“Sir Henry.”
“Sir Henry?”
“He didn’t show up for work today!”
I leave the shop to Ryan and Henry. Ryan goes out at dawn to open the shop, runs it with Henry, and leaves in the evening.
“Your skin, why...”
I and Erne brought Henry to the Rhineland Mansion. Then we called Betsey. Betsey looked at Henry's face and sighed.
“Now, Sir Henry, don’t cry and tell me in detail what you told Miss Harrington earlier. As detailed as possible. That you bought and used cosmetics.”
“Uh, yeah.”
Henry's eyes welled up with tears, dripping down his red, swollen skin. His face was turned upside down.
Blisters covered his neck, face, and hands, and where the blisters burst, pus and blood flowed out.
There were also nail marks here and there. Henry whined, saying he didn't want to scratch, but it stung and itched so much that he couldn't bear it.
“A month, ugh, it was a month ago.”
“Come on, Sir Henry, drink some water, calm down, and speak calmly.”
Even after drinking water infused with herbal extracts containing calming properties, it took a long time for Henry to become able to talk.
“I met an old friend after a long time. Even though it’s been a long time, it’s only been half a year.”
Henry's friend owned a winery not far from the capital.
Although he didn't grow grapes himself, his skin wasn't in great shape because he patrolled the farm under the blazing sun every day and made sure the wine was made well.
But after half a year, his skin turned out to be as smooth as a hard-boiled egg.
“When I asked him what his secret was, he said he always applies nourishing cream.”
“So, you went to buy that nourishing cream?”
“Yes. There was a new cosmetics store on Bakeville Street, west of the capital. It was a membership-based store. I was able to buy cosmetics thanks to a friend’s recommendation.”
Bakeville Street was a street lined with shops catering to the aristocracy and was an area largely populated with salons and boutiques.
Henry said he had no doubts about the cosmetics store being in such a place.
“There were oils that you could apply to your skin like perfume, and there were also creams. Oh, and they even sold a cream that would relieve pain when applied to joints.”
There were only three of them. The price was not that expensive, twenty silver coins. Henry thought he was being fooled and bought one to try.
The effect was great.
His skin became smooth the day after he applied it, and on the third day, it started to glow from within.
“The more you spread it, the better the effect.”
In less than a week, he had used up the entire box. When he went to buy it again, he was told that the price had gone up and that he would pay 40 silver coins for each box. Henry bought it even though he knew full well that it was a tactic.
“Honestly, I was prepared to spend about 40 silver coins to see that level of effect.”
It was a price that ordinary people would never be able to afford, but Henry had quite a bit of money saved up from the salaries of the police and other things.
And above all, his family was wealthy enough to be knighted through his connections.
“But the next time I went, they asked me to give them a gold coin.”
The quantity decreased, but the price went up. Henry argued, but it was no use. There was a line of people willing to buy even a single gold coin.
Henry couldn't give up cosmetics, so he paid with gold coins and bought them.
“There was a friend among the employees who was quite kind and friendly. When I was going to buy just one bottle of cosmetics and leave, he told me that the price would have gone up again the next time I came, so he told me to just buy it today.”
Henry thought the employee was being nice. He thought he was just telling him not to do it because he kept getting ripped off, and that he was just giving him tips on how to get a cheaper price.
So that day, Henry bought a whopping 10 gold worth of cosmetics.
"Crazy."
Erne couldn't stand it any longer because it sounded crazy even when he heard it again, so he blurted out a word.
Burning ten gold coins in a cosmetic bag was something I could not even imagine. However, I did not speak my mind openly like Erne.
“After I used up all 10 bottles, the cosmetics store was gone.”
The problem starts here.
Henry tried to find out where they had gone. He asked his friend at the winery. He said he was also looking for them.
But even after two, three, four days, no one knew where they were.
And that's when the side effects started to appear.
His skin felt hot and itchy, and then small blisters started to form on the area where he applied the cosmetics. At first, he thought it would go away quickly. He went to the doctor and got some medicine.
But the medicine didn't work and his skin condition got worse, to the point where he couldn't go outside at all.
“I can’t live with this, ugh, ugh, sob.”
“Sir Henry, calm down. You’ll get dehydrated.”
“Then just let me die, ma’am. Heh, heh.”
