Chapter 45. A Faint and Tender Scent

Julian Berstein Frederick had one fatal flaw.

His sense of smell was overly sensitive.

Perhaps it was because he had been tormented by all kinds of scents and odors since childhood? But no matter how sweet the scent was, he was sick of it. Whether it was natural or artificial—sometimes he wanted to cut off his nose because his sense of smell was so bothersome.

If his problem was simply ‘sensitive smell,’ it might have been manageable. But the issue was that his sense of smell was ‘not normal.’

The scents he perceived from people were not from perfume, soap, sweat, or secretions. He realized this at about nine years old. Morpheus Besnard, the tutor to the four Frederick siblings, had seen through Julian’s ‘unusual sense of smell.’ Julian could still vividly recall the words the old man had said.

“Prince Julian, you can smell the unique scents of people’s natures. Or perhaps, their stench.”

“What does that mean? Does that make me a mage?”

People with strange abilities were often suspected of being mages. Smelling the unique scents of people’s natures—was that his magic? But old Morpheus shook his head and explained differently.

“No, it’s not. Even without magic, some people are born with extraordinary senses. Some have such excellent vision that they can see birds flying far in the sky, and some have reflexes like ghosts. Prince Julian, you have a special sense of smell, like magic.”

Even hearing that it was special like magic didn’t make Julian happy. What use was such a sensitive sense of smell? Listening to Morpheus, Julian thought of his monstrous second brother, Enoch, and his superhuman physical abilities.

If what the old man Morpheus said was true, then Enoch was also born with ‘extraordinary senses different from normal people.’ Of course, even without that, Enoch was a genius. There was nothing he couldn’t do if he set his mind to it, no martial art he couldn’t master, and no field of study he couldn’t excel in.

Was it because Julian envied Enoch? Julian inevitably compared himself to Enoch. When Julian realized his sense of smell was different from others, he felt a sense of deprivation. Even his exceptional trait was something so useless… I must be cursed by the goddess of fortune. That thought remained unchanged even now.

“His Grace, Duke Julian Berstein, has arrived!”

As the doorman announced his entrance into the ballroom, Julian could pick up a familiar scent amidst the chaotic mix of various body odors.

The smell of black cardamom, orchid, and agarwood. Pungent, fragrant, sweet, and at the same time, heavy and refreshing, like the scent of a forest.

It was the unique body odor of his beloved second brother.

Even the cologne he used had a similar scent, so it couldn’t be masked by artificial fragrances.

Taste follows character, it seems. Julian smirked crookedly as he glanced around the hall. Ah, the same annoying faces as always.

Euclaire, who had been one of the most popular opera singers a year ago, hesitated and stiffened upon spotting her former rival, Lady Mulburn, a marquis’s daughter. Euclaire had retired and been abandoned by her lover, who was now engaged to that plain-looking woman, Lady Mulburn.

Clicking his tongue briefly, Julian casually patted Euclaire’s back to comfort her. As her tension gradually eased, Julian detected a particularly unique scent amidst the overwhelming waves of body odors.

It was a scent he had never encountered before.

What is this scent? He instinctively turned his head to follow the scent. And then—almost as if it were fate—the owner of that scent immediately caught his eye.

The woman with light brown hair and water-colored eyes looked as fragile as a blue wildflower swaying in the wind. That peculiar atmosphere seemed to set her apart from others. She was different. And somehow—familiar. Had he seen her somewhere before?

Julian furrowed his brows slightly. It didn’t take long for him to realize who she was. His hummingbird, Euclaire, whispered softly to him.

“She is Lady Ellenore Lopez, the fiancée of His Highness the Grand Duke of Bayern…”

Ah. Julian muttered softly as he finally recalled that face. No wonder she looked familiar. It was the face he had seen in a recent weekly magazine.

The fiancée of the Grand Duke.

While Julian was away on his cruise, his second brother had apparently done something quite amusing. He had fallen for a lady from a declining noble family, staged a kidnapping, and even announced their engagement. It was truly an uncharacteristic and absurd act for Enoch Bayern.

