Chapter 31: Flower candy 300 pieces
Suddenly, there were a lot of flower-shaped candies, and Diana was ecstatic.
While a single candy seemed a bit lonely, when there was such a large quantity and variety, the appearance suddenly became glamorous.
(It’s no good to pack just two or three candies in a small bag. I should put more in at once and sell them!)
Furthermore, if there were more colors of flowers, the value as a product would increase even more.
Diana had never been more grateful to her nouveau riche brother-in-law.
(I wonder if they can make molds for other shapes too. . .)
In Diana’s mind, an abacus rattled. And then. . .
“Oh, this is amazing.”
Leon and Gustav returned with flowers in their hands.
“Even these delicate little candies look stunning with this quantity.”
It seemed that the abacus was also ringing in Gustav’s head.
“Let’s get as many as we can. The payment will be that iron mold.”
Diana chuckled.
“S-So, that’s how it is.”
“Heh, don’t say it like that. That custom-made mold cost more than you think.”
“By the way, can they make molds for other shapes?”
“Oh, you truly are Aurel-sama’s daughter. You have a discerning eye! Of course, they can. But it’s conditional on a barter.”
“A barter. . .”
“To be honest, the mint was burned down in the war, and there’s a shortage of currency in the market. I also want to save as much currency as possible. So, I’m proposing barter to close acquaintances. Diana, of course, you’ll do it too, right? Rest assured, I won’t let you lose out.”
Diana pondered. If the initial investment partner was Ishtar Trading Company, it would be a good start for a budding candy seller. It seemed like a good opportunity.
“Then, candy in exchange for a barter.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“?”
“I’ve heard recently that due to the war, nobles and wealthy people are fleeing from various cities and coming to this countryside. Product manufacturing is important, but you should also gather some information. There might be unexpected sales channels.”
After saying that, Gustav brought the bouquet closer to his nose. There were lilies.
“Well, it’s already the season for lilies.”
“Yes. I think every year, but they have a nice fragrance.”
“My sister likes lilies.”
“What?. . .I’ve never heard that before.”
“She’ll be delighted when you bring them home.”
Leon took the bouquet from Gustav, wrapped it in a wet cloth to keep it hydrated.
Gustav held the bouquet carefully and left.
・・・
【”𝐴𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠.𝑐𝑜𝑚” – 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑎 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒, 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒, 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑢𝑝𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠.】
・・・
In the evening, Diana found a rennet, a traditional technique passed down through generations in the village, among the wedding celebration gifts. She attempted to make cheese. With Leon’s guidance, she faced the pot for a long time, stirring and draining the water repeatedly. Then, she wrapped the collected cheese curds in cloth and pressed them into another barrel, allowing the water to drain out.
Diana wiped her sweat.
“. . .It’s more difficult than I thought. I thought I could make a lot since there’s plenty of cow’s milk!”
“It’s true that it’s cheaper to make at home, but buying it is faster.”
“It’s fine. I just wanted to try it for a bit.”
“. . .Does the young lady find this enjoyable?”
“Fufufu. It seems so.”
Leon went up to the ceiling of the cowshed with the small cheese barrel. He said that he would let it rest here for a while and then soak it in brine in another barrel to complete the process. She didn’t know why it had to be in the cowshed. Apparently, in this village, everyone keeps cheese in the livestock shed.
Leon looked into the wedding celebration gifts once again.
“We have rennet, wine yeast, and even vinegar and honey. . .I didn’t know about this. . .”
“Are these things passed down through generations in the village?”
“It seems so. They’re definitely not something that unmarried people would receive.”
“I see. After getting married, you’re finally recognized as a member of the village.”
“Yes. If I hadn’t rescued Diana, I would have never known about this.”
“This village is cold to unmarried people, huh. . .”
“. . .Honestly, it feels like I’m just a burden. I feel like I’m taking advantage of the village’s system.”
Dreaming of the compressed small cheese, Diana shaved off the hardened bread.
She seasoned mashed potatoes, coated them in flour, dipped them in egg, and coated them in breadcrumbs. If she deep-fried them in plenty of oil, they would look just like the croquettes she had eaten at the Heinz mansion.
They were piled up on a plate.
“. . .Looks delicious.”
“Hehehe. Next time, let’s put cheese in the center.”
“Diana.”
“What?”
“I love you.”
“. . .Isn’t that a bit too enthusiastic?”
The two of them smiled and effortlessly cut into the freshly fried croquettes.
・・・
―Meanwhile.
At the hot spring inn in Lipps village, a bouquet of lilies brought back by Gustav adorned the dining table.
In the dining room, besides Gustav and Ilsa, there was one more person.
Daniel, the young owner of Belz Trading Company.
A handsome scion of an art dealer who had made many women cry.
His appearance was slender and well-proportioned, not quite befitting a leader of many trading companies. He had slightly longer black bangs that fell on his cheeks.
Due to losing his father at an early age, he already exuded the aura of a top figure at the age of 25.
Even Gustav, during the meal, emanated a different sense of tension than usual.
“. . .It was sudden. I never expected Daniel to come fleeing to Lipps village.”
Daniel, enveloped in the scent of lilies, effortlessly cut into the rice croquette in front of him.
“The spread of the war has gone too far. It seems neither country anticipated the situation deteriorating to this extent.”
“It was not good that the noble families were the first to flee. The public order of the town deteriorated rapidly.”
Ilsa gazed at Daniel with a somewhat admiring look in her eyes.
Daniel brushed back his bangs. Gustav was anxious about his every move.
“It’s a shame about Diana. Although it may not be much of an apology, I don’t mind losing in negotiations once. If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.”
Yes, the marriage proposal that Gustav had once brought to Diana was a proposal with this Daniel.
“Well, recently I’ve been running around the countryside at the request of reclusive nobles, searching for beautiful items, not just artworks. . .”
As Daniel said that, he looked at the lilies.
“. . .Flowers, huh?”
“I picked them myself.”
“I see. When it comes to artworks in the countryside, there are only crafts and flowers. Is this for Ilsa-sama?”
“Y-Yes, that’s right. She likes lilies.”
Ilsa blushed slightly under Daniel’s gaze.
After the meal, flower candies were brought out along with dessert.
The candies contained pink and blue flowers. When Daniel saw them, his eyes suddenly changed color.
“. . .What are these candies?”
“Oh, I sourced them from the neighboring Pabst village.”
“Perfect timing. I’ll take 300 of these.”
The dining room fell silent.
“. . .300. . .?”
“There are nobles staying at another inn. They’re all frustrated because eating is the only enjoyment they have.”
“I see.”
“In the countryside, the ingredients are limited. I’ve been searching for something extraordinary to replace artworks, and now I’ve finally found something good.”
The wealthy Daniel.
His eyes, tainted with ambition, were quietly fixed on the beautiful candies.
