Chapter 65
Chapter 65
“The name ‘ice cream’ supposedly comes from the fact that it resembles cold cream, but in reality, describing it as frozen cream doesn’t fully capture its essence. When I went to Ophelia, I got to try it…”
I spoke as if I too had encountered ice cream for the first time.
Of course, if these people had any connection to those who attended ‘Ophelia’, they would immediately know that I was the one who brought the ice cream.
But judging by their nodding heads and curious faces, it seemed they had only heard rumors about ‘ice cream’ but never directly encountered the real thing.
“It was truly fantastic. It felt like running through a field of white snow.”
[Our Irina would make a good writer.]
[That’s right.]
“Yes, it felt like becoming a fairy wandering through the northern snowfields.”
Whew.
I’ve now created a brand storyline that connects the North and ice cream.
In the future, when naming the brand, I should create and promote a brand story in this context. It will fit well with Luwin, a northern family.
“My goodness.”
“What on earth is this dessert? I’m so curious.”
“Who introduced such a dessert?”
I puffed up my shoulders with pride at the young ladies’ exclamations.
“But, Miss Seike, you say you attended ‘Ophelia’, but you’re not that high-class a person.”
Ah.
The mocking wasn’t over yet?
I thought they had completely fallen for me and everything was fine now.
Faced with these unexpectedly persistent people, I opened my mouth wide and then quickly closed it.
They’re not easy to get past.
[What are you going to do now?]
‘There’s no choice.’
I started up again.
“The history of this ice cream is…”
* * *
As I kept spouting nonsense for a while, the young ladies forgot their initial intention to mock me and started looking at me with eyes that said, ‘What’s wrong with this crazy person?’
I felt satisfied with those gazes and smiled slightly.
[This is not the time to smile.]
[If it goes on like this, won’t it damage the brand image?]
‘It’s okay. If they had known I was selling ice cream from the beginning, they would have mocked me even more.’
In fact, that’s partly why I didn’t openly reveal from the start that Luwin and I were involved with ‘ice cream’.
People who came to ‘Ophelia’ might know, but since that gathering was just a small meeting of various classes mixed together, I judged it would be fine.
“So ice cream is a product of modern technology and… Oh my, Miss Kelwin, are you alright?”
“Ah, no. I don’t think I’m alright.”
“Do you think you could eat ice cream?”
This should be enough.
As the system said, it seemed best to stop before creating a really bad image.
“Enough about that ice cream… Huh?”
The servant I had asked to come over earlier approached me.
The tray he was carrying was a bit different from those held by other servants, with a few pretty glasses placed on top.
When I nodded to the servant, he handed out a glass to each of those who had suffered from my ice cream attack.
The glasses contained the most basic vanilla ice cream, topped with finely chopped nuts and white sugar powder.
“What is this?”
“You know very well.”
“…Ice cream?”
“If you don’t want to eat it, give it to me.”
As I approached the person in the yellow dress next to Miss Kelwin, she hurriedly stepped back, clutching the ice cream glass.
They started scooping with their spoons hastily, as if someone might snatch it away.
Soon, small exclamations burst out among them.
“Wow, I can see why it was described as the northern snowfields.”
I had asked Apple to decorate the ice cream as he saw fit, and it seems he did a good job.
Later, when strengthening the brand identity, this kind of ice cream decoration would be more effective.
‘What time is it now?’
[The Emperor should be coming out soon…]
[I don’t know where Isiel is.]
[But Cassis will be looking for you soon.]
At the system’s words, I looked around and saw Cassis heading straight for me from afar.
His face was so stiff it looked like it might freeze everything, a ‘100% Northern Duke’ appearance.
‘He really does seem to be a man of the North…’
I took my eyes off Cassis and looked at the young ladies who were tasting the ice cream and exclaiming among themselves.
“Oh my, the texture is really amazing.”
“It is. It’s like eating snow.”
Not knowing that Cassis was coming so earnestly.
Yes, seeing them so happy after I put ice cream in their mouths despite how I acted, it seems like it will sell quite well.
“Irina.”
“Lord Cassis, did you have a good time greeting everyone?”
“Yes. I’m fine. How about you?”
He asked that while looking at the young ladies beside me.
As his gaze moved, his red eyes rolled ominously, looking quite like those of a beast.
Even though the gaze wasn’t directed at me, I flinched nervously.
