At that time, Lune’s sense of smell had been dulled by a severe cold, which caused her considerable difficulty.

 

The Lune of that time was gentle and brimming with more confidence than she is now.

 

Back then, she could interact naturally even with a prickly young lady, whereas now she would likely be unable to speak with her head bowed.

 

‘Then, how about the third perfume? It’s a scent that shines even more when mixed with one’s body chemistry than when simply sampled from the bottle.’

 

The young lady, who had sprayed perfume on the back of her hand, extended it toward Agravain standing beside her.

 

‘What do you think?’

 

‘Just as you said. It feels much lighter than before.’

 

Finally, a positive answer flowed from the young lady’s lips, which had softened a little.

 

‘It’s nice. I’ll take this one.’

 

‘Will you be needing a dress to go with the perfume? You have such natural dignity that I think an elegant Verlaine dress would suit you well.’

 

‘You’re quite the smooth talker, perfumer. Then, shall I take a look at the dresses as well?’

 

The young lady, whose mood had improved thanks to Lune’s subtle sales pitch, readily nodded.

 

Seizing the opportunity, Lune glanced at Oted, who had been quietly waiting for her turn in the corner.

 

It was a signal asking him to take over the dress sales.

 

At that time, the majority of Salon Lune’s income came from Lune’s perfumes; the dresses were practically considered a secondary business.

 

Even considering that well-known designers had a firm hold on their regular clients, the difference in sales between Lune and Oted was clear.

 

‘Regarding this dress, it’s designed to minimize flaws in the figure…’

 

She enthusiastically explained the dress to the young lady who had been passed to her, but her response was lukewarm.

 

‘I would like to be assisted by that perfumer from earlier.’

 

‘Ah… Of course. I’ll call Lune for you again.’

 

It wasn’t as if they could refuse a customer’s request.

 

There was no way she could refuse the request of the young lady brought by the son of the newly established Marquis’ household at the freshly opened new salon.

 

Therefore, Lune, who only dealt with perfumes, smiled amiably and replied to her.

 

‘What can I do? I’m afraid I’m not very knowledgeable about dresses, except for perfumes.’

 

It was impossible for Lune, who had learned to sew under the same teacher, not to know about dresses.

 

This was her own way of being considerate toward Oted.

 

Oted, who had already stepped back from them a few paces, felt wretched. She had grown up hearing that she was talented under their teacher, and indeed, she was among the best of her peers.

 

But for some reason, she always felt diminished in front of Lune.

 

The young lady had already familiarly even joked with Lune.

 

‘Oh my, and here you are saying your sense of smell is dulled because of a cold. You chose the perfume quite aptly, didn’t you?’

 

‘But it’s the truth. It’s suddenly become dull, and these days, uncomfortable things are piling up.’

 

At Lune’s light retort, the young lady tilted her head.

 

‘If it’s been that long, you haven’t been exposed to those poison scents they say are secretly sold in the back alleys lately, have you?’

 

‘There are such things?’

 

‘I’ve heard there are some that can make you lose your sense of taste or sight. I haven’t seen them myself, but it’s been a topic of discussion among the nobility lately. Isn’t that right, Agravain?’

 

At her words, Agravain, who had been silently watching from the side, nodded.

 

‘So I’ve heard.’

 

Lune quickly waved her hands and laughed.

 

‘No, that’s not it. It’s just that this cold is lingering a bit longer. I think the tension I felt from the burden of opening the salon has all been released at once, that’s all.’

 

Oted quietly pondered those words.

 

People were truly fickle.

 

After opening the salon together, the difference in talent between her and Lune was so stark.

 

At every moment, while talking with customers and looking at the sales, she felt that gap dozens of times a day.

 

‘If only Lune weren’t here.’

 

She could make perfume, too. She was even more confident because she had lightly learned how to make it for hosting guests.

‘What exactly is the difference between Lune and me?’

They learned under the same teacher, and besides being good at making perfume just because she had a slightly sensitive sense of smell, what was so different?

That day, Oted purchased a poisonous scent that destroys the sense of smell in a back alley.

She discreetly sprayed the poisonous scent in Lune’s house, which she frequently visited due to their closeness.

Now was the perfect time, as her sense of smell was dulled by a cold.

Afterward, Lune, who had completely lost her sense of smell, broke down in despair and frustration.

Oted helped her in every way possible, both materially and emotionally.

She called priests for treatment and sought out everything from folk remedies said to be effective to mages.

Everyone shook their heads.

‘What should I do, Oted…’

Seeing her crying in despair, Oted laughed inside.

No one can fix it.

Lune can never make perfume again.
 

