The Blackened Second Male Lead’s Wife - Chapter 61

“…..!”

Lucian’s red eyes shook. Kuhn said, raising the corners of his mouth. 

“The emperor threatened her. That if Kardien doesn’t go to war, she and you might fall apart. So, would she not come all the way here after hearing that?” 

Kuhn continued to talk while looking at Lucian with mischievous eyes. 

“Why are you making that face? It’s not that you didn’t know. Or did you want to pretend to not know? 

“…..”

Kuhn kicked his tongue. 

“Well… Grow up, Kardien.” 

Lucian no longer wanted to listen to Kuhn. Lucian passed Kuhn with a cold face. 

[Everyone here is a stranger to her, and she has no one to turn to buy you, isn’t that exciting?] 

Kuhn’s words kept coming to mind. 

Lucian shook his head. 

‘No.’

Lucian loves Pernia. 

The love he knew was to care and cherish the other person.

So Lucian hoped with all of his heart.

May Pernia be surrounded by many who care about her, and she can do what she wants, smile and be happy. 

‘But why…’ 

Lucian looked at Pernia in the distance with a hardened face. 

Pernia, who Lucian thought would be waiting for him alone, was surrounded by people.

The people were holding their stomachs and laughing, and Pernia was chattering with a glowing face. 

She looked energetic, with no hint of loneliness despite being in a strange place. 

The moment he saw that, he felt cold all over. 

Lucian hurriedly suppressed these feelings. 

Lucian thought he should hypnotize himself. 

‘If she’s happy, I’m happy.’

I have to.

I ought to.

Lucian managed to pull himself together and open his mouth. 

“Nia.” 

As soon as his voice reached them, all the eyes of the women around Pernia turned to Lucian. 

Pernia greeted Lucian with a bright face. 

“Lucian!” 

“You look busy today, unlike usual.”

At Lucian’s words, Pernia giggled. 

“Yes, I was putting makeup on Baroness Alicia.” 

“Makeup?” 

Only then did he notice that Baroness Alicia and her two daughters, who usually wore little makeup, were wearing more makeup. 

Baroness Alicia, wearing colorful eye makeup, blushed at Lucian. 

“Since I’m getting older, this makeup looks very awkward on me.” 

“Don’t say that, mother. Look how beautiful you are.” 

“She’s right. You look just like a haughty duchess from the empire”

Baroness Alicia laughed at the words of her two daughters. 

“If it is as you girls say, then I’m glad, but I’ll have to remove my makeup quickly before your father comes. There’s no saying how he’ll react since he’s very conservative.” 

Then she said to Lucian. 

“I think I can understand why Lord Kardien is so obsessed with Lady Pernia.” 

“……”

Lucian smiled subtly at the Baroness. 

* * *

Pernia’s room in Baron Alicia’s castle. 

When Lucian came to the castle, he would stay here with Pernia and leave for the soldiers again. 

Sometimes he watched Pernia fall asleep, but sometimes he only drank a cup of tea and left. 

“Seeing as you’re taking off your armor, you must have some spare time today.” 

Lucian nodded at Pernia’s words. 

“Yes. I don’t think there will be any emergencies today. So we can finally have dinner together.”

However, Pernia didn’t give much of a reaction. 

Until yesterday, if Lucian said they could have a meal together, she would have shouted ‘yahoo!’, but not today. 

Pernia said, lowering her eyebrows with an awkward face. 

“Actually, I decided to have dinner with the Alicia sisters today. Since Lucian rarely comes to eat dinner.” 

“Oh…” 

“It’ll be hard to cancel because I promised them first. I’ll ask the Alicia sisters if Lucian can also have dinner with us. Is that alright with you?” 

Lucian looked at Pernia for a moment and replied. 

“I don’t want to.”

“What?” 

Pernia’s eyes widened at the unexpected answer. 

After a while, Lucian covered his mouth with a surprised face. 

“Oh. No, I didn’t mean that. Of course, it’s okay.” 

At Lucian’s words, Pernia laughed as if she was relieved. 

“The Alicia sisters will love it. They’re huge fans of Lucian.” 

“….It seems like you’ve gotten pretty close to them within a day. Until yesterday, you were alone in your room.” 

Waiting for me. 

Not noticing the words Lucian had omitted, Pernia spoke with an innocent face. 

“Well, people found it difficult to approach me because they thought I would be hard to please. But thanks to those kids, we quickly became friends!” 

What Pernia held and shook in her hand was a soft pink cosmetic brush. 

Pernia continued with sparkling eyes. 

