Chapter 51

Chapter 51

It was so pathetic, Arthur felt his desire to seduce Chloe completely vanish. Thinking that, he reached over and caressed Elina’s shoulder as she sat beside him.

His fingers slipped under the inside of her dress, which boldly exposed her shoulders.

“Oh my, Your Highness…”

Elina blushed in embarrassment, but didn’t resist. After all, he was a prince.

And that was what pleased Arthur. He was a prince, and women surrounded him. Not one of them ever rejected him. Chloe might be pretty, but he had more than enough beautiful women. Elina was just one of them.

Arthur showered kisses on Elina’s lips and temples, enjoying the soft, smooth feel of her back. No matter what Alphonse did, no matter how obsessed he was with Chloe, it didn’t concern Arthur at all.

Or so he thought.

Even while he shared such intense and intimate moments with Elina, he didn’t realize that his eyes kept drifting toward Chloe and Alphonse.

Meanwhile.

‘I want to go home.’

Braxton was the one who felt out of place amidst the unexpectedly steamy displays of affection and the subtle tension that lingered in the air.

He wanted to get out of there immediately, but unfortunately, he lacked the courage to do so.

***

Inside the carriage leaving the Duke of Battenberg’s estate, Elina, who had been leaning against Arthur’s shoulder, suddenly spoke.

“Your Highness, I heard you attended the Duchess’s birthday banquet?”

“Hm? That’s right,” Arthur said with a boastful tone.

“I’m close friends with Chloe. Of course I was invited.”

“I’m jealous. I didn’t even get an invitation. Her birthday banquet was all the rage in the social scene.”

“Really?” 

Arthur widened his eyes in surprise.

Elina lifted her head from his shoulder and looked into his eyes.

“You didn’t know? I suppose you might not. Even now, the women are still whispering about who designed the dress the Duchess wore. I heard she looked absolutely stunning that night.”

“Well, yeah, she was pretty.”

Arthur recalled the banquet. He remembered seeing the Duke and Duchess walking out together. To be honest, the Duke wasn’t of any interest to him. He considered himself better-looking than Alphonse.

What had surprised him, however, was Chloe. She had looked stunning that night.

Her skin, lightly powdered, was smooth and glowing. Her soft green eyes and delicate neckline drew everyone’s gaze.

He’d always known she was attractive, but that night, he had been genuinely taken aback.

‘Was Chloe always this beautiful?’

If she’d dressed like that all the time, maybe he would’ve made a move on her before she ever confessed to him.

…Still, Chloe was just Chloe. Arthur wasn’t the type to stay interested in someone he’d already ‘caught.’

After a brief silence, Elina suddenly spoke again.

“People say the Duchess has changed. You know… her reputation wasn’t great in the past.”

“Oh yeah, she was known for being timid and kind of dumb.”

“Mm… yes, something like that. Anyway, now everyone’s curious if she’s really changed. They all want to talk to her, desperate to get invited to one of her salons.”

“Is that so?”

Arthur grinned and asked playfully, “What about you, Elina?”

“Me?”

“What did you think of Chloe? Be honest, I won’t tell her.”

It was an unexpected question. Elina didn’t know how to answer and was at a loss for words. When Arthur nudged her for a response several times…

“I was envious,” she finally admitted. “She’s not only beautiful but also intelligent. I don’t know anything about business, but… it’s rare for three men to seriously listen to what a woman says. I was impressed. Ah… she must be on a different level…”

She sighed.

“…Even the Duke seems totally smitten.”

The mention of Alphonse made Arthur bristle for no reason.

Alphonse Battenberg, why was he so annoying lately?

“Oh please. Smitten, really? That guy’s just playing at being newlyweds. He’ll get bored soon.”

“Is that so?”

Elina went along with Arthur’s words out of courtesy.

But he had no idea.

She had realized just how deeply Alphonse had fallen for Chloe not long after meeting the couple.

It was impossible not to notice.

Anyone who saw the way his eyes never left her, or how his voice softened ever so slightly when he spoke to her, would know. Given the chance to spend time with them, anyone would notice it.

Elina felt a sharp pang in her chest.

If only she were like her… like Chloe Battenberg. If only she were beautiful, passionate, knowledgeable, and able to speak confidently with men as equals…

would Arthur have fallen for her?

Elina looked up at Arthur’s profile. Sensing her gaze, he looked down at her and gave her a handsome smile.

