I become a Living Cheat.

Chapter 32: Lincoln

「That is......No never mind」 (Yurikago Speaking)

Yurikago was about to make some sort of a rebuttal, but she shook her head and swallowed her words back down.

「Abraham Lincoln.........America's former President of the United States, he said a few words which really stuck with me. When someone passes 40 years of age, a person should take responsibility for his own face, that's what he said」 (Yurikago Speaking)

「Hmm?」(Taiyou Speaking)

Taiyou inclined his neck a little and gave her a look which said, "Why are you suddenly talking about such a thing?" Yurikago was being really roundabout in the way she spoke, this was totally unlike her usual self.

「Don't look at me with those eyes, it's not really that Philosophical. I'm not suddenly turning into Sakura, I don't have an interest in such things. What I am talking about is, the muscles of the face will form wrinkles and such when making familiar expressions he/she has made in their life, that's what I am referring to」

「An expression one is familiar with?」

I repeated her words like a mechanical parrot whilst having one hand on my cheek.

「Yes, Someone who has been smiling their whole life, will develop strong muscles to make a big grin, people who are quick to get angry on the other hand, will have scary eyes and this will be fixed on their faces, people who like to talk cynically to others will have their mouth distorted.......That kind of thing」

「Ahh, I suppose that how it is」

Taiyou thought that this was the truth.

It is natural that when a part of the body repeatedly does the same motions for their whole life, the body will optimize itself so as to fit a more convenient shape for that person.

「Most of a child's features if they are new-born babies will come from their parents, however once someone reaches the age of 40, the shape of their face will be made by how they lived their lives. Thus, if you reach that age of adulthood, then you should be able to take responsibility for the choices you've made in life, that's what those words mean」(Yurikago Speaking)

「It's similar to the words said by Mother Theresa」(Taiyou Speaking)

「In her scenario, it's about looking towards the future」(Yurikago Speaking)

「Indeed」(Taiyou Speaking)

「Yeah」(Yurikago Speaking)

Yurikago cut their conversation for a little while, and after letting out a sigh she continued.

「Therefore, I plan to thoroughly take care of my face. Although only my face」(TL: "Every man over forty is responsible for his face." these are the exact words as quoted from Lincoln, the story goes when he was advised to hire a certain man in his cabinet, he refused even though that man could have been a valuable asset. The moral of the story was not the fact that he found the man's face ugly, but his features showed Lincoln that the man had an ugly personality and a bad disposition)

「Ahh, so you are saying that a person's face can reflect their personality, right?」

Coming this far into the conversation, Taiyou finally understood what she was trying to say.

「However, in reality as well as metaphorically, a person's attitude will remain the same for their whole life」(Taiyou Speaking)

「I know that.....」(Yurikago Speaking)

Yurikago lets out a sigh and hangs her head down in dejection. Taiyou could somehow feel grace from her small gesture, and it reconfirmed his beliefs about her being an Ojou-sama from a well-off family.