Chapter 331: Absurd Claim

The entire hall was enveloped in dead silence as everyone processed what had just happened.

had just been wasted—just like that.

Ivan clenched his fists. He had wanted that perfume, but not only did Natalie get it—she had to break it.

"Ivan, she did it on purpose," Briena whispered. "I told her before that we were here to get this perfume. I’m sure she did this just to mock us."

"She acts like she doesn’t care, but in reality, she’s just jealous of seeing you two together," Irene added.

Ivan’s anger grew.

That perfume could have been his breakthrough—but Natalie had snatched it away, The Queen watched in surprise, intrigued by Natalie’s sudden action. She had always appeared calm and composed, so what had prompted this?

"Grandpa, how dare she act this way?" Charlotte hissed to Howard. "I need to teach her a lesson today."

"Go ahead."

Seeing that Howard didn’t stop her, Charlotte saw this as the perfect opportunity. She stood from her place, her posture regal, her expression filled with pride as a princess.

"Natalie, how can you behave so at a royal event—

, no less?" Charlotte’s voice rang with authority. "Are you openly disrespecting my grandmother?"

She pointed at the shattered glass.

"You broke the perfume bottle that Dew created in honor of the Queen! But instead of keeping it, Her Majesty graciously decided to use it for charity purposes.

how you treat a precious gift offered by the Queen herself?"

Natalie simply looked at her, a light smirk playing on her lips.

"After bidding, it was given to And as far as I know, no law can punish me for breaking my possession."

Then, she turned to the Queen, her tone composed but pointed.

"Your Majesty, did I offend you by breaking what to me? Also, allowing everyone present here to experience this perfume—I thought that was in everyone’s best interest.

"

The moment Natalie said it, realization dawned upon everyone.

A filled the air, delicate yet rich, unlike anything they had ever smelled before.

No one needed to be told where it was coming from.

Though only a small amount of perfume had been in that bottle, its allowed it to disperse quickly, filling the grand hall. The air conditioning system helped circulate the scent, making sure got a chance to experience it.

The tension in the hall eased.

Now that they had smelled it—had it—none of them could complain about Natalie breaking the bottle.

The Queen shook her head. "It was yours after bidding. As long as no one is hurt by your actions, it’s fine."

Hearing this, Charlotte was at a loss for words.

Briena, fuming with anger, stepped forward, with Irene following close behind.

"Natalie, you did this to hurt me, didn’t you?" Briena accused.

Natalie casually looked her up and down, acting as if she were observing her carefully.

"Did I hurt you? I don’t see you injured anywhere," she replied indifferently.

Briena’s frustration only grew. "I you before that Ivan was going to bid on it—that needed that perfume! But not only did you win it by using the power of the richest man here, you had the audacity to break it right in front of us!"

"Briena is right," Irene added. "You do it intentionally. You didn’t even the perfume, so would you destroy it?"

"Well, since you put it that way... I just think you people don’t deserve to get your hands on something so precious, so I it entirely."

Natalie’s smug tone made Briena’s face twist with rage.

"What do you by that?! Are you mocking us?"

"Is it hard to understand?" Natalie didn’t bother to deny it.

Irene turned sharply toward James Harper, who still sat in his seat, completely unbothered by the drama unfolding before him.

"Mr. Harper, she broke your gift just like that! Won’t you say anything? Are you really going to let this slide?"

Just then, the still-shocked auctioneer finally snapped back to reality. He hurried to James, stumbling over his words. "M-Mr. Harper, I... I didn’t know Ms. Natalie would break it, or I would have handed it over to her..."

James merely glanced at Natalie with his usual indifferent expression and asked,"Did it make you feel good?"

"I think so," Natalie replied, meeting his gaze without an ounce of remorse, as if she had done nothing wrong.

The exchange left everyone puzzled.

James Harper wasn’t "If you want," James declared, "you can break in this auction until you feel satisfied. I will pay for it all."

Gasps echoed through the hall.

Natalie raised a brow and turned her gaze toward the remaining auction items—some already sold, others yet to be bid on.

"Umm... I think I’m done for the night. Nothing else here interests me."

"Then you don’t have to force yourself to like them," James remarked coolly.

Natalie looked back at James and hummed in acknowledgment before turning to return to her seat.

The entire hall remained stunned, watching how Natalie seemed completely at this moment.

But before she could take a step forward, Briena’s voice rang out. "Natalie, don’t you think Dew might feel at how you treated their precious creation?"

Natalie stopped in her tracks and turned back to Briena, her expression amused. "Upset with ?"

"Yes," Briena replied bitterly. "As a perfumer, you should understand how much an artist cherishes their own creation. Dew wouldn’t tolerate what you just did.

"

Natalie raised a brow. "Is that so?"

"Just because you have a rich backer and bought the thing, doesn’t mean Dew can’t sue you," Briena continued. "Every artist has their own pride. I’ll make sure Dew sue you and that you’re banned from the perfume industry for treating a perfume like this."

"Yes! We’ll let Dew know exactly what you did and support her in suing you," Irene chimed in. "I heard that Dew’s manager personally came to deliver this perfume to the Queen—and she’s at this event. She’ll take action on Dew’s behalf."

Natalie let out a playful, mocking chuckle. "You two must have lost your minds," she said, her tone laced with amusement. Then she dropped the bombshell. "What would I sue myself for... destroying creation?"

A collective rippled through the hall.

Was she to be Dew?