Even I'm surprised that I have a conscience at all. But I genuinely wanted to help that woman. Perhaps Daira's body has changed me somehow. Sometimes, I feel what she felt. I remember things she knew. It's as if...

As if I'm absorbing a part of her.

Regardless, this was the perfect opportunity to showcase my skills. Since she refused to accept money as a gift—for reasons I completely understood—I suggested we become partners. So far, I've found that commoners are actually far more decent people than the nobles themselves.

What a surprise...

Then I began brainstorming ways to bring customers back to the pastry shop. My first idea was to track down the baron's idiot daughter and threaten her into backing off. But if violence caused all this trouble, it certainly wouldn't solve it.

How, then? Simple: by creating a demand they couldn't ignore. I needed to make people desperate to come back to the shop, almost on their knees. And the most effective way to do that was to create a new product. Something so innovative and irresistible that people would stand in endless lines just to get a taste.

A trend.

Luckily, marketing in this world was nowhere near as advanced as it was in my previous one. I could easily adapt strategies I already knew and replicate them here. The first step was to come up with the perfect product.

One of my favorite activities—both in this world and my old one—was indulging in sweets of all kinds. My vast knowledge of desserts and delicacies would make anyone with a remotely developed palate drool.

Quality guaranteed!

I stayed up all night brainstorming recipes. My first idea was jelly. It didn't exist in this world yet, and its novelty and deliciousness would grab attention immediately. But there was a significant problem: actually making it.

Creating the gelling agent was the easy part. Obtaining the necessary materials, however, was a different story. Thamel had a long coastline, but Molina was far inland. Transporting the materials to the city would take far too long. Using portals wasn't an option either; they were prohibitively expensive and exclusively used by nobles.

And there was an even greater risk: what if seaweed didn't exist in this world? Or what if its chemical composition was different, rendering it useless for extracting an edible gelling agent? The amount of research required was daunting, and time was not on my side.

Damn it.

Extracting collagen from animal bones was another possibility, but that would also take far too long. We needed a dessert that was quick and easy to prepare so it could reach as many people as possible. And for some bizarre reason, bones were more expensive than meat itself.

I was on the verge of giving up when, like a miracle, Betia handed me the solution. The next morning, as the summer heat crept in, she brought me a glass of lemonade filled with ice to cool me down. I stared at the shards of ice in my glass, curiosity bubbling up inside me.

Sure, ice was common in my former world. But here? In the equivalent of the Middle Ages? There was no convenient way to freeze water. Avantgar didn't have a naturally icy climate, so it couldn't be harvested directly.

Which meant... they had to make it with magic.

That was when inspiration struck: ice cream! Yes, ice cream! While ice existed as a product in this world, it was rarely consumed because of how tedious it was to produce. Generally, mages in Avantgar were reserved for scholarly tasks or the operation of portals. But as far as I knew, there were no laws stopping me from hiring one to make ice. And I was more than willing to pay a good price.

After all, once I had ice, making ice cream would be easy. It would become so popular that I'd recover my investment in no time.

And let's be honest—I'd been craving some for ages!

Ice cream would pair perfectly with the desserts already made at the pastry shop. Plus, it was summer, and people were desperate for ways to cool off. Since commoners didn't have access to ice, making the product affordable would practically guarantee their interest.

As one of humanity's greatest dessert inventions, there was no way this could fail.

If I made it popular enough, even the nobles would want it. And knowing how self-centered they were, they wouldn't hesitate to jump on the trend. Once they were hooked, the baron's daughter wouldn't dare continue sabotaging the shop—it would be too risky to alienate her own peers.

Determined, I got to work. I returned to Molina, this time with Alain and Betia. I "borrowed" her for the day because I needed someone to help me make the ice cream—and to act as my guinea pig.

Betia's unrefined palate was ideal for a taste test. Since most commoners had never experienced a proper dessert, if she liked it, it was a good indicator that the rest would too.

Before heading to the pastry shop, we stopped by the portal area to find a mage who might agree to use magic to make ice for us. I was a little nervous. My plan almost entirely depended on their cooperation, and I wasn't sure if they'd be interested.

