Chapter 72
When Scarlet returned home, she was greeted with some good news. One of the artisans from Factory 1, who had been previously fired, Joanna, arrived at the shop dressed elegantly to deliver the news.
Scarlet, seeing Joanna enjoying a leisurely moment while drinking the tea Andrei had prepared, brightened up and said:
“Joanna! How did you come dressed so wonderfully?”
“I have something to show you.”
Joanna said this and proudly revealed something. She took out two watches and some documents from her bag.
Before speaking with Scarlet, Joanna addressed Andrei.
“By the way, the tea is really good, Andrei. Thank you.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Andrei smiled.
Normally, Andrei would always scold Scarlet to focus on work, but when it came to hospitality, he was flawless.
As Scarlet sat down, Joanna opened the documents and said:
“This side shows the results of our evaluation, and this side… contains the documents signed by several members of the Crimson family.”
“Members of the Crimson family actually gave their approval?”
“This is so clearly reflected in the results.”
Scarlet checked the documents Joanna had given her.
The Crimson parts made by Scarlet and those made by Evill were different in every aspect. Scarlet’s watches were lighter, more precise, and above all, far more durable. In various durability tests, including drop impacts, Scarlet’s Crimson parts were overwhelmingly superior.
Handing over the documents, Joanna said:
“With these, the case can finally be settled in court.”
“Thank you, Joanna. I really appreciate it.”
“Of course.”
“And, I know this might be forward… but once the case is resolved and the recall starts, I hope we can count on you even more.”
Hearing this, Joanna looked at her with a mix of pride and sympathy.
“You haven’t caused any problems yourself, but you’ve had to work so hard to fix them.”
“Really? I think it’s a good thing. It’s an opportunity—for both Isaac and me.”
At Scarlet’s cheerful voice, Joanna forced a smile. The fatigue and burden visible in Scarlet’s eyes were fully apparent to Joanna.
Joanna then spoke to Andrei:
“Please take good care of the boss, Andrei.”
“I always do my best, so just take care of the boss herself.”
The two women laughed heartily at Andrei’s predictable response.
A week after the comparison documents arrived, Isaac reached 7th Avenue.
At first, Scarlet had been very anxious about Isaac returning to the Crimson mansion, but after he began managing without any serious issues, she felt somewhat relieved.
Evill Crimson was on trial for attempting to stab Isaac with a paper knife first. Since then, Isaac had been living in the mansion with his aunt Anne and the siblings Arnold and Marilyn, cautiously interacting with them. When Scarlet asked how they had come to terms, Isaac avoided giving a clear explanation.
As Scarlet exited the watch shop, Isaac, waiting outside, looked at her.
“Scarlet.”
“Isaac, how are your eyes?”
Scarlet tried to remove the sunglasses he was wearing, but Isaac stepped back and said:
“Uh, I’m not ready to show them yet…”
“Why? I really don’t mind anymore.”
“Everyone seemed surprised when they saw them.”
“They’re only surprised because it’s the first time.”
At Scarlet’s words, Isaac removed his glasses.
The worm-like parasites in his eyes had disappeared by more than half, revealing his wine-colored irises. Those who had been shocked by the state of his eyes now stopped screaming when they saw their clarity.
“They’ve improved so much… I can even see your irises!”
Scarlet was overjoyed, and Isaac gave a small, pleased smile.
“See? Now, except for the parts that are still covered, they’re quite clear.”
Overjoyed, Scarlet hugged Isaac tightly. After calming herself, she released him and handed him a document bag.
Isaac also extended the small box he had brought. Scarlet took it and said:
“Alright. Let’s go.”
“Okay.”
Both of them had work to do today. Scarlet headed east, Isaac west, and they soon parted ways. Isaac went to court to suspend Evill’s guardianship, while Scarlet planned to visit Mrs. Paradis’ mansion at the end of 7th Avenue.
The Paradis mansion at the west end of 7th Avenue was lavish and enormous. From the entrance, countless guards patrolled, creating an immediate sense of intimidation.
Passing through several doors, Scarlet finally reached Mrs. Paradis’ room.
Mrs. Paradis was intimidating as always. With a face as cold as ice, she greeted everyone coming for business. No matter how many times Scarlet saw her, she never got used to it.
Yet, thanks to Mrs. Paradis’ stern demeanor, Scarlet could obtain gems without interference from the Crimson family. While the highest-quality gems were not offered, the quantity was sufficient.
Scarlet spoke:
“Count Crimson wishes to trade for gems to use in perfume bottles.”
“I see,” Mrs. Paradis replied.
“Do you mean gems that match the perfume they’ll go into?”
“Yes.”
“I’d like to know how much perfume you can make.”
“Oh, I brought some.”
Scarlet hurriedly produced three perfume bottles. One contained wine-colored perfume, matching Scarlet’s eyes, and the other two were clear.
Mrs. Paradis, expressionless, took the bottles, used the dropper on the lids to place two drops on her handkerchief, waited briefly for the alcohol to evaporate, and then checked the scent. After testing the other two, she put the handkerchief down and examined her display cabinet.
The cabinet held countless stacked boxes, mostly containing crystals. The most important gems were in an inner room.
Mrs. Paradis took out a box and opened it, revealing red crystals in small compartments, each emitting a different light depending on its depth of color.
She picked one with a deep purple hue.
Scarlet’s eyes widened as she recognized the crystal as matching the scent she had envisioned.
Mrs. Paradis looked at Scarlet calmly and said:
“Did Count Crimson make this perfume?”
“Yes, he did.”
“I’ve heard that Count Crimson cannot see.”
Scarlet nodded repeatedly, then stopped.
Victor had always taught Scarlet elegance: how to walk with proper posture, slightly lift her skirt on stairs, dance for formal balls.
Scarlet had spent the early years of her marriage learning these skills. She learned to maintain her hairstyle over three hours of grooming and to stand in shoes for long periods without complaining.
Whenever Scarlet visited Mrs. Paradis to buy gems, she meticulously prepared her hair. Even in worn dresses, she used her carefully styled hair, her gait, and speech skills she had learned in Dämpfelt. Scarlet had realized through running the watch shop that people judged a lot by visual impressions.
Mrs. Paradis said:
“So you have a keen sense of smell.”
Taking it as a compliment, Scarlet smiled, but Mrs. Paradis continued:
“However, whether Count Crimson can make perfumes beyond this is the question.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ve had long dealings with the Crimson family, but Count Crimson has been reclusive for a long time. During that time, Miss Scarlet took care of him, right?”
“Yes… is that a problem?”
“It’s a significant issue. This perfume was made for Miss Scarlet, who has always cared for him. It’s the scent he favors most. This one is excellent. But the other two are so poorly made that they even give a sense of hostility compared to this one. They are not yet at a level suitable for our store.”
“……”
“You won’t be able to run a perfume shop like this. But since I like this scent, I’ll give it to you as a gift.”
Mrs. Paradis placed the crystal she had picked into a small silk pouch and handed it to Scarlet.
Hesitating with the pouch in her hands, Scarlet was prompted by Mrs. Paradis:
“The next customer is waiting, so please leave.”
“Oh, yes, yes.”
Scarlet hurriedly gripped the pouch with both hands and turned to leave. Gathering her courage, she looked back at Mrs. Paradis.
“Um…”
“I said leave.”
Startled by Mrs. Paradis’ sharp voice, Scarlet quickly exited.
