Chapter 6 | The Assassin Makes Cosmetics
I got to work after we returned to the temporary Natural You store. I was using a kitchen installed in the office, which meant no professional equipment found in a workshop. Fortunately, this cosmetic could be made in any kitchen.
Employees from the branch watched me at a distance. My excellent hearing meant I picked up all their whispering; it was clear they admired Illig Balor and thought of him as a legend for founding Natural You.
“Will you really be able to make anything with so few tools, Illig?” Maha inquired.
“Absolutely. This product isn’t difficult to create,” I responded.
I laid out the ingredients on the counter. There were only three.
The first was grape seed oil, derived from grape seeds removed in the process of making white wine. Natural You sold it as a product. The oil was soft and fragrant, unsurprising, given its origin. It was expensive because of the time and effort necessary to produce it, but it remained popular.
The next was an essential oil extracted from a plant. This volatile substance was part of many Natural You products. I found the herb it came from by the sea after a prolonged search for the ideal aroma. The oil raised the quality of the company’s goods, and its fragrance had become associated with the brand.
The beeswax I bought from the church was the final ingredient. It was collected from honeycombs, which bees constructed using their naturally secreted wax.
“Are those all the ingredients?” Maha inquired.
“Yes. This is a simple product, but it’s high quality and original. I’m using the grape seed oil and essential oil because they’re key Natural You ingredients. This beeswax is of only average quality, but being produced at a local church gives it special meaning,” I explained.
“Oh, I see what you mean. I can’t imagine anything better for the celebration.”
Maha figured out why I was using the beeswax from that explanation alone. She really was smart.
I poured grape seed oil and beeswax into a pot and placed it in hot water to warm. Once the beeswax melted, I mixed the ingredients together and added the essential oil. All that remained was to pour it into a lipstick container and wait for it to cool. Typically, I’d let it sit for half a day, but I used magic to remove the heat and harden it because I wanted to demonstrate this new creation immediately.
“It’s done,” I announced.
“What is it? It’s shaped like lipstick,” Maha asked.
“It’s called lip balm. You could call it moisturizer for your lips, I suppose. Natural You has released an array of products for skin protection, but none for the lips. We live in a dry climate, so there’s more than enough need… I noticed your lips were a little chapped when we kissed earlier, and I decided I would make this when I saw the beeswax,” I said.
Maha touched her lips, embarrassed. She has nothing to be ashamed of. Lips were delicate. Wind in dry climates damaged them over time, and a stressful job like Maha’s only worsened the deterioration. I made this lip balm for people like her, who struggled with chapped lips.
“Geez, you can be so insensitive… Also, you have to be careful,” Maha whispered.
She was worried because I recently got engaged to her as Lugh Tuatha Dé, and I was in disguise as Illig Balor. Maha and Illig had always been close, to the point that people suspected they were dating. The sight of Maha flirting with Illig despite being betrothed to Lugh could start some problematic rumors.
“You’re worrying too much… Anyway, I’d rather fix your lips than fret about being insensitive and pretend not to notice. Let me apply this, Maha.”
I placed my hand on Maha’s chin to turn her face toward mine and applied my new lip balm. The employees all started talking at the sight. Maha then touched her lips.
“They’re so smooth. And they don’t hurt at all.”
“This item is for protecting your lips. It can be used on rough hands as well… It’s a medicine as well as a cosmetic,” I said.
“Is it really okay to apply candle wax to your lips?”
“Beeswax comes from honeycomb, which is edible. It’s completely safe.”
That’s why I used beeswax to make this lip balm. The ingredients had to be safe because they went on the mouth. Beeswax also had the advantage of a high melting point, which meant it wouldn’t melt from body temperature or hot weather. The oils I added to make the beeswax smooth and easy to apply were sourced from grape seeds and herbs. You could even eat the lip balm if you wanted.
“I like it. Not being able to apply lipstick would kill it for me, though… Lipstick is a necessity at official events,” Maha said.
“You can apply lipstick over the balm. It protects your mouth from lipstick, too,” I informed her.
“Really? That’s a lifesaver. Putting lipstick over dry lips is painful and makes them take longer to heal.”
This creation would sell because it fit Natural You’s skin care specialty.
“The only problem is that rival companies will be quick to produce imitations, unlike with moisturizer,” I said.
Moisturizer was impossible to make without a special ingredient extracted from soybeans that allowed water and oil to mix. As long as that element remained a secret, no one else could imitate the moisturizer. Anyone who studied the lip balm would figure out how to make it immediately. All they needed to know was that it used oil to protect the lips—there were many ways to create it.
“That’s nothing to worry about. I said earlier that it would be difficult to catch up in the makeup market because the other brands are too strong, but the reverse is true for skin care. That’s our domain, and we’ll easily squash those who try to copy us.” Maha didn’t fall for my little test. She’d long overtaken me as a businessperson. “There’s something else you haven’t talked about yet, dear Illig.”
“What’s that?”
“The reason you used beeswax.”
“Oh, yeah. Tell me why you think I used it.”
Maha eyed me seriously, like a student taking an exam. “Selling something that was made with resources bought from the church will give us an unbeatable advantage in a city full of pilgrims from across the world. People who buy souvenirs here want to take home a piece of the Alamite Church’s power. What could be better than an item directly connected to the church? There’s little demand for the beeswax on its own, but giving it a practical use by putting it into a cosmetic will lead to explosive sales.”
“That’s correct. I have nothing left to add.”
“That’s why you negotiated with the priest. You were checking if it was okay to sell beeswax made by a church.”
That negotiation was the most important step. The Alamite Church would have retaliated violently if I used its name without permission.
“Exactly. The priest turned out to be a good man, and he allowed me to use the beeswax on the condition of a small donation from our sales. That enables us to sell this lip balm as a cosmetic that carries the blessing of the Alamite Church. Believers will eat them up, and they’ll make good souvenirs, too.”
“It’s the perfect feature product for this event… It’s clear that I haven’t caught up to you yet, Illig. You thought up this viciously good idea and made it into a product after one day of walking around the city.”
Maha looked conflicted. She was proud of me but disappointed to discover she hadn’t surpassed me in business.
“You’re overestimating the difficulty of what I did. Product development is nothing more than a puzzle to solve by piecing together your experiences. You need wit and intuition, but that’s not what I’m asking of you. You have the talent to protect this company and grow it. That’s what’s expected of company executives like you.”
The chief executive didn’t have to work on product development. They just had to hire people with the skill. However, a chief executive was the only one capable of steering the ship.
“I know, but I’m still upset. All right, I have a declaration. Within a year, I’m going to make a hit product without your help.”
“Competitive as ever, I see.”
“What merchant isn’t?”
Maha really was a strong and intelligent girl. I could rest easy knowing Natural You was in her hands.
“I look forward to your new item. But first, we need to prepare for the festival. You’ve given the lip balm your approval, so let’s make it our feature product. We need to mass-produce it and nail down the packaging. Time is short.”
“You’re right. This is a race against time. We’re counting on you all.” Maha faced the employees, who replied energetically and gathered around us.
I could tell they were good workers. Maha must have put a lot of effort into finding them. I had total confidence in this product, and I couldn’t have asked for a better staff. Undoubtedly, this festival would be a success.
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