<b>Chapter </b><b>426 </b>
Donald raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued as he inquired, “What’s that incense you’ve got there? Sandalwood or Agarwood?”
“Sandalwood,” Mirabe replied without looking up, setting the incense burner on the low coffee table and flicking her lighter to life<b>, </b>igniting the incense.
As the incense began to burn, a subtle fragrance soon filled the room. On closer whiff, the aromatic afternotes hinted at medicinal herbs, inexplicablyforting to the senses.
Donald was no stranger to the ritual of burning incense, being a connoisseur of top–shelf aromatics himself. Thus, the scent wafting from Mirabe’s incense took him by surprise. “This incense… seems to have a blend of herbs, doesn’t it?” After pausing for a couple of seconds and taking another sniff, his astonishment was evident. “This is some quality stuff you’ve got here.”
With a quirk of her eyebrow, Mirabe cast a nce at Donald sprawled on the bed. “Not too shabby in the recognition department, eh? And here you were, ying the country bumpkin. Hmm?”
Donald quietly sipped his broth again before probing, “Where did you get this incense? It’s the mostforting scent I’ve smelled in years.”
“Got it online, nine bucks, free shipping. Interested?” Mirabe tossed off thement casually.
A twitch tugged at the corner of Donald’s mouth as he set his bowl on the nightstand, his tone less than amused. “Who are you trying to fool? If that incense is really nine bucks, I’ll eat my hat.”
“Your hat isn’t worth much,” Mirabe retorted with a dismissive twist of her lips.
Donald was taken aback. He thought, “Believe it or not. My real identity might just knock your socks off!”
After clearing away the dishes, Mirabe added, “Consider yourself lucky, Donald, that I even bothered to <b>light </b>an incense for you.”
She hadn’t nned on pampering him with such a luxury, but after her mother’s mysterious advice to ‘take good care of <b>him</b>,<b>‘ </b>she grudginglyplied. Judging from Donald’s praise of her incense, she could deduce he wasn’t your average Joe. As for his real identity, she wasn’t interested in guessing–nor did she have the time to spare.
“What do you mean, ‘lucky?‘ It’s just nine bucks, right? Here, I’ll give you ny–nine for a box,” Donald retorted<b>, </b>clearly ruffled by her words. Wherever he went, he was ustomed to adtion. <b>Only </b>in the presence of this young girl did his dignity seem to be slipping. <b>away</b>! He resolved to find the perfect moment to turn the tables on her, to show her that
some people should not be underestimated!
Mirabe simply gave him a look. Ny<b>–</b>nine bucks for her incense? Moments ago, she <b>thought </b>he had a discerning taste<b>, </b><b>but </b>now… well, he was just a penny–pinching old man.
<b>“</b>You should probably <b>just </b>get some sleep,” she advised. With that, Mirabe exited with the bowl in hand, deliberately closing the door with a bit more force than necessary.
Donald touched his chin, perplexed. They were just having a decent conversation, so what’s with this sudden cold shoulder? Youth these days were so fickle, so impatient!
With a huff<b>, </b>he settled back into bed, pulling the covers up and closing his eyes.
Adapting to a new environment was one thing, but his preference for his own bed was another; a restless night had left him drained and under the weather. Now, lulled by the soothing scent, his mind quieted, and he drifted off into a peaceful slumber.
The next day, Donald awoke feeling exceptionally refreshed. Yesterday’s difort was gone without a trace.
As he got out of bed, he noticed the incense ash in the burner on the coffee table and pondered for a moment. Soon after, he freshened up and, with the aid of his cane, stepped out of the room.
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