Chapter 63
Chapter 63
Thinking about it, Cassis probably didn’t save the empire by fighting alone in the original game. He must have saved the empire with the knights he carefully raised and spent money on.
‘I really need to earn a lot of money.’
That way, I can make a proper knight order for our male protagonist.
“I’ll really try my best. If we can refuse even the royal family’s requests, I think it would be better to refuse.”
“That’s what I was thinking too.”
Cassis said this much and looked at the scenery reflected in the front windshield.
Despite being a world much less developed than my previous life, the splendor of the capital was incredible.
Even at night, the imperial palace visible below sparkled with beautiful lights, and the river flowing beside it glimmered in the faint moonlight.
It would be nice if we could play music at times like this.
Beep beep beep!
‘What? You can play music?’
Beep!
‘That’s great! But can you hold off for now?’
I was trying to calm Vroom-vroom down, not knowing what kind of music might play, when a new question came from beside me.
“How was Ophelia?”
“Ophelia was the best! Everyone had good reactions, and it was great to get feedback on what the ice cream was like from pre-selected people.”
When the system first suggested ‘ice cream’ as a business item to me, I was full of doubts.
But now, I was brimming with confidence that it might be worth trying.
First of all, the reactions I face every day while selling ice cream on the street are extremely favorable.
Beyond just being favorable, rumors have started to spread.
Even before opening, people have started waiting in front of the street stall.
Will it only be good on the streets?
The rumors spread through ‘Ophelia’ have become information that everyone who knows, knows, they say.
I excitedly chattered to Cassis about how the rumors about ice cream starting from ‘Ophelia’ seem to be spreading among key figures.
Then I stopped talking when I inadvertently faced Cassis’s expression.
“Why did you suddenly stop?”
Cassis asked with a low laugh.
“…You already knew all this?”
“Of course. I’ve been in high society all my life, after all.”
Someone who would introduce me to Ophelia wouldn’t be unaware of this level of news. Besides, no matter how ruined we are or whatever, even this small mansion in the corner receives dozens of invitations a day.
I felt embarrassed for excitedly blabbing to such a person.
I quickly bowed my head and replaced it with words of gratitude.
“Anyway, it’s good. I feel like I’ve caught a good opportunity thanks to you, Lord Cassis.”
“As I always say, I hope you won’t overdo it too much.”
“It’s unavoidable to overdo it in the early stages of business.”
Even I can see that I’m overdoing it these days.
I’m squeezing out what little divine power I have almost to the limit every day to make ice cream. Plus, I’m going out to sell ice cream whenever I get a chance.
But, I need to build awareness now.
It’s amazing that there’s this level of awareness even though I haven’t decided on a name for the ice cream brand yet, or even looked for a place to open a proper store.
But because the preparations are incomplete, it will take quite some time before I can officially introduce it to the world, and it would be troublesome if it’s forgotten in the meantime.
So I need to sell when I can sell like this, to not be forgotten.
Perhaps he saw my determined gaze. Cassis quickly became gloomy and said,
“Then let me help at least.”
“You, Lord Cassis?”
You, the noble Grand Duke?
Selling ice cream on the street?
“If I help, wouldn’t it reduce Irina’s fatigue?”
I quietly listened to Cassis’s nonsensical words and shook my head.
“No.”
If Cassis directly helps with ice cream sales, it would be helpful, sure.
Ah, since Cassis is handsome, he would sell well.
[It wouldn’t just sell well, it would sell extremely well.]
[Right. I think rumors would spread all over the neighborhood.]
‘I guess so?’
But that’s all.
Even if Cassis comes out to sell directly, it just means selling a few more ice creams on the street.
I have no intention of using the strongest card – the owner of myself and Luwin, and the only Grand Duke of the empire – on the street.
“Lord Cassis shouldn’t do such things.”
Cassis is, after all, the Grand Duke of Luwin.
I honestly don’t care if anyone judges me for not being noble-like.
But Luwin is different.
Luwin’s heritage and honor, comparable to the imperial family, must never crumble.
“Lord Cassis must remain flawless until the end. You may be poor, but you must not lose your honor.”
That way, even if the business doesn’t go well, Cassis can be safe.
Moreover, Cassis will have to go to war someday.
Not in the formal way the imperial family is using him now, but literally to become a hero and move forward to save the world.
To become a flawless, perfect hero then…
“I don’t want to.”
I turned my head sharply at the firm rejection poured over me.
As soon as Cassis’s eyes met mine, he answered once more.
“I don’t want to.”
“Why?”
“What’s the point of looking flawless when I’m not complete myself?”
I was quite frustrated.
“You must know how terribly the noble society, especially the upper class, values honor.”
