Chapter 7
After finishing breakfast, I sent Annie and the other maids on errands to gather materials for the business project.
As expected of seasoned maids, they brought back everything I asked for, and Annie personally selected only the finest ingredients and set them before me.
The ingredients laid out before me were…
Lemons.
Salt and vinegar.
And finally, the honey that Noah loved so much.
“Perfect.”
Everything’s here.
Even someone who doesn’t normally enjoy cooking would likely guess what I was planning just by seeing the ingredients.
The product I had in mind for this business project was none other than lemon syrup.
Normally, lemon syrup is made with sugar, but mine was going to be special—made with honey.
Lemons are a hassle to wash and deseed, but they’re easy to prepare and, more importantly, no one in the Manon Empire has made syrup like this before.
Because no one else has created this, it has undeniable rarity. It tastes good, is easy to preserve, and would look beautiful in glass jars.
Plus, honey has always been a precious food.
The Romans even believed honey was dew from the heavens.
With lots of honey added, the reaction is bound to be good.
Like they say, “first come, first served.” I needed to make this quickly.
And once it gains popularity and inevitable copycats or substitutes appear, our merchant group must already hold a patent or exclusive rights.
“Bring me some clean water.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Even though it was early and tiring to work, the maids returned promptly with clean water, without a word of complaint.
As soon as I received it, I added coarse salt and vinegar and scrubbed the lemons clean.
Then, for sterilization, I blanched them in hot water. Next, I had to slice them and carefully remove the seeds.
Annie, who’d been watching, offered to help and began skillfully picking out the seeds with a fork.
Of course, she was better at this than me. She always had a knack for household work.
Wait a second.
If I only add honey, won’t it be too sweet?
Maybe I should try enhancing the lemon’s flavor instead.
Hmm, I’ll juice some of the lemons and mix the juice into the honey.
“……”
Once I decided, I picked up the halved lemons and squeezed them into an empty bowl.
Now, I just had to place the sliced lemons and juice into jars and fill them with honey.
As I sealed the jar with a lid, one of the maids who saw the final product asked with sparkling eyes,
“Oh, how pretty! What do you call this?”
“It’s lemon syrup.”
Hearing that, the maids all gathered, curious expressions on their faces.
Well, of course. The idea of fruit syrups didn’t exist in the empire yet.
It’s fascinating, really.
They all know how to pickle cucumbers in vinegar, yet no one thought to preserve fruit in sugar or honey.
Fruit syrups, including lemon, are great in warm tea during winter and in chilled water during summer…
Maybe next time I’ll try strawberry or lime.
“I wonder what it tastes like?”
“It must be sweet since there’s honey, right?”
Heh, if they’re already reacting like this, I’d better be careful.
“It’s not done yet.”
If I stop here, it’ll just be an ordinary product.
But that’s not what I want. I want this to be a symbol of Noah’s status—not just something for everyday use.
So, I’m going to mark it with something special. Something that shows it was made for Noah.
“Is there more to prepare?”
Seeing my smile deepen, Annie spoke up.
Of course it’s Annie who knows me best.
I beamed at her and replied,
“Bring me paper and a pen. We’re going to Noah.”
“To the young master…?”
Annie tilted her head, clearly caught off guard by my answer.
But really, we can’t leave Noah out of this.
I was planning to use a drawing made by Noah as the symbol for the syrup!
…Or so I had confidently thought. But the old me should’ve known better than to expect things to go so smoothly.
“A… drawing?”
When I appeared with the paper and pen, Noah looked puzzled as he took the materials from me.
While he awkwardly held the pen and tried to position himself, I was rummaging around for crayons or paints to add color.
And finally, the finished product was…
“Um, is this a dragon?”
“……”
“Ah, or maybe a snake?”
What emerged was a mysterious pink worm-looking creature, and a very red-faced Noah.
The one and only magic swordsman in the world, with flawless looks and strength great enough to start a war for Honey Edren…
Who would’ve guessed?
“I-I drew you, noona…”
That Noah had zero artistic talent.
Noah’s shoulders flinched.
“I’m sorry…”
His face had turned so red he looked like he might burst as he muttered in embarrassment.
He must’ve realized for himself that his drawing was hopeless.
