NOVEL WEB Chapter 138.1
Nail Art, One Step Beyond Manicure
“Ah, Yuuri-chan, welcome back.”
“…Ah, yes. I’m home. …So, Leone-san, what are you doing?”
Upon returning from shopping, Yuuri, Magg, and Rooks were greeted by an unexpected voice the moment they stepped into the hideout’s living room. Standing there with a cheerful smile was the peerlessly beautiful onē, the perfumer Leopold. Today, as always, his stunning beauty and gentle smile were truly captivating. However, since he was an outsider, seeing him relax and welcome them as if it were his own home left them feeling a bit awkward.
So, when Yuuri asked, “What are you doing?” it wasn’t a problem. The beautiful onē wouldn’t get angry over something like that. Especially since he had a soft spot for Yuuri, he wouldn’t get upset even if he got that kind of response. Then, with a soft smile, he showed the back of his right hand.
Meanwhile, Rooks had gone off to clean the hideout, and Magg had quickly headed to the kitchen to put away the groceries. Neither of them seemed interested in dealing with the onē.
“Did something happen to your hand?”
“I was trying out some nail polish, you see.”
“I see.”
Yuuri nodded obediently at Leopold’s explanation. However, the situation hadn’t been explained at all. While trying out nail polish was fine, it was another story entirely for him to be relaxing in the Scarlet Lynx’s hideout living room. But then again, Yuuri was the type not to worry about such things.
To put it simply, the onē had come to recommend new nail polish to the women of the Scarlet Lynx. The craftsman who made this nail polish was an acquaintance of Leopold’s. He had come to present his friend’s new product.
As such, the living room was filled with the women. Tifaana, Hermine, and Ireissia being there was expected for Yuuri. Aroru, however, seemed uncomfortable, likely having been dragged into it. The 10-year-old tomboy was at a difficult age, getting angry if treated like a boy but also rejecting girly clothes and accessories.
Among them, what surprised Yuuri a bit were Frau and Lelei. Especially Lelei. Frau, as an adult woman, would do minimal makeup and dress up on her days off, but Lelei was always natural. Seeing Lelei with nail polish or joining in made Yuuri tilt his head in confusion. It felt a bit out of character for her.
Perhaps sensing Yuuri’s confusion, Lelei waved her hand playfully. As a martial artist whose fists were her weapons, Lelei always took good care of her nails. Long nails were dangerous when making a fist, she had said. Seeing Lelei’s hand, Yuuri noticed something.
“Huh? Lelei, you’re not wearing nail polish?”
“I’m just using a protective one. It’s not for fashion.”
“Protective?”
“Just like skin and hair, nails need care too, Yuuri-chan.”
“Ah, I kind of knew that.”
Yuuri nodded obediently at Leopold’s addition. He knew there was nail polish for protecting nails. While it might seem like information boys wouldn’t know, those who played sports using their fingers were aware. He had heard that some baseball pitchers took care of their nails to prevent them from splitting. Thinking about it, Yuuri could understand why Lelei was in this circle.
Her cheerful declaration that it wasn’t for fashion was very much like Lelei. As proof, her well-shaped nails were glossy but colorless. She seemed to be using only a transparent, protective nail polish.
“I really want to try various colors on Lelei-chan’s nails.”
“Eh? No way.”
“Don’t answer so quickly. You really have no interest in fashion, do you…”
“It’s not that I have no interest in fashion. I like cute clothes and hair accessories. But I don’t need anything for my hands.”
Lelei laughed, and Leopold sighed. With her cheek resting on her hand, she sighed in a way that was picturesque and beautiful. As always, despite clearly being male, his feminine gestures and attire suited him perfectly.
Leopold wanting to dress up Lelei was a natural reaction for someone with a strong sense of beauty. Lelei, with her boyish or childlike demeanor, often went unnoticed, but she was actually a striking beauty with clear features. While she prioritized comfortable clothing, she had the potential to shine if dressed up.
However, she herself had little interest in that. The only thing that might be considered fashionable was the hairpin holding her bangs. Some of the hairpins Yuuri made as a hobby were also in Lelei’s possession. While she mostly used her favorite hairpin, she sometimes wore different ones, enjoying fashion in her own way.
“What a waste. Your nails and their shape are so beautiful… Wouldn’t you like to try a little color?”
“No way.”
“Why do you answer so quickly? It’s fine on your days off.”
“No way. Leone-san, these hands are my weapons. Fashion has no place on weapons.”
“…Sigh.”
While Leopold sighed sadly, Lelei giggled, waving her hands happily. As Leopold said, Lelei’s nails were well-maintained, like weapons. She always kept them neatly trimmed to ensure her fingertips had strength. After all, fingertips are greatly affected by nails. Without nails, strength diminishes, so keeping them from splitting was natural for Lelei.
But Lelei’s opinion also had merit. For a martial artist like her, hands were weapons. Whether on vacation or not, if something happened, she had to defeat enemies with those fists. Decorating her nails would be meaningless, and even if done beautifully, they would get dirty after a fight. It was better to decide from the start not to decorate them.
Yuuri, smiling carefreely, offered to let Lelei apply protective nail polish to his nails. Knowing it was pure goodwill, Yuuri obediently sat next to Lelei and let her take his hand. Yuuri’s nails were fairly clean, as he regularly trimmed them to avoid hindering housework. However, he didn’t polish them or use protective nail polish, so in that sense, Lelei’s nails were prettier.
“Lelei, you’re good at applying nail polish.”
“I practiced a lot.”
“I see.”
“Yeah. My dad always told me to take care of my nails.”
Humming a tune, Lelei applied nail polish to Yuuri’s nails. The transparent polish made his nails slightly glossy. Since it was for protection rather than decoration, Yuuri accepted it without resistance.
Meanwhile, having understood that Lelei had no interest in fashion, Leopold seemed to have shifted his target to the 10-year-old. He happily applied nail polish to Aroru, who was struggling on his lap. With her right hand being toyed with by Leopold and her left being tended to by Hermine, Aroru’s face showed genuine discomfort. Hang in there, tomboy.