Chapter 44

“Why have you come all the way here?”

He caught his breath for a moment before barely managing to ask. His now-calm face seemed more mature than what was remembered, but above all, it was filled with hostility.

‘That’s right. He hated me, didn’t he?’

“There’s no need to look at me with such dislike.”

“Wh-when did I ever look at you like that…?”

He stammered, caught off guard by her sharp remark. Did he understand how such reactions only made her want to tease him more?

“You should be grateful to me. If I hadn’t stopped His Majesty, you’d be married to me by now.”

“…What?”

“W-what?! What are you talking about?”

Suddenly, the second son—who had once been carried away by Nelasion’s subordinate—burst out. His face turned pale as he grabbed Nelasion by the collar in shock.

“You…! Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“I-I’m hearing about this for the first time too…!”

“How dare you!”

And then, they suddenly started fighting.

‘What’s wrong with them…?’

“Uh… Sit down. It was a joke.”

At the word “joke,” an awkward air swept through the room. It seemed like it would be best to quickly get to the point and leave.

“Ahem, I heard the Arturito Merchant Guild crafts the most intricate items, so I’ve come here. Here’s the request form.”

She placed a piece of paper with a drawing on the table. It was none other than a rice cake board and mallet.

“What… is this?”

“It needs to be about knee-high, large in size, and as sturdy as possible.”

“Are you planning to lay someone on it and beat them?”

He glanced at the drawing. A wide stone slab with two long, hammer-like sticks. It was indeed easy to misunderstand if you didn’t know better.

“I am planning to beat something on it. Something white and soft, without mercy.”

She couldn’t help but let out a sinister laugh, already looking forward to that day. Nelasion’s expression darkened rapidly.

‘Teasing him is so much fun. As for the other one…’

She decided to ignore the second son, who seemed dazed. Something about him gave her a bad feeling.

“And I heard that rice from the east is being cultivated in the Marquisate. Can the guild procure it?”

“Yes.”

“I’d like to see the rice.”

At the guild master’s call, rice cultivated in the Marquisate was brought forward.

“Eastern continent rice is shorter in shape compared to imperial rice and has a sticky texture when cooked.”

“The quality is good.”

“Yes. However, as you know, rice is not a popular crop among the empire’s people…”

“What’s the price per sack?”

“Forty imperial coins per sack.”

“That’s more expensive than I thought.”

“Yes. Rice farming requires far more labor than expected.”

A lot of labor was needed, but there was no demand, and the stock was piling up.

Seeing Nelasion’s face filled with concern, she smiled.

“I’d like to buy the exclusive rights to this rice.”

“Pardon? Exclusive rights to rice?”

He looked utterly shocked. His face screamed, ‘Why on earth?’

In the empire, there were no laws protecting recipes with exclusivity. Copyright didn’t exist yet. Therefore, the only option was to buy exclusive rights to the ingredients.

Fortunately, the only place within the empire capable of cultivating rice was the Arturito Marquisate, which made this very simple.

“Are you sure it’s rice?”

Nelasion asked suspiciously, his eyes full of doubt.

“So, are you saying you won’t sell the rice?”

“N-not at all!”

Only then did Nelasion hurriedly bring out the exclusive contract.

After assessing the current stock and production volume, they finalized the contract, setting periodic supply amounts.

‘With the exclusive rights to the rice secured, it’s time to bring out the next move.’

“Would you like to try this?”

With a triumphant smile, she revealed her secret weapon. She placed a basket she had carefully carried onto the table.

The desserts, transferred to plates by a staff member, were set on the table.

From round shapes to squares and half-moons, the colors were so diverse.

Not only that, but the savory aroma tickled the nose, whetting the appetite.

The two men were bewildered by the unfamiliar desserts.

“What is this?”

“These are the products for the shop I’m planning to open. I’m looking for investors for this shop. Feel free to try them.”

What she had brought was just a small sample. The rest were likely being made by Jeff, who was working hard at that moment.

As expected, their reactions to the rice cakes were exactly as she had anticipated. The two men’s eyes widened in astonishment.

Especially the stretchy injeolmi, which resembled mozzarella cheese.

“It doesn’t taste like cheese, so how does it stretch like this?”

“That’s a trade secret.”

“Can I have just one more?”

“Sorry, but that’s all I brought.”

They visibly showed their disappointment. The basket was emptied in no time.

Brushing off the bean powder from their mouths, Nelasion and the second son rinsed their mouths with tea.

“Could it be… Is this made of rice?”

Her smile was the answer they needed.

“So that’s why you wanted the exclusive contract…”

Realizing this, the second son let out a short sigh, only to cut himself off.

“I’ll invest unconditionally.”

“Brother. You should be more cautious when investing…”

“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”

“I’ll do it.”

At her nonchalant tone, Nelasion flipped his stance as if turning over his palm.

“You can expect to recover your investment. No, I guarantee you’ll earn twenty times more.”

