The fact that the gray horse was a jackal was already widespread throughout the entire empire.

So, what he just said was a clear reproach, accusing her of openly engaging in amorous behavior with a foreign man in front of the nobility on the day of the tribute ceremony.

Aisha’s face turned red with discomfort.
Watching that scene, he realized that he had influenced her and slyly let out a satisfied smile.

“I heard you like the scent of flowers. I made this perfume as a trial for Lady Bannet. Would you like to smell it once? Being named after a butterfly, I believe you can discern the fragrance better than the flowers we raise at home.”

As he finished speaking, he laughed loudly, thinking that his words were amusing.

‘Here we go again…’

Aisha sighed inwardly.

She knew very well from her past life’s experience that nobles were tired of trying to tarnish Bannet’s reputation.

Unable to undermine the Emperor, they attempted to degrade Bannet instead.

As if it were the only way to diminish the Emperor’s prestige.

Thinking that he was the only one capable of blooming the Emperor’s flower, Karaaf’s absence here was quite obvious; his purpose was clearly to openly disregard and ridicule the butterfly.

Aisha could imagine how uncomfortable it would have been with impolite questions if she had attended the luncheon.

Aisha felt a sudden surge of fatigue.

Sijongjang, who was next to her, shouted harshly with narrowed eyes, taking the opportunity to intervene.

“Viscount Frisia, what insolent nonsense is this in front of Lady Bannet!”

Seeing him so angry for the first time, Aisha looked at him with a slightly moved expression.

His trust in her had risen even more after the recent incident in the warehouse.

Then it happened.

“…What petty noble is chattering in front of the butterfly? Oh, it’s Viscount Frisia.”

Aisha’s eyes widened even more as she turned to look back.

Karaaf was approaching with an imposing figure from afar, like a beast.

The shadow beneath his eyes and the sharp glint in his bright eyes made it clear that he had just overheard their entire conversation.

‘This is bad…’

Aisha sighed inwardly and looked at the Viscount with genuine pity in her eyes.

The Viscount’s face turned pale, and he tried to make excuses.

“Yo-Your Majesty… Th-that…”

But before that, Karaaf walked over and snatched the perfume bottle from the Viscount’s hand.

All three of them looked at him in surprise.

Karaaf, as if wanting to smell it, opened the cork and exaggeratedly took a deep breath with closed eyes.

Then, with a mocking expression, he looked down at the short Viscount and said, “Indeed, the ability of Bannet’s fragrance is extraordinary.”

“What, what do you mean?”

“Can’t you feel the cheap floral scent vibrating throughout the entire palace? It’s much worse than the smell of sweat from an unwashed body for a few days. The perfume business is likely to fail miserably. Don’t you think so, Viscount?”
Following Karaaf’s words, some nobles who trailed behind stifled laughter.

The viscount’s face turned red, and he shouted, “But, Your Majesty! That’s the representative of our family, made using only the finest ingredients…!”

“…Now, making such trash perfume and underestimating the senses of me and Lady Bannet?”

In response to Karaaf’s low question, he fell silent.

Karaaf, with a leisurely smile, asked, “Is the viscount’s nose paralyzed? Or is his sense of smell worse than a dog’s, unable to discern the fragrance…?”

Watching him turn the words back to the viscount, Aisha felt a sense of satisfaction.

The viscount’s face reddened with wounded pride, but he couldn’t predict what would happen next.

And Aisha was no different.

At the moment when the viscount was trembling with a severe sense of humiliation, about to retort, Karaaf suddenly raised the perfume bottle high and poured it over Viscount Frisia’s head.

The viscount stood there, as if he didn’t realize what had just happened, with perfume streaming down like a waterfall.

Aisha, too, had her mouth wide open, staring blankly at the stupefied viscount.

After a while, the viscount regained his senses, his face contorted, and he shouted, “Your Majesty! What insult is this…!”

Karaaf interrupted and looked around, saying, “This… gentlemen, can’t you hear the sound of a dog barking somewhere? Seeing that it eagerly bites something other than food, it seems that the meat prepared by the emperor was not enough.”

Other nobles, feeling embarrassed, coughed nervously at his words.

At that moment, Si Han Blossom smiled and replied, “Not only the sound of a dog barking, Your Majesty, but it seems that the cheap smell may paralyze the senses. It might be a good idea to ventilate the area.”

“I also think so. Bannet’s insides won’t be improving with such a stench. Even dogs should be able to distinguish this smell…”

Karaaf, with a genuinely curious expression, stroked his chin and looked down at the viscount, saying, “Oh, were you here? Right.”

In the viscount’s gaze, there was not just a hint of mischief but an overt madness.

For a moment, Aisha forgot.

Karaaf was indeed a far more insane man than she had imagined…

With an arrogant and relaxed expression, he said to the viscount, “Crawl like a dog.”