“What?” Ghislain asked playfully, pretending not to know, even though he clearly did, a mischievous grin on his face.

Belinda, looking frustrated, clutched her chest dramatically and exclaimed, "I want some too! Give me some of that cosmetic! I need a lot. I have to take care of my skin now that I’m getting older!"

“You said you didn’t need it before, though.”

“What are you talking about? I signed up for it too! Those idiots blocked me from getting any! Ha! Our lord really can do everything, can’t he?” she replied shamelessly.

Ghislain chuckled and tossed a few of the cosmetics to her from the pile beside him. He had prepared plenty to test on different people anyway.

“Eek! Thank you so much!” Belinda beamed, clutching the cosmetics tightly before swiftly walking away.

Next, Kaor and a group of mercenaries confidently stepped forward.

“We’d like some too,” Kaor requested.

“You guys said men don’t use stuff like this. Besides, you’ve never been interested in grooming, have you?” Ghislain responded. Mercenaries, aside from a few exceptions, generally didn’t care much about their appearance. No matter how much they groomed, they’d only end up looking like well-kept thugs.

Kaor, annoyed at being lumped in with the others, elbowed the mercenary beside him.

“…I want to impress someone.”

“What?”

“I want to give it as a gift to a woman. To win her over.”

“Well... at least you’re honest,” Ghislain said, shaking his head at their straightforward desires.

“Take what you need and share with the others. But tell the recipients to report any side effects.”

“Yes, sir!”

Ghislain handed them a few boxes of the product, and the mercenaries cheered as they rushed out of the room, thrilled with their haul.

“Wendy, make sure to distribute some to the other staff in the castle. And have them report back on how it works,” Ghislain instructed.

“Understood.”

He handed a few more boxes to Wendy, who nodded and left to fulfill the task. Meanwhile, the other vassals, who had been watching, each grabbed a container or two, gleefully taking them back to try themselves.

The only ones left biting their nails in anxiety were Claude and the mages.

“You can’t have any,” Ghislain said firmly, addressing them. “We’re still in the middle of a bet.”

“Ugh… so unfair…” they muttered, dejected.

The result of the bet hadn’t been determined yet. But with word spreading about Gillian’s successful results, Claude and the mages couldn’t help but feel uneasy. They had come to inspect the product for themselves, but there was no chance Ghislain would let them.

“Let’s go back for now. There’s no need to be scared yet. We still have time,” Claude said, trying to reassure the mages as they withdrew.

So far, only one person had shown results, and that person was Gillian, who controlled mana. Maybe there was another reason for his improved skin, they rationalized. Nodding in agreement, the mages felt slightly more at ease.

After the flurry of activity in the office, Gillian came to visit Ghislain.

Ghislain greeted him with enthusiasm. “Oh, Gillian, come on in.”

Gillian had been the first to volunteer when everyone else hesitated, and his visible results had helped recruit more participants for the tests, making the process much smoother.

“Your skin looks great. How are you feeling about the product?” Ghislain asked.

“It’s excellent. I feel younger already,” Gillian replied, smiling confidently, his now-smooth skin gleaming.

“So, what brings you here? You should still have some cosmetics left. Or is this a training report?”

“…I’d like to ask for one more.”

“Huh?”

“I want to send it to my daughter.”

“Ah, I see. A parent’s heart at work.”

Rachel was in Ferdiom with Elena, and Gillian hadn’t seen her in quite some time. Of course, he’d want to send something nice to his daughter, since he couldn’t be there to take care of her directly.

Ghislain, smiling, handed over several more containers of the product. “Go ahead, use as much as you need. Thanks to you, we’ve been able to get plenty of volunteers. Once the situation in the territory stabilizes, I’ll bring Elena and Rachel here, so hang in there a little longer.”

“Thank you. I’m sure everyone else will be just as satisfied after they use it,” Gillian said confidently.

Ghislain laughed as they looked at each other. With so many participants, they could now thoroughly verify the product’s effectiveness.

“Hm… maybe I should take some to Vanessa too. She’s been training non-stop recently.”

Ghislain made his way to the training grounds to personally visit Vanessa, who had been secluded, focusing on breaking through to the 6th circle of magic. When he arrived unannounced, Vanessa was startled, her face flushing red.

