CHAPTER 35: CHAPTER 35: THEY ARE NOTHING BUT SCUMS

She gestured to the rows of vials behind her. "Rose oil, lavender, musk, jasmine, sandalwood... all fine scents. The prices differ by purity. And the flowers I have are roses.."

Min-jae opened one vial, sniffed, then frowned. "It’s too strong. This one burns the nose. You use heat when pressing, don’t you?"

The woman blinked in surprise. "You know your scents."

"Mhm.." Min-jae said flatly. "I want rose...pressed cold. Sandalwood shavings, musk resin, and a neutral base oil. Alcohol if you have it."

"Alcohol? That’s not for perfume.." she said, confused.

"It will be."

Vanadis hid a grin. The way she stared at Min-jae like he’d just spoken witchcraft was almost funny.

The woman hesitated, then slowly began sorting bottles into a small crate. "You nobles always have strange requests. But silver talks."

Min-jae tossed her a small pouch, more than enough to make her smile through the confusion. "Good. Have them wrapped."

As she worked, Vanadis leaned in. "You really think people will wear this? Liquid perfume?"

"They already bathe in oils and powders. They’ll love something easier.." Min-jae said. His eyes drifted toward the glassblower’s district down the lane. "But it won’t matter if the container’s ugly. The bottle sells the scent."

"So... we’re buying bottles next?"

Min-jae nodded. "Not just buying bottles. I’m commissioning them. A long term partnership.."

Vanadis stroked his chin, Kaizar wasn’t just buying he was partnering, building connections. When he saw valuable person, he partnered with them.

What a cunning man.

The smell of smoke thickened as they turned down the narrow street leading to the glassworkers quarter.

The air shimmered from the heat of open furnaces, half-finished bottles and colored shards gleamed like gemstones in the afternoon sun.

Vanadis coughed lightly. "Feels like we walked straight into hell’s gate.. "

Min-jae’s eyes scanned the cluttered displays until he spotted a craftsman shaping molten glass through a long pipe.

Each rotation drew a new curve, a rhythm somewhere between patience and fire. "He’s not half bad..." Min-jae said, approaching.

The craftsman set the pipe down and wiped his brow. "You’re far from the palace district, my lord. Looking for goblets, perhaps?"

"Perfume bottles.." Min-jae said.

The man’s brows lifted. "Little vials for scented oil?"

"Not quite.." Min-jae said. "Something elegant but strong. The mouth should be narrow, sealed with cork or glass, not wax. It should have a clear body, small enough for one hand, but thick at the base. So it doesn’t slip off easily. Something that can survive a fall from a table without shattering."

The glassblower frowned thoughtfully. "That would take a heavier glass. Twice the material."

"Use it.." Min-jae said. "If it breaks, it’s worthless. And I want them identical, not the crooked shapes you sell to apothecaries."

The glassblower’s eyes narrowed. "Identical? That’s... difficult. We don’t make them by mold."

Min-jae dropped a pouch of coins onto the counter. "You’ll have fifty silvers now. When I return, if you meet my expectations, you’ll get two hundred more. If not, I’ll find someone who can."

The glassblower stared at him, torn between awe and panic. "What shape do you want exactly, my lord?"

Min-jae crouched beside the counter, snatched a piece of charcoal, and sketched quick lines on the rough wood. "This.." he said, tapping the drawing of a compact bottle with soft edges, a flared lip, and a stopper shaped like a teardrop.

"No engravings. Just polish the glass till it catches light. It should look expensive without begging to be noticed."

Vanadis peered over his shoulder. "You’ve got a talent for this. Should’ve been a merchant."

Min-jae stood. "Merchants chase gold. I prefer to make people give it up willingly."

The glassblower let out a nervous laugh. "When do you want them ready?"

"In five days.." Min-jae said.

The glassblower’s face fell. "Five days? That’s impossible!"

-_-

"If you’re not up for it. I’ll be one my way.."

Min-jae turned, he was getting hungry anyways, he didn’t want to waste time haggling.

-_-

"Wait! My lord, I’ll get it done."

Min-jae smiled, he stared at the new bottles, he might as well buy some because he needed a place to store his first batch.

"Good. I’ll take three bottles to go. How much would that be?"

The craftsman sighed, rubbing his palms on a soot-stained apron. Wasn’t this man supposed to be a noble? Why was he haggling like a commoner? And what was he doing with that colored fellow standing behind him?

These people we’re vermins. Always coming down from the gutters to steal from their shops and charm away their women.

Still... nobles loved exotic things. Perhaps that was all it was. A noble’s fancy for strange company.

As long as he was getting paid, there was no reason to voice it out.

He counted the bottles carefully before speaking, "Three small vials, my lord. One silver each... three in total."

Min-jae nodded, reaching into his pouch. He placed a single gold piece on the table. "That should cover it."

The craftsman blinked. Gold. His eyes gleamed as he scrambled for the change, his fingers trembling from greed. He fetched a small pouch, dropping silvers inside one by one.

Min-jae turned slightly. "Vanadis. Get the bottles and the change."

At once, the man’s expression changed, the eagerness drained from his face. His jaw tightened, and his hand froze mid-air.

"I can’t hand it to him.." the craftsman said stiffly. "It would soil my hands to give it to a... dirty colored person."

Min-jae frowned, his fingers pausing mid-tap against the counter. Who the hell was he calling a colored person?

Did he mean Vanadis?

He exhaled slowly through his nose. They really don’t fuck with black people here, huh?

He rolled his eyes. The man had just ruined his day.

He stared at the craftsman for the briefest second before asking, his voice calm but annoyance was simmering below it "Explain to me why him taking the items I PAID for would soil your hands."

The craftsman’s lips curled. The words tumbled out in a rush of venom. "Because his kind are filth. They steal from our shops, take our wives, our daughters..."

"Enough.." Min-jae cut in, but the man didn’t stop.

"They breed trouble wherever they go. We feed them, clothe them, and still they bite! The colored people are nothing but scums.."

Min-jae’s expression darkened. "Do you realize whose presence you’re in right now?"