Chapter 101
Strawberry tea isn’t just tea brewed with dried strawberries.
The amount of water used depends on the size of the cup, so the quantity of dried strawberries must also be adjusted accordingly.
Additionally, the water temperature must be carefully controlled.
Since Meia prefers warm strawberry tea, the water temperature must be precisely set to extract the best flavor, and the right amount of dried strawberries must be added.
Without proper attention, the tartness of strawberry tea quickly fades.
“And Lady Meia finished all the strawberry tea prepared by His Grace, the Grand Duke of Florence.”
“That exceeds expectations, doesn’t it?”
Juan nodded in agreement.
“Even now, within the Grand Duke’s residence, the responsibility for Lady Meia’s strawberry tea rests with the butler of the Florence family and His Grace, the Grand Duke.”
“What about other aspects?”
“Height, appearance, power, wealth, and personality all surpassed those of Crown Prince Patzraelli. As for health…”
“Is he ill?”
“According to secretly obtained information, he is.”
Juan struggled to suppress his somber expression as he continued.
“He is afflicted with lovesickness.”
At his words, Helena and Yudy deflated like punctured balloons.
“The object of his lovesickness must be our lady.”
“That’s correct.”
“To be so infatuated with our lady that he’s lovesick…”
“We’ll have to confirm everything in person.”
Helena spoke with great seriousness.
“Has the date for the engagement ceremony been set?”
“Yes. It will be held on the day of His Grace’s coming-of-age ceremony.”
“How old is he?”
“He is seventeen and will soon be of age.”
“Age is acceptable.”
“And His Grace’s parents are no longer with us.”
“They’ve passed?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s file for leave and depart immediately.”
Helena and Yudy unilaterally submitted their leave requests and followed Juan.
***
Meia wore a wistful expression before smiling.
“Theo, soon my nanny Yudy and Helena will arrive.”
“Yes.”
“Helena is a gardener but also an intermediate earth spiritist.”
“An intermediate spiritist? That’s remarkable.”
“Helena’s son is the King of Mercenaries.”
“Really? The King of Mercenaries…”
“Yes, he’s a Sword Master.”
Spiritists are as rare as Sword Masters. Especially spiritists, who can command the forces of nature with just a word.
“Helena’s gardens are always beautiful.”
“We also have a spiritist in the Sirius Empire.”
“I know. That person is so famous. Who wouldn’t know of them?”
“She is now the Duchess of Rockbellion. I’ll introduce you to her when we visit the capital. She’s a kind person.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“I’m also looking forward to meeting your nanny Yudy and Helena.”
Meia smiled warmly as she spoke.
“They’re like family who care only about my safety.”
“I understand.”
Butler Venable, who was attending to them nearby, began to take note of Yudy and Helena’s stories.
“Master, shall I pour you more strawberry tea?”
As they spoke, Meia closed her eyes and inhaled the aroma of the tea Venable poured.
“Today’s strawberry tea smells delightful as well.”
“We worked hard to cultivate the finest variety of strawberries.”
To ensure a fresh supply of Meia’s favorite strawberries, Theodore had ordered a strawberry field to be established in the most fertile and sunlit land within the Grand Duke’s estate.
Gardeners and farmers worked diligently to cultivate tart, flavorful strawberries.
As a result, Meia could enjoy fresh strawberry dishes every day.
“It’s delicious.”
Today too, Meia was happy, Theodore stayed by her side, and Venable quietly observed them.
Meia, their precious treasure, had been unilaterally rejected by Patzraelli, which led Yudy and Helena to even consider rebellion.
Truly…
But Meia, with a carefree demeanor, had simply left for the Mage Tower.
Yudy endured Meryl’s tyranny and Luman’s disregard with patience.
‘As long as the lady remains healthy.’
One day, a maid named Lingling came running excitedly with a newspaper.
Yudy read an article about Meia defeating pirates and saving people aboard a yacht. She cried for a long time, worried but ultimately relieved.
Quini, who had been beaten, left, and Agnita, confined to solitary, escaped.
Even if everyone else left, Yudy couldn’t. After all, the lady would return on her coming-of-age day.
Yudy believed that once Meia came of age, she would surely take the dukedom from Luman.
So she understood why Meia had left for the Mage Tower.
But suddenly hearing about her engagement left Yudy in disbelief. However, she eventually realized that Meia’s engagement was indeed true.
“It seems Duke Luman has already sealed the engagement contract.”
At those words, Yudy and Helena’s hands trembled. It was something they couldn’t believe, even after hearing it.
“Hurry and lead the way. Juan, I must meet the young lady!”
Juan said nothing and took the lead.
They then teleported and departed for the territory of Florence.
Upon arriving at the entrance of Grand Duke Florence’s residence, they were warmly greeted by the knights guarding the entrance.
“A carriage heading to the Grand Duke’s residence will arrive shortly, so please wait a moment.”
Soon, the carriage arrived. As they rode, they marveled at the vast gardens outside.
“Oh my goodness…”
“It’s definitely larger than the Duke’s residence.”
“It will take about 30 minutes to reach the Grand Duke’s residence, so please sit back and relax.”
While looking out the window, Helena and Yudy couldn’t help but be astonished.
“That place…”
Juan explained.
“It’s the strawberry field that His Grace, the Grand Duke, created for Young Lady Meia.”
In the strawberry field, many farmers were diligently watering and fertilizing the plants with great care.