I'd also heard mages could be... a bit proud.

"Your Highness, what a surprise to see you here," said a familiar voice.

It was the leader of the portal mages. Like last time, he greeted me with remarkable kindness. I smiled back at him.

"Good morning, great mage," I said warmly.

"My name is Demir. Feel free to use it as you wish, Your Highness," he replied with a respectful nod.

"Thank you, Mage Demir," I began. "If I may be honest... I've come with a somewhat unusual request."

The mage bowed deeply. "I am here to serve you."

I sighed, gathering my courage. "I was wondering if... I could enlist the services of a mage."

The mage's expression immediately turned serious. "Do you need to kill someone?"

I panicked, waving my hands. "No! No! Absolutely not! I just need someone to make ice for me!"

His face broke into a smile again. "Oh, then it's not a complicated task. I have the perfect person for you. Artis!"

The mage leader called for one of his subordinates. Moments later, a young man came running toward us, stopping to bow with precision.

"Artis, reporting for duty, sir!" he said confidently.

"Artis, Her Highness Daira requires assistance. Serve her well," the mage leader commanded.

"It's a great honor, sir!" Artis replied, bowing again before turning to me.

"Thank you, Artis," I said with a smile.

The boy flushed, his face turning a delightful shade of red.

"Ask him for anything you wish, Your Highness," the leader said. "This young mage is among the most talented in our ranks. I guarantee he will be of great help to you."

"Perfect," I replied. "And as for his fee..."

The mage leader shook his head firmly. "Don't worry about that, Your Highness. We would never dare charge you for our services."

I blinked in surprise. "Oh, but I would feel bad taking advantage of this boy."

"Feel free to do so," the leader said with a perfectly calm smile. "And if he complains, I'll burn him alive."

The words, spoken so casually, sent a chill down my spine. He didn't look like he was joking.

"Right... Thank you very much," I said hastily. "We'll be on our way now."

The mage leader bowed once more before returning to his work. I briefly considered asking him about my mana reserves, but the icy shiver creeping down my spine made me think twice. There was something off about him—why was he being so polite to me? He didn't strike me as someone who cared much about titles or noble status. A mystery for another day, perhaps.

For now, I was more than satisfied with the mage he had assigned to me.

We made our way to the pastry shop. Like the day before, it was closed, and the owner was sweeping the entrance. Her expression brightened when she saw me, and she bowed in greeting. Her mood seemed much improved as she ushered us inside and led us to the kitchen.

Once there, she showed me the ingredients she had on hand. It wasn't much, but it was just enough to get started. I decided on a fruity ice cream. Betia and I chose several ripe, delicious-looking fruits. While she chopped and pureed them, I began preparing the cream base.

I asked Artis to freeze a bowl for me. The boy chanted an incantation in a strange language, and the bowl cooled rapidly. It was a simple spell, but I couldn't help feeling a spark of excitement.

"Thank you," I said with a smile.

Artis blushed again and stepped back. I got to work, showing the owner the proper technique for making the ideal ice cream base. She followed closely, diligently jotting down every detail as if her life depended on it. Once the ingredients were ready, we began assembling the ice cream.

We poured the fruit purée, cream, and a splash of milk into another bowl, stirring until the mixture reached the perfect texture. Then, I asked the mage to use his magic again to freeze the bowl. Ideally, I would have preferred a consistent, controlled temperature, but I didn't want to exhaust the boy by making him work for hours without rest. That left us with one task: whisking vigorously to break up the forming ice crystals.

In the end, everything worked out beautifully. The ice cream was ready within minutes. The mage leader hadn't exaggerated—Artis was skilled and precise. For a moment, I thought my hands might freeze, but the mage carefully directed his spell to the bowl, ensuring the cold stayed contained. And fortunately, Daira's body proved to be very resilient. No matter how much I whisked, I didn't feel even a hint of fatigue.

Finally, it was time to serve. I gathered the owner, Alain, Artis, and Betia at a table while I prepared the ice cream. Betia looked like she might faint when I insisted on serving her myself. But honestly, I enjoyed it. I placed generous scoops of the ice cream into cups, garnishing them with pieces of leftover fruit.

