It was the so-called ‘Geumjeongsan Fortress Makgeolli’ contained in an elongated PET bottle.

“What’s that?”

“Milk?”

“It looks a bit clearer than that…”

The makgeolli had captured everyone’s attention.

‘Of course. They probably only know wine or whiskey as alcohol.’

It was common for families to submit alcohol to the Olloje auction. This was because most nobles owned high-quality vineyards.

That’s why this milky-white grain alcohol had to be special.

“This alcohol is makgeolli, a traditional drink from a country surrounded by sea on three sides. It’s a special beverage made by fermenting grains.”

The nobles perked up their ears.

Those with gleaming eyes must surely be heavy drinkers.

But there were always people trying to provoke trouble, regardless of the occasion.

“How do you know if that’s alcohol or just milk mixed with water?”

“Well, that’s right. I’m deeply knowledgeable about alcohol, but I’ve never seen such a drink before.”

“Making alcohol from grains? Beer and such that commoners drink isn’t real alcohol!”

Nobles who owned famous vineyards raised their voices.

The corners of the empress’s mouth curled up at the jeers pouring out.

The marchioness representing the empress nodded in agreement with the surrounding jeers.

“That’s right. We can’t put something unverified on display at an event where each family presents their representative alcohol and specialties.”

It was a place of history and tradition.

But even these words were already anticipated.

“That’s why we’re going to have a tasting. You’ll feel more confident participating in the auction after tasting it yourself.”

I had prepared in advance.

Mini paper cups for tasting, that is.

“Please line up if you’d like to taste.”

It was the moment the banquet hall transformed into a tasting venue.

Silence fell.

The nobles, watching the empress and marchioness, threw out a few words.

“…Who would drink such a thing.”

“Alcohol other than wine is not alcohol! How could such…!”

It was a protest by hardcore wine fans.

But.

Crack-! Thud-!

It was the sound of a statue carved from sapphire being shattered by Kashar.

‘No way, was that something a person could break?’

The battlefield slaughterer used the mute function!

Thanks to that, the hall quieted down, but this was scary in its own way.

‘I shouldn’t act up.’

I covered my mouth as I was about to hiccup.

“This precious thing…!”

“Oh my, I just reached out without thinking. Don’t worry. I’ll compensate you.”

The owner of the statue was the marchioness.

Kashar dusted off his hands nonchalantly while looking at the jumping Tuberosha.

‘It’s pretty.’

The scattering sapphire powder was truly beautiful.

After finishing dusting his hands, he came straight to me.

“Is this what you were hiding?”

The items to be submitted for auction were a secret even to Kashar.

When I nodded, he held out his hand.

‘He wants it, I see.’

I didn’t know he would help with even this.

Playing the role of a fake lover, it might be quite nice?

“I’ll pour first.”

Click. As the plastic cap turned, there was a sound of carbonation escaping.

‘This is it.’

Pop, pop.

Along with the rising bubbles, a subtle fragrance brushed my nose.

‘It’s perfect.’

There are things you know without tasting. This is the real deal.

I carefully handed him a tasting cup filled with makgeolli.

“Here you go.”

I hope he likes it.

Looking down at the cup, he took a sip of makgeolli.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Kashar said.

“…It’s exquisite.”

Everyone heard those words.

The one who stepped forward then was a beauty with deep green hair.

“Um, may I taste it too?”

The beauty’s deep blue eyes sparkled with curiosity.

I quietly observed the woman with her hand raised.

‘She looks like a foreigner.’

Her appearance was slightly different from the Riharts.

As far as I knew, there was only one foreign family invited to this party.

‘It’s the princess of Laksha!’

Frigia El Laksha.

She was the second daughter of the Laksha royal family, which possessed a magic tower.

She was at the Imperial Academy of Rihart as a professor qualification, but.

‘In the original work, she appeared as a merchant guild leader.’

Frigia was the real leader of ‘Elvitor’, a merchant guild said to be able to obtain anything.

‘It can’t hurt to get close to her.’

Beautiful, smart, capable.

‘She might even be Kashar’s potential bride?’

It was truly a big welcome.

“Of course! Come this way.”

“Yes!”

Frigia was the only person who didn’t need to watch the empress’s reactions.

‘She must really love alcohol.’

The princess’s face was flushed as she held the tasting cup containing just a sip.

“Ah, this aroma.”

Frigia, who was tasting with both her eyes and nose, put the paper cup to her lips.

The moment the milky-white grain alcohol touched her tongue.

Thud.

Frigia dropped the empty paper cup on the floor.

“Princess Frigia?!”

“Could it be poison?!”

Assassination of the princess?