Such upper class won’t leave Cassis alone if he abandons his honor.
If Cassis fails, Luwin will lose everything now, and even if he succeeds, it will be impossible to be reintegrated into the upper class.
The imperial family and high nobles have always been like that.
“Yes, I know as well as Irina knows.”
He whispered.
“Don’t you know? I’ve been in high society all my life. After getting into debt, I almost left on my own feet just before being kicked out.”
“……”
“Because I’ve been in and out once, I know better than anyone about the honor and flawlessness they’re obsessed with.”
It was almost the first time Cassis directly talked about part of his background.
I didn’t know he would speak so bluntly.
So those calm words were a bit upsetting.
There’s a big difference between never having had something and having had everything and then losing it.
Because there’s a memory of having had everything, you feel the loss of the void.
“But why?”
I’m saying I’ll do everything for you.
I’m telling you to just sit still and approve what I want to do.
Cassis chuckled and patted the back of my hand.
“What use is being flawless?”
“To become a hero, of course?”
Become a hero and save the world.
However, Cassis seemed to think the ‘hero’ I mentioned was absurd, and he spoke with a chuckle as if trying to soothe me.
It was the same voice he used to soothe me when I said I wanted to go to the North from the Seike mansion.
“What would I do if I became a hero?”
Of course, I was upset.
“You don’t know anything, Lord Cassis.”
“You’re right. What would I know? So I’ll just make and sell ice cream with Irina, regardless of the outcome.”
“……”
Cassis leaned closer to me and spoke.
His voice still sounded like he was soothing a much younger cousin.
The ice cream truck, Vroom-vroom, had quietly landed near the river.
“You’re not going to just sell on the street like now, right? You have a bigger goal, don’t you?”
“That’s right.”
“You said you don’t want to sell only to nobles, but it’s true that they have a lot of money and influence.”
Cassis looked up at me and slightly curled up the corners of his mouth.
The faint smile on his usually expressionless face instantly shook me.
“So, Irina, use me.”
* * *
“Who is this…?”
Yen looked at me with shaking eyes.
“Khan, let me introduce you. This is Yen Kavitz, whom I’ve decided to employ as our marketing manager.”
“……”
Cassis, true to his noble status, didn’t directly greet Yen, who was just a commoner.
I immediately introduced Cassis to Yen, who was looking at me with aimlessly shaking pupils.
“Say hello. It’s your first time seeing him. This is a high-ranking noble who can’t reveal his identity and my master.”
“N-nice to meet you, master.”
“He’s my master, not your master. Use the correct title.”
When I immediately corrected him, Yen appealed to me with wronged eyes.
“But Irina, you’re my master, aren’t you?”
“No? I fairly employed you, didn’t I?”
You’re your own master, why would I be?
Ignoring his pitiful eyes, I pulled out containers full of ice cream.
“Here, this is today’s quota!”
Workers, get to work!
Yen, with a resigned face, organized the ice cream containers and took them to their places, while Cassis, looking a bit tired, asked as he looked at the mountain of ice cream.
“Can we really sell all this ice cream?”
Now I just mass-produce it at home in advance.
It’s much more time-efficient than making it in real-time.
Of course, due to my innate lack of divine power, the mass production skill is always activated and then cancelled midway.
“Of course. Look at all those people waiting outside even though we haven’t started selling yet.”
Even though we haven’t started selling yet, there were people waiting for ice cream in front of the stall.
“Are there always this many people?”
“Much more. We haven’t even started yet.”
Cassis quietly closed his mouth and, with his robe pulled down to the tips of his hair, watched Yen work diligently.
[But aren’t you going to sell ice cream with Vroom-vroom?]
‘We’re short on people. And there are still parts that aren’t properly organized.’
Above all, there’s still the New Year’s party.
With ice cream building such good reactions and awareness among people, we can’t just let the New Year’s party pass by.
That’s why I’ve been communicating with the workforce in the North every night and making plans.
It seemed that once the New Year’s party starts, it would be difficult to pay attention to this side.
It seemed like we would have to stop selling ice cream at the stall soon.
Still, I didn’t want to miss out on the festival period from the New Year’s party to about a month after.
While I was pondering this, Yen, who had finished preparing, approached quietly and asked.
“Are you thinking of hiring one more person?”
“Huh? Why? Do you have someone good in mind?”
“…It’s a friend from the same orphanage as me, a really diligent and hardworking friend.”
He hesitated for a while.
“Where did they work before?”
“After working here and there, I heard they got good recommendations and worked at a certain Baron’s house.”
“Oh.”
My goodness.
A former servant with experience in a noble household.
“Bring them next time for now.”
That’s half accepted already.
