《I Became The Sole Perfumer of A Tyrant》 Chapter 1 Twenty-three years old. Too young to end a life. But at the moment of death, I wasn¡¯t overwhelmed by sadness. Perhaps I felt liberated from leaving this sick bed. Five years of fighting. I possessed a rare disease that only a few had, and gradually lost all of my senses, starting with the sense of smell. When I finally lost sight, the laughable thing was that I was angrier with the fact that I couldn¡¯t finish the ending of the romance fantasy novel I was reading intently, rather than dying. To be honest, it would be a lie if death was not painful and sad. If the end was death, why did I endure the long struggle against this disease? Was that why? After death, I opened my eyes once again. Under the guise of the villain from the romance fantasy novel,¡´Rest by Your Side¡µ, which I had read until I ended up losing my eyesight. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? I woke up with a wrinkled nose. ¡®Good smell.¡¯ The fragrance of roses vibrated throughout the whole room. What¡¯s going on? Did the nurse leave the air freshener on? I must ask if the air freshener¡­ ¡®Wait. Smell?¡¯ I opened my eyes wide. Smell? My sense of smell was the first sensation I had lost after getting sick. It¡¯s been over five years since I smelled¡­ I sniffed quickly. A fragrant smell flowed into my nose. ¡°Gee, it smells like roses.¡± What¡¯s going on here? I jumped up and soon hardened like a stone from the sight before my eyes. ¡®Where am I?¡¯ It was a spacious and luxurious room that was eye-catching. I don¡¯t know exactly where this is, but I knew for sure it wasn¡¯t a hospital room. Then I heard someone¡¯s voice. ¡°My Lady, are you awake?¡± I jerked my head. A girl I¡¯ve never seen before approached me with a kind smile. Wait. Is that¡­.. a maid¡¯s outfit? Why is she wearing an outfit as I¡¯ve seen in the movies? ¡°It¡¯s morning in the village, Miss Ariel. What would you like to use for your bath this morning?¡± Lady Ariel? A bath? The girl, who had uttered unknown words, placed a silver tray before me. On the tray were three pastel shades that seemed like soap. Why are you showing this to me? Without question, I reached my hand out to the tray. It smelled quite fragrant. It smelled like flowers and fruit. Just smelling it relieved my fatigue and made my body feel drowsy. Was smelling so fascinating? As I was in a daze of shock, the girl asked cautiously. ¡°Is there anything you don¡¯t like, My lady?¡± I waved my hand lightly in the face of the frightened girl without realizing it. ¡°Oh, no. It smells so good.¡± Then the girl opened her eyes wide as if she were tearing apart. As if I said something I shouldn¡¯t have. ¡°Oh, My Lady, why are you so respectful¡­ Did I do something wrong? I¡¯m sorry, My Lady. I¡¯ll correct it!¡± The girl hovered down exactly ninety degrees. I quickly stopped the girl as I was surprised and shocked. ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s not your fault!¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Aren¡¯t you angry?¡± ¡°Not at all!¡± Only then did the girl straighten her waist and stare at me with frightened eyes. Those deer-like eyes reflected my face. Oh, wait. My face? ¡°¡­Uh?¡± ¡°Wha, what¡¯s wrong, My Lady?¡± ¡°My¡­ My face¡­¡± I wrapped my cheek blankly. The woman reflected in the girl¡¯s eyes also wrapped her cheeks together. The woman who should have been familiar to me was a face I didn¡¯t know. ¡°That¡­Mirror. Bring me a mirror.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Lady!¡± After a while, when I stared at the mirror, I hardened like ice. Long, curly honey-colored hair. Clear turquoise eyes as the summer sky. And pale skin. I¡¯ve seen this face. ¡­So, if I¡¯m not crazy, in the illustrations of my favorite novel. ¡°I was¡­ what did you call me?¡± ¡°Yes? it¡¯s, it¡¯s Miss Ariel¡­¡± Oh my god. I closed my eyes and asked back in a quivering voice. ¡°Ariel Winston?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s your name¡­¡± Hahaha. I spat out a dejected laugh. Ariel Winston. It was the name of a supporting character who appeared in the last novel I read before I died, ¡´Rest by Your Side¡µ. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? How was Ariel Winston¡¯s life? Frankly speaking, I didn¡¯t have much to talk about Ariel Winston, even as I read the original. She was drawn because Ariel was a villain who left the original in the beginning. ¡®That¡¯s true, but let¡¯s think about something.¡¯ All right. I took a deep breath. First off, Ariel was a genius perfumer. The reason why Ariel, a mere villain, was set up in the novel was because of the male lead. The male protagonist, Cedric Evans, had a tragic past during his childhood. He was kidnapped by a group of vicious villains and used as a victim for human experimentation that synthesized between monsters and humans. As a result, Cedric has a peculiar constitution. If he didn¡¯t regularly smell the scent of the demonic flower, Anixia, he would not be able to sleep, in addition to the fact that if it took a long time, he would go insane. To solve this problem, Cedrick inquires into the genius perfumer and meets the icebreaker, ¡®Ariel Winston,¡¯ whom I happened to possess. And Ariel, like a genius, succeeds in artificially creating scents that can soothe Cedric. But Ariel would not have been a villain if she had let go of him. The moment Ariel saw Cedric, she fell in love at first sight and suggested a deal. Instead of offering perfumes regularly, she offered they have a contractual relationship. Cedric, who is caught weak, is forced to accept the threat under the pretext of a suggestion. I wish Ariel was satisfied with the superficial intercourse, but there is no end to human greed. She craves Cedric¡¯s true affection as time goes by. Cedric, of course, gets fed up with Ariel and pushes her even further. Ariel, who becomes increasingly obsessed, eventually tries to assassinate the heroine with poison after being jealous of her and is hanged for attempted murder. ¡®What a miserable character.¡¯ I breathed a deep sigh. Why would God have possessed me to this kind of fire moth-like villain? Is it a consideration for me to live a while longer? ¡®Oh, thank you very much.¡¯ But it won¡¯t happen. It was the second life I earned like a miracle. I couldn¡¯t die in vain again this time. I decided that I would somehow survive the fate of the original. ¡®To do that, we need to avoid the death flag.¡¯ Cedric Evans. Like a walking executioner headed to Ariel. I wish I could avoid it¡­but unfortunately, the time I possessed her was after Ariel and Cedric had already begun their contractual relationship. If I ran away now, Cedric, who needed the ¡®scent¡¯, would chase me by any means. That shouldn¡¯t happen. I had to keep clean from Cedric and all the death flags. ¡®The first task I have to do for that¡­¡¯ To bid farewell to the male protagonist. To be as neat as possible, a farewell was needed. ¡®First off, let¡¯s break up with the male lead.¡¯ The moment I made up my mind, the door snapped. Only then did I realize that I had been soaking in the bathtub. The girl in a maid¡¯s outfit peeped her head and reminded, ¡°Lady Ariel, I think you might be late for your meeting¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been here too long. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What? No, it¡¯s not something you should apologize for¡­!¡± The girl was startled like she heard something she shouldn¡¯t have heard. It wasn¡¯t that I was being sarcastic or anything, but ¡®Ariel¡¯ didn¡¯t seem to be a very good master. Sighing, I asked the girl in the softest voice possible. ¡°But just now, did you say meeting?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, My Lady. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be late for the dinner meeting if you prepare from now¡­.!¡± Dinner meeting. I smacked my forehead. It was a situation where I had yet to adjust properly to this new world. Now I have to meet someone in the midst of this? I now had no idea of ??Ariel¡¯s relationships, her way of speaking, her personality, and hobbies. In this situation, even those who knew Ariel well would have doubts if they met her now. I wanted to postpone it if I could. No, let¡¯s postpone it now. I asked the girl. ¡°That meeting, can you put it off?¡± ¡°What?¡± The girl opened her eyes wide like they were about to pop out. ¡°Eh, a dinner meeting with Duke Evans?¡± ¡­¡­ Duke Evans? I opened my mouth wide. I didn¡¯t think this evening¡¯s meeting was with Cedric Evans¡­ So, you mean the male protagonist? ¡®I can¡¯t believe this.¡¯ Entering the dungeon, I was just discovering the place, and I felt like I was suddenly confronted by the final boss. But I soon changed my mind. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s better this way.¡¯ I had to meet the male protagonist at least once anyway. To end Ariel¡¯s forced contract romance and escape the death flag. I have to say goodbye to his face. Yeah, you need to take out the iron while it¡¯s hot. There was no need for this to drag on. Meeting the male lead this evening and apologizing without hesitation, saying that I was sorry for being unreasonable. ¡®It¡¯s a clean breakup.¡¯ Determined, I said to the girl. ¡°No. I won¡¯t cancel the meeting, either.¡± The girl breathed a sigh of relief as I said so. ¡°Well then, shall we bring in the makeup work, My Lady? We¡¯re a bit tight on time as there are only four hours left until the meeting.¡± What do you mean you¡¯re in a hurry when we have four hours left? Concealing my doubts, I rose from the bathtub. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? Chapter 2 ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? The girl was right. Four hours was very short a time. After brushing my hair, absorbing the oil on my skin, applying powder, choosing clothes, placing accessories, and all sorts of other disruptions, three hours had already passed. I managed to arrive at the restaurant just before it was time for the date. ¡®Phew.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t until I sat down in the table chair that I could sigh. Still, it seemed that the three-hour struggle was not without effect. No, it seemed to have worked excessively. I coughed uncomfortably, feeling that all the eyes in the restaurant were on me. Honestly, the reflection of the person in the mirror was so beautiful. I had to wipe the mirror to be sure, but the light still penetrated from the face. I knew Ariel was a genius perfumer, but I¡¯ve never seen such a beautiful woman before. I sat in my seat uncomfortably, feeling a ticklish glance on my cheek. ¡®By the way, why aren¡¯t you coming?¡¯ It¡¯s already been about ten minutes since the appointment. Nevertheless, the male lead was not seen at all. ¡®If you¡¯re going to be late, at least give me a word.¡¯ I pouted my mouth and sipped my tea. My evaluation of the male protagonist, whom I have not even seen his face yet, was already negative. Well, whether the evaluation was good or not, I¡¯m not going to see him after today anyway. After that, how many more sips did I take? ¡°¡­.¡± Suddenly, I felt the air in the restaurant change a little. Everyone was looking away from me and staring elsewhere as if they had decided before altogether. ¡°Lady Winston.¡± A shadow cast over me. I slowly raised my head. Black hair as if it was stolen from the night sky. The red eyes that seemed to be solidified by melting rubies. Unknowingly, I burst out laughing. The romance fantasy novel ¡´Sleeping beside You,¡µwhich I possessed, had a lot of descriptions of the man-made beauty. As I read the book, I remember recalling that fantasy is fantasy. But that ridiculous appearance existed. I could tell without even making sure. This man standing before me was Cedric Evans. With a grimace on my face, I gave the man a slight bow. ¡°Hello, Duke.¡± Cedric sat opposite me, slightly loosening the cravat tied around his neck. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady. I have a lot of work to do today.¡± It was an apology for being late. I didn¡¯t feel his sincerity. I shook my head with a slight smile. ¡°It¡¯s Monday, that¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°Were we going to go to the Gallen Gallery after the meal?¡± Cedric recited with a dry face. He seemed to be talking about today¡¯s date. We were going to the gallery after dinner, as it¡¯s supposed to be a formal date. I smiled inwardly and replied, ¡°No, Duke.¡± Cedric, who was loosening the sleeve buttons of his suit, lifted one eyebrow. I continued with the fake smile I drew. ¡°I don¡¯t think today¡¯s date is going to be extended more than this.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, is that so?¡± A look of surprise flashed through Cedric¡¯s face. But he soon nodded with an emotionless face. He looked as if he didn¡¯t care. It seemed like he was not here for a date, but an additional extension of his work. Okay, as expected, Cedric is bothered by meeting me. Then things should be incredibly easy. I slightly straightened my back and opened my mouth. ¡°Duke, I have something to tell you.¡± Cedric looked up at me. An emotion that he couldn¡¯t hide for an instant passed by in his eyes. It was the emotion known as, ¡®annoyance¡¯. Are you guessing I¡¯m going to bring up anything annoying? Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t. I said the following with a big smile. ¡°Let¡¯s stop seeing each other from today.¡± Cedric frowned. as if he had misheard. ¡°What did you just say, Lady?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s break up. It¡¯s a contractual relationship that started with deterrence, and I don¡¯t feel the same way I used to. I thought it would be good for both me and the Duke.¡± ¡°¡­Wait. Wait.¡± Cedric urgently spits out words with a confused look. How surprised he must have been to even forget his honorifics and speak informally. But I decided to pretend I didn¡¯t hear it. Oh, I forgot to add something. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the perfume. I¡¯ll send it in a package so that it doesn¡¯t fall off. Enough for you to never be a crazy dog again.¡± ¡°Crazy¡­ Dog?¡± Oh, my mistake. The nickname I used to call the male lead just popped out. ¡°A slip of the tongue. Duke, you like neat things, don¡¯t you? Let¡¯s cut our ties here neatly, too.¡± All right, that was perfect. After spitting out all the lines I had prepared, I smiled contentedly. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s nothing wrong with this. Standing up, I stared down at Cedric. The gorgeous eye was staring up at me. ¡°Then I understand that the Duke agrees, so I¡¯m going to leave now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This must¡¯ve been a lot of excuses.¡± I meditated sincerely. Cedric must have had a hard time. Because of the only stabilizer that can heal his peculiar constitution, how difficult it must have been to be dragged back and forth by a woman who did not even have a good heart. ¡®But now you¡¯re free.¡¯ To be honest, I understood why Ariel hung herself on him too much. But a man¡¯s face doesn¡¯t mean she can die for it. I turned my back without hesitation. Ariel would now be less than an extra if she didn¡¯t get entangled with the male lead. She¡¯ll have nothing to do with the novel. It was to have total freedom. Feeling much lighter, I left the restaurant with flying steps. I think I might¡¯ve heard a voice calling, ¡°Wait!¡± belatedly, but. I must have heard it wrong. I didn¡¯t even look back. I entered the carriage in a happy mood. Breaking up with the male lead was the most important and essential task for Ariel. I felt invincible to think that I had cleared everything neatly. As I entered my house, Count Winston¡¯s servants greeted me. As soon as I stepped into the hall, I opened my eyes wide with surprise. Someone was glaring at me on the staircase. ¡°Ariel Winston.¡± There was a middle-aged man who seemed healthy. Seeing the servants bowing their heads toward him, I realized at once. The fact that he¡¯s the master of this mansion, Count Winston. In other words, he was the father of this body. ¡°Hello, Father.¡± I greeted Count Winston, recalling the movements I had seen in the movie. The Count stared at me with a frown. ¡°Were you on your way back from meeting the Duke of Evans again?¡± ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Once I determined his thought, the Count¡¯s face twisted. ¡°Because of your foul play, the prestige of the Winston¡¯s family is falling to the ground, Ariel. Don¡¯t you know that people point fingers and laugh at you?¡± When I heard his criticism out of the blue, I blinked surprisedly. The Count continued without giving me a chance to answer. ¡°I think the Duke of Evans will abandon you since you¡¯re such a dragon. If I had a heart, I would have already done so!¡± An unrelenting roar. I breathed wistfully and cut off the Count. ¡°I¡¯ve lost touch with the Duke.¡± ¡°Your deeds are so evil that you can get anywhere¡­ What?¡± The Count narrowed his eyebrows. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you I¡¯m done with Duke Evans, Father.¡± I added with a smile. ¡°It was a neat breakup without a hitch. So you don¡¯t have to worry about me anymore.¡± ¡°Break up¡­?¡± The count, who stammered blankly, suddenly crumpled his forehead. ¡°You¡¯ve finally been abandoned! You¡¯ve been hanging on to him for a long time and in the end! I knew this day would come. Are you satisfied now that you have defiled yourself, Ariel!¡± Count, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re worried about your daughter¡¯s prestige or your family¡¯s prestige, but you¡¯re very passionate. I shook my head and said, ¡°Who do you mean was abandoned? Father, it was a clean, consensual parting.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re really worried, ask the waiter at the restaurant I came to today. You must be worried if I was abandoned by the Duke and made a scene with tears, but that didn¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°¡­ aren¡¯t you telling lies because you¡¯re embarrassed? Were you calm even after being dishonored by Duke Evans?¡± ¡°I was not abandoned.¡± I sighed and told him once more. ¡°I was the first one to mention a breakup. The Duke¡­ Well, he agreed implicitly.¡± All Cedric did was stare at me with doubting eyes, but I could tell that Cedric, who was sick of me, agreed as he couldn¡¯t possibly refuse to break up. The Count stuttered, wondering if he could believe it or not, even though I kindly explained it. ¡°Wi, with your mouth¡­ You said goodbye to the Duke of Evans?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly the case, Father.¡± Now we¡¯re talking. I smiled lightly and looked at the count. The Count was gazing at me with unfamiliar eyes as if he had seen a ghost. ¡°What the hell¡­ What are you up to this time, Ariel? If you¡¯re trying to get the Duke¡¯s attention, you¡¯d better quit!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I don¡¯t have any feelings for him anymore.¡± The Count¡¯s face turned white as if he had heard something he shouldn¡¯t hear. ¡°Ah, Ariel. What¡¯s wrong with you? Rina! Check Ariel¡¯s temperature!¡± A maid called Rina came running at an infrequent pace and carefully touched my forehead. I laughed in vain. If this body was always obsessed with Cedric, would he not believe what I¡¯m saying? Well, there¡¯s nothing we can do about the aftermath. I replied with a shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t have a fever, but I¡¯m a little tired. If you don¡¯t have anything else to say, may I go now? Father.¡± ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? Chapter 3 I took advantage of the Count¡¯s bewilderment and left the hall. I could hear the butler shouting, ¡®Count!¡¯ as if he had suddenly lost consciousness. I sighed and walked down the hall. It was true that I was tired, nevertheless, I still had work to complete. ¡°Rina?¡± ¡°Yes, My lady.¡± Rina lowered her head immediately. ¡°Please guide me to the Perfumery.¡± ¡°Yes, My lady!¡± When asked to guide her to the perfumery she often visited, Rina seemed puzzled for the moment, but soon regained her expression and took the lead. The fast-paced discipline seemed to know how the owner of this body would have acted to the servants. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, My lady. What else would you like me to do¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, so go and get some rest.¡± ¡°What?¡± Rina opened her eyes wide. Oh, my mistake. I opened my mouth again quickly. I forgot to use honorifics. ¡°I¡¯ll call you if I need anything. You may rest now for today, Rina.¡± When I said so with a faint smile, Rina blinked rapidly. But soon she regained her senses and bowed deeply. ¡°Thank you, My lady!¡± After sending Rina back, I opened the door to the perfumery. The moment the scenery inside the room unfolded in front of my eyes, I lost my words and marveled at the sight. ¡®¡­.Wow.¡¯ The organ walls that reached the ceiling were spread around the room. Placed on the organ workbenches, there were countless small perfume bottles. (t/n: It¡¯s a type of shelf with many spaces that perfumers tend to place specific perfume bottles) This is Ariel¡¯s perfumery¡­ I gulped down my saliva. Although the setting of the genius perfumer existed in the original work, I didn¡¯t know it would be this excessive. Ariel, described in the original work, was simply a noble lady who was so obsessed with smell that she could successfully produce the scent needed for the male protagonist. Such a professional aspect has never been described anywhere in the novel. I slowly glanced around the shelf, my mouth open in admiration. The perfume bottle with a pale pink tint was first noticed. I carefully opened the lid and placed the perfume bottle slightly below my nose. ¡°Oh¡­¡± An enchanting aroma of roses. For a moment, my strength was drained from my whole body. I managed to hold myself onto the shelf. Smells, could they be this intense? Perhaps because I regained my sense of smell after five years, it felt very new and unfamiliar. I smelled the aroma a little more carefully this time than before. At that moment, my eyes turned red unconsciously. ¡®I¡¯ve forgotten this feeling.¡¯ It was such a coincidence. Until I had gotten sick, I happened to have a dream of becoming a perfumer. I won prizes in quite a few provincial and national competitions. I also studied chemistry to become a professional perfumer. Until one day, I suffered an incurable disease of unknown cause and lost my sense of smell. ¡®¡­¡­I¡¯m lost in the old days.¡¯ I shook my head to wake up, then closed the perfume bottle. Afterward, I approached the desk in the corner of the room. When I opened the desk drawer, as I guessed, there was a thick leather notebook. ¡®Perfume combination method.¡¯ Some notes seemed to be Ariel¡¯s handwriting, and the combination of perfumes was recorded everywhere. As I was reading the memo, I frowned. ¡®Scent of paralysis and poison?¡¯ Is this the very scent that was meant to poison the female lead? There was another name that caught my eye when I turned over the page with firm eyes. ¡®A scent that makes you fall in love?¡¯ I read the memo with an amazing face. The memo stated how much effect each had on Cedric, along with various combinations. Of course, the combination methods had no effect. With a sigh, I turned over more notes. And, finally, I found what I was looking for. ¡®Here it is.¡¯ Artificial Anicia scent. The demonic flower, Anixia, rarely grew only in the eastern continent, after the door of the demonic world was closed. Unlike its origin, it¡¯s healing effect was enormous, therefore called a legendary herb. However, no one had discovered Anixia for nearly decades as it was on the verge of extinction. For that reason, even if the nobles and royal families can fly, seeking Anixia flowers was like attempting to pick a star from the sky. The problem was that the aroma of this Anixia flower was the only scent that could calm Cedric. ¡®When I couldn¡¯t get the scent for more than a month, it was a catastrophe.¡¯ Recalling the original work, I smiled bitterly. At that time, Cedric decided to cut off Ariel and her scent. But the result was a disaster. The runaway Cedric wiped out a platoon of royal knights and destroyed half the empire. ¡®That shouldn¡¯t happen.¡¯ I broke up with Cedric, but, as promised, I will continue to supply the scent of Anixia. It was when I was staring at the memo with the recipe written on it. knock, knock. ¡°M¡­ Miss Ariel?¡± A cautious voice was heard outside the door. I lifted my head and answered. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°You have a visitor¡­¡± At this hour? I stared at the clock with a frown on my forehead. It was almost ten o¡¯clock in the afternoon. ¡°It¡¯s a guest from the Duke of Evans.¡± Duke Evans? ¡­.Why is the male protagonist¡¯s family here? The unexpected word opened my eyes wide. ¡°What shall we do, My lady?¡± I approached the window and looked out. Indeed, far away, I could make out a carriage presumed to belong to the Evans residence. What the hell is going on? I lightly frowned my eyes. Coming down to the drawing-room on the first floor, I could see the butler removing the guest¡¯s coat. Who the hell is he? Cedric wouldn¡¯t be here at this hour. Is there anyone who I know besides him? When I stepped into the drawing-room, the guest turned his head as he felt my presence. He was a young man, looking a little older than Cedric. ¡°Oh, Lady Winston. Sorry for the late hour.¡± The man replied with a look that seemed to know me well. I scanned the man¡¯s suit. A seal was inscribed with the emblem of the Duke of Evans, a high-class garment that will show that one is not of low class. But to me, a status that speaks formally. You must be a vassal of the Duke. If I dare choose, would he be an aide? Having quickly concluded, I smiled and nodded. ¡°No, I¡¯m sure you had a business. What brings you here?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no different.¡± The man took a small box out of his chest pocket. Accepting it, I opened the box. Inside, there was a small purple corsage. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the corsage I wore today. When I stared at him with a curious glance, the man said. ¡°You dropped it at the restaurant. The Duke asked me to deliver it.¡± Cedric? I raised one eyebrow. To be honest, it was unexpected. Cedric, I know, won¡¯t care if I drop this little corsage or not. Well, first of all, he indeed gave me the stuff back, so I¡¯ll have to thank him. ¡°Thank you. I didn¡¯t even know I lost it. That was quite thoughtful.¡± When I smiled, the man was blank for a moment. He gazed at me as if what I said was a rather unexpected answer. Soon, the man managed his expression again and asked implicitly. ¡°No, of course, it was my job. By the way, have you heard the news, miss? I heard there will be a street festival in the Marcellan district next weekend.¡± If it was Marcellan district, it was where the restaurant where I broke up with Cedric today was. I tilted my head. ¡°No, I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± ¡°For the festival, they say this weekend is going to be very crowded. I¡¯d like to send a wagon to escort Lady, how about that?¡± What does this mean? I had a curious look on my face. ¡°Why would you escort me?¡± ¡°What? On weekends, always with my Lord¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t heard the news, have you?¡± I tilted my head. It was amazing that the man did not know, but when I thought about it, it occurred to me that his subordinates might not know everything about their boss¡¯ relationship. ¡°The Duke and I, we broke up today. So there¡¯s no reason to meet the Duke on the weekend.¡± How many times have I said this phrase today? Unexpectedly, however, the man did not look as shocked as the Count. He seemed to already know of the fact. Why would you have to escort me if you knew? As I wondered, the man smiled awkwardly. ¡°You broke up¡­ I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Yes, it happened today, so you probably don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Do you have¡­. any intention to overturn¡­?¡± ¡°Not at all. This is a much better way for him and me.¡± I tilted my head and added. ¡°We weren¡¯t even married anyway, were we?¡± The man opened his lips in a flustered manner. Come to think of it, there was something I wanted to make sure of. I opened my mouth again before the man answered. ¡°Oh, the scent of Anixia should be sent to his Excellence, right?¡± ¡°¡­.Yes, yes. But, maybe¡­ Is Lady Winston coming to deliver the perfume herself?¡± ¡°No?¡± I answered with a smile as if I had heard something funny. ¡°There¡¯s a delivery man, and there are my servants, so I don¡¯t have to go.¡± The man smiled again awkwardly at the straightforward answer. ¡°Ha-ha, of course, it is¡­¡± ¡°Do you have any other business?¡± When I asked with a smile, the man opened his mouth as if he had something to say. But he soon shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m just here to deliver this. I have caused a lot of discourtesy late in the day, My lady.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sorry to bother you. Then go home safely.¡± Looking at the carriage of the Duke of Evans leaving, I glanced down at the Corsage. The corsage made of real flowers had already withered a bit. Just like accessories made of real flowers, this was also disposable. Why did you come all the way here to give it back? With a shrug, I handed the corsage to the servant. with a request for it to be thrown away. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? Chapter 4 Knock knock. Cedric raised his head at the sound. His aide, Rigion, peeked his head into the Oval Office. Cedric raised one eyebrow towards Rigion, placing down the ballpoint pen he was holding. It meant for him to report. ¡°I was on my way to see the Lady. I¡¯ve also handed her the Corsage. And¡­¡± Cedric glanced at Rigion at the drooping end of his words. Rigion said with a troubled look. ¡°It seemed like she wanted to break up. She didn¡¯t have any signs of regret.¡± Far from regretting, Ariel Winston¡¯s face had seemed completely nonchalant. No matter where she looked, she did not seem to hold any regret of saying goodbye to her lover in anger or belatedly tearing her heart. To be exact, she looked quite carefree. Cedric bent his chin. ¡°She didn¡¯t regret it?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m afraid she said goodbye with all her heart.¡± Ha. Cedric laughed briefly. It was a romantic relationship she started on her own accord. However, I didn¡¯t imagine that it would end at her will. Cedric leaned back deeply and loosened his tie. Ariel Winston, whom I met today, was strange. She didn¡¯t sulk, nor did she look forward to the meeting. She simply faced herself calmly and offered a smooth parting as if she had been preparing. ¡°Maybe¡­ I beg your pardon, have you made any mistakes with Lady Ariel?¡± ¡°Mistake?¡± Cedric cast his eyes at Rigion. Rigion quickly added. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think she¡¯d change so suddenly. Did anything happen between you two today?¡± ¡°Well, I was about ten minutes late.¡± There was an unavoidable circumstance. The goddamn Marquis Rupert dragged on without stopping. It had already been ten minutes after the negotiation when he arrived at the restaurant. But that couldn¡¯t be the reason for the breakup. The opponent was Ariel Winston. A woman who forced Cedric Evans to stand by her side for a year. There must have been a more special reason for her to say goodbye. ¡°It¡¯s suspicious, but isn¡¯t it good for you?¡± Region replied in a bright voice, as though he had squeezed it out. Cedric glanced at Rigion with his chin up. Rigion momentarily stiffened his shoulders. ¡°Good?¡± ¡°Well¡­ your majesty never liked it. She said she would also provide the scent of Anixia. ¡± Cedric frowned his forehead. It was a surprise for Cedric as well. It was Ariel¡¯s only weapon to be able to create the artificial Anixia scent. She used it to yearn for affection, and then suddenly declared a unilateral donation. All of a sudden, why? Cedric tapped on his desk. Rigion spoke cautiously to Cedric, who was currently lost in thought. ¡°You don¡¯t have to think hard, just simply¡­ doesn¡¯t Miss Ariel simply no longer like you?¡± Cedric¡¯s finger stopped beating on the desk. She doesn¡¯t like him anymore? Ariel Winston. Cedric Evans? ¡°Now you don¡¯t have to go out to see her every weekend or escort her at the ball. In other words, you are now free.¡± The more Rigion spoke, the more plausible his words were. Cedric narrowed his eyes. There was nothing wrong with what Rigion said. Yes. Maybe Ariel Winston no longer loves himself. I don¡¯t know about the sudden change, but it was not a bad story for me. So¡­.what the hell is this unpleasant mood? Cedric closed his eyes and finally erased Ariel¡¯s straight, unshakable blue-green eyes. ¡°Rigion.¡± ¡°Yes! Your Highness.¡± At the sudden call, Rigion answered with a shout. Cedric sighed. ¡°The air in the room is a mess.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Go get some fresh air, and get the employees to bring me water.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, I¡¯ll do so!¡± Rigion saluted quickly. Cedric removed the tie out of his neck completely and threw it over the sofa. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? I spent three days in the perfumery and went over Ariel¡¯s fragrance notes. They were amazing notes. Among the recipes written in the notebook, there were some that I used to enjoy, some that I had never thought about previously, and some mistakes I¡¯ve made. Memories that I had forgotten and were buried during my long struggle with the illness naturally flooding. How fragrant lavender petals are. How refreshing the smell of freshly squeezed lemon is. How beautiful roses were in full bloom. The senses that I thought would never be recovered flooded in. It has been three days since I trapped myself in the perfumery, barely filling my stomach without knowing the passage of time. Finally, the ingredients have run out. I opened the door of the perfumery and called out to Rina. ¡°Rina!