I Think My Fiancé Has Regressed

Chapter 71: Magic Amplifier (2)

Hearing my last words, Ms. Sophia sank to the floor and gave me a puzzled look.

“…Rest? You mean me?”

“Yes, I have to do some things first.”

I helped Ms. Sophia up, who wasn’t in the best of shape in more ways than one, and placed her back in the chair she’d been sitting in just a moment ago.

Right now, she needs three things.

Her hair needs moisturizing, her skin needs moisturizing, and her sleep needs to be addressed.

I’d better tackle them one at a time.

“Elise, are you outside?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Please come in for a minute.”

The door to my dorm opened and Elise, who had been waiting outside, walked inside.

“Did you need something?”

“I need you to get me a good-sized basin from the bathroom, but don’t fill it with water.”

“Okay.”

After seeing Elise walking towards the bathroom, I stood up and walked towards Miss Sophia’s back.

“Miss Sophia, please sit with your head upright.”

“Yes, what? What does that mean….?”

“Never mind, just do as you’re told.”

Her back, which had been hunched, straightened. I lifted a lock of Miss Sophia’s hair with my fingers.

“Poor thing, your hair is so damaged….”

Her light-blue streaks had lost their moisture due to poor care.

As I was sighing in pity, Elise appeared in front of me with a good-sized basin from the bathroom.

“Here you go, Ariana.”

“Please place it on that table, and afterward, I’d like you to find a comfortable outfit to change Miss Sophia into.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I watched as Elise went into the back of the dressing room, and this time I commanded Purr to use a spell straight.

“Go, a change of costume, what the hell are you talking about….?”

“Purr, fill a basin with magic water.”

“Kuu!”

“And heat the water with fire magic. I want the temperature to be around 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).”

“Koooo!”

The arcane water that filled the basin about three-quarters full slowly began to warm up with Purr’s fire magic.

Magic water, which meant arcane magic dissolved in water, had the property of being absorbed much faster than ordinary water.

Rather than using any kind of cosmetics to treat frizzy hair, the lukewarm water is best applied evenly.

I dip my finger in the water to check the temperature, and it seems to be just the right temperature.

“Good job, Purr.”

“Koooooo!”

I patted Purr’s head to thank her for her hard work and fed her my magic, while using my other hand to dip my handheld comb into the basin.

By this time, Elise had emerged from my dressing room and stood in front of me and Miss Sophia with three sets.

“I have three different gowns,” she said, “but which would you like me to change her into?”

I pointed to Elise, who came out with a light blue, chartreuse, and pink sleep dress, and immediately asked for input from the other party, Miss Sophia.

“Miss Sophia, which color do you like?”

“What, what?! You want me to pick?”

“Well, you’re going to wear it, so who’s to pick it?”

“Oh, no way, how could I borrow Ariana’s clothes and wear it! I’m so honored to have such an….”

“Stop.”

I dismissed Miss Sophia’s verbose refusal with one word, and asked her once more for her opinion in no uncertain terms.

“If you don’t pick something right away, I’ll take it as an indication that you’re uncomfortable in my clothes, and I’ll make you lie naked on my bed.”

“…Please make it light blue.”

“Okay.”

As Elise moved to put the other two sets of bedding away again, I picked up a comb, this time with plenty of mana, and took it to her hair.

“I’ll start combing.”

With a quick glance, I parted Miss Sophia’s hair into sections.

I immediately started brushing along the grain from the first section.

“Ah, Ariana….Hmmm…hey, what does this feel like….”

“Sorry, I’m not the best at combing.”

This is only the third time I’ve brushed someone else’s hair, after Charlotte and Elise.

Although I was shocked to receive harsh criticism from Charlotte, the first person I ever brushed.

“Ha, ha, ha…. I will never entrust my hair to you again…! Just try touching my hair from now on…!!”

I remember Charlotte screaming at me, red in the face, because she didn’t like it.

Although I did borrow Elise’s hair to practice brushing it after that….

“Hey Ariana….I think you can really stop practicing now….”

