Chapter 179: Chapter 179: Counterpoint
When submitting her entry, Nora Northwood keenly noticed Yuna Hughes, who was also competing.
There were too many people at first, so she hadn’t noticed, but now that she knew Yuna was also in the competition, her fighting spirit was instantly ignited.
Yuna curled her lips into a subtle smile, looking at her with a provocative gaze.
All the contestants had submitted their works, and now it was time to wait for the results.
About twenty minutes later, the results were announced.
Yuna and Nora were naturally among those who stayed on, but Rachel Woodward’s friend, due to some nervousness, accidentally mixed up the measurements and was unfortunately eliminated.
"Don’t be discouraged; you did really well. But I want to stay here to watch the excitement. Do you want to head back first?"
Rachel Woodward’s voice was gentle as she comforted her friend.
The young girl nodded and stayed with her to observe the situation from outside the arena.
The preliminary round was relatively simple, but the semifinals were not so easy, requiring more specialized knowledge.
Contestants had to use their sense of smell to select the correct balm and identify all the ingredients used.
The questioners would provide the top, middle, and base notes of the balm or perfume.
Yuna eyed Nora, knowing that this was Nora’s weak point.
"Sorry, but this time I definitely won’t go easy on you," she said, referring to their previous encounter at Master Elaine’s competition.
Nora wasn’t angry. She just smiled and nodded.
"Well, then, good luck. But who will have the last laugh? It’s still uncertain, so don’t celebrate too soon."
Her words were bold because she knew she was no longer the same Nora as before; she believed in her own abilities.
The silent duel between them began.
Megan Underwood watched her all the while from outside, silently cheering her on.
The first three contestants had finished competing, and Yuna was the fourth, entering the arena first.
Due to her strong professional abilities, she quickly identified the perfume required by the questioners and effortlessly determined the ingredients used.
The judges nodded in satisfaction, indicating that Yuna was almost guaranteed to advance.
The surrounding contestants couldn’t help but feel a bit awed, suddenly losing confidence in their own participation.
After Yuna, it was Nora’s turn.
To be honest, she felt a bit nervous at this moment, but after taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and walked onto the arena.
Closing her eyes, she thought about everything that Megan Underwood had taught her and calmly approached a row of balms.
Though it was a bit challenging, she managed to get through it without any major hiccups.
While she was selecting materials, Yuna watched her with folded arms.
To Yuna, Nora was hardly a threat, but today Nora seemed different than before.
Frowning in confusion, she wondered how Nora could have improved so much in just a few short months.
As she was thinking, she heard Nora’s voice: "I’ve finished choosing."
Yuna was shocked. It seemed she really couldn’t underestimate this woman!
In the end, Nora naturally made it to the final round.
"The tense and exciting final round is here; today’s competition is something to behold," the host said mysteriously, gazing at the remaining five contestants. The other three were also leading figures in the industry, but they might still fall short compared to Yuna. At this moment, Nora’s eyes became intensely focused; she didn’t want to lose to Yuna.
"Nora, you can’t beat me,"
Yuna looked at her with determined confidence in her eyes.
She knew that this final was going to be different—it required more than just perfume blending; it was about complex accords.
Just after she finished speaking, the host continued, "The complex accords test requires the contestants to smell the balm and perfectly replicate it within the allotted time. The contestant with the highest degree of replication will win this competition."