¡± ¡°My, My lady.¡± Rina came running in contemplation. She couldn¡¯t open the door as she was scared, so Rina¡¯s face has been gaunt as if she was worried about invincibility. ¡°I need perfume materials. Where can I buy them?¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s¡­¡± She looked puzzled as to why I asked such a question out of the blue, yet Rina answered steadily. ¡°My lady would always visit the market to get the materials you needed.¡± ¡°Oh, I did. Yes, I should go there today.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes, My lady!¡± So I left the Count¡¯s residence after three days. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? After I exited the carriage, I was briefly impressed. Perfectly arranged streets and small street trees. Luxury shops lined up beautifully filled with customers walking leisurely amidst. The place where Rina led me was a shopping spot, a district. It was also a very special place for the female lead in the original work. It was a much more interesting experience than I thought to walk through the streets described in the novel. I observed frantically. After a while, we entered a magnificent street covered with flowering trees. Various flower scents were mixed to present a fresh smell. I approached the nearest flower shop in a refreshed mood. ¡°Welcome, My lady!¡± A young man, who seemed to be a shopkeeper, ran out rapidly. I smelled the scent of violet flowers in front of me. A fragrant, but pungent smell hung over the tip of my nose. ¡°What¡¯s the name of this flower?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Camelli, My lady.¡± Camelli. I glistened my eyes. It was a flower that only grows in this world, a name I¡¯ve never heard of. But it was one of the flowers written in the fragrance notes of the clear Ariel. ¡°It smells good. Please give me many.¡± When I said so with a smile on my face with my nose buried in the flower, the young man blushed like a ripe tomato and mumbled that he understood. Okay. I bought sunflowers, white roses, along with other types of flowers that were mentioned in the fragrance book. Okay, I think we¡¯ve earned enough perfume ingredients. It was when I paid the price and turned around in a happy mood. ¡°Oh? Who¡¯s this?¡± A dazzling array of colorful dresses caught my eye. They were well-dressed girls. I thought so while trying to pass them. ¡°Lady Ariel. We¡¯re meeting in a place like this, aren¡¯t we?¡± A woman in a light forsythia dress spoke to me. It seemed that the voice was directed at me. ¡®This.¡¯ I clicked my tongue in trouble. I never thought I¡¯d run into people who knew Ariel here. First, I greeted with a smile. ¡°Hello. Good afternoon, isn¡¯t it?¡± I thought I had given an unauthorized greeting as much as I could. But the faces of the people who heard my greeting became very strange. The lady, wearing the forsythia outing, replied with a subtle smile. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a nice day for shopping. Oh, but what do I do?¡± As I glanced at the bouquet I was holding in one arm, the forsythia dress girl lifted a corner of her mouth. ¡°Will it be just flowers? If you want to earn the Duke¡¯s attention, shouldn¡¯t you have endless diamonds?¡± The forsythia girl covered her mouth with a fan and chuckled. ¡°Oh, yes. There¡¯s still a lot of diamonds. But the Duke¡­ Hm, hm. Excuse me.¡± What. I laughed a little in vain. Now, I¡¯ve been slapped with my eyes open, right? Openly like this? In broad daylight? ¡°You didn¡¯t show up at the Gallen gallery you booked in advance. Not only in Gallen but every gallery in the capital. I think this date has been hit by the wind. Well, well, his Excellence is a busy man, so I¡¯m sure My lady will understand, right?¡± That¡¯s how the forsythia girl laughed again. What shall I do? I lifted my eyebrow. Originally, I wasn¡¯t the type to react to such a low-key opponent. However, there is a truth that must be corrected no matter how annoying it is. I said with a big smile around my mouth. ¡°Oh, did you worry about me being hurt? Thank you.¡± It was when the forsythia¡¯s expression became subtle again. I said one thing after another, not giving her time to answer. ¡°But I don¡¯t think you need to worry anymore. It¡¯s been done, me and the Duke.¡± Yeah, it¡¯s done, it¡¯s done! I¡¯m sick and tired of reciting these words. I smiled and looked around the forsythia dress corps decorated within. Please listen to me clearly and spread the rumors throughout society. ¡°You¡¯ve¡­Broken up? What is that¡­?¡± The forsythia stammered. Then she gave a broad smile as if she realized something. ¡°Oh, my God! Is that what happened at last? Oh, poor Lady Winston. The Duke is very compassionate, too.¡± The forsythia and other dress corps giggled and laughed among themselves. As the forsythia color expressed her excitement, she unfolded her fan and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My lady is young and beautiful, so you¡¯ll find a new lover soon. Though I don¡¯t know who¡¯s going to take the abandoned woman that was hanging around a man for a year¡­.? Hoho.¡± ¡°Oh, my. I think that was a little bit of disrespect to Lord Evans.¡± I tilted my head slightly and laughed. The forsythia blazed her eyes as if she didn¡¯t understand. ??©­©­©­©­©­?? ? ??©­©­©­©­©­?? Chapter 5 ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Well, it was me who mentioned the breakup first.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural for an adult man and woman to meet and then settle down, and no one will take his Dukeness Evans just because he broke up? That seems to be taking a step too far.¡± I drooped my eyebrows as if I was sorry. The forsythia¡¯s expression changed visibly, including the facial expressions of the surrounding dress corps. At first, they looked vaguely unintelligible, then shocked, following that with their open mouths as if they couldn¡¯t believe what I had just said. I kindly waited until they understood the situation. How long has it been since then? Finally, the forsythia color regained consciousness. ¡°Haha, ha¡­ So you¡¯re saying that his Dukeness Evans was dumped by My lady? Do you think we¡¯re going to believe that now?¡± There¡¯s a difference¡­.. He¡¯s still a Duke. I shrugged slightly at the vulgar term. Well, it didn¡¯t matter to me whether they believe it or not. It¡¯s just enough to spread the rumor that Cedric and I broke up. Whoever was sleeping and awake. ¡°No matter how worried you are about your breakup, you¡¯re telling such absurd lies! I¡¯ve seen you again, My lady!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe it, you don¡¯t have to. Oh, by the way, you seem to be very passionate about my breakup, so why don¡¯t you introduce me to a nice man?¡± ¡°What, what?¡± I wore a twinkling, mischievous smile. ¡°I prefer a bit more rounded and cute personality than a sharp cold-hearted man like the Duke. He should have a nice personality and only look at me. Well, he should look like a puppy.¡± Come to think of it, my ideal type is the exact opposite of Cedric. That was fortunate. ¡°If you have a kind-hearted soul, My lady, please introduce me to someone.¡± The forsythia quivered at my words. I didn¡¯t know you would react this much. The forsythia was at a loss for what to do with the thoughtless jokes. ¡°Are¡­ Are you making fun of me?¡± ¡°No, I asked for matchmaking.¡± ¡°Ha¡­.!¡± As if the forsythia could not find a reply, she folded and unfolded the fan fiercely to the point where it was distracting. Soon she folded up her fan and exclaimed, ¡°I¡¯ll remember what happened today!¡± What do you mean remember. Not feeling the need to respond, I gave a slight silent salute without erasing my smile. Then the forsythia shook and turned her back. ¡°Let¡¯s go, girls!¡± ¡°P, Patricia!¡± ¡°Come with me!¡± The dress corps followed the forsythia girl like a flock of chicks. She was called Patrica. It didn¡¯t seem worth remembering, so I let go of the name. Ariel Winston seemed to have quite a few enemies in society. ¡®Well, that¡¯s understandable¡­¡¯ No matter how crazy she was in love, she was the woman who presented the male lead with the anixia scent. It would have been amazing if she had not made an enemy. However, if the enemies were all at the level of the dress corps, I don¡¯t think we need to worry. I can¡¯t believe they ran away shivering after a couple of words. With a shrug, I buried my nose in the bouquet. It was still fragrant. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? ¡°There we go!¡± I shouted with joy. Rina, who was grinding petals at the side auxiliary table, raised her head. ¡°Hyuk, are you finished?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I stared at the perfume I had just finished with a proud look. Honestly, I was a little worried. I¡¯ve never conducted perfume since I lost my sense of smell. No, it should¡¯ve been true that it could not be done. That was five years ago, so I was worried that my skills might have gone rusty. Fortunately, after adjusting to the unfamiliar tools of this world, I was able to make perfumes quickly. ¡°So, this perfume is effective¡­¡± I picked up Ariel¡¯s fragrance notes. It stated that the perfume I made following the recipe had the effect of ¡®dissolving fatigue at once.¡¯ Perhaps because it was a different world from where I lived, Ariel¡¯s notebook had many perfume recipes with enormous efficacy. A perfume that heals an inner wound or a perfume that attracts people. Is it because it is a world where magic and spirits exist? Ariel¡¯s notes seemed to belong to a wizard, not a perfumer. Anyway, I think the scent is good¡­ but will it work as written? With a suspicious look, I dropped the spices and ingredients into the flask, mixed them, and poured the liquid into the perfume bottle. And sprayed. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°Are you alright?¡± Rina asked with a nervous look. I sniffed and was lost in thought. I¡¯m a little tired. Is it working out? Maybe not? Is it just a placebo effect? As I snorted my head, Rina asked, twinkling her eyes. ¡°May I have a sniff, My lady?¡± ¡°Of course. Half of it was made by Rina.¡± ¡°Well, all I did was grind the petals.¡± Rina walked up to me, blushing red. I sprayed the perfume into the air near her. Another fragrant smell filled the room. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Well, first of all, it smells good¡­uh?¡± Rina suddenly opened her eyes wide. ¡°Lady Ariel! I¡¯m suddenly so energized!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just rising out of control!¡± Exclaimed Rina with an excited face. It was the first time that Rina, who was always intimidated by me, was like this. ¡°Rina¡­¡± ¡°I think I have something to complete!¡± Rina, running to the auxiliary table, began to grind the petals furiously. I gazed down at the mix with a bewildered and disbelief face. Is Rina exaggerating for me on purpose? How could it work so immediately¡­? However, Rina since then has crushed numerous petals. She only asked for more petals, saying that she couldn¡¯t control her energy even if I asked her to rest. I hurriedly lowered the percentage of Alana in the recipe, that was said it was helpful for energy. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? ¡°Your Majesty, the package has arrived.¡± ¡°Is it urgent? Leave it anywhere.¡± ¡°This is the package sent from Lady Winston.¡± The feather pen, which had scrawled without hesitation, halted. Cedric raised his head. ¡®Ariel Winston.¡¯ He thought of the calendar in his head. The last time I met her¡­ Yeah, four days ago. The day remained quite distinct in Cedric¡¯s head. It sounds funny, but it was the first time I had my broken heart. ¡°Is it that you keep your promises?¡± Cedric mumbled with a laugh. That day Ariel had certainly said so. Even if they broke up, she¡¯d send perfume, to not worry. ¡°bring it.¡± ¡°Yes, My lord.¡± A moment later a small box was delivered in front of Cedric. It was a box packed with pretty ribbons. When I turned off the ribbon and opened the box, a fragrant smell arose. ¡°Oh, is this the Anixia scent?¡± Rigion raised his head with curiosity. Cedric pushed his forehead instead of answering. ¡°Go away. Your smell will be mixed.¡± ¡°You are too much, Your Dukeness¡­.¡± Cedric lifted the perfume bottle in the box. His eyes casually glanced into the empty box. There was only one perfume bottle in the box. Other than that, there were no cards. ¡°Wait a minute, Your Dukeness.¡± When Cedric picked up the perfume bottle, Rigion stopped him with an anxious look. ¡°Are you going to use it right away? Let¡¯s check it out first.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What if she sent you another strange perfume? How many times has My lady pretended to send the anixia scent and instead gave you a strange scent? Like the perfume that makes you fall in love when you smell¡­¡± ¡°No, it never worked.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Though Rigion stepped back, muttering at the end of his words, his gaze at the perfume remained doubtful. Cedric ignored him and sprayed the perfume. The reaction was immediate. ¡°¡­Hah.¡± A sensation that starts from the tip of the nose and penetrates around the blood vessels, feeling a breeze sitting all over the body. Cedric closed his eyes and sighed deeply. I felt the cursed beings, who had started making noise in the cell a few days ago, become quiet at once. ¡°Are you all right, Your Dukeness?¡± Region asked, anxiously examining Cedric. Instead of answering, Cedric lowered his eyes and stared at the perfume bottle. The only talent was an insanely outstanding woman. There were many perfumers in the system. Some were famous for being geniuses and some were popular in the salons of ladies. Yet none of them succeeded in creating the scent of Anixia. ¡®What kind of recipe do you use?¡¯ Even this scent seemed to have a better effect than last time. Cedric slowly pulled his head to both sides. His misty, hazy head instantly cleared up. ¡°Oh, Your Dukeness. This box, it¡¯s a two-tier box.¡± Rigion opened the bottom of the box. He used a box separated into two layers just in case the scent would mix. The box below contained a small perfume bottle and a note. Cedric hardened his forehead. ¡°Give.¡± Rigion gently offered the note and perfume bottle. Cedric grabbed the note and read it out instantly. There had been nothing to read for a long time. There were only two sentences on the note. [The enclosed perfume has the effect of relieving fatigue. I hope it helps.] ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­ Chapter 6 ¡°Hyuk, this perfume is suspicious!¡± ¡°Noisy. You¡¯re making a lot of noise today.¡± Annoyed, Cedric grabbed the second bottle of perfume. Rigion¡¯s doubts were reasonable. Ariel Winston had been offering a variety of different potions using perfume. She made perfumes with various and bizarre effects to the point where he felt that she was more of a witch than a perfumer. The most absurd of all was the love potion that made you fall in love with the person in front of you¡­ No, it wasn¡¯t the perfume, but the most dangerous thing was the scent that could be delivered in the back alley. Fortunately for Cedric, none of them worked except for the Anixia scent. Ariel, however, had not given up and has been persistently developing bizarre fragrances. Is it a trick this time? ¡®It gets worse.¡¯ Yet there was no hesitation in Ariel¡¯s eyes when she was saying goodbye. A serene, imposing look that had never been seen in her before. If she had given herself up that day, she would not have done anything bothersome again. Cedric suddenly wanted to try. Whether Ariel gave up on himself or not. ¡°Ah, Your Highness, so outspokenly¡­ will you be alright?¡± Cedric, who had sprayed the second fragrance, slowly blinked. He tilted his head slightly while in thought. He looked indescribably subtle. It was when Rigion, nervous by the silence of his master, opened his mouth once more. Cedric raised his hand and sprayed the incense on Region¡¯s face. ¡°Argh!¡± Rigion, frightened, screamed while covering his nose. ¡°What are you doing suddenly¡­Like this¡­?¡± Rigion hardened. Then he blinked rapidly. Pshh. The perfume feels weird. ¡°Your Highness? I suddenly feel strange. It¡¯s like¡­ The feeling of lying in the fields in the afternoon sun¡­ It feels like a gentle breeze gently wrapping my body¡­¡± Rigion, who was muttering to himself, suddenly clenched his fists. ¡°My God! I¡¯ve never felt this energy since I was in my teens! Oh, there¡¯s no time to waste. I¡¯ll be back soon after I finish my afternoon work!¡± As if he couldn¡¯t control his vitality, Rigion left Cedric¡¯s office in a rush. Cedric, who was left alone, breathed a short, dejected sigh. His eyes glanced at the perfume bottle. [I hope this helps.] Cedric alighted and watched the neat font. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? ¡°There¡¯s still many left.¡± I clicked my tongue as I stared at the perfume bottles. Last time, Rina had crushed too many petals, thus we ended up making too much perfume. I was in trouble because of this. The ingredients were too wasteful to throw away, so we gave them away here and there. However, because they didn¡¯t go out well, we haven¡¯t gotten rid of much. ¡°I¡¯ll make a little bit next time.¡± After reflecting belatedly, I looked into the fragrance notes. On the open page, the words ¡®Anixia fragrance¡¯ was written. ¡®I think the effect was good enough.¡¯ I thought of Cedric. I haven¡¯t heard from him since I sent the package yesterday. There seemed to be no particular problem. That¡¯s good, then. Nodding my head, I fiddled with a page from my fragrance notes. ¡®One page of this book has something more precious than gold.¡¯ A combination method for making artificial anixia incense, which no one else had invented. This was only Ariel¡¯s property. With this alone, Ariel Winston could be an indispensable, necessary thing for Cedric. Till now. ¡°Lady Ariel?¡± The knock on the door shattered my thinking. The servant peeped his head. ¡°Lady, my master is calling you to join him for dinner.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I nodded. ¡°Tell him I¡¯ll be right down.¡± ¡°Yes, My lady.¡± As the user servant left, I sighed. I had been confined in the perfumery for the past few days, having no chance to meet the Count. Why does he have to call us for a meal now? The Count, who encountered me at the dining room, stared at me with strange eyes. It was an eye-catching look. ¡°The rumors have spread, Ariel.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The news of your breakup with the Duke of Evans.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I nodded. A few days ago, it seemed to have been effective in telling the ladies I¡¯d met. ¡°You seem to have finally come to your senses. Yes, you¡¯re old enough to stop playing love games that don¡¯t work.¡± I cut the lamb steak instead of answering. The count, smiling warmly, suddenly threw out a bomb. ¡°Yes, so to speak. We have an engagement. Ariel.¡± ¡°¡­.Yes?¡± I stopped cutting the steak. The count replied, casually tilting his glass of wine. ¡°The second son of Marquis Marcel. As you know, the Marquis of Marcel is a family that collects foreign currency from overseas trade these days. It¡¯s not bad to associate with such a family. He¡¯s the second son, so if he does well, he¡¯ll be my son-in-law.¡± ¡°No, the Marquis¡¯s son-in-law and¡­ marriage.¡± My appetite dropped and I placed down the knife. ¡°Are you asking me to marry him?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯re not old enough to decide, are you?¡± The Count said as if it were a matter of course. No, no. I touched my head. Of course, Ariel was 23 years old this year, so she was of age to be married. I also knew that aristocrats in this world seemed to be entering political marriages for political matters. But I didn¡¯t want to. You want me to marry a man whose face I don¡¯t even know? ¡°It is said his appearance is also of very high quality. Like an imperial knight, his physical condition is excellent.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°He¡¯s also tall.¡± You want me to marry a handsome, tall, well-built man? I can¡¯t¡­ me? Hmm, hmm. I quickly grasped the conversation and replied. ¡°I think marriage is a little early, Father. After enjoying a little more freedom¡­¡± ¡°The wedding market is not always open. The second son of the Marcel family is a rare sale.¡± When I refused again, the count gave an irritating look. ¡°Okay. What do you want?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you what you want as long as you agree.¡± Anything I want? There was nothing to think about. I answered at once. ¡°Money.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Please raise this month¡¯s allowance.¡± The count gazed at me disapprovingly. ¡°I heard you asked the butler for more money. Yes, you seem to be into that weird little house play again these days.¡± The ¡®weird house play¡¯ was about steering. The Count seemed displeased that I had been confined to the small perfumery. Either way, I needed money. The herbs for the perfume were very expensive. No matter how popular Ariel was, she was not at the level of the money. The count, who was looking at me with disapproving eyes, replied. ¡°Twenty thousand bis. I¡¯ll give it to you as soon as you get to the standing position.¡± 20,000 bis. I glistened my eyes. With that amount, I could not only have to set up materials for the time being but also get access to some nice steering tools. That¡¯s not bad, is it? ¡°Okay.¡± I agreed with the deal without a moment¡¯s notice. I was willing to take a few hours for dinner. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? Robin Marcel. As soon as I found my opponent in the standing position, I almost smacked my forehead. Fairy-like green eyes and bright blond hair. And the name Robin Marcel. Why couldn¡¯t I think of it? That this man was a supporting character in a novel. That he was also a lowly, sloppy villain. ¡°Lady Winston!¡± The man who noticed my presence stood up gladly. His looks are very handsome. I could see the women in the restaurant blushing with a flustered smile at the man¡¯s halo. But you can¡¯t be fooled by appearances. Who knows? This is the bastard who drugged the heroine¡¯s champagne and tried to kidnap her. ¡®Shall we run?¡¯ I didn¡¯t even want to smell the air with this garbage, let alone have dinner. ¡®Uh, by the way¡­¡­¡¯ I reflexively grabbed my nose. I¡¯ve always had a keen sense of smell, and so did Ariel¡¯s body. The bad smell from Robin¡¯s body was rather severe, apart from being sensitive. ¡°Are you uncomfortable, Lady?¡± Robin asked anxiously. I managed to smile awkwardly. ¡°No, it smells a little nauseous¡­¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I was smelling it too.¡± Robin had an unpleasant look on his face. ¡°Although it is a restaurant, how can they not manage the indoor air? I have to say something to the manager.¡± What manager. I glared at Robin. It¡¯s the smell from your body, from your body. Robin raised his hand as if he were trying to call the manager. I quickly stopped him. ¡°Oh, wait a minute. I have something that could help me.¡± ¡°If it could be helpful¡­?¡± ¡°Perfume.¡± Needless to say, I grabbed a small perfume bottle out of my pouch. It was the same perfume that I had made so much of that I couldn¡¯t get rid of it. relieving fatigue at once. This perfume was effective, but the fragrance was also nice. Let¡¯s cover up this man¡¯s stench with this. The smell was getting worse by the minute, so I hurriedly moved my hands. ¡°Oh, I heard. Lady has a hobby of collecting perfumes. Indeed, you have a luxurious taste that goes well with your beautiful appearance¡­ Ugh!¡± Pshh. I sprayed the perfume on Robin without hesitation. Robin, who was suddenly hit by perfume, closed his eyes tightly. I breathed a deep sigh of relief as the fresh scent began to spread. I felt like I was going to live a little now. ¡°Phew, I¡¯m sorry. It smelled so bad that I was in a hurry to¡­ Uh, sir. Are you alright?¡± Robin¡¯s eyes were out of focus. I waved my hands around his blank face that seemed out of his mind. ¡°Mr. Robin?¡± ¡°Ah, this feeling¡­¡± Robin stammered. His face was bathed in ecstasy. What¡¯s wrong with him? I pushed the chair back a little. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? Chapter 7 ¡°This overflowing energy¡­ Oh my God, Lady. What did you just spray on me?¡± Robin thrust his thrilled face in front of me. I answered reluctantly. ¡°It was just an air freshener.¡± ¡°No, I know this feeling. It was¡­ a stimulant, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Robin held his face closer and whispered. Unbeknownst to me, an absurd expression was revealed. The perfume I sprayed was just one that had the effect of relieving fatigue. Well, it is said that people who take a lot of drugs are sensitive to ordinary scents¡­ Wait. No way? I gazed at Robin with suspicious eyes. ¡°Lady. From the first meeting, everything¡¯s like this¡­ Ha, I¡¯ve never seen such a reckless woman all my life.¡± Robin clasped my hand. Surprised, I tried to shake it off, however, his grip was stronger. ¡°Other men might have run away in fright, but I¡¯m different. I like the tenacity of this. I accept your temptation, Lady.¡± I opened my mouth wide. This crazy druggie seemed to be facing a great illusion. ¡°What are you talking about? Let go of me right now.¡± ¡°Whoo, you didn¡¯t forget to flinch after blatantly seducing me. You¡¯re changing my taste. Lady!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± The odor from Robin¡¯s face struck my nose once again. I frowned. I can¡¯t believe it still stinks. The smell was still lingering even after spraying the perfume. Oh no, he must be a real druggie. I became vexed and tried to pull my seized hand back. Nevertheless, Robin was very strong. ¡°Let¡¯s leave, Lady. There¡¯s nothing more to hesitate about.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to report you. Here! Waiter!¡± The waiter rushed with a startled look. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Lady?¡± ¡°Please report this madman. Ugh, Where are you going with my hand!¡± Robin thrust my hand against his chest. I could feel his heart beating like crazy through the fabric. ¡°Do you feel it? This is my heart beating¡­ the beating of love for my Lady. Ah, waiter. Please understand that my lady is as sharp as a cat. You may go back.¡± What are you talking about, you crazy bastard. Did the scent affect driving people crazy? I raised my undetected hand, vowing to mend the recipe as soon as I got home. I was proceeding to slap his face. It was then. ¡°What are you doing?¡± A voice that sank so low, as if scratching one¡¯s eardrums. I looked back reflexively. Then, he opened his mouth slowly. A completely unexpected person. Cedric Evans was standing behind me like a lie. ¡°Uh, are you¡­ Duke Evans?¡± Robin asked blankly with a stupid face. Cedric strode in place of answering and flicked Robin¡¯s hand, which was grasping mine. His tenacious hand fell off easily. There was a red handprint existing on the spot it had previously seized. Cedric, glaring at the mark, growled at Robin. ¡°I asked what you were doing.¡± ¡°What, even if you ask me what I¡¯m doing¡­ Well, we¡¯re just enjoying our date.¡± ¡°Date?¡± Cedric grumbled. ¡°It appears to me that a crazy sex offender is harassing a woman, in my eyes.¡± ¡°Ha, harassment!¡± Robin shouted with a whitened face. ¡°Tell me however much you want to, but you¡¯re talking too much! I and the Lady are very fond of each other¡­!¡± ¡°Shut up, your tongue is too long.¡± Cedric lifted my wrist. The hand, which contained red marks. ¡°What shall I do, Lady Winston?¡± Cedric asked, looking down at my wrist. ¡°Why don¡¯t I place a mark on him?¡± As Cedric said so, he slightly pulled the sword from his waist. Sheeth, an eerie sound was sounded from the sword¡¯s sheath. Then, Robin, who was sitting down in amazement, retreated. ¡°Your, Your Grace! Please do me a favor! I was imprudent!¡± ¡°You were imprudent?¡± ¡°Yes, yes! I forcibly gripped the Lady¡¯s wrist, even when she refused! But my Lady did try removing her hand with words, and the truth is¡­.¡± ¡°You admit it. Take him.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Two knights who were guarding Cedric¡¯s back stepped forward. They lifted Robin¡¯s shoulders. ¡°What, what! Let go of me!¡± Robin resisted to the fullest, yet the knights just dragged him along as if he were a bundle. All eyes in the restaurant turned to the scene. After Robin was forced to leave, the restaurant was silently smothered in shock. In the stillness, Cedric flopped and sat on the chair where Robin had been. ¡°It seems the Marquis of Marcel did not educate them properly. Raising sex offenders.¡± Cedric, who spit out harsh words, emptied the wine glass made for Robin at once. ¡°So.¡± Tak. Cedric placed down the glass of wine and gazed at me. His red eyes lit up like a stabbing knife. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to ask your grace.¡± ¡°Oh. Me.¡± Cedric slowly lowered his head to one side. It was a strangely lax attitude. The look on his face was similar to the one I might have made the moment I met Robin earlier. the smell of an unbearably unpleasant odor. ¡°I stopped by for business. As the business partner inevitably wants to eat in an open place.¡± Cedric threw his gaze elsewhere. When I turned my head, I noticed a middle-aged man looking this way with a frightened expression, most likely seeming to be Cedric¡¯s partner. ¡°If I meet you in a closed place, would you eat with me?¡± Cedric, who smiled in vain, gazed at me once again. It was a pungent red glare. ¡°So, Lady. What were you doing with that bastard?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± It was a little embarrassing to answer him straightforwardly. Oh God, you were sitting face to face with that guy. With a sigh, I replied, shrugging. ¡°My father arranged a meeting. I¡¯m here because he wishes for me to meet him.¡± ¡°¡­Meeting?¡± Cedric retorted. As if the single word was unfamiliar to him. ¡°Yes, I wouldn¡¯t have come out if I had known he was like this.¡± I wouldn¡¯t, really. No matter how much I loved money, my stomach wasn¡¯t immune enough to dine with a druggist and sexual harasser. I decided to thank Cedric first. ¡°Well, thank you very much for now. He wouldn¡¯t have listened to me. And how strong he is¡­¡± I grumbled and patted my wrists that still had visible marks. A deep reply was heard overhead. ¡°¡­Aha. So, Lady.¡± Cedric leaned forward slowly. His red eyes were even more darkened. ¡°Are you saying that you have sentenced me to a sudden farewell, and in a week you are already planning a new spiritual and future plan?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± I opened my eyes wide at the unexpected line. Cedric narrowed his eyes and spoke slowly. ¡°It¡¯s a contract-bound relationship, but we¡¯ve been together for more than half a year. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d do this in the end.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Do this?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there any courtesy in breaking up?¡± What do you mean courtesy? I was a bit dumbfounded as I opened my mouth. ¡°So¡­ Does the Duke mean that my family should have closed off searching for other candidates and meetings for me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the story.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Your Grace.¡± I frowned at the story. ¡°Didn¡¯t you find my relationship unpleasant?¡± ¡°Unpleasant?¡± Cedric retorted the word and frowned at the middle of his forehead. What was certain was that he seemed quite displeased at the moment, although he didn¡¯t know of it. ¡®Yes. It could be unpleasant.¡¯ On reflection, Cedric¡¯s words were not wrong. No matter how contractual it may be, they were in a formal relationship. Besides, Cedric and Ariel were quite famous as Cedric Evans was politically powerful. It was clear that she would stay in the old society for a while when it became known that she had been with another man as soon as such a relationship broke. So it is indeed. I admitted my mistake belatedly. Cedric was right. There was courtesy in parting. No matter how contracted the relationship was, it was the same. ¡°No, Your Highness. Come to think of it, it is my fault.¡± As I admitted my fault, Cedric gently lifted one brow, surprised. ¡°Regardless of my true intentions, you and I are official lovers. It¡¯s my fault that I came out with another man. I¡¯m sorry, haha.¡± Instead of accepting my apology, Cedric replied with something rather confusing. ¡°When did it start?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°When did you decide that you weren¡¯t in love with me and that you would marry another man?¡± That was a very random and unexpected question. I managed to come to my senses and replied quietly. ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t exactly what I decided to do with the Duke. No, that¡¯s not a matter of what I was going to decide¡­ Wasn¡¯t it that I had no options from the beginning?¡± Cedric stared at me intently instead of answering. The sensation of his red eyes, not only on my face but also looking over my skin, gave me goosebumps. I said with a seemingly casual expression and a faint smile. ¡°I knew for a long time that I couldn¡¯t be the Duchess of Evans.¡± No matter how hard Ariel tried, all she did was make all kinds of love scents and hand them to Cedric. Ariel Winston was just Ariel Winston after all. ¡®Evans¡¯ was never to be said after her name. Because there existed a real hostess rightful of that name. Chapter 8 ¡°Is that so?¡± Cedric tilted his head. ¡°That¡¯s strange. Didn¡¯t you enjoy being called Duchess Evans in society?¡± I tried to hide my warm, blushed face. It was true that Ariel was flirting with other nobles, referring to herself as Dutchess Evans. I didn¡¯t think this guy even knew that. ¡°I did¡­There were indeed times when I did it, but¡­ I¡¯m ashamed. I would appreciate it if you could think of it as some childish moments and let it go.