That fact gave Oted a sense of relief.

Striding out of the Ruby Hall, Oted looked up at the magnificent buildings of Tir na Nog.

‘So there’s absolutely no way it could have been cured.’

She was sure because she had seen the result with her own eyes back then.

Oted believed that.

 

💫

 

The Ruby Hall, now without Oted, was only briefly chaotic and soon returned to its usual state.

The refreshments placed at regular intervals in the spacious hall were instead a point of interest for the noble young ladies.

After a very brief period of whispering among themselves, they soon became absorbed in their own concerns.

Meanwhile, Morgan, still patting Lune’s shoulder who was trembling with fear, asked,

“Are you alright? Perhaps you should rest a little.”

“It really isn’t a lie. Oh, it’s understandable that Oted would think that.”

 

Amidst all this, Lune hesitantly continued speaking, as if firmly believing she was a friend.

 

“Oted helped me so much back then. But he still couldn’t cure me. He went through a lot of hardship, so it’s understandable if you find it hard to believe.”

 

“No. That is not a friend.”

 

Morgana shook her head firmly.

 

Perhaps because of the long years she had known her and the memory of her helping when she lost her sense of smell, she was denying it, but Lune also seemed to know deep down.

 

Above all, there was something slightly strange.

 

Basically, divine power or authority could only treat acquired conditions, not innate problems one was born with.

 

‘If that’s the case, then it means Lune’s condition was clearly acquired…’

 

Seeing Oted’s reaction today confirmed it.

 

“Could you tell me about when you caught that cold?”

 

Lune, who had been taking deep breaths and lightly shrugging her shoulders, looked up.

 

As if recalling that time, she quickly regained her composure.

 

“Was it the day before I completely lost my sense of smell? Until then, I just thought it was a cold. Even when I was guiding Sir Agravain and the young lady, I could faintly smell scents.”

 

“Sir Agravain was with a woman?”

 

Instead, Guinevere, who had been listening indifferently nearby, suddenly asked back in surprise.

 

It was so unbelievable that her composure, unbecoming of a princess’s dignity, was lost in a gathering of many nobles.

 

“That’s impossible. I’ve known him for years. I’ve never seen him with one.”

 

“But he definitely came with a young lady.”

 

Lune’s innocent eyes blinked in fear.

 

Guinevere’s intensity was so strong that she seemed to doubt her own memory.

 

Morgana carefully interjected between them and asked Guinevere.

 

“Are you sure? They say relationships can change overnight.”

 

“No. You’ve been at the academy with Mordred the whole time. On the rare occasions you came back to Britain, what reason would you have to go around the country with a woman?”

 

“Then is there no chance it was for a political marriage?”

 

“If she were a lady worthy of catching the Right Marquis’s eye, rumors would already be widespread in the royal palace. And also…”

 

Guinevere roughly ran her hand through her hair as if displeased, then crossed her arms and continued firmly.

 

“The Right Marquis initially wanted to link Agravain with me.”

 

“…What?”

 

For a moment, Morgan thought she had misheard and questioned it instinctively.

 

Of course, Agravain wasn’t vastly older, but strictly speaking, he was one of Mordred’s close associates.

 

Yet, he wanted to link him with Guinevere, who was practically already set for marriage.

 

Perhaps he just meant a close friendship?

 

Before she could ask for details, Guinevere drove the point home.

 

“In Britain, you can’t officially have a concubine, right? But you know how some men secretly, yet openly, keep women on the side? With that intention, he tried to subtly get Agravain and me to meet. After I shot him down, he gave up.”

 

Hmm. Should she say that was a very Guinevere-like way of handling it?

 

Taken aback by the unexpected news, Morgan lightly bit her parched lips and replied.

 

“But then, it wouldn’t be officially recognized.”

 

“The status of the Marquis’s house would change. He’s that blinded by power, the Right Marquis.”

 

He seemed that way on the surface, but it appeared he was even more unscrupulous than she thought.

 

Morgana took a deep breath and asked again.

 

“Then who is that woman…?”

 

Lune, who had been flinching every time someone’s name was mentioned beside her, hastily explained as if asserting her innocence.

 

“Well, that… There was a lady who wore a perfume that was sweet but had a heavy base note!”

 

“…”

 

What does that mean…?

 

The words of a genius related to scent were too difficult for ordinary people to understand.

 

Seeing one of Guinevere’s eyebrows twitch, it seemed she had no idea what it meant either.

 

“What kind of scent is that?”

 

“It was a sweet yet subtly provocative, that kind of scent… It was my first time smelling it, so I don’t know what it’s made from. But it’s true! You’d know if you smelled it!”