An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

"Do you smell that, Max?" Brooke seemed to sense something, and he took a deep breath.

"You mean the herbal scent?" Maximus tilted his head curiously. "It's been there all along, hasn't it? What's wrong?"

"No, it's different now. It's quite special." Brooke went up to the door of the alchemy room. Then, he crouched down to catch a whiff of the scent wafting out from the gap under the door.

He spent most of his time around herbs. Thus, he could easily detect the slightest change in scent.

All of a sudden, the door creaked open.

Dustin was just about to step out of the room when he spotted Brooke crouching on the ground in a weird position. "Dr. Busch, what's wrong? Are you having a stomachache?"

"Uhh ..." Brooke smiled sheepishly before quickly reacting. He promptly asked, "Dustin, how is it? Did you succeed in producing Sanctifix?"

Dustin sighed and put on a dejected expression when he heard that.

in such a state, Brooke froze and paled. "You f-failed?" he

then all the herbs were wasted, and nobody would be able to save

managed to come up with a good-quality one. There's a slight

corners of Brooke's lips

what quality the

wasn't young anymore, so couldn't

You've succeeded?" Brooke

course! I wouldn't do anything unless I'm confident I'd succeed."

to have a look. He was elated. "This is

that Dustin had busied himself with producing the pill, Brooke had also been waiting. He had waited for an entire day and night. He could finally be

let's not waste any more time. Give Mr.

waste another moment. Holding the pill carefully

thin and pale. His breathing was also light and

for consuming Sanctifix?" Brooke suddenly