¡± Cedric did not answer. He stared at me silently for a moment. He seemed to be attempting to gauge my real intentions. After a while, he parted his lips. ¡°What do you want? Is it still the same?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°A clean parting. Is that really alright with you?¡± I nodded my head. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Cedric blinked slowly. He closed his eyes for a brief moment. As Cedric opened his eyes, his face became more expressionless. He opened his mouth and wore a rather gruesome expression. ¡°Okay, if that¡¯s what the Lady wants.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for that.¡± It was a polite farewell. His expressionless face was like a wounded doll as he was preparing to leave. I greeted him in silence. ¡°I¡¯ve been very rude. Thank you for all you¡¯ve done.¡± Cedric stood up and turned his back. As soon as he started heading towards his partner, he suddenly turned back to me. ¡°¡­The perfume.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± I widen my eyes. Cedric replied without any expression on his face. ¡°It was effective.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Thanks to you, my men are becoming more efficient than ever before.¡± I thought he was talking about the Anixia scent, but he was talking about the other one. I nodded my head. Fortunately, it was effective in recovering from fatigue. I didn¡¯t know this man was such a kind boss that he shared the perfume he received as a gift with his subordinates. ¡°Thank you. Then.¡± Cedric paid a silent salute and left. I suddenly opened my lips again. Actually, I wanted to ask. Did the Anixia scent work? Other perfumes were presented to servants as gifts, but the Anixia scent was prepared only for Cedric, so I couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the only customer¡¯s feedback. ¡­But yes. Some say that no news is good news. The fact that he¡¯s walking like that so casually means that there¡¯s no problem with the formula prepared for the scent. I nodded and soon turned my head away from him without regret. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? ¡°Oh, my god, My lady!¡± As soon as I exited the carriage, the butler rushed to me. ¡°Lady Ariel!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°What in the world did you do? Master is not just angry!¡± Count Winston? I narrowed my eyes. I can guess why¡­I sighed as I recalled the incident at the restaurant. ¡°Is my father looking for me?¡± ¡°Yes, he is determined!¡± ¡°Let him know that I will see him now.¡± The Count, whom I encountered inside the mansion, had a very vexed expression on his face. He raged as soon as he noticed me. ¡°Ariel Winston!¡± What a surprise. I looked at the count with calm eyes. ¡°Why are you calling, Father?¡± ¡°Why are you calling?! Oh, it¡¯s amazing!¡± The Count struck the table. ¡°I just got a telegram from Marquis Marcel! Robin Marcel is locked up in the prison! What the hell are you talking about?!¡± It¡¯s that story again. I sighed and rubbed my forehead. ¡°Where in the world is there a Lady who puts her marriage partner in prison?!¡± ¡°The Marcels have only paid for their sins, Father. If he didn¡¯t do anything wrong, the security forces wouldn¡¯t have taken him.¡± ¡°What nerves! Did you and Robin Marcel have had a sword fight at the restaurant!?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything so crazy¡­but he¡¯s made some low-level remarks on me.¡± ¡°Low-level remarks?¡± ¡°He told me I seduced him and that I sprayed a stimulant on him¡­well, that¡¯s the story.¡± ¡°¡­What!?¡± The Count glared fiercely. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he said that! How the hell did you behave, Ariel!¡± ¡°No, I just¡­I just sprayed perfume on him, because he smelled bad.¡± ¡°Perfume!¡± Bang! The Count struck the table again. ¡°That¡¯s why I told you to put an end to your weird hobbies! Don¡¯t you see what happened in the end! Damn it! People will start running their mouths off now that you have put your marriage partner in jail!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having nothing to say, I shrugged my shoulders. The Count was constantly saying it was all my fault, so I didn¡¯t feel the need to clarify. The Count, who had made himself outraged, shouted. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve put him in jail, who will wish to see you in the future? Now that this has happened, we have no choice but to settle it somehow. Go to the Central District Sheriff¡¯s Department right now and take care of Robin Marcel yourself!¡± ¡°What?¡± I frowned. I could hear the sounds of a dog barking. ¡°Not to mention my unwillingness, Father, the main thing is that I don¡¯t have the ability to take care of Robin Marcel.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°It was the Duke of Evans¡¯s men who took Robin Marcel away.¡± I tilted my head. ¡°Isn¡¯t it presumptuous of me to take care of a criminal when the Duke himself ordered to be punished?¡± ¡°¡­What the hell is this about? It was the Duke of Evans who arrested Robin Marcel?¡± The Count asked with a puzzled look. He didn¡¯t seem to have heard the whole story. It was clear that the Marquis of Marcel sent a telegram with only the information that would be advantageous to them. ¡°Yes, his excellency, who happened to pass by, didn¡¯t see the situation fit and helped me personally. I didn¡¯t expect him to go to prison. I see you didn¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°¡­the Duke of Evans, Cedric Evans, had come forward and acted himself?¡± The Count murmured blankly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you broke up with the Duke of Evans?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re completely done.¡± ¡°But why¡­wait a minute, did the Duke realize his feelings towards you later?¡± ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s not true.¡± The Count¡¯s pure speculation made me laugh. He frowned when he realized that his remarks were absurd. ¡°Well¡­anyway, you¡¯re not wrong. If the Duke intervenes, you can¡¯t call for leniency here.¡± That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. I shrugged my shoulders and attempted to ask if I could go in now, but the Count was a little faster. ¡°I can¡¯t help it now that it was done.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We have no choice but to find a new partner before the rumor spreads.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± I wanted to open the Count¡¯s mind to see what was going on in his head. The Count looked at me with serious eyes. ¡°Fortunately, there¡¯s one seat I¡¯ve been holding on for you, Ariel. I¡¯ll make an appointment as soon as possible so please wait. Your partner will be the Marquis of Orgen.¡± Marquis? I felt a sense of concussion at the word. Not even the Marquis¡¯s son but the Marquis? I inquired at the rising ominousness. ¡°By any chance, how old is the Marquis?¡± The Count lifted one eyebrow and answered blatantly. ¡°He would have to be 40 years old this year.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a normal age for a political marriage.¡± Don¡¯t be ridiculous, he¡¯s such an old man. I¡¯m 20 years old. How could I be the bride of an old grandpa! I managed to swallow my words¡­ I was so patient that I wanted to praise myself. ¡®However, I can¡¯t stand marrying a 40-year-old.¡¯ I knew that aristocrats organized political marriages as if they were eating. The subjects of poetry, cultural differences, were all excellent. I could understand almost everything. However, this was not the case. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth. ¡°My father wants me to get married as soon as possible. A marriage as fast as possible.¡± ¡°What? Of course. If you weren¡¯t going to have a good marriage, why do you think I raised you up to this age?¡± As expected. I sighed deeply. I didn¡¯t expect him to treat his own daughter like this. Is this a cultural difference? Or is the Count just a bad father? Either way, it wasn¡¯t that important. To Count Winston, his daughter was just a good bargain to sell. The debt he raised, he had no choice but to pay it off in order not to lose any of his possessions. I looked straight at the Count. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Father. I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s a handsome, young man of the same age as me. I don¡¯t have the slightest desire to marry.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°If I can¡¯t get engaged, I¡¯ll make up for the damage, so don¡¯t worry, Father.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to make up for the damage. You?¡± The count laughed cheerfully. ¡°How can you make up for the damage when all you know how to do is look pretty?¡± I smiled meaningfully instead of answering. The Count, perplexed by my reaction, narrowed his brows. The Count was not wrong. Ariel Winston had no great skill in swordsmanship and no ability to handle mana. However, that didn¡¯t mean that she had no talent at all. ¡®Although the Count is dismissing it as a silly game.¡¯ Count Winston did not respect Ariel¡¯s perfuming ability. No, it was rather contemptuous and ignored. However, contrary to the Count¡¯s prejudice, Ariel¡¯s perfuming skills were so great that even Cedric Evans retreated at the mention of it. The Count will not know. There is a formula in the perfuming room that was hundreds of times more valuable than the numerous jewels and expensive dresses I owned. Perhaps, it was fortunate that Earl Winston was prejudiced. Chapter 9 ¡®It¡¯ll be a waste to sell only the recipe.¡¯ Currently, Ariel was the only one who could successfully produce the Anixia scent. Selling it away was the same as cutting the belly of a goose that laid the golden eggs. ¡°As expected, it would be better to sell the perfume itself than to sell the recipe.¡± It would be burdensome to get involved in such an earnest business, but ¡­ while contemplating, Lina raised her lips. ¡°My lady, What have you been talking to yourself about?¡± She asked with round eyes. Her eyes, inadvertently, summoned a smile onto my face. I wondered when did this child became so close to me. She always looked shocked like a rabbit whenever she made eye contacts with me 15 days ago. ¡°Nothing. By the way, isn¡¯t it about time we reached our destination?¡± ¡°Oh, yes! I believe we¡¯re almost there!¡± I was currently visiting the Senon District for the second time to supply the materials needed. There were not many people today. I didn¡¯t catch sight of the forsythia-colored dresses that had criticized me the last time. When I established the flower shop I had visited before, the young man attending the flower shop recognized me and smiled delightedly. ¡°Welcome back, dear guest!¡± I took a quick tour around. The small-sized flower shop was well decorated with its endearing interior. I looked back on the memories of my past life. Before I lay in bed, I used to frequently roam around the perfume stores. Such shops were not as spacious as this one. I asked the young man, ¡°Well, if you¡¯d excuse me ¡­¡± ¡°Yes, feel free to ask, Milady!¡± The young man answered with sparkling eyes. I encouraged myself and asked carefully, ¡°A store this big ¡­ How much is the purchase price?¡± ¡°What? You wish to buy it?¡± Perhaps, it was an unexpected question, as the young man opened his eyes wide. I placed an awkward smile on my lips. Fortunately, the young man answered my unforeseen inquiry with pleasure. ¡°Let me see, if the price had risen in the last few years ¡­ Hmm, it would be about 20 million won?¡± ¡°Tw, twenty million won?¡± Everyone around was frightened out of their wits. Oh my God. Real estate prices in this world are no joke! ¡°Yes, the land price in the Senon District is rather high ¡­ haha.¡± I gulped as I gazed at the young man currently attending the flower shop. This young man, who seemed like he owned a speck of dust, suddenly began to appear as a shining golden spoon. ¡°Ye, yes ¡­ I see. Thank you for your answer.¡± ¡°Haha, anytime. If you¡¯re interested, shall I introduce you to a decent property?¡± ¡°Ah ¡­ no, maybe next time. I¡¯m a little short on money right now.¡± Short on 19.5 million won. Haha. Swallowing such words, I staggered out of the flower shop. To be honest, I took independence too lightly. Ariel Winston was a noblewoman, and didn¡¯t the aristocracy hold the so-called ¡®golden spoon position¡¯? Therefore, I thought that the initial funding for my independence wouldn¡¯t be too difficult. But ¡­ the world wasn¡¯t easy here or there. ¡®If I sell all the dresses and jewelries, wouldn¡¯t I get 20 million won?¡¯ I heard the small dream of opening a perfume shop flies far away. What should I do now? I can¡¯t open the shop. Lina glanced anxiously, while I ruffled my hair in exasperation. ¡°My lady, are you perhaps worried?¡± ¡°Just, I¡¯m just a bit vexed ¡­ sigh, Lina.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say Lina is in dire need of money. It¡¯s an extremely urgent situation, yet she doesn¡¯t have much in her hands. What would you do?¡± ¡°What happens if I don¡¯t have the money?¡± ¡°Well ¡­ let¡¯s say you¡¯ll marry a twenty year older man.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Lina looked disgusted. ¡°If it¡¯s so urgent¡­ well, I¡¯ll have to make some money.¡± ¡°However, what if the money you saved isn¡¯t enough, and you can¡¯t gain the amount?¡± ¡°Then ¡­ shouldn¡¯t I borrow some?¡± ¡°Borrow?¡± I nodded slowly. It was a natural answer. If I didn¡¯t have the money, I would have no choice but to borrow someone else¡¯s. By the way, does Ariel Winston have any connections with someone who¡¯d lend her money? I asked Lina hesitantly. ¡°Hey, Lina. Does a name come to mind when you think of my close friend? A friend close enough to lend me money.¡± ¡°What? The lady¡¯s close ¡­ friend?¡± A flustered expression passed over Lina¡¯s face. I was frustrated. As expected, Ariel Winston did not seem to have any friends. Well, a friend would be a girl of the same age, so there¡¯s no way she could lend me 20 million won. Then should I borrow from the bank? How much interest does the bank have in this world? ¡°Madam, are you short of pocket money? If I inform the butler¡­¡± ¡°Oh, no. It¡¯s not like that. An acquaintance I recognize wishes to invest in a business. However, they don¡¯t have enough money, so I¡¯m thinking about it for them. Haha.¡± ¡°Oh! It gets easier if business is what we¡¯re talking about.¡± It gets easier? I stared blankly at Lina. She smiled and replied cheerfully. ¡°We just need an investor!¡± ¡°Investor ¡­¡± I opened my eyes wide. Ariel¡¯s perfuming skills were already well known in society. If she claimed she¡¯d conduct a perfume business and asked for an investor, at least one or two people would volunteer. For a moment, a plausible plan unfolded in my mind. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? ¡°The young lady, Ariel Winston, is entering.¡± At the butler¡¯s guidance, countless eyes focused on my sudden appearance. Count Audrey¡¯s daughter approached me with a stiff face. It was her who had hosted this dance. ¡°¡­ Welcome, Lady Ariel. You attended the dance.¡± ¡°Of course, Lady Audrey. It wasn¡¯t anyone else, but the young lady who hosted this dance.¡± I put on a plain smile. Audrey¡¯s expression became indescribably subtle. Yes, it must¡¯ve been weird. I didn¡¯t have a very good relationship with you, yet I attended this dance. I glanced around the ballroom. Men and women were dancing to the calm music, while trying to fix their eyes on me. Their eyes were not in the least bit favorable. ¡®Normally, the villains would possess a bad personality; however, they would hold some great connections, right?¡¯ A villain would often use their butterfly wings and push the main character to the side*. This type of scene would happen frequently. *TL+PR/N: The villainess tries to use their connections and power to try and steal the spotlight. However, Ariel Winston didn¡¯t even seem to have that kind of connection. ¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ I didn¡¯t come out to socialize or build relationships. I only need to meet one person. ¡®There she is.¡¯ Sooner or later, I caught my goal. On one side of the ballroom, a dark haired blonde lady smiled brightly. That lady was Charlotte Jenos, the social queen who conquered the system. It was about when I was going to turn around with sparkling eyes. ¡°Oh, my God, who is this?¡± A familiar voice called me. I looked back. An unpleasantly, familiar woman looked me up and down. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the Ariel Winston who dumped the Duke of Evans?¡± Ah. I remember. It was the forsythia-dress lady that had been picking a fight with me in the Senon District. Her name was Patricia? I smiled roughly and attempted to leave for Charlotte once again. ¡°Oh, nice to meet you, Miss Patricia. I have something urgent to do, see you later.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± The shrill voice called me. ¡°What other poor young man are you attempting to place in jail?¡± As Patricia shouted, her party burst into laughter. I breathed a light sigh. What happened at the restaurant that day seemed to have already spread amidst society. ¡°No matter how much Lady Ariel says, you realize what innocence is, am I right? Robin¡¯s friends are working hard on everything. When Robin is released, you will be put on trial!¡± ¡°I¡¯m innocent. I know that.¡± I nodded my head. ¡°For falsely reporting an innocent person? Sir Robin committed a crime, so I won¡¯t stand before the judge for such false accusations.¡± ¡°Are you still denying? A decent man like Robin, he couldn¡¯t have molested in public during broad daylight, am I right!? Not unless you were out of your mind!¡± ¡°I know.¡± I nodded one more time. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s mentally ill, but I wonder why he did it. Well, I have some business to attend to.¡± ¡°Wait, what? Hold on!¡± I was about to pass Patricia and head to Charlotte, but a fan blocked my shoulder. Patricia shouted with a heated face. ¡°I can¡¯t let this go for the honor of my best friend, Robin. How dare you lie to me when there have been so many eyes and ears! This Lady is a shameless person indeed!¡± I sighed lightly. Most of the time, this woman had a grudge against Ariel because she couldn¡¯t beat her. Everyone around was gleaming with excitement at this untimely uproar. I couldn¡¯t ignore it now that I earned this much attention. Patricia shouted with a sour face, clearly aware of the attentiveness. ¡°Shall we have an open conversation? Honestly, think about it, it is common sense. What kind of Young Lord would be good for a woman who had been abandoned by a man after a whole year?¡± I could hear the people who attended the party whispering excitedly. Everyone was observing me. It was a strange feeling to see no one approaching to help but chattering quietly in the distance. The eyes stung my cheeks. The gazes that hoped for me to be terribly worked up by Patricia¡¯s provocation. The gazes that wished me to provide gossip for their entertainment. Patricia, who was more resilient to the staring, laughed as much as she possibly could. Chapter 10 ¡°In addition, it¡¯s none other noble than the promising Lord Robin, who harrassed Lady Ariel? Oh my, how ridiculous. Aren¡¯t you a bit over-conscious about yourself?¡± As Patricia laughed while covering her mouth with a fan, her party followed. Their gestures were accurate, just like the movements of an idol group dance. How long should I keep up with this ridiculous skit*? I pondered how to escape from this position as soon as possible. TL/N: Skit could be a comedy sketch or a humorous piece of writing. Now that it has become a tricky situation, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be easy ¡­ Should I remind them that the handsome and promising, young Robin was there to be sold as my husband? It happened while I was immersed in contemplating the matter. ¡°It¡¯s an honor for you to enjoy a meal with Lord Robin, yet to blame him for his unfounded sins ¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean, Lady Patricia?¡±, a third voice intervened. Patricia and I both turned our heads at the same time. An unexpected figure stood in front of us. The platinum blonde caught my eye first. I repeated her name silently. Charlotte Jenos. When did she get here? She had been standing so far away in the room? Like me, Patricia was surprised by the appearance of Charlotte. ¡°G-Greetings, Lady Charlotte. Good afternoon ¡­¡±, she stuttered. ¡°Please explain to me the ¡°innocent¡± part of your claim. Does Lady Patricia think that Lady Ariel would have convicted Robin Marcel, if he was innocent?¡± Charlotte¡¯s voice was soft and pure yet stern. Patricia, who shifted her eyes back and forth in embarrassment, replied rapidly, ¡°Oh, of course. I know ¡­ I¡¯m acquainted with Lord Robin, but he¡¯s the type who would never do something like that ¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me but were you present throughout the scene, Lady Patricia?¡± ¡°Yes? No, I wasn¡¯t present, but ¡­¡± ¡°I wonder how you are so confident when you aren¡¯t even involved at the scene. Robin Marcel will be sent to trial soon, and the prosecutor is Duke Cedric Evans. Not Lady Ariel.¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± Patricia opened her mouth. The hall buzzed. The name that came from Charlotte¡¯s mouth was a destructive point. I also observed Charlotte. I was surprised. I didn¡¯t expect her to stand up for me, even to the point of bringing up Cedric¡¯s name when we weren¡¯t even acquaintances. Amidst the turmoil, Charlotte continued to gaze at Patricia with her unwavering eyes. ¡°Since Miss Patricia had spoken of her friend first, my dear friend, Duke Evans, is not a wicked man who would blame the innocent.¡± ¡°L-L-Lord Cedric ¡­ I-I didn¡¯t hear anything about that ¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s intriguing that someone who favors gossip exceptionally had never heard the whole story.¡± Patricia¡¯s face turned as white as a blank sheet of paper. Charlotte hit the last wedge. ¡°Your suspicion of Lady Ariel is not only disrespectful to her, it also implies your suspicions on the fairness of Duke Evans. Would you like to formally appeal to Lord Evans?¡± ¡°I-I-I¡­¡± Patricia, who stuttered continuously, turned around, asking for help from her party. However, they had already backed a few steps away. The gazes that had belittled me were now directed at Patricia. She, who twirled her head around, seemed awfully helpless. ¡°Oh, Lady Ariel. I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t even know that ¡­¡± I didn¡¯t even know what to do. The only new thing Patricia learned was that Cedric had been involved in the case. I looked down at Patricia, who was shaking and gazing at me. She was so weak and pathetic, I wasn¡¯t motivated to fight her. ¡°No, don¡¯t apologize.¡± ¡°Lady Ariel, I¡¯m really¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just pretend that you¡¯ve stepped on the wrong person today.¡± ¡°Lady Ariel!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re really sorry, I want you to step back. I¡¯m a bit tired.¡± Patricia stepped back with a teary face. The same was true for her group. I felt bitter. Those who have humiliated others so openly, backed down and trembled at the mention of Cedric¡¯s name. I realized once again that this was an unfair aristocratic society. Charlotte spoke up. ¡°Are you all right, Lady Ariel?¡± Ah. I turned to Charlotte. She was glancing at me with a soft and worried look. Her icy gaze which was directed toward Patricia was nowhere to be found. ¡°Thank you, Lady Charlotte.¡± ¡°No, I was so furious when I received news about the restaurant incident that day. Not knowing shame and harassing a Lady in broad daylight, he¡¯s crazy!¡± Charlotte frowned heavily on her forehead. ¡°You must have been very surprised. Are you alright now?¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern.¡± My eyes sparkled. It was because of Charlotte that I attended the ball despite such a hassle. The youngest daughter of Marquis Jenos, Charlotte Jenos. The Marquis of Jenos stood at the center of the country¡¯s wealth and power. Naturally, countless people lined up in front of Charlotte, the apple of Marquis Jenos¡¯s eyes. Besides, Charlotte had a lively and sweet personality. She was simply the ideal social queen. She wasn¡¯t just the ¡®queen of society¡¯ but also the trend leader. I inhaled the smell of my perfume through my nose without Charlotte noticing. Before arriving to the party, I carefully sprayed some perfume on the back of my wrist and neck. The smell still lingered. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m still a bit startled, but it¡¯s a bit warm in here.¡± I grinned, opened my fan and flapped it. It may have seemed like a random wave, however, it was perfectly calculated. ¡°¡­¡± The plan worked surprisingly well. Charlotte, who attempted to console me, opened her eyes wide. ¡°Excuse me, but this scent smells very nice. Lady Ariel, did you spray perfume?¡± That¡¯s right. I secretly smiled. Charlotte was a character who often appeared in the original, and every time she did, she was described as ¡®delicate and sensitive.¡¯ Besides, arranging flowers was her hobby. Was she famous for this talent in the capital? ¡°Oh, yes, thank you for recognizing. It¡¯s the perfume I chose today. Is it alright?¡± ¡°Yes, I love it. It smells like flowers.¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes gleamed in amazement. I shook the fan even more, trying hard to lower the corners of my mouth. Charlotte wore a dreamy face. ¡°It smells like lilac. It¡¯s my favorite flower ¡­ It¡¯s thrilling to be able to reproduce the scent of fresh flowers with perfume.¡± I folded my eyes and laughed as if I were agreeing with her. Of course, it was intentional. I created this perfume with the scent of lilac in mind. Charlotte loved lilac. Her garden was completely filled with them. ¡°Thank you. It was my first time making it, so I wasn¡¯t sure.¡± ¡°What? Oh my God. It¡¯s a perfume made by Lady Ariel herself?¡± Charlotte blinked in surprise. ¡°Oh my God, that is amazing. My words aren¡¯t for puffery, it smells really nice. It¡¯s like standing in the middle of a lilac garden!¡± I laughed. Now, it was time to deliver the lines that I had prepared in advance. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you said that. I actually brought a sample of it today. If you don¡¯t mind, would you like a bottle?¡± ¡°Oh my God.¡± Charlotte seemed surprised by the unexpected gift. However, she soon became remorseful. ¡°Thank you very much for your kindness, but ¡­ I apologize. Actually, I can¡¯t wear perfume. I¡¯m allergic.¡± ¡°What? Allergic?¡± I opened my eyes wide. Charlotte seemed dejected. ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s an alcohol allergy. It¡¯s okay to smell other people¡¯s perfumes, but when I spray it directly on my body, I obtain red spots.¡± ¡°Oh my God, I can¡¯t ¡­ it must have been really hard for you, Lady Charlotte.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s unfair that I can¡¯t use perfume and drink. However, since I was born like this, there¡¯s no helping it.¡± Charlotte smiled sorrowfully. Her appearance seemed so pathetic. A sigh leaked out without her realizing it. The weak sigh was heard by her surrounding. Oh, well, this is not the time. I spoke again in order to regain Charlotte¡¯s spirit. ¡°Oh, come to think of it!¡± I clapped my hands. Charlotte blinked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lady Ariel?¡± ¡°I forgot for a moment, but when I made this perfume, I purposely didn¡¯t add any alcohol!¡± ¡°What?¡± Charlotte opened her eyes wide. ¡°Is there a perfume that doesn¡¯t contain alcohol?¡± ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve tested it. Fortunately, the results are good!¡± ¡°Oh, if it¡¯s really alcohol-free ¡­¡± Charlotte gathered her hands over her chest. I quickly responded, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be okay for you to use it?¡± ¡°Yes, yes! I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine without alcohol!¡± Charlotte answered excitedly. A pleased smile appeared at the realization. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, would you like to spray it now?¡± ¡°May I?¡± I pulled a perfume bottle out of my purse. Charlotte¡¯s face was flushed. Her eyes glistened like a villain attempting to do something unpleasant. ¡°You can hold it like this and spray it.¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before ¡­ Where do I spray it? On my wrist?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s better to spray it on your wrist. You¡¯re still a beginner.¡± Charlotte held onto her nervous face. I was also anxious, but I smiled at her while hiding my emotions. It was that moment when I took my first step of my grand plan. Chapter 11 [Do you know what trends are dominating society these days? It¡¯s neither an elegant lace, nor an exotic jewel; it is something more graceful above all of them. Now, all of society was immersed with the scent of a flower.] ¡°Hohoho.¡± I burst into an artificial laughing fit as I crushed the lilac. Just as I expected; no. It was greater a success than I had anticipated. As planned, Charlotte was intrigued by the perfume I offered her. Since it is her first perfume, she would drizzle the perfume onto her body (submerging herself in the scent) whenever she departed from her residence. The smell of lilac rapidly embellished my trademark. Charlotte Jenos was a social queen whom everyone looked up to. My trademark soon became the object of envy. Everyone desired to mimic Charlotte¡¯s new taste. From then on, thunder resonated, and winds blew. There were many perfumers who were capable of recreating perfume with the scent of lilac. However, I was the only perfumer who constructed the perfume Charlotte Jenos used. Ariel Winston was the first perfumer to create an alcohol-free perfume. Thanks to this, I was screaming gleefully, watching the flood of orders pouring in. ¡­ Well, even if they were pouring in, it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal yet. However, it was better than nothing. ¡°My lady, aren¡¯t you overdoing it?¡± Rina seemed troubled. I shook my head and smiled. What do you mean? This is all money. I grounded the petals with endless passion. The pollen seemed like golden dust. ¡°Get some rest, Rina. You¡¯re having a hard time, because of me these days, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No, my lady. Thanks to you, I¡¯m free from housework.¡± ¡°Still, this isn¡¯t normal labor ¡­ Sorry, I¡¯ll give you a generous bonus.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you! Hehe.¡± They weren¡¯t empty words. The only people working on making perfumes now were Rina and I. Did she think I¡¯d leave her struggling to this extent without rewarding her work? ¡®Now that I think about it, that¡¯s a problem. We can¡¯t be the only ones struggling here.¡¯ If I thought of the money that would come in, It wouldn¡¯t be difficult for me to crush petals all day long. However, if I was the only one working, there was a limit to the amount of perfumes which could be supplied. ¡®There is a shortage of supply compared to the number of requests.¡¯ However, the problem was that there was no more reliable manpower other than Rina. The attendants inside this mansion were not under my surveillance, but my father¡¯s. I was incapable of getting them to step into this perfumery, much less work for me. ¡®It¡¯s a pain ¡­ even so, let¡¯s start with a meal.¡¯ As I took Rina out of the perfumery, we encountered someone in the hallway. It was the butler. Come to think of it, I had something to tell the butler. I approached him, thinking it was fortunate. ¡°Butler, this is great. I have something to say.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my lady.¡± I stopped speaking as I heard the butler utter such words. ¡°It will be rather difficult to give you any allowance this month.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± The butler¡¯s message caused my brows to furrow. It sounded like something was banging while one was sound asleep. ¡°What are you implying? Allowance?¡± ¡°Master ordered me to deduct your allowance. To be precise, he said: ¡®You¡¯ve been warned many times, yet you can¡¯t set your mind straight. This will be the new policy.¡¯ This is the master¡¯s recitation.¡± ¡°¡­ Oh dear.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°So, are you saying that this hard-line policy was to cut my allowance?¡± ¡°Yes. He stated that if you ceases your visiting to unnourished salons, close the perfumery, and focus on meeting with men which he¡¯d arranged, you¡¯d earn your allowance once again.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He said he wouldn¡¯t hand you a penny for perfume-related work in the future.¡± ¡°Haha. I see.¡± I raised the corners of my mouth. These days, I didn¡¯t even pay the Count a mind and left for all kinds of salons, in order to work on perfume sales. It turned out very nice. You dared threaten me with cheap money. Yet, fortunately, none of that mattered to me anymore. ¡°Yes, please tell him to do so.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes?¡± ¡°I was thinking of becoming independent, but thanks to my father, I have successfully achieved economic independence. That¡¯s good news.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The butler gazed at me in shock. Why, did you think, if you said I wouldn¡¯t get my allowance, I¡¯d go grasping the Count¡¯s pants and beg? ¡°Is that everything? Ah, I¡¯m quite starved. What¡¯s the menu for dinner tonight?¡± I hummed as I proceeded down the stairs. I seemed to really favor the word economic independence. I recalled the words I spat out a few moments ago. As long as the perfume business continued to expand smoothly, independence was not impossible. I expressed my deep gratitude to Charlotte, who lent a hand to my success. ¡°Milady, a letter has arrived.¡± Marienne, one of the attendants, called out to me. I tilted my head. ¡®Is it Charlotte?