Chapter 301: Perfume
“—Yes, of course, ma’am. This is a brand-new line from a foreign country. Just look at the packaging, you can tell it’s much more refined than the one from last time.”
“As for the price… at least this much. It’s made with rare and precious ingredients. If you insist on bargaining… Oh? You’re buying all of them? You’re so straightforward! You trust my taste, this batch of perfume is sure to sell well.”
“A gift for a friend? Haha, you’re really kind. I wish you good luck with your business, Miss Liliana.”
………
………
Today was a rare sunny day, perfect for sunbathing.
Just like before, Armand sat on a bench in the garden, enjoying one of the few remaining warm autumn days.
The flowers around him had all withered. None had survived the chilly season. That left Armand sitting there quietly, eyes closed, surrounded by dry branches, not much to look at.
There were still things he needed to take care of… like finalizing the menu for the engagement party.
Even though the engagement wouldn’t be a grand, extravagant affair, Armand had still given himself plenty of time to prepare the dishes. He also wanted to give the chefs, who were all nervous because of Carle’s upcoming visit, enough time to come up with something that would satisfy the top figure in the food industry. But now, it was time for Armand himself to think seriously and get everything ready.
“Haa…”
Unfortunately, Armand wasn’t very experienced with cooking.
He could make basic dishes, and thanks to his past training, he knew how to turn strange wild ingredients into something edible. But when it came to fancy cuisine, he didn’t know much.
Even back at the manor, Armand ate very simply. After Evelia took over preparing his meals, things became even plainer. It was tomato sauce every day, so much that he felt like he was becoming tomato sauce himself.
But well, no matter what, since the food was made by his wife, he liked it all anyway.
The problem was with the other dishes.
When he was younger, his parents weren’t the type to spend money carelessly, so the family meals were always plain. Then, when he was brought to the House of Nightingales, things weren’t any better. Later, when he was in the knight order’s barracks, he just ate whatever was available. Now, with his stomach already in bad shape, he couldn’t handle fancy or rich foods at all.
“…Poor stomach, I’ve really treated you badly.”
Thinking about it now, if he ended up dying without ever having tasted anything truly delicious, that’d be a real shame.
There’s a saying, “Even if you die, die on a full stomach.” But the way things were going, even if he was close to death, he probably wouldn’t be able to eat much.
Years of eating plain food had become a habit. Trying to eat anything too spicy or greasy just didn’t sit well anymore. Like the tomato dishes Evelia had made before. She enjoyed them, but he just couldn’t accept them.
Now his taste buds had been completely reshaped by Evelia… but even so, he still couldn’t handle anything too stimulating.
But Carle was coming… he couldn’t exactly serve him nothing but plain soup and tomato sauce at the banquet.
“Mr. Armand? So here you are.”
Just as Armand was struggling with all these thoughts, his personal “chef” Evelia popped up.
She could always find Armand, no matter where or when.
Maybe it was because she paid attention to the places Armand liked to go. Or maybe they were just in sync.
After returning from Anna’s place, Evelia easily found Armand, who had hidden himself in the garden to sunbathe.
“Are you resting here?”
Even though she was now Armand’s lover, she hadn’t shaken off her habits from being a maid. She gave him a polite bow before sitting down next to him.
Armand had told her many times not to worry about formality, and had even said that in private, she didn’t need to call him things like “Mr.” which sounded too serious. But Evelia seemed to enjoy calling him that anyway.
It was like… whenever she called Armand “Mr,” she could feel that he was still right beside her, as if she were still his maid, still his fiancée.
“Mm… just getting some sun. The weather’s nice today.”
“Yeah, it’s rare to have such warm sunshine.”
Evelia sat down beside Armand and enjoyed the rare warmth. She looked at him, still and only tilting his head up, and quietly scooted closer to lean against him.
Armand also shifted his position a bit to help her rest more comfortably on him.
“Did you change your perfume?”
When Evelia leaned in close, Armand noticed the scent of her perfume.
It was still very light, and it seemed even lighter than before.
Armand considered himself quite sensitive to smells, but this time, he hadn’t noticed the scent until Evelia was right next to him, leaning on him.
“Mm, I went to Anna’s place.”
Because they were preparing for the engagement party, Evelia had gone to Anna’s to look for a dress to wear.
Although she said she was going to buy something, knowing Anna’s personality, those clothes were definitely given to her as gifts. And not just one set, Anna gave her ten full outfits, complete with accessories from head to toe. She even showed Evelia dozens of wedding dress designs she had prepared, which made Evelia feel completely overwhelmed.
It was clear that Anna was really excited about Evelia’s wedding. She even wanted to call back the author Clund, who was away on a book signing tour, just to write a blessing for Evelia and Armand’s wedding.
As for the new perfume Evelia was wearing, that was also a gift from Anna. She said it was a high-end brand from another country and asked Evelia to try it out and see which scent she and Armand liked best. That way, she could get more of it for Evelia.
“Does Mr. Armand like this scent?”
“Hmm…”
Armand let out a quiet sound as the faint scent filled his nose. Even though the smell was light, once he noticed it, his throat suddenly felt a bit cool and itchy.
Maybe the weather was too cold, and the chilly air had gotten into his throat?
That’s what Armand figured as he nodded.
“I like all of them. If it’s on Eve, there’s nothing I don’t like.”
Armand smiled and nodded, saying words that were sweeter than usual.
“Mmm… I see.”
Evelia leaned into Armand and rubbed her head lightly against his arm.
“In that case, I’ll have to leave more of my scent on Mr. Armand… You won’t dislike it, right?”
“Of course not. How could I dislike Eve?”
If Rachel were here, she’d probably complain again about how unbearably lovey-dovey the two of them were being.
But that little one was clearly much busier now. She was too focused on staying alive to worry about this sappy couple.
“Oh, right—Eve, have you decided on the menu yet?”
While hugging the adorable Evelia close, Armand asked her about the engagement party.
“The menu? You mean…?”
“The engagement party. Since it’s happening next month, even though the ceremony will be simple, we still need a thoughtful menu to make sure Carle and the others are happy.”
“Huh?” Evelia tilted her head and looked at Armand with some confusion. “Didn’t we already give the menu to the kitchen last week? And isn’t the party happening next week? Did it get postponed?”
“…?”
Hearing that, Armand clearly froze in place.