Chapter 43

The second son of the Arturito Marquis Family, Ser Arturito, was a man born with a free-spirited nature.

From the time he reached an age where he could form his own opinions, there was one thing he constantly said:

‘I’m going to become the greatest freeloader in the empire when I grow up!’

He believed that living diligently was more than enough for his father and two older brothers.

Ah, now it’s three, including his younger sibling.

In any case, as he declared, he steadily grew into a respectable freeloader, and even now, at the age of 25, he was diligently fulfilling his promise to himself.

“Ser. Sit properly.”

“……”

Ser adjusted his posture without a word at his eldest brother’s command. He knew arguing would only give him a headache.

The reason Ser attended the tedious Grand Assembly was to assist his eldest brother, the Marquis’s representative, and to avoid being kicked out of the family estate.

He detested these stiff gatherings, which didn’t suit his nature at all. Having a bossy figure sitting beside him only made it worse.

Time dragged on. The white of the thick documents was paper, and the black was text.

Then, suddenly, a sound of clapping broke the monotony of voices in the meeting hall.

Ser’s indifferent gaze landed on Lady Shaterian’s smile.

“……”

Every word and action of the lady stirred the crowd. It was like a scene from a play.

“There, there, there.”

Her glossy pink bob swayed. Their eyes met. Her green eyes, reminiscent of fresh greenery, curved into a round shape.

And it was so very beautiful.

‘Oh…’

Ser, unexpectedly, was one of the few who knew quite a bit about the lady. His younger sibling, Nelasion, was an academy peer of the lady.

Talkative Nelasion often came to share stories about the lady, most of which were about her misdeeds.

‘But Nelasion, you never mentioned how charming the lady is, did you?’

From a certain moment, Ser found himself unable to take his eyes off Shaterian.

Had I ever been so captivated by someone before?

‘Could this be…?’

Ser, a self-proclaimed couch potato, had a hobby: reading. He was an avid reader who didn’t discriminate between genres, though romance was his favorite.

His ultimate favorite was, of course, <That Lady is So Cool>.

Thump!

His heart raced uncontrollably. From that moment on, Ser didn’t miss a single one of Shaterian’s movements.

Meanwhile…

‘She’s too quiet. She’s not planning to cause trouble, is she?’

The guardian beside him grew uneasy.

‘…….’

The beast, sensing an unpleasant gaze, became irritated.

‘I just want to go home.’

Shaterian, wondering why time was dragging so slowly, sipped water.

When the meeting ended, Ser missed his chance to speak to Shaterian.

‘I wanted to at least say hello…’

He gazed longingly at her retreating figure.

‘I heard she doesn’t get along with Duke Astrea?’

Rumor had it that the lady despised the Duke.

But the sight of them walking side by side didn’t seem to reflect that at all. On the contrary, they looked closer than anyone else, even bickering affectionately.

Having been holed up indoors and out of touch with the empire’s gossip, Ser tilted his head in confusion at the sight.

The truth came to light a few days later at the Arturito Merchant Guild, run by his youngest sibling.

“They say the two are in love…”

Amid the hustle and bustle of people carrying boxes, Nelasion, who was giving instructions, glanced at his bothersome brother with annoyance.

It was rare enough for his brother to leave the Marquis’s estate, yet here he was, persistently asking about Shaterian Melis.

‘Is he really in love or something?’

With that fierce woman?

It was a thought Nelasion didn’t even want to entertain.

Shuddering at the idea, he waved his hand dismissively at his brother.

“Yes, it’s been a well-known story in the empire for quite some time. You wouldn’t know, since you’re always cooped up in your room. Now, move aside. I’m busy.”

Ser pretended not to hear and sprawled across a wooden box. His curiosity satisfied, he felt strangely lethargic.

“Is this the Arturito Merchant Guild?”

Having spent his days pining over the lady, Ser now thought he was hearing her voice as an auditory hallucination.

“I’d like to meet the guild master.”

“Yes, that would be me.”

“Ah, pleased to meet you. I’m Shaterian Melis.”

Lady Shaterian? 

Ser, who had been practically lifeless, shot upright.

When she pulled back the hood of her robe, her signature sleek pink bob was revealed.

It was truly Lady Shaterian.

She was dazzling. The sun was behind her, casting her in a radiant glow.

It wasn’t exactly love he felt, but the light seemed like a halo around the lady. Was it just an illusion?

