With that, Cloudy exited the stage and mingled with the contestants, stirring the audience into another uproar.

"Who is she? Why so arrogant?" someone in the crowd whispered.

"She's known as Cloudy in the industry. She's well-regarded, and her perfumes sell well. She's earned her confidence," another spectator responded.

“Humph! She's too proud. This is Miss Morris' territory. No wonder Cloudy was eliminated. Accusing Miss Morris of being a formulaic perfumer? She must be jealous of Miss Morris' sales."

"I've heard the term ‘formulaic perfumer' before..."

Karol's smile faltered momentarily, but she quickly regained her composure.

Believing she had triumphed over Windy filled her with joy, overshadowing any irritation. Whether Cloudy accepted her offer was irrelevant to her now.

Turning with a smug look, Karol faced Lilah and said disdainfully, "You're really lucky to have made it this far in the competition. But this is as far as you go. Here's a suggestion—why not concede defeat now? It'll spare you some embarrassment later."

Lilah simply raised an eyebrow, her expression unbothered. "Miss Morris, have you always won competitions with just your sharp words?"

“What do you mean?" Karol snapped back, taken aback by Lilah's calm defiance.

"I just mean it literally." Lilah shrugged. “It's been a long time. The judges should have the result by now. Why not hear it before making any remarks?"

"Sure, why not? Think I'm scared?" Karol retorted, confident in her victory and believing Lilah was trying to bait her.

"Sorry to keep you two waiting," a judge began, breaking the tension. "The top, middle, and base notes of the two perfumes were completely different, which is why it took us longer to reach a decision."

Smiling, Lilah gestured toward the judge. “Please, announce the results."

“Fragrance No. 3 is strong and bold, appealing to free-spirited customers.

However, the base note is a bit rough. It's a pity."

The audience stirred into another uproar.

"Did No. 3 lose?"

"Is that Miss Morris'? It sounds like her past perfumes."

"The judge hasn't announced the perfumer's name yet. No one can tell who has won. The woman next to her has never shown up in public before, right? How could Miss Morris be defeated by someone unknown? How is that possible?"

“Maybe that woman is a rising star in the perfume industry?"

Meanwhile, Karol was stunned. Fragrance No. 3.. It was her own creation.

A cold sweat broke out on her palms as disbelief took hold. How could Lilah have possibly won the competition?

She had invested immense effort in her fragrance and had never anticipated a loss.