MTDL 18

Chapter 18

The old book was so worn and loose that it was obvious it had been taken out and read countless times.

I slowly turned its pages, one by one.

Naturally, the contents were nowhere near enough to satisfy the curiosity of an adolescent with an overactive imagination.

Alongside familiar anatomical illustrations, it explained that spirits affected the bodies of men and women differently and even discussed how they could help during pregnancy.

Fooled again.

Figures.

With a bitter smile, I slowly closed the book.

Just then, a piece of paper tucked between the pages fluttered to the floor.

I bent down and picked it up.

“This is…”

It was a sheet of notebook paper covered in handwriting.

My heart began pounding as I read it.

The hurried handwriting was exactly the same as the writing my father had left throughout the mansion.

Some seek to rule people’s hearts through fear, while others strive to win them through respect. I have always wished to be the latter.

…

My spirit arts exist for people and for nature. They exist to nurture life, not to bring destruction or death. Therefore, this journey of mine is for that purpose. Whether I fail or succeed, if I can make even a single flower bloom, then that alone is worthwhile.

I read Father’s words all the way to the end, my eyes trembling.

It was only two short paragraphs.

Yet they seemed to reveal exactly what kind of person he had been.

Father’s spirit arts were for people… for nature… for bringing life.

His gentle, compassionate, yet unwavering spirit seemed to flow from every word, making my heart pound.

“Make a flower bloom…”

What a beautiful expression.

I felt like I finally understood what kind of person Father had been.

I read the note again and again, quietly savoring the warmth it left in my heart before finally turning it over.

Spirit of Light — The origin of all spirits. Only a Spirit Master of Light can cure the Black Spots.

Horizontal, fourth. Vertical, vertical. Horizontal, second. Silver.

Unlike the heartfelt passage on the front, the back contained what looked like a completely unrelated memo.

Can cure the Black Spots?

What’s that?

Since it was written in Father’s handwriting, he must have written this too.

But I had no idea what it meant.

Either way… I should keep this somewhere safe.

The area outside the marquis’s estate gradually became lively.

Most of the visitors were noble ladies accompanied by daughters around my age.

“It’s almost time for her to arrive.”

That was because word had spread that Madam Allens came here every day around this time to tutor me.

As soon as Madam Allens’ carriage arrived, countless admiring eyes turned toward it.

“My goodness, just look at those beautiful feather ornaments.”

“Madam, you look absolutely wonderful!”

If high society were arranged like a pyramid, there was no doubt that Madam Allens stood at the very top.

Seeing all the noblewomen desperately trying to attract her attention for the sake of their daughters made that perfectly clear.

Several young girls looked toward the marquis’s estate with obvious envy.

I had heard that the House of Duke Machert had finally given up on receiving Madam Allens’ instruction.

Then… Larial must really hate me now.

Madam Allens warmly greeted each of the ladies who had gathered to see her before finally stopping in front of the estate.

I went downstairs to welcome her.

“Welcome, Madam!”

“Hohoho! Your manner of walking has become even more elegant than before.”

Pressing both hands to her plump cheeks, Madam Allens looked at me the way someone might admire an adorable little animal.

I still had no idea what exactly she saw in me that convinced her I had the qualities to become the flower of high society.

But if she said so…

Then perhaps she was right.

“This is exactly why I simply can’t give up on you. Giving up on Arinel would be like burying a treasure chest again without taking out the treasure I worked so hard to find.”

I decided to pretend I hadn’t heard her muttering.

We went up to the third floor, where a maid soon served warm tea.

Today’s lesson was about tea-time etiquette.

After all, tea parties were a daily occurrence among noblewomen.

Madam Allens taught me how to hold a teacup, where to direct my gaze, proper etiquette while pouring tea, and even the tea customs unique to the imperial family.

What made her lessons extraordinary was her incredibly detailed knowledge of the vast and complicated etiquette of the Imperial Palace.

No etiquette instructor in the Empire could compare.

“Madam, by the way… what happened with the favor I asked of you?”

After the lesson, while we drank tea together, I asked with a face so tense it felt as though I’d been pressing ice against both cheeks.

Madam Allens corrected the position of my tiny hand before smiling.

“Well now, what do you think happened? Hohoho.”

The Red Sugar Beet Slices made from my recipe had the potential to become the perfect tea-time dessert.

At least for the nobility.

For someone like me, who had once lived in Galnem Village…

They had been food capable of helping people survive four years of tyranny and famine.

“Wasn’t it difficult? Nobles have rather refined tastes…”

Truthfully, even when I explained my plan to Madam Allens, I hadn’t been completely confident.

“I served the Red Sugar Beet Slices at a tea party, yet no one realized they were made from red sugar beets. They simply praised them as the most marvelous flavor they had ever experienced.”

Madam Allens was the trendsetter among noblewomen.

Not only the clothes and accessories she wore, but even the furniture she chose and the foods she enjoyed quickly became fashionable.

If someone like her introduced Red Sugar Beet Slices during a gathering of noble ladies…

The results were obvious.

“When you choose to reveal that my dessert is made from red sugar beets is entirely up to you, Arinel. But I can promise you one thing…”

Just as the same short hairstyle could either look ridiculous on a comedian or elegant on an actress at an awards ceremony…

Red sugar beets could also become an elegant dessert depending on how they were introduced and presented.

The noblewomen would imitate Madam Allens even if she suddenly decided to ride around on a unicycle.

“Within a few years, Red Sugar Beets will become the most beloved dessert in all of Albreon! Hohoho!”

At her words, a huge smile spread across my face.

“You did wonderfully, Madam! Thank you!”

As expected…

Madam Allens’ influence had exceeded even my expectations.

“Oh, this is hardly anything. It simply makes me happy to know I can help our dear Arinel.”

Through the families of the Rapiole members I had met before, my business plans were steadily progressing.

I was also recruiting employees for my future company.

When it’s time to hit the jackpot… it would be better to wait until high society’s curiosity has grown even stronger.

The nobles’ growing interest in red sugar beets would eventually help everyone once the famine arrived.

Because foods made from red sugar beets are easy to prepare… and can be stored for a very long time.

In the original story, when the famine struck, the nobles squeezed the commoners even harder.

That only deepened the suffering of ordinary people.

“Now we’ll need to clear land for Arinel’s red sugar beet fields. Have you decided where you’d like to do that?”

Thinking of the House of Count Anners, I nodded.

Adam, who had already signed contracts through the House of Viscount Borden, was scheduled to meet with Count Anners’ family today as well.

Everything was progressing exactly according to plan.

“I really… like you, Madam.”

Before I knew it, evening had fallen.

As I stood before the mirror preparing for bed, the Crown Prince’s voice suddenly echoed in my mind.

Hmm…

I just can’t understand it.

That unconditional kindness he showed me.

To be perfectly honest…

It was suspicious.

To him, I should have been nothing more than some strange little girl who had suddenly dropped from the sky under the title of “fiancée.”

“…”

Just as I turned away from the mirror, I suddenly stopped.

A thought flashed through my mind.

The dream I’d had last night.

What if…

That wasn’t actually the first time we’d met?

What if Britton had known me for a long time?

Then another boy of roughly the same build as Britton came to mind.

“…”

The deserted streets of Galnem…

The muddy landscape under the pouring rain…

The boy who had stayed beside me after all the villagers had left.

Behind the white mask that covered his entire face…

I remembered those dark eyes.