Doted by Many: I became the Top-Tier Celebrity!-Chapter 494 - 493: It’s Not You 5

Afterward, Tiana Thorne spoke again in a very gentle voice: "This type of fragrance, in fact, was originally used by royalty in ancient times. Because of its rarity, only Concubines during pregnancy could enjoy it, as it had calming and soothing effects. Back then, it was called aromatherapy, but now it is in water form. Every drop is extremely precious; the perfumer collects the dew from lotus leaves in the early mornings of all 365 days in a year, preserving it with a method of storing fragrances.

The first collection of dew was 365 days ago, so by the last day, even with good preservation, only a small amount would remain, and what is left is the essence.

The difficulty alone of collecting this dew for 365 days is remarkable, but even more remarkable is that the dew, once prepared, undergoes aromatherapy with sandalwood, musk, ink bamboo, rose, and mint. Each drop of dew is baptized through this aromatherapy process, thus transforming into different scents. When they finally fuse together, the aroma they convey is even more wonderful. This is merely water, and the fragrance is extracted from flowers, specifically the lotus flower.

The scent of lotus is very special, unsullied by the mud from which it grows, therefore, the aroma is very noble. After being extracted and combined with the dew while adding some precious herbs, it ultimately is made into this calming fragrance."

After listening, everyone felt truly, incredibly complex emotions.

Incomprehensible is that this calming fragrance was concocted by a leukemia patient. Her disposition was already unfavorable, spending 365 days completely dedicated to one task—what kind of devotion and effort does that entail?

And this devotion unexpectedly became another’s achievement...

Everyone was amazed by the miraculous and complex nature of the calming fragrance, and also lamented Mandy Sterling’s short life.

"Margarett Vance, what you just said is merely superficial. What I’m saying is the entire process of how the fragrance was crafted. Maybe Mandy Sterling told you snippets while making the fragrance, and you wove them into such a tale of deceit, making everyone believe this fragrance was your creation, despite not even knowing this perfume’s calming effects. How do you have the qualification to claim it as yours?"

Margarett Vance stumbled, suddenly snippets of images flooded her mind.

Every morning, upon awakening, she never saw Mandy Sterling. When she returned, she would hand her a meal box.

The girl from back then seemed to lazily say to her, "Here’s your breakfast, I’ve had mine."

"Wow, you bought me water too, really loyal."

She would panic and protect the bottle, "Ah, ah, ah, don’t touch it, don’t touch, this water isn’t for drinking."

"Why not?"

"Even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand; anyway, it’s not for drinking, I’m afraid it might poison you."

Afterward, the two would joke and play around.

At the time, she really didn’t think much of it, but now reflecting, that’s probably the dew she collected every day...

Such a large bottle, it must have taken her a long time, and she still unfailingly brought back food for her...

Her eyes grew increasingly red, tears welling up, but she forced herself not to cry.

Mandy Sterling found her will to live because of her. Collecting dew and crafting fragrances was a delight for her; she certainly wouldn’t feel tired because of it, certainly not!

Since she wanted to be good to her, she believed she should be good all the way through. Even if Mandy Sterling took the calming fragrance, it was just her giving Mandy a chance to repay her.

Mandy Sterling herself said she didn’t know how to thank her for existing in her life, so she let Mandy thank her in this way—what was wrong with that? 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

It was her own doing, taking what they each needed...

Yes! Taking what they each needed!

The crowd looked at Margarett Vance in silence, a myriad of expressions in her eyes, seemingly having a battle within herself, not rebuffing what Tiana Thorne was saying.

The truth was finally clear: Margarett Vance had indeed stolen someone else’s achievements, and it was the work of a leukemia-stricken girl. It was utterly despicable.

By this time, Margarett Vance no longer cared for the crowd’s curses. She seemed to have fallen into an abyss, desperately telling herself that nothing she did was wrong, the one at fault was Mandy Sterling, it was Mandy Sterling...

Tiana Thorne watched her face, deeply entwined in emotions, knowing deep down she was in intense conflict and pain, yet frantically wanting to escape this torment.

"Margarett Vance."

Margarett Vance snapped out of her reverie, looking up at her, forcing back her tears: "You’ve already won, you exposed me, do you still want to continue mocking me?"

Tiana Thorne’s expression softened from its prior coldness, her lips slightly curving, "You know, do you know why I said you’re laughable?"

Margarett Vance bit her lip, the red in her eyes seemingly capable of bleeding, glaring at her with hatred.

"Because, after six years, you still don’t know why she wanted to craft that fragrance."

"She said, she liked fragrances since she was young, she had the motivation to live on, wanted to have a better life, what’s so strange about crafting fragrances? Isn’t it just to one day become famous, to make all who praise her proud? And thus, to make me feel inferior in comparison."

Her parents, teachers, classmates, and even her senior during her adolescent romantic stirrings...

That was Mandy Sterling’s goal.

Mandy Sterling had been waiting for the day she could completely crush her, leaving her eternally humiliated.

Tiana Thorne chuckled: "This fragrance is a calming fragrance, she put in so much effort crafting it, yet took it out for you to smell its aroma, and you misunderstood her intention, thinking she wanted to let you know you’re no match for her in crafting fragrances?"

"Isn’t that the case?"

Tiana Thorne pursed her lips, enunciating each word: "Of course not, she yearned for health, longed for life, wished to see more of the world, but she knew her illness was incurable, so she gave all the best of herself to you, as she said, because you were willing to befriend her, she yearned for you to live healthily in this world."

Margarett Vance sharply halted...

"Therefore, she wanted to craft such a fragrance in her lifetime, as long as you didn’t spray it all, kept in the bottle, the fragrance would eternally persist, never expiring. She wanted it to accompany you for the rest of your life after departing this world, keeping you from loneliness, and what did you do?"

She sold it for a billion at a high price, rose to fame instantly, trampled on the precious friendship, destroyed the three years of sisterhood, shredded her last sliver of hope...

Margarett Vance panicked, refusing to believe, unwilling to accept, shouting: "No! Impossible! She crafted it to sell, to get money for her treatment, to become famous, to surpass me, how could it possibly be like this... Impossible, it’s impossible..."

"Mandy Sterling was my junior apprentice, no one understands her better than I do, I’ve made this very clear, whether it’s true or not, I believe your feelings will be more authentic than others." Her voice once again icy as hellfire, "Margarett Vance, it’s you who killed her."