MLIIWTFL Chapter 237

237

When the conversation turned to the tea food that was trending in the West, Seraphina suddenly dropped a bombshell.

"After coming to the capital, I was surprised to see that enjoying Eflor with fruit has become a new trend. But once I tried it, I found it brought a different kind of delight."

At those words, Ariette's hand twitched, making her teacup tremble slightly, while Dayna fixed her gaze on Ariette without a single change in expression.

Hearing Eflor tea and fruit together inevitably brought back memories of their academy days. Considering that very incident was the main reason Dayna didn't care for Ariette, there couldn't have been a more awkward subject.

But Letticia believed that this was something they needed to face and get past on the very first day. She disliked dragging out matters that were already settled, and besides, if handled poorly, it would only put Seraphina in an awkward spot alone.

That was why, when this subject came up, she wanted to make it clear that she bore no hard feelings and had no intention of avoiding the topic, so she had deliberately asked Seraphina to bring up Eflor.

"Do we really need to bring up something that makes everyone uncomfortable?"

"Then should we just keep avoiding it? We're bound to talk about tea a lot, and if someone flinches or tenses up every time it comes up, that'll make me self-conscious too."

"Lady Hailey would naturally be angry over the injustice her friend suffered, while Lady Averil would feel responsible since her actions caused Lady Sharon's unfair treatment. You can't tell people not to feel such natural emotions."

"Still, on the surface at least, things should be settled well enough for everyone to get along without issue. And to do that, it's better to face the subject head-on and practice how to handle it whenever it comes up."

"…Sometimes I can't tell if you're bold, Lady Letticia, or just indifferent."

Dayna wasn't the type to let her feelings show, so there was little concern there. Ariette, on the other hand, despite her status, was surprisingly sensitive to the atmosphere, so such measures were necessary.

What's more, unlike Letticia and Seraphina, Dayna had hardly ever interacted with Ariette directly, if they'd even spoken at all, so the awkwardness would naturally be worse.

After much persuasion, Seraphina, though hesitant, eventually agreed. She also reasoned that it would be worthwhile to see firsthand how Dayna and Ariette handled the matter.

And so, as the one who had made the request, Letticia calmly sipped her tea and smoothly steered the conversation along, as though nothing were amiss.

"It was my mother who popularized it about five years ago. Since the East preferred fruit as tea food, she tried pairing it with Eflor and found that the combination worked wonderfully."

"I see. No wonder Countess Sharon's reputation is so firmly established."

"But didn't that trend spread to the West as well? I thought it was even published in Lucinella."

"…I think it would take at least ten years. Unlike the South, where change happens quickly, or the East, which is close to the capital, the West clings strongly to tradition. That makes it much harder for new things to take root there."

Seraphina answered with a faintly bitter smile. Clearly, the West's reputation as the slowest region in the Empire to embrace change was no exaggeration.

"That sounds like a challenging place. Then how about the East, Lady Averil?"

"Eh? Oh…"

Ariette startled, clearly not expecting to be addressed, and carefully set her teacup down before replying.

"I've never attended Eastern high society myself, so I'm not too sure. But from what I've heard, if something becomes fashionable in the capital, it usually spreads in the East too. Also, eating fruit as tea food has been part of Eastern culture from the start…"

"Then have you ever heard of fruits other than strawberries being paired with it?"

"I think they probably use whatever fruit is grown in each territory. In the East, most regions have at least one local fruit specialty. For example, my family's domain produces not only wheat but also strawberries."

Since she was able to speak about a topic she knew well, Ariette's tone became more relaxed. Letticia then turned toward Dayna and posed her next question.

"Then what about the South? I heard they sometimes drink tea with meals, not just with desserts or pastries?"

"…Since the South is abundant in seafood, dishes like fish sandwiches, pies, and canapés developed quite a lot. I suppose drinking tea with meals came as an extension of that."

"You mean, tea together with fish?"

"Yes. Smoked salmon sandwiches are a popular tea food. For heavier meals like mussels or grilled sea bass, though, wine is still preferred."

