CHAPTER 495: PERFUME TYCOON (2)

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It would be excessively greedy of her if he were to monopolize Siwoo.

Hence why Sharon maintained a fairly healthy friendship with the twins despite their constant bickering, and even helped Duke Tiphereth, who was clueless about romance, to prepare for her dates.

But that didn’t mean she was some kind of saint who’d just sit back and watch Siwoo getting cozy with another woman right in front of her.

Especially when that woman was the woman she was quite distant with, Amelia.

Perhaps it was because she hadn’t spent much time with her, or because she had seen how Amelia had put Siwoo in danger firsthand.

Regardless, she had promised herself that she’d apologize to Amelia at least once.

After all, when Amelia had come to seek forgiveness, Sharon had acted childishly, rubbing her relationship with Siwoo in her face instead of just accepting the apology like an adult.

So, as a way of making up for it, not only had she planned to apologize, she also had gone out of her way to reserve a bottle of Amelia’s famously expensive perfume.

But the second she spotted Amelia leaning in to kiss Siwoo through the door crack, she couldn’t hold back her temper and barged in to interrupt them.

She didn’t even need a mirror to know that she must look downright pissed right now.

“...”

A thick silence hung in the air.

Sharon stepped forward and sat across from Amelia.

Their gazes locked as tension between them grew sharp, as if they were about to square off over a Witch Board game.

Meanwhile Siwoo, completely clueless about what was going on, stood awkwardly between them.

Even though both women had agreed to share him, getting caught about to kiss one woman right in front of another was bound to make him feel uneasy.

Neither of them lashed out at him, nor did they start raising their voices, but the pressure in the air was suffocating him.

It was Amelia who broke the silence first.

Without even sparing Sharon a glance, she gave a curt, businesslike order.

“Assistant, prepare the scent-testing boards.”

“Got it. Sharon, let me know if you want something to drink.”

“I’m good, thanks.”

Following Amelia’s instructions, Siwoo retrieved a box from behind the counter and laid it out in front of Sharon.

Amelia’s perfumes were all custom-made.

She took everything into account in making it; her client’s usual style, their preferred colors, their natural scent, their skin’s temperature and pH balance, and even the subtle mana waves they emitted.

With so many factors in play, the possible fragrance combinations were practically infinite.

Just because Amelia thought that a scent would suit someone it didn’t necessarily mean they’d agree with her judgment.

That was why the scent testing process was important. It allowed the client to rule out scents they disliked, narrow down the ones they liked, and ultimately create a perfume that truly fit them.

But for Sharon, who had been drowning in debt ever since inheriting her brand...

She had been living with the mindset that a splash of basic lotion was plenty for a woman, so she’d never bother with anything like this.

“...”

She took in the neatly arranged rows of small white handkerchiefs and tiny glass ampoules in front of her while tilting her head.

Siwoo handed her a pen and a grading sheet, explaining the process.

“I’ll spray different scents on each one. Just rate them from 0 to 20, depending on how much you like or dislike them.”

“Alright, thanks. I’ll give it a try.”

With Siwoo’s guidance, Sharon finally started the scent-testing process.

When she first walked in, she was ready to cause a scene, but now, surrounded by all these pleasant fragrances, she found herself unexpectedly calming down.

Perhaps she was experiencing the so-called aromatherapy.

Having done this countless times, Siwoo moved with practiced ease as he sprayed different scents onto the small handkerchiefs and handed them to Sharon one by one.

First came the Floral Bouquet, a blend of soft, classic flower scents.

Then, the Fruity Scents, carrying the lively sweetness of fresh-picked fruits.

Next was the Citrus Family, bursting with the crisp zest of lime, orange, and tangerine.

The Green Category that had a base of grass and moss scents.

The Woody Category that carried the rich aroma of various types of wood.

The Chypre Category that smelled like dew-kissed leaves that had been slightly scorched.

The Powdery scent, a favorite of Countess Yesod.

Then came the Aqua and Oceanic Scent, filled with the refreshing scent of water or the salty tang of the sea.