¡¯ After our first meeting, Charlotte and I became close friends. As I didn¡¯t have any personal connections, it was thanks to her that I was able to step into all kinds of salon. Marienne handed me the letter. It was a very luxurious card envelope, engraved with many expensive golden leaves. ¡®This is ¡­¡¯ ¡°Oh, my lady! It¡¯s an invitation from the Imperial Household!¡± Rina, who approached me, trembled with excitement. I opened the invitation. A phrase was written, asking for participation during the imperial palace banquet, which was held at the end of every year. The royal banquet was incomparable to any influential figures¡¯ party. I whistled enthusiastically. ¡°Will you join, my lady?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I smirked. I couldn¡¯t possibly miss such a tremendous opportunity. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? As long as a queen exists amongst society, a royal ball would certainly be held. A row of carriages entered the palace. All of them were luxurious, holding the emblem of their families. Young ladies and gentlemen left their carriage. People stood out here and there. However, among them, Lady Charlotte was the most brilliant. As I spotted Charlotte, I proceeded to approach her. ¡°Lady Ariel!¡± ¡°Lady Ariel~¡± A chorus of some sort caught my ears. I turned my head abruptly. What was that? I just heard a bunch of girls calling my name ¡­ ¡°Here, here! Dear Ariel!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I last saw you.¡± It wasn¡¯t an auditory hallucination. A group of girls ran at me hurriedly. Taken aback, I retreated. ¡°Who ¡­¡± ¡°A-Ariel! It¡¯s us!¡± Who ¡­ who are you? One, two, three, four. A total of four girls. They were all cute-looking. It¡¯s most likely they¡¯ve just reached adulthood. The girls were dressed in pastel ribbons and dresses. I couldn¡¯t help but relax at their lovely appearance. ¡°You have been so negligent to us. Now that you¡¯ve made a new friend, we¡¯re left in the corner? Luna is so sad!¡± ¡°Hey, Luna, don¡¯t act cute.¡± ¡°Noisy. Do you want to die, Eileen?¡± The two girls whispered between themselves. I didn¡¯t know if they didn¡¯t want me to hear. By the way ¡­ Luna and Eileen. The names sounded familiar. I pondered. Luna, Eileen, and Ariel Winston ¡­ ¡®Ah!¡¯ I raised my head. I remember Luna, Eileen, the four girls. I went through the girls one by one, just to be sure. ¡°Luna, Eileen ¡­ Lily, Sasha?¡± When I pronounced the girls¡¯ names, their faces glowed, one by one. ¡°You¡¯ve memorized all our names!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so touched!¡± I grasped my forehead. These girls appeared many times in the original. They were no other than Ariel Winston¡¯s bodyguards. Well ¡­ there are things that appear frequently in novels. The so-called villain¡¯s corps, the sub-villains who bully the heroine and flock to the male protagonist. Oh my God. Such cute kids possess such a role ¡­ No. I quickly came to my senses. Nothing good will come from being close to these villains. ¡°Sorry girls. I¡¯m a bit busy. I¡¯ll excuse myself now ¡­¡± Charlotte, let¡¯s find Charlotte. However, Charlotte had already disappeared. I barely held myself from collapsing as the evil villain¡¯s division clung to me. ¡°Come with us, Ariel-nim!¡± The girls quickly followed after me. I had no choice but to enter the palace with four girls hunched around me. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? ¡°Lady Ariel, aren¡¯t you thirsty?¡± ¡°Lady Ariel! Shall I bring you a canape?¡± ¡°Lady Ariel, these men keep gazing at lady Ariel here. How cheeky.¡± ¡°Shall I take care of it?¡± I grasped my forehead. While I was with Charlotte, I gradually changed my image of being a wicked woman. Thanks to Charlotte, those who were wary of me were starting to open up bit by bit. Nevertheless, what was this? I questioned myself objectively. This was the same as a wicked woman and her followers. Rather than approaching me, people distanced themselves and whispered with frightened faces. ¡®That¡¯s why I can¡¯t do business.¡¯ I can¡¯t. Let¡¯s rid of them first. It was the moment I¡¯d made up my mind. ¡°Ah, who might this be? Aren¡¯t you Lady Winston, the one who owns a high reputation in society these days?¡± I discerned a voice I¡¯d never heard before today. He was a man of sturdy build. His face was quite young and handsome, yet he seemed too young. He was not my type. However, he received a good grade, looking at the eyes of the evil women¡¯s division behind me. I approached with a smile. ¡°Greetings. Excuse me, but your name is ¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m quite late to introduce myself, aren¡¯t I? My name is Ponta Magnus.¡± Magnus ¡­ I nodded. He seemed to be Baron Magnus, the one famous for his business skills. Chapter 12 ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Baron.¡± ¡°The pleasure is mine. You¡¯re much more beautiful than what I¡¯ve heard through the rumors. Any bouquet of flowers would lose its brilliance in front of the young lady.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an old-fashioned line, Lord Magnus.¡± ¡°Our Ariel likes stylish things.¡± As soon as the Baron opened his mouth, the evil women¡¯s unit sputtered their criticism like tiny chicks. I placed my index finger over my mouth as I hissed at the girls. They quickly quieted down, not uttering another word. Nevertheless, their eyes, bearing alertness towards Baron Magnus remained the same. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Baron. What did you say?¡± ¡°Oh, haha ¡­ They¡¯re quite the brilliant ladies. Well, I¡¯ve been looking for the lady.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, there¡¯s something I wish to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Here¡¯s a little bit ¡­ the matter of the conversation regards to business.¡± ¡°Business?¡± I widened my eyes. If it was anyone else, I would have lightly excused them as someone unfamiliar. However, this was none other than Baron Magnus, the business prodigy. He was the mastermind behind the rise of the Magnus name and associated with a number of innovative ideas at an early age. The most famous was the beauty salon. Salons, where talented hairdressers and designers would constantly reside in, are a popular place among young ladies. I decided to listen to what he would offer. ¡°Why don¡¯t we move to the terrace, Milady?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ alright.¡± After making sure the deadly group of girls wouldn¡¯t follow, I headed to the terrace along with Baron Magnus. It was still early in the ball, so everyone was still full of energy. Therefore, there were no individuals occupying the terrace. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve brought you here, I will be straightforward to you, Lady Ariel.¡± Baron Magnus¡¯s eyes glimmered. ¡°I¡¯m interested in the Lady¡¯s perfume skills. What do you think? Why don¡¯t we band together and expand your business?¡± ¡°¡­ Business.¡± As I repeated the word carefully, Baron Magnus nodded quickly. ¡°That¡¯s right Lady Ariel. As you know, society is full of positive discussion about Milady¡¯s perfume. You must seize the opportunity when it comes! That¡¯s right now.¡± ¡°You mean to accept your offer?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, let¡¯s work earnestly in merchandising such talent. We already have production staff and delivery plans set in place.¡± ¡°Is that so? How brisk.¡± ¡°Hoho, you might not know much about me. I didn¡¯t want to say this, however, any business I¡¯ve worked on so far has never failed. I assure you, I will turn the Lady¡¯s perfume into diamonds.¡± Hmm. I tilted my head. It was certainly time for such a transition. I couldn¡¯t make perfume alone with Rina forever. Selling the perfumes myself was also a hassle. Baron Magnus¡¯s offering a deal of partnership was definitely striking. However, he has not yet mentioned the most important thing of all. ¡°What about the percentage?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Obviously, you aren¡¯t doing charity work. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a percentage of profit you wish for by offering to do this.¡± ¡°Ah, let¡¯s leave such details until we go over the contract. I¡¯ve got baggage waiting nearby. Let¡¯s leave, my lady.¡± Baron Magnus pulled his hand forward, attempting to escort me. However, I didn¡¯t move. My feet were stuck to the floor. ¡°Please tell me the percentage first. That¡¯s the major point in business.¡± ¡°Oh, of course, Milady. Haha, you have a unique personality,¡± Baron Magnus replied. A big smile was painted on his face. ¡°How about a ratio of seven to three?¡± ¡°I¡¯m seven. Am I correct?¡± If the Baron would be able to solve the troublesome deliveries, it wouldn¡¯t be a loss to give him 30 percent of the profit. First of all, although I knew how to produce perfume, that didn¡¯t change the fact that I am a beginner in terms of business. Baron Magnus raised his lips even further. ¡°Three for the Lady. However, do not worry. Not only the production costs, but all the other expenses will be one hundred percent, my responsibility.¡± ¡°The negotiation is over. Excuse me then. Goodbye.¡± I nodded my head and turned around. Although I wouldn¡¯t become a partner, I still tried to be polite. However, even swindlers could surpass him with his skills. Seven versus three, what kind of bargain is that? I quickened my steps, attempting to flee from this flamboyant thief. However, he soon grabbed my shoulders. ¡°Ha, haha. Why are you doing this, Lady Ariel? Like I said, this is a considerably good opportunity.¡± It was a good opportunity for you. A good opportunity to suck up promising business items. I hid the thoughts I wished to voice and gazed at him blankly. Baron Magnus spoked as if there was something unpleasant inside his mouth. ¡°You don¡¯t like the proportion? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take responsibility and grow this business on a huge scale, and no matter what percentage, the Lady will be very rich!¡± ¡°Thank you for perceiving my abilities well, Baron. However, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready to invest in a business just yet,¡± I lied, smiling brightly. Baron Magnus stared at me. He looked absurd. ¡°Who¡¯s the one who asked about the percentage ¡­ Lady Ariel, please don¡¯t do that. Give me an hour. If you listen to my plan in detail, you¡¯ll definitely find it attractive.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I have a meeting I must attend to today. Well then.¡± ¡°Lady Ariel! All right, six to four! No, let¡¯s adjust the rate to what you wish for!¡± I snorted inwardly. If he was like this from the beginning, I would have considered it. However, Baron Magnus had already revealed his dark, inner thoughts. No matter how much he attempted to mislead me, it was too late now. ¡°I apologize. It¡¯s almost time for the meeting, so I¡¯ll get going¡­¡± ¡°Lady! I¡¯ll give you a deposit! Five! How about five¡­¡± ¡°Baron Magnus!¡± The last voice did not belong to me. The deafening cry startled me. I twirled my head, searching for where the sound had come from. Oh my God. I widened my mouth. The group of girls I had been separated from earlier were running towards my location. Their shoes were clacking against the floor. ¡°Our Ariel refused!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not respectful for a gentleman to keep asking a Lady to dance if she doesn¡¯t wish for it!¡± The girls directed their remarks at Baron Magnus in a brusque manner. Fortunately or not, they didn¡¯t seem to have heard about the business deal. The girls appeared to think that Baron Magnus was rejected after asking me to dance. ¡°Please let go of Lady Ariel, Baron!¡± As the clamor continued, the eyes of those who were dancing turned towards the terrace. Baron Magnus¡¯s face turned ripe red. ¡­This is going to get bigger than necessary. I stepped forward, attempting to stop this situation. ¡°What a disappointment, Lady Winston.¡± Baron Magnus angrily glared my way. ¡°Haha, I must have been foolish enough to think of partnering with a woman like you,¡± he muttered to himself. However, his words were definitely aimed at me. ¡°She had been abandoned by the Duke, yet she¡¯s still acting as a self-absorbed, brazen woman.¡± The room turned chilly. The girls¡¯ faces suddenly hardened. It was at that moment that Luna attempted to open her mouth while sending a deadly glare towards Baron Magnus. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Baron.¡± An unexpected voice sank to my ears. ¡°The rumor seems to have been misinterpreted.¡± The long awaited guest appeared in front of Baron Magnus. For a moment, the Baron was overcome by shock. I also opened my mouth. This guy, why is he here? Amidst the silence, an uninvited guest drew up the corners of his mouth. ¡°As the one who had been abandoned was me.¡± It was a line that did not fit, in the least, with his fascinating smile. ¡°Du-Duke.¡± Baron Magnus rapidly shook his head. ¡°L ¡­ Long time no see. What brings you here ¡­¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a day that all nobles attended, am I not allowed to?¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Baron Magnus was flustered. The sudden appearance of such a figure filled the dance hall with whispers. Cedric Evans seemed terribly relaxed, despite all the attention he received. He gazed down at Baron Magnus. ¡°The rude words you just spat at Lady Winston.¡± ¡°H-Hick. I didn¡¯t mean ¡­ that ¡­ that¡¯s not what I meant ¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to correct you, yet why are you so nervous? The facts are wrong. The one who abandoned me is Lady Winston, and the one who was abandoned is me.¡± Whispers filled the room. The ballroom bursted into another uproar. Everyone stared as if they couldn¡¯t believe what they had just heard. I tapped my arm, using my index finger. A strange irritation flared up. Just like the incident with Patricia, everyone just snorted when I said so, but now that Cedric admitted it, they believed it instantly. It was displeasing. ¡°I-I-I see. I apologize, Your Grace. I didn¡¯t even know ¡­¡± ¡°Well, in any case, the rude remarks you just told the Lady won¡¯t excuse you.¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s right. You¡¯re right. I was out of my mind for a moment ¡­!¡± Baron Magnus stuttered while repeatedly apologizing. Cedric¡¯s appearance surprised him so much he seemed to be uttering any word that came to his mind. The Baron looked back at me with a pleading face. ¡°L-Lady Ariel. I apologize. Please, pardon the absurd remarks I¡¯ve uttered just now.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡± I cut the Baron off with a stiff face. It was a semi-forced apology under Cedric¡¯s influence. I couldn¡¯t have been relieved by such an apology. ¡°Also, Baron Magnus. Let me be clear. I have no intention of joining you in any business. Now and of course, in the future.¡± Baron Magnus blinked multiple times. ¡°Even if I¡¯m lucky enough to expand my perfume business, I will not attend any salons managed by the Baron.¡± Chapter 13 It was indisputable that Baron Ponta Magnus was an outstanding businessman. I¡¯m sure my goals would be accomplished effortlessly, if I joined hands with him. Even at the rate of just thirty percent, I would smoothly rise to the point of becoming independent. However, that path was not my only resort. There were countless alternatives. It wasn¡¯t necessary to associate with a dirty scammer. ¡°I-I apologize, Lady Ariel. I hope you relieve your anger.¡± Baron Magnus bowed deeply. His apology wasn¡¯t in his fear of losing the chance to associate with me; it clearly wasn¡¯t a threat to his image. It was apparent that the Baron was pretending to apologize, worried about the impression that he would leave on Cedric. Nevertheless, we¡¯ll see. I have decided. I would soon make Baron Magnus hit the ground and regret the events that occurred on this very day. ¡°Then, I will excuse myself.¡± I courteously bid farewell to Cedric to match the proper etiquette. As I exited the terrace, I detected footsteps behind me. I looked back. ¡°¡­ Is there something wrong?¡± As I looked warily at Cedric, he, who had been following me until now, lowered his head and whispered softly, ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± You followed me just to ask that? I asked once again, unable to hide my amazement. Cedric nodded, his eyes holding an odd emotion inside them. ¡°You seem to be alright.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re just doing this for the sake of our deal, I¡¯m alright. It wasn¡¯t I, but Baron Magnus who was humiliated.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Cedric nodded as he subtly raised the corners of his mouth. Did you truly follow me for the mere reason of being worried? No. That¡¯s not possible. I narrowed my eyes, indirectly asking him to reveal his business. Cedric brought up his true motives only then. ¡°Could you spare me a moment?¡± ¡°¡­ Why? Your Excellence couldn¡¯t possibly be offering a business deal.¡± ¡°A business proposal¡­? Were you really thinking of partnering with him?¡± ¡°No, it was a one-sided offer. Your Grace had witnessed how I blatantly refused his request.¡± Cedric wore an even more peculiar expression. For a moment, he gazed at me as if he had encountered something strange. However, the silence was brief. Cedric soon opened his mouth. ¡°I have something I wish to ask.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°No, I wish to state a complaint.¡± ¡°¡­ Your Grace?¡± The brutal statement Rang in my ears. I can¡¯t believe Duke Evans held a complaint against me. Did I do something wrong? I doubt that. Cedric and I haven¡¯t encountered each other since our last meeting, which had been a few weeks ago. As I nervously pondered, Cedric said the following unexpected words, ¡°The Anixia scent.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes?¡± ¡°Why is the shipment delayed?¡± Cedric complained, his face grave. I searched my memory. It was a monthly commitment to deliver the Anixia scent to Cedric. Has it already been a month since I last did so? No, absolutely not. I couldn¡¯t have forgotten such an important date. How could I, when the Imperial city¡¯s welfare was between my palms? I concealed my ridicule and protested. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been a month, Duke. If I recall correctly, there is still one week left.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been a month?¡± Cedric mumbled quietly. Are you complaining when you haven¡¯t made sure of your claim? How ridiculous. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s still not past the timing.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s shorten the period.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Send more this week.¡± I blinked at the sudden request. ¡°As you know, I¡¯m giving you a month¡¯s worth of perfume. There¡¯s no reason to shorten the period.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already spent this month¡¯s worth.¡± ¡°What?¡± You¡¯ve already used it up? ¡­Such an amount? I¡¯m sure I raised the volume a bit more than the regular quantity. This is distressing. ¡°Is your Grace using the scent properly? It couldn¡¯t have all been used by this point.¡± ¡°I used it according to my usage except for a bit more.¡± ¡­That means you didn¡¯t follow the usage! I was terror-stricken. There were no specific side effects on the Anixia scent, as far as I knew. However, Cedric contained a special constitution. If he overused the scent, unexpected problems may develop. ¡°Are you alright? Have there been any strange occurrences recently? Is your heartbeat beating extremely fast or do you lack sleep!?¡± Cedric pondered. ¡°Well, not much ¡­¡± Phew, that¡¯s reassuring. Fortunately, there was no problem with Cedric¡¯s body. As I sighed in relief, he added, ¡°However, no matter what I eat, I¡¯m starving for more; I also became sensitive.¡± Problem ¡­ I think there¡¯s a problem. I swallowed my saliva. The original novel did not describe Cedric¡¯s rampage in detail. All the book stated was when Cedric came to his senses, his surroundings were completely demolished. That said, craving for more food and being sensitive ¡­ it seemed unpleasant; like a warning for future incidents. ¡®No, he¡¯s still not in an imbalanced state.¡¯ I fearfully stared at Cedric. The man in front of me suddenly seemed like a terrible biochemical weapon, or a time bomb that would explode at any given moment. ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡± ¡°¡­ Ah, no. It¡¯s nothing. Either way, I think your Grace is in bad condition. What has happened in the meantime?¡± ¡°Not much happened. Only ¡­¡± As if he suddenly recalled something important, he made an oh sound. ¡°I¡¯m not seeing you every weekend.¡± I was speechless for a moment. I didn¡¯t expect such an answer. ¡°¡­ That has nothing to do with the Duke¡¯s condition.¡± ¡°It is true.¡± ¡°A-Anyway. I will send you the scent as soon as I return to the residence. You¡¯ll be alright in the meantime, I¡¯m sure?¡± Cedric stared at me. Instead of agreeing, he replied with an unusual comment, ¡°Are you sending the parcel by delivery?¡± ¡°Pardon? That¡¯s right ¡­ yes. Just as last time.¡± Cedric went silent once more. He gazed at me, lost in thought. The moment I tried to open my mouth after feeling the suffocating atmosphere, he replied, ¡°It¡¯s part of our contract.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ariel Winston would make sure to provide Cedric Evans with the scent of Anixia every month. I nodded my head. ¡°Can we change the regulations a bit?¡± ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± The contents of the contract were perfect and simple, not to be filled or subtracted by. Cedric replied to the question with a keen smile playing on his lips as he witnessed my obvious confusion. ¡°I¡¯ll add one more condition. The perfume is to be delivered by the lady herself.¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°I can visit the Lady, or she can come to me yourself. It¡¯ll go back and forth, and I¡¯ll deal with perfumes and payments myself.¡± ¡°Excuse me, Your Grace. Why do you need such a condition?¡± I couldn¡¯t think of any reason to meet face-to-face to exchange the package. Cedric opened his mouth and stated the following. ¡°There¡¯s something I wish to test.¡± ¡°Test?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m acting stubborn. I¡¯ll pay you extra as compensation.¡± ¡°Your Grace, you do know we¡¯ve just been through a breakup scandal. Even if it¡¯s for the sake of our deal, if someone captures us alone together ¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you ten times the amount.¡± I almost heard the sound of a car crash. Ariel had never received more than the price of her valuables from Cedric. She didn¡¯t wish to do business with the man she loved, but it ended up that way. However, the scent of Anixia was not cheap, considering the cost of the ingredients. Ten times that amount. This month, no. This week. Ten times the cost of the materials every week ¡­ Clink, clink. The sound of gold coins piled up in my ears. I nodded vigorously, successfully tempted by the gold. ¡°All right, Your Grace. Anyhow, it¡¯s only once this week.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a deal.¡± Cedric raised the corners of his mouth faintly. The results seemed very satisfactory for him. ¡°See you tomorrow, Then.¡± I stiffened at the word ¡®tomorrow.¡¯ That¡¯s right. I said I¡¯d make his perfume as soon as I returned today, so I¡¯d have to deliver the package tomorrow. The thought of facing this walking biochemical weapon again tomorrow made me feel nervous. However, it would only be for a moment, so everything will be alright. I¡¯ll just have to hand him the perfume. I bid farewell to Cedric. He returned the gesture in a perfectly elegant and aristocratic gesture. The next day, as soon as I arose from bed, a letter was given to me. The sender was Cedric Evans. [I¡¯d like to see you around 4 o¡¯clock today at ¡´Rostella.¡µ P.S. If that would be difficult, I¡¯ll arrive at the Winston¡¯s myself.] It was a fierce and elegant handwriting. Cedric¡¯s face seemed to be visible amidst the font, which caused me to laugh unconsciously. The butler, who had previously arrived to deliver the note, stared at me as if I were some strange creature, then ignored me. Since I didn¡¯t have to work my fingers to the bone yesterday, I felt better today. I prepared to head out and left the mansion as the appointment time neared. ¡°My lady, where should I take you?¡± ¡°Machelan District, Rostella.¡± The horseman shook the reins. The carriage rattled gently as it moved. However, such speed did not last long. As soon as we entered the Machelan District, the carriage was unable to move even a few meters. I nervously pulled out my pocket watch. We weren¡¯t running too late. However, at this rate, we might turn out to be. Feeling frustrated, I stuck my head out the window. ¡°Oh my God, what day is it? What kind of crowd is this ¡­¡± The streets were filled with people. The same was true for both the sidewalks and carriage paths. ¡®Is it a festival or something?¡¯ I caught the wrong day. I clicked my tongue. I¡¯d rather walk at this rate. Fortunately, however, I was able to arrive at the destination before the appointed time. As I was about to exit the carriage, I suddenly heard the horseman¡¯s bloody scream. Chapter 14 ¡°Unbelievable!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°The location must have moved! Oh, I didn¡¯t know that. I¡¯m so sorry, my lady. I will take you to the location they changed to in no time!¡± Indeed, there was an announcement. The entrance of Rostella had been relocated. Oh no. I bit my lips, troubled. The previous location was not that far from here. However, it seemed like it would take a while longer to get through this blocked road. I made a reasoned judgment and decided that walking would be a faster solution; I opened the carriage door. ¡°I¡¯ll walk ahead first.¡± ¡°What? Oh, my lady. Your feet will grow tired.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just around the corner. Besides, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be late for the appointed meeting.¡± The horseman, accepting what I said, climbed to the horseman¡¯s seat, and stated he would park the carriage and arrive soon. I nodded as I set out on the road. ¡®There¡¯s a lot of people. Ah, according to the map, it was located around here ¡­¡¯ I strolled, recalling the map inside my head. Ping! I heard a strange sound somewhere. A cheerful sound like that of a pin ball bouncing. ¡®What¡¯s this noise?¡¯ I unconsciously turned to the side where I heard the sound from. A man stood out amidst the crowd. He held a strange machine against his eyes. ¡®¡­ What is this?¡¯ That machine, I think it¡¯s pointing at me. Hmm. Maybe it¡¯s just my feeling. I shook my head and proceeded searching for directions again. It was time to take a few more steps to examine the topographical features on the map. Ping! ping! Ping ping ping! ¡®What the hell is this about?¡¯ I jerked my head around. The man I witnessed earlier flinched as he stiffened his shoulders. Then he quickly lowered the machine from his eyes. I gazed at the machine carefully. The machine was brought up to his eyes. There is a clear circle on the machine that was facing me. Is that a camera? ¡®There must be machines like a camera in this world.¡¯ So, did this guy just secretly take a picture of me? I opened my mouth reflexively. ¡°Excuse me.¡± When I called the man, his shoulders rattled. He turned the other way and started to whistle awkwardly. I frowned as I called the man once more. ¡°Hey, the man with the machine in his hand.¡± The man hardened. Along with the crowd, a moment of silence took place between us. A few seconds later. ¡°Uh? Excuse me!¡± The man began running. He¡¯s suspicious! An alarm rang inside my head. My feet carelessly stomped on the ground as they sprinted. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t follow me!¡± ¡°Hey! Stand there!¡± I vigorously ran after him. Astonishingly, my shoes were still on my feet. However, the man¡¯s running skills far surpassed mine. In addition, the man had a knack for digging into the crowd just like a squirrel. Eventually, the gap between us widened. ¡°Catch that guy, please!¡± I asked the citizens for help, yet my voice was too buried in the large crowd for anyone to make it out. How far did he run till now? Fortunately, the number of people began to decrease as they entered the outskirts. I could catch the back of the fleeing man. I removed my shoes, held them in my hands, and darted after him. ¡°Stand there!¡± ¡°Goodness, how fast are you?!¡± I¡¯ll become faster if you say that! I evilly chased after him. It happened around the time the distance between the man and I was getting nearer. ¡°Argh!¡± The man fell to the ground. I stared blankly at the figure standing next to him. The person who tripped the guy with his long beautiful leg turned to me. The moment our eyes met, my body hardened. Oh, my God ¡­ I widened my mouth. ¡°Who is this man?¡± I gasped as I clutched my knees. I never thought I¡¯d run into him in a place like this. ¡°H-Huff, huff. Your Grace the Duke.¡± ¡°¡­ Take some breathes.¡± I was ashamed of myself, yet I couldn¡¯t help it. I felt like my lungs were going to turn inside out. While I recovered my breath, Cedric stepped on the man¡¯s shoulder with his foot. The man was struggling, yet he couldn¡¯t escape like an insect caught between tweezers. I strode towards the man. Then I reached out my hand. ¡°Hey, the one who ran away. Give it to me.¡± ¡°H-Huck, wh-what do you mean ¡­¡± ¡°The machine you¡¯re holding preciously, hand it over to me.¡± I flicked my finger at the man. The lifeless body reluctantly handed the machine to me. I turned the machine back and forth. It seems a little different, yet it certainly looked similar to the camera in my world in addition to the similar functions. So ¡­ uh. How do I see the pictures he took? I turned the machine around. When I pulled the parts out and constantly examined them, the man replied queezily. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s expensive ¡­¡± ¡°What kind of machine looks so complicated! How do I see the pictures he took?¡± ¡°Wait a bit.¡± Cedric stepped in. He manipulated the machine back and forth with his long fingers. Then, a video emerged from the crystal circle and displayed on the back of the machine. ¡°Oh! This is it. Thank you, Your Grace.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± I carefully observed the video that appeared on the machine. Numerous people were trapped inside the crystal ball. All of them seemed to have been taken secretly without the targets noticing or had awareness of it. All of them were beautiful people or those who seemed very rich. I also recognized a few faces. Charlotte was also photographed. At the very end of the clip, I saw myself. I squinted and looked down at the man who was still lying down. ¡°You¡¯re a paparazzi.¡± I wondered if there was the term ¡®paparazzi¡¯ in the world, but fortunately, the man shrugged. Cedric, observing the crystal ball, lifted the man¡¯s collar. ¡°How dare you shoot someone. Do you want to die?¡± ¡°H-hyuk! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry! I have rabbits-like children in my house! There¡¯s no more bread!¡± Bread? I frowned. That means you were going to sell these pictures to someone. ¡°Who said they would buy these pictures?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s ¡­ I mean ¡­¡± The man folded his fingers one by one. ¡°The Mareille Daily Newspapers, the Sands Weekly, and the Pucci Newspaper ¡­¡± ¡°Mareille? Sands?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all third-rated gossip papers. You don¡¯t have to worry about them.¡± Cedric, who said so, lifted the man¡¯s collar even higher. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± ¡°Hee! Help me!¡± The man hanging in the air, shut his eyes tightly. It suddenly felt strange for Cedric to do this much for my sake. Since you don¡¯t like me, wouldn¡¯t you pretend you didn¡¯t know me in the first place? ¡°Is there any law that punishes paparazzi?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s follow the law. According to the law.¡± ¡°Hmm. Shall we? If the Lady wants ¡­¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± As Cedric released his collar, the man fell back to the floor. After a while, the dispatched security forces quickly arrived and took away the man. Secretly taking pictures. That¡¯s a big crime here, right? I wish he¡¯d be rightfully punished for his crime. As I clicked my tongue, I felt a gaze and quickly turned my head. Cedric was staring at me. To be exact, my feet. ¡°¡­ Lady, did you run barefoot?¡± ¡°A ¡­ ahaha. It¡¯s hard to run in shoes.¡± ¡°Even so ¡­ hah.¡± Cedric sighed as he held out his arms. ¡°Get on my back.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There¡¯s my carriage. I¡¯ll carry you there.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s not necessary! I can wear my own shoes!¡± ¡°You have scratches on your feet.¡± ¡°No! It doesn¡¯t matter. Oh, this is nothing!¡± I hurriedly placed my shoes. It felt slightly harsh, yet it was worth walking. Whatever it was, anything was better than being carried on Cedric¡¯s back. Being on the male protagonist¡¯s back would be so embarrassing. I¡¯d have nightmares. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t mind?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! Come, let¡¯s go! Where did your Grace say the carriage was located?¡± Cedric sighed softly. Either way, I hurried to the carriage. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? was a very quiet and antique place. ¡°Wow ¡­ My gosh.¡± I spat out a small exclamation. It was a very alluring place. It didn¡¯t seem that big on the outside, but when I entered the entrance, it was very spacious. There was even a fountain at the center of the place. The guests were not any you¡¯d see regularly. Influential people who had been in the newspapers countless times were seen here and there. ¡®These are the places where high aristocrats meet.