kscans

Chapter 90 - Chapter 7: First Half - An Expert's Judgment

Ah, so this is how it would turn out.

That was my first thought as I saw the members of the Belmini Company all lined up at the entrance. The head of the company, Sherry’s father, stood in the center, unable to hide the sweat on his brow despite the winter cold.

"To be graced with the presence of Her Highness Princess Alfina is the greatest honor this company has known since its founding."

"I have been looking forward to this as well. Thank you for having me today. However, I am here today as a shareholder of the Vinder Company. After all, Sherry-san and I are business partners. Please, do not trouble yourselves."

Alfina smiled and gave a slight bow as she stepped down from the carriage.

The head of the Belmini Company grew even more humbled, while Sherry’s mother and younger brother wore proud expressions.

"What gracious words." "She is truly worthy of being called a saint."

Murmurs of admiration rose from the servants waiting by the entrance. I think Alfina is just being honest, though. I see, so this is what they call personal virtue.

"This must have been rough," I said to Sherry, offering my sympathy after leaving Alfina in the care of Claudia and Ruitsua.

"...Yes, it was. It took a lot of effort to keep my father this restrained."

Sherry’s gaze drifted into the distance. Ah, so that’s what she meant. Still, he was handling it pretty well. When Alfina came to our house, my old man just ran away.

◇◇

"He... he really brought them."

The two developers waiting in the meeting room, our tasting venue, couldn't hide their astonishment at the members filing in.

Even the usually bold Vinaldira’s jaw was agape at the three noble ladies who entered last.

With Alfina in the center, flanked by Claudia and Ruitsua, a princess had arrived with a count's daughter and a viscount's daughter. For a group of commoners, this was a scene from a nightmare.

Well, considering our target customers, we couldn't possibly leave these three out. I did tell them in advance. According to Mia, Rilka was apparently fine being thrown into it without any warning.

"The princess is going to eat... what I made..."

I guess I can’t blame Natalie for being nervous. But she already tried it during the exhibition.

"Plural-senpai, thank you for coming despite your busy schedule."

I greeted the main guest of the day. We couldn't start without him.

"Well, when I hear about an unprecedented sweet using that sugar, I have to see it. Besides..."

Plural glanced at Natalie. The heir to the most famous confectionery company in the Royal Capital received a deep bow from her.

"Uh, um, th, thank you for coming today."

She’s even more nervous than usual. Is she going to be okay?

"Hey."

"What is it?"

"It looks like she’s more nervous in front of him than she was with Alfina-sama."

"Well, of course. He’s someone Natalie looks up to, right. Her goal is to open her own shop in the Royal Capital."

Now that she mentioned it, I think I remember hearing that while we were working on prototypes. In this case, "shop" didn’t mean a street stall. It meant aiming to become a Copper member of the guild. A shop selling anko sweets opening in the Royal Capital. What an exciting thought.

Still... I fanned the air in the meeting room with my hand.

"Isn’t the heating a little too strong?"

I said, looking at the wood blazing in the fireplace. It wasn’t as powerful as the heating from my past life, but it was quite warm.

"My parents were worried you might catch a cold. You know how nobles’ mansions are much warmer than our houses, right. They started piling wood into the fireplace long before you were scheduled to arrive. ...It’s a bit much. Firewood is expensive this year, so this might have been the hardest part."

I see. Even the Grand Duchess’s residence had grand fireplaces in its smaller rooms. And even those would probably feel cold this time of year. Stone buildings take a long time to warm up.

Lumber is precious, so firewood is expensive. In farming villages, peat is the main fuel for winter. That stuff produces some harsh smoke.

◇◇

"Well then, let’s begin. This is a jelly made from bean paste. It is called yokan."

Once everyone was seated, I signaled the start of the tasting. Natalie began slicing the yokan, and Vinaldira carried a piece to each person. The yokan, or to be more precise, mizu yokan, trembled as she carried it. Compared to the firmer neri yokan, its flavor is milder, but that allows the natural taste of the anko to come through more clearly.

The plates were small and white. The perfect circular shape felt a little plain. For serving yokan, a plate with a bit more rustic charm would have been better.

""…………""

The participants’ reactions upon seeing the plates were mixed. They stared at the small, black jelly with cautious eyes. Only Alfina’s gaze was filled with anticipation.

Heh, I want them to be surprised when they taste it. This is a flavor my homeland is proud of.

