Chapter 100

The new menu item from the rice cake shop that will hit this winter is… … .

[The taste that makes you feel healthier just by looking at it. Cold Remedy! Ssanghwa Tea.]

“It’s simple to make. You just boil all these ingredients together.”

Licorice, kudzu root, polygonatum, angelica root, astragalus, cinnamon, peony, cnidium, dried ginger, jujube, and more.

As the water began to turn a deep brown, she let out a mischievous chuckle.

The herbal aroma of the medicinal ingredients filled the air as they brewed.

“The smell…”

“Is this really something edible?”

“Of course, it’s edible. It’s more medicinal than a tea, but one cup of this will warm you right up.”

She poured the well-brewed ssanghwa tea into a cup, garnished it with seedless, rolled, and sliced jujubes, and added a sprinkle of pine nuts.

“And for the finishing touch…”

Thud!

She cracked an egg, separated the yolk, and placed it atop the ssanghwa tea.

“Try it.”

She handed it to Ser and Jeff.

Ser hesitated, clearly reluctant, before forcing himself to take a sip of the tea.

“Ugh—!”

His expression twisted, making it clear the taste didn’t suit him.

“It’s spicy!”

“That’s when you eat the egg yolk.”

“I’m not good with raw flavors…”

“It’s not raw.”

It couldn’t possibly taste raw.

Still, having been scarred by the initial taste, Ser was skeptical.

“You need to taste-test the product, don’t you?”

In the end, Ser reluctantly picked up a spoon.

The sound of him slurping was followed by his widened eyes.

“This…! It’s a nuttiness completely different from soybean powder!”

Ser took another sip of the ssanghwa tea.

Though he still winced at the spiciness, he smacked his lips and commented.

“Ah… Truly, one cup of this could fend off a cold. It completely wards off the chill…”

With Ser’s doubts resolved, she turned to Jeff, who was sitting nearby.

Jeff, too, had initially hesitated but seemed to find the tea palatable.

Feeling satisfied as she watched them, she noticed quite some time had passed and untied the white cloth she had wrapped around her waist.

“What about what I asked for?”

“We’ve gathered everyone needed for the task.”

Hmm, it was impressive that even amidst this natural disaster, they managed to meet her requirements. As expected of the largest merchant guild in the Empire, their efficiency was unmatched.

“And Jeff?”

“The rice cakes are ready for transport, and the rice in the warehouse is being milled and steamed.”

“Great. Everything’s progressing smoothly.”

All that was left was to distribute the rice cakes and the ssanghwa tea she had prepared to the disaster victims.

Leaving the rest to Ser and Jeff, she exited the rice cake shop.

***

“Relief supplies have arrived!”

A knight carrying a box full of items ran into the tent.

The squad leader, who had been chewing on water-soaked, rock-hard bread, looked confused.

“Relief supplies? Weren’t they all delivered earlier?”

“Well… They were donated by a place called the <Rice Cake Shop> in the central district.”

“A rice cake shop?”

“Yes, it’s the famous dessert shop everyone’s been talking about lately.”

“Why would they…”

The squad leader narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

It wasn’t a noble-operated merchant guild, just an ordinary shop likely run by commoners. A donation from such a place seemed unusual.

“You don’t need to worry. A representative from the Arturito Marquis Family’s merchant guild delivered the items.”

At those words, a knight who had been listening in suddenly interjected.

“What?! There’s a rumor that the Marquis’s second son frequents the rice cake shop. Could it really be run by the Marquis Family?”

“As expected of the nobility, their generosity knows no bounds.”

“If it’s the Arturito Marquis Family, it’s trustworthy.”

Everyone nodded, thinking of the Marquis Family’s eldest son, who managed their affairs.

“And that’s not all.”

“What?”

It was true. More knights entered the tent, each carrying heavy boxes.

Every box was filled with rice cakes, enough to feed everyone present and those who might arrive later.

As everyone marveled at the delicious-looking rice cakes, two knights entered carrying a large, heavy pot.

“What’s that?”

“It’s something called ssanghwa tea. They say it warms the body and prevents colds.”

“Medicine…?”

Sniffing the air, the scent resembled a concoction of boiled medicinal herbs.

But calling it ‘tea’ was intriguing.

“They mentioned that if someone feels chilled, it’s best to drink it even if it’s bitter or spicy. For children, sprinkling brown sugar on it makes it more palatable.”

Following the instructions they had received outside, the knights placed the pot over a fire to warm it and began distributing it.

The reactions were split into two.

Some found it tolerable, while others grimaced as if they had consumed poison.

“Squad Leader, you should try it too.”

The squad leader accepted the cup handed to him.

But he hesitated to take a sip.

