Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: The Princess's Visit
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Meanwhile, time had passed in Argentis County. Kandoria's alchemy workshop.
The workshop no longer brimmed with the tangy sweetness of tomatoes.
Instead, the sharp, biting aroma of freshly ground black pepper from the mortar mingled with the exotic, heady scent of cumin roasting on a dry pan, creating an unfamiliar harmony.
I took a deep breath, inhaling the fragrance of the freshly ground spice powder.
'I never imagined Arrabbiata would stir up this much social chaos.'
The news from the capital bordered on madness.
Poisonings, brawls, black markets, and more. But to me, it wasn't failure—it was success by another name.
Proof that the entire Empire was feverish with excitement over this new stimulus called spiciness.
Come to think of it, back with the tomato sauce, it wouldn't have been strange if my prospective father-in-law or my own father had rushed over at any moment.
Running a territory is no small task, and I'd heard from both that they'd visit later, so as I fiddled with the spices, thinking I should wait until then—
Right at that moment, a figure burst through the door.
"Jonathan! Jonathan!"
"Hm?"
I turned to see my fiancée and childhood friend, Erika Argentis, as expected.
But she looked a bit different from her usual elegant self.
Her cheeks were flushed, as if she'd been greatly startled by something.
"What's wrong? Why the rush?"
"Of course it's urgent! I just read the letters from the Papal Court and the Imperial Palace!"
"The Papal Court? Why the Palace too? It feels like just yesterday they acknowledged receiving the Arrabbiata sauce."
Soon, she handed me the letters.
The first to catch my eye was the one sealed with bright red wax bearing the Papal Court's insignia.
I carefully broke the seal and began reading the contents.
The letter began in an exceedingly polite and solemn tone.
"......"
I finished reading but couldn't find words for a long while.
What in the world.
They'd interpreted spiciness as penance and the following flavor as grace, incorporating it straight into religious doctrine?
And using that as pretext to monopolize all capital shipments for the Papal Court?
I couldn't tell if I should admire the genius idea or marvel at the Pope's cunning in using faith for personal gain.
Erika, reading over my shoulder, whispered in a voice mixed with shock and excitement.
"My goodness, Jonathan! This is glory for the family! Our second sauce designated a holy relic by papal edict! Father will be over the moon!"
I barely suppressed the laughter bubbling up.
'Glory for the family? It's just spicy.'
'But if the Papal Court handles the surge in demand, eliminates the troubles, and secures a stable monopoly route in the capital free of disputes, then sure, why not.'
I nodded, forcing a calm expression.
"Truly astonishing. His Holiness the Pope has profound insight."
"Right? Right! Oh, read the Palace letter too! I wonder what it says..."
Even at a glance, the luxurious paper and golden lion seal of the Imperial House were unmistakable.
And a faint rose scent wafting from the stationery.
I broke the seal and pulled out the letter. A single sentence was written there.
"Coming to see you soon?"
I couldn't tear my eyes from the short, punchy phrase.
The faint rose scent. The intimate, provocative tone ending in a question mark.
It was a deeply personal notice from Princess Lorensia Ruberius.
"......"
"Jonathan? What's wrong? Your face looks tense... Surely the Palace didn't bring bad news..."
I silently handed the letter to Erika, who peered at my face worriedly.
Her blue eyes scanned the single line, instantly filling with wariness.
"She's... coming here? Who? The Princess herself?!"
"Well, for now—"
-Kwaaaaaang!
Before I could finish, a massive roar shook the ground from outside, the floor trembling faintly.
The workshop windows rattled, spice jars on the shelves wobbling precariously.
"Kyaa! W-what is it? An earthquake?!"
Erika clung to me in fright.
Holding her, I peered out the window to see a magic circle spinning in the sky, emitting blue light.
Spatial transfer magic. A large-scale coordinate shift capable of moving dozens at once.
And in the Empire, only one could wield such reality-bending power over space: Lorensia.
'She sent the letter and came straight away? What impatience.'
Faced with the absurd sight, I could only let out a hollow chuckle.