“Not yet, because as a duchess, I need to be able to do the brushing perfectly.”

“You’re already perfect….How many times have I not told you….I mean….”

“That’s what you said the first time I practiced, Elise, and even though you’re my employee, you don’t have to say things that sound too good to be true.”

“It’s not about saying something that sounds nice….I mean it from the bottom of my heart…!”

In the end, I can’t say I’ve gotten very good at it, seeing as how Elise’s response isn’t much better than my first practice.

At least I’m pretty satisfied with the way my hair looks when I brush it myself, so maybe my clumsy brushing isn’t hurting it.

“Ugh…. Ha…!”

“I’m sorry, but I’m trying to move as gently as possible to avoid hurting your scalp and hair, so please bear with me if I’m clumsy.”

“Clumsy? Where the hell are you……hhh!”

Miss Sophia, like Charlotte and Elise, was blatantly unhappy with my combing.

…Personally, I was thinking it hadn’t gotten any worse.

I had no choice but to ask Elise if she could help me practice again later.

It would be more comfortable for Sophia to have her hair brushed by Elise instead of me.

I’ve asked Elise to change her clothes, so I have no choice.

“Ms. Sophia, could you please stand up for a moment so I can change you into your bed clothes?”

“Yes, yes…!”

As Ms. Sophia stood up, Elise’s hand reached behind her back.

One by one, the buttons of the uncomfortable dress she was wearing lost their tension and began to unbutton under the skillful hands of the delicate user.

With all the buttons unbuttoned, Miss Sophia’s dress slid down, revealing her bare back and underwear.

My eyes naturally focused on her hair, not her body.

It’s been nearly twenty years since I’ve been a girl in this world, so I’m already used to showing my body to other women like Elise.

But it still feels a little guilty to stare at another woman’s body.

After 20 years, I’ve never gotten used to this feeling.

That’s why I kept my eyes focused on her hair, and by the time I finished brushing the last section.

Before I know it, Elise has completely dressed Sophia in her light blue pajamas.

Now it was time to put her to bed.

“Miss Sophia, please lie down on my bed.”

“Oh, Ms. Ariana….”

“Quickly, by the looks of you, you haven’t slept for days, don’t you know that sleep deprivation is the enemy of beauty?”

“Ha, but my hair isn’t dry yet….At this rate, Ariana’s bedding and robe will be soaked….”

“Use it.”

“Oh, okay….”

Once again, she showed signs of rejecting my words with some lame excuse, so I forcibly cut her off by blocking her trailing words.

I made sure Miss Sophia’s body was lying on the fluffy bed, and reached out to Elise to hand her the last of her beauty products.

“Elise, aloe cream.”

“Here you go, Ms. Ariana.”

I took it, scooped some aloe cream between my index and middle fingers, and placed a dollop on each cheek of the seated Miss Sophia.

“Aloe has a moisturizing effect on the skin, so I’m sure it will help yours quite a bit now that it’s parched.”

“Ariana….”

“Especially in these dry winter months, you have to be extra careful not to lose moisture from your skin, no matter how good your alchemical studies are.”

“I’m sorry….”

Really. I wonder if you even realize you’re a noble young lady.

My pride was not about to allow me to let one of the three powers that a noble young lady could have gone to waste.

If she is someone who has decided to become my person, she needs to have the dignity to match.

“If you understand, now close your eyes and get some sleep. I’ll give you a chance to tell me about the magic amplifier when you’re more rested.”

“Okay….”

After quietly closing her eyes, Miss Sophia’s face was rubbed with gentle hands until her entire face was coated with a thin layer of aloe cream.

Her forehead, both cheeks, the corners of her eyes, the middle of her face, under her chin, behind her ears, her nose and brow, and then her lips.

Little by little, Sophia’s skin, which was previously as pale as a barren desert, began to regain its life and color.

When I meticulously applied the last of the aloe cream to her neck

“…….”

There was only a Viscountess sleeping with a relaxed expression on her face left on my bed.