My Fiancé's Scandals Never End, So I Married His Uncle Instead-Chapter 80: Big Brother Is Here

Adeline Lowell stared blankly for a long moment.

Only when the girl seemed to notice and shifted her gaze over did Adeline quietly look away and head toward the inner courtyard.

Beneath the crabapple blossoms, the top perfumers from several legendary families were locked in a heated debate. It even escalated to them conducting experiments right there at the large round table under the flowers. Celia Sterling watched with shimmering eyes, practically rooted to the spot.

She wasn’t the only one. The commotion quickly attracted a large crowd of other perfumers. A clash of titans like this was a near-impossible sight to witness. Even if they couldn’t grasp all the intricacies, just hearing a few words of wisdom casually dropped by the chief perfumers of these legendary families was of immense benefit to the senior perfumers still on the rise.

Later, the two Chief Perfumers from the Lowell Perfumer Family also joined the experiment among this elite circle.

"The Aurelian Family’s secret fragrances favor musk, but in the Lowell Family’s philosophy, agarwood is king..."

"NONONO! Miss Rosalyn Lowell, more than the type of ingredients, we at Valois have always believed that age is what’s most crucial. Take this bottle of ’Angel’s Kiss’ I have here, for example. Princess Davina is so fond of it precisely because several of its ingredients have been aged for over a hundred years. This causes a qualitative change in the scent of the raw materials themselves, resulting in a mysterious and unique fragrance."

"Age is certainly important, but what’s more important are the perfumer’s hands and their keen sense of smell, is it not?" a perfumer from the Aurelian Family argued vehemently in French. "Valois is rich and powerful, possessing the world’s second-largest raw material base. We at Aurelian can’t compare in that regard. But in terms of international standing, why is Aurelian ranked higher than Valois? It’s because out of our five Chief Perfumers, three have an absolute sense of smell. The fragrances they create are the undisputed kings among the top-tier elite..."

The argument grew more and more intense, yet the experiments in their hands never ceased. To prove their respective theories, the Aurelian perfumer gave a live demonstration of a masterful perfume-blending technique. Not to be outdone, the Valois representative doubled down on their theory and produced two bottles of ancient, top-tier perfume concentrates. The two Chief Perfumers from the Lowell Family exchanged a look, then solemnly brought out a dozen common essences, pairing them with several extremely luxurious ingredients to showcase the Lowell philosophy of perfumery.

The atmosphere reached a fever pitch.

In the end, the battleground beneath the crabapple blossoms transformed from a single large table into three makeshift perfumery labs. All the perfumers joined in this unique symposium. The arrogant elegance unique to high-level perfumers vanished, replaced by solemn expressions as they learned, faces flushed from heated debate, or eyes shining with rapt fascination.

No one even had the mind to enjoy the luncheon. This grand symposium of the Perfumery Circle continued until the evening lights began to glow, showing no signs of stopping.

During a lull in the stalemate, Celia Sterling felt hunger dulling her thoughts. She reluctantly squeezed out of the crowd, looking for a nearby spot to grab a bite and refuel her brain.

The villa had a buffet-style setup, with a dazzling array of dinner options laid out in the center. Celia picked up a drink, then pinched a delicate-looking Port Sovereign fish ball and casually popped it into her mouth.

Beside her, a soft, friendly chuckle sounded.

Celia Sterling followed the sound and saw Summer Sutton holding a glass of red wine, standing a few meters away and smiling gracefully at her.

Celia Sterling paused. "Miss Sutton."

"We haven’t seen each other for a while, not since Sterling Manor." Summer Sutton personally selected a few items for her. "These are Port Sovereign specialties. You should try them, Miss Sterling. The Ninth Master always has these whenever he comes to Port Sovereign."

Celia Sterling recalled the awkward memory of witnessing the confrontation between Declan Norwood and Summer Sutton at Sterling Manor. For Summer to bring it up so casually... ’This famous actress is certainly adaptable,’ she thought.

"Thank you, Miss Sutton."

Summer Sutton glanced at the still-bustling crowd. "Miss Sterling, you’re very fond of perfumery. If you’re not in a hurry to leave tonight, I can introduce you to my cousins. Oh, that’s them right there."

She pointed toward the location of the two Lowell Chief Perfumers within the three perfumery labs at the heart of the crowd.

Celia Sterling was genuinely surprised. She hadn’t gotten an answer from Kian Sterling last night, yet here was Summer Sutton, voluntarily revealing her identity.

"Miss Sutton, you’re from the Lowell Family of Port Sovereign?"

Summer Sutton nodded slightly. "My mother is Sylvia Lowell."

Celia Sterling’s expression was one of astonishment. For a moment, she didn’t know how to act toward Summer Sutton. Kian Sterling had said he wouldn’t marry her, so in Celia’s mind, Summer was just a woman her brother was keeping on the side. That’s why she had always been cool and distant whenever they met. But now, learning that this woman was actually Sylvia Lowell’s daughter, her feelings were incredibly complicated.

Years ago, when the Sterlings faced a crisis with their perfume business, Kian Sterling traveled a thousand miles to Port Sovereign and was only able to resolve it thanks to Sylvia Lowell’s wholehearted assistance. Later, when Celia Sterling developed an interest in perfumery, Kian gave all of Sylvia’s manuscripts to her. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say Sylvia Lowell was her mentor.

The affairs of Port Sovereign were distant, and the grudges of powerful families didn’t reach her ears. She had no idea that Sylvia Lowell even had a daughter—let alone that her own brother had been keeping her in Port Sovereign all these years, without any official status...

For a moment, Celia Sterling was at a loss for words.

Summer Sutton seemed unaware of the complex thoughts running through Celia’s mind. She smiled and sighed softly. "It’s a pity. My mother had such a talent for perfumery, but I didn’t inherit any of it. The Ninth Master is also fond of fragrances. I heard he has a collection of every single one of your creations, Miss Sterling. I tried to learn a little, thinking that if I could even grasp the basics, I might be able to curry favor with him, but I just can’t get the hang of it."

Perfumery required years of immersion; it couldn’t be mastered overnight. Celia Sterling only said softly, "The Lowell Perfumer Family has a profound heritage. If you are truly interested in this path, Miss Sutton, no one can match the resources you have."

Summer Sutton smiled but didn’t say anything.

Celia Sterling also fell silent, lowering her head to sip her drink quietly. As for the snacks Summer Sutton had recommended, she didn’t touch them.

It wasn’t personal against Summer Sutton. It was just that when Kian Sterling and Silas Norwood weren’t around, she was always cautious and never touched anything offered to her by others—even if Kian’s bodyguards were present in the shadows.

Thinking of Kian Sterling and Silas Norwood, she picked up her phone. First, she asked Kian when he would arrive, then she shared some of the photos she had taken at the event with Silas Norwood.

Silas Norwood replied first:

NSY: [Why only take pictures of other people? I want to see a selfie of my Cece the most.]

Cece: [These are all famous, top-tier perfumers. You don’t get to see them every day.]

NSY: [Can I have a picture of Cece? I hear Cece is very beautiful tonight.]

Celia Sterling raised her phone, quickly snapped a cute selfie with a peace sign, and sent it over.

Cece: [Too bad, I didn’t find the most beautiful ’big boss’s wife’ here. But I did meet someone who can connect me to her, so that’s a small win.]

He was silent for a few seconds.

NSY: [The most beautiful one is Cece.]

A smile curved Celia Sterling’s lips, and she was just about to type a reply when another chat window chimed. It was a message from Kian Sterling:

Kade: [I’m here.]