The Peculiar Scent

To be honest, when Elena saw Ziyao stumble out of the room, her heart sank, immediately conjuring up ominous thoughts.

“Ziyao, what happened?”

“Your sister is asleep now. Go check on her. There are sleeping pills in there; remember to ventilate the room. I’ll see you in the dining room later.”

With that, Ziyao leaned against the wall and made her way towards the stairs.

Sleeping pills? Asleep? Elena felt her mind reeling, utterly baffled. What exactly had transpired in the past hour?

She wanted to question Ziyao, but a heavy thud echoed from nearby.

Clearly, Ziyao had tumbled down the stairs.

****

After a chaotic scramble, Elena, Ziyao, Raphael, and Ailin finally settled around the dining table.

All three pairs of eyes were fixed intently on Ziyao, hoping she could offer a plausible explanation.

Ziyao, however, looked rather disheveled. Her face was mottled with bruises, and several more marred her arms. Her recent misstep had truly taken its toll.

Fortunately, as an alchemist, Ziyao possessed an ample supply of potions for self-treatment.

Still, if natural recovery was an option, it was always preferable.

“Ha, I think we need to pad these stairs. Ouch, that really hurt,” Ziyao panted, forcing a strained smile.

Raphael held a ball of white light in her hands—a healing spell exclusive to the church—but Ziyao seemed disinclined to accept such treatment.

“So, what exactly happened? The potion in there was at least a Quadrant-grade, and the shattered glass on the table isn’t normal either.” Elena, having inspected Aiya’s bedroom, was utterly perplexed. Smashing a potion vial was a crude method, one that Ziyao, a master alchemist, should never resort to.

“If I hadn’t done that, I reckon something terrible would’ve happened.” Taking the ice pack Ailin offered, Ziyao pressed it to her face. “This is complicated. Let me ask a few questions first.”

“Ask away. I’ll answer anything I can.”

“Alright, have any of you ever noticed a particular scent on Aiya?”

“Eh? Aiya’s scent… is it that faint sun-like fragrance?” Elena tapped her chin thoughtfully. As she recalled, Aiya always carried that delicate aroma.

“I haven’t noticed it,” Raphael replied, as her interactions with Aiya were infrequent.

Conversely, Ailin gave an affirmative answer.

It seems Aiya’s scent isn’t something only I can detect…

“Elena, come over here for a moment.” Calling Elena closer, Ziyao embraced the blonde girl without hesitation. “Can you smell anything on me?”

“Eh? Wait, isn’t this a bit too intimate?” Elena’s face instantly flushed crimson.

Ziyao is being far too forward!

“Quickly, something’s wrong with Aiya, and with me too.” Seeing Elena lost in thought, Ziyao gently tapped her head with a clenched right fist.

“Oh, right. On you, there’s the fresh scent of medicinal herbs, and also, it smells like rainwater.”

Upon receiving Elena’s answer, Ziyao released her. Meeting the trio’s inquiring gazes, she began to explain her actions.

“Just now, while I was examining Aiya, I got a little close to her for convenience,” Ziyao gestured to indicate the approximate distance. “Then, after the first stage of the examination was complete, both Aiya and I experienced some issues.”

“What kind of issues?”

“Uh, an inability to control ourselves, a desire to get closer to each other, I suppose,” Ziyao mumbled, covering her face.

“Eh?!” The other three exclaimed in unison. On the surface, both Ziyao and Aiya appeared to be teenage girls!

“Yes, at that moment, I had the urge to embrace Aiya. However, my self-control is quite strong. But Aiya is just a child; she couldn’t resist at all.”

Recalling what had transpired in the room moments before, Ziyao’s face began to flush once more.

“She hugged me. At that point, my rationality was also on the verge of collapse. For the safety of both of us, I had no choice but to use that method to put Aiya into a deep sleep.”

“You all saw what happened afterward. Oh, and by the way, this potion poses no harm to the human body, so there’s no need to worry.”

After Ziyao’s account, the three fell into an eerie silence. They had never encountered anything like what Ziyao described.

“Um, could it be that a potion you concocted leaked, Ziyao?” Elena raised her hand to ask.

Right, I really can’t rely on Elena for such matters, Ziyao rolled her eyes. “Do you think I, a Septenary-grade alchemist, am just a mascot? Wouldn’t I know if something leaked?”

“Since it’s not a potion, and considering your behavior just now… do you mean body scent?” Raphael, ever quick-witted, looked at Ziyao.

“Exactly, that’s the only reason I can think of.” Ziyao shifted the ice pack to another part of her face. “With no other causes, that’s my only theory.”

“But that’s unheard of.”

“Indeed. The closest thing I know to this effect is the body scent of those succubi from the Demon Realm, but that’s indiscriminate.”

“But yours and Aiya’s seem to only affect each other?”

“Precisely. Elena didn’t react the way Aiya and I did, so it should only be effective between the two of us.”

Ziyao and Raphael, exchanging thoughts, meticulously deduced the cause of the entire incident. Both were highly knowledgeable individuals, yet they were utterly stumped by the current situation.

After all, a body scent that only affected each other was simply too bizarre.

“Although I don’t understand what you two are talking about, Aiya is fine, right?” Elena interjected weakly, never having felt so useless.

“For now, yes,” Ziyao said, still covering her face. “I just worry that one day I won’t be able to control myself and do something utterly beastly.”

“Uh.”

“Until we find a solution, I’ll try to stay as far away from Aiya as possible. The range of the body scent shouldn’t be too far.” Ziyao’s red eyes were filled with doubt. “Aiya can’t control her desires. It’s truly strange; I’ve never heard of such a situation.”

“Understood. I will remind Her Highness,” Ailin nodded slightly, proving far more reliable than Elena.

“Also, prepare ten sets of the materials listed on this paper,” Ziyao said, scribbling a list of medicinal names.

“What is this?”

“The formula for that potion. We need to be prepared.” This time, Ziyao intended to concoct a potion strong enough to knock even herself out.

After all, if she ever needed to use such a potion, her state might not be much better than Aiya’s. So, it was simpler to just incapacitate herself as well.

“Understood, I’ll have someone procure them immediately.” Taking the prescription from Ziyao, Ailin promptly set about her task.

Watching the maid’s figure vanish from the dining room, Ziyao sighed. “I have a feeling I’ve stumbled into some serious trouble.”

“Relax, I’ll keep a close eye on both of you,” Raphael said, covering her mouth with a hint of amusement in her smile.

No, no, no, when you say it like that, it feels like the problem just got even bigger!