Ariette widened her eyes in surprise, and Dayna, having shed the earlier tension, explained with the same calm demeanor she had shown at the start of the gathering. Fortunately, it seemed the awkward memories of the academy incident had already faded from both their minds.

'At this rate, at least they can treat each other as fellow members of the same circle.'

Letticia had no intention of forcing them to become friends, but it was clear Dayna now needed to change her impression of Ariette and start building a new kind of relationship.

And despite her long-standing resentment toward the western nobility, the fact that she had eventually grown close to Seraphina suggested she might also be able to put aside her old awkward feelings toward Ariette and become friends with her as well.

With that in mind, Letticia seized the moment once their conversation ended and quickly struck up a word with Seraphina.

"By the way, Lady Eskis, I've heard there are many skilled perfumers in Clarence. Would it be possible for you to introduce me to one?"

"A perfumer? May I ask what you need one for?"

"I'm in the middle of planning a business. Dayna, please take a look as well."

At her signal, Letticia's maid brought over a set of documents and handed them to Dayna and Seraphina. It was the proposal she and Ariette had finished just two days ago, carefully revised so that even someone without business training could understand it.

Dayna's eyes immediately sharpened as she began studying the plan in detail, while Seraphina skimmed lightly and then focused on the summary section that avoided heavy business terminology.

"Perfume with fruit scents… I've never considered that before. I don't think I've ever even seen one."

"That's because most perfumes on the market for women use scents extracted from flowers or woods. Animal-based notes exist, but those are more commonly found in men's fragrances."

Now speaking like a businesswoman, Dayna turned her gaze toward Letticia.

"Assuming it's technically possible, do you believe fruit perfumes could successfully gain acceptance in the current market?"

"Yes! We're planning to blend fruit notes with familiar floral scents to reduce any sense of strangeness. And we'll pay attention not only to the perfume itself, but also to the bottles and presentation."

"Then have you decided which fruits to use?"

"To start, we'll test with popular ones like apple, strawberry, orange, and lemon. But we'll also experiment with many other fruits and gradually expand the product line. Since fruit perfumes are still an unexplored field, we'll be the first to build the data from scratch."

This time, Ariette answered in Letticia's place. Her response showed traces of study and preparation, likely from all the questions she often asked Lenard, which softened Dayna's expression slightly.

Seraphina, too, fell silent in thought as she looked over the proposal again. After a few moments, she lifted her head and asked.

"Will this project be something you and Lady Averil intend to carry out together?"

"The idea came from Lady Averil, but I'll be taking the lead on execution. If the Tower of Magic confirms the technical feasibility, I'd like to ask the Eskis Marquisate to recommend a perfumer and even take part in the development process."

"Then the Sharon family won't be participating?"

"We plan to ask them for help in manufacturing the perfume bottles. I've already spoken to my brother, and once the proposal is more polished, I'll ask my father as well."

"…I'll write to my father about it, then. It's not a decision I can make on my own."

At Seraphina's answer, Letticia smiled and nodded, not at all surprised. She hadn't expected Seraphina to be able to decide immediately anyway.

"And Dayna, if this project does move forward, would you be willing to take part as well? As you know, I'm not very knowledgeable about business operations. Of course we'll hire a professional manager, but it would mean a lot if you could lend your support."

"I thought you might ask that the moment you mentioned starting a business."

Dayna answered without surprise, then added.

"If the project is officially approved, and after I review the product quality and profitability, if I judge it to be a sound venture, and if the Hailey Trading Company is granted exclusive distribution rights, or at least priority rights, then yes, I'll participate."

"Fair enough. I'll need to give that some thought before we draft any contracts."

It wasn't even a fully established business yet, just an idea still in its early stages. But for Dayna to offer even a conditional agreement instead of brushing it off with "ask me later" was her own way of showing friendship.

With that, Letticia felt satisfied. She had managed to cover nearly everything she had intended to bring up today, and a pleased smile spread across her face.

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