Chapter 35
Chapter 35
[SYSTEM | You have failed to make ‘Vanilla Ice Cream (C+)’.
>Successfully cook C+ grade dishes 30 times. (7/30)
>Fail cooking higher grade dishes 1,000 times. (215/1,000)]
At this rate, I’ll probably reach 1,000 failures first.
I disposed of the ‘Almost Vanilla Ice Cream (F)’ that looked like it would cause serious trouble if eaten.
Roen was sitting next to me with a tired face.
“Where’s Cassis?”
“He’s with Mr. Terezia.”
“The two of them?”
That’s unexpected.
Feeling sorry for Roen, who was struggling right next to Cassis, I took out the ice cream I had successfully made before.
I put a scoop of ice cream in a gold-rimmed glass.
I drizzled chocolate syrup on top and sprinkled almond powder.
“You didn’t have to. Thank you.”
Roen politely declined once before quickly taking the glass.
The first time I gave Roen ice cream, he reluctantly accepted it with a very suspicious look.
‘Will I die if I eat this?’
‘…I don’t think it would be bad to just eat and die.’
Unlike then, now Roen knew how to savor the taste properly.
I put down my sly, snake-like face and watched Roen as he scooped a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth, then checked my quest.
[‘Ice Cream Selling Girl’
Let’s start a small business with the very grand goal of ‘Rebuilding the family by selling ice cream!’
The start doesn’t have to be grand.
Let’s try to earn 10,000 jurang by selling ice cream.
Reward: 100,000 jurang debt forgiveness.]
In conclusion, I accepted the ‘Ice Cream Selling Girl’ quest.
I had no choice.
It wasn’t asking me to do something tremendous, just to somehow sell and earn 10,000 jurang, even if it’s just setting up a corner store.
If I can just earn that much, they’ll forgive 100,000 jurang of debt, so not doing it would be foolish.
I let out a deep sigh.
How on earth should I sell ice cream?
“Why are you trying to die like this?”
“I’m thinking of selling ice cream in the capital during the New Year’s party.”
“Wow. Good luck.”
Roen just gave me a fighting pose once, saying it wasn’t his business, then turned his head away.
I’m in a situation where I have to sell ice cream without being confident myself.
“Oh, Irina. Have you heard anything separately about Rosalyn Freya?”
“Rosalyn Freya? Who’s that? I’ve never heard of her.”
Wondering if I might have missed an introduction, I asked the system too, but got the answer that it was the first time hearing about her.
Roen sighed, ruffling his hair.
“She’s His Grace’s aunt, and it’s said she’ll return to the North soon.”
“I see.”
“She adores His Grace and Luwin terribly, but she’s quite stubborn, so…”
As someone employed by Cassis, this is truly unfortunate.
She adores Cassis and is also stubborn, huh.
Moreover, Cassis has no money, no power, only a traditional family name.
Perfect for being pushed around.
Roen added with an expression that seemed to ask who was pitying whom:
“Well, she’s not a bad person since she dearly loves Luwin, but you’ll have quite a hard time, Irina.”
This Rosalyn Freya person seems to be quite a tiresome person.
But no matter how tiresome, what can a mere county lady do?
Especially when it’s the aunt of the master she serves.
I shrugged my shoulders in response.
* * *
Roen went back to work, and I moved to another seat with a glass of ice cream.
Whether I do the ice cream business or not, I still need to sell it.
So that’s why I need to make 10,000 jurang in sales.
For that reason, I was feeding ice cream to almost everyone in the mansion and checking their reactions.
Today’s target is…
“What’s this?”
Sian Terezia.
“Try it.”
While targeting Sian, I also passed a glass of ice cream to Cassis sitting nearby.
Cassis has tried it a few times, but Sian, who was always leaving the mansion at odd times doing who knows what, hadn’t tasted it yet.
I sat on the sofa opposite Sian, who was just staring blankly at the glass he was holding.
When I looked at Sian with expectant eyes, he curled up the corners of his mouth.
“With that kind of gaze, I’m feeling a bit excited.”
“Please eat quickly with that excited heart and give me your evaluation.”
Hurry up and eat and give me your evaluation.
As soon as I finished speaking, a ‘thump’ sound was heard right next to me.
“Cassis?”
It was the sound of a glass hitting the table with a bang.
Cassis turned his head slightly towards me and said with a face devoid of humor:
“My hand just slipped, it’s fine.”
“And you’re not hurt?”
“No.”
Then that’s good.
I focused on Sian again.
“How is it? Is it delicious?”
