CHAPTER 16: FRAGRANCE

As they approached, the lady took a seat, and Julian could clearly smell a sweet bodily fragrance. The nature of the questions being asked made it difficult for anyone to answer without embarrassment. His face flushed red, and the more he tried to hide it, the more obvious it became.

At first, the questions were manageable—family background, age, how he met Losiya—but then he was asked things that left him speechless.

"Have you considered how many children you’d want?"

"Losiya has a stronger personality—you’ll need to be more understanding of her."

"Have you thought about when you’ll officially get married?"

Losiya’s eyelid twitched, and she quickly grabbed the lady Catherine’s arm, forcibly redirecting her attention.

"Aunt, I actually came to ask you for a favor."

"Go ahead," Lady Catherine said, finally focusing.

Julian let out a sigh. Suddenly, a hand extended toward him, offering a clean handkerchief.

Looking up, he saw Alice smiling gently at him.

"What do you think of the lady?"

"She’s a very gentle person."

"Why do you say that?"

"From beginning to end, she treated me like a regular boy. She didn’t ask about my background, appearance, or attire. I think... she was just trying to avoid making me feel uncomfortable." Julian spoke softly.

"Maybe it’s because you’re such a good person that everyone ends up liking you." Alice smiled faintly.

Julian met Alice’s smiling eyes and felt a tinge of awkwardness. He took the handkerchief and wiped his forehead clean. Just as he was about to return it, he realized Alice had already disappeared.

Glancing at Losiya still speaking with Catherine, he quietly folded the handkerchief and tucked it into his clothes.

"Should we have little Alice check the room again?" Catherine asked.

"Good idea," Losiya said, glancing toward Alice’s room.

Alice stood by the window, eyes closed. Her long hair floated silently in the air.

Catherine and Losiya both focused intently. Julian followed their gaze curiously.

Suddenly, a black shadow appeared in the room!

The figure clearly had the shape of a young girl, walking toward Catherine’s bedside.

Catherine’s gaze grew more serious, and the blue of both her and Losiya’s eyes slowly deepened into a darker hue.

The girl reached out toward the flower vase on the bedside table.

All three stared intently as she slowly placed something inside.

Losiya stepped forward and directly poured out the contents of the vase.

Within the liquid remained traces of undissolved powder. Using a small flute-like tool, Losiya carefully gathered a bit and brought it to her nose. A faint fragrance entered her body. Since she was in Holy mark mode, she wasn’t affected—but she could clearly sense the aroma contained a hypnotic and addictive quality.

Catherine joined Losiya, her eyes frosty. Instantly, the liquid in the vase turned to frost flowers and then shattered into nothing.

"Enie was probably threatened," Alice said hesitantly as she approached.

"I’m not defending her, but I know her nature. She’s gentle—and far more timid than most. Even if her life was in danger, she wouldn’t dare to betray me by doing something like this." Alice’s calm tone hinted at how thoroughly she managed the maids in the estate.

"Lady, you said your wound was from the battle against the Phantom Bloom?"

Catherine nodded. "And it’s not a physical wound. The toxin is inside me. Little Losiya’s Holy mark can only suppress it."

After using the Holy mark, her face turned pale again, and her aura visibly weakened. If not for her Saint-level magic power, she wouldn’t even be able to maintain her appearance—she’d have already looked like someone on their deathbed.

"At first, I doubted it," she continued. "The Phantom Bloom I fought wasn’t even Saint-tier. How could its poison be more dangerous than a Saint-level cursed beast? The upper-level Holy mark can even dispel curses—yet it can’t remove this?"

"Desmond’s fragrance house?" Losiya suddenly reacted.

"I’ve heard rumors," Alice said slowly. "Desmond’s house has almost completely stopped supplying incense. Many in the empire have become moody, unstable... or incredibly fragile."

"And fragile people all have one thing in common: they become dependent—especially on external things."

"Then... Lady Catherine—"

"The reason Lady Catherine’s poison can’t be fully removed," Alice said, "might be because this room isn’t even clean to begin with. I suspect Desmond’s fragrance house used Phantom Bloom as an ingredient. Its toxins are extremely tenacious. Even slight exposure can cause rapid growth. Truly cunning."

"They must be mad," Losiya said, unable to comprehend Desmond’s actions. "Once this is exposed, how could a mere count’s house survive the empire’s wrath?"

"As long as they don’t get caught," Alice said coldly.

"In fact, if you and Julian hadn’t randomly decided to take a walk today and stumbled upon this, we never would’ve known the truth."

Then she smiled at Julian. "Julian, you really are our lucky star."

Julian shook his head without replying.

"Let’s wait for Enie to return. There’s not much we can do right now."

"But even if we solve the problem, the poison still can’t be completely removed?" Losiya asked, unwilling to accept it.

Catherine shook her head. Her face showed no sign of distress—instead, she gently comforted Losiya.

"By the time I returned, the poison had already taken root. Back then, I might’ve had a chance, but now... it’s too late."

"Your mother still hasn’t replied?"

"No... even though she’s a Grand Duchess, her talents are not as strong as mine. Don’t take it personally." Her tone carried a hint of humor despite the grim topic.

Losiya fell silent, unsure how to continue.

They needed to awaken Julian’s Holy mark, and for that, they required Catherine’s Starspace Holy mark to mask the aura of the estate. Otherwise, the Church would surely notice. But now the poison within her seemed far more severe than anyone had imagined. Losiya didn’t even know how to ask.

Alice, however, didn’t hesitate. She stepped forward and calmly explained to Catherine everything she and Losiya had discussed the night before.

Losiya felt a bit ashamed—deep down, she realized that in moments when she needed to be decisive, it was always Alice who made the choice for her.

"Upper-level Holy mark?" Lady Catherine looked at Julian in surprise.

The mature grace she usually carried momentarily vanished, replaced by a childlike curiosity. She hesitated as she looked at Julian, as if considering whether to conduct an on-the-spot *test*.