Chapter 49: Same Bed, Different Dreams (4)
Chapter 49: Same Bed, Different Dreams (4)
Translation: Godtl
The moment he hung up the phone, Baron Keystone headed straight for the market.
"This... this can't be..."
Just as his aide had reported.
In a corner of the bustling central shopping district, at the flagship pharmacy of Pasture Trading Company.
"Here you go, Cola! Cola!"
"Instant relief for indigestion! Replenishes vitality! Directly boosts stamina! Certified by pharmacists!"
"Only 3 pennies per bottle of Cola! We appreciate your interest and support!"
At the prime eye-level spot on the display shelf filled with various potions and medicines.
Cola was brazenly exhibited and being sold.
A long line of eager customers grabbed bottles with visibly excited expressions, drinking them right on the spot.
"What in the..."
Baron Keystone swallowed hard.
The Cola Emergency Ordinance had definitely passed.
Foreign beverages—especially Nortaris's Cola—were absolutely not supposed to be seen in Golden Hill.
Under the pretext of "local business cooperation," everyone had agreed to this. What kind of lunatic would dare break these terms so blatantly?
"Tsk tsk, completely insane."
Baron Keystone clicked his tongue.
He didn't know how Y&P Trading Company had pressured Pasture Trading Company into this.
But Pasture's actions were the worst possible move.
This industry had its own unspoken rules.
People didn't follow them because they were stupid.
That's exactly why this was so baffling.
"Pasture isn't some fool..."
He could have understood if some unknown small merchant blinded by greed had made this suicidal move.
But Pasture Trading Company owned one of the most lucrative breweries around.
They were a mid-sized trading company officially licensed by the kingdom to produce beer.
Just as the furrow between his brows deepened, a man strolled leisurely out of the store.
"Oh my, Baron Keystone! What brings you to this humble establishment?"
It was Baronet Pasture, the owner of the company.
Though he greeted cheerfully, his watchful eyes betrayed his nervousness.
Normally, they ignored each other like cows and chickens since their businesses didn't overlap, but this was openly undermining Keystone.
"Pasture, what exactly are you doing?"
"As you can see... well, selling Cola."
"Do I look like I don't know that? Are you really this desperate for pocket change now?"
Baron Keystone didn't lose his temper at Baronet Pasture.
Because regardless of whether he got angry or not, Pasture Trading Company's fate was already sealed.
Making enemies with political factions without justification was the worst possible move in business.
Even Baron Keystone knew that.
"You're not about to claim ignorance of the Cola Emergency Ordinance, are you? The need to regulate foreign beverages was acknowledged even by Golden Hill's city council..."
"Hoho, Baron Keystone. It's not a foreign beverage."
Baronet Pasture, who had been rubbing his palms nervously, cut him off.
The muscles in Baron Keystone's jaw twitched.
"Listen here. Don't spout nonsense. Even the farmhands shoveling cow dung know Cola is a Nortaris product."
"And yet, it isn't. The Cola we're selling was legally produced right here in 'Golden Hill.'"
"What?"
Given the tight blockade preventing even a single bottle of Cola from entering, there was no way production facilities could have been imported.
They couldn't have built a factory in Golden Hill.
At that moment, only one possibility occurred to Baron Keystone.
'Don't tell me... they transferred the Cola business to Pasture and exited?'
If they had handed over the entire operation to a Golden Hill-based company, they could bypass the ordinance.
Had Cola become a "Golden Hill" beverage?
"This is madness! Why would they sell off something so valuable?!"
Baron Keystone immediately wanted to return to his mansion and call Jurgen to demand answers.
After stagnating for so long, the beverage market was finally showing signs of life.
Cola was a product with more than enough potential to reclaim the top spot.
To think he'd been slightly intimidated before—only for them to turn around and sell off the golden goose in one fell swoop!
"If you can't protect it, just sell it off?" What kind of disastrous business mindset is that?!
"I misjudged him."
Baron Keystone drastically slashed his evaluation of Jurgen from a perfect ten down to zero.
"Baron Keystone, I believe you've misunderstood the situation."
"Misunderstood? Oh, I understand perfectly well."
Baronet Pasture, who had been gauging the atmosphere, interjected cautiously.
"It's true that this Cola is being produced in Golden Hill. However, we haven't acquired the entire Cola business from Y&P. We merely obtained a license."
"A license? What kind of license?"
Baronet Pasture, clearly not wanting to make a complete enemy of the Baron, began explaining as amiably as possible.
"It's the right to mix the syrup with carbonated water, bottle it, and sell it. Y&P Trading Company refers to it as a 'Bottling Partner License.' We only purchase the syrup from Y&P headquarters."