The exaggerated groans of “Ugh!” and “Ack!” from all around made it seem like drinking the tea required immense courage.

Still, he couldn’t just hold the cup and not drink it.

Closing his eyes tightly, he took a sip.

The tea had a slightly thick texture, unlike regular tea.

As it filled his mouth, the distinct aroma pierced his senses.

The bitterness and spiciness that followed were overwhelming…

A lover of sweets, the squad leader couldn’t help but shed a tear.

But the true value of the tea revealed itself afterward.

What initially seemed only bitter and spicy began to leave a subtle sweetness in his mouth.

Moreover, from his stomach to his previously chilled body, he felt a warmth spreading immediately.

Feeling the heat rising within, the squad leader looked at the tea in amazement.

Even those who had initially grimaced began sipping the tea again.

“They weren’t kidding about it preventing colds.”

“Try the rice cakes too. Even though they’ve cooled, they’re still soft and tender.”

Compared to the hastily made hard bread, the rice cakes were soft and easy to swallow, even when cold.

The red bean paste inside some of the rice cakes provided a sweetness that rejuvenated their weary bodies.

These were far better than most relief supplies.

After filling their stomachs with delicious, nourishing food, the knights threw themselves into rescue efforts with renewed vigor.

Thanks to the rice cake shop’s support, the rescue operation concluded much faster than anticipated.

However, the true challenge of the flood began with the recovery efforts.

Thousands of people had suffered property damage, and there were significant casualties and missing persons.

As the Empire focused on flood recovery, curiosity about the rice cake shop owner who had been a great help during the rescue efforts grew.

It turned out the shop’s patissier wasn’t the owner. According to acquaintances, before running the shop, he had barely managed a small dessert store, ruling him out as the candidate.

That left only the Arturito Marquis Family, who supplied all the shop’s ingredients.

“I heard the Marquis’s second son visits the shop often?”

“Oh my, then the second son must be managing it.”

“I heard he’s a bit of a playboy… Maybe he’s finally straightened out now that it’s time for him to settle down?”

“Indeed. Isn’t he twenty-five this year?”

“Good at business, inventive, and generous enough to donate… He seems kind-hearted too…”

The noblewomen chatting suddenly lit up with interest.

From that point on, marriage proposals for Ser Arturito began flooding into the Arturito Marquis Family.

Inside the Marquis’s Office of the Arturito Marquis Family.

The eldest son, Miller Arturito, who had monopolized the office for several years now, let out a dry laugh at the sudden situation.

“Has that rascal been frequenting social circles…?”

Currently, Ser was living in a townhouse in the capital, having left the Marquisate. 

Miller, concerned that Ser might cause trouble, had been receiving detailed reports on his movements, though even that had recently stopped.

Ser’s daily life was completely transparent. 

He wandered the same places every day and didn’t engage in any productive activities. 

Occasionally, his visits to the Imperial Palace were surprising, but he hadn’t caused any incidents.

Since marriage proposals were pouring in from various noble families, Miller, as the representative of the Marquis Family, had to review them all.

He assumed Ser must have made quite a name for himself lately, though he didn’t know how or why.

However, the true reason behind the marriage proposals was soon revealed to him through their third brother, Nelasion.

“There’s a rumor that Ser is the owner of a dessert shop? How did such an absurd rumor come about?”

“It’s because he’s acting as the proxy of Duchess Shaterian Astrea.”

“A proxy? So, the rice cake shop belongs to the Duchess?”

“Yes. To be precise, it’s a partnership with the shop’s patissier. Of course, all the recipes for these innovative desserts were provided by the Duchess herself.”

Since the contract with Shaterian didn’t include a confidentiality clause, Nelasion disclosed the entire truth without hesitation.

“The Duchess…?”

Miller recalled the most recent time he had seen Shaterian while looking at the rice cakes Nelasion had brought.

Her bold demeanor, shaking up the conference room without flinching, came to mind—a striking woman with short pink hair.

He had thought Ser’s gaze toward Shaterian seemed unusual back then, but he never imagined he’d be involved in such an absurd venture.

Letting out a deep sigh, Miller began drafting replies to the noble families that had sent marriage proposals.

Now that he knew the true reason behind the proposals, there was no way to feign ignorance.

Proceeding with the marriage under these circumstances would be nothing short of a fraudulent arrangement.

“Perhaps you should just let them meet for a preliminary discussion…”

“If they still wish to proceed after learning the truth, then at that time.”

Trust was essential in all matters.

Of course, Miller loathed the idea of writing a letter that revealed the truth.

He had thought this might finally be the chance to marry off that idle brother of his…

It felt like he could already hear the lamenting cries of their worried parents.