Chapter 78
Cyrus handed a stack of papers to Boris: "Could you do me a favor?"
Boris took the papers and looked through them, finding that every single one had the same pattern and handwriting. He asked, "What is this...?"
Cyrus: "Flyer."
"The Nagabi Merchant Guild has a good reputation in the Anas Empire. I would like you to send people to the residences of various nobles in the empire on behalf of the Nagabi Merchant Guild to distribute these leaflets to them."
"I won't let you work for free. How much pay do you want?"
The handsome young boy smiled at Boris and jokingly asked, "Is one gold coin enough?"
A smile spread across Boris's deep, lake-green eyes. "My lord, please don't be so stingy. At least two gold coins are required."
Cyrus said he was just very stingy.
After the joke, Boris asked seriously, "Did you see Tosi Cavendish at the port?"
Cyrus tilted her head in confusion first.
After a long while, he realized that the person Boris was referring to was the man who had almost fallen to the ground in fright from the Egg Yolk. He then asked Grand Duke Orville, who told him not to worry about it.
"Isn't Cavendish the king's surname?"
Was there a prince, in addition to an imperial grand duke, who came to greet him at the port?
Boris had naturally heard about what had happened at the port.
Whether it's the massive fleets of ships continuously cutting through the water, or the ferocious beasts that evoke gasps and inspire fear...
Even now, discussions about Desinia haven't stopped in the imperial capital; people are still enthusiastically talking about the fleet that almost fills the port and the soldiers guarding the ships...
Boris recalled the final outcome— that Little Zuoyi had been taken away by Grand Duke Achiyoli —and felt a complex mix of emotions.
He had entrusted the Grand Duke to take good care of her, considering she had previously stayed at Little Zuoyi's Castle, but he never expected that Little Zuoyi would be taken in by the Grand Duke as soon as she arrived in the Empire...
"Tosi Cavendish is the king's illegitimate son, a marquis," Boris said. "The man His Majesty sent to greet you was him, not Grand Duke Achiyoli."
Cyrus was somewhat surprised. "Oh, no wonder the marquis tried to stop me at that time."
He even wondered if the other person had some kind of problem.
Boris: "Watch out for Tosi Cavendish."
"I didn't explicitly say this in the letter I sent you two weeks ago, but the reason you received the invitation to the Queen's birthday banquet is because Tosi entered the palace."
He desperately wants the White Sugar Formula you possess.
The king of the Anas Empire did not value his queen.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have had so many lovers, and he wouldn't have openly and blatantly displayed the illegitimate children born to his lovers, showing no regard for the Queen's dignity or thoughts.
The royal family of the Anas Empire often criticized the king's behavior, but the king always managed to brush it off with some unfounded excuses.
When the king's philandering became a laughing stock of the empire, and he had more and more mistresses, even the queen stopped paying attention, and the members of the royal family gradually gave up on mentioning the matter.
Boris seemed lost in thought, his lake-green eyes growing even deeper, the faint smile at the corner of his mouth vanishing, and his entire demeanor becoming noticeably somber.
Cyrus: "Thank you, Boris."
Boris sighed, "I clearly warned you beforehand, why did you still come to the Empire?"
"Do you know how many wolves and tigers are waiting here to divide up everything you own, and who might even invade your territory?"
Cyrus: "But I had no choice but to come."
"The benefits brought by the emergence of white sugar are too enormous. This day will come eventually, Boris. I will have to face it."
"Are you ready?"
Cyrus's beautiful eyebrows curved into crescent moons. "What do you think?"
As the largest merchant guild in the Anas Empire, the Nagabi Merchant Guild controls the empire's economic lifeline to a certain extent and has many connections with the upper nobility.
The leader of the chamber of commerce held a status comparable to that of a marquis and was treated with great respect among the nobility.
Therefore, when the Nagabi Merchant Guild's clerk handed a piece of paper, which was supposedly a leaflet, to the nobleman's attendant, the attendant did not dare to throw it away casually. Instead, he took it to the nobleman and let him decide what to do with it.
The leaflet detailed delicacies made from white sugar, novel clothing styles, and other items, listing them with descriptions and vividly illustrated images, instantly attracting the attention of the nobility.
I almost threw it away, but now I'm holding it in my hands and examining it closely— Lemon Candy, rose candy, sugar paintings... new clothes and clothing from within the Desinia Territory...
The publicity campaign was effective.
The nobles' interest was successfully piqued.
The place where these items were sold was at one of the ports of the royal city, and the more proactive nobles couldn't wait to call a carriage to go and see for themselves.
After all, they had heard about why His Majesty the King was throwing such a lavish birthday banquet for the Queen.
This is candy!
Who wouldn't be tempted by this and want to possess it?
How could a foreign lord not attract attention if he possessed the secret recipe for producing large quantities of white sugar?
Even if they can't get it, the secret recipe for white sugar should belong to the empire!
Now, Desinia is openly selling food made with white sugar; they certainly have some nerve.
Soon, after all the leaflets had been distributed, more horse-drawn carriages began heading to the port.
Humans have a herd mentality; when they see a surprising scene, they can't help but follow along out of curiosity to see what's going on or what's happening.
Therefore, no matter how remote the port was from the imperial capital, once the news spread, it gradually became overcrowded.
The empire's market was opened up.
The port is divided into food and clothing sections.
Almost everyone strolling through the clothing section was a woman; they couldn't resist the allure of these beautiful new long dresses.