"Just the syrup? What about the rest of the production facilities?"
"Well, we do have our own brewery, don't we? Mixing and bottling are simple processes—just a bit of technical instruction, and that's all there is to it."
"..."
"We have to make a living too, don't we? The terms were simply too favorable to refuse."
Baron Keystone felt as though he'd been struck in the back of the head with a sledgehammer.
It was the kind of shock that made every hair on his body stand on end.
The core of the regulatory barrier he had erected was the blockade of externally produced goods.
But if, as Baronet Pasture said, a Golden Hill-based company received the syrup and produced the Cola themselves—
Strictly speaking, that Cola wouldn't be an externally produced good. It would be a legitimate Golden Hill-made Cola.
By retaining full control over the syrup concentrate—the very essence of Cola—they could bypass the flimsy pretext of the ordinance.
"Ha! Look at this bastard."
"Baron Keystone, I may only be a baronet, but to be called 'this bastard' to my face—"
"No, no, not you, Pasture."
Baron Keystone broke into a satisfied smile.
"Of course. If he's the talent I set my sights on, he should pull something like this."
He'd been acting so cocky—Baron Keystone had wondered what kind of trick he'd pull. And now, he'd delivered a beautiful counterblow.
Though Baronet Pasture hadn't explained much, Baron Keystone quickly grasped the strength of this system.
Products were usually inescapably tied to their region.
Y&P was a fledgling company from Nortaris.
Outside of Nortaris, they had no foundation whatsoever.
And yet, they'd solved that by creating local partner companies.
Pasture Trading Company had Golden Hill's distribution networks, commercial districts, and political connections all firmly in hand.
To maximize their own profits, they would actively leverage their influence and expertise.
And the profits gained this way would inevitably roll right back into Y&P's pockets.
"Instead of building from the ground up, they've taken what was already in hand."
And look at the scalability of it all.
Normally, expanding production meant taking on proportional risk—that was business 101.
Just look at Rex Salisbury.
Hadn't he recklessly expanded his factories to dominate the market, only to lose a fortune and corner himself?
But with this model, Y&P didn't need to build factories or hire workers themselves.
Local partners in each city would invest their own money and connections to establish production.
Thus, Y&P minimized initial investment burdens and risks.
At the same time, they effectively secured multiple production bases for Y&P in the blink of an eye.
Which meant this wasn't just Golden Hill's problem anymore.
Riverport, Billstone—it was only a matter of time.
Now, the spread of Cola across the northern territories was something Baron Keystone could no longer stop by force alone.
Baron Keystone boarded his carriage with a bitter smile.
'I told you. The desperate one would come first.'
Only now did Jurgen's parting words make sense.
"Where shall we go, sir?"
What else could he do?
The desperate one must make the first move.
"Straight to Golden Hill Station."
Life after fleeing from the position of Minister of Internal Affairs had been satisfying.
He could devote all the time he wanted to the Gastronomic Revolution he had long desired.
And yet, without being overwhelmed by grueling work, he finally had room to breathe.
This was also subtly important—being able to cook his own meals.
In Britannia, it was common for even the royal chefs to use utterly incomprehensible recipes under the guise of "royal cuisine."
Between slimy, gelatin-filled eel pies and haggis—sheep bladder stuffed with oatmeal and spices—he'd much rather cook for himself.
And anyone who's ever cooked would know—
How gratifying it is to have someone enjoy the food you've worked hard to prepare.
Penelope Rosemore, his reaction bot, ate anything he served with gusto.
Every time, she'd marvel as if stars were pouring from her eyes, and today, she even stepped forward to learn how to cook herself.
"Alright, I'm ready."
In the kitchen of Jurgen's townhouse,
He watched with pride as she changed into comfortable clothes and even tied on an apron.
"An excellent idea, Miss Penelope. So you've come to appreciate the charm of cooking."
"It's because of you, isn't it? Ever since I started eating your food, nothing else tastes right. I want to try making it myself when you're not around."
Penelope's first-ever attempt at cooking.
For some reason, she looked incredibly tense.
Well, when would a noble lady like her ever have gotten her hands wet in the kitchen?
Her tightly pursed lips were stiffer than usual today.
"There's no need to be so nervous. Aren't you an alchemist, Miss Penelope?"
"What does alchemy have to do with cooking?"
"They share the same essentials—precise measurements, recipes, and imagination."
"...Hmm, I suppose that's true?"
Today's menu was Aglio e Olio Pasta.
A dish so simple that he ate it at least once every two days—the alpha and omega of pasta dishes.
And, incidentally, the mischievous dish that always made Penelope overeat.
"I love that one."
