Chapter 7
“Blending tea. They’re considering it as a wedding favor, and they want a custom blend exclusively for the princess.”
I had expected the order to be for staples—flour, salt, the usual household essentials that our guild could proudly supply. So when it turned out to be a new venture—blending tea—it was like the heavens had handed me a golden promotional opportunity.
My heart fluttered at the prospect of seeing our balance sheets swell. Of course, if it were a bulk order for a grand event like the Duke Harriott’s engagement, even just supplying the cherry toppings for the cupcakes served to guests would turn a tidy profit.
But up until now, most consumables in this society—foodstuffs or otherwise—were self-sufficient. Margins were thin, distribution networks underdeveloped, and losses frequent. In short, it was endless work with little reward.
Since taking over the guild, I had been restructuring our operations toward high-value ventures: spices, blended teas, and the like.
“The spice segment is stabilizing, but blending tea… people here still find it foreign. Interest has been lukewarm.”
This society preferred the pure taste of individual ingredients. Though spiced dishes were slowly gaining traction among the nobility, teas were still mostly single-origin black or herbal varieties.
“But real fortune comes not from following trends, but from setting them.”
Like Baron Pepper, who struck gold by introducing spices into cuisine for the first time, I was determined to turn a profit with innovative blends. For now, the tea venture was just offsetting losses with profits from other lines.
“I even spent nearly a year giving free samples to famous salons, hoping to start a trend among the nobility. It seemed hopeless—until now.”
Persistence, it seemed, finally bore fruit.
The Duchess Harriott had been an icon of social trends for over twenty years since her debut in the noble circles. Winning her favor would be tantamount to guaranteeing success for the business. Missing this opportunity was unthinkable.
“Lucy, contact the Harriott household to finalize the schedule. Tell Dannon to gather intel—details about the princess and the Duchess’s preferences. As quickly as possible. I’ll head to the workshop to see Daisy.”
After unloading my orders on Lucy, I made my way to the tea workshop.
By the time I had a brief conversation with Daisy, both Lucy and Dannon had returned, having completed their assignments in just a couple of hours. Their speed exceeded even my expectations.
“You two are incredible.”
I lavished praise on my capable staff as I took Dannon’s report. The formatting was a patchwork from the hasty investigation, but the content was thorough.
‘Information on the Duchess and the princess must be easier to obtain given their fame, but Dannon still did well.’
I quickly scanned the report and gave Lucy a subtle nod. She began briefing naturally.
“The audience with the Duchess is scheduled for two weeks from now. The guest list for the engagement will be about a thousand, mainly close relatives and friends.”
“And the wedding favors?” I prompted.
“Practically anyone listed in the nobility directory would receive one. Securing this order alone would be huge.”
“The princess is an only child, and her fiancé, the young Marquis, recently manifested his aura and joined the royal guard. They’ll likely want to boast. But two weeks is tight.”
“We’ll make it work,” Lucy said, her eyes gleaming with the same enthusiasm I had for profit.
“Exactly. We’ll make it happen.”
The engagement venue was under renovation, with the main flower being lilac—the princess’s birth flower. The costume shop handling the princess’s attire was known to our contact, who promised to update us once the design was finalized.
In that short time, they had uncovered everything from the ceremony concept to the boutique handling the princess’s wardrobe.
“Good work. I’ll focus on this project, so Lucy, handle the guild operations in my stead.”
“Understood, Master,” Lucy replied, taking over the mountain of paperwork. Next was Dannon’s turn. I handed him the report for Daisy’s review.
“Dannon, anything notable aside from the report?”
“Nothing significant. Both the Duchess and the princess prefer herbal tea over black tea.”
Knowing the decision-maker’s taste is crucial.
“Any reason given?”
“Apparently, the Duchess’s godfather died of a heart attack. Likely a hereditary issue. Caffeine might be a concern.”
“Good. Daisy, did you catch that?”
“Yes, yes.”
This worked in our favor; Daisy’s teas were healthy.
“Dannon, bring any new information directly to me. Daisy, finished reading the report?”
“Not yet.”
“No rush. Take your time.”
Daisy’s eyes widened as she tried to answer while reading.
“Do you have a recipe in mind?” I asked.
“Lilac has a strong fragrance. For the princess’s engagement guests, I think it would leave a lasting impression. I want the tea to evoke the wedding itself, so I’d like to use lilac as the base.”
“Lilac… unusual. But confident?”
Lilac isn’t commonly brewed as tea. As a non-expert, I struggled to visualize it.
“Yes. I’m confident,” Daisy said, eyes sparkling. Though timid by nature, her skill was undeniable. That she guaranteed success meant she had absolute certainty.
Daisy, scouted from a countryside herbal apothecary, excelled in medicinal teas, blending healthful ingredients into delicious brews.
“You’ll handle production entirely. Dannon, supply her whatever ingredients she needs, regardless of cost. Also, arrange a craftsman for the packaging.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Daisy, inform me when the prototype is ready.”
“Yes, Master.”
Like a storm had swept through the guild, our brief meeting dispersed us to our tasks. With the tea order overlapping an already busy period, there was barely a moment to breathe.
Two weeks passed in a flash.
‘I don’t even know how time went by.’
Seated in the carriage, dressed sharply for the Harriott engagement, I felt a surge of pride as I gazed at the tea package, shaped in regal purple.
The lilac tea had a faint bitterness at first, balanced with nearly flavorless herbs to neutralize it, then enhanced with jasmine and berries to evoke a spring garden in full bloom.
The first sip almost transported me to the princess’s engagement, months into the future. Truly exceptional tea. Healthy, too.
Daisy’s confidence was justified; she considered it the masterpiece of her life.
‘Drinking this is practically inhaling fragrance itself.’
I silently prayed the Duchess would approve. The fate of the blending tea business hinged on today.
By the time my quick, selective prayer ended, the carriage had stopped. We had arrived.
“Master, we’ve arrived,” said Bill, the coachman, knocking lightly on the carriage wall—a more formal tone than usual.
I steeled myself and stepped out. I intended to appear composed, but the sight before me left me momentarily breathless.
The estate was immense—enough to fit dozens of buildings like ours within the grounds. Wealth beyond imagining.
And the garden… even someone ignorant of ornamental plants could recognize the value of the flora.
If the servants hadn’t casually allowed Bill and me a brief stroll until the scheduled appointment, I’d have struggled to maintain my composure.
“Right. Stay focused. Let’s go.”
Regaining my poise, I followed the servant to the reception hall.
The main house was even more imposing. I had never known a building could intimidate a person.
Every step felt cautious, as if I were a commoner treading sacred ground.
“The Duchess is receiving other guests. Please wait here,” the servant said, guiding me to a small sitting room.
I sat, finally able to relax.
“Shall I serve you some tea while you wait?”
After so many tastings, I declined, and the servant departed. At last, I leaned back, momentarily at ease.
But the thought struck:
‘What’s the proper way to greet someone of higher rank?’