Even I, who face him every day and am used to him, had such a reaction, so the young ladies who met his gaze directly were frozen stiff.
“Was there any problem?”
Cassis stood in front of me, bending down to meet my eye level as he asked.
Every time I fidgeted, his red irises followed me persistently.
His question was clearly directed at me, but at the same time, it was also directed at others present here.
A kind of warning.
“No. There was no problem.”
“…Really?”
If I said there was, it seemed like it would end up killing innocent people for no reason.
“Yes. Rather, I did some promotion.”
I said proudly, pointing to the young ladies who were frozen stiff like mice in front of a lion.
In one hand they held the glass that had contained ice cream, and in the other, a spoon.
It was somewhat funny and somewhat cute to see these naturally well-mannered ladies holding food in their hands and attracting attention at a party venue.
Perhaps because of that, when Cassis noticed this scene, he relaxed the icy atmosphere and raised the corners of his mouth in a slight smile.
“Oh? You smiled.”
“Did I?”
“I saw it.”
As soon as I pointed at him saying “You smiled!”, Cassis immediately refuted.
He stiffened his expression, insisting he hadn’t, but perhaps because I knew what kind of person he was?
The atmosphere was much more relaxed than when he had rushed to me earlier.
“Well, the charismatic knight Grand Duke who doesn’t smile isn’t bad either.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s one of our marketing strategies for selling ice cream.”
Saying that, I quickly held out my hand to Cassis.
He gave me his hand willingly, though bewildered by my almost forceful request for an escort.
“Well then, young ladies? Don’t forget the ice cream you ate today and spread the word a lot.”
You can do that much, right?
Leaving the young ladies behind, I waved my hand and moved with Cassis.
* * *
“Well, Luwin may not have money, but does it lack pride?”
Roen said.
“It doesn’t have pride either.”
Isiel innocently refuted.
I swiftly removed the ice cream glass from his hand.
“I’m sorry. Don’t take it.”
“Say that again.”
Isiel, putting on the most pitiful expression he could muster, spoke again.
“The genius Irina, chosen by Luwin, which has pride, honor, and everything else, just lacking money. Please give me ice cream.”
“Pass.”
I handed the ice cream glass back to him and pretended to be angry for no reason.
“But why does Luwin have no pride?”
Look at Lord Cassis.
That person is nothing without pride and honor.
When I got angry, he put on an innocent expression, as if asking what kind of question that was.
“Because they’re happy to go when offered money to send a few mercenaries to a meaningless battle.”
“Ah…”
“Why go to a battlefield thrown by the Emperor to insult you?”
I have to agree with that.
Although maintaining a knightly order costs an enormous amount of money, I’m against it.
Why go to a war with no honor, no money, and only danger?
“There comes a time in life when honor doesn’t matter.”
“Cassis Luwin. The reason you’re still recognized as an upper-class nobleman despite everything is that you yourself pursue honor, and you’re the empire’s only Grand Duke.”
It’s contradictory to say he pursues honor while going to dishonorable wars like a mercenary. But it was the very description of Cassis.
Because he’s the head of a noble family, he endured the insults to protect his family.
“So Cas, the Emperor won’t leave you alone this time either.”
Isiel looked at Cassis with a pitying expression, and Roen let out a deep sigh.
“That’s right. This time they asked me to go on another dispatch, but I refused, so the reaction might be worse.”
Isiel clicked his tongue a little, but still said it was good that he refused and patted Cassis’s back, saying he did well.
“What about Seiren?”
“Seiren went to rest for a bit because she’s tired. It seems…”
She seemed quite fine when she came out of the temple and stayed at the Luwin mansion, but being thrown in front of an unspecified crowd like this seems to be difficult.
“She’ll come down before His Majesty the Emperor arrives. Greet her briefly then.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“By the way, Cassis is Cassis, but Irina. I’m more worried about you.”
“Why me?”
Everyone except me was nodding.
“I heard Count Seike is coming this time too. Is this the first imperial ball he’s attending after succeeding to the title?”
“To be precise, it’s the first imperial ball Seike is attending in nearly 100 years. He’s coming to greet Mr. Cassis soon.”
I’ll see Ijin after a long time too.
How exciting.
I smiled, feeling elated for no reason, but Cassis, Roen, and Isiel’s expressions became even more complicated.
Just how scary is the Emperor for them to be like this?