“…Haha. Interesting.”
“An interesting taste? How so? Please be specific!”
Sian replied, narrowing his eyes:
“I haven’t tasted it yet, I’m about to eat it now.”
“Oh.”
He ate a few bites and nodded with satisfaction.
“It’s delicious.”
“And?”
“It’s fascinating.”
“And?”
Surely that can’t be all.
As a member of the royal family, I hope he gives a more detailed explanation.
Sian Terezia finished his portion and only then spoke with a gentle smile:
“Didn’t I tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“That I’m the one who saved the world from near destruction.”
You did say that.
“That’s that, and this is this.”
Sian shook his head.
“You should enjoy it while you can.”
Enjoy what?
To me, who was blinking in confusion, Sian added a kind explanation:
“How long do you think this abundant era will last?”
“Ah.”
“Destruction doesn’t come crashing down in all its glory.”
I opened my mouth.
That’s right.
I had only thought of destruction as just the word ‘destruction’.
I hadn’t separately considered how it would crumble.
“So enjoy it while you can.”
“…”
“A frozen dessert, huh. How extravagant.”
The sarcastic tone pierced my heart.
* * *
Sian left immediately, saying he had finished what he needed to tell Cassis, and I turned to Cassis.
“Now you finally look at me.”
“Are you jealous right now?”
“…”
With no answer coming back, I burst out laughing once and shook my head.
“Don’t be jealous. Who am I betting my life on right now?”
Only my god would know how hard I’ve lived, worried, and struggled until now.
Even my brother, Ijin Seike, who was right by my side, doesn’t know that.
[We know.]
[That’s why we like Irina.]
“Cassis, there’s probably no one in the world who likes me as much as I do.”
I affirm all the time I’ve lived.
My life in my previous life, the time I’ve lived as Lady Irina Seike, and even the time I’ve lived as the acting Countess Seike.
I always did my best.
Sometimes I’m depressed, sometimes I dislike myself, but still, I liked myself.
“And I, being that person, have bet my life on you, Cassis.”
Cassis closed his mouth tightly and stared at me quietly.
His red eyes sparkled under the light.
“It might seem ridiculous for a mere county lady to act like this.”
“…I don’t think so.”
I am the protagonist of my world, but Cassis Luwin is the protagonist of the world I live in.
Therefore, he, being the protagonist of the world, shouldn’t be swayed by my story.
“Even if I come to love someone someday, I won’t bet my everything on them.”
“…”
“So don’t be jealous or anything like that.”
You are the hero who will save the world, and I will definitely make you into that hero.
Let’s not waste your precious heart on someone like Sian Terezia.
I leaned my upper body towards Cassis.
Our gazes and faces got closer.
To him, who stood still without moving, I said kindly:
“Please answer me.”
“…Yes, I understand.”
Only after getting an answer from him did I return to my place.
I sat back, almost completely leaning on the backrest.
Knock knock.
“Master, it’s William.”
“Come in.”
Cassis took a small glass that the butler brought and held it out to me.
“What’s this?”
“I don’t think I’ve seen you eat this before.”
What Cassis had prepared was ice cream on top of finely shaved ice.
Surprisingly, sliced peaches were placed on top.
This was indeed the shaved ice that I liked.
“It’s peaches!”
“Shaved ice, frozen fruit, and syrup drizzled on top is a specialty of the northern winter, if you can call it that.”
Now that specialty will change from shaved ice to ice cream.
When I stared at Cassis, he added a word as if making an excuse:
“Also, you said you like fruit.”
“How did you get peaches in winter? Thank you.”
Grateful for Cassis’s thoughtfulness, I deliberately scooped up the ice cream, ice, and peach slices together and ate them deliciously.
“You can’t eat peaches in this season even in the South.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes!”
I thought it would be nice if red bean paste was added to this.
I was chomping away when my head suddenly felt cold, and I let out an “Augh” groan.
As I held my head with both hands and stamped my feet, I heard a low laugh from in front of me.
Slightly surprised by that laughter, I stared at Cassis while still holding my forehead.
“…”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Perhaps my gaze was a bit burdensome.
Cassis asked, sounding slightly flustered.
“Just because.”
I thought I’d like Cassis to laugh a little more often.
The path of debt repayment we’re trying to walk together will surely be difficult.
To endure this difficult path, it’s better to be someone who can laugh at trivial things.
Moreover, isn’t Cassis the hero who will save the world?
“I just like it when you laugh, Cassis.”
So it would be better if he were someone who knows how to laugh at small and trivial things.
