The next day, with help from the Champion’s mansion staff, we finished the decorations and cooking to perfection before the scheduled time.

“Master Skill Collector, your skills are truly remarkable. I’ve realized just how lacking I am as a butler.”

“I’ll work much harder from now on as a maid! More seriously and earnestly!”

“I lost this time, but by the next time we meet, I’ll have honed my skills even more. So let’s have another cooking battle then!”

The butler, maid, and cook gathered around me, showering me with praise.

Honestly, it feels like I cheated, since I did it all with skills I bought from others. Being praised this much makes me feel guilty.

No matter how many times I experience this sort of exchange, I can’t get used to it.

“You’ve blended in with the staff in just half a day, haven’t you?”

The Champion, picking at dishes before they were placed on the table, looked at me with a grin.

“It’s thanks to the skills.”

“Don’t be so modest. It’s not like you stole them. If you negotiated and bought them yourself, then it’s part of your ability too.”

“That’s exactly what makes you amazing. Thank you.”

Most of my abilities are things I’ve received from others. That’s why nearly everyone I beat ends up calling me a cheater.

People like the Champion, who recognize me for who I am, are rare.

“Lord Leon Dold, Master Skill Collector... You have guests.”

Sorry. I know it must be awkward to add ‘Master’ to ‘Skill Collector.’

Since I never reveal my real name, just calling me Skill Collector is fine... but I guess that’s not acceptable for them.

“Alright then, let’s take a look at this guy’s wife.”

“This should be interesting.”

To be honest, I’m more scared than curious.

Even if the person who made that turns out to be beautiful, that in itself is terrifying.

“Hey there, we’re dropping by.”

“Dear, try to be more polite. We’re honored to visit.”

Walking in alongside Conguis was a young woman.

Her long hair was pulled to the front over her shoulder with a hairpin, her eyebrows were finely shaped, and her facial features were well-defined. Lightly tinted lips, pale skin without a single blemish.

She wasn’t a striking beauty, but she had no flaws. There was an air of grace about her, and next to her, Conguis looked downright rough.

“How do I put this... she seems like a good-natured wife. But she doesn’t really suit him, or rather, it feels like a waste. Did he do something borderline criminal to snatch her away?”

“It does feel like a waste.”

I accidentally said what I was really thinking.

“Hey now! It was a proper romantic relationship! Mutual love!”

“Yes, that’s right. In fact, I was the one who fell for him and pursued him quite aggressively.”

Hard to believe at first, but my ‘Psychology’ skill confirms she’s not lying.

Matters of love, no matter how much time passes, are still a mystery and beyond understanding for me.

“It’s our first time meeting. I’m Leon Dold, his bad influence of a friend.”

“Thank you for looking after my husband. I’m his wife, Serifeiri.”

I should introduce myself too, or it’ll seem suspicious.

In situations like this, it’s better to share just enough truth to avoid suspicion rather than lie outright.

If you lie, you’ll have to keep covering it up with more lies, and eventually you’ll strangle yourself with them.

“I’m under Lord Leon Dold’s care, just a humble merchant. I handle various trades, so feel free to consult me if you ever need anything.”

“I see. If my husband tries to buy anything strange, please stop him.”

She didn’t look down on me just because I’m a merchant and handled the situation skillfully.

Outgoing and seems like a good wife. Up to this point, at least.

Conguis is urging me with his eyes to appraise her already. At this distance, I can see not only her skills but their levels too. Let’s see what kind of skill set she has...

She has five skills in total. That’s a pretty good number. But the important part is... whoa.

Two are ordinary enough, but the other three are outrageous. They far exceed level 10. This is surprising.

Compared to the old sage I traded with before, it might not seem like much, but the issue here is the type of skills...

The Three Were: "Creativity" 18, "No Sense of Taste" 25, "Makeup" 27

This is… well… I have no words.

That bizarrely unique sense of cooking must be the doing of the "Creativity" skill. If this skill develops in the right direction, one can become a successful artist, but this is a perfect example of it going completely wrong.

The other skill, "No Sense of Taste", is exactly as expected. You could say it’s the root of the whole problem. If only this were addressed, her cooking could at least reach an edible level.

And the reason she so stubbornly refused to show her skill certificate must be because of the final skill: "Makeup".

With a "Makeup" skill at such a high level, it would be possible to transform one's face into that of a completely different person. Most likely, her real face without makeup would be unrecognizable compared to how she looks now.

Even if she was born with the "Makeup" skill, it’s rare to have it at such a high level. She must have honed and polished it through extensive use.

She feared having that fact exposed to her husband, Conguis. If you look at it that way, everything makes sense.

Perhaps I should talk to her before telling Conguis.

I managed to brush off Conguis’s pestering during the party and approached his wife.

“I need to talk to you about your skills. I’ll be waiting in a separate room over there, so please slip away when you can.”

As I whispered that into her ear, her expression changed completely.

So startled, she dropped the glass she was holding, and a maid rushed to clean it up.

I headed to the room first. While I stood there looking out the window for a while, the door quietly opened.