There were also Oriental Scents with an exotic sensuality, Spicy Scents with hints of rich spices, Tobacco-Leather Scents that carried the musky aroma of tobacco and leather, and Gourmand Fragrances that smelled like sweet desserts.

Other categories included Fougère and Musk.

By the time Sharon had sniffed and rated every single scent, more than thirty minutes had passed.

“Siwoo, Orange P3, Bergamot R2, Lime R22, Iris P2, Resin O4...”

Amelia took the results sheet from Siwoo and recited dozens of scents back to him.

“...Prepare those ones, please.”

“Okay.”

Siwoo, confident in his memory, quickly memorized the list and headed up to the storage room.

Only after Siwoo left did Sharon and Amelia properly exchange greetings.

“It’s been a while, Ms. Sharon.”

“It indeed has, Ms. Amelia.”

“Come, have a seat over here.”

Amelia gestured to a chair behind the counter.

Sharon got up and did as she was told.

Behind the counter, rows of essential oils sat in delicate glass bottles, making the shelf look more like an alchemist’s lab or a bartender’s display case.

“You have a specific taste. What do you usually wear?”

What surprised Sharon the most was how calm Amelia was toward her.

The last time they’d met, she’d been eager to please but unsure, and there was a sense of urgency, like she was being chased.

But now, just a few days later, there wasn’t even a trace of that attitude left.

She met Sharon’s gaze head-on completely unfazed. Her gestures and tone oozed with great confidence.

It was like she had become a whole new person.

Confidence always comes from something.

Since that was the case, what was it that made her change so much?

“As you can see, I’m just wearing what I usually wear.”

“The last time we met, you dressed more casually.”

“That was because I was in class.”

Actually, the dress Sharon was wearing was the most expensive one she owned. She got it custom-made at Flora’s Tailor Shop just two days ago.

Of course, she wasn’t dumb enough to let that slip.

Instead, she kept her cool, carefully observing Amelia.

“You seem like you want to ask something.”

Sharon snapped out of her thoughts, realizing Amelia had been watching her the whole time.

“You and Siwoo seem a bit distant. You call him ‘Assistant’ and talk to him so formally.”

Sharon knew Amelia was more sensitive than she let on.

But Amelia’s sudden change caught her off guard, and her words came out sharper than intended.

Even her tone had a mocking edge in it.

Yet Amelia remained unfazed as she continued jotting something down on a piece of paper.

“Is that how it looks?”

“...”

What the hell?

The Amelia who used to get all flustered at the slightest jab was gone.

Leaving the Amelia who seemingly unfazed by anything, making her feel like she was hitting a really thick blanket.

“What happened?”

Sharon could feel her heart pounding.

Men and women could become incredibly close in just one night.

She knew firsthand how even the smallest thing could shift a relationship completely.

Now she realized that playing passive without planning out anything might just have been a great mistake.

“Ms. Sharon’s advice last time was quite helpful. Siwoo seemed to like it a lot.”

“Advice?”

She didn’t remember giving any advice.

All she had done was bragging about her relationship with Siwoo, exchanging some rather shameless conversations with her.

About how he liked tits, how he was more than happy to fuck her with his face buried in her chest, how he’d do a lot of things, even fuck her outdoors...

Her reckless words jabbed at Amelia’s insecurities, and in the end, Amelia had practically run away.

The difference in their time with Siwoo meant the gap between them was massive.

It wasn’t like Amelia’s breasts had suddenly gotten bigger either.

So what exactly had she done in such a short time?

“Excuse me.”

At that moment...

Amelia’s upper body leaned toward Sharon

“Wha...!”

Amelia gently grasped Sharon’s wrist, startling her. She leaned in, drawing her face closer.

Even to another woman, Amelia looked stunning, like a fairy

There was a dreamlike air about her, a mysterious charm woven into her calm demeanor.

Her raw, mesmerizing allure was so intense that even another woman could fall for her, and Sharon was no different as she stiffened in shock.

Is she maybe...?

Trying to kiss me?

But Siwoo is upstairs!

