"Catherine, what are you doing?" Dahlia tugged at Catherine's sleeve, whispering, "The perfume they sell here is real."
"Impossible. Any noble with status knows that perfume is only sold in the royal capital," Catherine replied confidently. "Once I expose the shop owner, I'll sell them this authentic perfume. They'll be grateful to have the real thing to sell."
"..." Dahlia was speechless. If she hadn't heard her father mention this shop, she might have thought the same as Catherine. But the truth was... the perfume here was actually more authentic.
Tap, tap, tap…
Just as Dahlia was about to explain, footsteps echoed from the staircase. She covered her face. Great. Now the real perfume maker is coming down.
"Eh? Isn't this Miss Catherine and Miss Dahlia?" Lucas raised an eyebrow. He had been upstairs waiting for Nicole to finish calculating the shop's revenue when the assistant reported that someone had come in claiming to have authentic perfume.
He hadn't expected it to be these two. Is Catherine's illness not fully cured yet? Running around outside like this... Isn't she worried about a relapse?
"It's you?" Catherine's eyes widened as a blush crept across her cheeks. Her hands clutched the corners of her dress, and she fidgeted awkwardly. After all, facing the man who had seen her ass was bound to be a little embarrassing.
"Yeah, it's me." Lucas replied, glancing curiously at Dahlia, who was covering her forehead. What's up with her? Headache?
"This perfume shop... is yours?"
Catherine furrowed her brows, staring blankly at Lucas. She wasn't sure why, but something about that revelation made her feel a bit uneasy. Deep down, she had hoped this so-called fake perfume shop didn't belong to him.
"Yeah, it's mine. Why?" Lucas glanced at the two ceramic bottles on the counter and suddenly understood the situation. "Is there a problem?"
"I have two bottles of authentic perfume here. Do you buy perfumes?"
Catherine spoke calmly. "These are from the royal capital's perfume shop."
"..." Lucas's expression grew peculiar. He glanced at Dahlia, whose lips were twitching as if she was holding back laughter. A quick thought and he pieced everything together.
"May I take a look first?" Lucas asked gently.
"Of course." Catherine nodded confidently.
After receiving Catherine's permission, Lucas picked up one of the perfume bottles. The stopper was made of oak, and as he pulled it open with some effort, a faintly pungent scent wafted out, mixed with a hint of fragrance.
"Well? What do you think?" Catherine's eyes sparkled with anticipation, as if she could already hear the sweet strumming of a four-string lute heralding her success.
"Hold on," Lucas chuckled softly and turned to the shop assistant. "Bring me a bottle of No. 4 women's perfume."
"Yes, sir." The assistant turned and retrieved a bottle from the shelf behind her.
Lucas took the perfume, opened the box, and under the curious gazes of Catherine and Dahlia, he pulled out a white ceramic bottle and handed it to Catherine.
"This is one of our perfumes. Try comparing them." Lucas said gently.
"Uh..." Catherine accepted the bottle, her confidence wavering. Compared to her black ceramic bottle, this pure white one looked far more elegant—causing her heart to skip a beat.
Pop!
Catherine suppressed the unease rising in her chest and pulled out the stopper. A refreshing, delicate fragrance wafted through the air, inviting an irresistible second sniff.
"Th-This... How is this possible?" Her eyes widened in disbelief, as if she could see her metaphorical four-string lute sprouting wings and flying away.
The scent was simply enchanting—soft and pleasant, without the harsh, overpowering smell of her own perfume.
"Miss Catherine, this is our shop's fourth-tier perfume," Lucas said, resting both hands on the counter and leaning slightly forward with a gentle smile. "It costs only one gold coin per bottle. What do you think? With a six-month shelf life... it's a fragrance worth having."
"I'll buy it!" Catherine pouted, shooting a glare at Dahlia, who was stifling her laughter. She reached into her pocket, pulled out a gold coin, and handed it to Lucas—albeit very, very slowly.
"It's fine. Let's just call this a trade." Lucas chuckled, shaking his head. He picked up the black ceramic bottle, sealed it tightly, and slipped it into his pocket—curious to study its contents later.
"Oh..." Catherine's pout deepened. Embarrassment weighed heavily on her; the so-called authentic perfume she'd proudly brought was actually low-quality, yet she'd confidently boasted about it.
"Young Master, it's done." Nicole announced as she appeared beside them, having quietly slipped downstairs. Mina stood next to her, silently observing the scene.
"Alright. Let's go check on their training," Lucas nodded before turning to Catherine and Dahlia. "I've got things to do, so I'll leave you two to it."
"Mm, go ahead. Don't let us keep you." Dahlia quickly replied.
Lucas nodded and left the perfume shop with Nicole and Mina. He was headed to check on the army's field training—they'd been conducting drills in the wilderness for the past few days, and this was the perfect time for an inspection.
Tap, tap, tap…
Catherine and Dahlia watched the trio disappear down the street, then glanced at the perfume bottle in Catherine's hand.
"Dahlia... You knew from the start, didn't you?"
Catherine planted one hand on her hip, leaning close until their faces were nearly touching. Her eyes narrowed with a huff. "And you didn't say anything! You let me embarrass myself like that!"
"Ugh..." Dahlia rolled her eyes, pressing a hand against Catherine's face with an exasperated sigh. "I tried to tell you, but you didn't give me the chance! You walked in and whipped out your perfume like you were about to bust a scammer."
"How was I supposed to know they had such good perfume here?" Catherine mumbled, staring at the bottle in her hand with a defeated expression. "I really embarrassed myself this time... I wonder if he's going to laugh at me."
"He?" Dahlia's eyes narrowed slightly. "Don't tell me you mean Lord Lucas?"
"W-What? No, no, it's not him!" Catherine waved her hands frantically, cheeks flushing red. "You're overthinking it! Just because he saved me doesn't mean... I mean, I do have a good impression of him, but—uh..."
"..." Dahlia wasn't sure why, but a faint irritation stirred within her. Her tone dropped as she warned, "Catherine, you need to calm down. If the Duke finds out... things could get very complicated."
"I..." Catherine opened her mouth but hesitated. The image of her stern, no-nonsense father flashed through her mind. She bit her lip, then stomped her foot with a pout. "If he dares... I'll—I'll just elope!"
"Cough, cough, cough!" Dahlia choked on air, eyes wide as she stared at her usually well-behaved friend who'd just said something so outrageous.
Catherine, the picture-perfect noble daughter, talking about eloping? Now that... that was unexpected.
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