Chapter 68
Chapter 68
Ice cream was popular.
“Young lady, could I also try this dessert?”
“Miss Seike, please let me have some too.”
“Now, now, I’ll serve you in order, so please don’t push each other.”
The people crowding in front of me were a mix of all sorts, from high-ranking nobles to those invited to the imperial party for the first time.
Ijin was making full use of his experience selling wine with me at marketplaces and festivals amidst this chaotic situation.
Watching him efficiently organize the lines, I felt a strange tightness in my chest.
‘Ijin… I was so worried when he first took on the role of Count.’
[That’s right……]
[We were worried about Seike when he was saying strange things in front of the Emperor.]
‘He’s more of an adult than I thought.’
As soon as I made eye contact with Ijin, who had lifted his head, I deliberately put on a moved expression and gave him a thumbs up.
As soon as Ijin spotted me, he made the same face and gave me a thumbs up.
“What are you two doing?”
“Encouragement and comfort. Seiren, you help distribute ice cream too.”
“Yes.”
“Lord Cassis, don’t just stand there. Stand by and help stop people from fighting.”
“Alright.”
I started using my ice cream making skill again.
It all happened so quickly.
* * *
To divert people’s attention from the stimulating event of a big match between the Saint and the former Saint candidate, the first thing I did was to start making ice cream in empty glasses I had asked a servant to bring.
Of course, at first, no one paid attention even as I diligently made ice cream.
However, when Cassis appeared beside me and casually picked up some ice cream, and Isolini, who appeared next to him, happily took some ice cream, people’s gazes started to gather towards me one by one.
“It’s been a while, Irina.”
“Miss Blende.”
“That’s not right.”
Isolini shook her head with an expressionless face.
I bowed my head slightly and corrected my address.
“Sister Isolini.”
“That’s right.”
Isolini looked at the ice cream I was busily making, then at Rose who was subtly picking a fight from behind, and Seiren who was watching with clenched fists, and smirked.
“So that’s why Cassis dragged me here.”
“Lord Cassis brought you?”
“He suddenly appeared and said there was somewhere he needed me to go… Thanks to that, I heard Cassis call me ‘sister’ for the first time in a while.”
Cassis called someone ‘sister’?
I quickly turned my head from Isolini to look at Cassis.
As soon as our eyes met, Cassis stepped back slightly and turned his head.
He probably turned his head to hide his expression from me, but as a result, his reddened ears were fully exposed.
“Lord Cassis, thank you.”
“No need. Seiren is also a sister I care for, so this is something I should naturally do.”
Those who had met me once before at ‘Ophelia’, or those who had the courage, approached me and politely requested ‘ice cream’, receiving a glass each with flushed faces.
[SYSTEM | 7% minimum attention remaining until the activation of the passive skill ‘Idol Skill Attention! Look at me! (C+)’.]
I was startled by the system window that suddenly popped up.
‘Ah, I had such a skill.’
It’s an idol-related skill from another dimension that I got from opening a random skill box.
[Right. We had something like that.]
[If you fill the gauge by 7%, will the ‘Attention!’ skill activate?]
‘What happens when the skill activates?’
[……Should I go ask?]
‘No, it’s fine.’
Since it’s a passive skill, I guess it naturally attracts additional attention when people pay attention to you.
However, I couldn’t grasp how much attention 7% represented.
Because no matter how much I distributed ice cream to the members of ‘Ophelia’ and talked to other people nearby, the attention level still remained at ‘7%’.
‘How do I fill this?’
[Well. I don’t know either.]
[Why? Maybe it’s because you’re not catching people’s eyes enough?]
The feeling was exactly like everyone knew it was ‘that’ rumored ice cream and were interested, but they felt awkward about actually approaching and pretending to know about it.
Moreover, the subject was me, and I was a person from Luwin who was disliked by the Emperor.
The only thing that could neutralize the negative gaze was probably Isolini was right next to me.
If only Isiel were here, everything would be perfect!
Where did that guy go, leaving only his sister behind?
For reference, Seiren is sticking close to me and Isolini, eating ice cream.
If only there was a trigger…
“Ice cream sister?”
I heard a familiar voice calling me from behind.
There stood a girl wearing a short-length dress that was said to be popular among academy students these days.
Her brown hair tied up in two braids was so sprinkled with jewel powder that it sparkled brilliantly under the party’s glamorous lighting.
Where have I seen her before?
She looks familiar.
[Ice cream stand.]
[That regular academy student, remember?]
‘Ah!’
“Jane?”
She beamed with joy and bounced over to me.
“Sister! So you really were a noble! I had a feeling you might be.”
“We meet again here, Jane.”
She said she was the much younger sister of Duke Hellis.
Indeed, befitting the precious youngest daughter of a wealthy family, every single action of hers dripped with aegyo.
“Sister. Can’t you tell me your name now? I’m Jane Hellis.”
Crash.
As soon as Jane finished introducing herself, I heard the sound of glass breaking beside me. Surprised, I turned to see Seiren, looking more like a witch from a magic tower than a saint, alternately glaring at me and Jane.
