Chapter 1413

Lily and even Galen, playing nearby, looked up questioningly. "Granduncle," Lily began, "you've always refused to reveal your secret apprentice's identity."

Austin smiled mysteriously, his gaze fixed on Lily. "It's Alexander, isn't it?"

Lily and Dominic exchanged bewildered glances, communicating silently.

Austin felt a growing frustration. Their unspoken communication created a barrier, leaving him feeling excluded. He couldn't decipher their shrugs, headshakes, blinks, and sighs.

"Granduncle," Lily said, "I know you're keeping it secret because Alexander prefers it that way, but you don't need to hide it from me. I promise I won't tell anyone!" Austin earnestly raised his hand in a solemn oath.

"Hmm..." Dominic murmured, hesitant.

Lily spoke first. "Yes, we prefer to keep this discreet. Now that you know, we trust you to maintain the secret."

Dominic looked amused, while Austin felt a surge of satisfaction at finally uncovering the truth. He mentally pieced things together: Lily's extensive knowledge of herbal medicine despite her perfumery background, her success after a period of rest, everything suddenly made sense. It was Alexander!

Relief washed over him. He'd struggled to accept Lily's superior herbal knowledge and experimental success, given her layman's status and gender. Now, it was clear. A secret apprentice, Dominic’s secret apprentice—Alexander—had been assisting her.

His frustration evaporated, replaced by a more amicable disposition toward Lily. "Don't worry," he said, his tone friendlier. "I'm discreet. Had you told me earlier that your husband contributed so much to your lab success, I wouldn't have teased you. You couldn't have done it without your perfumery expertise, could you?"

Lily's confusion lasted only a moment before she understood. She nodded, offering no retort. "Yes, the experiment required both skill sets; neither alone would have sufficed."

"That's not entirely true," Austin corrected, surprising Lily, who remained silent. "While I don't know much about perfumery, your data suggests it's not overly complex. I've already created two new samples. Things will run more smoothly now. The lab will still produce results without you," he added smugly, then a mischievous glint entered his eyes. "Oh, and I recovered the data you tried to destroy. Therefore, I'm now in charge of the project."

"You recovered them?" Lily was astonished. Her perplexity returned.