It was an issue that could potentially escalate into a diplomatic problem.

‘There’s no poison! I don’t know why she’s acting like that either!’

Even if I claimed innocence, the empress wasn’t one to just stand by and watch.

“Arrest that wet nurse!”

The knights guarding the hall obeyed the order.

However, they couldn’t easily approach.

“You’ve lost your mind.”

Kashar spat out those words while blocking in front of me.

Everyone present knew his temperament well.

The hesitant knights began to plead outright.

“Duke, please step aside!”

“What evidence is there that my lover added poison?”

Kashar stood firm, but I was one step away from becoming a criminal.

That’s when it happened.

“…I’m fine.”

Frigia came to her senses.

With a very hoarse voice, she pushed away the Laksha people and Rihart knights and approached me.

Grab.

Frigia held my hand tightly and said.

“…The soft taste lingering on the tip of the tongue. With a popping sensation, a cool yet savory flavor fills the mouth.”

“Pardon?”

“There’s a subtle grain aroma, and it’s both sweet and tangy… It’s neither alcohol nor a beverage.”

“Huh?”

“It’s incomparable to wine!”

So, what this princess was saying was.

“This alcohol is the drink of the gods!”

It was praise for makgeolli.

‘Wait, so earlier she froze because it was too delicious?!’

I almost ended up in jail due to an extreme taste evaluation.

Whether she knew this or not, Frigia spun around and requested to Tuberosha.

“I ask the host of the party. May I participate in this auction as well?”

Foreigners were only allowed to observe, not participate in the auction.

The marchioness, who was watching the empress’s reaction, soon shook her head.

“Princess, I’m sorry but that seems difficult. There has never been a single instance of a foreigner participating in this auction that has been passed down for generations.”

“Oh no…! To think I have to give up such a heavenly drink!”

Despite Frigia’s protest, the marchioness remained unmoved.

However, there was a big change in the atmosphere.

‘What kind of taste could it be.’

The nobles licked their lips.

They couldn’t contain their curiosity since the princess reacted to such an extent.

“This is truly an amazing discovery! Baron Barshato, please taste it quickly and sympathize!”

“What? Me?”

The second son of Baron Barshato was Frigia’s assistant.

‘A magician’s future is determined by the magic tower.’

Conflicted between the empress’s gaze, his second son’s future, and curiosity about the new alcohol, Barshato eventually.

“Well, then I’ll taste just a little.”

It was the choice of a heavy drinker surrendering to desire.

Taking the tasting cup, Barshato said, “Oh well, here goes,” and poured the makgeolli into his mouth.

“Whoa…!”

Barshato’s eyes widened as if they would pop out.

He smacked his lips several times, checked the empty paper cup, and looked at me with bewildered eyes.

“A, a little more…”

“No way. It’s just a tasting, you know?”

When I smiled brightly, the baron despaired.

Behind the baron, it was already crowded.

“I’d like to taste it too.”

“What kind of taste is it to elicit such a reaction?”

The tasting line grew long.

The scene I used to see at the supermarket was happening right before my eyes.

“Here, take it!”

As I got busier, Kashar looked more dumbfounded.

“I think I’ve seen something like this at a village market.”

“You’ve been to such places, Duke? I thought you only ate steak and such?”

“Stop talking nonsense.”

When I asked while busily moving my hands, he stepped back saying that’s enough.

‘I was just joking.’

I looked at him leaning against a pillar and then focused back on the tasting event.

The more praise continued for the makgeolli, the more the empress’s eyes turned fierce.

“Is this enough qualification to be submitted?”

“…It seems so.”

The marchioness turned around abruptly.

She hurriedly approached the empress, but the empress coldly turned away from her.

At this, the empress’s faction began to whisper.

“To be so eager for such a lowborn alcohol…!”

“We’ll teach them a lesson with our family’s secret recipe wine!”

The purpose of this party is to see how high a price can be fetched at auction.

The product of the family that wins at the Olloje party is recognized as the luxury item of the year.

‘It means you can sit on a pile of money.’

Although the auction amount is donated, you could start a business with the product afterward.

‘What would be a luxury item.’

An outstanding work recognized for its value.

With rare supply but overflowing demand, a big hit was guaranteed.

“To think such a taste comes from grains!”

“I must win the bid no matter what.”

The exclamations of those who tasted just a sip grew more and more.

‘I didn’t expect the reaction to be this good.’

At this rate, we might actually win?

I brought this so our princes wouldn’t feel discouraged, but now it looks like we might win the auction.

‘Since I submitted it in the children’s names…’

If we really win, won’t the imperial family recognize them too?

‘If only I could.’

