Chapter 52
Chapter 52
“I’m awesome.”
[Irina is awesome~]
[Irina is so cool~]
I filled the bathtub with warm water and immersed myself fully.
Slipping into the perfectly sized tub, with bubbles and expensive perfumed oils I usually save, made my whole body feel pleasantly languid.
“So much happened today.”
I sold ice cream on the street all afternoon, then came straight back after cleaning up.
I was fine until I got back to the mansion.
But from the moment I stepped into the warm interior, my physical condition wasn’t good at all.
So I skipped dinner and went straight to my room to lie down on the bed.
I didn’t want to worry people by wandering around groaning while sick.
I fell into a deep sleep, barely recovering my divine power, and when I opened my eyes it was 10 PM.
Since I skipped dinner, I asked Apple to bring me a simple croissant sandwich with bacon, lettuce, and cheese, and started making ice cream in earnest while eating.
[It was almost like running a factory.]
[You managed mass production all by yourself.]
[We’re impressed, Irina.]
I prepared a large container and applied the ice cream recipe to my cooking skill to produce ‘ice cream’.
Ice cream started to build up thinly in the container, and only after repeating dozens of times did a significant amount start to accumulate.
So only after using the skill about 50 times could I satisfactorily close the lid of the container.
“I thought I was going to die preparing for the tea party at the Count Blende’s house.”
The reading club hosted by the Count Blende heir that Roen had mentioned before was tomorrow morning.
No, it would be this morning now.
“My sister regularly hosts a reading club. Would you like me to invite you?”
“You’re not just asking me to come, but to bring ice cream?”
When asked if I would attend with ice cream, I immediately agreed, and that’s why I woke up again at 10 PM and prepared diligently in advance.
I was invited to attend the reading meeting as a guest member through Roen’s introduction.
I just had to attend the meeting and then briefly introduce the ‘ice cream’ that would be served as dessert at the tea party afterward.
[You’re not going to serve it in the ice cream waffle form here?]
“Rather than introducing it as a dessert to be eaten with waffles, I want to emphasize the ice cream itself.”
Instead, thinking it might be too plain to just serve ice cream alone, I decided to bring Apple along.
Apple would likely skillfully pair it with nuts and such.
When I officially start the business later, it’s better to introduce it under the name of the Count Blende heir rather than clumsily introducing it to the nobles under Luwin’s name.
Luwin is a Grand Duke and much more famous, but among the nobles, ‘Luwin’ was more likely to bring to mind ‘debt’ or ‘bankruptcy’ rather than ‘Grand Duke’.
Moreover, with the imperial family in the background.
Luwin had definite status and honor, but his position was unstable.
For that reason, it was much better to borrow the authority and trust of the Count Blende family, especially the young heir known for his cultivation, to introduce it.
“It’s like a celebrity endorsement.”
[I see…..]
“Anyway, I’m amazing. I did so much today. Selling ice cream on the street, and preparing for tomorrow’s tea party!”
When I finished all this, it was around 2 AM, with everyone in the mansion asleep.
I was sitting alone in the kitchen, complaining of fatigue.
Perhaps feeling sorry for me, the system gave me a special gift item: a ‘One-day Bath Pass’.
So I used the item immediately, and now I’m enjoying a hot bath like this.
I tilted my head back and closed my eyes.
I could fall asleep like this again.
But I can’t sleep yet.
[Can’t you sleep a little…?]
“There’s a mountain of things to do and think about.”
In the future, even when selling ice cream on the street, it would be better to prepare it in advance like this and scoop it onto waffles to sell, rather than me making it on the spot with skills every time.
That way, sales would be possible even without me there.
[That’s a good idea.]
[Right. If Irina is there, we can sell twice as much. An employee can sell on one side, and Irina can make and sell on the spot!]
“That’s right. Of course, if we do that, we’ll need to cast a spell on the container to prevent melting.”
From these practical issues to creating a questionnaire to more formally analyze who the main customers for ‘ice cream’ are and what aspects are attractive, there was much to do.
Above all…
“I wonder if I’ll do well tomorrow.”
The event at the Count Blende’s house is not an easy invitation to receive.
I was a bit worried about making mistakes in such a setting.
I’m going as Irina Seike, but everyone will know that I’m Luwin’s person, so I was more sensitive about my mistakes.
When first introducing ‘ice cream’, although it will be introduced under Irina Seike’s name, it will inevitably be associated with ‘Luwin’.
That worried me.
[What’s there to worry about, our protagonist?]
“What if I mess it up?”
What if I do something wrong and Luwin ends up being stigmatized because of me?
“Now Luwin only has honor and title left, what if he loses even that honor because of me?”
[It’s okay. Luwin still has his territory.]
I slid down in the bathtub until my head was completely submerged.
Perhaps because it was bathwater prepared by the god itself, the water was still not just warm, but hot.
* * *
It had been a really long time since I attended a tea party hosted by such a noble family.
I think I attended quite a few before the family went bankrupt, but after my parents passed away and we went bankrupt, invitations rarely came.
Even though there were occasional invitations sent by young ladies I had been friends with before, I didn’t have the means to go.
It was hard enough just to make a living, let alone dress up, go out, fan myself daintily, eat pastries, and talk about sophisticated books.
[But didn’t you often go to such events when doing business?]
‘Network management was necessary. And it was much more efficient to go to one of these tea parties and do direct sales.’
Being a noble gave me a much more advantageous starting point than other business people of common birth.