Clothes sold in the clothing section cannot be tried on.
They have a full range of styles and sizes, so if you like something, you can buy it. If the size is wrong, you can choose a tailor to alter it.
If you're a nobleman, your household will naturally have no shortage of tailors.
Customers who wish to purchase a garment only need to provide the tailor with their shoulder width, waist circumference, and other measurements to receive a recommended size.
Cyrus brought a complete set of long dresses and other clothing, which almost filled the entire cargo hold.
Clothing is divided into high-end and affordable.
High-end clothing rarely has two identical styles and cuts; modifications are made to the details.
Affordable women's maxi dresses come in many similar styles, colors, and sizes. They can be decorated with delicate ornaments, hats, or scarves to complement newer styles.
The woman was too shy to disclose her waist measurement and other details.
Therefore, in the clothing area, soldiers built a closed dressing room with curtains drawn around it. Nobles could have their waist measurements taken by their maids, and then the measurements would be whispered to the tailor afterward.
Ordinary women don't have so many concerns; they can have their measurements taken by themselves or with the help of their female companions.
Some daring women even took measurements right there in front of the stall, boldly displaying their beautiful figures.
The clothing section is constantly receiving new stock.
The soldiers carried boxes off the ship, then carried the empty boxes back into the cabin, adding a few more pages to the ledger.
Instead of staying at the Duke's mansion in Orville, Cyrus returned to the ship to observe the scene below. After confirming that the clothing area was progressing very well, he found a suitable spot to keep an eye on the food area.
The number of people here was much smaller, and most of them were dressed in rich clothes and formal attire.
The air in the food area was filled with a sweet aroma, which drew people to stop and look at the stalls.
Tosi stopped in front of a stall that was making Lemon Candy.
He watched as three workers poured the syrup from the large pot onto a griddle surrounded by iron plates. Once it was semi-cooled, they added a suitable amount of lemon juice, then, wearing clean, soft gloves, kneaded and mixed the syrup...
The process of making the lemon candy alone is enough to attract people's attention. A wooden board next to it displays the price of the Lemon Candy Lemon Candy: five gold coins for a piece the size of a knuckle.
Tosi stared wide-eyed. "Isn't a Lemon Candy worth a gold coin?"
The steward in charge of maintaining order in the area chuckled, "My lord, you may not know this, but in the Desinia Territory, a piece of candy costs one gold coin."
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"Our lord specially brought the sugar from his territory to the Empire. The expenses for the journey, protection, and transportation... have all been included in these five gold coins, which is already very cheap."
"Our lord has come with the utmost sincerity, so that the people of the empire may also taste delicacies made from white sugar."
"These five gold coins must be a small amount for you. If you buy a whole box, I can give you a discount..."
Following the lord's instructions, the steward enthusiastically promoted the product. "Just now, a marquis bought two whole boxes of Lemon Candy. Oh, and this marquis is right next to the rose candy stall now..."
Tosi stared at the steward with a cold expression and an unpredictable gaze.
However, the manager maintained a polite smile, and his expression remained unchanged.
The location of this port has been completely leased by the lord from the Nagabi Merchant Guild, and soldiers guard every area, especially around the food stalls.
They were guests from afar, and as long as things didn't come to a head, these imperial nobles wouldn't cause trouble even if they were dissatisfied.
Therefore, the person in charge remained very calm.
"It seems His Majesty didn't give you enough money. If you can't afford it, please step aside and don't block the way." At this moment, a deep male voice came.
Tosi's face instantly darkened, and he turned around.
Standing behind him was a man with a small mustache, his blond hair combed back in a slightly curly style, handsome, and probably in his thirties.
He was also a marquis, like Tosi Cavendish.
However, unlike the other man, Tosi received the title as the king's illegitimate son and had no real power, while the man Darnell was the legitimate heir of the family and served as the finance minister in the royal city.
Darnell had always disliked Tosi.
The mutual animosity between the two was common knowledge in the royal city.
Just as Tosi was about to retort, his gaze fell on the jar of rose sugar that Darnell was holding—the jar was made of stained glass, cylindrical in shape, only half the size of a palm, with beautiful patterns and labels on the body, and the name and origin written on it in cursive script.
Tosi didn't look closely; he was drawn to the rose sugar inside. It was a deeper red than roses, surrounded by sugar stains, and looked incredibly tempting.
Darnell noticed his gaze and smirked, saying, "This small jar of rose sugar is really inexpensive, only thirty gold coins. If the Marquis likes it, he can buy a jar."
He had already bought Lemon Candy and planned to buy two more boxes.
Tosi's brow twitched involuntarily, but he maintained his expression, raising his chin slightly. "No rush, I haven't bought my Lemon Candy yet."
Darnell made a gesture, please.
Tosi reluctantly spent one hundred gold coins to buy a whole box of Lemon Candy, and then went to the stall selling rose candy.
Darnell stepped forward, but suddenly raised his hand, took off his hat, and gestured to Cyrus was leaning against the side of the boat in the distance.
Cyrus was somewhat puzzled, but nodded.
He watched as the man who had just been talking to Tosi bought two boxes of Lemon Candy and turned to leave, planning to go back later to ask the Grand Duke about it.
Cyrus asked softly, "How's the rose perfume making going?"
Judas: "Ten small vials have been made, but they haven't been used on anyone yet. I don't know how long the fragrance will last..."
"Have someone bring me a bottle..."
Cyrus paused for a moment and then said, "I'll try it first."
"Yes, lord."