It was probably a staged play with Henry, or perhaps a scandal Enoch had orchestrated on his own to defy Henry’s wishes. Julian knew well what kind of people his two brothers were. But this woman…

What about her? How did she get caught up in Enoch’s scam? Was she an accomplice? Or a victim?

As soon as his eyes met hers, Julian reflexively smiled. His decision was quick. He started walking straight towards her. If you’re curious, find out for yourself.

As he got closer to the woman, her unique, clear scent became more pronounced. Julian could now describe the scent specifically. It was the scent of lilacs, lilies of the valley, and grass. But it wasn’t the common floral scent; it was a faint and tender scent, like flowers soaked in rain.

Reaching the woman, Julian smiled and spoke.

“You’re Miss Ellenore Lopez, right?”

To say he wasn’t intrigued would be a lie.

* * *

I felt strong pressure on my shoulder. I glanced upward again. His golden, ice-like eyes were emitting a cold chill.

I didn’t know exactly, but Enoch seemed angry. I didn’t know why or how much, but one thing was certain: this situation was suffocatingly uncomfortable. I naturally recalled the incident at the Lopez estate. Back then, he… was so terrifying that just meeting his eyes made me tremble.

But this time the situation was different, so he probably wasn’t as angry as then. Such a thing wouldn’t happen again… probably.

“Oh, sorry. I must still be hungover from last night’s drinks. How rude of me to call you without an honorific. My apologies, Brother Enoch. Is this better? Surely the great Grand Duke wouldn’t be furious just because his brother omitted an honorific, right? That would be too petty. Don’t you think?”

Julian Berstein seemed to have a natural talent for getting under people’s skin. Enoch was silently staring at him, smiling with his mouth but with eyes as cold as ice. If this weren’t a ballroom, fists might have flown.

Of course, he wouldn’t unleash the same ruthless violence he had on Anderson. After all, these two were brothers, even if they were nothing alike.

“I’m not angry over something as trivial as an honorific.”

Enoch spoke quietly. His voice, like the low resonance of a brass instrument, was calm, but it carried a cold anger that made my heart shiver. I glanced nervously between him and Duke Berstein. I hoped Julian would stop provoking him… but it didn’t seem likely.

“Really? Then why are you looking at me like you want to teach me a lesson? Ah, is it because of this young lady? You really fell for her, didn’t you? A cold-blooded person like you?”

Duke Berstein continued to taunt him, brushing his nearly shoulder-length platinum blonde hair roughly. His grey eyes, reflecting the sunlight, glared at Enoch.

When those eyes suddenly turned to me, I felt like I glimpsed a fragment of some emotion.

“Of course.”

Enoch smiled broadly. This time, his eyes curved beautifully like crescent moons. But it was clearly a forced smile.

“I fell in love at first sight.”

Then something unbelievable happened.

He leaned in and lightly kissed my cheek.

Something soft and warm touched my skin briefly and then left.

I was so shocked that I froze with my eyes wide open, but I quickly regained my composure at an impressive speed. I needed to stay calm. Act natural. If I appeared awkward with his touch, people would find it strange. My heart was pounding wildly, but I forced a smile and looked at Enoch. …Surely, I don’t have to kiss your cheek too, right?

“…Enoch Bayern must have finally lost his mind.”

After a long pause, Julian Berstein muttered, looking somewhat dazed. Enoch’s kiss seemed to have shocked him. I had a rough idea why…

“Brother, you hate touching other people because of your severe misanthropy. But now, what? You pressed your lips to her cheek? That can only be explained by madness. —Right, Angela?”

As if sensing someone’s presence nearby, Julian turned and called out that name. Naturally, my gaze followed. —Indeed, Angela Besnard was standing there demurely. Her face wore a perfectly serene mask.

She spoke with a soft, painted smile.

“Julian. It’s rude to speak to Enoch like that. You should use kind words.”

Like her name ‘Angela,’ she seemed angelic. At least, on the surface.