The Ugly Wife of the Shady Duke - Chapter 51.2
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Grace had been achieving quick results with regular walks and dietary adjustments, but she was still lacking exercise.
She was gaining more and more stamina, and was starting to wonder if she could start doing exercises…. but she wasn’t much concerned about that.
‘However, I shouldn’t refuse without reason.’
For once, she was in a good mood, and the fact that she couldn’t hear any negative thoughts was a testament to that.
‘It seems like I hear those voices more often when I’m feeling down.’
Grace nodded, and Benjamin’s smile grew wider as he called for a servant.
“Tea… No, actually, please bring some coffee.”
“….!”
‘Have I ever mentioned that I prefer coffee?’
There had been a previous occasion when Benjamin served her coffee instead of tea.
Grace looked at him with a puzzled expression, and he seemed a bit embarrassed as he explained shyly.
“I, uh, I’m considering starting a coffee bean business this time.”
“Aha..”
“So, I found some good coffee beans which taste good and wanted to explore the hobby of drinking coffee myself.”
“I see.”
‘So it’s just a coincidence.’
So, was the previous incident also just a coincidence? Grace tilted her head in thought.
To be honest, she wondered if Benjamin had chosen coffee to accommodate her preference. However, she didn’t want to dwell on such thoughts unnecessarily.
‘Because if it wasn’t the case, it would be embarrassing.’
People’s words are often better taken at face value to avoid unnecessary stress.
‘Since he said that, let’s take the reason as that.’
The social circles were filled with people who twisted their words here and there, but Grace didn’t want to suspect any hidden meanings in his words.
As Grace was lost in her thoughts, Benjamin, who had been glancing at her, spoke.
“So, My Lady, I hope you can taste the coffee this time and let me know if there will be a demand for it.”
“Oh? Would it be okay for me to do that?”
“Of course.”
Benjamin smiled warmly as he placed a cup of coffee in front of Grace.
The aroma of the coffee was more refined and rich than the first coffee she had tried in this world.
‘Much better than the coffee I had before.’
She was now convinced that this was the highest quality coffee available in the current market.
‘Of course, considering that Duke Felton deals only with luxury products, it’s only natural.’
Given Benjamin’s prestigious status, everything in his mansion was of top-notch quality. The coffee Grace had tried before was a bit disappointing to her, but it must also have been a top-tier product available in the current empire.
“It seems really good. Of course, I can’t say for sure.”
“You speaking highly of it assures me that it will receive a positive response from everyone.”
Benjamin spoke confidently with a satisfied expression.
His self-assurance made Grace feel somewhat awkward.
“I’m sure Marquis Charles will be pleased to hear this news.”
“Marquis Charles?”
Grace’s eyes widened a bit as she heard the name mentioned again by Benjamin.
“Yes, these coffee beans are transported through a canal owned by Baron Dandelion. Marquis Charles’s wife is from Baron Dandelion’s family.”
“Seems like the relationship between Marquis Charles and Baron Dandelion is quite good.”
“Yes, to the extent that everyone in the social circles knows about it.”
Benjamin let out a short laugh and nodded.
“The Baron estate doesn’t have much of a specialty; the canal used to be a big source of revenue, but the recent installation of gates around the estates near the canal leading directly to the Kingdom of Genewall, has cut into that revenue.”
“But for coffee beans, isn’t it better to have them fresh?”
“We thought so too, but surprisingly, the aroma from the ones transported by ship is richer. I suspect that they matured during the journey.”
Even though they had tried coffee beans received through the gate, Benjamin claimed that they couldn’t match the ones transported through the canal.
It took time for the goods to be shipped back and forth, but transportation by sea was more cost-effective than using the gates.
Moreover, there were additional costs for storage, making transport by the sea more advantageous, when they don’t even know the reason for the difference in taste.
‘If coffee is considered a luxury item for the upper class due to its high price, the image of taking time to procure it through the canal might be more appealing.’
Grace nodded and then realized something crucial.
‘The Arsia Kingdom.’
When she read the book about the imperial territories in the mansion, she had seen a map that included a kingdom located near the vicinity of the Aizen Empire to the southeast.
‘If the Baron Dandelion’s estate is Marchioness Charles’s hometown, it must be located to the southeast. And the Arsia Kingdom should also be in the southeast of the empire.’
As the Arsia Kingdom had little interaction with other kingdoms, it had no gates installed yet.
‘Even if we start diplomatic relations with them, it won’t be possible to set up gates right away.’
‘Using Baron Dandelion’s canal meant saving costs by avoiding a roundabout route, and since Benjamin was already in trade with them, Baron wouldn’t offer me unfair conditions.’
In other words, he was a perfect business partner.
Though I felt a bit sorry for benefiting from Benjamin’s dealings, there was no harm in using what I already have to my advantage.
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