Chapter 380: I Touched It!

As soon as we got out of the bath, I dried Mira’s body. It seemed like it would be a good idea to dry everyone’s hair as well. Using a combination of fire magic, wind magic, water magic, and the “Drying” skill, I quickly dried everyone’s hair while keeping it moisturized.

Fabienne and Nero had puzzled looks on their faces, as if they didn’t understand what had just happened. The wind blew, and suddenly their hair was dry. They must have felt like they were dreaming, unable to grasp what had occurred.

“That was magic, right? And it was you, Julius-sama, who cast it?”

Fabienne asked, touching her hair, which had been wet just a moment ago, almost as if she was trying to convince herself. Nero’s gaze was also directed at me. Mira seemed to have noticed that I had used magic, hopping around me like a little lamb.

“Yeah, that’s right. There’s not much time before lunch, so I used a shortcut. A time-saving method.”

“Time-saving… What kind of magic did you use?”

“Well, there’s no specific name for it. It’s a unique magic I created by combining various spells.”

“A unique magic…”

Fabienne furrowed her brow, seemingly trying to make sense of it, murmuring to herself. She seemed to be thinking deeply about it, but I wondered if she needed to think so hard. The hair was dry, so it was fine, wasn’t it? Or maybe it wasn’t, after all?

“It’s a secret. Don’t tell anyone.”

I gave a last-minute warning to keep it quiet. Fabienne and Nero, perhaps thinking the same thing, gave forced smiles. Even the servants who had helped with the bath seemed uneasy.

I wondered if I had made things harder for them. As I petted Mira’s fur, who seemed completely unconcerned about this, I reflected on it. But drying it normally would have taken a lot of time.

Fabienne, having gathered herself, kept checking her hair, now smooth and shiny. Her hair was silky, maintaining its moisture and shine. I wanted to touch it too. I envied the servant who was styling Fabienne’s hair.

Fabienne seemed to notice me staring at her and smiled gently, looking at me.

“Would you like to touch it?”

“I would love to touch it.”

My movements toward her were a little stiff. Was I nervous? Now of all times? I thought to myself, but then I realized I hadn’t really touched Fabienne’s hair before. You know, it feels a little rude to just touch someone’s hair, right?

Next to the servant who was styling her hair, I got the chance to touch Fabienne’s hair. It was smooth and had just the right amount of moisture. I felt like I could keep touching it forever. As I kept touching it, the servant gave a wry smile. It seemed I was getting in the way. I hurriedly stepped back.

Instead, I turned to pet Mira’s fur, which had become just as soft as Fabienne’s hair. While touching both, I waited for the hair to be styled.

Once the preparations were done, it was already time for lunch. I had tried to be quick, but it seemed I had ended up being a little late. When I arrived at the dining hall, Mother and the others had already started eating.

At this time of year, I had begun to hesitate about eating outside. The sunlight was strong, and the weather was warm enough to make one sweat. Eating cold cookies and applying sunscreen would solve the problem, though.

“Oh, Fabienne, you have such beautiful hair.”

“Mother-in-law, it’s because I just got out of the bath.”

“Oh my, you took a bath?”

My mother’s gaze turned toward us. Then she looked at Mira, who was next to me. It seemed like she understood after seeing that.

“You had Mira’s fur trimmed. It looks well-groomed. It seems like there’s quite a skilled craftsman here.”

“Mira, come here!”

When Rosalia called out to Mira, she literally flew over. “Well, that’s not very polite,” my mother said, but it didn’t matter. Without a care, she began to enjoy Mira’s fur, as if she was pleased with it. She seemed to like it, as she started petting it, completely ignoring lunch.

Meanwhile, we took our seats and began eating. It seems like Father hasn’t heard about the exam from this morning yet. I wonder if I’ll be called in after dinner?

Alex-niisan isn’t here either, so he might be having lunch at the knight’s dormitory.

“Julius, how did the test go this morning? Alex still hasn’t come back, has he?”

“It went smoothly. I think he’s probably working on the report with Lionel to present to Father right now. The results were good, so I believe they’re considering using reinforced glass not just in the greenhouse but also in carriages and other areas.”

“I see. Will a new product be added to the trading company?”

My mother tilted her head slightly, her expression clouded. It seems she’s aware that the trading company is getting quite busy. Plus, sister-in-law Daniela isn’t around. She must be worried that Alex-niisan will collapse from being overwhelmed.

“I think it’ll be fine. Reinforced glass is quite a special material, so I think it will be produced on a made-to-order basis.”

Mass production isn’t that difficult. But judging by the situation, I don’t think they intend to widely distribute it. It will probably be marketed primarily to high-ranking nobles and royalty.

As for fire resistance, it’s top-notch. It will undoubtedly be in high demand. Oh, Alex-niisan just walked into the dining room. It looks like he was just late in returning.

“Alex, are you okay?”

Seeing his haggard face, my mother asked with a concerned expression. Her face seemed to say, “My fears have come true.” Alex-niisan, however, smiled brightly at me. Ugh, this is probably my fault, isn’t it?

“I’m fine, Mother. It’s just that a little headache came up.”

“That’s not fine at all. Tell me what happened.”

It seems my mother is upset. Her eyes are narrowing, and her cheeks are puffed out. When her cheeks puff out and she looks cute, it means she’s not truly angry yet. When she gets serious, the puffiness disappears, and her eyes become cold.

“Well, Julius…”

The puffiness in my mother’s cheeks disappeared in an instant.

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