Chapter 54
Chapter 54
“There are certainly luxury desserts. There are cakes sold in shops, but cakes sold in high-end pastry shops can cost tens or even hundreds of jurang per slice.”
“Yes.”
“Those cakes are hard to get because they’re so popular. All the nobles are desperate to order from that pâtisserie, and Lord Isiel Lemiere is said to have paid 1,000 jurang just for a reservation.”
If we succeed perfectly with luxurization, we could certainly maintain honor while making good money.
We could probably make a lot of money.
But we need to think carefully.
This is something I talked about when Rosalyn was here…
“How expensive could this ice cream be at most?”
“Since it’s unique, 100 to 200 jurang should be enough. If we put more effort into it, even several hundred jurang is possible.”
I shook my head.
“That’s possible, senior. Let’s say 100 jurang. Would nobles eat 100 jurang ice cream every day? How many high-ranking nobles would there be?”
“They could eat it, couldn’t they? And there wouldn’t be none.”
“Of course they could eat it. Someone certainly would. But most would probably eat it once or twice as a special treat.”
This is really just strategy.
Will we sell expensive luxury bags and clothes to a few people, or sell good quality clothes at much cheaper prices to the masses?
“Let’s assume one cup of ice cream is 5 jurang. If twenty people eat 5 jurang ice cream, that’s 100 jurang. If 200 people eat it, that’s 1,000 jurang.”
If one cup of ice cream is 100 jurang, we’d have to sell ten cups.
Roen seemed to be thinking quietly.
“And nobles are a tiny fraction of the empire’s population.”
“I understand.”
“Yes. We need to sell to many people in large quantities.”
Nobles might eat expensive things occasionally or often, but a very large number of the general public will eat reasonably priced ice cream very frequently in large amounts.
Roen objected once more.
“I fully understand the need to target the masses. But if we’ve already been recognized by the verified nobles, is there really a need to confirm again with the commoners?”
“Why?”
Roen was saying exactly what I had once said to Cassis.
“Culture flows from top to bottom, not from bottom to top. If it becomes popular among nobles, it will definitely become popular among commoners someday.”
I shook my head firmly.
That approach is dangerous.
“If that happens, nobles will stop eating ‘ice cream’ once it becomes commoner culture. Then over time, even commoners will stop looking for ice cream.”
“…”
“We need to start from the bottom and move up.”
Going against the existing method will be very difficult, but once successful, ice cream will become everyone’s dessert, from nobles to commoners.
“As you said, the luxury strategy will be enough for the nobles.”
Still, Roen’s expression remained stiff.
This is why nobles are like this.
I clicked my tongue.
This is why they can’t succeed.
Currently in the empire, there are noble families maintaining enormous wealth based on real estate and existing businesses, but the nouveau riche is all lower nobles or successful merchants from commoner backgrounds.
I sighed deeply and added something reassuring.
“And if worse comes to worst, we have Lord Isiel.”
Isiel is the heir of Lemiere and the center of social circles.
Everyone admires him and wants to imitate him.
A food that such a person enjoys?
Then it won’t matter anymore if ice cream is commoner food.
By the way, Isiel has been sending me letters every day since I arrived in the capital.
The content was about why I’m not selling him the recipe.
With someone this interested, and who also has quite a friendship with Cassis, it might be good to involve him in the ‘ice cream’ business if possible.
“That’s right, we have Lord Isiel Lemiere.”
I shrugged my shoulders once at Roen, who seemed lost in thought, and went into the mansion first.
“Well, I’m busy because I have to sell ice cream in the evening too.”
“Ah, yes.”
“I’ll go in first.”
* * *
“Yen, you’re really amazing.”
“I know.”
Yen’s amazing point was in attracting people’s attention and drawing them in.
And then sending back each of the many people who flocked with what they wanted.
“But everyone keeps asking what this is and about the recipe, so I just tell them it’s confidential and send them back.”
“Yeah, you did well.”
Even if we tell them, they can’t do it.
They would be shocked if they saw this list of shocking ingredients.
“But they keep asking where this food is from, who made it, how it was made.”
Hmm, how should I answer this?
In a situation where we haven’t created a store yet, I was torn from the position of positioning it as a ‘mysterious ice dessert from the north’.
“Let’s introduce me as the top disciple of a famous northern patissier who has researched milk and cream for over 60 years. How about that?”
“Really? Was there ever that kind of person?”
“…No. I made it up.”
“Aw.”
The second day of full-fledged sales mainly targeted the evening hours, and it was very popular with people just coming out of the theater.
Those people were certainly hot inside, so when Yen smoothly approached talking about a dessert strong against heat, ice cream or something, they bought it first.
So no joke, we sold all 500 prepared in just two hours.
Yen received his share of the daily wage and said with a pleased smile:
“Honestly, it’s only been two days, but don’t you think you should just hire me now?”
“Should I?”
“Yes.”
Actually, the system has already appointed you as my ‘Minion 2’.
Not knowing this fact, Yen appealed to me to hire him.