“Oh, my lord... Why are you here so suddenly...?”

“Wow... look at you...”

Ghislain was shocked by her appearance. It was clear she had been training and researching non-stop. Her hair was greasy and unkempt, and her clothes looked like they hadn’t been changed in days.

Ghislain cleared his throat, then handed her a container of the cosmetic. “Have you heard the rumors? This is the product everyone’s been talking about. Try it out when you get a chance.”

“Y-yes! Thank you very much.”

“And… don’t forget to sleep, eat, and maybe wash up a bit while you’re at it,” Ghislain added with a smile.

Vanessa lowered her head, smiling shyly. She wasn’t sure what to do with the gift, but this was the first time she had ever received anything like this.

As Ghislain made his way out, he peeked back through the slightly open door of the training hall. Vanessa had carefully placed the cosmetic in a corner and disappeared back into her mountain of books, immersing herself in her studies once again.

“Wow… how does she read all that? Can she really take it all in?”

Mages could use cleansing magic to maintain a basic level of cleanliness, so most of them would be embarrassed to be seen in such a state. But Vanessa was so engrossed in her studies that cleanliness was the least of her concerns.

“Well, I guess she didn’t have many chances to study like this before. Still, it’s impressive,” Ghislain mused.

She had always studied diligently, even while doing menial work at the magic tower. Now, having the freedom to focus solely on her training and research must be a dream come true for her.

“I’ll have to boost her mana reserves soon too. She’s really reliable,” Ghislain thought, smiling to himself as he returned to his office.

Once back, he gave out another order.

“If there’s anyone who hasn’t received the product yet but needs it, tell them to come to me.”

Ghislain’s command spread quickly throughout the castle. Soon, more people came after hearing the news, and the remaining samples were distributed in no time.

The response was overwhelming.

“Have you tried what the lord gave us? It’s amazing! Everyone’s talking about it.”

“Hey, check out my skin! It’s only been two days, and I feel like I’ve taken ten years off. Doesn’t it look great?”

“Well, maybe not ten years... But you do look a little younger.”

“This is stuff only nobles get to use. When else would we ever have the chance to try it?”

“They say the ingredients are super expensive. We should use it sparingly. I wish I’d asked for more.”

People couldn’t stop talking about the cosmetic whenever they gathered. The product’s effect was especially noticeable on those who didn’t usually take care of their skin, and it showed in a big way.

Ghislain received regular reports from those who had been using it for several days.

“Good, most of the feedback is positive,” he noted.

The results were overwhelmingly favorable. No one had a single bad thing to say about it, and many were asking for more. The fact that they were using something normally reserved for nobles only added to the product’s allure.

As the mood in the castle grew more lively, Claude and the mages became increasingly anxious.

“Damn it! Have you seen people’s faces lately? They’re all getting smoother! This stuff really works, doesn’t it? What are we going to do?” Alfoy shouted, on edge. But Claude, pretending to be unfazed, replied calmly.

“Relax. We don’t have the final result yet. Why are you so worked up? In gambling, impatience is the enemy. Nobody knows the outcome until the final card is revealed.”

“But everyone keeps praising it! Their faces really seem to be improving!”

“They’re just caught up in the excitement. It’s like getting a good night’s sleep and suddenly feeling better. Besides, you don’t know this, but the product contains incredibly rare and expensive herbs. It might make their skin seem temporarily better.”

“What? Then it does work!”

Claude scoffed, clearly unimpressed.

“If throwing a bunch of rare ingredients together guaranteed success, the magic tower would have succeeded long ago. Just because something is expensive doesn’t mean it’s good. Combine too many things, and you get poison. That’s why nobles are cautious.”

“I guess that’s true…”

“Don’t worry and just relax. Think logically. It’s impossible for the lord to succeed. You and I both know that.”

“Y-yeah, that’s right.”

Though still uneasy, Alfoy nodded in agreement. Claude, slamming his fist down on the desk, continued confidently.

“We’re intellectuals! People who make decisions with cold, rational minds! We can’t let ourselves be swayed by someone as ignorant and irrational as the lord.”

With Claude’s confident words, Alfoy regained some composure and left with the other mages. Watching them go, Claude sighed, shaking his head.

