CHAPTER 110: CHAPTER 110: LECTURES ON SCENTS(1)

"That’s stupid."

"Very."

Min-jae exhaled hard through his nose, then shrugged. "Well... it doesn’t matter. I don’t really care. They can hate me all they want, I have other things to take care of."

Meical’s brows lifted slightly. "Other things?"

"Yes." Min-jae leaned back on his hands, expression turning flat, his usual face whenever he started plotting. "Seraphine is first. I’m not letting her get away with what she did to Georgiana."

A coldness passed behind Meical’s eyes, something sharp that only appeared when Min-jae mentioned that name. "She will pay for it."

"She will, that I can assure," Min-jae confirmed simply.

Meical stroked his head, he could easily take care of Seraphine but that would spoil Kaizar’s fun and he didn’t want that.

"But your family needs to go. How long will they stay here?" Meical’s family made things uncomfortable, he liked Meical but his family was trash and he didn’t want then around him.

"Don’t worry about them. They’ll be gone first thing tomorrow. They’ve overstayed their welcome haven’t they?"

-_-

Min-jae tsked, they were never welcomed.

He stood up, he needed to go the tool shed. He need to make a check list of what he needed to start his perfume business.

He would need suppliers and lots of them.

Serin should be there too, because she would be working along side with him.

He changed into something more practical, the slippers he wore wear hard, wooden ones, he sighed a little nothing beats modern slides.

"Where are you going to?"

Meical stood up as well, he was sure Kaizar wouldn’t go outside the estate, so it was probably somewhere around the estate.

"I’m going to the shed. I have some work to do."

"Are you making another perfume?"

Min-jae shook his head, it wasn’t time for that yet.

"No I’m just making a list of ingredients and equipment, also need to form partnerships with suppliers and merchants. Too bad I can’t go outside.."

Meical smiled, if Kaizar wanted it he would bring the merchants here.

"Don’t worry, you can do all your business here. Whosoever you need will be brought in here..."

Min-jae hummed, accepting that answer, and picking up a parchment and quill pen. "Good. Then I won’t waste time worrying about logistics."

He moved to the door, only to see Meical following him.

Why??

"You don’t need to follow me? There’s nothing for you to do except be a pain in my ass."

-_-

Min-jae sighed, he really didn’t want to say this but Meical would have to interact with his family.

"Why don’t you go catch up with your family? Maybe talk to your sister, it seems to me she might be willing to catch up.."

Meical froze, he really didn’t want to associate himself with them, not that his sister was bad but she was with them.

But he didn’t want to stifle Kaizar, if he did too much, he may grow tired of him.

"Okay, I understand.."

Meical smiled slightly, despite being married, he didn’t know where he stood in Kaizar’s life.

And Min-jae didn’t notice the faint change in Meical’s expression and walked away with a wave.

Downstairs he met Serin with the other maids and asked her to come along with him.

"You’re my personal attendant but you still acting as though you’re a maid."

"I’m sorry madame. But you see, you don’t really need me attending to you and I quite frankly like working with the other girls. If you need me to come join you in the shed, I will do so.."

Min-jae sighed, he guess he couldn’t force her if she didn’t want to be a personal attendant.

Maybe being a maid was more fulfilling for her and she got to work with her friends.

"Very well, do you know how to read? Write? Spell?.."

Serin shook her head, she was a commoner they didn’t have access to such things.

"No sir, only the nobles can afford such luxuires.."

Min-jae sighed, he guess he’ll just have to a build a school, having education meant having awareness.

Knowledge was power after all.

Even if he had to teach them himself.

"It’s alright, as long as you can understand what I say.."

The shed was small, cramped, and smelled faintly of decay.

A few apples had long since dried and hardened in the corners, and the flowers that had once hung to dry were brittle and faded, their color nothing more than a memory.

A bucket of water sat in one corner, stagnant and forgotten, and the Alembic gleamed faintly on the wooden table.

It was the only thing here worth a glance, and Min-jae immediately set to work beside it, spreading out the parchment and quill before him.

Serin stood to the side, her hands folded, eyes wide. She didn’t speak until he glanced at her.

"You’ll be working with me here," Min-jae said, voice flat but not unkind. "Do you understand?"

Serin nodded quickly. "Yes, madame. I understand that.."

"Stay close. I’m going to write it down, but you must pay attention. You’ll need to know these things if you work with me."

She nodded silently, her hands folded, eyes wide and attentive.

He picked up a dried flower, turning it in his hands. "These. " he said, "are the scents. Some flowers give a light smell, some stronger. Some fruits also give a smell, like these apples." He held one aloft.

"This is sweet when eaten, but sharp if crushed. You will need to remember which can be mixed."

Serin leaned closer, inhaling the faint fragrance. "I see, sir..." she whispered.

Min-jae set the apple down and began writing on the parchment.

Each name, each ingredient, all carefully noted. He spoke slowly, explaining for her ears alone. "Roses, thyme, lavender, chamomile. Some smell stronger like thyme, some softer like lavender. You need to note the difference between these flowers.."

Not all the things listed out where available but that didn’t stop him from saying it.

"Scents from lemons and oranges are lighter. They’re for when you want a scent to greet someone first. The others, like apples, pears are heavier and they stay longer. But you see people have sensitive sense of smell. Not everyone like strong scents.."

Serin tilted her head. "So the lemon and oranges come first? If you want a lighter scent?"

Min-jae shook his head "Not necessarily. Everything is layered, like clothing. One over another. If you put them wrongly, the smell will either last or will clash. You can use both or all fruits but the outcome may vary.."

Min-jae placed a small glass bottle on the table. "This is for keeping the scents once we take them from the Alembic. Not fancy, just a container. You pour the liquid from here" he lifted a tiny flask "into this one, be careful not to spill."

He tapped the second bottle lightly. "Then you can shake it gently if you want the smell to mix, but not too much. Just enough so it spreads inside the bottle."

Serin watched, tilting her head. "So... the smell moves by itself when shaken?"

"Yes.." Min-jae said, nodding. "It rises inside, fills the bottle. Do not worry about how it does it. You just pour, hold it steady, and it carries the scent."

He picked up another container, a slightly taller glass with a narrow neck. "This one is for stronger mixtures. You pour a little into this after it has rested, then you can store it safely. Always keep it upright. Never tilt too much or it will spill and the smell will escape.."

Serin reached for the smaller bottle, but Min-jae quickly held out his hand. "No, watch first. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to practice..."

He tilted the small flask slightly, showing how the liquid moved slowly inside. "See? Not fast not too slow. If you pour it too quickly, the scent runs out. You must be patient."

Serin nodded slowly, digesting what Min-jae was saying.

She could follow his movements, mimic them later, and she would not ruin anything.

"Next.." Min-jae said, lifting the Alembic carefully. "This is the distiller. You put flowers or fruits in here with some water. Then you place it over heat. The smell rises from the water and gathers here," he tapped a small flask connected to the Alembic. "This is strong. This is pure. This is what you want for good perfume."

Serin’s eyes widened. "I understand, sir."

"Good.." Min-jae said, nodding. "Now the tools." He tapped the table, though not all the equipments he was going to list where not available.

"There’s mortar and pestle. You can use it to crush gently. Funnels, to pour without spilling. Stirring sticks, to mix slowly. Nothing fancy. Just enough to handle the scents carefully."

Min-jae moved the items deliberately, showing her how dried flowers could be combined with fruit rinds, how a little water could extract their smell over time. Each motion slow, precise. Every explanation that came out of his mouth was simple and clear.