Project Necro is an official initiative by Re:Library.

Adelaine and her daughter Margarita came to offer their greetings to Ekaterina and Flora, and the four of them gathered around the same table. The maid Mina poured the tea and brought the sweets.
Seeing the plate arranged with several kinds of confections, Adelaine’s eyes lit up.

“Oh, how delightful! I was curious about these lovely rose-shaped cookies at the recent banquet, but I became so absorbed in conversation that I never had the chance to taste them. The baked sweets are wonderful as well… To make them in such a variety of colors—the ducal family’s chef truly is remarkable.”
“The chef at Jurnova Castle and the chef in the imperial capital are competing with one another in skill. The head chef here received praise from His Highness Mikhail for these sweets, and brimming with pride, he sent the recipe off to the capital.”

Ekaterina smiled.
It had begun when she suggested to the head chef of Jurnova Castle to serve the same rose-shaped cookies that had been well received at the informal garden party in the capital, at the banquet welcoming Mikhail.
That apparently set the chefs’ competitive spirit ablaze.

Jurnova Castle is the ducal family’s main residence.
However, the ducal residence in the imperial capital hosts the imperial family each year during their visit and serves them luncheon; in that respect, it is regarded as possessing even higher prestige than the main residence.
Especially when it comes to cuisine, the capital is considered superior.

Thus, in anticipation of His Highness the prince’s visit, the castle’s head chef corresponded with his counterpart in the capital to gather information, while inwardly burning with the resolve: “We’ll surpass the capital!”
Accordingly, the chefs repeatedly refined and tested their creations, determined to produce rose cookies far more splendid than those served at the ducal residence in the capital, and to astonish both the young lady and His Highness.

The result was a cookie shaped like a rose with astonishing realism. Each petal was formed individually from dough, assembled, and then baked—a highly elaborate piece. At the welcoming banquet, they were displayed interspersed with real roses and adorned with blue butterfly ornaments, pleasing to the eye and drawing praise from the guests.
They also created rose-shaped baked sweets, successfully coloring them in red, yellow, and other hues. These caught Mikhail’s eye, and he bestowed words of praise upon them. The head chef was moved to tears.

Naturally, Ekaterina had also offered generous praise during the advance tasting.
However… she kept to herself the thought that the capital version of the cookies was crisper and more delicately textured, and therefore tastier. The head chef likely understood that as well.

In any case, such a healthy rivalry was a good thing. She looked forward to seeing what kind of sweets the chefs in the capital would present in response.

As for the apple pie taught to her by Baroness Czerny—Flora’s cooking mentor—the head chef had raised a white flag and reproduced the recipe exactly as it was, without alteration. It was an unbeatable recipe.
That apple pie, cut into small portions, was also placed on today’s dessert plate.

For a banquet welcoming His Highness the prince, the unusual emphasis on sweets—almost as if a lady were the guest of honor—was connected to sugar beet, recently added to Jurnova’s local specialties.
Considering that, Mikhail’s praise of the sweets may have subtly conveyed that the imperial family recognized Jurnova’s success in sugar production. The ability to produce domestically what had previously relied on imports from other countries was one of Grandfather Sergei’s great achievements.

Perhaps I was overthinking it, but it’s the Prince we’re talking about. This is something he would do. Truly, an impressive sixteen-year-old.
How did Onii-sama interpret that remark of the Prince’s? I’ll ask him later.

.

Amid beautiful nature, nibbling on charming sweets, the women enjoyed their conversation.

Since they were with the Novak mother and daughter, the topic naturally began with Novak. Though Lady Adelaine sometimes treated him rather crudely, she still seemed utterly smitten with her husband, and she chattered happily upon hearing how dependable Novak was in his office. Beside her, her daughter Margarita smiled wryly.

Come to think of it, at the restaurant in the capital where she had dined with Aleksei, Ekaterina had heard that her grandfather Sergei had mediated between Novak and Adelaine.

“That brings back memories. No matter how much we thank Duke Sergei, it will never be enough. He was truly so affable and kind.”

Lady Adelaine blushed as she spoke happily, then turned to her daughter.

“Though he lacked the charm, your father was truly a wonderful man even back then, you know~”
“So I have heard.”

Margarita responded with the air of someone thoroughly accustomed to her mother’s lovestruck remarks.
Then she turned her gaze to Flora, who had been sitting quietly.

“I heard that Lady Czerny’s family also has ties to Duke Sergei.”
“Yes, indeed.”

Flora widened her violet eyes. Her adoptive parents, Baron and Baroness Czerny, had been classmates of Grandfather Sergei at the Magic Academy in their youth. Moreover, on the day before graduation, they had apparently eloped with his assistance. How Margarita knew this—

“You must have spoken of it to those from the academy at the ducal residence in the capital. It is such a lovely story that words reached us by letter at once.”