And at the same time, he felt his pride take a hit.
He, who once did everything for Honey, now blushing over paper and pen…
If only someone had given him a wooden sword instead—he could’ve at least shown off his magic.
It wasn’t being childish that bothered him… It was this uselessness he didn’t want Rosent to see.
How funny. For a ten-year-old, he had a surprisingly strong ego.
“……”
But not knowing any of this, Rosent just widened her eyes and patted his head, then tilted her head.
“Hmm, no. It’s fine.”
Instead, she looked satisfied and smiled warmly.
“You wanted to draw your noona.”
She picked Noah up from the chair and sat him on her lap.
Noah stiffened in surprise at her sudden move. Because of his tense body, Rosent noticed how light he felt and blinked.
Then, she placed a crayon in his hand and gently overlapped hers with his.
With her help, the peach-colored crayon drew a round oval. Pink and red filled the white page.
“……”
Noah’s gaze was drawn to the large, soft hand wrapped over his own.
Had Rosent’s hand always been this big?
No… It was still smaller than Honey’s, the one he saw in his dreams every night.
When would he grow past this hand?
In five years? Ten?
Why did he have to be ten years old now of all times?
If more time had passed… or if only time had twisted while his body remained grown…
Then he wouldn’t be sitting on her lap, having his pride shattered over a drawing.
Still…
Her hand… is warm.
The faint happiness he felt in that moment was surprisingly sweet.
Soon, a faint flush bloomed on Noah’s cheeks.
“All done!”
Satisfied, I held up the finished drawing with pride.
It featured a cute, chibi-style version of me and Noah, surrounded by a floral wreath.
This would be perfect as a logo.
Wait, I should make copies of it—better commission the Mage Tower right away.
Since it’ll take a few days for the lemon syrup to ferment, I’ll set aside portions for sampling and for Noah, and start gathering demand estimates.
We’ll launch the product officially at the start of midsummer.
Just as I was getting deeper into planning—
“My lady.”
My focus snapped to the right.
It was Annie calling for me.
“What is it?”
Normally, when I’m with Noah, everyone knows not to interrupt.
Tilting my head curiously, I set the paper down. Annie folded her hands politely.
“The Duke is calling for you.”
“Father?”
“Yes. He’s asked for the young master as well.”
“Oh? Noah too?”
I glanced at the wall clock and hesitated.
Why call us now, just before he leaves for work…?
I wanted to draw a few more pictures with Noah and enjoy some time together.
I pouted and rubbed Noah’s cheek in frustration.
“Mmph!”
Noah grumbled and shielded his face with both hands.
Seriously, he’s only ten, but when he’s upset, he’s like an angry kitten.
While I was busy fawning over his cuteness and teasing him, time flew by.
Following Annie’s lead, Noah and I soon arrived at the Duke’s office.
“You’re a bit late.”
The Duke glanced at the clock on his desk and then stood, turning toward the table.
A silent invitation to sit.
“What brings us here at this hour?”
He normally didn’t call for us at this time… and now both of us?
I sat Noah down first and quickly took the seat next to him to get to the point.
Maids brought us pound cake and black tea.
Noah quietly added sugar cubes to his tea—it must’ve been too bitter for his childlike taste.
Just as Noah took a bite of cake, the Duke finally spoke.
“I mentioned it to Marquis Eris, and he said he’d recommend a teacher for Noah.”
“Oh! Really?”
I raised my fork mid-air and turned to the Duke, eyes wide.
Wait, really?!
So that’s why he called us here? That’s great!
Overjoyed, I beamed and asked,
“So, who did the Marquis recommend?”
“He said a son of the Rosoterban family would teach Noah.”
Ah… Rosoterban…
Wait a minute.
“Rosoterban?”
Thud.
I stood up in shock.
“You mean that Rosoterban? The vice-captain of the First Imperial Knights!”
“Is that a problem?”
The Duke asked with a puzzled expression.
Well, I mean—it’s an honor to have someone that high-ranking as Noah’s teacher, but…
“Noona?”
I turned toward Noah, who was staring at me with wide eyes.
Rosoterban…
Eastern Rosoterban.
He was Lucas’s former mentor in the original novel.
