Lucien and Fleur returned to the Beauxbatons campus together. When they reached the central courtyard, they were momentarily stopped by the bustling scene before them.
Beside the modified Fountain of Beauty, a winding queue had formed. At a rough glance, nearly all of them were Beauxbatons girls.
They seemed completely undeterred by the lingering winter chill. Each of their faces glowed with anticipation as they held various exquisite bottles and jars, waiting to collect the spring water that was said to have gained new life.
The air was filled with lively chatter and youthful energy, as if even the unmelted snow in the courtyard was melting faster because of their enthusiasm.
Clearly, the spring water's genuine beauty-enhancing effects had been noticed by observant individuals through daily use. Word had spread from person to person, resulting in the lively scene before them.
Fleur gazed at the scene brought about single-handedly by the person beside her, a knowing and slightly teasing smile spreading across her lips.
"It seems you won't have to bother collecting spring water for your Hogwarts friends anymore. With your ability, it probably wouldn't be difficult to build another one yourself after you return."
Having witnessed with her own eyes how Lucien had dismantled and reconstructed the Fountain of Beauty that night, Fleur had no doubt about it.
Lucien's gaze swept over the statue of Nicolas Flamel and his wife in the centre of the fountain, eternally accompanying one another.
"The Fountain of Beauty at Beauxbatons has a different significance. It was built by Teacher himself and is one of the symbols of this school's history and heritage."
For this reason, when he completed the modification required by the system, he had deliberately preserved all the exterior details without making any changes.
In Lucien's mind, he had already begun outlining the blueprint for the Fountain of Beauty he would replicate after returning to Hogwarts. Its design could perhaps be a little freer, incorporating some of Hogwarts' style...
The enthusiasm of the Beauxbatons students before him seemed to mirror the future grandeur of that yet-to-be-born Hogwarts Fountain of Beauty.
It might even be more popular than here.
After all, the students of Beauxbatons had long been accustomed to the existence of such a magical fountain, but for the Young Wizards of Hogwarts, it would be an entirely fresh magical creation.
"It's understandable that the girls are flocking to it," Lucien said, his thoughts drifting as he considered another potential benefit. A curve involuntarily formed at the corners of his mouth. "However, this spring water might have an unexpected blessing for the boys at Hogwarts."
"Oh?" Fleur raised her delicate eyebrows.
"It's gentle enough not to damage the scalp or hair roots," Lucien analysed seriously, though a playful glint sparkled in his eyes. "You know, British men have a common... well, altitude anxiety."
He gestured to the position of his own hairline.
"Genetics is one factor, but the water quality back there has to bear some responsibility too."
Seeing how Snape's greasy yet thick black hair had survived, Lucien suspected that part of the reason was that the old bat did not wash his hair very often.
Fleur was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help bursting into laughter. She quickly pursed her lips, her shoulders trembling slightly.
She tried to imagine Lucien entering middle age, still handsome but with a receding hairline, and dared not think any further.
Lucien continued along this line of thought, stroking his chin as if he had discovered a new business opportunity.
Speaking of which, wouldn't the market prospects for specialised hair-care and hair-growth Potions or Alchemical products be quite good?
Fleur finally managed to stop laughing. Her blue eyes looked at him, her tone returning to its previous banter, but with a bit more serious prediction.
"At this rate, I think in a few decades, Hogwarts students might take pride in the fountain built by Lucien."
She paused, her smile deepening.
"Hmm, maybe it won't even take that long?"
Lucien thought about it seriously.
Uh, should I really put my name on the fountain, or even a statue...?
...
In the corridor beside the Fountain of Beauty, Lucien casually kept one hand in his robe pocket, sensing the emotional energy being drawn by the Coloured Crystal Balls from those young witches.
The emotional auras emanating from the girls gathered here were far richer and more intense than those provided by the boys: anticipation, delight, a hint of rivalry, longing for their own beauty, even the excitement of sharing secrets with companions.
The variety was extensive, and the intensity was higher.
Indeed, whether in the Wizarding World or the Muggle world, women's willingness to consume and their emotional projections were more active.
Lucien recalled the sales reports from the Seventh Workshop in Diagon Alley and the situation reported by the Weasley twins. Female customers' contribution rates had always been consistently higher.
If he could launch some targeted beauty or skincare Potions and Alchemical trinkets at Beauxbatons, he could probably gain a foothold very quickly.
However, this thought was only fleeting.
Lucien himself had little time left at Beauxbatons, and here, his network of connections was nearly blank. The only person he could consider familiar was Fleur.
As for the idea of asking her to help with sales, that was not very realistic.
Not to mention that Beauxbatons' school culture and management were stricter than Hogwarts', imposing more restrictions on students' behaviour on campus.
Just considering Fleur herself, after several days of observation, Lucien had also noticed a subtle fact: Fleur's interpersonal relationships at Beauxbatons were actually average.
Among the boys, there were naturally admirers, but few dared to truly approach her or engage in equal conversation. Most kept their distance.
Beauxbatons already had a majority of female students, and among the girls, the gazes Fleur received were even more complex.
Admiration for her talent and beauty might be genuine, but the faint jealousy born from it, or the sense of distance caused by her undisguised pride, was also clearly discernible.
She had very few close friends.
Fleur herself seemed quite at ease with this. She had once told Lucien that she had never liked excessive, meaningless socialising and could not learn to deliberately accommodate others just to fit in.
"Being liked or disliked are both perfectly normal things."
Lucien remembered her saying this with her delicate chin slightly raised, her eyes carrying a calmness that seemed to say it was only natural.
Actually, it made sense. Given Fleur's qualities and temperament, she neither resembled nor needed to become the type of person who got along with everyone.
Lucien did not feel regretful about being unable to open a small branch at Beauxbatons, because a bolder, more direct plan had already taken shape in his mind.
Why not directly open his own shop in the core commercial district of France's Magical World?
This would be even more convenient than opening a shop in Diagon Alley.
Diagon Alley was extremely expensive, and securing a storefront there was truly difficult. It had long been controlled by many Pure-blood families over generations.
But when it came to influence, resources, and connections in France's Magical World, who could compare to his teacher, Nicolas Flamel?
When he mentioned this idea to Nicolas, the Alchemist who had lived for six centuries did not even raise an eyebrow.
He simply waved his hand and said he still had a few unused old shopfronts in Paris's magical districts and several major commercial alleys, then directly tossed the keys to Lucien and told him to use whichever he needed.
In fact, if Lucien had not firmly refused, Nicolas would even have transferred the property rights directly to him.
For a legend who could turn stone into gold and had long transcended worldly desires, these fixed assets were indeed no different from roadside pebbles.
More importantly, the name Nicolas Flamel represented not just wealth in France's Magical World, but unparalleled prestige and a vast, intricate, unfathomable network of connections.
Centuries of time had allowed this influence to permeate every corner.
Lucien even felt that starting in France might be much smoother than starting in Britain...
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