Of course, the fact that I succeeded to this extent is entirely due to my own merit.
I sighed imperceptibly as I lifted my teacup to savor the aroma.
A sweet and slightly bitter scent gently enveloped my nose.
The lingering scent was extremely charming.
‘Hmm, truly an expensive and luxurious cup of tea.’
Anyway, I safely managed to attend ‘Ophelia’, the regular reading club hosted by Isolini Blende, the Count Blende heir.
‘Ophelia’ is a reading club composed of those who have personal connections with Isolini Blende.
‘This means it’s not just composed of high-ranking nobles, but influential people.’
Not only high-ranking nobles, but also people who could have a big influence on the empire regardless of status were included.
“So it started as a small reading club with just my acquaintances.”
“Now there are just over twenty members, right?”
“Somehow it turned out that way.”
Isolini shrugged and smiled.
Next to her, Roen shook his head with a face similar to Isolini’s.
“Thanks to my sister’s ‘Ophelia’, the discipline of high society has been disrupted.”
“Are you blaming me?”
“No, I’m thanking you.”
The existing social circles were mostly divided by status and gender.
But ‘Ophelia’ didn’t look at status or gender.
It only looked at ‘how intellectual and respectable a person is’.
As a result, its members ranged from high-ranking nobles to commoners.
And every one of them was accomplished in their field.
‘Especially the founding members are popularly well-liked in high society.’
Isolini herself is very popular, and her close friend, Marchioness Helen, is a famous novelist. There’s also Rosemary Shu, the greatest actress of the age who could never fit into high society otherwise.
By the way, Roen, who was almost driven out of the house, couldn’t even become a guest member, let alone a regular member.
Isolini explained that he just came along today because I was here.
[There must be many people who want to join ‘Ophelia’?]
‘Tremendously so. Some scorn and criticize it as a club that ignores status, but in the end, it has become a group that everyone aspires to join.’
As I was watching the bickering Blende siblings, a young lady next to me struck up a conversation.
“I really admire you, Lady Seike.”
“Save your admiration. There are many more amazing people in the world than me.”
“No! There are no women from noble families who have built up a business to that extent!”
Viscountess Aldora, was it?
She praised me, saying she admired me.
I smiled contentedly while showing a bit of modesty.
Well, I think I’m not only unparalleled among ‘women from noble families’, but also among ‘those from noble families’ in general.
To be honest, didn’t all the other successful business people from noble families have support from their families?
But me?
[Our Irina started from scratch all by herself~]
‘Of course, you were always with me, System.’
[But in the end, it was Irina who achieved it.]
Starting with her, most of the tea party attendees began to say a word or two about me.
I smiled playfully and responded with thanks here and there.
The atmosphere was definitely much freer than the tea parties of noble young ladies.
It seemed to be because it wasn’t a gathering attended only by women, but also by intellectual men.
It felt less oppressive.
“Do you have any interesting anecdotes related to Seike Winery?”
“Yes, if you get the chance later, please give a seminar on how you were able to succeed in business.”
“Honestly, Seike Winery’s strategy was an innovative approach that didn’t exist before, wasn’t it?”
I brushed back my hair that had fallen forward and smiled leisurely.
“It was innovative, but it also received a lot of criticism.”
Honestly, I did things my way with the attitude of ‘it’s not my problem’ and ‘if you’re jealous, why don’t you pay off my debt for me’.
But my younger brother Ijin couldn’t do that.
He was quite affected by people’s gazes and criticism.
That’s partly why I kept him by my side and did business together.
Although he was too young to venture into business, it was to show that my methods weren’t so bad.
Because in noble society, the view tends to be too narrow.
“If we’re talking about criticism, ‘Ophelia’ received plenty too.”
But at the end of that criticism, ‘Ophelia’ became something everyone aspired to.
Isolini checked the time once and stood up.
Everyone’s gaze poured towards her.
“Well, everyone? So why do you think I suddenly invited Irina Seike to ‘Ophelia’?”
Everyone quietly waited for Isolini’s next words.
“I was so impressed by the dessert Lady Seike prepared that I wanted to share it with all of you, so I invited her.”
As she snapped her fingers, three attendants who had been waiting in the back entered in a disciplined line.
The attendants were carrying trays, and on top were several glass cups.
A cup was distributed to everyone in the party hall.
I received my share of the ice cream cup and looked around.
“Wow, it’s pretty.”
“What is this? Cream?”
“But it’s very cold like ice?”
“It looks soft.”
Everyone’s reactions were close to curiosity.
I swallowed dry saliva.
Still, I was relieved for now because Apple had worked hard to put chocolate toppings on each ice cream and sprinkle crushed nuts, making it very beautiful.
I looked up and met Isolini’s gaze.
Her bright brown eyes curved kindly.
“It’s a very mysterious dessert called ‘ice cream’.”
She said, holding up her share of the cup.
“The soft texture is just like cream, and it’s very cold, so it’s named ‘ice cream’.”
“Ooh.”
“Isn’t that right, Lady Seike?”
Everyone’s gaze turned towards me.
I laughed “haha” and walked towards Isolini.
“Yes, that’s right.”
As I stood next to her, everyone’s gaze poured onto me.
It was nearly thirty gazes, including the official members attending today’s meeting and the guest members they had invited.
“One scoop of vanilla-flavored ice cream, accompanied by toppings to enhance its taste. Thanks to Lady Isolini Blende, I’ve been given the opportunity to present this to you all. I would be grateful if you enjoy it.”
