While taking away Yeju's first love, Chapter 41
Although I didn't want to oppress him with a power dynamic, I was certain that I had the upper hand in this negotiation.
After all, the position of head of a large hospital would be one that anyone would want.
It would be an attractive offer for Eric, who was holding onto his professorship.
"It's nothing. I was just curious about what kind of research the promising professor is doing these days."
Of course, he knew that my intentions weren't as pure as I made them sound.
I took a sip of coffee, paused for a moment, and then spoke.
"You worked under Professor Gregory, right?"
"I assume you know that I'm very interested in his research."
"Everyone is interested in Professor's research."
The integration of magic and medicine had long been a dream.
However, both fields were complex, and especially those who studied magic often despised hands-on work.
This made it difficult for the two disciplines to come together.
Professor Gregory was the one who broke this barrier.
"However, looking at Professor Foreman's track record, it seems he no longer conducts research in that area."
"Yes, well... I realized my limitations."
It was the answer I expected.
But if I had intended to back down, I wouldn't have called him out separately.
"Have you considered continuing Professor Gregory's research?"
"You clearly wanted to continue. But you lacked the money and manpower to carry it forward on your own."
No matter how I put it, money was the most crucial element in research.
Professor Foreman wanted to continue Professor Gregory's legacy but lacked the funds.
He also lacked the necessary manpower.
It was only natural, given that the three of them were no longer as tightly knit as before.
Shaking Eric wasn't difficult.
I smiled arrogantly at him and said,
"I can provide you with everything you want. Money, manpower, facilities. Everything."
Eric was visibly flustered by my words.
It was understandable to be taken aback by such a sudden and enormous opportunity.
"You don't have to decide right away. If you have any thoughts, contact me at the Pionia Manor."
I decided to push this far for now.
He needed time to think about how to handle this sudden stroke of luck.
From what I knew, Eric was ambitious for power and fame.
'If only Eric could bring the other two along, that would be great.'
I didn't have high hopes.
This world wasn't that kind to me, and I knew my limits.
To get what I wanted, I needed to act more desperately.
While waiting for Eric to contact me, I prepared seriously for the launch of the perfume.
The shop had been completely burned down, so it took longer to rebuild than expected.
"It would have been better to launch right after the masquerade ball."
I couldn't help but feel a bit regretful.
Therefore, I had to put even more effort into the launch event.
"Wouldn't it be too aggressive and make people dislike it?"
Nivea's voice was full of concern.
It was a well-founded worry, given the nobles' disdain for commerce.
"It needs to be so irresistible that they can't resist buying it."
As I gestured, Lily, who was standing behind me, put down a stack of papers.
"These are designs for limited-edition perfume bottles."
I gave Nivea a brief explanation.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"It sounds good. It will help with publicity, and people will flock to the limited editions."
"Also, I plan to give a few special people the perfume as a gift beforehand."
"Gifts? But it hasn't launched yet?"
"It's a kind of publicity. Right now, the perfume 'Carina' is a hot topic at the masquerade ball, but it's hard to get. If someone of high status starts wearing it before the launch, it will keep the buzz going until the release."
Trends in high society can arise quickly but also fade just as fast.
Since there was still time before the boutique officially opened, it was necessary to boost awareness and maintain anticipation.
"Will you use the perfume yourself, Miss?"
"I'm still considering that. I don't think it would be a good idea for me to advertise a perfume with my name on it."
These fussy nobles had already talked a lot behind my back about the last event.
This time, I needed to avoid being in the spotlight.
"I have someone in mind, but I need to ask for their opinion."
It seemed best to keep quiet until I had their permission.
We spent more time discussing the number of limited editions and the boutique design.
Then, someone knocked urgently on the office door.
Her slightly pale face suggested she had run, and she was panting.
"Something terrible has happened, Miss."
"It looks like a boutique will open in front of our shop."
"Yes, a perfume boutique..."
Her hesitation suggested she knew who owned the shop.
"It must be run by the Gloucester Dukedom."
"No, it's not them. It's the Hunt Marquessate."
It seemed too petty for them to open a boutique themselves, so they must have used the Marquessate's influence.
But even in the state of being engaged to me, the Marquessate acting so low wouldn't do much for their reputation.
"I heard a rumor that Sir Wilhelm would be appointed as the leader of the Gloucester Dukedom's Silver Dragon Knights."
Lily shared the most unrealistic rumor she had heard recently.
"The Duke must be crazy."
Whether it was true or not, Wilhelm had a history of rumors with the Duchess, Tatiana.
To bring such a man into the family...
I couldn't decide if it was generous or foolish.
'Tatiana must have begged with a few tears.'
I couldn't just sit idly by.
Actually, opening a boutique was just a stepping stone to achieving my real goal.
Now that I had created a signature scent for the brand, it was time to move to the next step.
"Since they're doing this, we need to bring out our trump card."
Everyone looked at me with wide eyes.
I explained my next business plan.
"I'm thinking of making and selling cosmetics alongside the perfume."
Tatiana had created a special bath essence, not a perfume.
She became famous for a basic-scented bath essence that left a subtle fragrance on the body.
I decided to take it a step further.
"Exactly what kind of cosmetics do you plan to sell?"
"I'm thinking of developing body products. Products that contain the scent or base notes of the perfume."
Nivea still seemed to not fully understand the significance.
"Like bath essence, perfumed oils, lotions, and so on, to layer with the perfume."
"Then, even if someone uses the same perfume, they can get a different feel."
Perfume is a luxury item, and if the scent doesn't suit someone, they might stop buying it.
But if they could mix different scents to create their own, I could capture even those customers.
The same perfume could produce various sensations, so it would definitely be popular.
Moreover, the noble class had a strong desire to be unique and special.
If we offered a service close to custom perfumes, there would definitely be demand.
"I'll make it work. That's my job."
After explaining the simple concept, Nivea worried about the necessary manpower.
"The problem is product development. You might not know, but my relationship with the Alchemists' Guild isn't very good."
She couldn't develop such a wide range of products on her own.
Especially for bath essence, processed salt from the salt mines was needed.
Additionally, a special method to maintain a scent for a long time was required.
I couldn't help much with alchemy, as I didn't know much about it.
"Is that because of the Duchess?"
"Probably. Support started disappearing strangely at some point, and we had a lot of conflicts."
It seemed difficult to entrust the work to alchemists affiliated with the guild.
Finding a reliable alchemist wasn't easy. After side effects appeared, alchemists often went into hiding.
"What if we just make the products without involving alchemists?"
In the original story, Tatiana's bath essence was known for its long-lasting scent.
There was no mention of the alchemist who made it, but...
A brilliant idea flashed in my mind.
I reassured the worried Nivea with a smile.
"Don't worry. I'll figure something out."
After all, didn't we have a high-level talent lounging around at home?
Someone from the Cassel family, who had produced great alchemists for generations.