Chapter 496
Chapter 496
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 496
Chapter Title: Perfume Tycoon (3)
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1.
For Sharon, it was just a bit of sulking.
She wanted to play with Si-woo and spend time together, but he'd been so focused on Amelia that he hadn't come to see her—or even the twins—properly.
She knew Amelia's circumstances from Si-woo.
The wounds she carried, the reasons they'd parted ways, and the twists and turns that had brought them back together.
But even understanding all that, Sharon couldn't help feeling a twinge of resentment toward Amelia deep in her heart.
Setting everything else aside, she'd witnessed firsthand how Sharon had been caught up in the disaster Amelia created, nearly costing Si-woo his life.
When he'd crawled into what was obviously a death trap.
When all she could do for him was a paltry elemental reinforcement.
When she failed to time it right, and the Duke of Erelim's judgment lit up the sky.
When he finally returned, his left arm gone forever.
Sharon had felt her heart tear into a thousand pieces.
Si-woo was alive today thanks to Amelia carrying out the Kether Duke's kill order, but the world-shattering shock of that moment was unforgettable.
That might explain why there was more friction than with the twins or Eloa.
Even so, considering everything...
It had been an inexcusable slip of the tongue.
"I'm sorry..."
Sharon bowed her head sincerely and apologized.
She pursed her lips, wondering if she should add some flowery words, but decided against it.
Any excuse she tacked on would just come off as hesitant rambling.
"...It's fine. I got a little heated too."
Meanwhile, Amelia felt like she'd been smacked on the head.
Not because Sharon's words were some outrageous accusation.
On the contrary, they hit close to the truth.
Si-woo helped Amelia devotedly.
Whether extracting essential oils or helping with shop work, he devoted most of his time to her.
Which inevitably meant taking him away from his other lovers.
But Si-woo never showed any sign of it.
At the core was his careful consideration for Amelia.
Like handling fragile porcelain.
Doubt crept in.
At least as far as Amelia knew, Si-woo was kind.
The type who'd suffer losses for others' sake, even called a pushover.
So, was there a gap between his true feelings and his actions?
Did he actually want to spend time with his other lovers but feel tied down caring for her?
She couldn't deny it.
That she'd monopolized him while vaguely ignoring that fact.
It was only natural for Sharon to come complaining.
If it had been Amelia in the past, her mental state might have shattered.
But the time spent with Si-woo hadn't been wasted.
Calming her mind first, Amelia apologized for her slip-up right away, then saw Sharon fidgeting and realized there was no malice in her words.
It was a perfectly understandable reaction.
Amelia might not have reacted much differently in the reverse situation.
"......"
"......"
-Creak, creak
As they hesitated, unsure what to say...
Si-woo timed it perfectly, descending the creaky wooden stairs.
"I've brought all the oils you requested."
"Thanks. Just set them here."
After the brief lull, Amelia took a deep breath to steady herself.
Her heart was still troubled, and she had questions for Si-woo, but now was time for work.
Sharon was a customer first and rival second, and Amelia didn't take her duties lightly.
Complicated issues could wait.
Amelia spread out the essential oils Si-woo handed her across the blending shelf with a rustle.
Perfume blending is often compared to composing music.
A delicate, artistic process of combining countless scents to create notes and chords.
Amelia poured high-purity alcohol into a beaker and began selecting essential oils one by one.
Like most perfumes' three-tier pyramid notes, Amelia's followed the same structure.
First, the top note: the initial scent felt within about 10 minutes of application.
Once the light, highly volatile top note fades, the heart of the perfume emerges richly: the middle note.
Finally, after enough time passes, the base note: the subtle finale blending with body odor.
The first step in blending is defining the theme's skeleton through the base note.
Like building a pyramid, starting from the bottom layer and stacking scents upward.
From this point, neither Sharon nor Si-woo had much to do.
The theme Amelia envisioned for Sharon was the harmonious blend of innocence and sensuality—growth.
She mixed vanilla, iris, resins, and a few essential oils as the base.
The skeletal fragrance she'd envisioned in her mind took shape.
The second step.
Fleshing out the perfume's framework.
The essential oils used here are called modifiers, painting color over the base note sketch.
Amelia's choices: ylang-ylang, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, lime, bergamot, narcissus, and dozens more.
Each time she tipped a small vial and dropped droplets into the beaker, an ecstatic fragrance rippled out.
The process of sculpting the rough, unshapely scent—chipping away or adding—was so captivating that even Sharon watched wide-eyed.
With every drop from her fingertips, the scent's breadth, depth, and allure shifted dramatically.
The third step.
Adding the top note, the perfume's overture.
It also harmonized the base and middle notes smoothly.
Whether to add a certain scent, one more drop or less.
With so many already blended, one wrong drop could ruin it all.
The tiniest difference could transform the entire fragrance, demanding utmost precision.
Usually, one would use a blending chart and iterate through trial and error.
