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Chapter 8
‘Wait, hold on. Why is the window open?’
Distracted by an unfamiliar scent, I realized it a beat too late.
Against the backdrop of early summer greenery and a deep navy night sky, a boy stood there.
He had eyes like summer, yet carried a lonely atmosphere that suited winter just as well. When he saw me, he looked as if he had just woken from deep thought.
“…Ah.”
Helios let out a short sound, almost like a sigh. He looked like someone who had just snapped out of a dream.
I walked toward him, slightly dumbfounded, and scolded him.
“Why is the window open when you’re sick? Are you trying to get worse?”
“…It was hot. I just wanted to clear my head.”
“The wind is strong. Even if it’s summer, you shouldn’t do this. You’ll only make yourself sicker by getting hit by cold air.”
I closed the window and put my hands on my hips, frowning.
“If you don’t want to die from being sick, don’t do things like this.”
“…It’s been a while.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Helios muttered something under his breath and looked like a completely unfamiliar person for a moment.
But when I looked again, that strange feeling was gone as if it had never been there.
Instead, he grumbled in a tone that sounded almost sulky.
“Why are you only coming now?”
“What do you mean, ‘why now’?”
“You’re late. You left before I even woke up.”
His eyes, pretty like wild strawberries, were filled with mild disappointment.
Not knowing how to respond, I hesitated, opening and closing my mouth before shutting it again.
Ah. So no one has been taking care of him.
That was careless of me.
Had he even eaten?
As soon as that thought crossed my mind, a growling sound echoed from Helios’s stomach.
“…!”
“….”
I pressed a hand to my forehead and silently scolded myself again.
Helios lowered his head, his ears turning red.
“Cough. A late-night snack… want one?”
“…Yeah.”
“Since Richard is here today, all the maids are in the dining hall. Even my personal maid is there… I’ll go to the kitchen myself. Wait a bit.”
That was true, but I also said it to comfort him.
He would be embarrassed by that stomach noise, after all.
A little later.
Helios was eating the sandwich I brought him with clear enjoyment.
It was made of two slices of bread, strawberry jam, salty smoked ham and cheese, with boiled egg mashed inside. He seemed to like it.
He even drank the soup by lifting the bowl, clearly lacking proper etiquette.
“You got some here.”
Still, I didn’t point it out.
“Here?”
“Yeah, here. I’ll wipe it.”
For now, I needed to lower his guard and get closer to him.
I took out a handkerchief and wiped the strawberry jam from his lips.
During this, Helios stayed obediently still. He looked like a rabbit that had eaten too much hay and gone soft.
He was cute—but also clearly lacked proper noble etiquette.
A duke’s child shouldn’t sit so casually like that.
“I guess I should start teaching you soon.”
“What do I need to learn?”
“I’ll teach you everything you need to know.”
The viscount probably thought I knew nothing about the House of Izef.
He hadn’t even told me why I had to educate Helios.
But I knew.
At this upcoming New Year’s Festival, the viscount would officially announce the heir of the ruined Duke House of Izef.
At the same time, he would declare that his daughter was already married to him, and that the Sashe family had risen one level higher.
To become a higher-ranking noble family he had always desired.
“I don’t want to study. I don’t even know how.”
“I’ll teach you step by step. It’s not difficult.”
“Hm.”
Now, how do I handle this kid?
Given his rough upbringing, it made sense he hated studying.
But…
You’ll be good at it.
In Babylon, there were five noble regions and four ducal houses.
The central nobles: Laigheron.
Northern nobles led by swordsmanship: Noyard.
Eastern nobles led by commerce: Taren.
Southern nobles led by magic: Esical.
And the western nobles led by magitech: Izef…
But in reality, the western noble region no longer truly existed.
The Izef family was said to be geniuses in mathematics. Every member was a physicist and magitech engineer.
After thinking briefly, I pulled out a perfume bottle.
“Want to try this?”
I didn’t expect much.
Just enough that this perfume would listen to me.
“I made it myself.”
“Perfume?”
“Yeah. I made it thinking of you. A gift.”
That wasn’t a lie.
Just half-truths.
Helios looked at it suspiciously but eventually took it.
“I’ll spray it since you gave me food.”
He said it bluntly, but complied.
Shh—!
As the perfume sprayed, a rich scent of apple and caramel spread around Helios.
Perfume is interesting.
It changes depending on the person wearing it and their body scent.
Sometimes it becomes richer, sometimes fresher.
Sometimes it even gets swallowed by the person’s natural scent.
So the same perfume smells different depending on who wears it.
And in Helios’s case…
“…Tarte Tatin?”
That smells delicious.
“Tarte Tatin?”
“Ah, no. It just became sweeter somehow…”
It felt like softened butter in a glass bowl.
Cracking an egg, adding only the yolk, mixing finely sifted flour, kneading until soft dough formed…
Then apple compote on top, cinnamon powder…
Caramel sauce made from melted sugar and butter…
Warm, baked pastry forming a soft tart.
Why am I imagining this?
I snapped back to reality, overwhelmed.
This perfume suited Helios perfectly.
So perfectly that I couldn’t imagine anyone else wearing it.
Unlike “Angelo Illimita,” which I had made without thinking of Amon specifically, this one felt different.
This is almost emotional.
I held my chest and sighed happily.
Meanwhile, Helios was sniffing his wrist quietly.
I waited, expecting something magical to happen—but nothing did.
Right. I shouldn’t expect every perfume to cause some special effect.
Still a bit disappointed, but not really upset.
I was simply happy that I had created something so perfect for someone.
Maybe I really could pursue this in the future.
If I became a perfumer, I wouldn’t have to worry about survival.
If I escaped this family, I could settle in a quiet seaside town.
I already had quite a bit of savings from selling “Angelo Illimita.”
Buy a small house… clean it myself… decorate it… maybe that would be nice…
My head started spinning.
The side effects of making three perfumes in a row were catching up to me.
I needed to lie down immediately.
“Thank you.”
Then Helios suddenly bowed his head slightly and murmured something.
His eyes looked a little red.
“This is… my first gift in my life.”
“…Ah.”
“I’ll treasure it. It’s too precious to use…”