Nearby, there was a large stage where people, under the conductor’s direction, were playing instruments.
The soothing music created a serene atmosphere.
Helena grabbed Juan by the collar and asked why music was being played in the strawberry field.
“His Grace, the Grand Duke, heard that strawberries grown while listening to beautiful music are fresher, so he specially hired musicians for this purpose.”
Helena was at a loss for words.
“Something even I haven’t done?”
“The fertilizer is made from the dung of cows that were fed only golden rice stalks.”
“What? Golden rice stalks?!”
Golden rice stalks are notoriously difficult to cultivate. They are plants that absorb only bright light.
Thus, during the hours when the sun is not shining—such as evenings, nights, and dawn—they must be exposed to light from magic stones.
Since the light from magic stones must not be lost, someone must guard and care for them 24/7.
If golden rice stalks fail to absorb light even for a moment, their color fades, and they wither.
It’s a plant that cannot simply be grown with money. Only with dedication, time, and money combined can it thrive.
“Over there, above the strawberry field, there’s a separate field for growing golden rice stalks, and next to it, there’s a barn for raising cows.”
They looked in the direction Juan pointed. Even from afar, the swaying rice stalks were clearly visible.
“Were they originally here?”
“They weren’t here when we first arrived.”
“So, they’re growing golden rice stalks and raising cows just for the strawberry field?”
“These aren’t just ordinary cows. They’re Miu, brought directly from the Eastern Kingdom.”
Miu, known for its top-tier meat quality and flavor, is said to be a legendary cow transformed by an angel who descended from heaven to protect a beloved farmer. Its taste is unparalleled.
Especially notable is that Miu only eats fresh fruits and vegetables.
Because of its picky eating habits, only the best foods are fed to Miu, and only chefs with the proper certification are allowed to prepare its meat.
“This is incredible.”
Helena’s heart softened slightly toward Grand Duke Florence, who had gone to such lengths for Meia’s favorite strawberries. But that wasn’t all.
At the entrance of the Grand Duke’s residence, Head Maid Hannah and Butler Venable greeted them. After exchanging pleasantries, Venable recalled the points Meia had mentioned to be cautious about and spoke.
“Let me guide you to the reception room.”
As soon as they entered, Helena felt a strange sensation and looked down at the floor.
“There’s something odd about the floor.”
Juan raised his eyebrows and explained.
“The floor is made of magic stones.”
“What?”
“Since the young lady is a mage, His Grace, the Grand Duke, replaced the entire floor with magic stones upon hearing that they have a positive effect on mages.”
“What? Magic stones?! Juan, did you just say magic stones?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
How vast must the wealth of the Grand Duke Florence’s household be!
Magic stones are essential minerals and gemstones for those who handle mana.
The larger they are, the higher their price. In other words, they are incredibly expensive.
This was an extravagance even the Carpen Imperial Family couldn’t afford.
“Covering the floor with magic stones is just the beginning. Currently, all the tableware used by the young lady is made of magic stones. Soon, the doors will also be replaced, and His Grace has said he will change the ceiling as well.”
“I have no words.”
In the diamond-adorned reception room, Yudy and Helena waited while sipping strawberry tea prepared by Venable.
“This strawberry tea is much tastier than the one from the Duke’s residence!”
“Indeed.”
Knock, knock.
The door opened, and Meia entered with a radiant smile. Yudy immediately burst into tears.
“Nanny! Helena.”
Following Meia into the room were Quini and Agnita. Seeing the familiar faces, Yudy couldn’t stop crying.
“Miss Yudy!”
“Agnita! Oh dear!”
Agnita ran into Yudy’s arms.
“You’ve been through so much.”
“I missed you.”
Watching Agnita run straight into Yudy’s arms, Helena pouted.
“Agnita, can’t you see me? I had to dig up the ground and remove the knights you planted before restoring everything.”
“Hehe, I missed you too, Miss Helena.”
“Don’t just hug Miss Yudy; come here and hug me too, Agnita.”
Quini, observing the scene, took out a small notebook from her pocket and began sketching.
It was the moment when inspiration returned.
Meia sat down on a chair.
“You all must have had a hard time coming here.”
Yudy began to cry again.
“Young Lady.”
“You were all surprised, weren’t you? When I suddenly announced my engagement.”
“My heart almost stopped.”
“Mine too.”
“I’ll make one thing clear.”
Everyone focused on Meia’s words.
“He’s the man I chose.”
Meia’s ‘choice’ inspired trust.
“I thought you would hold your coming-of-age ceremony and reclaim the Duchy title. That’s why I told Helena to dig tunnels and secretly stockpile weapons inside.”
“While your point is valid, if I were to become a Duchess, the Imperial Family wouldn’t stand idly by. They would have done everything to welcome the Duchess of Hatzbellua as their daughter-in-law. Especially Prince Demian.”
It’s easy to discourage Patzraelli. You just have to stab his pride repeatedly and tear it apart. But Demian is different. He’s the type to throw away his pride.
“Even so…”
“There’s no need to worry about the family affairs. They’ll return to me eventually.”
Meia tilted her head slightly and smiled with her lovely lips.
“For now, I’ve entrusted it to my uncle because I’m not yet an adult. When I feel like reclaiming it, I’ll take back the title of Duke of Hatzbellua.”
“As expected of our young lady! You haven’t changed a bit.”
“The problem is Crown Prince Demian…”
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