“I’ve been waiting. Please, come in.”

“Yes…”

She looked utterly despairing. She must have mistaken my words for a threat.

I should have been more careful with my approach, even if I wanted to get her out quickly. First, I have to clear up the misunderstanding.

“I’m sor—”

“Please, don’t tell my husband about this! I’m begging you!”

Before I could apologize, she dropped to her knees and began pleading.

This was completely unexpected. I never meant to make her do this.

“No, I wasn’t trying to threaten you—”

“If you need money, I’ll do whatever I can to gather it! So please, not my husband! Please!”

The fact that she’s this desperate means she truly wants to protect her current life. Conguis was once a successful fighter and now is a well-known adventurer.

He lives quite a wealthy lifestyle. If this were just about not wanting to give that up out of selfishness, I would have gone straight to Conguis.

But she said—

“I don’t want him to hate me. I don’t want him to see the real me and abandon me… anything but that!”

She was genuinely terrified of being rejected by Conguis. I didn’t even need to check the result of the "Psychology" skill to see that—her behavior made it crystal clear.

How did a talk about food end up here?

Should I keep quiet about this, or should I tell him?

Personally, even if someone makes another fall in love with a made-up face, as long as they never show their bare face to the person, that made-up face is as good as their own.

But that’s just my opinion. Conguis might feel differently.

Also, the reason his wife wears makeup isn’t just to look pretty.

My "X-Ray Vision" skill allows me to see through the makeup and view her real face.

“You’re hiding burn scars with your makeup, aren’t you?”

“H-How do you know that?!”

Even though it’s perfectly hidden under makeup, she covers the right side of her face with her hand.

To my eyes, the disfigured, burn-scarred side of her face was plain to see, covering nearly half of it.

“I possess the ‘X-Ray Vision’ skill.”

“I see… So, you saw through everything. Yes, I have a large burn scar I got when I was a child. Because of that, I had resolved to live alone forever. But then I met my husband… and I fell for him, seriously.”

Falling seriously for a man with a beast-like, rugged face… well, everyone has their own tastes, and I shouldn’t comment. Besides, she’s a "Creativity" skill holder.

“As for me, I’m fine with keeping this secret.”

“No… After letting everything out like this, I’ve come to realize something. I’m truly happy right now. But the guilt of deceiving my husband has always been with me. This is a good opportunity. I’ve decided to tell him everything and let him decide.”

Just moments ago, she was panicked beyond reason. Now, she’s composed and resolute.

Hoo boy, that guilt weighs heavy. If this all works out, then one more obstacle between them is removed and it’ll be a happy ending. But in the worst-case scenario…

If it comes to that, I’ll use my skills to support her.

As I stood silently, contemplating—

“I heard everything.”

The door burst open, and Conguis barged in.

He picked now to barge in?

Actually, I knew through my "Presence Detection" that the wife had been too shaken to properly close the door and that Conguis and the champion had been eavesdropping from the hallway midway through the conversation.

I figured hearing her honest feelings directly would be better than anything I could say.

“D-Dear…”

With a voice that sounded like it might vanish any second, she looked up at her husband.

Conguis stood with his arms crossed and a sullen expression. At a glance, he looked furious, which made her shrink back, but—

“Serifeili, don’t underestimate me. Did you really think I’d care about a burn scar? Scars are the medals of life. I love everything about you. Even those scars—I’ll love them too.”

Hearing Conguis declare that, I saw him in a cool light for the first time since we met.

His wife held a hand over her mouth, tears streaming freely. They must have been tears of relief.

The champion and I exchanged glances, smiled, and shrugged our shoulders.

Leaving the embracing couple behind in the room, we returned to the party hall where a feast awaited.

And with that, case closed. We can talk about skills once things settle down. For now, we lonely singles should raise a glass to celebrate.

“So, about the cooking thing…”

“His wife’s cooking skills aren’t the issue. It’s the ‘No Sense of Taste’ that’s the problem.”

Later, Conguis came to consult me again, and I decided to tell him about his wife’s skills.

However, I had no intention of telling him about "Creativity".

It’s not because—

“Ever since she opened up to me, she’s been clingier and sweeter than ever! She’s so adorable, I can’t take it! I want kids soon too. I told her she doesn’t have to wear makeup in front of me, and she goes, ‘I want to be pretty for you.’ Gahhh! Isn’t my wife the cutest?!”

—I’m sick of hearing him gush about her. That’s not the reason. Definitely not.

“My wife wants me to enjoy good food too. Can you buy her ‘No Sense of Taste’ skill?”

“Understood. It’s a very strong and disadvantageous skill, so it’ll require a fee. Is that acceptable?”

“Of course. I’ll pay whatever it takes for my adorable wife!”

Instant decision. He’s totally whipped.

Alright, let’s go buy it. Though I’ll leave her with ‘No Sense of Taste’ level 1.

With effort, even level 1 can be overcome in less than a year.

Whether it’s cooking or life, it’s better when there’s a bit of spice to keep things interesting.