Henry cried himself to sleep. When he woke up, he cried again. Of course, he didn't eat. The person who laughed so much didn't laugh or joke.
Although Beichi made various skin-friendly medicines and applied them to him, there was no real improvement.
“It will itch a little less.”
After Henry drank some natural painkillers and fell asleep, Beichi applied an ointment made from herbs onto his face.
“Is there no way to cure it?”
“We need to find the root cause to find a cure, but he said there are no cosmetics left.”
“Sir Henry?”
“He didn’t show up for work today!”
***
I leave the shop to Ryan and Henry. Ryan goes out at dawn to open the shop, runs it with Henry, and leaves in the evening.
I go to the store after delivering candles to a high-ranking official who ordered them in bulk or wanted them delivered to his home.
On days when the incense production was delayed, there were times when I would go out in the afternoon after making the incense.
Today was one of those days. I was quite surprised to hear the news since Henry had never been absent without permission before.
As Henry was out and about, Ryan, who had no way to contact me because he was alone at the store, happened to see Tan passing by on business and asked him to give me the news.
I rushed to the incense shop to pick up Erne, who was sharpening his sword. After seeing off the customers who were surging in, Erne had some free time and asked Ryan if he had any ideas.
“Actually, Sir Henry has been acting a bit strange since the day before yesterday.”
“I thought things were okay when we met the other day?”
“Oh, it wasn’t that strange, but he seemed a little anxious. Yesterday was the same.”
I thought back to Henry the day before yesterday and yesterday. Henry greeted me and Erne with a smiling face when they stopped by the store. At that time, he seemed a little tired. Was that because he was anxious?
“He looks nervous? This kid, is this gambling?”
Erne clicked his tongue.
“Sir Henry, surely not.”
Something must have happened. I closed the shop a little early that day and headed to the house where Henry lived with Erne.
“Sir Henry, Sir Henry.”
I knocked on Henry's door. No matter how many times I knocked, there was no answer from inside.
At that moment, the man who lived next door came home. He took off his fedora and gave a quick greeting to me and Erne.
“Are you acquainted with Sir Henry?”
“Yes, I was supposed to meet Sir Henry today, but he didn’t show up without saying anything, so I came looking for him.”
“Really? I heard he going out at dawn.”
“Did you hear Sir Henry going out this morning?”
“Yes, it was quiet in the early morning, but then I heard a loud noise and went out to check and saw Sir Henry walking away.”
If he went out at dawn, wouldn't he come back soon? I and Erne decided to wait a little longer in front of his house. But Henry didn't come back.
I and Erne waited for Henry until late at night and then returned. The next day, Henry did not come to the store. It was clear that something was wrong since he had not come out for two days without permission.
I and Erne went to Henry's house again. But this time Henry was not there. They wandered around Henry's house again today in vain.
“Where did you go, you punk?”
“Should I report it to the police?”
“They won’t even investigate you for only disappearing for two days.”
Erne shook his head as he untied Gold's reins from the pole. I was caressing Gold's nose and worrying about Henry.
“Erne, over there, isn’t that Sir Henry?”
His face couldn't be seen well because the hood of his robe was pulled down low and it was night, but his gait and build were exactly like Henry's.
Still, just in case, Erne and I waited for him to come closer.
But then a man, presumed to be Henry, suddenly stood tall as he walked along. Then he shook his shoulders.
“Is he crying now?”
“I think he's crying.”
I and Erne approached him as the sobbing grew louder. Looking closer, we could clearly see that it was Henry.
“Sir Henry, what’s wrong? What’s wrong?”
“Ugh, huh, bu, in, huh.”
I took a handkerchief out of my pocket and handed it to him. Henry held onto my handkerchief and cried even more bitterly.
Henry was completely covered up as if he was not wearing a mask. He had his hood pulled over his head, half of his face was covered by a mask, and he was wearing long sleeves and gloves.
Not only me but also Erne had never seen Henry cover up his body like this before.
“Who hit you?”
Erne thought Henry was hiding his wounds.
“Who hit you? Tell me.”
Erne would normally have said something like, "A guy who has been to war is getting beaten up," but he was taken aback when Henry cried so sadly.
“Yes, Sir Henry, speak. Just tell me who it is and Erne will come and scold him.”
“Yeah, I’m not usually like that, but just this once, I’ll make a special trip and hit him, so tell me. Who is he?”
