Monitares Flowers and Sap 1
The Hadren Earl's villa was in a great uproar due to the sudden
appearance of the neighboring country's prince. I had wanted to look around the
botanical garden more leisurely, but it couldn't be helped.
The monkey that scratched Prince Elliot had injured its leg, so
we brought it back with us, and now it was sitting on Ashren-sama's
shoulder for some reason.
「It seems quite attached to you.」
「...」
He is sulking as if to say it's against his will, but I know you are
secretly petting its fluffiness when I'm not looking, you know.
「Please don't move.」
While telling Ashren-sama that, I applied a healing salve and a
bandage to the leg of the monkey on his shoulder. Blake-san and the few
servants at the villa were busy, so we decided to look after the monkey.
And right now, we are in another room prepared for us. In that room
where a large bed exuded an outstanding presence, we brought in three tables
and lined up our equipment. I thought Prince Elliot would use this room,
but it is on the same floor and close to the room we stayed in last night.
Therefore, they apparently decided to have him use an unused room on the third
floor, one level higher.
The root of all evil apparently ordered the chef to make a dish using
the Monitares sap, and is relaxing in the salon on the first floor until it is
ready. Naturally, we were asked to join him, but we declined, saying we were
going to make perfume.
「So, getting right into making perfume is very like you, Layla.」
「Since I said I would, it would be strange if I didn't make it.」
「He looked sleepy, so he probably won't come for a while. Shall we get
it done in the meantime?」
What we are going to do now is steam distillation. It is a commonly
used method in perfume making, and is also sometimes used when extracting the
components of medicinal herbs. I made the aroma candle with this method too.
First, a container with water is placed at the very edge, and a container with
Monitares flowers is connected to the tube extending from it.
「The petals are quite thick, so shall we chop them finely before putting
them in?」
「Right. We are just making a trial batch, so we don't need that much
volume. Let's cut them with scissors.」
Ashren-sama layered a few petals and cut them
into roughly three-centimeter squares. I took out some paper and noted down the
process.
We placed the cut Monitares flowers into a container and ran a new tube
through it. This tube is submerged in a water tank containing water and ice,
and an empty beaker is placed at the other end of the tube. When the container
with water at the very edge is heated with an alcohol lamp, the generated steam
flows into the container with the Monitares flowers. Furthermore, by cooling it
through the cooling tube, plant-derived oil—natural fragrance—accumulates in
the final beaker.
When a little natural fragrance had accumulated in the beaker, I
brought my nose close and sniffed it.
「How is it?」
「...It's subtle.」
It doesn't smell much. It might be because it's only a few drops so
far, but lemongrass and eucalyptus had a strong scent even with this amount.
When I handed the beaker to Ashren-sama, he took some on his finger and
smelled it.
「It is subtle.」
「Yes. If asked whether it has absolutely no smell, that is not the case.
But then, if asked whether we can use this, that is also hard to say for sure.」
To be frank, the smell was stronger when sniffing the flower as it was.
Originally, it was supposed to be tightly concentrated, yet it thinned out.
「It seems we have to change the method for this.」
「What do you intend to do?」
As the two of us groaned, "Hmm," the monkey that had been
quietly sitting on the chair until just a moment ago got onto Ashren-sama's
shoulder. Spinning around, it decided on a place to sit and sat down as if it
were only natural.
「I'm absolutely sure that monkey is female.」
「Are you jealous?」
「Even I wouldn't get jealous of a monkey.」
「Even knowing I had an entourage in our academy days, you remained
completely calm, which is boring. I am actually quite jealous of Prince Elliot,
you know?」
「Yes, yes. Even without worrying, I am entirely devoted to you, Ashren-sama.」
I casually brushed it off, thinking he was joking anyway, but for some
reason, there was no reaction. Wondering what was wrong, I looked and saw him
covering his face with one hand, looking in a completely different direction. I
feel like his ears are red, too...
「What is the matter?」
「It's nothing! I'm just trembling at your obliviousness, Layla.
More importantly, it might be impossible to make perfume with Monitares
flowers.」
Clearing his throat with a 'Ahem' as if to smooth things over, Ashren-sama
grabbed a petal. Then, the monkey reached out, snatched it, and put it in its
mouth. Is it delicious?
「Um, I have been faintly feeling this, but you aren't very enthusiastic
about making perfume, are you, Ashren-sama.」
「To be precise, I am not enthusiastic at all. It's even more so when I
think about how we are dancing in the palm of my brother's hand.」
Well, I did think that might be the case.
Even now, looking as if he got bored with making perfume, he keeps
picking up petals and giving them to the monkey. No matter how you look at it,
he is feeding it. But for my part, I really want to make the perfume by any
means necessary. Even if we make this, I don't think Princess Stira's
situation will change drastically, but a perfume made using Monitares flowers
harvested in Ethan-sama's family estate becoming a popular topic surely
wouldn't be a negative for the two of them.
Since we don't know how things will turn out in politics, it's better to have as many cards to play as possible. Just as I fired myself up to do it even by myself, there was a knock on the door, and a servant came to tell us that the meal was ready. It can't be helped; let's continue this after we finish eating.
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