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.”

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“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.

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