¡¯ I felt like I was in a different world. The woman who seemed to be the owner of the salon quickly hurried out and greeted Cedric. ¡°Welcome, Your Grace. It has been a while since you came. Would you like to join us for a meal?¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t needed.¡± Cedric, who shook his head, suddenly looked at me. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°Ah ¡­¡± Actually, I didn¡¯t. Because time was ambiguous. I was planning on having a meal at home after our short meeting. As I paused, Cedric turned to the owner. ¡°I¡¯ll ask for two servings.¡± ¡°All right, your Grace.¡± Two servings? I glanced at Cedric. Didn¡¯t you say no since you already ate? ¡­ Are you being considerate of me, because I might feel embarrassed eating alone? Hm, maybe you aren¡¯t? You can¡¯t be this considerate. Come to think of it, you also seem hungry. As I was lost in my thoughts, my feet followed after the owner to the guided area. It was a beautiful area filled with plants and flowers, making it seem like a small garden. Chapter 15 ¡°Woah, this place is filled with flowers.¡± The owner grinned as she observed me admiring the scenery. ¡°Thank you for noticing. This is the place I care for the most.¡± ¡°Oh my God, even Hibiscus ¡­ wasn¡¯t it a flower that didn¡¯t bloom this time of year?¡± ¡°This place was designed to look like a garden but is more like a small greenhouse. So, besides the hibiscus, you will be able to see many other flowers that aren¡¯t in season.¡± ¡°The scent is ¡­ very fragrant.¡± I placed the tip of my nose near the hibiscus. The fragrant smell quickly permeated. ¡°Most of the flowers grown in the greenhouse have weak scents, but this is very skilled floriculture.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you, my lady. You seem to have a deep knowledge of flowers.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m well versed ¡­ I only find myself into them.¡± I had always loved flowers since before I regressed. Perhaps the reason why I fell in love with perfume was simply because I favored their scent. After I was no longer able to smell, I removed all the bouquets I received from the hospital. The fact that I could no longer smell the scent that I grew familiar with every time I witnessed a flower was extremely heartbreaking. As my old memories came to mind, I wore a bitter smile. I quickly hid my expression and spoke a few more words with the owner. The whole conversation involved flowers. ¡®Oh, wait a minute. Did we talk too much?¡¯ I thought so while turning my head slightly to face Cedric. Unexpectedly, he didn¡¯t seem bored. He only watched us with his jaw perked up. To be precise, he was gazing at me. ¡®¡­ Ah.¡¯ When our eyes met, I quickly glanced towards the owner. ¡°It was nice speaking to you, Roselia.¡± ¡°Hoho, it was an honor for me to be able to converse with someone as skilled as my lady.¡± Roselia pleasantly smiled as she praised me. It felt embarrassing to receive this compliment in front of Cedric. After Roselia excused herself, Cedric remained in the small garden. I¡¯d been chatting with Roselia nonstop, so I became more conscious and awkward of this silence. However, the silence only lasted for a short time before Cedric opened his mouth. ¡°Is this the first time you¡¯ve been through such a think?¡° Such a thing? ¡­ Oh, that paparazzi. I nodded my head. ¡°Yes, it was my first time.¡° Come to think of it, it was strange. Ariel Winston was famous for being Cedric¡¯s lover, but not enough to earn a place in the daily newspapers. As far as I knew, Ariel had never been in the newspaper. ¡­ Perhaps? I narrowed my eyes after I came up with a brief hypothesis. Are they going to make fun of Cedric¡¯s ex-lover, Ariel Winston, who was ¡®heartbroken¡¯ from having to break up with him, because he was ¡®untouchable¡¯ despite their status as a couple at that time? Oh, you suckers! I crumpled my forehead as I thought of the paparazzi who was forced to the station earlier. ¡°It may happen a few more times in the future.¡± Cedric replied. He lowered his eyes as if he wasn¡¯t in a pleasant mood. ¡°Because I¡¯m your Grace¡¯s ex-lover? If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t my topic soon be buried under more important issues?¡° ¡°Well, there¡¯s that. However, there are people who are interested in the fact that Lady is my perfumer.¡° ¡°Wasn¡¯t that an internal secret?¡± I tilted my head. The fact that Cedric suffered from madness was a secret known to only his closest associates. Therefore, it was also a secret that Ariel provided the Anixia scent that soothed his madness. ¡°Of course it is.¡± Cedric laughed bitterly. ¡°You didn¡¯t keep it that way.¡± Who? ¡­ No way, me? Facing Cedric¡¯s bitter smile, I was soon enlightened by a drastic thought. In the original, Ariel and Cedric¡¯s contracted relationship clearly contained a clause that made their companionship strictly confidential. However, Ariel didn¡¯t keep her intended part. She wished to appeal to others with the title of a romantic perfumer who manufactured her man¡¯s scent. She wouldn¡¯t have uttered anything about the Anixia scent, yet the fact that she was making perfume for Cedric was likely to have spilled everywhere. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mean to blame you.¡° Cedric spoke in an insignificant tone as he witnessed my impression. I shook my head. ¡°I apologize.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m very sorry.¡° It would have been very unpleasant for me too, if someone had spilled my personal information to other people. When I apologized again, Cedric laughed bitterly. ¡°The lady is very strange.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking that you¡¯ve gotten strange lately, but today, you are exceptionally abnormal compared to the past.¡± What do you mean? I became anxious. There¡¯s no way you would have noticed that I¡¯m different. How would this man know when even I, the person in charge, couldn¡¯t believe this? Cedric smiled leisurely as he erased his bitter expression. ¡°Well, anyhow. I didn¡¯t mean for you to apologize. If you feel uncomfortable, could you do me a favor?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you listen, I¡¯ll gladly forgive you.¡° What do you mean ¡®gladly¡¯? What kind of nonsense is this? I nodded my head and waited for him to speak. ¡°What is your Grace asking for?¡± ¡°Please attach an escort beside you.¡± I blinked my eyes. It was something I couldn¡¯t imagine him asking for. I threw forward my gibberish while flustered. ¡°¡­ That? Ah, an escort ¡­ I apologize, I¡¯m an outsider in that field. To have a high-level skilled man from the Duke¡¯s residence escort me is nice, however my wallet isn¡¯t big enough to ¡­¡± ¡°No, of course, I¡¯m handing an escort to the Lady.¡° ¡°What? To me? An escort?¡± My eyes widened. I¡¯m neither a Duchess nor a Princess. ¡°You always seem to be accompanied by one of your servants. Society is a dangerous place. Having one isn¡¯t good enough for your safety.¡± Cedric shook his head. I opened my mouth. His acting skills are brilliant for someone who¡¯s pretending to really care about me. ¡°So I¡¯ll give you an escort.¡± ¡°No matter how dangerous it is ¡­¡± ¡°Ern.¡± Cedric opened his mouth. Then, the knight that stood behind him like a statue proceeded forward. ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Escort lady Winston from now on.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Yes?!¡± I opened my mouth wide. The knight walked up to me. I rapidly attempted to reply while backing down. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± ¡°He is one of the best men in the Empire. He¡¯ll prevent anyone from touching a hair on the Lady.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doubting his skills, but this is just too much!¡± I looked up at the knight. His face was covered with armor, so I couldn¡¯t figure the expression he was currently making. Cedric tilted his head. ¡°These days, aristocratic young ladies walk with around one or two escorts.¡° ¡°That¡¯s not the problem. This is your Grace¡¯s personal escort! It¡¯s burdensome!¡° ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay me.¡± ¡®Of course I won¡¯t pay you! Are you a robber searching for a salary?!¡¯ Cedric smiled as he glanced at Ern. ¡°Have him work without a single break. If there¡¯s anyone acting suspiciously, he¡¯ll take care of the task.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± Ern bent in front of me on one knee. ¡°I will serve my lady with my utmost respect.¡± A fluent voice flowed between the openings. To be honest, just looking at him made me feel his confidence. Somehow, I had a feeling that as he was armed from head to toes, he could sleep whenever he wished to. However, I didn¡¯t at all hide my distrust. ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Cedric pondered for a while. He seemed not to know what to say in such a situation. ¡®He¡¯s incredibly handsome.¡¯ His red eyes that flashed brilliantly under the light, including his smooth sharp nose and firm jawline. All of this was in perfect harmony. Was it really true I hurt this beauty to make the main character look good? It was when I became lost in my misconceptions that Cedric raised his head and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s just say it has been a while.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Even if it was a contractual relationship, I haven¡¯t acted the role perfectly as a couple, have I?¡± Cedric said so as he smiled merrily. The content of his words were absurd, but he gave an unjustly attractive smile. ¡°You cared about that? It can¡¯t be ¡­¡± ¡°Anyway.¡± Cedric shrugged and blatantly turned the subject. ¡°I want you to accept my ¡®favor¡¯ until others¡¯ attention subsides.¡± I paid careful attention to the word ¡®favor¡¯. The knight would obey me honorably till then. ¡­ Sigh. All right. I¡¯ve been protesting till now, but should I just pretend I can¡¯t win? Well, it won¡¯t hurt me. Eventually, I nodded. ¡°Alright, but only for a while.¡± Until the paparazzi get tired of going after me. ¡°Please take good care of me, Sir.¡± Ern kissed me politely on the back of my hand, his armor still intact. The chillness of the metal flowed on the back of my hand. Cedric watched the scene, his chin perked up. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? Five days later. I plopped on the rocking chair situated outside in Winston¡¯s garden, pondering. ¡°What are you thinking so seriously about, Milady?¡± ¡°Thinking of a new perfume.¡± The Lilac perfume was a big hit, but it would only last for now. I also already thought of a name. . The name was important. It would be much more advantageous to have a specific name rather than just calling it ¡®the lilac perfume scent¡¯. Anyway, this was a very important moment. I had to be liked by people before and after this huge hit cooled down. ¡®Shall we develop a more functional perfume this time?¡¯ For example, the energy recovering perfume I made last time. When it was first made, the combination was slightly disproportional, causing Lina to explode with energy, yet after adjusting the combination well, I was able to produce a proper level of energy increase. ¡®A refreshing scent that goes well with the function ¡­ Yes, the clear scent of a pine tree.¡¯ I began to write down a new batch of ingredients in my notebook. Soon, a plausible recipe was completed. Of course, it was still only a theory, but experimentation was the only thing needed to turn the theory into a reality. Chapter 16 ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? ¡°All right! Lina, are you busy right now?¡± ¡°Ah, is my lady heading to the perfumery? I¡¯m going too!¡° After we arrived in front of the room door, I glanced back. Ern Gardner, the personal escort Cedric had attached to me, stood behind like a shadow. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m entering the perfumery now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± ¡°I apologize, however, not here. This is a place only Lina and I can enter.¡± ¡°Please think of me as a shadow.¡± ¡­ I can¡¯t help it if you say that. I shrugged and let Ern into the room. Then, I handed him a scented candle in addition to a bowl. ¡°Would you assist us while you¡¯re here? I will bestow upon you a separate part-time job fee.¡± Ern gazed strangely at the bowl and candle. No, I¡¯m only guessing his expressions. Besides, I couldn¡¯t figure out what kind of impression he was wearing due to the helmet that was covering him. ¡°Certainly.¡± I grinned. This was the moment a new worker was added to ¡®Ariel¡¯s Perfumery¡¯. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? Working hours were much shorter now that three people were working. My eyes glistened as I gazed at the perfumer¡¯s organ filled with countless liquids. Okay, I had finished the essential oils, and the only thing left is the combining process. I carefully mixed the oils according to the recipe (written in advance). First off, the pine tree essence oil and the fresh bergamot were added with the lemon, serpentine, and, the most important ingredient, spleen herbs to emit a refreshing and stimulating scent. ¡°Now I have to leave it for about two days, but ¡­ I¡¯m curious about the effect, so let us skip the ripening process this time.¡± Soon enough, the first prototype of the new perfume was completed. I placed the perfume bottle at the tip of my nose and took a slight breath. ¡°¡­ Hmm.¡± Lina gazed at me anxiously. Ern was also observing intently through his helmet that was secured onto his head. A refreshing scent whiffed up. It was as if I was smelling a pine needle. The cool fragrance strode all over my body. I felt refreshed, as if I was wrapped around a gentle breeze. I smiled lightly. ¡°I think it¡¯s fine?¡± ¡°Me too! I want to smell it!¡± Lina volunteered rather quickly. I smiled while handing her the perfume bottle. Her eyes widened as she smelled the scent. ¡°U-Uwah ¡­¡± ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°I feel like I¡¯m surrounded by pine trees. I feel like a pine tree forest bathes me in its embrace ¡­ Wow, my drowsiness went away in an instant!¡± I presented a delightful smile. Lina always made me feel confident with her rich and meaningful reactions. I turned to Ern this time. ¡°Now, Lord Ern will try it too.¡± ¡°¡­ Me too?¡± ¡°We made it together; thus, we each have to test the finished product as well.¡± Ern slowly accepted the bottle I was holding. The large man dressed in heavy armor brought the miniscule bottle of perfume to the tip of his nose with both hands. ¡°How is it?¡± This was the first time anyone other than Lina tested the prototype. I was unknowingly nervous about his judgement. ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± Ern turned silent. He only stood still while holding the perfume bottle. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Not good? Should I have let it ripen? I awkwardly attempted to get a hold of the bottle. However, his big hand didn¡¯t let go of the perfume. ¡°¡­ Lord Ern?¡± Let go. It¡¯s going to break. When I called Ern¡¯s name, he finally managed to open his mouth. ¡°¡­ Is this perfume?¡± What are you talking about? I turned to Lina as I presented a confused expression. Is he provoking me? Is he doubting this perfume ¡­? Ern bowed his head as if he had finally come to his senses. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my lady. This turned out to be more than what I expected ¡­ I was surprised at the fragrance that was emitted. It is the ideal pine scent.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I was taken back. That was a compliment? ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yes, I like it.¡± It was a very simple answer. He wasn¡¯t as chaotic as Lina. However, Ern¡¯s plain response was no less pleasant than hers. ¡°Really? I¡¯m thinking of conducting business with this; how many people do you think will be willing to buy it?¡± Ern seemed to be lost in his thoughts for a moment. Soon, he replied in an extremely sincere voice. ¡°I think everyone in the social circle will wish for it.¡± ¡°What? Ahaha.¡± I burst into laughter at his exaggerated answer. I hope that happens. If everyone would work together to buy one, it wouldn¡¯t be a dream to become a billionaire anymore, would it? ¡°I really hope so. Well, first off, it was accepted by two people so far ¡­ could we consider the prototype a success for now?¡± I copied down the results of the prototype in my notebook. I¡¯ll adjust the perfume a bit more and bring it to the salon. I hope that Charlotte will favor the results this time as well. I hummed as I eagerly moved my pen. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? I adjusted my outfit as I looked at the mirror. Today was an extremely important day. It was the day I presented the new perfume in front of an actual audience. The location was also carefully chosen for this event. After much consideration, I selected Countess Atlante¡¯s members-only, social club. It¡¯s a place where all those who claimed to be the highest in society gathered, and thanks to Charlotte, I was able to step in it. ¡®Thank you, Charlotte.¡¯ I took a deep breath. Charlotte only handed me an invitation as she couldn¡¯t attend due to her schedule. Today, I have to make this perfume business successful using my own ability. I left the room, filled with determination. Count Atlante¡¯s butler greeted me. ¡°If you are ready, we will guide you inside.¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± Just like the deep history of the Atalante family, the mansion was very antique and elegant. Although he was also a Count, he was different from Winston, who had the heart to sell his own daughter due to his lack of power. ¡°Lady Winston has arrived.¡± The butler opened the door to the parlor. I took a silent deep breath and placed an elegant smile on my mouth. Beyond the open door, the eyes of the members were directly glued to me. ¡®All right, this is the beginning.¡¯ In order to carry out business, you are obliged to leave a pleasant first impression. It was at that moment that I managed to hide my tension and stepped into the room with a smile still portrayed on my face. ¡°Dear Ariel! Welcome!¡± ¡­ Uh? I turned my head to the familiar voice. Oh, my God. Luna, one of the girls I encountered at the ball a few days ago, was waving her hands at me. ¡°Oh my God, Lady Ariel! Did Lady Ariel also become a member? It¡¯s such a great honor to be a member of the same club as Lady Ariel!¡± Luna ran towards me as she made a fuss. Haha, what an unexpected appearance. ¡°Oh, hello, Luna. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here.¡± ¡°Me too! My father pushed me to be here, so it was quite boring. However, I didn¡¯t expect to see Lady Ariel! I¡¯ll be sure to thank my father when I return home.¡± Luna concluded her whispers. What do you mean, a meeting your father forced you into ¡­ I¡¯m sure this was a club most socialites couldn¡¯t enter easily. Before I could finish my thoughts, Luna waved her hand in order to attract others attention. ¡°Everyone! This is my beloved Lady Ariel Winston.¡± ¡°Welcome, Lady Winston.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± After Luna introduced me, the members greeted me with a slightly lighter atmosphere. A man with blonde, lemon-colored hair made a gesture for my hand. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you. I am Rupert Jenon.¡± Rupert Jenon? I searched my head when I heard the familiar name. Come to think of it, the name of this Jenon man was mentioned a few times in the social world. Probably a major shareholder in a quality distribution company? ¡°You¡¯re much more beautiful than what I¡¯ve heard.¡± Rupert gently kissed the back of my hand. I laughed, filled with both embarrassment and sincerity. ¡°I¡¯m flattered. It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Baron Jenon. My name is Ariel Winston.¡± ¡°The back of the beautiful lady¡¯s hand has a rather charming scent of pine needles.¡± Ah? I like this person¡¯s sense of smell. I replied, my eyes wide opened. ¡°Oh my, you have it right. I made this perfume based on the concept of a pine tree forest.¡± ¡°The Lady herself ¡­?¡± Rupert¡¯s eyes drastically widened. ¡°Goodness. I¡¯ve heard it from Lady Charlotte herself; however, my lady is quite a talented person.¡± ¡°You¡¯re flattering me too much. I¡¯m ashamed.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m absolutely not over complimenting you. Hey, Shuren. Didn¡¯t you say growing pine trees in the garden was a hobby of yours?¡± The members of the social meeting glanced towards me curiously as they heard Rupert¡¯s sudden excitement. My insides shouted with joy. Suddenly, Luna rushed through the crowd toward me. ¡°Lady Ariel! Could you spare me a minute?¡± At such a critical moment? I felt rather regretful. However, Luna¡¯s expression was unusual, so I nodded in agreement. We moved to the small terrace on one side of the hall. ¡°Lady Ariel, Lord Rupert seems to have a heart for you. The eyes of a fox-like man are very high!¡± Luna clenched her fists fiercely. I shed a fresh smile. ¡°That¡¯s why you called for me? Just to let me know this?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it ¡­ Actually, that guy, he¡¯s a huge playboy.¡± Luna quietly whispered. I raised my eyebrows. Well, he did seem rather charming. It seems like he paid quite a lot for that face. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve only met him once; however I heard all his breakups happened in the blink of an eye. Of course Lady Ariel will take care of herself well, but Luna is a little worried ¡­¡± Hmm. I pondered for a moment. Luna said this much and with the way she gazed at me, it seemed almost certain Rupert was interested in me. It just so happened, I also feel the need of a new lover. It wasn¡¯t because I was lonely. Nope. ¡®If I find a new lover, no one would doubt my relationship with Cedric anymore.¡¯ I could also use this as an excuse for Count Winston, who has been constantly bothering me daily now. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t worry, Luna.¡± I grinned at Luna. ¡°I won¡¯t cry while grasping Baron Rupert¡¯s trousers.¡± ¡°Dear Ariel? That¡¯s ¡­¡± I shrugged. I haven¡¯t decided to be with Rupert yet. Nonetheless, I thought Rupert Jenon might be a good relationship partner. We¡¯re not going to get married anyway, but we¡¯re just going to be seeing each other for a moment. ¡®In my situation, being a playboy is rather a big plus.¡¯ When the time comes to cut the relationship, he won¡¯t hold onto me and cry. Chapter 17 ¡°¡­ Heouk.¡± Cedric grabbed himself by the neck. He incessantly scratched his neck, heavy breaths proliferated. Rigion asked with an anxious face. ¡°Your Grace ¡­ are you alright? Jasper! Go get the medicine!¡° Whoo. Cedric swept his forehead. The sweat disheveled his jet black hair. ¡°It¡¯s alright, don¡¯t mind.¡° ¡°But ¡­¡± Rigion stamped his feet in frustration. Today, Cedric Evans contained a somewhat menacing atmosphere. It was indeed, a very rare sight for an expressionless man who was never shook for any reason. ¡°Your state is a bit ¡­ It seems to have worsened.¡± ¡°I told you it was nothing, Rigion.¡± Cedric spat out, while loosening his sleeve buttons. Nonetheless, he was also very aware. That his subordinate¡¯s statement was true. For the past month, Cedric¡¯s condition turned jagged. There was only one difference that occurred a month ago that may have affected him. He no longer meets her regularly. ¡®¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ Cedric bit his lips as he brushed off those useless thoughts. His right hand unbuttoned his left sleeve. His heart felt strangely stuffy. ¡°Ho, it¡¯s like ¡­¡± ¡°It feels as if I entered a deep forest.¡± The gentlemen¡¯s passion were inflamed as they rubbed their jaws in bewilderment. I managed to downplay my proud smile. ¡°My lady, this is an ideal object. Not only is the scent refreshing, it also feels like one¡¯s body is lighter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. And with this subtle scent, wouldn¡¯t it also be suitable for a man?¡± ¡°Certainly, it¡¯s a scent that men won¡¯t feel pressured into using.¡± Then, a man who had been gazing at the perfume bottle with greedy eyes, replied. ¡°My lady, could you bring another perfume just like this one?¡± ¡°I will just give it as a sign of gratitude, since you favor the scent to this extent.¡± ¡°Oh! Are you sure?¡± The man¡¯s eyes widened. Then, the surrounding gentlemen rushed to block him. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t cut in line! I was here before you!¡± ¡°Ah, Count, what does that have to do with anything? The lady herself said she would hand it to me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unfair! Lady Winston, could you give me another chance to see the perfume? I¡¯m going to spray it a few times; his presence bothers me.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m the first one who earned permission!¡± When the calm salon turned to a fuss, I quickly intervened in the fight. ¡°I¡¯m sorry everyone. Today, I had only brought one bottle for my personal use ¡­ However, since you like it this much, it would be within my power to send you each a bottle.¡± ¡°Yes! Is that true?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor, my lady!¡± I flatly refused their offer to pay for the bottles. It was because I didn¡¯t come here to do business. I was just here to build a base for my foundation. Having quickly sorted things out before receiving too much attention, I headed to belatedly, formally greet the manager of the social club. ¡°Hello, Countess Atalante. I have greeted you quite late. I am Ariel Winston.¡° ¡°Ah. You¡¯re Charlotte¡¯s friend, aren¡¯t you? ¡­ Well, nice to meet you.¡° Atalante nodded her head. Contrary to her response, she didn¡¯t seem very welcoming. Did she perhaps notice I came here initially to perform my business? I looked at Countess Atlante in the eyes. Nonetheless, I didn¡¯t feel any hostility directed from her. Although faint, there was a slight sign of disapproval. ¡­ Am I really caught? While I underwent the notion, someone approached me. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry too much, Lady Ariel.¡° Rupert leisurely replied as he handed me a glass of wine. He then naturally led me behind the pillars, far away from Countess Atalante. ¡°Lady Atalante isn¡¯t usually interested in strangers. Besides, she doesn¡¯t get along very well with Lady Charlotte, the person who introduced you.¡± ¡°¡­ She doesn¡¯t get along with Lady Charlotte?¡± No way. I thought everyone would favor Charlotte? She possessed a personality no one could possibly detest. I blinked, unable to understand. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve heard the two of them were always the top scholars during their Academy years, and since then, it has been something like ¡­ a rival relationship.¡± ¡°Aha ¡­¡± I nodded slowly. Unfortunately, it would be difficult to sell perfume to Lady Atalante today. ¡°By the way, Lady Ariel.¡± Rupert suddenly called for me, his voice deep. I gained goosebumps as I heard his voice, both elegant and alarming. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You may be taken aback since this is still our first meeting ¡­¡± Rupert carefully raised his hand. Then, he lifted the back of my hand and brought it to his lips. ¡°I fell in love with my lady at first sight. I wished to let you know that although you could be flustered by it.¡± ¡­ So suddenly? I glanced around. Fortunately, we were subtly hidden by the pillars, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about other people¡¯s gazes. Well, how do I answer that? I thought Rupert wouldn¡¯t be that bad as a fake lover. However, I didn¡¯t wish to become a brand new member, known for snatching a man since the first day. It¡¯s a bit ¡­ That would be the impression that I would leave on them, as if I came here to see a man. ¡°Sir Rupert, thank you, but this is a bit sudden ¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wish for an answer right away. I also want to have time to get to know each other slowly and not rush the Lady.¡± ¡°Ah ¡­¡± ¡°Have you heard that a week later, a masquerade will be held at Marquis Kruger¡¯s?¡° ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve heard so.¡± ¡°Please attend. I hope you bestow upon me time to dance with the beautiful lady.¡± Ugh ¡­ This person, every single line of his is cheesy. If it weren¡¯t for his handsome face, it would¡¯ve been difficult for me to hold it any longer. I asked with a casual smile. ¡°But it¡¯s a masquerade, isn¡¯t it? How will you recognize me?¡± ¡°Please come wearing a mask embroidered with red flowers, my lady. Then, I¡¯ll be a butterfly only for my Lady¡­ I¡¯ll fly to my Lady.¡± ¡­ Wow, that was really bad. I blinked, my mind blanked out. The bell inside my head was ringing. Is this him using his face? No, I can¡¯t forgive him, even with such a face. I gulped down the glass of wine at once, as if I had swallowed thirty pieces of butter. TLN: I don¡¯t much understand the ¡®thirty pieces of butter¡¯ part, however this might indicate Ariel gulping down her disgusted feelings. ¡®Wait, Ariel. Even if you won¡¯t necessarily be in a romantic relationship, it¡¯ll be helpful to keep your face well-versed.¡¯ I spoke quietly to Rupert. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if this is a straight-forward statement, but I don¡¯t want a serious relationship.¡± I only needed a lover for the outside world. Even if I agreed to date this man, I needed to make sure of this fact. Rupert smiled broadly. ¡°Oh, my Lady. Even that would fit perfectly fine with me.¡± I sighed. He¡¯s way too qualified, this man. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the ballroom, then.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lady Ariel. I look forward to that day.¡± Only then did Rupert part with me. I sighed deeply as I observed his distant back. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? As time passed, the day of the ball arrived. Ever since coming to this world, I¡¯ve attended all the dance balls; however, this was the first masquerade for me. I took a sip of my champagne amidst the keen atmosphere filled with many masked guests, before a woman slightly collided with my elbow. ¡°Oh, excuse me.¡± The person apologizing in the other¡¯s stead penetrated a subtle lilac scent. It smelled very familiar. I unconsciously smiled broadly. ¡°No, it¡¯s all right.¡± I beamed lovingly towards the woman in front of me. They were a customer who had bought my perfume. How could I get angry for a slight wallop? My radiant smile suddenly disappeared as I sighed in dejection. This was because of the difficulty I had forgotten for a while now. ¡®Should I use this?¡¯ I fell into deep agony as I glanced towards my pouch. There was a petal-shaped mask inside. It was a fancy one, different from the ordinary and plain ones which were used in ordinary circumstances. ¡®Come wearing a mask embroidered with red flowers, my lady.¡¯ Rupert¡¯s voice from a week ago wandered around my mind. It was hard to agree to that nice voice that spoke those unforgivable, cheesy words. ¡®It¡¯s true I need a fake lover, but ¡­ is this person the appropriate partner?¡¯ Both his appearance and conditions were definitely a passing score. As far as I heard, Rupert changed his lovers in an instant; however he seemed to be a good person with a promising personality. While I thought of various topics, someone approached me. ¡°Hello, beautiful lady. If you don¡¯t mind, would you allow me a song?¡° A well-dressed gentleman asked for a dance. I politely declined him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have made a previous engagement.¡± ¡°Pardon me. Then, have a good night ¡­¡± The man greeted her and left, not bearing to hide his regret. I could see him approaching another woman right away. I sighed lightly. Most of the nobles who attended a masquerade would aim for a thrilling night with a stranger. Perhaps, because of that, the number of flirtations that poured upon me were vast. However, I couldn¡¯t stand here refusing forever. Just as I thought so, Rupert could be seen searching far away. He was the only one wearing a mask with a colorful butterfly. ¡®Since I¡¯ve come this far ¡­ let¡¯s go meet him.¡¯ It was the moment I pulled out the petal mask from inside my pouch and attempted to swap it with the one I was wearing. A voice called for me. ¡°Would you like to dance? My lady.¡± I opened my mouth reflexively to spit out my refusal. However, instead of saying anything, my lips hardened. This voice. ¡®¡­ Surely.¡¯ I must have misheard because of the noisy surroundings. As if to mock my guess, the tall man in front of me smiled. The mask only showed half his face, yet it was clear. I whispered in a thin tone. ¡°¡­ Your Grace?¡± Instead of answering, the tip of the mouth exposed underneath the black mask drew an oblique angle. For some reason, such a charming smile stiffened my body, like a prey who had been caught by a hawk. Chapter 18 ¡°¡­ Why is your Grace here?¡° I lowered my voice and whispered. Then, I glanced around in a hurry. Fortunately, no one seemed to have yet noticed that Cedric was present. ¡°Can¡¯t I attend?¡± ¡°¡­ No, I don¡¯t mean that ¡­¡± Of course, this wasn¡¯t a place Cedric couldn¡¯t take part in. However, it honestly didn¡¯t suit him. Cedric Evans, attending an event where young men and women rushed to dream of a night¡¯s fantasy ¡­ ¡°May I ask the same to you?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why is the lady here?¡± I was dumbfounded by his question. ¡®Do you see the man in that direction, wearing a fancy butterfly mask? I meant to contact him while wearing this petal mask. Butterflies and flowers, haha, romantic, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ No. I closed my eyes tightly. No matter how shameless I was, I wouldn¡¯t be able to muster enough courage for such a statement. In the end, I decided to answer as briefly as possible. ¡°I have someone to meet. What is your Grace doing in a place like this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Cedric remained silent for a while. I glanced up towards him, puzzled by the strange silence. His gaze crossed over the mask he wore, which was made of a plain but luxurious material. ¡°I have someone to meet.