…Indeed. At the informal garden party at the ducal residence in the capital, Ekaterina had mentioned it. Not the elopement, perhaps, but certainly that they had been her grandfather’s classmates.
But, gee, you sure are well-informed, Margarita.

“To have a young lady with such a connection as our lady’s close friend brings us joy as retainers.”
“I am very grateful as well. I hope to remain at her side for a long time.”

When Flora said this, her cheeks flushed, and the mother and daughter’s eyes gleamed. They seemed to have understood at once Flora’s hope for the future—to become Ekaterina’s lady-in-waiting.

A lady-in-waiting to a high-ranking noblewoman can at times wield considerable influence.

“Lady Czerny is well suited to attend upon the young lady. We would be delighted to maintain close relations as well.”
“Thank you. I am honored.”

Flora and the mother and daughter exchanged firm, knowing glances.
It seemed some sort of alliance had been formed.

.

From time to time, cheers and the barking of hunting hounds drifted from afar. As expected, the atmosphere suggested a plentiful hunt.
I hope my Onii-sama is not injured. Riding across the hunting grounds on that jet-black steed—he must look splendid. Ah, I miss him.
You too Prince, hope you get the Great Horned Auroch you’re targeting.

“My lady?”

Called back to herself, Ekaterina blinked. That would not do.

“Forgive me. I found myself worrying whether my brother is safe.”
“You truly are close.”

The one who smiled was the widow Zoya.
The women present in this valley were family members of the hunting participants, but she was an exception. The decisive elder sister of the Novaras family, who had joined the hunt, had originally intended to come to the valley. However, after learning Ekaterina’s character at the banquet and determining that, unlike her grandmother Aleksandra, she did not dislike women who enjoyed riding, she had happily changed her plans to participate in the hunt instead. In her vacancy, Margarita had invited Zoya.

There had been an ulterior motive when Ekaterina detained Zoya, who had come to offer greetings, and asked her to sit at the same table.

“Lady Zoya, what do you think of this?”

What Ekaterina asked about were the elegant wooden tableware pieces arranged on the table. They had been gifted to her by Chief Aurora when she stayed among the forest folk.
Zoya had married into the family that ran the largest merchant house in Jurnova. Though untitled, it was long-established and extremely wealthy. She ought to possess a keen eye for merchandise.

“I am still inexperienced in matters of commerce, however…”

Even so, Zoya picked up a piece of the tableware and examined it closely with a serious gaze.

“I find it beautiful. It also appears to be sturdy. However, in Jurnova, wooden tableware is not favored among the upper classes. As wood is readily available in this region, it carries a strong image of being used by the poor or belonging to an earlier era.”
“Ah…is that so.”

It was a convincing explanation. Ekaterina nodded, slightly disappointed.

“However… this may in fact be an opportune moment.”

A smile curved Zoya’s lips.

“Since the banquet welcoming His Highness, traditional items are beginning to attract attention. Not old things left as they are, but refined and improved while retaining a sense of tradition. I felt then that a trend toward such items is about to emerge.”
“Lady Zoya, then!”
“My late husband used to say that trends are something to seize and ride, thereby enlarging them. Not merely to observe, but to involve oneself and nurture them. If we take proper measures, it may be possible to cultivate this into something substantial.”
“Would you undertake this together with me?”

Ekaterina asked eagerly. Zoya’s expression grew serious.

“There are still concerns. Tableware must be produced as sets. The sizes and shapes must be uniform. The key point in determining whether it can be sold as merchandise will be whether the craftsman who made these can produce large quantities of consistent quality.”
“You are quite right…”

Hmm, It might be difficult for the forest folk to produce large numbers. Sure, I’d need to confirm production capacity beforehand. Once Forli returns and matters concerning the volcanic eruption are settled, I’ll consult him and have him contact Aurora, and then…
Ugh, if only there were a way to contact Aurora directly.

“Once I have confirmed the points of concern, I shall contact you.”
“I shall look forward to it.”

It seemed that Zoya’s late husband had arranged matters so that she could retain the merchant house’s rights and income without doing anything, but until her son came of age, she wished to do what she could as an interim representative.
As a former corporate employee, Ekaterina wished to support working women. If this succeeded, perhaps she would entrust the sale of the forest folk’s wooden tableware within Jurnova to Lady Zoya.
While carefully not overworking herself, of course!

.

Such events occupied the morning. After a light luncheon, Ekaterina decided to stroll about with Flora.

“My lady, please take care. It is said that mischievous little fairies appear in this area and take delight in troubling people.”

When Lady Adelaine said that, Ekaterina found her spirits rising instead.
Little fairies—like Puck in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream?
I would quite like to see one!