CH 4.5

“Why are you so good at this?”

A man of high status asked Karem, continuing the conversation that had taken place in her previous dream.

After pondering for a moment, Karem replied, “It’s because of poverty.”

“Huh?”

With a sheepish expression, Karem explained, “Growing up poor, I always craved ingredients like sugar that were hard to come by. Because of that, it drove me to find creative ways to make the most out of that rare sugar.” He exclaimed, “Sugar, I realized, is the essence of happiness. While finding ways to bring more joy to people through sugar, I found my true calling as a pâtissier.”

Suddenly, Marie blinked her eyes open.

“I… dreamed again,” she mumbled, wondering why she kept having recurring dreams about the genius pastry chef.

‘The people, pâtissier, sugarcane farming…’ she murmured to herself, trying to connect her dream and the present situation.

Then, in a moment of clarity, an idea related to the contents of her dream popped into her mind.

’Sugar, I realized, is the essence of happiness.’

‘I’ll show them the value of sugarcane farming, that is, sugar!’ She exclaimed inwardly.

It might not be a groundbreaking approach, but it was worth a try.

‘The main reason people are opposing is that they don’t know much about sugar. So, if we educate its value, they might change their minds.’

Of course, she wasn’t sure if it would really work.

But it was still worth a shot.

‘It won’t hurt to try.’

After making up her mind, Marie went to find the Crown Prince.

“Marie? What’s the matter?” The Crown Prince asked, looking puzzled.

Despite the late hour, he was still awake, going through documents.

“I have something important to share with you.”

The Crown Prince’s eyes lit up, excited by the thought that she might have devised another clever plan, as she had done many times before.

“What do you have in mind? Please do tell.”

“It’s not a guaranteed solution, but…” Marie tentatively explained the plan she had come up with.

After hearing her out, the Crown Prince nodded. “Let’s give it a try. If it works, we could both finally grow sugarcane and appease the southwestern people.”

“Thank you.”

Fortunately, the Crown Prince was on board with the plan. However, he pointed out some flaws in it. “But there’s one problem with your plan, isn’t there?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Marie nodded.

“We can procure the sugar, but who will handle it? Working with sugar proves to be a challenge, even for the renowned pastry chefs in the capital. It would be more difficult in the southwestern region, since they don’t have pastry chefs capable of doing that.”

The Crown Prince was right.

Her plan hinged on finding a pastry chef skilled in working with sugar, yet such talents were scarce in the impoverished southwestern region.

But Marie had a solution.

“I know how to use sugar.”

The Crown Prince looked at her in surprise. “You do?”

While he was well aware of her considerable talent in baking, her knowledge of how to use sugar surpassed his expectations.

Marie answered tentatively, “Yes… I learned it by chance…”

“How amazing.”

The Crown Prince nodded.

She was none other than Marie. If she said she could do it, then she definitely could.

He had complete faith in her.

“Very well, I’ll arrange for the sugar to be supplied immediately. Let’s proceed with your plan.”

And so, Marie’s plan, officially known as, ‘Sugar: Bringer of Happiness,’ began.

A few days later, around noon in the eastern district of Vale Castle, a large carriage suddenly pulled up, catching the attention of the townsfolk with hollowed eyes.

“What’s that?”

“What’s a carriage doing here?”

They exchanged puzzled glances.

“Could it have come from the castle?”

“I think so.”

The castle they were talking about was the residence of a lord, which had recently become the temporary dwelling for the Crown Prince.

“Why is the Crown Prince still hanging around in our province? He should leave and return to the capital now.”

“Right.”

They whispered among themselves, their hushed tones hoping not to reach the ears of those inside the carriage.

Suddenly, as the carriage door swung open, a figure emerged.

“A girl?”

The onlookers exclaimed, taken aback at the person before them. To their surprise, it wasn’t the castle administrator, Viscount Givrol, nor the Crown Prince. Instead, it was a cute and innocent-looking girl.

Seeing a young woman alight the carriage was odd enough, but there was something even more intriguing about her.

She was wearing a white chef’s uniform.

“Huh? Is she a chef?”

“Does she really strike you as a chef? And more importantly, why on earth would a chef be here?”

Amidst the confusion, another person descended from the carriage. A brawny knight with an imposing presence emerged, lugging along a sizable box.

“What’s in that box?”

When the knight unveiled the contents of the box before them, everyone’s eyes widened.

Lo and behold, the box was filled to the brim with bread and pastries.

“No way, pastries?”

Unconsciously, everyone’s mouths began to water.

Even if they weren’t particularly hungry, the moment they caught sight of the pastries, their appetites soared.

As soon as the box was opened, a sweet aroma wafted through the air, and its incredibly delectable appearance only added to the temptation.

‘Why did she bring baked goods here?’

People made puzzled faces, unable to comprehend why a girl dressed as a chef would bring bread and pastries.

‘What is she trying to do?’

And then, out of nowhere, she did something they never would have expected. She started handing out bread and pastries to the people around her.

“Hello! I just came from the castle and brought these amazing treats for all of you to enjoy. Please, go ahead and give them a try. It would mean a lot to me.”