Because ‘rice cakes’ were a new food unknown to this empire.

“And I’m also looking for a representative who can handle business matters on my behalf. Is there someone in the guild who can manage finances and oversee operations?”

“A representative for you, Lady Shaterian?”

Nelasion’s expression twisted. His thoughts were written all over his face, making her wonder if he was any good at business.

“Don’t worry so much. Are you afraid I’ll harm the employee? I won’t, so don’t worry too much.”

“Your track record says otherwise.”

“I’ll do it!”

“Nelasion, I was the one who recently proposed establishing a welfare department for commoners.”

“That was surprising, but… Can a person’s character change so easily?”

“I can do it!”

“That’s true. But I have changed.”

“It’s hard to trust…”

“I will…!”

She glanced at the second son, who kept interrupting, with an annoyed look.

“What’s thirty percent of 4,050 gold after deducting total expenses of 1,060 gold and 15 silver?”

“896 gold, 15 silver, and 25 cents.”

The answer came without a moment’s hesitation. It was correct.

‘What’s this? I thought he was sick.’

She observed the second son with a surprised expression. His sparkling eyes were a bit overwhelming, but his quick calculations were impressive.

“What’s your name, guild master’s brother?”

“Ser!”

“Ser? Do you think you can handle it?”

“Yes!”

“Well, let’s give it a try.”

If he worked well, nothing else mattered. Quick calculations were especially welcome. Numbers didn’t lie.

***

‘How about making just a few of these and bringing them over?’

Jeff couldn’t hide his shock as he looked at the recipe handed to him for the first time.

Smashing rice flour with such a club… And deliberately burning cooked rice? This was undoubtedly madness.

However, having already pressed his fingerprint onto the contract, Jeff had no choice but to start making desserts exactly as Lady Shaterian had written.

He pounded the steamed rice with all his strength until his arm muscles felt like they would burst. And then, surprisingly, the rice began to stretch and become chewy!

When he coated it with the prepared bean powder and took a bite… 

My goodness!

Soft and sticky, yet savory, this dessert was unlike anything Jeff had ever tasted in his life.

And the next item he made was no less astounding.

Following Lady Shaterian’s instructions, Jeff soaked the rice thoroughly, ground it, and steamed it. What had initially been crumbly became soft, breaking apart easily to reveal its true flavor.

Then there was the so-called nurungji, which he had cursed for requiring him to deliberately burn rice!

Golden brown, perfectly toasted, and crispy—it was already delicious enough to eat as is.

When lightly fried in oil, it turned snow-white, crumbled gently, and became even tastier when dipped in sugar.

Lady Shaterian had even whispered this secret as if it was a treasure:

‘Try boiling it in water the morning after drinking.’

Jeff immediately tried it. And then…

“Haa…”

A refreshing sensation swept through his body, as if all the grease clogging his insides had been washed away. The water boiled with nurungji was undeniably hot, yet it somehow left him feeling cool inside.

What’s more, as the nurungji dissolved into the water, it turned back into rice, leaving him feeling full and satisfied.

Unlike other types of rice in the Empire, which hardened and lost their taste when burnt, the Marquisate’s rice was distinctly different.

‘Lady Shaterian is definitely a genius.’

How could he have dared to doubt such a lady?

Jeff took some time to reflect on himself.

He vowed never to doubt Lady Shaterian again. He also pledged his unwavering loyalty.

Completely unaware that Lady Shaterian was deeply regretting her own actions.

***

Lady Shaterian, the genius of rice recipes, was pulling at her hair in frustration.

‘What, what is this? Where’s my holiday…? My free time…?’

“Chief, this too.”

“…”

A mountain of paperwork she hadn’t yet processed was now joined by another stack.

It was a swamp of work.

‘I… I want to go back!’

Take me back to the time when I was recuperating!

But no matter how much she screamed internally, it was useless. The damage was already done.

Shaterian collapsed. She had long since become seaweed, floating aimlessly on the surface of the ocean, buried under a pile of work.

Floppy and lifeless, how long had she been languishing like that?

A knock sounded, and Eched entered the counseling office.

“Shaterian. It’s time to clock out.”

Had it already gotten so late?

Checking the wall clock, Shaterian reluctantly rose from her seat.

Walking home with Eched had become such a routine that it no longer felt strange.

Her legs wobbled as she shuffled along. Eched caught her frail shoulders and whispered gently.

“You’ll fall.”

“Ah… Thank you.”

In the past, Shaterian would have glared and snapped, asking what he thought he was doing. But now, she had grown so accustomed to accepting his kindness.

Though, in truth, she simply didn’t have the energy to get angry anymore.

More than anything, leaning on him as they walked was incredibly comfortable.

‘Can’t I just ride on his back…?’

It would probably feel like riding in a carriage with excellent suspension.

Shaterian thought vaguely, her vision blurring as her exhaustion took over.