Henry shook his head at Erne's words. Heuk, huff, swallowing his tears, Henry slowly took off his hood and lowered his mask.
I and Erne were shocked when they saw his face.
“Sir Henry, your face...”
On days when the incense production was delayed, there were times when I would go out in the afternoon after making the incense.
Today was one of those days. I was quite surprised to hear the news since Henry had never been absent without permission before.
As Henry was out and about, Ryan, who had no way to contact me because he was alone at the store, happened to see Tan passing by on business and asked him to give me the news.
I rushed to the incense shop to pick up Erne, who was sharpening his sword. After seeing off the customers who were surging in, Erne had some free time and asked Ryan if he had any ideas.
“Actually, Sir Henry has been acting a bit strange since the day before yesterday.”
“I thought things were okay when we met the other day?”
“Oh, it wasn’t that strange, but he seemed a little anxious. Yesterday was the same.”
I thought back to Henry the day before yesterday and yesterday. Henry greeted me and Erne with a smiling face when they stopped by the store. At that time, he seemed a little tired. Was that because he was anxious?
“He looks nervous? This kid, is this gambling?”
Erne clicked his tongue.
“Sir Henry, surely not.”
Something must have happened. I closed the shop a little early that day and headed to the house where Henry lived with Erne.
***
“Sir Henry, Sir Henry.”
I knocked on Henry's door. No matter how many times I knocked, there was no answer from inside.
At that moment, the man who lived next door came home. He took off his fedora and gave a quick greeting to me and Erne.
“Are you acquainted with Sir Henry?”
“Yes, I was supposed to meet Sir Henry today, but he didn’t show up without saying anything, so I came looking for him.”
“Really? I heard he going out at dawn.”
“Did you hear Sir Henry going out this morning?”
“Yes, it was quiet in the early morning, but then I heard a loud noise and went out to check and saw Sir Henry walking away.”
If he went out at dawn, wouldn't he come back soon? I and Erne decided to wait a little longer in front of his house. But Henry didn't come back.
***
I and Erne waited for Henry until late at night and then returned. The next day, Henry did not come to the store. It was clear that something was wrong since he had not come out for two days without permission.
I and Erne went to Henry's house again. But this time Henry was not there. They wandered around Henry's house again today in vain.
“Where did you go, you punk?”
“Should I report it to the police?”
“They won’t even investigate you for only disappearing for two days.”
Erne shook his head as he untied Gold's reins from the pole. I was caressing Gold's nose and worrying about Henry.
“Erne, over there, isn’t that Sir Henry?”
His face couldn't be seen well because the hood of his robe was pulled down low and it was night, but his gait and build were exactly like Henry's.
Still, just in case, Erne and I waited for him to come closer.
But then a man, presumed to be Henry, suddenly stood tall as he walked along. Then he shook his shoulders.
“Is he crying now?”
“I think he's crying.”
I and Erne approached him as the sobbing grew louder. Looking closer, we could clearly see that it was Henry.
“Sir Henry, what’s wrong? What’s wrong?”
“Ugh, huh, bu, in, huh.”
I took a handkerchief out of my pocket and handed it to him. Henry held onto my handkerchief and cried even more bitterly.
Henry was completely covered up as if he was not wearing a mask. He had his hood pulled over his head, half of his face was covered by a mask, and he was wearing long sleeves and gloves.
Not only me but also Erne had never seen Henry cover up his body like this before.
“Who hit you?”
Erne thought Henry was hiding his wounds.
“Who hit you? Tell me.”
Erne would normally have said something like, "A guy who has been to war is getting beaten up," but he was taken aback when Henry cried so sadly.
“Yes, Sir Henry, speak. Just tell me who it is and Erne will come and scold him.”
“Yeah, I’m not usually like that, but just this once, I’ll make a special trip and hit him, so tell me. Who is he?”
Henry shook his head at Erne's words. Heuk, huff, swallowing his tears, Henry slowly took off his hood and lowered his mask.
I and Erne were shocked when they saw his face.
“Sir Henry, your face...”
“Your skin, why...”
***
I and Erne brought Henry to the Rhineland Mansion. Then we called Betsey. Betsey looked at Henry's face and sighed.