“And you’re prettier than Chloe, Elina.”

He lied.

Elina knew it was a lie. But she didn’t let it show. She smiled shyly.

“Oh, Your Highness…”

***

The launch of jasmine tea at Myeong Haegwan proceeded exactly as it had been planned in the tearoom meeting.

Battenberg House imported jasmine tea and supplied it to Myeong Haegwan. Following Chloe’s instructions, the tea was brewed and served with On-style cuisine.

Posters designed by Chloe for promotion were displayed on every wall. They couldn’t use the prince’s face due to laws prohibiting the use of royal likenesses in advertisements, so instead, Arthur’s handwritten signature was included.

Naturally, the responsibility for the campaign went to Chloe, who had proposed the original idea. She split the promotional costs equally with Arthur.

Her marketing strategy was a huge success. Though famous theater actors had occasionally served as models in imperial ads, it was the first time a prince’s signature had ever been used.

Her copywriting took full advantage of the nobles’ vanity and the prince’s prestige, stoking consumers’ desire to buy. It was also Chloe’s idea to make the restaurant smell faintly of jasmine throughout.

Most nobles were highly fashion-conscious and wanted to be seen as sophisticated trendsetters. Many ordered the expensive jasmine tea just to avoid seeming behind the times. After tasting it, they said things like:

“Wow, the greasiness just disappears!”

“It goes perfectly with On-style food.”

“This is unexpectedly good. I thought all tea just smelled like cheap perfume.”

Just like how On-style cuisine had once taken the Empire by storm, jasmine tea gradually became the next big trend. Everyone who tried it became addicted to its exotic flavor.

Thanks to Chloe’s marketing that balanced elegance with vanity, it eventually became common etiquette to order jasmine tea with On-style meals.

Not knowing about it or failing to order it was seen as backward or uncultured. Soon, other On-style restaurants began offering jasmine tea as well.

Eventually, around 70% of Myeong Haegwan’s customers ordered jasmine tea.

***

And jasmine tea wasn’t the only thing trending among the capital’s aristocrats.

“It’s amazing, Duchess Battenberg! It’s a total sensation!”

Lady Fortnum, who had arrived at the jam shop early, rushed up and grabbed Chloe’s hands.

“All the ladies are talking about this place. I knew this would happen!”

“Thank you for coming, Lady Fortnum.”

Chloe was embarrassed but overjoyed. She blushed and clasped the lady’s hands in return.

It had been about three weeks since Chloe’s jam shop, Triple Sweet, opened. She had been stunned by its unexpected scale and opulence. Whoever had arranged such a grand and expensive birthday gift clearly wasn’t satisfied with anything less.

“Oh my, His Grace the Duke is here as well.”

Since the shop’s opening, Viscount Fortnum had grown even more deferential to the Duke and Duchess. He removed his hat and bowed deeply to Alphonse.

Alphonse only gave a slight nod in return.

“Viscount Fortnum.”

“What a splendid store! I daresay it even rivals Iris Kitchen of the Eliza family—no, it outshines them! What I mean is, it’s an honor to be part of such a magnificent business…”

“….”

Alphonse eyed the groveling viscount with obvious distaste.

Though Alphonse had insisted no additional investment was needed, the Fortnum family ended up owning a share of the shop, thanks entirely to Chloe and Lady Fortnum’s friendship.

It was called ‘investment,’ but realistically, given the Battenbergs’ financial power, it was more like letting them tag along. Since then, the viscount had treated the couple as his greatest benefactors—which, in truth, they were.

Triple Sweet’s main products were various fruit jams, honey, and milk jam. Its signature product, of course, was Chloe’s very own milk jam (which she had “developed” herself).

The unique and special jam quickly drew crowds, with people lining up outside the store. In the end, milk jam became the new trend in the capital, especially among noblewomen.

A luxurious, fragrant jam that tasted amazing on bread, biscuits, or scones!

It became a staple not only at meals and tea time but also at ladies’ gatherings.

Soon, not just individual customers but high-ranking noble families, bakeries, and restaurants began placing large orders.

Chloe was thrilled that her milk jam had been so easily accepted by the nobles. But she couldn’t rest on that victory forever. In the Empire, trends rose quickly—and vanished just as fast.

To survive in that market, she knew she had to keep innovating.

“I’m thinking… the next product should be rose jam.”

“Rose? You mean… like, the flower?”