The scent of Rose perfume are the words through which Takezou and Shinobu communicate their desire for one another. It's often said that scents carry with them memories, pleasant or sinister.
The flowery scent of the perfume- of those nights spent embracing eachother- stalk Takezou and Shinobu and remains a constant reminder of the shame of their feelings, their lies, their secrets, but also of their longing for eachothers heat.
Vestiges of Takezou's touch linger in the scent of rose perfume and Shinobu finds himself wanting to be consumed by that feeling of his brothers embrace. And so, with that scent hanging from his clothes he meets his brother in the wine cellar and it guides their bodies together.
In a way it becomes how they communicate their desire for eachother. They never use words to convey their feelings up until they are stripped bare and exposed at the end.
From the angle of 'Inhertiance' it is the shame of leading promiscuous lives behind the veneer of class and civility that entangles Shinobu and Takezou in this web of lies.
When their parents die the attendees whisper, "Naturally Shinobu will inherity the family business." Ushered into this world of buisiness and appearances, yet desiring something that cannot coexist with it.
Takezou himself did not easily slot into the role of an adult. Though they never acknowledge their physical relationship, Takezou makes an effort to force Shinobu to be more mindful of his wife- and honest attempt to push him back into the role of a faithful husband.
And through his suicide note we know Shinobu honestly wanted the same. For his wife to be enough, for the security of his lifestyle to get him by. But in the end he could not suppress his love for Takezou, his own brother, and the shame consumed him.
Kaname, too, was born into this life. Groomed into the buisinessman he became. But he sees Takezou's feelings for his father and is enamored by the taboo of their dynamic and later finds himself leading a double life similar to his father.
And you are not promised a happy ending. In fact, the manga maintains a pessimistic atmosphere. But in those final chapters, amidst the chaos is this sliver of hope for Takezou and Shinobu, regardless of if they really deserve it. And it is snatched away just as quickly.
The Inheritance of Aroma