The folks from the southwestern region, who couldn’t have even dreamed of getting their hands on such mouthwatering pastries, accepted them with astonishment.

“Are you serious? Can we really have these?” They asked with doubtful expressions.

The pastries were clearly the work of a skilled chef, evident from the meticulous care put into making them. Why would she give away such delectable treats for free?

“Yes, it’s at the behest of His Highness, the Crown Prince.”

“…!”

As soon as the Crown Prince was mentioned, an icy hush fell over the crowd.

Despite their blatant aversion, Marie resolutely carried on with her mission, generously handing out the bread and pastries to the people.

“Please enjoy them and have a wonderful day.”

Once every last morsel had been distributed from the box, Marie took her leave.

Meanwhile, the townspeople who held baked goods in their hands wore hesitant expressions.

“The Crown Prince gave this? Somehow, it just doesn’t sit well with me,” someone remarked, and others grumbled in agreement. Their deep-seated resentment wouldn’t easily fade from gifts like that.

Nevertheless, they couldn’t afford to discard them. Hunger gnawed at their stomachs, and the baked goods appeared too tempting to squander.

As people took a bite of the baked goods, their eyes widened in surprise.

‘What’s this taste…?’

It’s a sweetness they’ve never experienced before, completely different from anything they have ever known. It’s like savoring something divine, filling their tastebuds with pure bliss.

“This… is delicious!”

“The Crown Prince gave this?”

They exclaimed, exchanging stunned looks.

A flavor like that existed in the world?

It’s just a simple pastry, but the moment they tasted it, a wave of euphoria coursed through their entire being.

“Hey, are you not going to eat that? If you don’t want it, give it to me.”

“No way, I’ll eat it! Don’t you dare take it!”

Despite receiving a generous amount, the bread and pastries vanished in no time. Suddenly, people forgot all about their resentment towards the Crown Prince and instead became greedy for each other’s sweets.

“It’s a shame. I wish there were more.”

“Yeah, I want to eat more.”

“Why do you think the Crown Prince gave us these?”

They chattered amongst themselves, intrigued by the sudden gesture.

The taste of the pastries were beyond their expectations. It wasn’t just sweet; it tasted pure bliss.

“There won’t be any more coming our way, right?”

“Definitely not.”

Sadness painted their faces as they looked in the direction the carriage had disappeared.

However, to their surprise, the carriage filled with pastries didn’t come only on that day but returned on other days as well. What’s more, it didn’t limit itself to the eastern zone but also visited various districts, extending beyond Vale Castle.

Soon after, rumors about the pastry filled carriage spread to the surrounding areas.

— There’s a carriage that distributes heavenly-tasting pastries!

Little by little, the southwestern folks forgot their resentment towards the Crown Prince and eagerly anticipated the carriage’s next visit.

Those who had already tasted the pastries eagerly awaited the carriage to relish them once more. Meanwhile, those who hadn’t yet tasted the pastries were filled with curiosity, wondering what heavenly flavors awaited them.

As fate would have it, the secret behind the pastries’ divine taste began to circulate among them.

“I heard that the pastries are made with sugar, not honey.”

“Sugar? What’s that?”

“Oh, you know. It comes from the sugarcane that the Crown Prince is attempting to grow in our region.”

Those who had previously been somewhat skeptical about sugarcane cultivation cocked their heads to the side.

“Wow, is it really because of sugar that it tastes incredible? Is sugar really that great?”

“Oh wow. I had no clue. If this could create such heavenly flavors, then growing sugarcane doesn’t seem like a bad idea at all.”

Of course, everyone was aware that sugarcane was the crop used to make sugar, but understanding it vaguely and actually tasting the sweetness of sugar made a world of difference to their perception.

Their stance on cultivating sugarcane began to shift, and just as they were reconsidering, a surprising announcement popped up within the castle walls.

“Hey, have you guys heard?”

“What?”

“There’s going to be a concert at the plaza tonight.”

“A concert?”

Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise.

Back in those days, music wasn’t as accessible as it is now.

“I heard that that the talented pastry chef girl will be performing. And guess what? she’ll be giving out pastries to those who come to listen!”

“No way! I’ve got to check that out.”

The excitement in their voices was palpable.

With a combination of rare music and delectable pastries, there’s no reason to miss out on that golden opportunity.

When it was time, everyone gathered at the plaza with eager anticipation.

Just as exactly as Marie had planned.

The plaza was filled to the brim. A bonfire cast its warm glow, and a grand piano, borrowed from the castle, stood proudly in the center.

“Thank you all for coming. I may not be the best pianist, but I hope you’ll have a good time.”

Bowing politely, the girl, Marie, took a seat in front of the piano.

As they strolled into the plaza, each holding a delightful pastry, they eagerly anticipated the upcoming performance.

After a moment, Marie took a deep breath and began to press the piano keys with her fingers, filling the air with a clear and resonant sound.

The melody she played wasn’t showy or extravagant, but rather warm and gentle, bringing comfort to both the performer and the audience.