Penelope swallowed hard, like Pavlov's dog.
"But isn't it too simple? It barely uses any ingredients."
"Does it not suit your taste?"
"It's not that, but since I'm finally learning, I wanted something more substantial."
"Nonsense. Why do you think Aglio e Olio is considered fundamental?"
With fewer tricks and simpler flavors, the subtlety hidden within that simplicity is what matters.
Still, Penelope was a good student.
Once he explained the reasoning, she quickly understood and followed his instructions.
"First, heat the olive oil in the pan. And the garlic... Hmm... Would you mind mincing this, Miss Penelope?"
"Wait, is it okay to use that much? Garlic is spicy."
"Heating it removes the spiciness and leaves only the aroma."
"...You're not messing with me, are you?"
Penelope, who was sensitive to spice, balked at the amount of garlic Jurgen handed her.
Authentic Italian recipes don't use this much garlic, but in Korea, the rule is to add it generously.
Though Penelope, who had suffered under Jurgen's cooking before, eyed him suspiciously...
In the end, she focused intently, mincing the garlic with cautious movements.
"Ah, Miss Penelope. By the way, don't touch your face with the hands you used to chop garlic."
"...You should've... told me that... sooner..."
"Did you already touch it?"
"My eyes... my eyes feel like they're burning... Aaargh!!!"
"Don't rub your eyes! You absolutely must not rub them!"
Though novice cook Penelope made some minor mistakes...
"Now we'll sauté the garlic and a bit of peperoncino to infuse the oil. Then add these anchovies¹, and some capers² to balance out the fishiness and richness."
"W-wait, slow down a little."
"This pasta was extruded through a bronze die."
"Does it really matter what kind of die was used for the noodles?"
"The rough surface helps the sauce cling better."
"...Where did you even learn these things?"
The cooking progressed steadily.
Being her first time cooking, Penelope's movements were quite slow, but thanks to her experience handling various alchemical ingredients, she remained remarkably composed for a beginner.
"Undercook the pasta slightly... Good, then transfer the rest to the pan to finish cooking while mixing, right?"
"Don't forget the pasta water."
"Right, the pasta water."
Finally garnished with parsley, Penelope's signature Aglio e Olio Pasta was complete.
Artfully twirling the noodles into a nest-like presentation made it look incredibly impressive.
"Let me have a taste."
"I want to try some too."
After taking alternating bites with Jurgen...
"Hmm."
"Ufufu..."
Penelope placed her hands on her hips, puffing up with pride.
"Well? Not bad for a first attempt, is it?"
"You've quite the knack for this, Miss Penelope."
"Of course. Who do you take me for? A 5th-Rank Alchemist? Compared to alchemy, this level of cooking is child's play."
"It's delicious. Very well made."
Though Penelope had an adorable habit of growing arrogant over small achievements, this time Jurgen had to admit it.
This was genuinely well-made Aglio e Olio.
To achieve this on the first try...
Quite impressive indeed.
"If you follow this recipe, you should be able to make it yourself from now on."
But Penelope, who seemed ready to gloat for another ten minutes, suddenly grew quiet.
The reason soon became apparent.
As she twirled pasta around her fork, Penelope abruptly remarked:
"Serena should've been here to eat this too."
"You could've invited her to join us."
"You know how she is. The moment you mention invitations, she throws a fit. She's so peculiar."
Though she'd vehemently deny it, Penelope seemed to already feel lonely about Serena's impending departure.
Lately, she couldn't go five minutes without mentioning Serena's name.
"I wanted to treat her to a meal before she leaves. My special Penelope-style Aglio e Olio."
Only then did Jurgen understand why Penelope had suddenly asked to learn cooking.
Beneath her brash exterior, Penelope was surprisingly sentimental.
She just had trouble admitting such traits openly.
This conversation marked the last time Penelope brought up Serena during the meal.
The reason Penelope was sending Serena away ultimately came down to Y&P having nothing to offer her that could compare to what Viscount Granville House could provide. Having accepted this unchangeable reality, she'd stopped complaining about it in front of Jurgen.
Yet her uncharacteristically subdued chatter throughout the meal spoke volumes about her true feelings.
"I'll come again next time. Have a more challenging recipe ready for me."
After Penelope left,
Jurgen sipped his cola while waiting for someone.
"He should be arriving soon..."
The person he awaited was Baron Keystone.
Ding-dong.
"Here he comes."
The Santa Claus who'd bring gifts for both Serena and Penelope.
¹ Anchovies: A type of fermented fish paste made from fish like anchovies.
² Capers: A type of pickled flower bud condiment with a tangy, spicy flavor and aroma, often preserved in vinegar.