“I thought people would be more conservative because this is a closed-off province, but they weren’t. Rather, they found it very interesting to hear about the popular makeup techniques in the capital. Pernia’s makeup shop number 2 seems like a possibility.” 

“Are you going to open another shop?” 

“Nothing’s stopping me. I never thought I could come far and continue my business, but this is a huge opportunity.” 

“…..”

Pernia looks pretty whenever she is full of anticipation. Really pretty. 

But Lucian felt like he was suffocating.

He couldn’t tell her that he agreed, that it was a great idea, that he would root for her.

‘I don’t think you should. Don’t worry about those things and just wait for me.’

Lucian clenched his teeth at the wicked thoughts filling his mind. 

Lucian tried to suppress his emotions and raised the corners of his mouth. This was the best he could do. 

* * * 

Baron Alicia, the owner of the castle, entered the castle with a solemn face. 

However, as soon as he entered the castle, he let out an undignified scream. 

“Welcome home, honey.” 

“You’re home, father.” 

This is because his wife and two daughters, who always greeted him with gentle faces, looked ridiculous. 

Raised eyebrows, big and sharp eyes, red lips, nothing that made them look gentle. 

Baron Alicia was a patriarchal man. When he entered the castle, he always looked for food first thing first. 

However, when he saw the three women, he couldn’t say anything. 

‘What’s for dinner?’

He thought that the moment he said anything, the three women would eerily say, ‘Shall I cook you?’ 

In the end, Baron Alicia did not say anything, stepped back and disappeared. 

Baroness Alicia and her two daughters tilted their heads. 

“What’s wrong with your father?”” 

“I guess we looked that pretty.”

“I guess so.” 

I laughed at their exchange. 

In fact, I knew why Baron Alicia disappeared with that face. 

The makeup Baroness Alicia and her two daughters had on was too much for me, too. It looked like a beginner’s makeup fail. 

‘She painted her eyes with black eyeshadow, too recklessly which made her look like an angry panda bear.’ 

That was the new makeup method I developed with them today. It was an intense look that could make anyone’s shoulders flinch.

‘But with a little refinement, the final stage to  strong unnie’s makeup look will be complete. Very good.’ 

I nodded with a satisfied face. 

Is it because, unlike the peaceful capital city, the conflict area is full of battles and rampant with monsters that Baroness Alicia and her two daughters aimed for a much bolder makeup look than I thought they would. 

Thanks to this, I was able to develop an even bolder and original makeup look than before. 

If I studied makeup, meticulously documented the methods I developed, and put makeup on those who came, a day would pass by so quickly.

But there was a problem. 

I used up all the cosmetics I had brought! 

Tools like brushes were fine, but not consumables like eyeshadow don or rouge.

“Is there a place that sells cosmetics here?” 

Baroness Alicia answered with her two black eyes. 

“This area is rural, so there’s no such place.”

“My condolences.” 

“What?” 

“Oh, no. I said nonsense without realizing it. Don’t worry about it.” 

If I had continued speaking, the words “panda boss” would have gotten out. 

‘Next time, I’ll make my eyeshadow lighter.’ 

Stabilizing my beating heart, I thought about how to procure cosmetics again. 

‘Should I ask Anne to buy cosmetics and send it to me?’

However, it was a very far distance from the capital city. In addition, is there a company that will deliver cosmetics to this place in time of war? 

Then Baroness Alicia said. 

“How about making your own cosmetics?” 

My eyes widened at her suggestion.

“How?” 

“It’s not like people don’t wear any makeup here in the countryside. People who need cosmetics would gather flowers or herbs from the forest to make it.” 

Oh, that’s a good idea! 

I’ve never tried it, but it was a good idea to try. 

‘I roughly remember the steps to make it, so it won’t be difficult. In addition, if I make it myself, I can create colors and textures that have not existed before.‘

My eyes twinkled like an explorer who discovered a new continent.

“Where is the forest that people go to gather the materials?” 

“If you walk a little to the back of the castle, you’ll find it. But it’s dangerous to go alone.”

The first daughter nodded. 

“Mother’s right. The terrain is complicated, so you can easily get lost. There are also many dangerous plants.” 

The second daughter said bravely. 

“Then, let’s go together.” 

Baroness Alicia frowned. 

“How do you plan on going when you also don’t know your way around the forest? Let me think.” 

Baroness Alicia began to think with her arms folded. 

‘Who should I sacrifice?’

Her face made her look like she was thinking that, but in reality, it seemed like she was wondering if there was anyone who could guide me. 

After a while, Baroness Alicia said, “Oh,” and her eyes gleamed. 

“Come to think of it, he said he was going to the forest tomorrow. You can go with that person.”