NOVEL NEXT Chapter 25
Isekai Laedy, Comes Up!
“Oh my, you must be Yuuri-chan?”
The person called out with a remarkably friendly, cheerful, and incredibly charming smile that seemed to slip right into one’s heart. Yuuri, feeling very satisfied after having washed and hung out all the sheets in their hideout on such a pleasant sunny day, tilted his head curiously at the stranger. Next to him, Urgus, who had been helping with the laundry, let out a small groan, but Yuuri didn’t notice.
The person made a striking impression. Despite their gentle smile, their well-proportioned face was lightly made up. Long brown hair was loosely braided and hung over their shoulder, with a single lock dyed silver. Their slender body was dressed in a sleek pants style, with a piece of cloth wrapped around their waist like a skirt. Whenever they moved, their earrings jingled softly.
Yuuri, tilting his head more and more, spoke to the person in front of him.
“You’re gorgeous.”
“Oh, thank you. You’re just as kind as the rumors say. No one has ever greeted me like that on our first meeting.”
“But it’s true, you’re gorgeous. It really suits you.”
“Oh my, you’re such a sweet child.”
The person’s eyes narrowed happily as they smiled, and there was no denying their beauty. The makeup, accessories, and slightly eccentric clothing all suited them perfectly. However, however.
Their voice, face, and physique were unmistakably male.
Urgus averted his gaze from the person before him. He seemed to be uncomfortable with this enigmatic beauty. Yuuri had never known anyone like this before. But, they didn’t seem like a bad person, and although their appearance was a bit eccentric, it suited them well, so Yuuri had no intention of commenting further.
“I haven’t introduced myself yet. Please call me Leone. I run a perfume shop in town.”
“…A perfume shop. Ah, are you the owner of ‘Rainbow Drops’?”
“Bingo. Thank you for purchasing my masterpiece the other day.”
Yuuri bowed his head to the perfumer who called themselves Leone with a smile. He had bought perfume from the shop ‘Rainbow Drops’ to make sachets recently. From the information he gathered in town, it was a slightly pricey but unquestionably top-notch perfume shop. The girl who was tending the store when he made his purchase didn’t hint that the owner and perfumer would be such an eccentric person.
“What are you doing here, Leopold?”
“Oh, that’s not very nice, Ali. I told you to call me Leone.”
“Your name is Leopold, you crazy perfumer.”
“You’re still as harsh as ever. And when will you stop shaving your head? It’s such a waste.”
Leone, now called Leopold, pouted as they exchanged words with Ali, leaving Yuuri scratching his head. Urgus had quietly disappeared, likely not wanting to get involved in their exchange. When Yuuri caught sight of Camille and Mag down the hallway, they waved briefly and vanished, probably to avoid the situation.
The sight of Ali, a bald man with an eyepatch, and Leopold, a man with long braided hair and makeup, facing off was quite intense. But Yuuri, being his usual laid-back self, wasn’t bothered by the details and voiced his curiosity.
“Ali-san, do you shave your own head?”
“Yes, Yuuri-chan. This man has rare, beautiful strawberry-blonde hair. Yet he shaves it all off…”
“A guy doesn’t have time to fuss over his hair color. Besides, I hate that name.”
“Strawberry blonde is lovely. Ali-san, it would suit you.”
“Hey, Yuuri.”
“That’s right. As expected of Yuuri-chan, I trust your sense.”
“Leopold, why are you so excited?”
Leone and Yuuri cheerfully held hands as Ali pressed his temples in frustration. Neither of them meant any harm. One was a seasoned stylist who perfected their look with clothes and makeup, and the other was a laid-back boy who loved cute and beautiful things. They were bound to get along, mainly due to their similar tastes.
“So, why are you here?”
“To meet Yuuri-chan, of course. It’s rare for a boy to buy my perfume, and this boy even made such wonderful sachets. I had to meet him.”
“Wait, how do you know about the sachets?”
“Relei-chan told me.”
“That little girl.”
Ali groaned lowly about leaking unnecessary information, but Leopold just smiled. Despite knowing he was a man, his gentle atmosphere was captivating. There was nothing unpleasant about him, it was just his unique charm.
Leopold suddenly narrowed his eyes and looked at Yuuri seriously, making Yuuri tilt his head curiously. Leopold reached out and gently brushed aside the long bangs covering half of Yuuri’s glasses with fingers that, while slender, were quite sturdy.
“Oh my, I thought you had a soft vibe, but you have such a cute face.”
“…Cute?”
“Yes, like a small animal. It’s a waste to hide your face with such long bangs. Is there a reason you keep them long?”
Leopold’s kind smile conveyed that he wouldn’t force Yuuri if there was a reason. Whether Yuuri understood or not, he answered bluntly.
“It’s just too much trouble to cut them.”
Leopold froze. Ali, behind him, couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. Yuuri’s nonchalant words were too unexpected. Yuuri loved cute and pretty things, enjoyed cleaning and doing laundry, and always decorated spaces when he had the chance. So, his answer was quite unexpected.
Leopold quickly recovered, sighed, and looked at Yuuri with a troubled expression.
“I see. You like to decorate everything around you but don’t care much about yourself?”
“Huh? But I don’t think cute or pretty things suit me.”
“That’s true. You’re cute, but you’re just an ordinary boy. So you focus on decorating everything around you.”
Leopold had understood. As a perfumer who loved dressing up, he had a talent for enhancing what suited him. He believed that mastering his perfumes made him a professional. This mindset was similar to that of a fashion designer.
Yuuri, on the other hand, was a type who cared more about creating and decorating for others rather than himself. Like a furniture or accessory craftsman, he was dedicated to making good things for someone else to use or admire.
“So, at least let me cut or tie up your bangs so your cute face can be seen.”
“Huh? Does it matter?”
“It matters to me. I want to make cute things cuter. Would you mind?”
“No, I was thinking of cutting them soon anyway, so please do.”
Yuuri bowed his head without any hesitation. Leopold glanced at Ali, who avoided his gaze, as if saying, “Don’t ask me.” Understanding, Leopold led Yuuri to the garden. He pulled a large cloth from his waist pouch and told Yuuri to hold it in front of his face. Yuuri obediently took off his glasses, closed his eyes, and held the cloth. Leopold smiled and began cutting Yuuri’s bangs skillfully with scissors and a comb from the same pouch. The fact that the pouch was a magic bag was evident.
Leopold was experienced. He quickly trimmed Yuuri’s bangs neatly to just above the glasses’ frame, revealing Yuuri’s face that had been half-hidden. As Leopold described, it was a cute, youthful face.
“Thank you.”
Yuuri checked his reflection in a water bucket. The length was perfect, stylishly cut. It showed Leopold’s skill. Yuuri blinked repeatedly in the now clearer light but had no complaints.
“Leone-san, you’re good at cutting hair.”
“I trim my bangs often, so I’m quite good at it.”
The beautiful stylist laughed happily. Yuuri smiled back, oblivious to the trouble he and Leopold caused Ali, who was now holding his head in frustration. But no one understood Ali’s troubles.
As an aside, Leopold, having taken a liking to Yuuri, frequently visited the hideout, much to the dismay of some of the male members.