But really, did it matter? What mattered now was that the lady seemed almost divine.

Ser, like a priest welcoming a goddess, found himself shedding tears.

***

Shaterian’s visit to the guild stemmed from an event a few days prior. Jeff, brimming with enthusiasm, had come to the counseling office, announcing his success in creating a rice cake.

It was sooner than expected. Pell marveled at the colorful cross-sections of the rice cakes.

“Please, have a taste.”

Jeff skillfully sliced the rice cake and served it on plates.

It seemed he had practiced extensively in a short period; the texture was just right—soft, slightly crumbly, and a bit chewy.

“This is incredible! I’ve never tasted a dessert like this before!”

Pell couldn’t stop exclaiming in admiration. Jeff blushed at the praise.

“To think of making a cake with rice… How did you come up with such an idea!”

Shaterian, too, was satisfied by the familiar taste and set her fork down.

‘Should we only make cakes? If steamed, it could be baeksulgi; if shaped, songpyeon; if fermented and steamed, jeungpyeon; if steamed and sliced, garaetteok, jeolpyeon, injeolmi, and so on. There are so many possibilities.’

Suddenly struck by inspiration, Shaterian paused. It was such a good idea that she wondered why she hadn’t thought of it before.

“Jeff. Have you thought about opening a shop with this?”

“Well, I do already run a dessert shop.”

He hadn’t dismissed the idea of selling it at his shop. But…

“Jeff, if you sell this, you could become the wealthiest person in not just the Central District but the entire empire!”

“R-really? But this isn’t entirely my recipe. Technically, Lady Shaterian contributed to it, so I’d need her permission.”

“What? The Chief?”

Pell, shocked, turned to Shaterian.

People in this world were unnecessarily conscientious.

Shaterian said primly, 

“I only gave a bit of advice, but if you put it that way… Well, since it’s true, you’ll have to pay me a usage fee if you want to use this recipe.”

Never one to miss an opportunity, Shaterian quickly asserted her rights.

“Come, sit down. As business partners, we have things to discuss.”

‘When did she get that paper?’

She’s always quick when it comes to these things…

Pell shook his head as he moved aside with his plate.

“Rice plays an important role in this rice cake. If I hadn’t given you the hint about rice, it would’ve taken you much longer to perfect it… I want to claim over 80% of the shares. But since you discovered the rice and completed the recipe, I’ll settle for 30% of the net profit. What do you think?”

Jeff was startled. Shaterian wondered if she had asked for too much.

“Only 30%, not even 50%? Are you sure that’s enough?”

Who knew the empire’s aristocrats, notorious for exploiting commoners, could be so helpful? Shaterian realized she could afford to push a bit further.

“Of course. And I also know several other recipes using rice for desserts. For those, I’ll take 50% of the net profit. If you agree, I’ll share the recipes.”

Jeff’s eyes widened at the mention of additional recipes.

“I propose opening a dessert shop that exclusively sells rice-based desserts. It would be the only one of its kind in the empire.”

“That’s a unique and excellent idea.”

“I’ll handle the overall preparations, so focus solely on researching recipes. Don’t worry about finances; just concentrate on your craft.”

“Lady…”

Jeff nodded fervently, moved. Seeing the swift progress, Shaterian smiled contentedly.

‘So I just sit back and collect the money, right?’

The thought of her soon-to-be-bulging pockets made her grin uncontrollably.

***

A formal contract was signed soon after, with no loose ends.

The only thing left was finding an investor—preferably a merchant guild that could handle all the bothersome tasks.

When asked where he had obtained the rice, Jeff mentioned purchasing it from the Arturito Merchant Guild.

The southern region of the Kentri Empire, where the Arturito Marquisate was located, had a climate unsuited for wheat cultivation due to the Antes River running through the territory and its hot, humid weather.

Thus, they had started cultivating rice. However, rice wasn’t popular among the Empire’s citizens, so it often piled up in storage.

‘I didn’t realize it was Japonica rice imported through trade.’

With that thought, Shaterian opened the door.

She was startled to see a green-haired man suddenly burst into tears and collapse.

Calming her surprise, Shaterian took a seat in the guild master’s office.

An awkward silence filled the room. Seeing the youngest sibling looking so troubled, she offered words of comfort.

“I heard the Marquis’s second son lives in seclusion… He must be very ill.”

“W-well… Yes.”

Nelasion couldn’t lift his head for some reason. His sighs grew heavier.