It was cute how he nodded quickly.
“But Yen, if I hire you, I’ll remove the current incentive system.”
“…Really?”
“Instead, I’ll give you a salary.”
I can’t give incentives every time and need to properly provide a salary.
Moreover, if I hire him like this, Yen will be destined to be worked like a dog as a sort of early startup member who has to build the foundation with me from the beginning…
So instead, if I can give a lot of money, I should.
“I’ve… never really received a proper salary in my life.”
“Really? What about the newspaper company?”
“The money I received from the newspaper company was barely enough to make ends meet, rather than a salary.”
And you said that the bonus you got for selling hard was all taken away by other newspaper sellers.
“So I… would like to receive a salary if I could. Really.”
Well, thanks to that, I’m happy to gain one good talent.
“I can’t keep selling ice cream on the street forever, right? I’ll hire you like this until then. Let’s talk about the details again when the time comes.”
At my words, Yen’s gaze wavered a bit.
I patted the mature but still young Yen.
Yen said while helping clean up the stand:
“By the way, Miss Irina.”
“Yes?”
“Are you a noble, Miss Irina?”
“Yes.”
For now, I’m a count’s daughter.
At my words, Yen shrank again and nodded his head slightly.
“This is my first time talking to a noble like this.”
“Really? It’s okay. If you work with me, you’ll meet a lot of people, noble or not, until you’re sick of it.”
Anyway, sales on the second day completed with 476 ice cream waffles.
* * *
Third day, 451 ice cream waffles.
Fourth day, 493 ice cream waffles.
Fifth day, 511 ice cream waffles.
Sixth day, 540 ice cream waffles.
Ice cream waffles were literally a success.
However, my ability, physical strength, and divine power couldn’t keep up, so I couldn’t sell much.
Anyway, it became the hottest stand in the Fahir district at least.
Somehow everyone heard rumors and came to buy and eat ice cream waffles, leaving with exclamations.
It seems to have become more popular thanks to the increasing crowds.
But I eventually collapsed.
I didn’t just fall down on the street, but when I opened my eyes in the morning, I just couldn’t get up.
So I groaned in bed until the afternoon, barely getting out at 3 PM.
When I trudged down to the first-floor reception room, I saw Cassis reading a newspaper.
Next to him sat a gentleman with bright blonde hair, playing chess alone.
“Hello, Lord Cassis.”
“Are you feeling alright?”
“Much better.”
When I only greeted Cassis, Isiel immediately waved his long arm and called me.
“Hello, Irina. Why don’t you greet me?”
“It’s been a while.”
“I heard you’ve been so busy lately.”
“Tremendously so.”
Although I worked so hard physically, I couldn’t pay back any significant money.
Isiel brought up the ‘ice cream’ story to me with a sulky face.
“You completely ignored all the letters I sent about discussing related business.”
“It wasn’t intentional.”
“Don’t be ridiculous… I hear it’s spreading by word of mouth in noble society now about how wonderful it was at ‘Ophelia’.”
I didn’t know this at all.
It’s very welcome news.
I couldn’t help but smile, pulling up my cheeks.
I’m pleased that rumors have spread like this already.
“And the rumor about a new dessert shop in Rowie Street in the Fahir district is quite widespread.”
I wiped the smile off my face.
I knew ‘Ophelia’ would spread rumors.
In fact, that was partly why I accepted the invitation.
But the street stand is a bit different.
“The rumors shouldn’t be widespread.”
“Not widespread, just word of mouth.”
That’s fine.
Since there’s been no response from Luwin at all yet, it would be troublesome to become too famous before the New Year’s party.
Excessive fame is just right for getting tailed.
If attention is poured on Luwin when we haven’t prepared anything yet… it will certainly have a not-so-good effect on the future direction of the business.
We haven’t even found a proper investor, so it would be troublesome if Marquis Cloi or the imperial family’s tyranny clings to us.
“I hope there’s just the right amount of expectation for ‘ice cream’, and no one knows about Luwin behind it.”
“Fortunately, most people will think it’s Irina Seike’s new product , and only think as far as Seike.”
Isiel looked back at Cassis after saying this.
“Who would dare expect Luwin to sell such a dessert in the first place?”
I quickly sat down with their permission and started groaning again.
No matter how much I rested, recovery was slow.
I must be getting old now.
“Making it on the spot every day, supply can’t keep up with demand.”
“Can’t you make it in advance?”
“I think I should.”
This is what I thought while crawling home yesterday.
If I use surplus divine power to make it in advance, I can sell a much larger quantity.
Later, it might be possible to sell even without me there.
To put it bluntly, when I return to the North, I could ask Yen or Yuri to fill that gap.
But the problem is…
“My divine power is too lacking.”
The temple people would be shocked if I said I use divine power to make ice cream.
But what can I do?
My divine power is so insufficient that I’m not sure if I can satisfy the quantity, even if I make it in advance.
This was exactly my worry when considering ‘ice cream’ as a business item in the early stages.
