But before they could rest, the gifts had to be delivered first.
Since they were visiting as guests, naturally they wouldn't come empty-handed.
This time, along with the Earl's family convoy, Sardinson sent a merchant caravan. Of course, the merchants wouldn't follow them into the castle as guests. So not long after entering the city, the two groups parted ways. Even after the merchants left, there were still plenty of carriages. Besides those carrying the hosts, and those transporting luggage and everyday supplies, several were loaded with gifts prepared for the Aldridge family.
Although this was only an engagement visit, it was still their first time visiting, so they had to make sure Dolores made a strong impression.
The gifts had been chosen with great care. Aside from various specialties from Sardinson, they naturally included bolts of fine silk and full sets of porcelain. When these were presented, the Aldridge family's butler was visibly trembling as he held the inventory list—he had likely never seen anyone gift silk so generously, not to mention the porcelain, which had only recently begun to gain popularity among nobles.
Although the Great Song delegation had recently passed through Pradi, the goods they brought had not been intended for sale here. The items sold to Wei Wei were exceptions and had already depleted much of their stock. So when they met with the king afterward, there was very little left to sell. After all, the delegation had other destinations ahead and couldn't afford to sell out here.
As a result, throughout all of Pradi, only the king and a few high-ranking nobles in the capital had managed to purchase some silk and porcelain. And even then, the quantities were small—barely enough for their use, let alone as gifts.
Sardinson had sold a small amount to merchants, but those goods were quickly snatched up by the nobility even before they could leave the region. The Aldridge family, being rather unlucky, hadn't even managed to get their hands on a single set of porcelain, let alone silk.
So when Felix arrived with several elegant porcelain sets this time, it gave Dolores an incredible boost in prestige.
Of course, the silk was excellent and the porcelain beautiful, but for the two women of the Aldridge family, their favorite gifts were the perfumes brought by Wei Wei.
Since Sardinson began producing essential oils and perfumes, these products—more pleasant and practical than traditional spices—had become must-haves on the dressing tables of wealthy women. Perfume, in particular, had solved a long-standing problem: with it, women no longer had to worry about unpleasant body odor.
Even more exciting was that these weren't the usual store-bought perfumes, but five brand-new blends.
In the past, Sardinson's perfumes had mainly featured floral and fruity scents derived from essential oils. While pleasant, they were also monotonous and quickly lost their charm. Customers had accepted them only because they hadn't experienced anything better. But Wei Wei had long planned to develop new blends.
From the moment the idea took root, Sardinson began recruiting individuals with sensitive noses, sharp memories, and knowledge of scents and spices, to train them to become perfumers. Tempted by generous salaries, many qualified applicants came to Sardinson Castle. After thorough background checks, Felix signed long-term contracts with those of clean backgrounds, keeping them within the estate.
These recruits were not involved in day-to-day perfume production. They worked elsewhere, where materials for developing new fragrances were delivered to them. Their sole responsibility was to undergo training and create new scents.
Though two years wasn't enough time to fully train a top-tier perfumer, progress had been made. Many new scents had been tried, and while none were exceptional or guaranteed to be entirely safe, they were at least taking shape.
Of course, Wei Wei didn't dare sell anything that wasn't completely safe. So the five new perfumes presented this time weren't experimental blends—they were adjusted versions of recipes Wei Wei had personally developed.
There were six in total: two for more mature ladies, two for younger women, and two for men.
The perfume wasn't only popular among women—men also needed it to mask body odor. However, compared to women, men's options were limited. Overly sweet and rich scents didn't suit them well. While some still used such perfumes, most men preferred spices over fragrances.
These two men's fragrances had been specially created for them. One was a timeless eau de cologne blend, combining fresh citrus with neroli, rosemary, and lavender, offering a crisp, clean scent with a pleasant, refreshing feel.
The other was a charming woody-aromatic blend, less sweet and seductive than women's perfumes, and more bold and refreshing. It had an extended scent duration, lingering subtly on clothing for over a month.
Besides the new fragrances themselves, the perfume bottles had also undergone a dramatic redesign. Gone were the simple, medicine bottle-like glass containers. Instead, they now came in round, textured bottles in five colors: red, pink, yellow, purple, blue, and green.