¡± ¡°¡­ Oh, I see.¡± It was a cumbersome answer compared to what I had been expecting. Well, it does make sense. He couldn¡¯t have come to enjoy a masquerade like this alone. It occurred to me that for a while now, he was trying to avoid eye contact with me. ¡°The person your Grace wishes to meet hasn¡¯t arrived yet?¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s not the case.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± I mustered a curious look. If they arrived, why won¡¯t he leave to meet them? It was then the sound of a viola rang in my ears. Everyone raised their heads. The first waltz had proceeded playing. This marked the beginning of the masquerade. The men and women surrounding me began to pair up with each other. Even those who had yet to find a mate held hand with the opposite sex without any hesitation. The only man and woman who weren¡¯t holding hands were Cedric and I. ¡®Goodness, this timing ¡­¡¯ To hide my awkwardness, I tightened my grasp on the glass of champagne which had been emptied. A large hand approached and held the top of the glass. Startled, the glass slipped from my hand. Cedric picked up the glass that rolled on the floor as swiftly as flowing water, placing it on a silver platter carried by a waiter which was passing by. He turned towards me. ¡°How is one song?¡± It was a very simple request. In contrast to the men who had been flirting with me since the beginning of this ball. I looked up towards Cedric. A piercing scarlet pair of red eyes faced me through the black mask. Now that half of his face was covered, his gaze seemed more like that of a beast than a man. I can never show him my back. ¡®It¡¯s only one dance, so it doesn¡¯t matter much.¡¯ I nodded slowly. This place was a masquerade. Now that we were wearing masks, no one could easily tell who we were. Here, we weren¡¯t the scandalous Cedric Evans and Ariel Winston, we were simply a masked man and woman. I lifted the corners of my mouth and held Cedric¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯d be delighted.¡± I could feel Cedric drawing a curved line under his mask. He pulled me gently. I had to raise my head even further, so I could now observe him at a closer distance. Cedric slightly knelt before me. I took that chance and gently whispered in his ear, ¡°Your Grace, I beg your pardon.¡± Cedric stared at me silently, waiting for my mouth to continue. I belatedly confessed the fact. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not good at dancing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Young children born and raised in such luxurious places all their lives could dance with their eyes closed; however, I wasn¡¯t one of them. Although I frequently practiced in order to readily enter society, I still remained a beginner in the waltz. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate your understanding.¡± The viola proceeded to the beginning of a bolder melody. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? We nodded to each other politely after the dance had finished. I spared myself a short breath. I shouldn¡¯t comment this to myself, but what we just presented was a pretty perfect waltz. It was surprising. I glanced at Cedric with admiration. I finally realized why a man¡¯s lead was so important when dancing. ¡®He doesn¡¯t even seem interested in that ¡­¡¯ It was an unexpected aspect. As expected, a noble is a noble. Cedric returned the stare, perhaps due to my atypical gaze which seemed burdening. I turned my head in awkwardness while facing the deep scarlet eyes hidden over his mask. ¡®A handsome man remains good-looking, even if half his face is covered.¡¯ Cedric stood out even though he wore a plain, unmatched mask. His slender and smooth nose, sculpted chin, and slender yet handsome figure was enough to catch all the young men and women¡¯s attention. I spoke with a sigh. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the person you are supposed to meet be waiting now?¡± ¡°Is that an order?¡± ¡°What? No, it¡¯s not like that ¡­¡± I gazed at him, confused. I was just asking. What is it with that sharp answer? I swiftly turned the subject; my lips curled upwards. ¡°Aside from that, how did you recognize me? It seems like hundreds of people alone are gathered here.¡± Honey hair was not that rare of a color. There were already three women I had witnessed with similar hair color at this masquerade. Cedric replied, as if I were asking the obvious. ¡°The lady can be distinguished even if a thousand people gather, more than a hundred.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Scent.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes?¡± Sce¡­nt? Cedric shrugged. ¡°You are the only one with that scent.¡± ¡°You can tell from the scent?¡± Even if it¡¯s a simple meaning, it¡¯s still different ¡­ This is about my perfume. I bluntly murmured and insinuated. ¡°Do you like it, this scent?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say I favored it.¡± Oh, I see. I snorted, ¡°Yes, then.¡± How could a man who knew nothing but acting as a public figure realizes the beautiful art of perfume? ¡°It smells unusual.¡± That was what happened before Cedric leaned closer to me. My whole body hardened at that moment. He lowered his head towards the back of my neck and whispered, ¡°Musk, Jasmine, ¡­ Bergamot?¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s right.¡± I retreated from Cedric and gazed at him with strange eyes. He was a man with tremendous skill. All the names Cedric had recited were the correct ingredients to the perfume I had chosen today. ¡°You seem to know this very well?¡± ¡°This is a basic skill.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t think that is basic knowledge.¡¯ I restlessly glanced over Cedric who was still standing still but couldn¡¯t resist my curiosity and asked. ¡°There¡¯s another ingredient. Can you also guess that?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Cedric tilted his head slightly. I could hear him breathing closely near my ear. ¡°Ah, this.¡± Cedric smiled lightly. It was a confident grin. ¡°That is Alona.¡± ¡°Oh my God, how did you know?¡± My mouth opened wide. Alona was a herb which grew only in this world. It was a common weed that spread on the side of the road, just like dandelions and grass. However, it was a herb holding an extremely fragrant and refreshing scent. When I first took a stroll amid Count Winston¡¯s garden, I sniffed my nose for a long time, deeply containing the scent of alona within myself. The butler observed me silently, as if I were a crazy madman. Anyway. I didn¡¯t realize the Duke knew the scent of these weeds. Cedric shrugged in response to my stare. ¡°My grandmother used to grow an alona field while she owned a flower field.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I blinked in surprise. No matter how fragrant the scent was, Alona was, after all, a weed. A field made up of weeds! I shouted unconsciously. ¡°I¡¯d like to go.¡± Damn it. As soon as I finished speaking, I had come to regret acting the way I had. This sounded like me asking him to invite myself for a visit. Don¡¯t tell me you misinterpreted what I just spoke after our breakup? I anxiously stared up at Cedric. Cedric laughed bitterly. ¡°The flower farm was sold after my grandmother passed away. It was my grandfather¡¯s decision, as he thought there was now no one to manage the place, in addition to the fact that it wasn¡¯t worth keeping.¡± ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± I lowered my voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, it is an old story. By the way, Lady. The next delivery date is just around the corner. Do you remember?¡± The story turned again. I nodded my head. This man sometimes showed this obsession, feasibly thinking I might run with the Anixia scent. ¡°Yes, of course I remember. If I happened to forget, Your Grace would surely charge me, so how could I?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t speaking with that intention ¡­¡± ¡°Oh, here you are! My Lady! Cedric stopped speaking as someone abruptly shouted. ¡­ Oh, don¡¯t tell me. Only then did I think of someone I had completely forgotten for a while. An ominous foreboding swept over my back. Unfortunately, however, my hunch wasn¡¯t wrong. Rupert burst from nowhere as he opened his arms towards me. It seemed like he had recognized the petal metal sticking from my pouch. ¡°Lady Ariel. Do you know how much I¡¯ve been searching for you? My flower!¡± ¡­ My God. I chewed my lips in shame. I glanced at Cedric. Whether it was fortunate or not, I wasn¡¯t able to recognize his expression due to the mask which covered his face. Rupert glanced at Cedric. ¡°Lady, this is ¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, this person ¡­ well, he is a business partner. I managed to bump into him by chance.¡± I roughly equivocated Cedric as I couldn¡¯t reveal his identity. It was not wrong for me to claim so as I did supply him perfume. ¡°Oh, I see ¡­¡± Rupert scanned Cedric up and down with his vigilant eyes. Then he reached out to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve come late, my lady. Shall we go now?¡± ¡°¡­ Uhm.¡± I uttered a hesitant sound. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Sir Rupert. I¡¯m not feeling well today, so I think I best head back.¡± ¡°Oh! Where does it hurt, my flower? I will water all the withered petals. I¡¯ll bring you a glass of wine ¡­¡± ¡°No, no. I apologize, but I am not in the mood for entertainment tonight.¡± I quickly cut off Rupert¡¯s shocking lines. I feel like I can hear Cedric silently snickering from the side. The last time we met, it wasn¡¯t this bad, but isn¡¯t this inhaling the butter instead of drinking it? ¡°I¡¯m very sorry Sir Rupert. Good day.¡± I curtsied and turned my back, proceeding to leave the ballroom. Even if he was a bit greasy and in bad condition, the cover seemed plausible enough; thus, I thought it would be okay with the title ¡®temporary lover¡¯. However, he wasn¡¯t. The moment I compared him to Cedric as he stood by his side, I realized my judgment was wrong. ¡®Thank you for being a playboy until now, Lord Rupert.¡¯ You don¡¯t have to feel regretful, winding up in this position. Chapter 19 ¡°Cedric Evans!¡± As Cedric looked back, the organizer of the masquerade, Marquis Heinen of Kruger, sighed dejectedly. ¡°I came here to find you, as you hadn¡¯t returned for a while.¡± ¡°Ah, I apologize. I had business to attend to for a while.¡± Cedric spoke. Business. Heinen narrowed his eyes. About half an hour ago, Cedric and Heinen were leaning against the second-floor railing, discussing the stocks of the newly built Rainer Department Store. However, Cedric¡¯s eyes abruptly halted as he indifferently glanced at the landscape. ¡®Cedric? Where are you going?¡¯ ¡®Wait a moment.¡¯ Cedric, who said so, strode down to the banquet hall. Heinen observed Cedric approach the woman standing alone amidst the ballroom and begin speaking to her out of the blue. She was a woman holding a graceful figure. Her acquisitive honey hair was splendidly imposing. At that very moment, an uncalled for name crossed Heinen¡¯s mind. It wasn¡¯t long after he quickly shook his head in denial. ¡®No no. It couldn¡¯t be her.¡¯ It couldn¡¯t have been Ariel Winston. Aren¡¯t the rumors that they finally parted ways circulating in society? Cedric began to waltz with the woman resembling Ariel, seeming to be in her early twenties. He rubbed his eyes, finding the situation unfolding in front of his eyes unbelievable. Cedric Evans, dancing? The man who refused even the request from a foreign princess? Surprisingly, Cedric led the woman with perfect manners. The two seemed like a prepossessing portrait. Heinen admitted the Duke¡¯s skills amidst his absolute shock. After reminiscing the scene, Heinen spoke the following in a quiet voice. ¡°Dancing with Lady for business?¡± ¡°What, you¡¯ve been watching.¡± Cedric frowned. It was the moment Heinen opened his mouth to proceed prying into the mysterious woman. ¡°Heinen, please carry out this request for me.¡± ¡°Uh? Me to you? What?¡± Heinen blinked. Then, unexpected words left Cedric¡¯s mouth. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Heinen¡¯s eyes widened even the more. ¡°Why the hell do you want me to investigate?¡± ¡°I have a request. Please do me a favor.¡± ¡°Haa, yes¡­ Alright, I understand. I will do my best to investigate your request.¡± Cedric turned his head only after he heard Heinen¡¯s answer of approval. Heinen followed Cedric¡¯s gaze. His gaze remained at the entrance to the ballroom, where a while ago, the mysterious woman had disappeared from. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? [ Dear Ariel. It is already a fresh, green summer. It had been a while since I last met Ariel. If you don¡¯t mind, could you spare me some time soon? I await your reply. Sincerely, Charlotte.] I smiled softly, folding the letter that had been sent from Charlotte. Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since I last met Charlotte. Charlotte was a benefactor, promoting my perfume to the young social figures, nonetheless, she was also the first friend I earned ever since falling into this world. ¡®Is it alright to think of her as a friend? Um, perhaps not yet.¡¯ I shyly scratched my cheek. Speaking of which, I couldn¡¯t leave to meet Charlotte empty-handed. I recalled the lilac perfume which had left stock. ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I went shopping.¡¯ I nodded my head, soon heading out shopping for ingredients along with Lina and Ern, who followed me like a shadow as always. The Senon district remained the same. I immersed myself in the scents penetrating amidst the streets after leaving the carriage. The various flowers distributed smelled purely ecstatic. Roses, peonies, lilies, lilacs, tulips, lilacs, and lilacs¡­? ¡­What is that? ¡°Lina, was the lilac scent originally this strong in this street?¡± ¡°Yes, my lady. Perhaps your production in the scent of lilac is making the scent fashionable and popular?¡± Hm? Don¡¯t tell me. I glanced around in case. My perfume was well received by the young aristocrats in society, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough for the streets to hold such a strong smell of lilac¡­ ¡®Huh?¡¯ As I glanced around, a store caught my eye. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s a new shop, isn¡¯t it?¡± I tilted my head. In the distance, I read a sign which I hadn¡¯t seen before. The large building was a well-designed shop, remodeled from floor to floor. When did this street have such a big building? ¡°Let¡¯s go check it out, Lina.¡± ¡°Yes, my lady!¡± My heart jumped unknowingly at the large size, resembling a large department store. Lina and I hurried inside. Ern also seemed to be following well, as a crackling sound of steel clanked against the ground from behind us. As we stood in front of the building, I opened my mouth in admiration. As a newly opened shop, the interior was very bright and beautifully decorated. The crowd of people, who approached the store like I did, were also crowded. ¡°The name of the store is¡­ Hmm¡­?¡± I tilted my head slowly as I read the sign. Perfume department store? I¡¯ve never heard of such a huge perfume store before now. No. Rather, the starting name. ¡­ It¡¯s unpleasantly familiar. ¡°Sir Ern, by any chance.¡± ¡°Yes, my lady. Please go ahead.¡± ¡°That Magnus¡­ Isn¡¯t that Baron Magnus, right?¡± ¡°Looking at the brown owl, I believe it to be Baron Magnus¡¯ unique engravement.¡± Ern said, pointing to the sign presented proudly next to the sentence. So the owner of this shop is Baron Magnus, right? ¡®I forgot for a second; this is how he spreads the firewood for fuel.¡¯ I inevitably grind my teeth. Ponta Magnus, the guy who offered me a perfume business and included ridiculous proportions. I understand he wasn¡¯t much interested in my perfume business until he came to know of me¡­ No way, did he steal my idea? I opened my eyes, suspicious. ¡°Let¡¯s head inside, Lina.¡± ¡°Yes. My Lady.¡± Lina also confidently nodded her head. As soon as I entered the store, a strange smell pierced the tip of my nose. My head turned dizzy due to the mix of various scents. ¡®It smells so strong from the entrance to the store, what could have become of the scents?¡¯ However, contrary to my concerns, the people around me strolled the store, holding satisfactory faces as they brought the perfume to their noses. ¡°This is the scent Lady Melissa used last time, right?¡± ¡°I think so. Isn¡¯t it the same perfume since it holds the same material as ¡®The Law of First Love¡¯?¡± I returned to my observation of the shop filled with individuals as a conversation happened to catch my ears. I encountered an amazing sight as I turned my head towards the voices. ¡®Lilac perfume. Lilac lip balm. Lilac cream, bath bomb¡­?¡¯ The young ladies, who seemed my age, stood with products filled with the scent of lilac. It wasn¡¯t just them. Other customers were hurrying to purchase lilac products. They seemed to have distinguished the scent held at the salon a few days ago. I sighed, astonished at the scene before my eyes. ¡®All the lilac scents will become extinct.¡¯ I approached the shelf and tried on the lilac perfume. ¡®¡­Ugh.¡¯ I narrowed my forehead. There was a similar side this one held when compared to my perfume. The perfume smelled like lilac. However, there was no other resemblance. Comparing it with my perfume in itself was an insult towards me. A cool breeze. Sunbeams against grass. Moist and light petals. The fragrance one wishes to present their first love. All the senses and feelings I intended to include in the scent weren¡¯t incorporated inside this perfume at all. ¡®No, how can they confuse this?¡¯ I marveled at the rushing customers. However, I soon decided to calm down. The names are similar, so it could have seemed confusing for people who never smelled my version properly. ¡°Lady Ariel, isn¡¯t this completely different from your perfume?¡± Lina picked up the perfume and opened her mouth. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Sir Ern?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about scents.¡± Ern answered bluntly, nonetheless, Lina did not mind and placed the bottle of perfume on his *gauntlet. TL/N: a glove worn with medieval armor to protect the hand. -Merriam Webster Eventually, Ern reluctantly opened the pitch and sniffed the incense. Soon he replied. ¡°It¡¯s different.¡± ¡°Right? It¡¯s different, right?¡± ¡°It seems similar, but it¡¯s completely different.¡± ¡°As expected! Lady, even Sir Ern says so. Oh, my god. Tch¡­ Hmm. I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re selling imitation products so openly. They are obviously imitating my lady¡¯s perfume, aren¡¯t they? We have to protest!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I pondered. It seemed certain Ponta Magnus stole my idea. Magnus also coveted my perfume as a business item, and the most divisive fact was the name of the perfume, No matter how I perceive this, isn¡¯t that a name indiation the imitation of my product? The circumstances are clear, but protesting¡­ Will that be possible? I slowly looked around. It was a rather vast shop, even if one stretched their head to the fullest, they wouldn¡¯t be able to make out the end. A businessman with dozens of these stores and a small-scale door-to-door seller who had just begun to build up their reputation. Was it worth a fight? Maybe I¡¯d better just focus on my work in my own place. As Lina said, Magnus¡¯ perfume is just a hotbed of my version. It was the moment I thought so. ¡°Oh my, there seems to be a precious young lady walking in such a shabby place.¡± A voice I¡¯ve heard before. I looked back. Ponta Magnus was approaching me. I repeated his name in a low voice. ¡°¡­ Lord Magnus.¡± ¡°How did you visit such a shop? I am now nervous as the lady, who is well versed in perfume, is standing here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How do you like the perfumes I distribute?¡± Magnus smiled as he looked around. I gazed straight through his pretense. Chapter 20 ¡°I like it.¡± I paced leisurely as I meaningfully repeated Magnus¡¯s words. Towards the shelf containing the lilac products. I picked up the bottle and gradually inhaled the scent. ¡°Lilac. Jasmine, Kailan, and Lockard, am I right?¡± I deliberately quoted the ingredients added to the perfume. Magnus blinked. ¡°Y-yes. That¡¯s right. The detailed combinations were formulated by our perfumers¡­¡± ¡°Is that right? Then please hand this to the perfumer. The combination of Lockard and Jasmine are not compatible in the least.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°This is an illiberal perfumery experiment. When the two meet, not only does the subtly bitter smell expanse, it doesn¡¯t take the perfume much time to turn corrupt. One should be especially careful during summer months like these.¡± ¡°Ah, then the truth of this bitter aroma is¡­¡± Lina once again sniffed the scent as she abruptly uttered those words. Magnus glared at Lina with his narrowed eyes before he strode forward and snatched the bottle from her hand. Then he rolled his eyes for a moment before offering an excuse. ¡°This bitter scent expresses the freshness of the summer season. It was intended.¡± That¡¯s a pretty poetic excuse. I shed an amused laugh. ¡°Fresh, that is nice. Nonetheless, this isn¡¯t a fit combination. Did you know that if you happen to mix them in the wrong order, the perfume could transmute into poison?¡± ¡°Po, poison!¡± Magnus immediately burst as he let forward his raging flames. ¡°Be careful what you say, young lady! I can¡¯t believe you stated for there to be poison in my perfume. That¡¯s too much of a slander!¡± ¡°If telling the truth is a slander, then yes. It seems I am the one slandering at this point. However, I will let you know this. Lockards and Jasmine are herbs that beginners should not mix recklessly.¡± Magnus¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Be careful what you say, Lady Winston! Our salon¡¯s perfumers are all talented individuals who have been highly educated at the Imperial Academy! Is it since the lady had completed her education at some well-established institution, she is slandering our perfumers with nonsense?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t received any education.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± When it came to professional chemistry education, I have never received one. Magnus laughed mockingly. ¡°How dare you belittle me on such a subject!¡± ¡°The fact that we shouldn¡¯t mix Lockard and Jasmine recklessly is well-known even to me, a person who hadn¡¯t received an education.¡± Magnus gritted his teeth as he viciously glared at me. ¡°Can you take responsibility for your words, young lady? This is a clear breach in business.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to interfere, although I apologize.¡± I spoke a lie and blatantly shrugged it off. I pointed to the perfume bottle and stated, ¡°For certain, this perfume. It will go bad in one week.¡± ¡°Lady Ariel Winston!¡± Magnus puffed, his face beaming red. It wasn¡¯t long after he placed on his gentleman mask, seeming to have recollected his train of thoughts. ¡°Keep speaking as you please. No matter how far the lady will spread her false rumors, my store will soon become a specialty of the system.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°One must choose their ship well to be in fashion. My ship is sturdy and well-prepared, but I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s the case with the young lady¡­¡± Magnus glanced at me unpleasantly. ¡°It seems you have prepared a mouth to slander others, let alone a vessel.¡± ¡°Hoho.¡± I laughed lightly before opening my mouth to reply, ¡°All right, Baron. I don¡¯t think you have any intention of listening to my advice.¡± My weakness was indeed revealed within the intention of slandering him, but on the other hand, he was also anxious regarding the customers who were to buy his perfume; his perfume that would supposedly go bad during the summer. However, I don¡¯t demand to speak good words into his ears when he isn¡¯t even ready to listen to more. I responded with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m heading back now. Excuse me.¡± After bobbing lightly, I turned my back without fruitless emotions such as regret. Magnus didn¡¯t call for me, his eyes remained absent-minded. I could hear the footsteps of Lina and Ern following from behind. As we left the store, Lina asked carefully. ¡°Well, my lady¡­ Are you alright with this?¡± I smiled brightly at Lina. ¡°Well, of course. What is there to not be alright with?¡± ¡°Thank God, my lady.¡± I hid my bitter smile from Lina. Actually, this wasn¡¯t okay. It was because there was nothing wrong with Magnus¡¯s statements. He was right. The fashion was to be led by the first player. It didn¡¯t matter who came with the idea in principle. Whoever succeeded in creating a large grand opening automatically led the monopoly system. Magnus¡¯s perfume shop was already half-successful with its wealth and huge distribution network. ¡®Besides, he dislikes me.¡¯ It was obvious Magnus would take over this perfume business and attempt to drive me away in response to refusing his offer. By all accounts, I, a small merchant, would not have the skills to withstand his pressure. ¡®But I can¡¯t just walk away.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t bear to observe scams utilizing the name of my perfume to spread throughout the market. It was a matter of my pride to leave everything be. My perfume doesn¡¯t have such a bitter scent! ¡°First and foremost, I had better remove myself from the sales list.¡± I mumbled to myself. Currently, my perfume business was just a sales business, relying on the word which spread from mouth to mouth. At this level, Magnus could not be dealt with. There should be a store for now. I needed my own space to focus on producing and selling these perfumes. Even if it didn¡¯t own up to Magnus¡¯s salon, such a space was required to exist. Having concluded my thoughts, I spoke to Lina. ¡°Lina, let¡¯s proceed to the bank.¡± ¡°Yes, my lady!¡± We drove the carriage towards the bank. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? I sighed deeply after having checked the balance on my account. ¡®I haven¡¯t collected any money yet.¡¯ It was a matter of course. It hadn¡¯t been two months since I started selling perfume. Although my perfume was never brought cheap, the cost of the proper ingredients was also taxing, so I couldn¡¯t save as much money as I originally anticipated. My savings increased significantly after Cedric began paying tenfold for the Anixia scent¡­ ¡®Wait.¡¯ I held my breath the moment that name came to mind. Cedric Evans. A Duke who controlled the economic situation of the Empire, and a businessman who successfully led his family¡¯s business. In other words, he¡¯s filthy rich. I gulped down my saliva. I needed money to open the store. If I didn¡¯t have cash, an investor was the next best solution. So how should a young lady, with no great connections or funds, proceed to earn an investor? The answer is, to jump on her own feet. Yes. The answer to success is success. I turned my head to face Ern. ¡°Sir Ern, I¡¯d like to meet his Grace Cedric.¡± Ern nodded plainly. It was a contrasting reaction compared to Lina, who turned horrified the moment Cedric¡¯s name popped out of nowhere. ¡°Shall I make an appointment?¡± ¡°Yes, I hope to see his Grace as soon as the time is given.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Ern nodded. The sound of his helmet as it clattered granted me a sense of assurance. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? ¡­And, Erne was very quick in completing the task. Sincerely. I was invited to Duke Cedric¡¯s residence before the day was over. ¡°My lady, what should we do! You can¡¯t meet the Duke in your casual outwear, but we don¡¯t seem to have enough time¡­!¡± Lina glanced at the clock as she exclaimed in a desperate tone. I shook my head. ¡°I can wear any clothes. We¡¯re just going to converse a bit.¡± Indeed, as for my intended purpose, it would be nice to dress neatly. I glanced at my attire. It was a smooth and neat outwear dress. The skirt hem was not too wide nor too narrow, perfect for a businesslike impression. ¡°It¡¯s perfect in this state.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Shh, Lina. What should I do to look better than this? That isn¡¯t necessary.¡± After confiscating the title of ¡®ex-lover,¡¯ we were just in a perfumer and customer relationship. If the relationship could adapt into an investor and a manager in the future, there would be nothing more for me to desire. After many twists and turns while inside the carriage, I arrived in front of the Duke of Evans¡¯ residence. The butler greeted me politely. ¡°Welcome, Lady Ariel. Master is waiting for you inside.¡± I slowly strolled through the hall of the vast Duke¡¯s residence. The whole mansion held an antique and elegant atmosphere. It was a mansion worthy of the modifier ¡®the historic Duke family.¡¯ As I trudged through the hall in admiration, we soon arrived at the reception room. ¡°This is the reception room, Lady Ariel.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± I opened the door to the room. Somehow, I took my steps nervously while advancing inside. Cedric Evans was seated before a large desk on the opposite side of the room. With a cigar in one hand and a pen in the other. He seemed very focused on his documents, not appearing to notice my presence. The cigar shook slightly as he moved his finger. His eyes which fully focused on the documents seemed mysterious. His hand which held the pen drew delicate and flexible lines, unlike when handling the sword. It was such a tranquil atmosphere that he could not be thought of as a mad dog who might erupt any moment and destroy the capital whole. ¡® ¡­He¡¯s good-looking.¡¯ I acknowledged it purely. This man was like an illustration, even at the moments he was engrossed in his work. Well, this should be enough for him to seize the position as the male protagonist. Around the time I was thinking so, Cedric glanced upward. ¡°Ah.¡± His eyes widened. His ruby-like eyes shimmered against the brightness of the chandelier. ¡°Lady. You¡¯re here.¡± Cedric rose, seeming to be flustered by my sudden appearance. I couldn¡¯t help but unconsciously smile as I observed him, who was in a state, unlike his common relaxed impression. Chapter 21 ¡°When did you arrive? I haven¡¯t noticed this whole time.¡± ¡°I only took a quick glance.¡± ¡°On what exactly?¡± ¡°Your Grace.¡± Cedric narrowed his forehead at the unexpected response. ¡°¡­Me?¡± I approached him. ¡°Yes. It was astounding how your Grace could be so focused.¡± ¡°You must have been waiting for quite a while.¡± As if apologetic, Cedric immediately left the pile of papers and stepped forward. Wasn¡¯t his work urgent? I advanced to stop him from leaving his documents. ¡°Ugh!¡± At that moment, my heel snapped. My bodyweight progressed forward after producing the ridiculous sound. I floundered my arms, but it seemed too late. I clasped my eyes shut as I witnessed the marble floor nearing. I would be welcomed with a cracked nose very soon. ¡­On the contrary, no pain was felt. ¡°¡­Oh, my.¡± All I could hear was the sound of a tongue clicking up close. As Cedric pulled my waist, his body scent brushed the tip of my nose. It was a very unique aroma. It appears to be a slightly diluted musk or a pine scent¡­ A faint smell that could be rarely caught. I managed to come to my senses whilst instinctively working to figure the identity of the incense. I almost brought my nose to Cedric¡¯s collarbone. I scrambled free from his arms. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Cedric asked. He, too, seemed a bit surprised, and his voice was strangely softer than usual. I raised my head to thank him. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. I almost stained Your Grace¡¯s marble floor with my predicted nosebleed. Thank you very much¡­¡± My voice abruptly came to an end. It was because Cedric¡¯s face wasn¡¯t even two inches apart from mine. I realized the useless fact. His eyes, which were noted to be as red as the dark color of blood, held a variety of different gleaming shades. Like a perfectly shaved ruby, his pupils glowed differently depending on the angle. ¡°¡­Ah. I apologize!¡± I quickly backed away from Cedric. It was only after taking a few steps away that I could barely glance at him. ¡®I almost indulged myself into trouble.¡¯ I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m facing the male lead¡¯s beauty right in front of me. If I lift this, I could have had a big death. I blinked away the afterimage of what I had just witnessed. ¡°Thank you for your precious time, Your Grace. I am sure you¡¯re busy, so I will get straight to the point.¡± Cedric pointed elsewhere instead of answering. ¡°Let¡¯s have a seat. Lady.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes.¡± As I sat on the sofa, a servant placed tea and refreshments on the table. In front of Cedric was a wine glass instead of tea. I took in the fragrant tea and repeated the lines I had prepared inside my mind. Cedric opened his mouth first. ¡°So.¡± Cedric shook the glass of wine slowly after he had taken a sip. Bloody liquid circled in the wine glass, drawing a flexible line. ¡°What were you going to say to me?¡± I cleared my throat. Then, I once again recalled the lines I had repeated myself throughout the ride. All right, the script is perfected enough. I slowly opened my mouth. ¡°Your Grace Duke Evans.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Please be an investor in my perfume business.¡± He ceased shaking the wine. One of Cedric¡¯s eyebrows crept upwards. As if demanding an explanation on what this was about. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know of my perfumery skills. I am ashamed to say this myself, but I was the only person you had commissioned to produce the Anixia scent.¡± Cedric¡¯s eyes narrowed. I continued to speak without waiting for his response. ¡°Perfume hasn¡¯t become so common in the system as of yet. Nonetheless, people are curious and attracted to this new luxury. I think now is the appropriate time to start a business, without many competitors and various demands.¡± There was no change of expression on Cedric¡¯s face. He only tilted his glass of wine from time to time. Nevertheless, I was satisfied he didn¡¯t cut me off. While calmly listening to my story, he suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°Rigion.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Grace!¡± His aide, positioned outside the room, stepped inside quickly. ¡°What are the expected sales of Magnus¡¯s new perfume store?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll get the report right away!¡± I gazed at Cedric in astonishment. It was surprising how he already knew of Magnus¡¯ newly opened store, and that he could even predict sales. After a while, Cedric proceeded to scan through the report handed to him. ¡°There is much talk throughout the capital, therefore Magnus¡¯s store will progress well for a while. Besides, he has a strong distribution channel in the cosmetics industry. It would be difficult to survive against a competitor such as him.¡± ¡°I know. That is why I am here to ask you to invest with me.¡± Cedric looked from the report. I turned my head, hiding the tension existing within my heart. Yeah. How many people would agree with my plan if I merely asked them to trust in me and invest? Moreover, experience has shown that the rich were more thorough and meticulous in spending money. Of course, I didn¡¯t mean to earn the investment with a few words either. I pulled the papers from my pouch and handed them to Cedric. ¡°Please review this. Your Grace.¡± ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°This is a business plan.¡± Cedric¡¯s long fingers swept through the white papers. It was a slow gesture that indicated his slight interest. ¡°You¡¯re in full swing.¡± ¡°Of course, I am prepared to bet my all.¡± I placed a smile on my face. Cedric raised his head to look at my smile. His red eyes made me feel like I was stuck in their depths. His eyes were searched throughout me for a short while. My true heart and sincerity, lies and secrets. All of those things. ¡­Stare at me as you wish. I have nothing to fear. I straightened my shoulders confidently. I had nothing else to bear in mind, excluding my intentions of coming after Cedric¡¯s pocket. It wasn¡¯t long before Cedric removed his eyes from me. At that moment, a light sigh unconsciously flowed from my mouth. Flip, flip. For a while, only the sound of flipping pagers could be heard throughout the room. Cedric¡¯s eyes sank deeply as he pursued the papers. I could see he was seriously considering my proposal. If this plan had been taken to my father, Count Winston, he would have only snorted. However, he wasn¡¯t Cedric. At this moment, I was his equal business partner. ¡°You must have taken a while to fill these out.¡± Cedric replied as he turned the last page of the document. I shook my head. There was plenty of time while I was lying in bed. I could realize all my goals one by one while my eyes remained closed. This perfume shop was a long-time dream of mine. ¡°It didn¡¯t take that long as I simply copied what I had been planning.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Cedric cast his eyes at me. They were as sharp as when he searched at the documents, but there was also a subtle light existing within them. Perhaps I could label this certain glimmer as a curiosity. ¡°I thought I knew well about the lady so far, but I still don¡¯t know much.¡± ¡°Oh, haha¡­ Is that so?¡± I smiled awkwardly. I reached for my pouch. I anticipated it would be difficult to have him agree from the start, so I had prepared perfumes that had been accustomed by analyzing Cedric¡¯s taste. In the end, I¡¯ll have to present these perfumes and persuade him¡­ ¡°Alright.¡± Yes? I blankly stared at Cedric. Cedric spoke as he placed the papers away. ¡°Rigion, go to the safe.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Grace!¡± After a while, Rigion and a few servants appeared with two large packages. As Cedric untied the knot, the package¡¯s gap opened and a brilliant golden glow sprang out. ¡°Twenty million bis each, totaling fifty million bis. Will this be enough?¡± Five million¡­ What?! I could only blink at the uncalled-for amount. Is this person mocking me right now? Cedric¡¯s eyes, however, didn¡¯t seem a bit playful. Still, I gazed back towards the package, not able to believe the view right before my eyes. I almost bit my tongue. There were really, truly, mountains of gold coins stacked. ¡®Oh my God. With this money, the bottle of perfumes I can make¡­¡¯ I can¡¯t even count. I stuttered as I made sure of this. ¡°¡­Do you mean your Grace wishes to invest fifty million bis in me?¡± ¡°Is the amount not enough?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­¡± I think I¡¯m going to get hiccups. I managed to keep my calm. The last time I asked the young florist the price of his shop, he replied it would be around twenty million Bis. So¡­ This should be enough. I reached out and only pulled one package. Cedric gazed at me like that with wondering eyes. ¡°I think this is enough.¡± This will be enough I gazed at the rest of the package with yearning eyes. Investment money was a fortunate thing, but in the end, it was nothing more than debt. How many years would it take for me to pay off such a huge amount? In addition, my investor was a nobleman. It was clear that if it were deemed difficult to recover the investment, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get away with it. In the world I lived in, there was such a thing as an overpayment. This amount was quite enough. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be alright with that amount?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I answered firmly. Let¡¯s think about the consequences if I received all that money and ruined my future down bit by bit. Then I would have to become a slave under the mad dog and live producing the Anixia scent until my death. Cedric stared at me for a moment. I nervously pulled the package filled with gold coins closer. Before long, Cedric nodded. ¡°Good. Rigion.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Bring me the contract.¡± A little while later, both Cedric and I sealed the contract while side by side. At the same time, I earned a strong investor named Cedric Evans. Of course, twenty-five million bis, too. Chapter 22 ¡°Well, Your Grace.¡± Rigion brought the matter carefully as he organized the documents. Cedric rested his chin instead of answering. Beyond the window, Ariel Winston¡¯s wagon could be seen advancing outside the residence. ¡°Lady Winston, does she still hold a sincere heart towards Your Grace?¡± Rigion continued rambling as he collected Ariel¡¯s papers. ¡°She must¡¯ve come to visit Your Grace, using this matter as justification.¡± ¡°Justification?¡± Cedric opened his mouth, his eyes lingering towards the window. Rigion didn¡¯t miss the unpleasant vibes penetrating from his voice. His shoulders turned stiff. ¡°I believe you require more education. Rigion.¡± Cedric only then removed his eyes from the window and faced Rigion. Rigion swallowed his saliva. ¡°Have you listened to the master plan?¡± ¡°No, of course, I looked it over, Your Grace. I thought it was an impeccable proposition¡­¡± Ariel¡¯s business plan was audacious but rather flexible and innovative. He did not miss the realistic segment of the whole point, which turned the idea plausible. It was a considerable project. It was as if she transpired to build the idea for a long time now. ¡°But was there any other reason why she came here to ask you specifically for investment?¡± Cedric wasn¡¯t the kind of person to ¡®invest¡¯ into anyone. For him, it was typically buying the whole idea rather than investing in it. Cedric Evans was an obvious predator as a businessman. So, Ariel Winston visited Cedric Evans with no bad intentions, although knowing of his hideous reputation? This was Rigion¡¯s guess. ¡°¡­I would¡¯ve also thought so. In the past.¡± Cedric replied. But now¡­ Cedric recalled Ariel¡¯s gaze a while ago. Her fresh turquoise eyes didn¡¯t contain any emotion like before. No affection, no desperation, no obsession. ¡®Well, when I handed over the investment money, they shone with joy.¡¯ Cedric smiled as he recalled Ariel¡¯s bright face when she witnessed the gold coins. Cedric was a businessman. He could see through the opponent sitting on the other side of the negotiating table with no more than one glance. In Cedric¡¯s eyes, Ariel was nothing more than a young businesswoman eager for investors. Ariel was solely occupied with her business. ¡®However, I¡­¡¯ Genuinely speaking, Cedric had still been suspicious of Ariel until a while ago. Did she give up her old passion for him? Wasn¡¯t this a new trick for her to attract his attention? But today, as he confronted her, Cedric was able to surely conclude. ¡®Perhaps¡­ No, it is definite.¡¯ Ariel Winston no longer loved Cedric Evans. Her deep, excessive feelings faded away like one of the many dreams she woke from, early in the morning. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? ¡°Hmm~ Hmhmm-hmm~¡± I hummed blissfully as my feet advanced forth. My steps seemed so delicate and light, I could fly away any moment. Lina laughed pleasantly as she observed my uplifting mood. ¡°My lady, did something good happen? You seem very delighted!¡± Yes, there was. A good occurrence. I recalled the gold coins sleeping soundly in the safe and hummed even more. I closed my eyes and asked Lina a different question. ¡°Will Lina follow me if I leave the Winston Residence?¡± ¡°Pardon? My lady is leaving the house?¡± Lina¡¯s eyes widened. Soon, her small head firmly shook up and down. ¡°If that happens¡­ Of course! I am your exclusive attendant. Where else would I go if not with my lady?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you. You promise to follow me?¡± ¡°Of course, milady! If you keep asking the obvious, I¡¯ll be disappointed! Anyhow, where are we heading? This is not the normal market we visit¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know in a minute when we get there. Lina.¡± I grinned and took my steps with confidence. Our destination was the Imperial Land Office. As we entered the building, A woman dressed in attire befitting an imperial official greeted us. ¡°Welcome. What brings you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to buy a shopping store in Senon.¡± ¡°Hick¡­?¡± Lina produced a strange noise as she stood beside me. She gazed at me with wide eyes. On the other hand, the official replied with a smile that seemed to have been drawn without much emotion. ¡°I¡¯ll take you this way.¡± What followed was a series of exploring. Introduction to buildings continued throughout the time, and conversations ensued inside the carriage while most offers were rejected. It was a long and great ordeal, but I was finally able to find it. A perfect new home. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? Ern reached out to me politely. I was more than willing to receive his escort and left the wagon. The dazzling sunlight poured down my shoulders. The temperature, humidity, everything was perfect weather. ¡°Wow¡­!¡± Lina exclaimed in awe. I looked up to where she fixed her gaze. 156 Senon District 3rd Street, or my new home, which had been renovated for the past few days, filled my view. The pale beige exterior walls, the ivy covering the bricks, and the building, in general, presented a unique and elegant atmosphere in the Senon district. The store seemed modest on the outside, but if you looked inside, it boasted a fairly spacious area. The vertically long store seemed comfortable enough for customers to leisurely wander around and smell the incense with ease. I produced a simple evaluation. ¡°It¡¯s very fitting.¡± ¡°Very? It is such a fabulous building, my lady! Sir Ern, you think so, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± A calm answer left his mouth. I didn¡¯t know if he had sincerely thought so, or if his words were mere flattery directed to his employer. No, I¡¯m not exactly his employer. Ern was the article Cedric bestowed upon me¡­ ¡®Ah, why am I thinking of him right now.¡¯ I shook my head. If I continue pondering investors throughout this business, my momentum will be weakened. I should think about something else. Suddenly, a young man came into view. A bright and young blonde man was looking this way with his mouth wide open. ¡®Oh, that young florist!¡® I recalled the young fellow at once and smiled brightly. Ever since I first visited his florist shop to buy perfume ingredients, I¡¯ve already become a regular. ¡°Good morning!¡± When I raised my hand and waved towards him, the young man seemed surprised and flustered. We haven¡¯t seen each other only for a day or two, but he¡¯s still as shy as ever. ¡°G, greetings, Lady Ariel. Did you move here by any chance?¡± ¡°Rather than moving, I¡¯m opening a new store.¡± The young man seemed confused. I approached him and smiled softly. ¡°It¡¯ll be a perfume shop.¡± ¡°Oh, I see! Lady Ariel is a master of perfumery, I¡¯m sure your business will turn successful¡­!¡± ¡°Yes, thank you. But isn¡¯t there something else we need to talk about, besides encouraging remarks?¡± ¡°Yes? Wha, what do you wish to speak of?¡± The young man¡¯s face turned red. It was a bit surprising how the medium bright tone of pink filled from his forehead to his cheeks and nose. ¡°Yes, a flower and perfume shop. Can you think of anything?¡± ¡°Uh, uh¡­¡± ¡°Oho, that means I will continue to be a regular customer of your store in the future.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± The young man nodded only then. His understanding was a bit slow, but he was essentially a good lad. There would be even more icing on the cake if I could coax him thoroughly. I continued with a subtle smile. ¡°So why don¡¯t we try to strengthen each other¡¯s trust since we will continue doing business?¡± ¡°T, Tru, trust¡­¡± ¡°Yes, for example¡­¡± I beckoned the young man. He gazed at me absent-mindedly, before belatedly realizing my gesture and leaning his head towards me. I whispered in a voice that couldn¡¯t be heard by others. ¡°You only sell your products to me.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Pardon?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean all of your products. Only one item. I want the Lilac to be sold to me exclusively.¡± ¡°L¡­ Lilac?¡± ¡°Yes, is that possible?¡± The young man blinked. My proposal seemed to be bewildering. I threw more bait to keep the young lad from his embarrassment. ¡°Instead, I¡¯ll pay exactly twice the current price.¡± ¡°Tw, Twice¡­!¡± The young man¡¯s eyes widened. I smiled deep inside my heart without the young man¡¯s knowledge. Fortunately, he was the type that could be easily beguiled. ¡°Yes, besides, I¡¯m going to buy many, many lilacs. Then your margin will also increase exponentially.¡± The flowers sold by this gentleman were generally of better quality than any other flower shop. Especially the Lilac. The young man spoke in a confused tone. ¡°A, aren¡¯t lilacs a craze within the capital these days? I thought it was bewildering how the demand for lilacs increased recently¡­¡± Magnus also stopped by here. I smiled sweetly, pretending to be oblivious to the fact. ¡°Well, is it a trend? Anyhow, if you accept my contract, I will give you an advance payment as a sign of gratitude. This much?¡± I stretched out all five fingers. The young man¡¯s eyes widened once again. ¡°F, five-hundred bis?¡± ¡°Yes? No, what are you talking about? We¡¯ll be on the same page. For it to be that much?¡± I tilted my head and replied. ¡°Half a million bis, of course.¡± ¡°Yes, yes?¡± The young man covered his mouth with both his palms. I laughed internally. You are so innocent, unlike a young man who owns a shopping mall in Senon. ¡°What do you say? Is the deal established?¡± ¡°Five hundred thousand bis for lilacs¡­ Lady Ariel, do you require that many lilacs?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± I laughed and nodded. ¡°I need it. Very, very much.¡± To crush Magnus¡¯ nose. As if the young man had made up his mind, he presented a firm expression. ¡°Deal. I will venture with this agreement.¡± ¡°All right, partner.¡± I reached out to the young man. As he proceeded to hold my extended hand, I asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name, partner?¡± ¡°Ah, my name is Raphael Edmund¡­!¡± ¡°All right, Sir Raphael, let¡¯s do our best in the future.¡± I waved my hand up and down vigorously. Raphael lowered his eyes and responded to the handshake, ashamed. Chapter 23 ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? ¡°My lady, where should we place this?¡± The two muscular delivery men questioned me regarding the product. I sprang to my feet in joy at the sight of the item they were holding. ¡°Excuse me. Please distribute it over there!¡± The delivery men carefully placed the asset where I instructed them to. I hastily approached the area. It was a perfumer¡¯s organ. Each shelf was to be filled with perfume bottles and flasks shortly. All future perfuming work would be performed on this very organ. In other words, this object here was the holiest thing in the building. I took a seat in front of the organ after the delivery men excused themselves. Then I opened my fragrance notes. My first main product, . Although Magnus was selling similar merchandise, I decided not to modify the recipe. The reason was simply that the mixture couldn¡¯t be any more perfect. I didn¡¯t think there was anything needed to make it any better. Moreover, I wasn¡¯t going to be swayed easily enough to change the components. The second main product was the . It contained a refreshing pine scent with an impressive lemon-like pinch. It was especially popular with male customers. The third is a perfume that has yet to be revealed. The combination included a deep rose scent, mixed with a subtle cedar fragrance and several drops of white musk. It was one of the most recent perfumes I¡¯ve developed. It offered a classic rose scent while at the same time omitting a lingering, seductive aroma at the tip of the nose. The name is . I was assuming this would be the best-selling product from the previous two. And, to the other products as well. After I completed reviewing the notes, a smile crept to my lips. At this rate, paying off Cedric¡¯s investment may not be difficult. ¡®Well, that¡¯s my hope.¡¯ When I reached the Winston mansion, the evening stars had already risen. I rotated my stiff shoulders from side to side; they ached from having been organizing my perfumes all afternoon. ¡®Aside from that, I¡¯ll have to thank him properly.¡¯ The day I visited Cedric¡¯s mansion and presented the business plan, my gratitude was well-shown, but I didn¡¯t think it was enough. ¡®In any case, shouldn¡¯t I treat him to a meal?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t all about words. Sincerity had to be shown to be recognized. As I contemplated many matters at once, my mind naturally dozed off. Let¡¯s go to bed early today and rest well for the grand opening. After I made my mind, all the fatigue that had been building struck at once. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? And the long-awaited opening day. A completely remodeled building, as well as the flow of incense, made to attract guests. Even the well-appointed interior. Everything was perfect, but why. ¡®Hi.¡¯ I thought internally as I witnessed a fly passing by. ¡®You¡¯re the very first guest to come today.¡¯ Okay. There were no customers. The streets themselves were not deserted. The third avenue was currently crowded due to the holidays. There also seemed to be a few people snooping around my shop. But somehow, no one entered the store. Not one person. ¡°This is a very strange situation.¡± A store that just opened. There were no external defects, not to mention it wasn¡¯t an unpopular industry. There was no reason for there to be no customers like what was currently happening. I then lifted myself with confidence. However, as I stepped out the door, a suspicious sight unfolded before my eyes. A passerby stopped walking after having noticed my shop from afar. They glanced through the window, somewhat drawn to the new building. It was the moment the passerby was working to take a step toward the place. ¡®What is it?¡¯ A hooded person broke in and blocked the passerby. I frowned. The two seemed to be discussing a certain topic, but I couldn¡¯t make out their words well. All the same, I could somehow guess the content. As the person dressed in a hood continued moving their mouth, the passerby¡¯s expression soon turned into one of contemplation. The passerby then hurried away as if he bumped into a robber. And the mysterious person wearing the hood entered the alley once again. ¡®¡­It can¡¯t be.¡¯ I narrowed my eyes. No way, it can¡¯t be. However, I could only think of one person who would go as far as to interfere with my business so openly¡­ Ponta Magnus, you¡¯re not going to be this absurd and immature, are you? I stepped into the alley at once. Ern¡¯s armor produced rackets as he followed from behind. The alley was a dead end. As soon as I stepped inside, the same mysterious person could be seen concealing themselves. ¡°Excuse me.¡± The person pushed their hood down as they advanced nearer to the dead end. I folded my arms. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you hear me?¡± ¡°Would you prefer me to help them be able to apprehend you, my lady?¡± As Ern stepped forward, the person¡¯s shoulders shrank noticeably. I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Ern. Your ears seem to be in fine condition, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s your business?¡± The hooded person only then opened their mouth. The voice belonged to a rather weak and skinny fellow. I tilted my head crookedly. ¡°Well, since you seem to be hired, let me ask you a simple question. Your employer is Baron Ponta Magnus, correct?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± When Magnus¡¯s name left my mouth, the boy flinched, alarmed. Magnus, please do afford to spend more money. I can¡¯t believe you hired such a young boy. A sigh left my mouth. How pathetic. ¡°N-n-n, no, no¡­!¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s alright. I now understand perfectly.¡± I nodded. The hooded boy¡¯s final reaction drove him to a complete wedge. It was true. Ponta Magnus was planting people to disrupt my business. How could a person with such a huge store use such cowardly means against a modest two-room workshop? ¡®Well, in a way, should I be grateful?¡¯ This signifies you think of me as a competitor who needs to be checked upon. This boy wouldn¡¯t have been the only one planted. Perhaps false rumors were currently being spread about my store all over the streets. No, it was more likely. ¡®Good. Ponta Magnus.¡¯ You were going to come out dirty like this. I folded my arms. If that was the case, this side wasn¡¯t without much thought either. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? ¡°Oh my.¡± The young lady dressed in fancy attire covered her mouth with her hand. An elegant outing dress that sprawled beautifully, resembling petals, the dazzling beauty that could be seen under the large-brimmed headdress, including the beautiful blonde hair that crossed her shoulders. Charlotte Jenos. Her appearance alone caused the street to feel radiant as if there were lights on. I smiled and left the building to greet Charlotte. ¡°Lady Charlotte, thank you for coming.¡± ¡°My goodness, please stop that. I heard Lady Ariel opened a store, how could I not pay a visit. By the way, well¡­ Isn¡¯t this very unexpected?¡± Charlotte continued to admire the decorations as she roamed around the store. ¡°Lady Winston was a person who had excellent sense in not only perfuming but many other subjects, didn¡¯t she? I have already known before now.¡± I waved my hand in shame. Charlotte did not show up alone. Behind her were around five to six ladies. I quickly greeted the other young noblewomen. ¡°Welcome, everyone. Thank you very much for coming.¡± ¡°It is an honor for you to have invited us here. This is my first time tagging along to a perfume shop. I thought it would be a fun experience, so I quickly followed Lady Charlotte.¡° ¡°Is that right!¡± I swiftly accompanied Yulia, the person who commented to be new to the perfume enterprise. When she tried one of my new works, , her eyes melted. ¡°This is strong¡­ What are its components?¡± ¡°Well, first of all, roses are the main recipe. Referring to the perfume¡¯s name.¡± ¡°My mother is growing a rose garden, but it doesn¡¯t smell this strong in full bloom¡­¡± Yulia showed admiration for the product and tried it on once more. Her face turned redder. ¡°Well, by the way, Lady Ariel.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°This¡­ This smells nice, but isn¡¯t it a bit lewd?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I looked at Yulia, one of my eyes closed. ¡°It is especially recommended for lovers.¡° ¡°Oh¡­!¡± Yulia briefly let out a gasp of admiration and then whispered so only I could hear. ¡°Please give me one.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll wrap the bottle in one minute. Since you are our first customer, I will provide you with many services.¡± I packed a few miniature perfumes altogether in a shopping bag for Yulia. The small perfumes, of course, weren¡¯t plain. They were dainty enough to be used as interior accessories, cutely adorned with wings and hearts. The other young lovers who witnessed the scene shone with curiosity. ¡°What did you just place there, Lady Ariel?¡± ¡°Ah, since Lady Yulia was our first customer, it was a gift I handed her in return.¡± ¡°My! I was also about to buy one!¡± Another young lady quickly picked up a bottle of perfume and gazed at me with a pitiful expression. I smiled gently and nodded my head. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll also gift the young lady one. We have plenty.¡± ¡°Oh my God, can I also have one?¡± ¡°Me, too!¡± Each young lady picked up a bottle of perfume and waved their hands to catch my attention. I chuckled. They seemed like a flock of baby chicks. I then cast my eyes slightly over the door. Beyond the spacious door, passers-by could be seen strolling one by one and snooping before the entrance. Soon after, a hooded boy appeared and worked to disturb the passers-by. Unfortunately for him, only one person couldn¡¯t handle such an amount of people themselves. I smiled inwardly. An appealing new shop and sweet fragrance. The laughter of the aristocrats resonating throughout the store. They were a group of people who had no choice but to cast their eyes at least once. Moreover, Senon district was a shopping attraction. In other words, most of the people who visited this street would be most determined to shop. This temptation to those very people was hardest to resist. And, as expected. Ding-Ding. The first ¡®real¡¯ customer shook the shop bell. A client not included in Lady Charlotte¡¯s party. The silver bell filled the store with a clear ring. I then spoke, a big smile spread across my face. ¡°Welcome, dear customer. This is Ariel¡¯s Fragrance Salon.¡± Chapter 24 ¡°Good-bye, dear customer. I hope to see you again.¡± ¡°May your business flourish.¡± A satisfied expression lightened the customer¡¯s face. They had purchased an orange perfume made to lighten one¡¯s mood, including a lavender fragrance helpful for a good nights¡¯ sleep. ¡°Goodness, the customers have finally disappeared.¡± Lina sighed in exhaustion as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lina. It was very challenging today.¡± I didn¡¯t know it would be so tight on both Lina and me. The first day was a success. Several customers visited the store, many of whom bought perfume with satisfied expressions. Having had to deal with so many guests alone, it was only natural we were completely wiped out by the late afternoon. Ern offered to help from time to time, but I only shook my head. He was a man who never removed his armor, even if I tried persuading him in the face of the tropical weather. An accident was bound to happen if he busied his armed hands with the bottles of perfume. ¡°No, my lady. You don¡¯t know how proud I feel when assisting my lady with the store she founded herself!¡± The store I founded. I smiled bitterly at the grand modifier. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessarily the correct way to address it. Of course, the idea was mine. The most important products were also developed by me, and I was in charge of selecting and remodeling the store location. But if you ask if ¡®I¡¯ve accomplished all this myself¡¯, I¡¯d have to cut my conscience. It was just then that the investor¡¯s face popped into my mind. Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t been able to contact him since that day. Is the Anixia scent still effective? Seeing no news had been delivered, there mustn¡¯t be any shortage or problem. I shook my head to erase my thoughts, then spoke to Lina. ¡°Thank you very much, Lina. Today¡¯s business was all thanks to you. You can look forward to this month¡¯s salary¡­¡± Jingle. I raised my head in response to the clear ring sounding from the silver bell. ¡°Welcome. Ariel¡¯s Fragrance Salon¡­¡± My words cut off mid-way. In an instant, the air changed its color. The darkly dressed man stepped into the pastel-toned shop. I gazed at the person blankly. Only then did the figure who had abruptly yet majestically driven the early night amidst the premature evening open his mouth. ¡°That¡¯s the name. It seems alright.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have much of a good naming sense myself, so I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°¡­Your Grace?¡± I quickly returned to my senses and approached the unexpected guest. Cedric Evans smiled lightly. ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been rather busy, but everything is going well. Your Grace, what brings you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just here to observe.¡± Ob, observe? I peered at Cedric with bewildered eyes. Then, he slowly scanned the store as if to prove his point. I swallowed my saliva, feeling the sudden pressure when one was being evaluated by their investor. Cedric placed his hand on the perfume shelf. ¡°This is it. The perfume Charlotte praised endlessly.¡± Cedric held The bottle of perfume seemed as minuscule as a bite in his large palms. Oh, come to think of it, Charlotte and Cedric have been acquainted since childhood. I asked the following casually. ¡°You must be close to Lady Charlotte.¡± ¡°It is simply that our parents were close friends. We don¡¯t spend time together.¡± ¡°Aha, I see.¡± Well, whether the two of them are close friends or not was a matter that had nothing to do with me. I asked out of courtesy. ¡°Would you like to try it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m actually trying.¡± Cedric glared through the perfume bottle. ¡°How do you open this?¡± ¡°Yes? Ah! Please give it to me.¡± I politely took possession of the perfume bottle. Simply pressing the lid and turning it unlatched the bottle. Cedric¡¯s eyes narrowed. I turned my head to hand him a test paper. However, I soon came to the realization that all testing strips had run out. ¡®Wait, we didn¡¯t fill them?¡¯ Due to the fatigue that overwhelmed us, neither Lina nor I seemed to notice the fact. I reluctantly glanced towards Cedric. ¡°Please close your eyes for a moment, Your Grace.¡± ¡°My eyes?¡± ¡°Yes, I will spray you with the perfume.¡± Cedric then asked, his tone puzzled. ¡°Do I have to close my eyes?¡± ¡°My, of course. You have to block all the other senses and focus solely on your smell.¡± ¡°Block all other senses.¡± Cedric retorted seriously. That caused me to unconsciously burst into a grin. ¡°Yes, only focus on your sense of smell.¡± ¡°Does it feel like collecting manna at the tip of a sword?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± I don¡¯t know what he meant, but perhaps it was similar. I smiled awkwardly and nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what it feels like. Surely.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Cedric closed his eyes. And spoke in a solemn voice. ¡°Do it.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± What¡¯s with this guy? Why are you so serious? Well, it¡¯s not too strange. I nodded. The first try was very high in importance. I, too, used to be as reverent as Cedric when first trying on any perfume. Alright. Cedric Evans, you¡¯re surprisingly well-oriented when it comes to perfume. I sprayed the incense with a look that held no less determination than his. Cedric swallowed his breath. Then, for a moment, he closed his eyes and didn¡¯t budge. I dismissed the tension for a moment and appreciated his face as he stood still with his eyes closed. From his tightly shut mouth to his firm jawline. The artwork sculptured by god was outspoken, delicate, and perfect. Although Cedric was human, this appearance of his resembled more of an incredibly beautiful, realistic statue. At that moment, Cedric opened his eyes. ¡®That surprised me.¡¯ I opened my mouth awkwardly after being abruptly cut from enjoying the beauty of the male protagonist. ¡°How do you like it?¡± ¡°¡­Well, I¡¯m not very good at portraying my thoughts.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Of course. It did feel strange. If not, how could a man who was an original certified workaholic and a combat maniac understand the profound world of incense? Perfume and Cedric were as disparate as letters written in different foreign languages. ¡°However, it was definitely¡­¡± Cedric stroked the perfume bottle with his thumb, then turned to me. His blood-soaked ruby eyes met mine. ¡°It was fascinating.