I was startled for a moment, but seeing the ice cream dripping down her hand, I quickly offered her a handkerchief.
“Are you hurt? What happened?”
“I’m not hurt… I just misjudged my strength and broke it. More importantly, sister.”
How does one misjudge their strength to break a perfectly fine glass, child?
However, Seiren ignored my reaction and raised her hand to point at Jane, who was looking on with innocent eyes.
“Who is she? Why is she calling you sister? You’re only my sister.”
Jane blinked her big eyes a couple of times, then clapped her hands once and opened her mouth wide.
“Princess Seiren Lemiere?”
“Oh, I’m Seiren.”
“It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Jane from the Hellis Ducal family!”
Jane looked truly excited.
She bounced up and down a few times in front of Seiren, making a fuss, then turned her head back to me, her eyes sparkling like a rabbit’s.
“Sister… you’re amazing. What’s your real name?”
Amused by her cute behavior, I chuckled and introduced myself.
“I’m Irina Seike.”
“Are you ‘that’ Irina from ‘that’ Seike?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Wow. You sisters are really amazing.”
While Jane was jumping around excitedly, Seiren, who was probably a couple of years older than Jane, didn’t seem very pleased.
It took me poking her waist a few times before she finally dropped her witch-like aura.
Jane, regardless of Seiren’s attitude, chattered on about being a fan, made a fuss a few times about finally knowing my identity in front of me, and then smoothly extended her hand to me.
“Can I have a glass of ice cream too?”
* * *
As soon as I used my skill to make ice cream and handed it to Jane, the system chimed.
[SYSTEM | Attention level reached 100! The passive skill ‘Idol Skill Attention! Look at me! (C+)’ has been activated.]
“Finally.”
There wasn’t an immediate, dramatic change just because the skill was activated.
However, Jane led to a dramatic change.
“It’s delicious! Sister, I want to bring some to my brother too, can you make one more?”
“It might melt on the way, how about bringing your brother here?”
“Okay! Please wait a moment!”
After waving goodbye to Jane who bounced away excitedly, I turned around to find Seiren burning with anger.
“Who is she?”
“You know I sell ice cream on the street, right?”
“Yes, I know.”
“She’s a regular customer. She’s been asking me who I am every day, and today she finally found out.”
Seiren clung to me with a face full of betrayal.
“I thought I was the only one who could call you sister!”
Her small face with distinct features expressing indignation and resentment was so ridiculous that I burst out laughing.
“Jane is only seventeen.”
“…I’m a baby too.”
“How old is our Seiren?”
“Nineteen years old.”
She was more of a baby than I thought.
“Alright, let’s make our Seiren my first baby.”
“Okay.”
Her nodding looked just like a bird flapping its wings.
While we were having this simple conversation, Cassis suddenly let out an ‘Ah’ sound next to us, almost like a sigh.
Following his gaze, I saw a surprisingly large number of people walking majestically towards me.
I was about to step back, a bit intimidated by the number of people, when Jane, who was at the front, waved her hand and said,
“Sister, this is my brother, Duke Hellis.”
“My little sister has been rude. I’m Hamel Hellis.”
“I’m Irina Seike. Jane has always given me great courage.”
Then I placed a cup of ice cream in Duke Hellis’s hand.
Led by Jane, Duke Hellis stood next to me, Seiren, and Cassis, and started eating the ice cream.
[He could probably dominate in terms of social status.]
[That’s right.]
“And these are all my friends. I’ve been talking about ice cream so much that they were all very curious and came along.”
Oh…
So this is how the ‘Idol Skill Attention! Look at me! (C+)’ activated.
Now that it’s come to this, I should promote it to the best of my ability.
I started making ice cream with determination, and this is the result.
* * *
“My goodness, so this is the rumored ice cream.”
“It looks very elegant and luxurious.”
“The soft texture and sweet taste are exquisite.”
You couldn’t ask for better praise than this.
As Jane’s acquaintances flocked over, holding ice cream in one hand and a spoon in the other and started eating, others who had been interested but hesitant to approach also started to come closer.
And they poured out amazing reactions in real-time.
“It’s like an early spring has come to the northern snowfields.”
“This is the first time in my life! It’s innovative!”
“I can understand why the members of ‘Ophelia’ were so enthusiastic!”
Despite my arms trembling from the lack of holy power, I felt very proud of the positive reactions from people of all ages and genders.
After selling frantically like this, when I raised my head, I could see a white woman standing alone in the distance.
“It’s Rose.”
“Indeed.”
Saint Rose Bistin, unlike earlier when she had swept through the party venue attracting everyone’s attention, was now in a corner, unable to attract anyone’s attention.
Even the prince, her partner standing next to her, was holding a glass and tasting the ice cream.
[Didn’t you bring out the ice cream because you didn’t like Rose and Seiren being constantly compared and getting attention?]
‘That could be said.’
[Then it’s a success in its own way.]
[Because no one is interested in the newly born Saint anymore.]
“That’s right.”