But Amelia didn't need that.
Trusting only her intuition and artistic inspiration, she flawlessly completed the blend in moments.
"Phew..."
Amelia exhaled and lightly infused the finished perfume with mana.
Normally, after these three steps, you'd add fixatives for longevity, age for harmony, and remove unwanted notes.
But Amelia shortcut the process with magic.
Thus, a magical perfume whose scent wouldn't fade even after centuries was born.
"It's done. I've added a vitality-boosting magical effect. Try it on."
Sharon, who had been admiring Amelia's deft hands, snapped to and nodded.
Amelia grabbed the hesitating Sharon's wrist—missing her chance to apologize—and dabbed a drop of perfume.
"I'll accelerate the scent progression with magic so you can experience the full notes."
"...Okay."
Sharon felt oddly unsettled by Amelia's forced nonchalance.
But closing her eyes and inhaling chased away stray thoughts as visions unfolded.
The setting: an orchard.
The time: late summer edging into autumn.
On a sunset-draped hill, a girl—Sharon—reached for heavy branches.
In her hand, a freshly picked green apple, vibrant and crisp.
She bit into it cautiously, and suddenly it was an orange.
Not just tangy—viscous.
Orange juice trickled from the bite down her chin into her cleavage, mingling with the innocent girl's skin scent.
The fresh fruit aroma shifted to a powdery vanilla laced with subtle sensuality.
Not the cloying vanilla that numbs the mind.
Like softly whipped cream, melting on the tongue with fluffy tenderness.
Like the sweetness of a first kiss, the vanilla enveloped Sharon's body softly, then thinned to caramel syrup melting from her skin.
The story was there: innocent Sharon awakening to fresh love, sharing a dreamlike first kiss, becoming one man's woman.
All soaked in that sweetness.
"I named the perfume 'Jusqu'à ce qu'une fille devienne une femme'."
Meaning: Until a girl becomes a woman.
To think a mere fragrance could convey so much.
Sharon, chilled with near-transcendent awe, rubbed the goosebumps on her arm.
Her spat with Amelia moments ago, the harsh words she'd spat—they were all forgotten in an instant.
Gazing at Amelia with admiration for the artist, Sharon poured out honest praise.
"It's amazing, absolutely perfect. How can a perfume like this even exist?"
"Glad you like it."
Si-woo transferred the perfume to a pretty bottle and packed it neatly in a box.
Amelia tidied the vials as if work was done, while Sharon hesitated watching her.
She wanted to apologize for her slip-up, chat more...
But the mood wasn't right.
Then Si-woo interjected with the payment slate.
"Sharon."
"Y-Yeah?"
"But... you okay?"
Si-woo phrased it subtly so Amelia wouldn't hear, concerned about hurting Sharon's pride.
He was probably worried about the money.
From their first meeting, Sharon had only shown her penniless side to him.
Poverty was exhausting, but not humiliating.
Plus, since tutoring the twins, she'd saved up decently.
"Of course. I've paid off my debts and got a job—what's to worry?"
"Good. Just sign here then."
Sharon puffed out her chest to reassure Si-woo, flashed a relaxed smile, and glanced at the invoice on the slate.
Her heart nearly leaped out.
2.5 fl.oz of perfume, one bottle.
First, the sample perfumes used for taste-testing were billed to her as expected.
Base preparation fee, special ingredients extra, custom blending service fee added.
Gorgeous bottle cost extra, magical effect fee separate.
Plus 8.5% VAT on everything.
The total...
"G-Gold 122.2 pounds...?"
She'd heard Amelia's custom perfumes were pricey.
Still, Sharon figured it'd be around 10 gold at most.
Even 10 gold wasn't pocket change for a bottle of perfume.
But regardless of her feelings toward Amelia, Sharon knew she'd done plenty for Si-woo.
She didn't want Amelia struggling with debt like her.
So she'd happily buy it, even if it wasn't much help.
But the invoice showed nearly 100 million won per bottle.
Enough for five of the ambitious dresses she'd splurged on for her first big outing.
Over 12 times her budget. Sharon's eyes bulged as she stared at Amelia.
This couldn't be!
Was this revenge for her earlier mistake?
But Amelia was tidying equipment without even glancing her way.
And Si-woo was the one handing over the slate.
No way they'd gouge her like smugglers at a black market outpost.
Sharon tutored Odil and Odet with Jemernai Count support.
But tuition covered her old debts, so she only got living expenses and research aid.
Decent sums, but for magic research guzzling gems, it was tight.
Her mental ledger spun.
This hit would stall research for months.
Not a problem customer demanding a refund now.
Bargaining would bruise her pride.
Sharon gripped the pen with trembling hands, teary-eyed as she looked at Si-woo.
"C-Can I... do installments...?"
In the end, 12-month installments.
After a cursory goodbye, clutching the perfume box like treasure, Sharon's shoulders sagged heavily as she left.
2.