Sharon’s imagination spiraled out of control.

‘From the moment I first saw you, I fell in love with you at first sight. Siwoo? I forgot about him ages ago.’

‘Right now, it’s just the two of us here. Just for a moment... Let me rest on your beautiful lips, just for a moment.’

It wasn’t that far-fetched of a thought.

Witches had a surprisingly high number of lesbians.

She had experienced it firsthand even with that crazy bitch who was lusting after her body for ages, Della Redcliffe.

But no matter how gorgeous Amelia was, Sharon had Siwoo.

Amelia hovered near Sharon’s neck, keeping her trapped in place.

The sound of her breathing tickled Sharon’s ear.

Just when she was debating whether to push her away, Amelia let go of her shoulders.

“Ms. Sharon, your body is undeniably feminine and attractive. It has a charm that I don’t.”

Amelia’s voice was a low whisper against Sharon’s ear.

“But I can give Siwoo something more. Don’t fool yourself into thinking things will play out the way they did last time.”

After she muttered that near her neck, Amelia straightened up and started sniffing Sharon’s wrist, hair, and other spots on her body.

Only then did Sharon realize that Amelia was gathering information to create a custom perfume for her.

She had been caught off guard by Amelia’s sultry move and lost the upper hand for a moment there, but she wasn’t about to just sit there and take it.

Sharon snapped back to her senses and shot her a sharp glare.

“What the hell did you do to get so damn smug? You’re practically itching to brag, so why not just spit it out?”

“Just a simple thing.”

Amelia was about to go off about her accomplishments like last time but suddenly clamped her mouth shut.

“...”

She’d clearly found something Siwoo really enjoyed, and they’d done all sorts of things, but now, trying to explain it to Sharon, it felt like the most embarrassing kink imaginable.

If she’d just purred like a horny kitty or moaned ‘Ah, ah’ outdoors, she wouldn’t care about it that much.

But a cleaning demonstration, using her body as a sex ed prop, and professor roleplay?

How the hell was she supposed to explain that?

“...A-Ahem. This and that.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? You told me everything before! I told you all my stories too!”

“I just...did something incredible! Something so amazing that you could ne~ver pull it off!”

After making me all anxious, now she wants to keep things hush-hush?

Now that’s just plain unfair!

Sharon could feel her irritation towards Amelia rising.

She swept her bangs back roughly and said.

“Whatever. I’ll just ask him myself tonight.”

“What?!”

Amelia’s jaw dropped at Sharon’s bombshell.

Ask Siwoo directly? At night?

Knowing Siwoo, Amelia knew that he wouldn’t spill everything about matters that concerned her dignity.

It was Sharon’s extreme idea that left her so bewildered.

“What’s with that response? I think I’ve been very accommodating to you, Ms. Amelia. What, are you trying to monopolize him forever? Siwoo doesn’t belong to you.”

“I know that... But...! Siwoo and I already have plans tonight. Also, prying about another lover while you’re in bed? That’s something only a slut would do.”

“You’re one to talk! You’ve had him all to yourself for weeks. You should know when to back off!”

“You said you spent several months with him, Ms. Sharon.”

“At least I didn’t try to monopolize someone else’s share!”

The initial polite reconnaissance ended in an instant.

As their personalities clearly didn’t match well, the two women began to really heat up.

Amelia quickly finished assessing Sharon’s scent before continuing.

“Alright, let’s settle it this way then.”

“What way?”

“Let Siwoo decide. We’ll discuss future arrangements later, but for now, let him decide who he’s going to spend the night with.”

“That’s way more in your favor, Ms. Amelia!”

If Amelia thought that was fair, she was truly stupid.

Sharon furrowed her brows and snapped.

“In my favor? What are you talking about? I’m just being fair...”

“You know Siwoo is trying to especially take care of you right now, don’t you? How dare you say such words to me. Besides, who was it that made Siwoo go through all that hardship in the first place—”

When she noticed Amelia’s expression stiffened, Sharon covered her mouth, realizing her mistake.

But it was already too late.