Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 640

As Fara and Mother looked at each other in confusion, I took the box from Capella and opened the lid.

Inside the box were small, individually portioned round black bite-sized sweets.

The tense atmosphere in the room instantly dissipated, replaced by a sweet fragrance.

"These are 'chocolate sweets' made by processing cacao beans obtained from Zubera."

"Chocolate? As in the famous 'chocolate drink' known for its health and energy-boosting benefits?"

Mother blinked at my explanation while looking at the contents of the box.

Fara, Diana, and Sandra had nearly identical reactions.

And that was no surprise—in this world, cacao was typically consumed as a drink, not as food.

The technology to process and solidify cacao hadn’t been established yet, so "chocolate" was merely a drink made by dissolving finely ground cacao powder and sweetening it with sugar or honey.

That said, even as a powder, it wasn’t the same as the "chocolate powder" from my past life.

Its taste was completely different from "cocoa"—you could even say they were entirely different things.

I’d tried it once, but the peculiar sweetness and sourness didn’t suit my palate.

Still, cacao was a luxury ingredient, enjoyed only by nobles, wealthy merchants, and well-off commoners.

"Yes. Using a special technique and a new process, we’ve succeeded in solidifying chocolate. Everyone who’s already sampled it has given positive feedback, but I’d like to hear your thoughts as well, Mother and Fara."

"Understood. Fara, let’s try it together."

"Yes, Mother."

Mother and Fara, looking intrigued, each picked a piece of chocolate from the box.

"If you don’t mind, I’d also like Sandra and Diana’s opinions."

When I turned to them, they happily stepped forward.

"Lord Rid, you’re not just skilled in magic but also knowledgeable about sweets. I’m excited to try this."

Sandra swiftly took a piece, but Diana hesitated when she noticed how few were left.

"Um… is it really alright for me to have some too?"

"Of course. Overindulging isn’t good, but chocolate is safe to eat even during pregnancy."

"Thank you."

Diana bowed slightly before timidly picking up a piece.

"Now then, let’s all try it together."

With that, Mother slowly placed her chocolate into her mouth.

Watching her, Fara, Sandra, and Diana followed suit.

By the way, the "everyone who’s already sampled it" mainly referred to Ellen, Alex, and the Second Knight Order members who helped make the chocolate.

However, they rarely had the chance to taste the kind of sweets nobles enjoyed.

Mother came from an ancient noble family dating back to the empire’s founding, and Fara, though from a different country, was royalty.

It was easy to forget, but Sandra was technically a noble lady as well.

Diana, despite her status, had many opportunities to taste noble sweets as my personal guard and Mother’s attendant—and her palate was refined.

In other words, if they deemed it "delicious," it could be marketed as a luxury sweet for the nobility.

Holding my breath, I watched their reactions. Almost immediately after tasting it, Mother’s eyes widened.

"So this is chocolate? It’s completely different from what I know. Fara, what do you think?"

"I agree with Mother. I’ve never had chocolate this delicious before."

Mother and Fara exchanged glances, their eyes sparkling.

Beside them, Sandra let out an impressed murmur.

"I often drank chocolate in the imperial capital as a nutritional supplement, but I remember it having a grittier texture. This melts in the mouth—I could eat it endlessly."

"I’ve had a little chocolate drink before, but personally, I didn’t care for it. But this… I’d want to eat it every day."

"Good. It seems to suit everyone’s tastes."

They all wore beaming smiles, clearly moved by their first taste of real chocolate.

Diana seemed particularly taken with it.

Unusually for her, she was eyeing the few remaining pieces in the box with restrained longing.

"Uh, Diana… would you like some more?"

"Ah, no, I couldn’t possibly take more before Lady Nanari—"

She shook her head quickly, but her gaze remained fixed on the chocolate.

Mother chuckled softly at this.

"Diana, it’s fine. I can always ask Rid to make more for me later. Pregnant women often crave certain foods—there’s no need to hold back at times like this."

"See? Mother says it’s fine. You can have the rest."

"But…"

I tried handing her the box, but Diana shrank back guiltily.

Then Father, who had been silent until now, cleared his throat.

"Nanari and Rid have both said so. Just accept it."

"Thank you very much. In that case…"

Finally, at Father’s prompting, Diana took the box from me.

The moment she did, her face lit up brighter than I’d ever seen.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

"If you like it that much, I’ll send you chocolate regularly."

"N-no, that’s too much—"

She trailed off, staring at the chocolate in the box before swallowing hard.

"U-um… if it’s really not too much trouble… just a little now and then would be…"

"Sure. You and Rubens are always looking out for me. It’s the least I can do."

"Lord Rid… thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Diana bowed with an uncharacteristically shy smile. Just then, Fara spoke up.

"But Lord Rid, if it’s this delicious, everyone will want it. Why did you specifically need us to taste it?"

"Ah, well…"

I explained that we planned to sell the chocolate sweets in the imperial capital and that their opinions were the final touch in refining the product.

(Though, to be honest, there were other motives too…)

"...That’s why. With your reactions confirming the taste is a success, the next step is discussing sales strategies with Chris."

"I see. That makes sense."

As Fara nodded in understanding, Mother thoughtfully added,

"In that case, Rid, you will be offering some to Her Majesty Matilda, correct?"

"Of course. I’ll discuss it with Chris, but that’s a given."

The cosmetics and amazake health drinks originating from Baldia became wildly popular across the empire after being presented to Her Majesty.

In a world with few mass media like TV, radio, or the internet, the imperial family held a star-like, idolized status.

In other words, anything Her Majesty Matilda used or consumed would instantly trend throughout the empire—and serve as a mark of prestige when sold abroad.

Not offering it to the imperial family would be a poor move, both socially and commercially.

"Understood. Then, once Her Majesty has received her share, be sure to send some to Duke Graze as well."

"Wait, Duke Graze? You mean Duke Graze Lazaville?"

I tilted my head at the unexpected name from Mother.