The food Lian prepared had a sensation of melting away before even being chewed. Croth never expected that there would come a day when he would think it’s regrettable for food to disappear like this in his entire life.

“Professor, please eat slowly. What if you choke?”

Inexperienced Lian handed a cup of warm water to Croth.

“Oh, thank you. It’s so delicious. Truly exquisite.”

Croth, sipping the water Lian handed, raised his thumb towards her.

“Is that because of my cooking skills? It’s because Princess’s cultivated crops are unbelievably tasty.”

Croth nodded fervently, seemingly agreeing with his words.

Seeing a person who looked as tough as nails becoming soft and defenseless in front of food, the faces of the Verudra family gathered around the dining table never lost their smiles.

Not only Croth, but everyone gathered enjoyed the food, and the time spent talking about the day’s events was a warm and sweet moment, melting away the fatigue of the day.

“Oh, by the way, Princess. Have you heard the story that candy peanuts are gaining popularity not only in Hwangseong but also in the capital?”

Sipping warm tea after the meal, Stella nodded slowly in response to Croth’s words.

“I heard that they sell well, even in the capital.”
Stella casually responded, thinking that if it reached even the lowest-ranking knight, it must have sold well overall.

“It’s not just that. It’s extremely popular. People are willing to pay a significant amount because it’s so hard to obtain.”

“Really? How much are they selling for?”

Stella, having heard Ian Blake talk about the expensive prices, was curious about how much he might have inflated them. On the other hand, she didn’t expect much, thinking, after all, they were just peanuts.

“They say it’s difficult to get one bag even if you offer twenty gold coins.”

“Twenty gold coins?”

Stella was so astonished that she almost dropped the teacup she was holding.

“Why, why is that?”

It was just peanuts. Even if nobles were crazy about peculiar things, it was hard to understand spending such a large sum on something that would disappear after being eaten.

But amid these thoughts, Stella’s heart thudded as she imagined how much money the sugar peanuts planted today would bring her.

“Sugar peanuts are not only delicious. Surely you’re not unaware of the effects of sugar peanuts, are you?”

In response to Croth’s question, Stella blinked her large eyes and asked, “Are there effects other than being delicious?”
As it seemed like Stella knew nothing at all, Croth, looking as if he couldn’t believe it, covered his mouth with his hand, maintained a brief silence, and then sighed lightly.

Pushing his upper body slightly toward where Stella was sitting, Croth spoke with a sly expression. At this moment, Croth felt a slight joy in proving his worth to Princess Stella.

“Eating just one sugar peanut has the effect of not feeling hungry all day long.”

“That can’t be true. How can eating something so small sustain you all day?”

Stella thought it was absurd. However, even though Croth might be eccentric, he didn’t seem like someone who would joke about something like this.

“Really? Has the effect been proven?”

“I heard the rumor and experimented with it, but since I’m originally not someone who enjoys food, I didn’t see much effect. However, there are people who eat only one sugar peanut a day and endure for ten days.”

“Unbelievable.”

“That’s why His Majesty, the Emperor, is eagerly looking for sugar peanut cultivators.”

“Emperor, you say?”

Stella’s mind quickly became tangled. Should she like this, or should she hide? No, Croth knows, so does the Emperor already know?

In Stella’s confused thoughts, Croth smiled meaningfully, as if her inner turmoil was clearly revealed in her unsettled eyes.

“I did tell His Majesty the Emperor about it.”
Croth spoke with a proud expression, puffing out his chest. His lips moved eagerly, resembling a child who desperately wanted praise.

“What is it?”

“How remarkable Princess Stella is doing.”

“Could it be… Does His Majesty the Emperor know everything I’ve done?”

“Yes, I explained to His Majesty how splendid Princess Stella’s garden is and the historical significance of the work you are doing. Whether you know it or not, His Majesty was deeply impressed.”

However, whether the Emperor was impressed or not wasn’t important to Stella. What mattered to her was whether the Emperor knew that she had secretly left Berdura Castle.

With an anxious heart, Stella swallowed dry saliva. For a moment, she wondered if Royce had already reported, but he didn’t seem like someone who would break a promise.

“It’s said that even you, Princess, cultivating sugar peanuts, which are so hard to come by, may lead to a significant reward from His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Why?”

While asking, Stella’s thoughts were still unclear.

“We found a major shareholder monopolizing the trade of sugar peanuts, and it seems that even that person is looking for sugar peanuts they don’t currently possess.”