Chapter 547: The Fall from Grace
The news that Paula and Selina had signed a wager contract instantly spread throughout all of Country Y.
Duke William immediately called Paula. "Paula, this is sheer recklessness."
But Paula didn’t take it to heart. "Father, I will definitely win. I’ll give the people of Country M a resounding slap in the face—and I’ll secure twenty billion. Doesn’t that tempt you?"
Duke William recalled the Queen’s words earlier that day, and his brows furrowed deeply. "Paula, you know very well that the Queen’s child was lost in Country M. She has a soft spot for that nation. You had better not cause trouble for me."
Duke William’s identity was a closely guarded secret. Many whispered that he was the Queen’s illegitimate son, but in truth, he was a child the Queen had brought back, with no blood relation to the royal family. That was a secret of the Crown—not something just anyone could know.
As for Duke William’s true origins...
His gaze darkened at the thought. "In any case, you cannot continue acting recklessly!"
But Paula remained dismissive. "Father, what is there to worry about? Do you really think perfumers from Country M could ever surpass ours in Country Y?"
Duke William fell silent.
Indeed, looking at this wager contract, it was almost impossible to see Paula losing. Country Y’s perfumers were world-renowned. If Country M truly had someone who could rival them, they would already have made a name for themselves. Why would they stay hidden, only to suddenly appear at this competition and snatch the crown?
So, Paula’s confidence seemed reasonable.
No matter how he thought about it, Duke William couldn’t imagine Paula losing. He only knitted his brows and said, "As long as you’re certain. But next time, consult me first. After all, our identities..."
"I know, Father. My cousin, the Princess, will help me too. Don’t worry!"
After hanging up, Paula looked completely at ease.
She didn’t take Selina seriously at all. The thought of Selina’s bold confidence only amused her.
But... where did Selina’s confidence come from? Was it just a reckless impulse?
We’re talking about twenty billion!
Paula had Country Y as her backing, so she wasn’t afraid. But Selina?
Even if Selina had that kind of money, she wouldn’t dare to throw it around so carelessly.
So then—could Selina have some secret weapon?
With that thought, Paula went to see Ronald.
When Ronald heard her purpose, he chuckled. "Rest assured, Miss Paula. This time, I’ll personally take on Selina."
"My teacher left me a fragrance formula—she meant it to help Country Y."
Hearing that Ronald’s teacher had left behind such a formula, Paula’s worries completely disappeared.
No matter how talented Selina was, could she possibly surpass Piper?
...
Sapphire Valley Villa.
Logan saw Selina writing something at her desk. He walked over, and Selina arched a brow. "Mr. Reid, you’re home rather late."
Logan’s eyes gleamed with meaning. "Mm. I was held up by... a certain matter."
Selina paused, then stated flatly, "...Oh. My twenty-billion wager must have rattled Reid Group."
The sudden bet of twenty billion with Paula was bound to shock Reid Group. After all, Selina and Logan were husband and wife. It was one thing for Logan to accept Country Y’s challenge—but Selina signing a wager contract with the Duke’s daughter?
Was Selina truly certain that a perfumer from Country M could win?
Selina blinked innocently. "So, what did Logan say?"
Logan replied coolly, "No need to explain. They trust me."
The upper management of Reid Group trusted Logan unconditionally. He had never made a mistake before, so they believed he wouldn’t this time either. And even if he did, it would be for the sake of Country M’s perfume industry—not something to be ashamed of.
Selina nodded. "I won’t let you down."
Logan leaned in with a playful look. "Even so, I still have one question—how is it that Mrs. Reid is so certain the champion will be someone from Country M?"
Selina’s tone was calm, almost indifferent. "Because you believe in Country M’s perfumers. So I believe too."
The only reason Logan had accepted the royal wager from Country Y was because he truly believed that in a vast land like Country M, blessed with resources and talent, it was impossible not to find at least one gifted perfumer.
But Selina had gone further—she had added another twenty billion on top of it...
Logan said firmly, "Mrs. Reid never does anything she isn’t sure of."
Which meant the only reason Selina would accept Paula’s wager was because—
She was certain, beyond a doubt, that the champion would be a perfumer from Country M.
But over in Country Y, there was Ronald, and perhaps even...
Logan uttered the name: "Piper."
Country Y had a world-renowned, genius perfumer—Piper.
But Selina only blinked and said, "Whether Piper is truly from Country Y... that remains to be seen."
A faint laugh flickered in Logan’s eyes, though he suppressed it.
Selina continued writing on the paper before her. Curious, he asked, "What’s this?"
"A formula," Selina replied after a pause. "The fragrance formula I’ll use for the competition."
"Mr. Reid, if I remember correctly, this contest requires the entries to be original works. They can be unpublished, and they don’t have to be blended on site, right?"
Logan nodded.
"After discussions with Country Y, the final theme for the championship round was set—it’s ’floral.’ The perfumers who make it that far can create their perfumes on site, or they can submit older works that haven’t been released, or even revise past unpublished works."
In other words, as long as it was the perfumer’s own creation and hadn’t been made public, it could be entered.
Most perfumers had several unpublished works tucked away, painstakingly refined over months or years. Such rules clearly favored Country Y.
They had far more perfumers, and far more formulas at their disposal. "Floral" was a broad, vague category. How it was interpreted depended entirely on a perfumer’s insight.
Hearing this, Selina lowered her gaze. "Good. This is one of my older works. I’ll just tweak a few ingredients to make the scent stand out more."
Logan chuckled softly.
"In fact, I have plenty of older works. Even though I never studied perfumery professionally, for some reason I’ve always had a natural sensitivity toward it."
Without the slightest blush or hesitation, Selina praised herself. "I have many unused formulas, and quite a few fit the ’floral’ theme. But I’m choosing this one on purpose."
She waved the formula in her hand with a sly smile. "Can you guess why?"
Why...
A thought flashed across Logan’s mind.
Selina’s lips curved, her smile mysterious. "Because I don’t just want to win first place—I want to expose someone."
Country Y prided itself as the land of perfume. Hadn’t they raised that so-called ’genius’ Ronald onto a pedestal, worshiping him like a god?
Selina was going to drag him down from his altar—and along with him, kick Paula out of Country M!