”

Emily recalled the Saintess’s personality from the expedition.

‘She was pretty easygoing, wasn’t she? Mostly.’

She ate whatever was given, slept well on the ground, and didn’t complain even when assigned difficult or dirty tasks. She would carry two or three heavy bags at once without showing a single sign of struggle; I often wondered how such strength came from that slender body. That wasn’t the only mystery. There were subtle behaviors, too. Like how she would suddenly press her legs together. Or how she would insist on walking on the more dangerous outer side of the carriage path compared to her companion.

Maybe that was why.

‘There’s a sense of reliability I’ve never seen in other women!’

She had even caught the eye of several men. They all seemed too timid to actually approach her, though. And that made sense because, well, the Saintess… she always felt like her mind was somewhere else.

‘It was probably because of the prophetic dreams, right?’

Being chosen by God must be a truly taxing burden. Anyway, even for someone who seemed so effortless, there were parts where she was strangely stubborn. She insisted on changing her clothes or washing up strictly by herself. Judging by that, it didn’t seem like she enjoyed people touching her body.

‘They say it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. Should we just go for it?’

Just as Emily’s thoughts were spiraling toward extremes, Olivia offered an opinion.

“Wh-why don’t we just trim the bangs to about eyebrow length and thin them out a bit…?”

Olivia had been trembling with nerves just moments ago because she was in front of the Saintess, but now that she was asleep, she seemed a bit better.

“Shall we do that?”

“That’s a wonderful idea, Olivia.”

Part of me felt it was a bit too conservative, but it was better than upsetting the Saintess. With the approval granted, Lora immediately picked up her scissors and began cutting Belita’s hair. Before long, Belita’s face was revealed, and the three onlookers stood there with their mouths agape.

“Oh my goodness. Why has the Saintess been walking around like this until now?”

“Lora, that’s impious. But… yeah… why… why did she do that…?”

“Oh, man, I can’t wait for the Saintess to wake up!”

Lora moved her hands playfully, saying it was a joy to cut such hair. She combed through the tangled strands and applied fragrant oils for a healthy shine.

“If she keeps receiving treatments…”

“Even expensive products won’t help someone who doesn’t have the foundation! It’s just that the Saintess had incredible potential to begin with!”

Lora certainly had a way with words. Excited by the prospect of the makeover, Emily called Ail over and told him to pick out something suitable from the ready-made clothes.

“While we’re at it, let’s go for the full set!”