Fragrant Confusion

"Hehe… yes, it's still there," Theo replied, trying to play it off with a sheepish smile.

Cute.

Damien sighed internally.

Ever since he found out Theo was younger than him, he'd been acting more childish. He had a beautiful face, but his behavior felt less... mature.

"Is the smell constant because I haven't taken a bath? And why do you keep trying to sniff around the back of my neck? Is that where the smell is coming from?"

Now that he thought about it, he'd done the same thing back when they were in the prison cell, subtly trying to sniff him.

"Hmm, it's not like it comes from a specific spot, but it does seem stronger around the neck and lower back…" Theo trailed off, suddenly realizing what he was admitting and froze, his face turning pale.

Damien's eyes widened in realization. When he had clung to him, crying earlier, had she actually been... sniffing him?

Then another thought hit him—Theo had originally thought Damien was a girl. Not just any girl, but a younger one, probably around the age of a middle schooler. Which meant, from his perspective, he had been sniffing the neck and possibly even... the waist area of a younger girl.

A pervert. He's a total pervert, Damien thought, shocked at the realization.

"What's wrong?" Theo asked, noticing his horrified expression.

"Eek!" Damien squeaked, instinctively backing away, pulling his chair further from him.

"Huh? Damien? What's going on?!" Theo asked, panicking at his reaction.

In that moment, the image Damien had of Theo as a charming and noble person completely shattered.

...

"So, do you think the smell will go away if I take a bath?" Damien asked, trying to change the subject.

"Uh... sure, but what about earlier…?" Theo tried to ask, still confused by his behavior.

"Do you think the smell will go away if I take a bath?" Damien repeated firmly, refusing to engage with his question. He had no intention of discussing his odd behavior any further. Theo's strange habits were something he was determined to take with him to the grave.

He's got the looks, but... Damien thought with an internal sigh. What a waste.

"Um, well... as for the bath," Theo began, "I once worked closely with that colleague I mentioned, studying the phenomenon for a few days. She didn't mention the smell becoming stronger or weaker based on whether she bathed. So, I don't think taking a bath directly affects whether the smell comes out or not. But it seems that if the smell is present, bathing can reduce how intense it is."

"I see. So, while it won't stop the smell entirely, it might lessen the effects a bit if I bathe?" Damien asked.

"Yes, that seems likely," Theo confirmed.

Damien didn't want to walk around exuding this strange smell that he barely understood.

"The effects of the scent…?" Theo asked, looking puzzled.

Hmm?

"Yeah, the effects. You know, like how people seem addicted to sniffing it, or act like they're drunk, or start doing strange things in public…" Damien trailed off, remembering Theo's behavior.

Theo laughed, waving it off like Damien was saying something ridiculous. "Haha, what are you talking about?"

He doesn't even realize that's exactly what he's been doing, Damien thought but couldn't bring himself to point it out.

"People used to think it was pheromones, but it's been proven that it's just a scent now. It smells good, sure, but it's not that common, and people prefer using perfume instead since it's more practical," Theo explained.

Wait, really?

If it's supposed to come out only occasionally, why was it constantly affecting him? And why did it seem to make people act strangely? Although, thinking back, only Theo had really acted weirdly. Both Cedran and Sebas had been perfectly normal.

"I'm getting more confused… but you're sure the smell coming from me is the same as what those other people have?" Damien asked, trying to make sense of it.

"Ah, sorry, maybe I didn't explain well," Theo apologized. "Not everyone who gives off that scent smells exactly the same."

Wait, what?

"It's often compared to the scent of flowers—each person's scent is unique, though it's generally pleasant to men. But the actual smell differs from person to person. I haven't encountered many people like this, so I can't say for sure, but I know my nanny and my colleague smelled different, and your scent is different from theirs. Actually, yours is much nicer," Theo added, closing his eyes as he sniffed his own hand with a dreamy expression.

What is he even doing? Damien thought, staring at him in disbelief.

"So, I just smell like… Earth?" Damien muttered, trying to make sense of it.

"Yes! The smell of Earth!" Theo said excitedly, his mood suddenly lifting.

He really loves anything to do with Earth… or rather, anything from another world, Damien thought.

"In the end, though, is there any real issue with how I smell?" Damien asked, cutting to the chase.

"Hmm… the biggest issue is that people who meet you for the first time will almost definitely assume you're a woman," Theo said thoughtfully. "But that can be easily prevented if you wear some perfume. It's not a major problem."

Getting mistaken for a girl was going to be annoying, but if perfume could stop it, Damien decided he'd just have to trust that it would work.

As long as Damien stayed in this mansion, he doubted anyone would mistake his gender anymore. Although Theo's strange behavior was still concerning, he hoped that a bath would help reduce the effect of the scent. Besides, judging by how Sebas and Cedran acted, it seemed Theo was just... odd. A powerful oddball—that was kind of scary.

...

"Wait a second, does this Lupusregina situation have anything to do with all this?" Damien asked, once their conversation moved away from the more sensitive topics. They were back at the tea party with Sebas and Natasha, who had been called in again. Theo had whispered something to Sebas earlier, probably about Damien's gender, but nothing had really changed in their behavior. No one had even commented on his shift in speech patterns, which was a relief. He had half-expected Sebas to reprimand him for the way he spoke, but nothing happened.