Chapter 500: The Expanding Circle

It was still before lunch, so Sister-in-law Daniela and Rosalia would test the products that afternoon. I had planned to make more shampoo and conditioner immediately after lunch, but my schedule had slipped. In the meantime, I might as well write to my dear Sister-in-law Meeka.

“Julius, what have you made this time?”

“Hmm… are the ladies becoming even more beautiful because of you, Julius?”

During lunch, both Alex-niisan and Father said this to me. It seemed they no longer even entertained the idea that it might not be my doing. And, of course, I couldn’t deny it—it was the truth.

Apparently, they quietly gathered more information afterwards, because that evening they asked whether they could try it too. Of course, I had no objection.

After lunch, I had intended to wait in the salon while Sister-in-law Daniela and Rosalia took their showers. But somehow, Fabienne and I were dragged along as well. Why…?

Despite my confusion, I washed their hair and, with a little magic, dried it for them. Naturally, both of them ended up with hair as beautiful as Fabienne’s and Mother’s.

The two of them stood in front of the bathroom mirror, staring in dumbfounded silence. Was it really that shocking? I couldn’t tell, but Fabienne seemed to understand the effect perfectly, nodding in approval. I suppose there are some things in this world that men simply cannot comprehend.

“Julius, what are you planning to do with this shampoo and conditioner?”

“I’m going to make rose-scented versions for Mother and Fabienne, then send a set to Sister-in-law Meeka in the royal capital. Of course, I’ll make one for you as well, Sister-in-law Daniela. Is the same fragrance all right?”

“Thank you, Julius. Yes, the same fragrance will be perfect.”

Sister-in-law Daniela sometimes hesitates in odd ways. We’re family through marriage, so there’s no need for such restraint. I also promised Rosalia that I’d make a special version just for her, seeing the longing expression on her face. That should do it.

With their newly radiant hair flowing behind them, the two returned to the Heine Trading Company. I wondered whether Brother Alex and Sir Edward would be surprised. Perhaps I should avoid visiting today; I had a feeling it would cause quite a commotion.

I spent the afternoon in the compounding room, using the rose perfume delivered by the servants to make luxurious shampoo and conditioner. In hindsight, I should have consulted Mother and obtained the perfume from the beginning.

“Teacher, is your hair like this because of the shampoo and conditioner you made earlier?”

“Yes. I’ll leave some in the bathhouse for everyone, so you can try it too.”

A cheer of “Ohhhh!” rose from the room. Lyla-san’s voice was naturally the most enthusiastic. Perhaps I should add rose fragrance to the limited quantities intended for the household as well.

Should I make separate versions for men and women? No, it would be better to prepare an unscented version too.

I had already taught Fabienne how to make shampoo and conditioner, so once we settled on the amount of fragrance, she could handle the rest. Meanwhile, I finally wrote to Sister-in-law Meeka and prepared the Sparring Tickets.

“How many Sparring Tickets should I make? I need to add an expiry date too. Nero, what do you think?”

“Julius-sama, you’ll be helping to run the horse races during summer break. Too many tickets might leave you without time to rest. I think five will be sufficient.”

“Alright, five it is.”

At that pace, it should be about once a week—manageable. No need to worry about counterfeiting, right? I’ll just keep track of the tickets used.

In the end, the entire day was spent making shampoo and conditioner.

Since we were already making so much, I decided to provide an unscented supply for House Heine’s territorial knights as well. Many of them probably had damaged hair, and fragrance could be distracting during battle.

By evening, I had gathered the household and the territorial knights to explain how to use the shampoo and conditioner. Most of the attendees were women. Their enthusiasm reminded me that women should be consulted whenever I developed beauty products.

Afterwards, the House Heine estate was filled with people whose healthy, gleaming hair formed halos around their heads. Let the halos spread far and wide, I thought—to men and women alike, including the territorial knights.

Some female knights requested scented versions, so I allowed them to use the fragrant products only on the night before their days off. I felt a little guilty about this restriction, but they were delighted nonetheless.

Naturally, the shampoo and conditioner soon went on sale through the Heine Trading Company, and we began recruiting additional staff. Because they were daily-use products and the recipe remained secret, competitors would not be able to copy them immediately. That gave us time to establish the Heine brand firmly. Heh heh.

The day arrived for Brother Alex and Sister-in-law Daniela to leave for the royal capital. I entrusted them with the letters and the shampoo and conditioner for Sister-in-law Meeka.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure Meeka-chan receives them.”

“I’ll also give Brother Cain the healing potions Julius made.”

“Thank you very much.”

Brother Cain would surely put the healing potions to good use, whether for himself or someone else. The reputation of House Heine’s potions sold through the Heine Trading Company was steadily spreading.

“I’m sure Mother will be delighted with the shampoo and conditioner Julius made.”

Indeed. While preparing Sister-in-law Meeka’s gift, I had also decided to present shampoo and conditioner to Her Majesty the Queen. Mother had strongly insisted that “she would absolutely want it,” and I could only agree.

I considered teaching the method to the royal magic pharmacists, but shampoo and conditioner were not magic potions, so I decided against it. If sales went well, we could simply hire more workers. Classifying them as daily-use products had been the right decision.

For now, they probably would not spread among commoners, so production would focus on the nobility. I secretly planned to market them as high-end luxury goods. The profit margins could be tremendous, and I was honestly looking forward to it. I would make sure the workers received generous wages.