Red and purple belonged to the "Seductive Elegance" line for mature women, pink and yellow were from the "Pure Youth" collection for young ladies, and blue and green were men's colognes.
When Wei Wei personally handed these to Salina and Elina, the two ladies were already enchanted by the beautiful bottles before even uncapping them.
And when they caught a whiff of the unique scents—nothing like pure florals or intense spices, and able to evolve—they were utterly captivated.
Wei Wei added with a smile, "These five new perfumes are slated to launch next summer and autumn. I brought them over for you to sample. Please let me know if you notice anything that could be improved."
They barely heard the rest. All their attention was fixed on one detail: "Not on the market until next summer and autumn." What did that mean? That before the official launch, only Sardinson—and they—possessed these perfumes!
Who doesn't want to be unique? Even Elina, who had been in low spirits for some time, was suddenly alight with joy, already imagining the admiring stares she would receive when wearing a one-of-a-kind perfume to a social event.
Just imagine—a gathering of noble ladies all reeking of the same dull floral and fruity notes, and then her, standing out with a scent both alluring and unique. She would steal the show.
Even though Salina was already a grandmother, her love of beauty hadn't waned in the slightest. The moment she heard Wei Wei's words, she couldn't resist dabbing a bit on herself—forgetting even Wei Wei's reminder to remove her old scent first.
She inhaled the delicate fragrance lingering on her wrist and smiled. "I can't wait for the banquet. Let's each wear a different perfume, shall we? The other ladies will be positively green with envy!"
Four perfumes for women—just right for the four of them to each wear one.
"I'll pass," said Wei Wei, waving her hand. "I don't usually wear perfume. Besides, babies are sensitive to scents, and I still need to take care of Anthony."
Salina was puzzled. "But you smell nice."
She had spent enough time with Wei Wei to notice the gentle, pleasant scent that always seemed to linger around her.
"It's probably the scented sachets on my clothes," Wei Wei replied. Her garments were indeed perfumed with a blend she had made herself—light, non-irritating, safe even for pregnant women and infants.
Compared to his wife, Felix didn't even use sachets. But because Wei Wei loved cleanliness, he had gotten into the habit of bathing daily. He always smelled clean and fresh—no need for perfume. Yet, he still carried a faint trace of Wei Wei's scent with him, as though silently declaring to the world: this man is hers; no one else may touch.
"I won't use one either," Dolores added, blushing deeply now that her engagement banquet had come up again. She lowered her head, avoiding everyone's gaze. "Wei Wei made me a custom scent. I'm saving it for the banquet."
It was a perfume specially blended by Wei Wei herself—a personal gift to Dolores for her engagement. Dolores had been saving it all this time, intending to use it only on that special day.
A fragrance tailored just for her—utterly unique. Salina and Elina were nearly green with envy when they heard that.
But then again, if Wei Wei and Dolores didn't use the new perfumes, that meant Salina and Elina could each wear two of them. So until the new line launched next year, they too would have a one-of-a-kind scent.
As for the two men's colognes, they had been prepared in duplicate. One bottle was gifted to Prince Andrew—thankfully, they had known in advance he would attend the engagement banquet, or the gifts might not have been enough. The other was given to Adonis.
Adonis, after sampling both, preferred the green bottle's woody-aromatic scent. It was more suitable for mature men compared to the other. Given his youth and the constant pressure to command respect, it was no surprise he gravitated toward things that made him appear more grown-up. His wardrobe of mostly black and blue tones already reflected this preference.
Having grown used to the floral and fruity scents worn by his mother and sister, the woody scent felt refreshingly different.
After hearing Dolores mention the banquet, Adonis capped the bottle and handed it to a servant to place in his room—he too planned to save it for the engagement.
As for Prince Andrew, he had never cared much for such things. But seeing how happy his wife was, he naturally didn't mind at all.
After chatting for a little while longer, Salina finally remembered that their guests needed rest. She quickly ushered them toward the guest rooms.
"Please rest well. If you need anything, just ask the servants. When it's time for dinner, I'll send someone to fetch you. Of course, if you're too tired, you may dine in your rooms. Please, treat this place as your home."
She wasn't just being polite—after all, among the guests was their future lady of the house.
"Of course, we won't be shy," Wei Wei said with a smile. She gave Salina a friendly wave and followed the servant to the guest room.