¡± My eyes turned round. Sometimes, one word could touch a person¡¯s heart more than ten descriptions. And Cedric Evans, he possessed the blessing of speaking such a word. I didn¡¯t come to my senses until after a while. I didn¡¯t expect such a straightforward compliment to proceed from Cedric¡¯s mouth. My voice split as I answered awkwardly. ¡°Thank you, Your Grace. I¡¯m glad you like it. In that¡­ Would you like a bottle?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes.¡± I slightly coughed. Why did I say that? I spoke unconsciously. My blood cooled down when imagining this man smelling like a fragrant lilac. It wouldn¡¯t suit you. ¡°In fact, I stopped by Magnus¡¯s store on the way here¡­¡± ¡°You made an appearance?¡± I asked in bewilderment. Cedric entered the perfume store himself? Did he invest? I was surprised by this. Did Magus pull some trick from his pants? Cedric smiled softly. That gentle smile of his somehow held a mischievous glint. ¡°No, I was in disguise.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it turned out to be effective.¡± Simply wearing a hood as the boy planted by Magnus did not mean that this extraordinary physique and presence would magically disappear. Cedric only shrugged. ¡°Anyway. Magnus also offered a similar product. Coincidentally, even the title was relatively close.¡± ¡°Yes, I am aware.¡± I spoke in a sarcastic tone. Then, I sneakily referred to my question. It was a bit embarrassing to ask this myself, but investors¡¯ opinions were important. ¡°How was it?¡± ¡°It was terrible.¡± Cedric replied almost immediately. ¡°I thought it would be perfect to use as a dog house air freshener.¡± Hmm. I raised the corner of my lips. ¡°You have a very delicate sense of smell, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± We then exchanged chatter regarding Magnus¡¯s perfume. Come to think of it, I had a question other than this. On the day of the masquerade, Cedric quite accurately matched the ingredients of my perfume. Of course, he didn¡¯t point out all the ingredients, but it was a promising skill regardless. ¡°I¡¯m not speaking empty words. You seem to have quite a bit of knowledge with herbs. That¡¯s how you distinguished the materials I used on my perfume.¡± ¡°This is knowledge obtained on the battlefield.¡± Cedric replied in a nonchalant tone. ¡°Studying batony is a requirement in order to distinguish poison from the herbs.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, I see.¡± Suddenly, I felt strange. I indeed knew much about Cedric from the original, but not everything. No, there were more things I didn¡¯t know than what I did. In particular, very little of Cedric¡¯s past was mentioned. Except for the incident that occurred twenty or so years before, that was the only past described in the original. ¡®What kind of life has this man lived?¡¯ It was a very sudden question. I shook my head to shake off the sudden curiosity. ¡°By the way, Lady. Do you know?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°This was the first time I¡¯ve ever closed my eyes in public.¡± ¡°Oh, my God.¡± I blinked. ¡°Should I say it¡¯s an honor?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think you¡¯d feel honored.¡± ¡°You caught me.¡± I answered lightly, but in fact, felt puzzled. There was something wrong with today¡¯s Cedric Evans. He was laid-back as usual, but his appearance somehow seemed different. I glanced at Cedric, my head tilted an angle. I think his jawline was slightly slimmer, and his eyes are slightly deeper¡­ He¡¯s a bit thin even¡­ Is it? Ah, come to think of it¡­ I recalled an important fact. Chapter 25 ¡°Your Grace, it¡¯s been a while since I last delivered the Anixia scent. Are you alright?¡± ¡°Aha, you still seem to remember. The contract.¡± ¡°¡­You are being sarcastic. I know it is past my due date. I apologize for not contacting you beforehand.¡± I¡¯ve been so busy these past few days that I couldn¡¯t pay much attention to Cedric. He also wasn¡¯t showing any signs that he had run out of the perfume¡­ Was he waiting for me to bring it? ¡°No, I didn¡¯t need more to contact you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± My eyes widened in surprise. It had already been fifteen days since I last met Cedric. The Anixia scent I handed him last time should have already been used up by now. ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t use it according to the prescription. Are you feeling any better these days?¡± ¡°Well, perhaps.¡± Cedric blatantly glossed over his answer. I narrowed my eyes at the response when Cedric opened his mouth again. ¡°Aside from that, this is a promising building. I can sense the lady¡¯s hard work.¡± ¡°Thank you for the sudden compliment. The investment will soon be returned¡­ Well, I will try my best to return the amount as soon as possible.¡± I converted my words midway as I spoke. No matter how good the business turned out to be, I couldn¡¯t pay such a large amount of gold in an instant. Cedric shrugged. ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel pressured. I wish you prosperity.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± He smiled faintly. This time it was an actual ¡®sincere smile¡¯, not a smirk. Although it was too swift for me to observe at a closer pace. ¡°Goodbye, then.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Please return safely, Your Grace.¡± As Cedric turned his back, Ern reflexively followed him. Cedric glanced at Ern and shook his head. ¡°Stay close to the lady, Ern¡­ And.¡± Cedric whispered to Ern in a discreet voice. Ern then nodded his head to indicate Cedric¡¯s words reached underneath his heavy armor. Even as I pricked my ears, their words couldn¡¯t reach me. Cedric bid me farewell after finishing his words and left the building. As his large presence disappeared, I felt the perfume shop was suddenly wider than before. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? Following Charlotte and Cedric¡¯s visit, the sudden dejection I experienced the first day was soon resolved. As customers poured in one by one, others also relaxed their guard and began to step into the shop. It wasn¡¯t a complete success yet, but a decent starting point. ¡°Lina, there were many customers before now, so get some rest. I¡¯ll deal with them from now on.¡± ¡°No, my lady! This level of exhaustion will be relieved quickly if I take my lady¡¯s nourishment perfume. Ah, on that note, would it be alright if I took a light sniff from it?¡± ¡°¡­No, you¡¯re addicted.¡± was the first perfume I made with Lina. The perfume caused Lina to go berserk due to the sudden energy boost. After touching upon the formula, it did not show as much abnormal efficacy as it did back then. However, it was still a perfume with a significant effect on energy recovery. Of course, there would be no problem with using it often since it didn¡¯t take up any harmful ingredients¡­ Still, Lina needed some restraint. Addiction is always looking out for us, Lina. ¡°Hick.¡± Lina drooped her shoulders in dejection. But I can¡¯t change my mind. I pushed Lina¡¯s back and forced her into the room. ¡°Isn¡¯t it rather sunny, Lord Ern? You may head in and rest for a while. I¡¯ll keep this a secret.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Ern gave an immediate answer. I scratched my cheek. He¡¯s a very loyal knight. The silver bell rang. ¡°Welcome! Ariel¡¯s Fragrance Salon¡­¡± ¡°Dear Ariel!¡± ¡°Lady Ariel, it¡¯s us!¡± Chirping sounds, one following the other. This caused me to unconsciously retreat. The four girls waved their hands enthusiastically. Their dresses seemed colorful as peacock feathers. ¡°This is Lady Ariel¡¯s shop! It¡¯s so pretty and nice!¡± ¡°How could you not send us a word after opening such a wonderful store?¡± ¡°Really, Lady Annett made fun of me for not knowing about this! Do you know how surprised we were?¡± The girls flocked and gazed at me with their deer-like eyes. I took another step back, my heel bumping against the shelf. ¡°Ah, girls¡­ You came to see me. Ha, haha.¡± ¡°Of course! How can we not come when Lady Ariel opened up her own shop?¡± ¡°You should have invited me to the opening party!¡± ¡°Really! Who else did you have fun with besides us!? We could¡¯ve made it even more enjoyable!¡± ¡°An opening party, I didn¡¯t hold one, so calm down.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Lily¡¯s eyes widened. I felt the need to place my hands under her face since her eyeballs seemed to pop out at any moment. Lily then asked back in a perplexed tone. ¡°How did you not throw a party when you now have an excuse to¡­?¡± ¡°¡­I know. Come on in for now, girls.¡± The Passers-by¡¯s gazes stuck on the girls, most likely because of their high chirping voices. I couldn¡¯t help but drag them inside the building. ¡°Yes!¡± The girls lined up and entered the shop, their steps cheerful. The spacious interior felt a bit cramped as their thick skirts occupied the space. ¡°So, girls. Is anything the matter?¡± ¡°Oh, dear Ariel. You¡¯re speaking as if we are in a relationship only involving business. Luna is very upset.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act cute, Luna.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me, Eileen.¡± Two girls scrimmaged in hushed voices. Then they faced me and smiled innocently. ¡°Actually, I have something to say to dear Ariel.¡± ¡°Yes, what is it? Tell me.¡± I asked, my smile friendly. Eileen¡¯s eyes glimmered as she replied, ¡°We¡¯ve almost completed the plan to play the trick on Romina. When should we activate?¡± ¡°Lady Romina has become very, very arrogant lately. We have to lower her nose!¡± ¡­Huh? Ah, ahaha. I smiled awkwardly, rather flustered. Yes, I forgot my role for a moment since I was fooled by their angelic appearance. You aren¡¯t angels but a bunch of bad guys roaming around like fruit flies and bothering the main character. ¡°Dear Ariel, when should we implement our plan?¡± Their eyes glistened as they clasped their hands together, asking for permission to set off. At this rate, I will genuinely feel like the leader of these evil girls. I smiled awkwardly. ¡°¡­What do you mean, a plan? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Oh my, are you kidding, Lady Ariel?¡± ¡°Dear Ariel, you¡¯ve designed this plan all yourself! We decided to use parsley perfume to make Lady Romina shed tears and have a runny nose in front of her crush, Lord Rondall.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean, parsley perfume?¡± ¡°Oh my. Are you trying to see if we remember correctly? Lady Romina is allergic to parsley. She has a very severe allergy.¡± ¡°The perfume will not be enough evidence against us, so if we secretly spray Lady Romina¡­ Huhuhu, Eileen, do you recall how Lady Romina seemed when she accidentally consumed steamed carp with parsley over the dish?¡± ¡°Of course, of course. She had a runny nose and her face turned beet red, am I right? It was amazing.¡± ¡°If this happens to her before Lord Rondall¡­ Kukuku. She¡¯d be embarrassed for a month.¡± ¡°Ahaha, just thinking about it makes me feel better.¡± The girls covered their mouths with their hands and giggled. Goosebumps ran down my spine. Yes, you weren¡¯t evil girls for no reason. Fortunately, Lina served tea and refreshments just in time. I proceeded to speak as if nothing wrong happened. ¡°Now, have a bite. Let¡¯s eat and think.¡± Let¡¯s think about what to do. The sweets were intended for me to buy time to figure out a way to shake off these children. I need to think of a method to kick them out right away. These naughty troubles. ¡°Yes, dear Ariel.¡± The girls sat side by side on the reception sofa and picked up their cookies. Then they began to nibble away. Their figures seemed frustrating, so I unknowingly glared their way. ¡°Take a whole bite, girls.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll become fat¡­¡± ¡°Just eat¡ªGrow your height.¡± ¡°Okay~¡± The girls opened their lips slightly more, snapped the cookies in half, and shoved them inside their mouths. I was able to lift the teacup comfortably only then. ¡®¡­I think I¡¯ll choke.¡¯ I quietly placed down the teacup again. The warm tea water couldn¡¯t go down properly, due to the eight eyes gazing my way. I sighed and opened my mouth. ¡°Ladies, Romina seems to be seriously allergic to parsley, so it could cause her death if you use it against her in such a way.¡± ¡°Well, Lady Ariel can control that.¡± ¡°¡­No, I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh, you won¡¯t be controlling the outcome results? As expected, Dear Ariel is fiesty!¡± ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying.¡± The girls widened their eyes and looked at me. I adjusted my facial muscles to put on the most serious expression. I had no intention of being a part of these girls¡¯ villain pranks. ¡°I¡¯m not going to use allergies to harass Lady Romina.¡± ¡°Yes? Why?¡± The girls¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°Because that is a bad thing.¡± ¡°Yes? But Lady Romina was the first to hurt us?¡± ¡°¡­How did she hurt you?¡± ¡°She bullied us, saying we were stupid! She mocked Eileen for her poor singing, and recently pointed out Sasha¡¯s dark circles in front of others. You know how stressed Sasha is about her dark circles!¡± ¡°How long Sasha had to wait for the ball that day¡­ She left while running. What a bad person!¡± ¡°¡­Dark circles?¡± I looked back at Sasha. Come to think of it, dark shadows were indeed cast under Sasha¡¯s eyes, although I could see her efforts in trying to cover it with powder. Chapter 26 I slightly leaned my back and stared at Sasha. Her skin was a pale, lifeless color, and her lips were white. ¡°Sasha, can¡¯t you sleep well?¡± I asked calmly. Sasha¡¯s shoulders jumped before she slightly nodded, her impression startled. ¡°¡­Yes, I can¡¯t sleep well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s gotten worse after Lady Romina harassed her.¡± ¡°I see. How long have you had these symptoms?¡± ¡°For, about, five years¡­¡± Sasha replied as she blinked her eyes rapidly. She seemed embarrassed as if she had never received such a question from me before. ¡°Oh my, it must have been hard on you. Have you seen a doctor?¡± ¡°Ah, no. My father only doubled my dance lessons, saying this was all because of ¡®my lack of grit¡¯. However, my body only becomes more fatigued. I¡¯m still unable to sleep¡­¡± ¡°Of course, if insomnia could improve so simply, it wouldn¡¯t have been labeled a disorder.¡± I sighed. Even her father is indifferent. I can¡¯t believe he made such a young child suffer even more like this. In addition, his bizarre prescription must have made Sasha¡¯s condition even worse. ¡°Then you¡¯ve never been prescribed medicine before, have you?¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s great.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± That meant she had no tolerance for insomnia. I pulled myself from the couch and headed towards the northern shelf. Then I skimmed for the desired perfume bottle. ¡®It¡¯s not completed yet.¡¯ ¡®The Sleep Scent¡¯ had yet to be developed fully. Because I didn¡¯t feel the need to produce it yet. However, this perfume would most probably be effective for Sasha because of its stable effect. I headed back to the girls. They, on the other hand, were observing every single movement I made with their rounded eyes. I placed the bottle of perfume before Sasha. ¡°Come on, Sasha, spray it.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡± ¡°This is a mixture of chamomile, lavender, salvia and lemon chestnuts. It relieves tension and calms the nerves.¡± ¡°Can I really use it?¡± Sasha looked up at me, her eyes frightened. I chuckled. ¡°You can use it, so spray the incense freely.¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­!¡± Sasha cautiously accepted the perfume bottle. Her small hand trembled as it carefully sprayed the perfume. The rest of the girls observed Sasha with widened eyes. ¡°Sasha, how do you feel?¡± Lily asked. Sasha blinked slowly before turning to Lily. ¡°Eung, it smells really good. A fragrant, fresh, very delicious lemon cake¡­ Like¡­ feel good¡­¡± ¡°Sasha?¡± Zzz. Sasha¡¯s eyelids slid shut. A light weight rested on my shoulders. My lips formed a smile as I looked down at Sasha, who leaned on my shoulders and fell into her deep slumber. ¡°Huh, Sasha? Sasha! Are you okay?¡± ¡°Shh, it¡¯s alright. I think she fell asleep.¡± I carefully placed my finger under Sasha¡¯s nose. I could feel her calm breathing on my fingers. I replied with a light smile. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s sleeping.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± The girls sang in a chorus. In a very small voice. ¡°In such an instant¡­ D-did she faint?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s asleep, judging from the sound of her breath.¡± ¡°Oh my god¡­ Sasha, you said you hadn¡¯t slept a wink in three days¡­¡± Lily spoke the following in a serious tone. ¡°I was worried whenever she refused to call for a doctor. She would say it would be troublesome if her father found out she did¡­¡± Lily let out a big sigh before facing me. ¡°Thank you, Lady Ariel. I am deeply grateful for your helping Sasha rest for a while. We¡¯ll carry her back with us.¡± ¡°Yes? No, there¡¯s a bed here, too. Let¡¯s put her to sleep here tonight.¡± ¡°Dear Ariel, are you serious?¡± Luna asked, her eyes surprised. I nodded my head. Just a bit so that Sasha wouldn¡¯t wake up to my movements. ¡°It¡¯s not a massive, nice bed as I brought it in for breaks during work¡­ She¡¯ll be fine after this. I¡¯ll give her a ride home tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be relieved if you could, but¡­¡± ¡°Alright then¡ª She¡¯ll sleep here tonight.¡± ¡°Ah, th-thank you!¡± The girls whispered their thank you¡¯s to me. Even as they lowered their voices, it was still quite noisy. As many as four people were speaking, so it was only called for. Nonetheless, Sasha was still wheezing softly. I gave the girls a big smile. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s decided. You guys should head back. It¡¯s very late.¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Ariel.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go back first.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go and lay her down. Well, it¡¯s a little too much for me to carry her¡­¡± I glanced back at Ern. Even before I could ask, he quickly approached and slowly embraced Sasha. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Sasha tossed and turned as she clung to Ern¡¯s cold armor as if hugging a pillow. I could feel Ern¡¯s sheer embarrassment over his armor. But he soon moved Sasha to the lounge in a stable manner. ¡°Dear Ariel, who is that?¡± Eileen whispered as she pointed at Ern. I wore a vague smile. ¡°Hmm, who he is¡­ The person who escorts me.¡± ¡°Gasp, a knight escort! Count Winston really cares for dear Ariel!¡± ¡°No, well, aside from that¡­ Ladies, head back before it¡¯s too late.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I rushed the girls out the door. Lily paused and looked back at me before bowing her head. ¡°Thank you for taking care of Sasha.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back, Dear Ariel!¡± No, no next time¡­ I saw the girls off with a squeaky smile. Soon, wagons drove away with the girls, one after the other. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? In the darkness of the night, where no moon could be seen. A man panted as he desperately ran into a dark alley. Behind the shadow of the desperate running man, another shadow followed. At an abnormal speed for a human being. ¡°Argh!¡± The dagger flew into the man¡¯s shoulder and pierced through fiercely. The man collapsed roughly as he painfully embraced his shoulders. A large shadow cast over the back of the fallen man¡¯s head. ¡°Hi, rat.¡± The darkly-dressed figure lifted the man¡¯s chin with the tip of his sword. The man trembled as his head was forced upwards. Fear filled his eyes. ¡°K, kill me. Cedric Evans, just kill me¡­¡± ¡°No. If I was going to simply kill you, I wouldn¡¯t have played along with this f*cking tag.¡± The tip of his sword scratched down the man¡¯s neck. A thin stream of blood flowed down his neck. Cedric Evans parted his lips. A barely understandable growl resounded from his mouth. ¡°Who is it? Who asked you to follow Ariel Winston.¡± ¡°Kill me!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the right answer to my question.¡± Cedric shook his head. ¡°You are a very helpful friend.¡± Chhk. Cedric threw the sword and pulled a dagger out of his arm. Wretched screams rang out endlessly after, sometimes long and painful and other times short and quick. Rigion observed the whole scene as his eyes trembled, but he remained in place and did not run. Moments later, the now limp man spat out all the information he knew and collapsed onto the dirty floor. Rigion quickly approached Cedric. ¡°Are you alright, Your Grace? Jasper, hurry up! I need the medicine!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it, and you, I told you to stop treating me as a patient.¡± Cedric grumbled as he clutched his blood-soaked dagger. Jasper ceased rushing over. Rigion then asked carefully. ¡°Are you alright without the Anixia scent, Your Grace?¡± ¡°Yes. For now.¡± Was he really in fine condition? A lot of blood has already been seen. Rigion restlessly glanced towards Cedric. Cedric murmured. ¡°I have to graduate, too.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡­¡± ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s head back.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Grace!¡± When Cedric turned his back, Rigion and Jasper quickly followed from behind. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? Sasha¡¯s nose flinched. The strange smell tickled the tip of her nose. Although she only smelled it lightly, the scent flowed throughout her nose and circled all over her body. Soft as the morning wind, gentle as the bird¡¯s tweet, fresh as the dawn¡¯s dew¡­ What in the world is this? Sasha gradually opened her eyes. She felt drowsy all over. Such a good night¡¯s sleep that she hadn¡¯t tasted in a long time was much too sweet for her. She didn¡¯t want to ever leave this fluffy bed. If she were in the mood, she would stay forever. However, there was now something that attracted Sasha more than the bed. What the hell is this scent? Sasha left the bed as if possessed. The sunlight, which was already approaching noon, glared through the window. Sasha blinked her eyes. Where was this place? As soon as she opened the closed door, Sasha nearly fell on her back. ¡°Argh!¡± Just in time, a man dressed in armor, which seemed to be passing by the door, halted at her sudden scream. Sasha trembled as the giant armored knight looked down at her. ¡°S-s-save me!¡± The armored knight pointed elsewhere instead of answering. Sasha sniffed and followed the direction his finger was pointing towards. The more she walked, the more she took in the scent that had driven Sasha out of her mind the whole time. Fear began to fade from Sasha. The moment she finally reached the end of the stairs. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Sasha stopped right there. The warm morning sun struck over the lovely honey-colored hair. The woman turned her head as if she had sensed someone gazing at her. Sasha¡¯s figure filled her clear turquoise eyes. ¡°Oh, Sasha. Did you wake up?¡± Ariel replied brightly, the corners of her eyes folding gently. ¡°Are you feeling well? Did you sleep well?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, yes. Thanks to you, I had a good night¡¯s sleep in nearly forever.¡± Sasha could only recall what happened yesterday. As soon as she inhaled Ariel¡¯s perfume, her mind lost focus, like everything that happened to her was a lie. After Sasha recalled who she leaned on as she lost consciousness, her cheeks flushed red. Chapter 27 ¡°I, L-lady Ariel¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I caused you trouble yesterday¡­¡± ¡°Hm? What are you talking about. The only thing I did was give you one bed. I¡¯m glad that your impression looks much better than yesterday, Sasha.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you¡­!¡± Sasha hurriedly bowed her head. Ariel smiled brightly. ¡°Well, I was about to have lunch. Would you like to eat together?¡± ¡°W-well, can I?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± When Ariel smiled as if what she said were only the obvious, Sasha¡¯s face turned beet red. And then it hit her. As soon as she had woken up, the scent she chased was none other than Ariel¡¯s. ¡®¡­A good smell.¡¯ A sweet yet cozy scent that welcomed others warmly. Did Ariel originally smell like this? Sasha couldn¡¯t tell. Sasha¡¯s companions and Ariel only consisted of a superficial relationship. Ariel required a helping hand to commit her bad deeds, while Sasha and her friends needed a social figure to support them. In other words, their interests were compatible, only to fill in each other¡¯s wants and needs. It was a very profitable relationship, but it did not develop any further than that. Ariel undeniably emitted a nice, alluring scent. However, the scent played a different effect when Sasha witnessed her smiling so beautifully. ¡°Sasha, what¡¯s wrong? You¡¯ve been silent for a while.¡± Ariel peculiarly smiled again. Sasha bowed her head deeply. Her helplessly red face concealed itself within the shadows. ¡°Are you still sleepy?¡± Ariel tilted her head as she peeked at Sasha¡¯s face. All Sasha could do was shake her head. ??©­©­©­©­©­?*? ? ?*?©­©­©­©­©­?? Dangle. I turned my head at the sound of the bell. Perhaps there weren¡¯t many guests today due to the hot summer sun. This was the first bell in a while. Alright, I¡¯ll put in my best to greet this guest. The customer I faced with such determination was a man that seemed to be in his late twenties to early thirties. ¡°That¡­ Is this a perfume store?¡± ¡°Yes, please come in. Is this your first time trying out perfume?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly it. Do you, by any chance, have any of the following? A scent that makes you feel better just by having a light sniff¡­¡± I tilted my head. Just smelling everything here makes me feel better. ¡°Could you kindly be more specific about what you are looking for?¡± ¡°What I mean, something that removes all the gloominess within me¡­ a scent that can help you sleep well.¡± Aha. I bore a smile on my face. Not long ago, there was such a perfume made for a change. ¡°Please come this way.¡± I accompanied the man to the third row on the west shelf. There existed a bear-shaped perfume bottle. was the name of this perfume. I opened the hat-shaped lid from the bear¡¯s head. ¡°Try it, sir.¡± The man brought his nose to the test paper with a queer face. His nose twitched as he sniffed the incense. The next moment, the man¡¯s face melted like ice cream in the midsummer. ¡°This, yes¡­ This is it! A scent that melts away all my thoughts.¡± The man smiled broadly. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re satisfied. I smiled happily. I successfully led a guest to the world of perfume yet again. ¡°Give me a bottle! No, two bottles! No! Give me three bottles!¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Please wait just a moment.¡± It was sometime after I assured him with a smile and fumbled behind the shelf that I halted. ¡®Wait¡­ This; did I make any other than the sample?¡¯ My God, I didn¡¯t! I slapped myself on the forehead. Only then did it come to mind that I had forgotten to pack a stock of this perfume the day before yesterday. I can¡¯t believe I committed such an obvious mistake. It was a great shame. I clenched my fist and trembled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I apologize, sir. Unfortunately, we¡¯re out of stock. Can you drop by again tomorrow?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Will it be difficult to purchase today?¡± The man clenched his lips as if disappointed. My heart shattered into pieces. I can¡¯t believe I couldn¡¯t satisfy the customer¡¯s needs because of my trivial mistake. Even more, a guest who was about to take his first step into the world of perfume! As soon as I sent the man back, I rushed to call for a wagon. The destination was 7th Street in the Senon district, an area where flower shops filled the place. contained unique ingredients. One of them was the Akali flower, which only bloomed in the western desert far away. In addition, it was rather rare so not many shops contained the ingredient. ¡®The flower garden must have been the place where they sold Acali flowers.¡¯ I nodded as I looked up at the huge glass garden. Since I¡¯m here, I¡¯ll buy as much as I can and stock them. Acali flowers were an expensive ingredient, but I didn¡¯t dwell too much on them. The gold coins Cedric invested in were still piled in the safe. How many should I buy? Ten? Twenty? If I keep more than that, it won¡¯t remain fresh, will it? I stepped into the garden with such thoughts. ¡°Welcome, sir! How can I help you¡­¡± I was greeted by a shopkeeper I had done business with a few times. But the owner of the store remained speechless the moment he recognized my face. Why is he like that? I tilted my head and approached him. ¡°Hello, I¡¯d like to purchase some Acali flowers.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t sell them.¡± ¡°The ones I bought before were of great quality¡­? Yes? What did you just say?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t sell them. We don¡¯t have any Akali flowers right now.¡± ¡­What does this mean? I raised the corners of my lips. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°As I said.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not saying that the flowers I¡¯m seeing right now are sold out.¡± A bright red Akali flower came into view. I grinned as I examined the vivid color. The owner of the store flinched before folding his arms nervously. ¡°Anyway, I can¡¯t sell the flower. Please leave.¡± I gazed at the shopkeeper with a puzzled face. Is it my delusion? There seemed to be a strong sense of vigilance in the owner¡¯s face. There was also a tint of anxiety that looked as if he were afraid of something. ¡®Goodness, I¡¯m the one going through all this humiliation.¡¯ Well, that¡¯s fine, I wouldn¡¯t prefer giving gold coins to someone who doesn¡¯t like me. The shopkeeper¡¯s attitude was a bit reluctant, but I politely walked out of the garden. This was not the only flower shop in the world. ¡°Don¡¯t come back!¡± The shopkeeper slammed the door as he shouted I was unwelcomed in his shop. Lina huffed. ¡°What is that man?! Are you out of your mind?! How dare you! Godness! My lady, don¡¯t ever come here again!!¡± ¡°Alright, we won¡¯t come again. Calm down, Lina. I¡¯m fine.¡± I calmed Lina down by comforting her calmly. I wasn¡¯t very angry. I guess it was true to say that you wouldn¡¯t get angry if you were too dumbfounded to be. However, when the second and third stops at the garden were rejected. I had no choice but to realize that something was going wrong. ¡°Get out!¡± The fourth flower shop owner tried to slam the door shut before I could even enter. I pushed my hand through the door that was about to close. ¡°Ack! Lady!¡± Lina screamed, surprised at my actions. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t injure my hand. I held the door that was a hair from closing and glared at the shopkeeper as I raised the corners of my mouth. ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Kenyon.¡± Kenyon, the owner of the florist shop, winced at the call. I spoke with an even brighter smile. ¡°I don¡¯t want to remain hung up on people who treat me like this, but I¡¯ll have to make an exception this time.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t do this here¡­¡± ¡°Well, you have to answer me straightforwardly. Mr. Kenyon.¡± Kenyon¡¯s face was in a panic. He was unlucky. If only he had been the second, or third, maybe he could have avoided this. I wasn¡¯t the type to just scratch my head after four provokingly unfriendly acts. I folded the tail of my eyes and asked with a smile. ¡°Who are they? The one who dared to indulge me, Ariel Winston.¡± Kenyon¡¯s gaze shook. ¡°Let go of me first¡­¡± ¡°If I release you, you¡¯ll close the door.¡± Behind me, I could hear the sound of steel material approach. Before I knew it, Ern had pushed open the door. Kenyon pushed aside along with the door like dry firewood. Kenyon pulled himself in bewilderment and alternated looks between Ern and me. ¡°The young lady, of course, is a dear customer, but please consider our position. We mustn¡¯t ruin our business simply because of a single customer¡­¡± ¡°Broken business?¡± I frowned. ¡°What do you mean? Why would you want to ruin your business?¡± Kenyon¡¯s shoulders flinched. I dug into the gap without hesitating. ¡°Who has threatened to ruin your business if you accept me as a guest?¡± That seemed to be the right mark. Kenyon¡¯s face completely lost its color. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I mean¡­ Ugh, I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t say any more!¡± Kenyon looked over the door with anxious eyes. His gaze seemed wary of whether someone was watching the situation. ¡­Sigh, pushing people to be this anxious. If Kenyon was being blackmailed, there was no point in any further discussion here. I eventually let go of the poor trembling Kenyon and left the fourth flower shop. Someone must be trying to ruin my business. Flowers were one of the main ingredients of the perfume. The difficulty in the supply and demand of flowers meant that the perfume business was at stake from the root. This is a pain in the butt. ¡®You¡¯ve used a lot of hands.¡¯ I applaud your hard work, Ponta Magnus. I lightly scratched my chin. He was the only one who would have a grudge against me and interfere with my perfume business. At this point, I was rather grateful to Baron Magnus. He was showing me how highly he thinks of my work by committing all these acts. ¡®Then I¡¯ll have to do my very best here too.¡¯ It was a fight that Magnus walked into first. And I never shy away from the fights I entered. It was the moment I turned the corner of the street.