“Now, Sir Henry, don’t cry and tell me in detail what you told Miss Harrington earlier. As detailed as possible. That you bought and used cosmetics.”
“Uh, yeah.”
Henry's eyes welled up with tears, dripping down his red, swollen skin. His face was turned upside down.
Blisters covered his neck, face, and hands, and where the blisters burst, pus and blood flowed out.
There were also nail marks here and there. Henry whined, saying he didn't want to scratch, but it stung and itched so much that he couldn't bear it.
“A month, ugh, it was a month ago.”
“Come on, Sir Henry, drink some water, calm down, and speak calmly.”
Even after drinking water infused with herbal extracts containing calming properties, it took a long time for Henry to become able to talk.
“I met an old friend after a long time. Even though it’s been a long time, it’s only been half a year.”
Henry's friend owned a winery not far from the capital.
Although he didn't grow grapes himself, his skin wasn't in great shape because he patrolled the farm under the blazing sun every day and made sure the wine was made well.
But after half a year, his skin turned out to be as smooth as a hard-boiled egg.
“When I asked him what his secret was, he said he always applies nourishing cream.”
“So, you went to buy that nourishing cream?”
“Yes. There was a new cosmetics store on Bakeville Street, west of the capital. It was a membership-based store. I was able to buy cosmetics thanks to a friend’s recommendation.”
Bakeville Street was a street lined with shops catering to the aristocracy and was an area largely populated with salons and boutiques.
Henry said he had no doubts about the cosmetics store being in such a place.
“There were oils that you could apply to your skin like perfume, and there were also creams. Oh, and they even sold a cream that would relieve pain when applied to joints.”
There were only three of them. The price was not that expensive, twenty silver coins. Henry thought he was being fooled and bought one to try.
The effect was great.
His skin became smooth the day after he applied it, and on the third day, it started to glow from within.
“The more you spread it, the better the effect.”
In less than a week, he had used up the entire box. When he went to buy it again, he was told that the price had gone up and that he would pay 40 silver coins for each box. Henry bought it even though he knew full well that it was a tactic.
“Honestly, I was prepared to spend about 40 silver coins to see that level of effect.”
It was a price that ordinary people would never be able to afford, but Henry had quite a bit of money saved up from the salaries of the police and other things.
And above all, his family was wealthy enough to be knighted through his connections.
“But the next time I went, they asked me to give them a gold coin.”
The quantity decreased, but the price went up. Henry argued, but it was no use. There was a line of people willing to buy even a single gold coin.
Henry couldn't give up cosmetics, so he paid with gold coins and bought them.
“There was a friend among the employees who was quite kind and friendly. When I was going to buy just one bottle of cosmetics and leave, he told me that the price would have gone up again the next time I came, so he told me to just buy it today.”
Henry thought the employee was being nice. He thought he was just telling him not to do it because he kept getting ripped off, and that he was just giving him tips on how to get a cheaper price.
So that day, Henry bought a whopping 10 gold worth of cosmetics.
"Crazy."
Erne couldn't stand it any longer because it sounded crazy even when he heard it again, so he blurted out a word.
Burning ten gold coins in a cosmetic bag was something I could not even imagine. However, I did not speak my mind openly like Erne.
“After I used up all 10 bottles, the cosmetics store was gone.”
The problem starts here.
Henry tried to find out where they had gone. He asked his friend at the winery. He said he was also looking for them.
But even after two, three, four days, no one knew where they were.
And that's when the side effects started to appear.
His skin felt hot and itchy, and then small blisters started to form on the area where he applied the cosmetics. At first, he thought it would go away quickly. He went to the doctor and got some medicine.
But the medicine didn't work and his skin condition got worse, to the point where he couldn't go outside at all.
“I can’t live with this, ugh, ugh, sob.”
“Sir Henry, calm down. You’ll get dehydrated.”
“Then just let me die, ma’am. Heh, heh.”
Henry cried himself to sleep. When he woke up, he cried again. Of course, he didn't eat. The person who laughed so much didn't laugh or joke.
Although Beichi made various skin-friendly medicines and applied them to him, there was no real improvement.
“It will itch a little less.”
After Henry drank some natural painkillers and fell asleep, Beichi applied an ointment made from herbs onto his face.
“Is there no way to cure it?”
“We need to find the root cause to find a cure, but he said there are no cosmetics left.”
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