Kandoria Castle's reception hall was instantly filled with an overwhelming presence, as if the Empire's heart had been transplanted there.
Before the blue afterglow of the magic circle fully faded, Imperial Guard knights in golden lion-emblazoned armor formed precise ranks, opening a path.
At the end of that path, a single woman emerged slowly, as if the center of all light.
Noble, beautiful cascading red hair, ruby-red eyes.
Her formal dress embroidered with gold symbols of nobility.
Lorensia Ruberius, Emperor Siegmund's only daughter, approached me with a playful smile, like a cat spotting an amusing toy.
"Did my letter arrive after me? Was the messenger slacking, or were you too leisurely, my lord?"
I stepped forward with Erika, offering a courteous bow.
"Your Highness's steps outpace any Empire steed, so it's no surprise the messenger couldn't keep up."
"Pft, not bad."
Lorensia laughed, pleased with my reply, then finally turned her gaze to Erika beside me.
"It's been a while, Lady Argentis. Keeping my treasure safe, I see?"
Erika met Lorensia's provocative gaze without flinching. Gripping my hand tighter, she retorted in a clear, firm voice.
"Your Highness's precious treasure would be locked in the palace vaults. The one by my side is no treasure—he is my betrothed, my future husband."
Lorensia's red eyes narrowed with interest at the bold response. She burst into amused laughter, then fixed her gaze on me.
"Pfft, impressive. Enough joking. Do you know why I'm here?"
"If I may ask the reason, is it regarding the recently distributed Arrabbiata sauce?"
Lorensia shook her head at my question.
"If it were just the sauce, I wouldn't have rushed here using spatial transfer magic myself. More precisely, it's the phenomena the sauce has unleashed."
"Phenomena, you say."
"Hm, first off, any word from the Papal Court?"
"Ah, yes. I just received their letter."
"Penance Feast—fitting name from that old Pope. It shut down all the nonsense about demonic temptation in one go."
Lorensia sat gracefully in a chair and continued.
"Frontline soldiers' reactions were explosive. Even war-weary men who lost their appetites licked their plates clean. Morale boost exceeded expectations."
"But the problem was that damn spiciness. The capital went wild to taste it, fights nonstop. The Pope incorporating it into doctrine quelled it early—honestly, not bad for the Palace either."
She rested her chin, eyeing me with intrigue.
"Father loves the taste personally. Priority shipments to the Palace and military unchanged, so letting the Papal Court monopolize capital distribution is fine for social stability, he judged."
"That's fortunate. I didn't want the sauce sowing discord either."
"Yes, up to there, all good."
Lorensia's voice dropped a tone. The playfulness vanished from her red eyes, replaced by a chilling glint.
"The real issue is the half-baked imitators chasing your massive trend."
Erika's expression tensed slightly at her words. I straightened, knowing this was coming.
"As Arrabbiata hit markets full force, knockoffs mimicking the taste flooded in. But those idiots didn't grasp your sauce's essence."
"They thought 'spicy' meant dumping in black pepper blindly, or worse, adding toxic non-edibles to fake the flavor. Yours is pleasant pain; theirs is straight poison."
Lorensia's words were grave.
This went beyond my business's reputation—it tied directly to Imperial citizens' safety.
No mere imitators; a serious crisis.
The cost of opening new flavor doors couldn't birth such horrors.
As I opened my mouth heavily—
A court mage with blue earrings behind Lorensia knelt beside her, whispering softly in her ear.
In that instant, all leisure and smile vanished from Lorensia's face.
Her ruby eyes, once cat-like with mirth, blazed with draconic fury.
"......"
Her face hardened coldly, the room seeming to drop several degrees.
"Your Highness, what is it?"
Erika asked worriedly. Lorensia slowly lifted her head to meet my eyes.
Her voice was icy and resolute.
"Just now, a report came that the concern you should worry about has become reality."
She rose, concluding with anger-laced words.
"Some fool in the capital made fake Arrabbiata with black pepper and toxic herbs, sold it, and now multiple commoners who ate it collapsed with severe abdominal pain. All rushed to temple healers."