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Chapter 1591: A War Without Victors (XLI)
Chapter 1591: A War Without Victors (XLI)
"Good morning, dear."
Isabel closed her notebook, got up from the sofa, and gave Albert a warm hug and a kiss to greet the new day.
"I thought you might sleep in a bit more," she said.
Albert held Isabel in his arms and whispered in her ear, "Katrina was quite energetic last night. I doubt she'll be up before noon."
He understood the underlying meaning of Isabel's words and knew that he should be by Katrina's side, so that she would wake up to the sight of her beloved. Yet, Albert was feeling a bit hungry and decided to get up for a bite to eat.
"How are you feeling?" Isabel asked.
"Feeling?" Albert repeated.
"Yes, feeling." Isabel's expression was one of curious interest.
Albert was momentarily at a loss for words. Just then, their house-elf, Cara, brought in a sumptuous breakfast. Albert forked a piece of beef and chewed slowly. After considering his words carefully, he swallowed and said to his wife, "I feel like I've corrupted another beautiful young lady."
"I don't see any guilt on your face," Isabel teased. "It seems like Katrina was to your liking."
"It's a wonderful feeling to be admired by a beautiful woman," Albert admitted, finishing off the last bite of his fried egg and taking a bite of toast, his mouth full. "You've taught Katrina well."
"Katrina isn't exactly a qualified partner," Isabel bluntly assessed her sister. "I've always been worried that she wouldn't even make a good girlfriend."
"Most girls are like that!" Albert finished the last of his toast, gulped down the milk, and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. "I never expected every woman to be as exceptional and understanding as you."
"But you're not like other men," Isabel said ambiguously.
"How am I different?" Albert asked. "I'm still a man, with the same desires as most men."
He was well aware of his situation. Without his system, even if he were given another chance at life, he would probably only fare slightly better than an average person. After graduating from school, he would still have to worry about making a living, getting married, and raising a family—unlike his current life, which was filled with harmony and happiness.
Ultimately, the system had brought him too many advantages.
So, he had some self-awareness.
Picking up little Alice, who was trying to pull the cat's tail, and holding her high, Albert looked at Isabel, who was flipping through her notes. "What are you studying now?"
"Catherine's beauty potion formula," Isabel replied, briefly explaining Catherine's purpose to Albert.
"Let me see," he said.
Albert put little Alice back in her crib and took the notes that Isabel handed to him. Together, they studied Catherine's latest invention.
Albert's intuition told him that the various beauty potions recorded in this notebook were all similar concoctions, differing only in some of the ingredients. Even with further improvements, there wasn't much potential to be squeezed out of them.
If one truly wanted to delve deeper into this field, one would need to possess a high level of expertise in potion-making, herbology, and alchemy to create something truly remarkable, akin to Nicolas Flamel's invention of the Sorcerer's Stone.
However, this would undoubtedly be a fruitless endeavor with no guarantee of success.
The pursuit of eternal youth was ultimately a false proposition. Luck played a bigger role than talent or genius when it came to achieving meaningful results.
Isabel, however, didn't seem too concerned. She was still young and in the prime of her life, the stage when a woman was at her most beautiful. With the current achievements in beauty potions, she could carefully maintain her appearance and push back the effects of aging for many years to come without any worries.
And in the long span of a decade, Albert could accomplish a lot. Perhaps by then, there would be new breakthroughs in this area of research.
"I bet Catherine would be disappointed if she heard you say that," Isabel said, closing the notebook after making some modifications based on Albert's insights.
Catherine was eager to share her potion formula with Isabel in hopes of optimizing it with Albert's help and further improving the effects of her beauty potions. However, in Albert's opinion, this socalled new formula was nothing special.
Unlike ordinary potion makers, Albert had already achieved notable success with potions, and with just a brief glance at the nature of the potion ingredients and the brewing process, he could roughly ascertain the effects of the potion.
This was why he was known as a "Master."
Masters didn't merely concoct potions; they delved into the underlying principles and invented or improved upon existing potions.
While Catherine had some talent in potions, she hadn't studied the "Master" level knowledge from Albert's system, so her understanding of certain aspects was lacking. In Albert's view, her current formula was simply a haphazard combination of ingredients known for their beautyenhancing properties, failing to fully unlock their potential.
Moreover, Albert suspected that there were intricacies involved with the ingredients, similar to how in cultivation novels, ingredients of specific ages and harvested at particular times were required.
Most importantly, potions invariably contained impurities, and employing "scientific" methods to create more effective potions might be a way to enhance their effects, delving into the realm of alchemy.
"Your approach is always unique, but it might just be a good idea," Albert commented.
Slowing down the aging process was more reliable than trying to drastically change one's appearance all at once. Otherwise, the beauty potion invented by Zygmunt Budge was quite impressive, but it gave the user an entirely new face, making them feel fake. Albert had always felt that it should be called a transformation potion instead.
Aside from altering one's appearance, it could also be used for disguise, but one couldn't drink the potion forever, and eventually, they would have to face reality.
However, most young women probably wouldn't be willing to change their appearance, and at the very least, confident and beautiful women like Isabel and Catherine would never tolerate becoming someone else.
As Isabel and Albert discussed beauty potions, Katrina woke up, looking a bit weary.
Not finding Albert by her side, she felt a little disappointed, but when the door opened and Albert walked in carrying a cup of corn milk soup to replenish her energy, her disappointment vanished.
"If you're still tired, go back to sleep after drinking this," Albert said, kissing Katrina's forehead gently.
"I want to take a shower first and then sleep some more," Katrina replied lazily, stretching out her hand for Albert to pick her up and carry her to the bathroom. After a quick shower and finishing the corn milk soup under Isabel's amused gaze, she climbed back into the bed with freshly changed sheets, ready to catch some more sleep.
"Was your first time like this too?" Katrina asked, feeling that even walking would be a challenge.
"More or less. You're quite lucky, actually. You should recover soon," Isabel said, waving her wand to open all the windows in the room. A gentle breeze blew in, dispelling the stagnant air, before handing a jar of salve from the bedside table to her sister. "Apply this yourself."
"What about Albert?" Katrina asked.
"Do you want to keep pushing him?" Isabel asked, giving Katrina a quirky look.
"I won't have many more chances like this in the future," Katrina mumbled, pulling the covers up to her cheeks. "And it's not like he's a newbie at this."
"It looks like Miss Granger is setting a bad example," Isabel shook her head. "Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time in the future. Go back to sleep, and when you wake up, you won't have to compete with anyone for a few days."
Indeed, Isabel didn't compete with her, but the mere presence of another person in the room made Katrina feel awkward. However, as Isabel put it, "You'll have to get used to it eventually."
As it turned out, being embraced by two women at once wasn't as comfortable as one might imagine. That night, Albert suffered from insomnia.
(End of Chapter)
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