Chapter 149

The nursery's size was, as the man in charge claimed, enormous. After a morning of walking, Lily and Jenny had likely seen only a third of it, and their legs ached. "Let's head back soon," Jenny said. "Later, we'll ask them to send samples of all their flowers. Then we can compare and choose. That'll finish our main task." She dusted her hands, sweat beading on her forehead.

The temperature difference between day and evening was significant. While the morning had been bearable, it was now sweltering, even after they'd removed their cardigans.

"I want to look around a little longer," Lily said.

Jenny was surprised. "Huh? What? I think we've seen enough. Even all day wouldn't cover it. How about this: which specific species are you interested in? I'll get someone to drive us there."

Continuing to walk would be exhausting. "It's fine," Lily said. "I just want to see if I can discover anything new."

"The nursery office has samples of every flower species and the best selections. It's not much different from what we see here," Jenny said, but Lily's insistence won her over. "Okay then. I'll go with you." Jenny was right; that's what most perfumers do—review samples before deciding on flower species and quantities. The nursery would then deliver the goods. Most perfumers wouldn't walk the entire nursery searching for flowers.

"Thanks, Jen," Lily said, feeling a little guilty. It was true the office had samples, but she wanted more than just flowers. Nature offered a wealth of resources beyond flowers—grasses, trees, and various plants—all potential fragrance sources that might be overlooked without a personal search. Lily had a new idea recently but lacked a suitable ingredient. She hoped to find something here.

Perfumers often use their current emotions as inspiration, but conveying those emotions to others can be difficult. Therefore, she preferred personal exploration.

The bed was empty. Alone, she felt as if she’d awakened from a dream. Gritting her teeth, she took a deep breath and moved from the center of the bed to the corner, slowly placing her feet on the floor. As she slipped on her slippers, she heard the bathroom door open. Frank emerged, a towel wrapped around his torso. "Ouch" she gasped involuntarily. His presence panicked her; her eyes darted around.

When he approached, her instinct was to flee, but where could she go? He reached her, slowly bowing and placing his hands on either side, trapping her. "Babe, you're awake?" He lifted her chin.