“Hah… these people are so weak-hearted. If they’re scared, they shouldn’t have bet in the first place. Tsk tsk.”

Wendy, who had been observing Claude from the sidelines, stared at him in disbelief.

‘You’re the one who pushed them into it!’

If nothing else, she had to admit, Claude’s audacity and silver tongue were something to be reckoned with.

Wendy shook her head, nudging Claude. Despite her disdain for him, he was still the steward of Fenris.

“Steward, we’ve got a lot of work piling up. The next task is to check the progress on the military warehouse construction…”

But Claude, suddenly biting his nails and squirming, seemed completely lost in thought. Wendy fell silent. It was clear that nothing she said was registering.

‘Damn it, what should I do? This stuff really seems to be working. I’m going crazy. Could he really succeed with this too?’

Wendy had been around Claude every day, and as she watched her own skin improve, it became clear to her that the cosmetics were working. They were doomed.

‘And there’s no way to sabotage it now!’

She had briefly considered interfering. After all, she was on the same side as the mages, and they had plenty of methods at their disposal. They could remove the water supply, preventing people from washing, or use a decay spell to pollute the air.

‘But that would land me in prison for at least 30 years.’

Knowing Ghislain’s temperament, if anything suspicious happened, he would lock people up even without solid proof.

Too many people had already taken the product for any kind of sabotage to work. Not only the staff of the castle but also the mercenaries and vassals had received it. The only way to stop it would be to sabotage the entire territory, something only a grand mage could accomplish.

‘Ugh, what do I do?’

Claude, pacing nervously, glanced at Wendy and grumbled.

“What? What are you looking at, traitor? You’ve been using the cosmetics too, haven’t you? Look at your smooth face.”

Wendy, a mixture of pity and disdain on her face, turned away. She had learned from experience that engaging with Claude would only lead to frustration.

Trying to calm himself, Claude shook his head.

‘There must be at least a few people who experience side effects. Cosmetics aren’t that easy to make. There’s no way the lord could pull this off. We’ll find out on the final day.’

Even if only a few people had adverse reactions, he could argue for a draw. Nobles would reject any product that had even the slightest risk, rendering it worthless.

‘There’s no need to panic just yet. The suspense is part of the thrill of gambling. I’ve gotten soft,’ Claude thought with a smirk, his delusion typical of a gambler in denial.

“Let’s get back to work. We have to keep up with our duties, or we’ll face a terrible backlash.”

Despite Ghislain’s seemingly laid-back demeanor, he could be quite tenacious when it came to holding people accountable.

While Claude struggled to deny the reality in front of him, Ghislain was reviewing the steadily growing reports with a satisfied smile.

“Zero side effects.”

Despite the large number of people who had been using the product for more than two weeks, there had been no side effects at all. Ghislain had expected it to take longer, considering the complex manufacturing process, but the fact that it had succeeded so quickly was surprising.

Not only was it satisfying to have successfully created the cosmetic, but it was also heartwarming to see people enjoy it so much. It meant that they were beginning to find some peace of mind.

After a moment of thought, Ghislain gave his vassals a new command.

“We’ve all been working non-stop lately. I’m planning to hold a banquet soon. Even with limited time, taking proper breaks is essential to continuing the fight.”

The vassals were shocked. This was the same lord who hadn’t held even a simple feast before, now suddenly suggesting a banquet.

‘Has the work-obsessed lord lost his mind?’

Seeing their surprise, Ghislain continued.

“We’ll hold the banquet on the final day of the bet. Prepare enough food and drink for the castle’s servants and the people of the territory. Some will still have to work, so we’ll extend the celebration over two days.”

The banquet would not only serve as a way to reveal the results of the bet but also provide an opportunity for everyone to rest.

In truth, the outcome of the bet was practically certain. During the farming bet, no one knew the result until the crops sprouted, but cosmetics were different. It was obvious whether they were effective simply by looking at the users’ faces each day.

As the news spread that even the servants could participate in the banquet, excitement grew throughout the castle. Only Claude and the mages wandered around in despair, praying desperately to the goddess.

“Please let the world end. Send us a demon lord, or something.”

They would rather see the world destroyed than face another humiliating defeat in the bet.