As the one in charge, I decided to lead the charge. Eating yokan with a fork felt wrong, but it couldn't be helped. I pierced the fork into the confection, which had a stickier texture than regular jelly due to the anko. Yep, it’s even more delicious.

I exchanged a look with Sherry. She nodded emphatically.

Seeing us, the other tasters began to eat.

"Oh, this has a truly gentle sweetness. It’s completely different from the last time I had it."

Alfina said, savoring her first bite. Her expression told me it wasn't mere flattery. As the representative of my target customers price-wise, her opinion was a relief. Filled with hope, I shifted my gaze to those on either side of her.

Ruitsua and Claudia. The next highest-ranking noble ladies after Alfina. They put their forks down at almost the same time and looked at each other.

"An interesting flavor... I suppose. I don’t think it’s that bad..." "…………Y-Yes. A rare taste indeed."

Huh? That’s a pretty lukewarm reaction. Ruitsua reached for her tea, and Claudia had a slightly troubled look on her face as she chewed.

"...I can see it’s a world of difference from before, though."

Dalgan commented. What, is that it? Just an acknowledgement that it’s gotten better?

"………………It is certainly a flavor I’ve never had before, I’ll give it that."

Maria said. This should have been her first time trying it. If only she’d just savor it a little more...

"But. This is made with an incredibly expensive sugar, isn't it. That seems a bit problematic, don't you think?"

The words from the Food Guild master’s daughter cast a heavy pall over the room. Natalie’s expression clouded over, and Vinaldira clenched her fists.

Th-This is strange. Why is everyone’s evaluation so lukewarm? I hurriedly took another bite of the yokan on my plate. Yes, it tastes perfect. To my palate, it feels like it could even rival the yokan from my past life. There’s no way this isn’t good...

I waited for the opinion of the last person, the foremost expert on confectionery. With his usual dandyish flair, Plural set down his fork. His calm expression gave nothing away. I held my breath, awaiting his verdict.

"Two things have surprised me. The first is,"

Plural looked at Natalie.

"that you have created such a new kind of deliciousness. It’s incomparable to the previous one. I must take my hat off to such refinement."

At Plural’s words, Natalie let out a sigh of relief. Vinaldira supported her from behind as she stumbled. I, too, let out a great breath.

Alright, Plural’s seal of approval. With this, the spread of anko throughout the kingdom is unstoppable.

"The second surprise is,"

Plural looked at me as I was striking a victory pose in my mind.

"that you, of all people, judged this to be a viable product."

"What!?"

"I can’t believe this judgment came from Vinder, a man whose actions may be reckless, but whose decisions are terrifyingly calm and steeped in calculation."

"Wh-What do you mean by that..."

Plural’s gaze was now severe, a complete change from moments before. I didn’t understand what he was saying. Didn't he just give it nearly the highest praise, no, the highest praise possible? It made no sense that the best confection would not be a viable product to a confectionery merchant.

"Listen, look at the people who rated this yokan as delicious. Besides you developers, that is."

That would be Alfina and Plural. Excluding the development team, there were six people here. Only two of them liked it. If we consider women to be the target audience for sweets, that’s just Alfina.

And Alfina is... No, she wouldn't say something out of mere politeness.

"Now, I am not saying Alfina-sama is trying to protect you. In fact, didn't I also say this yokan was delicious?"

Plural twirled his index finger.

"Alfina-sama, while living modestly for her station, has likely had many opportunities to eat sweets. In those cases, they would have been the most extravagant creations from the royal palace or the grand duke’s residence, correct?"

Alfina nodded at Plural’s words.

"For someone like her, the taste of this yokan was fresh and new. Its unsettling color and plain shape were not an issue because she is familiar with you... the developer."

Plural emphasized the unique nature of Alfina's position.

"Then there is me, who eats sweets until I am sick of them by nature of my profession. In fact, I had to taste a great number of our shop’s prototypes before coming here today. The reason I called this delicious is, quite literally, because it is different from conventional sweets. You said it yourself, didn't you. ‘Can’t you appreciate this gentle sweetness.’ And you were right. It was my failure not to see its potential last time. This is a brand new kind of deliciousness. Yes, I would jump at the chance to have it. However, that is only if it were at the same price point as existing sweets."

The reasons poured from Plural’s lips. As my brain processed their meaning, a cold sweat began to run down my back.