The Duke's Daughter's Prank

A few days later, I used the money from selling magic stones to Ramiza-san to cover recent expenses, and that took care of the immediate problems.

Kazusa's Cat's Paw Inn was not only profitable but operated on a strictly cash basis, so we no longer needed to cover any expenses.

In fact, she was gradually paying back the renovation costs.

I'd told her not to push herself, but it was reassuring.

At this rate, I might be able to use the Kingdom promissory notes, which I had no choice but to let sit for now, as collateral to proceed with major store renovations.

Going entirely on borrowed money was a bit scary, but having even partial collateral made a huge difference.

Let's grab something to eat before heading out.

We'd received some potatoes harvested in Luido, so I steamed them for a snack.

They were sweet and fluffy, and seemed quite filling.

The harvest exceeded expectations, and they were sturdy enough to grow even in the northern snowy regions.

Eating them every day would probably get boring, but as a staple when wheat harvests were poor, they'd be fine.

Or perhaps as filler. There'd be many uses.

"How is it? I just steamed them and added a little salt."

"It's delicious. It's nice that it barely takes any effort too."

"It's sweet. If we mashed this, couldn't we make sweets from it?"

"That does sound tasty. I can't exactly bring steamed potatoes to the princess, so let me do something with them."

Azu and the others liked them too, so the reception was generally favorable.

This experiment also secured seed potatoes, so I should take them to Princess Tianis and get official cultivation permission to proceed with large-scale planting.

There was potential to significantly improve the Kingdom's food situation.

That thought made me excited.

Of course, if these potatoes caused the prices of wheat and other foods to drop, there would be negative effects, so I'd need to control that.

I didn't want to indirectly hurt people like that girl selling fruit.

With a single decision from Yohane, someone would benefit and someone else would suffer.

It was a little frightening to think I'd come to hold that much influence.

But having a backup plan for emergencies did provide peace of mind.

This matter needed to be discussed carefully.

Before visiting Princess Tianis and Lady Anatia, let me make a dessert using these potatoes.

I felt that would better capture those two's hearts regarding this proposal.

I peeled the potatoes, cut them into appropriate sizes, and soaked them in water to remove the bitterness.

After boiling water and cooking them until a skewer went through easily, I took them out and mashed them in a bowl.

Then I pushed the mashed potato through a sieve.

This produced a smooth yellow paste.

I returned the paste to the bowl and added milk, sugar, and butter, mixing with a spatula until completely combined.

It was quite a demanding task. I had Azu and Alexia help me along the way.

Once mixed, I scooped the paste with a large spoon and used another spoon of the same size to form oval shapes.

"Alexia, light the oven."

"Got it. Low heat is fine, right?"

"That's right. Don't let it burn."

After shaping them, I arranged them in the oven, brushed them with egg yolk, and baked them slowly.

The egg yolk coating would give them a nice glaze for appearance.

Gradually, a sweet aroma began to fill the air.

The vanilla essence I'd added a little of was doing its job.

"It smells wonderful."

"The potato ingredient is good. This is going to be delicious."

I took out the finished sweet potato cakes.

The surface was nicely golden brown.

Everyone looked like they couldn't wait any longer.

"Before presenting them to the princess and the others, I'll need you all to taste-test for poison."

"I know this is definitely going to make me fat, but this sweet smell is unfair."

"I made plenty. No need to hold back."

I brought one to Alexia's mouth.

She ate it in one bite, looking a little embarrassed.

"Mmm, it's sweet and delicious."

"Please give me one too."

Azu had her mouth open and was waiting, saying "ahhh."

Just like a baby bird waiting to be fed.

I warned her it was hot and fed her one.

She savored it while blowing on it to cool it down.

"It's hot, but it's sweet and delicious!"

The reviews from Elza, Finn, and Orleans were also excellent.

After letting them cool, I packed them in a box and was ready to go.

Even though I was getting used to it, meeting royalty still required careful attention.

I could meet Lady Anatia without much formality, but was that because of her personality?

The coronation discussion was likely to drag on and be tiring, so this gift would be perfect for a sugar boost.

I used the magic tool I'd received to check with Lady Anatia if I could come now.

After a while, I got a reply.

There seemed to be some static.

"Yohane-san, thank you for contacting me. You're welcome to come after this today."

"That's good to hear. I'll get ready and head over."

"Yes, I'm looking forward to it."

What was this sound?

It sounded like rain.

"Is it raining in the capital?"

"No, it's sunny… Ah, this sound is because I'm taking a shower right now."

"That's… I'm sorry. I didn't realize."

"It's fine. You can't see me, after all."

Lady Anatia didn't seem to mind and started talking about the coronation.

It would be rude to end the conversation when she didn't care, so I continued.

The shower sound stopped.

A little while later, I heard the sound of clothes rustling.

Could she be putting on her underwear?

I wondered what kind of situation this was.

I was the one getting embarrassed.

The image of Lady Anatia getting dressed floated into my mind.

I'd heard nobles had servants handle their personal affairs, but was she really okay with a commoner hearing her change clothes?

Azu and Alexia were making X gestures with their arms.

It really wasn't good to keep talking like this.

I wrapped up the conversation at an appropriate point and decided to depart for the castle.

"Oh my, he hung up on me."

In her room at the castle, Anatia murmured while still holding the magic tool that had gone silent.

"That was unbecoming of a lady, my lady."

"Fufu. But I could tell he was flustered. That person always has such a cool face, so I need to do at least this much or he won't get flustered."

"Saying that, but your face is quite red too, my lady."

"Well, having someone hear me change clothes is embarrassing, after all."

"Perhaps you shouldn't have answered the magic tool?"

"I just took it without thinking."

After Anatia finished her shower, the maid dried her body with a bath towel, put on her underwear, and dressed her in her gown in no time.

She was instantly transformed into her usual duke's daughter appearance.

She picked up her favorite perfume and used just a small amount.

"How do I look? Am I properly beautiful?"

"Of course, my lady. You are beautiful today as always."