I wanted to remove the stigma of ‘cut-off princes’ attached to the children.

“Hmph, what’s the big deal about this.”

Just then, a voice I had heard before stuck in my ear.

‘Jeiana Enders?’

It was villainess #1 who had fainted in the rose garden.

“No matter what, it won’t beat the Enders family’s Ruby Berry wine.”

Jeiana raised her chin.

‘Ah, come to think of it.’

I heard that the Enders family had won 4 consecutive victories at Olloje.

‘Ruby Berry wine, is it similar to raspberry wine?’

I was quite curious since I hadn’t tasted the alcohol of this world.

“Are you looking down on it now?”

“Uh, no?”

I hurried to answer, but the glaring eyes were terrifying.

‘But I’m not scared at all.’

Perhaps it’s thanks to being trained by Kashar.

A beauty glaring at me only looked lovely.

‘Still, I’m glad she looks fine.’

Seeing her jumping around, her condition seemed quite good.

As I stared blankly, Jeiana furrowed her brow fiercely.

“What are you looking at?!”

“Ah, you fainted before, right? I was worried.”

“Eek…!”

Jeiana trembled as if it was humiliating.

‘She might faint again if she keeps this up.’

I was concerned about her, who seemed quite fragile for a villainess.

“Um… I really asked out of worry. If you shake like that, your blood pressure will rise.”

“What nonsense are you talking about now!”

Ah, I forgot that the term ‘blood pressure’ doesn’t exist in this world.

Jeiana was already charging at me.

“Oops.”

As I took a step back, Jeiana’s maid tried to stop her.

“Young lady, calm down!”

“Let go of me!”

“If you faint again, how will I face the madam? Don’t waste your energy on such a lowborn!”

The maid glared at me as if I were a witch.

‘It succeeded because of you.’

If she hadn’t blabbed in the wrong place, no one would have known.

I scratched my head and approached Jeiana.

“What are you doing…!”

“If you bite your lip like that, it’ll bleed.”

I pressed Jeiana’s lip to make her release the tension.

Caught off guard, she opened her mouth and pouted her lips.

“What…”

“I’d like to taste the Ruby Berry wine. Winning four times in a row, that’s really amazing, isn’t it?”

A luxury wine. I wondered how delicious it would be.

“Of, of course it is.”

Jeiana’s face turned red.

Her voice became so small that she sounded just like a sick person.

“Are you feeling feverish? Just a moment…”

It was when I was about to put my hand on Jeiana’s forehead.

“Stop.”

Kashar was hugging me from behind.

“Huh? When did you come?”

“Since you started cheating.”

“Eh, what are you saying… Jeiana?”

While Kashar was talking nonsense, Jeiana had disappeared.

‘She left. She must be quite weak.’

If I had known she was this fragile, I would have pushed her more gently back then.

As I scratched my cheek, he asked crookedly.

“I didn’t know you had a talent for business.”

“Well, it just turned out that way as I was doing it.”

It was a secret that I had experience as a supermarket tasting part-timer.

“I’m hurt that there’s a side of you I don’t know.”

He rested his forehead on my shoulder.

“Ha, haha. In the end, well, humans are strangers to each other, right?”

I’m not sure what I’m saying either.

‘We’ve known each other for less than a month, you know!’

Of course, I could only say such things internally.

“I think you should comfort me. We’re lovers, aren’t we?”

His eyes, barely visible, looked ferocious.

‘Poor my heart.’

My thumping heart was quite pitiful.

“Of course. I’ll comfort you!”

I hugged his arm tightly with a combative stance.

‘The auction will start on its own anyway.’

The auction is held privately after introducing the products.

The value of makgeolli has already been recognized, so it’s free time for a while.

“Let’s go somewhere where we can be alone.”

I didn’t forget to let my words drift so that everyone could hear.

The place I led him to was the number one romance novel date spot.

It was the balcony.

“Whew.”

The night breeze was cool as we came out from inside.

He smiled as if it was quite nice, having been dragged out on a whim.

“Is this the place for comfort?”

“Of course. I prepared everything so you wouldn’t feel hurt, Duke.”

I winked one eye at him.

‘I feel drunk even though I haven’t touched any alcohol.’

Well, I’ll be drinking soon though.

I placed a bottle of makgeolli and an insulated lunchbox on the railing.

Kashar frowned at that strange sight.

“…Where did those come from?”

“From under my skirt. It’s nice and full, good for hiding things.”

A lady’s dress pocket is a magic pocket, you know.

After finishing the setup, I opened the lunchbox lid.

“Ta-da, here’s today’s comfort meal.”

What came out of the lunchbox was bacon cheese potato pancakes.