"Enjoy," I said with a smile.

The owner examined the dessert with curiosity. "What a strange dish, Your Highness. I never would have thought of making something like this."

"The Princess is incredibly clever," Betia chimed in, smiling proudly. "She can create amazing things from nothing."

I felt my cheeks warm slightly. "It's nothing special..."

"If the Princess made it, I'm sure it's excellent," Alain added, his tone steady.

"It looks amazing!" Artis said enthusiastically, practically bouncing in his seat.

They all took their first bites, and I didn't even have to ask—I could tell they loved it. The owner's expression shifted to one of surprise, as though she hadn't expected something so simple to taste so good. Artis, on the other hand, devoured his portion within seconds. Alain's face didn't reveal much, but knowing him as well as I did, I could tell he was impressed. And Betia...

Well, Betia fainted.

"Will your maid be all right, Your Highness?" the owner asked, concerned.

"She'll be fine," I replied, suppressing a laugh. "She just couldn't handle the explosion of flavors. Look at her face—it says she can die happy now."

With Betia's reaction, I was confident the rest of the commoners would love the ice cream just as much.

"Alain, please take Betia somewhere quiet where she can rest."

"There's a couch in the back," the owner offered. "She can lie down there."

"...All right," Alain muttered, though I could have sworn I heard him grumble under his breath.

As he carried Betia away, the owner turned to me, trying to bow. "There's no way I can ever repay you for all you've done, Your Highness."

"Enough of that," I said, waving her off. "There's no need to thank me. I'll benefit from the pastry shop reopening, too."

The woman smiled warmly. "To be honest, when you first suggested we become partners, I almost had a heart attack. Nobles and commoners don't usually do business together."

I smiled as well. "Then we have to prove it can be done. This ice cream prototype was a success, but I already have more ideas on how to make the process even more efficient."

"Ice cream? Is that what you call this product?" the owner asked curiously.

"Yes," I said confidently. "And soon, everyone will be talking about it."

"This is something I could eat every day after work," Artis chimed in, his enthusiasm shining through.

The owner glanced at me, surprised for a moment, before her expression softened into another warm smile. "Very well, Your Highness."

I had earned her trust—not because of my title, but because I had worked hard for it. You could always tell when someone was acting out of genuine intent rather than obligation, and the results were always vastly different.

Failure wasn't an option for me.

There was still time to refine the ice cream production process. Although the mage leader had generously allowed me to use Artis for the project, I couldn't rely on him indefinitely. I needed a solution that didn't depend entirely on magic.

I needed a way to make ice and store it for long periods. Something like... a refrigerator. The thought made me pause, and then I remembered: mana-based technology existed in this world. Edan had promised to teach me how to create it.

I'd have to find him.

Defining our target audience was just as critical. While the pastry shop welcomed both nobles and commoners, it was the latter who would become our new focus. And that required careful planning. Commoners who could afford desserts were rare, so if we wanted to reach the masses, we'd need to cut costs and make the price as attractive as possible.

As Betia had once said, her mother's dream was to taste the food of the nobles. If that dream could be made accessible—if desserts like ice cream were affordable—there was no way the commoners wouldn't flock to try them. Perhaps simplifying the presentation and introducing edible wafers could make the product even more accessible and portable.

The possibilities were endless. I could feel excitement bubbling inside me.

...

...

...

But I never expected that this project would drag me into the largest corruption scandal in all of Thamel.

Or that my life—and the lives of my allies—would be put in grave danger.

Thank you so much for reading this chapter! 🍦 Watching Daira put her creativity and determination to work on such an innovative project was so much fun to write. Who knew something as simple as ice cream could spark so much excitement—and, as you might have guessed, future trouble?

What do you think about Daira's choice of ice cream as the pastry shop's new signature product? Do you think it will succeed, or will the obstacles ahead prove too much? I'd love to hear your thoughts and theories—drop a comment below! 💬

Also, since we're talking about desserts, what's your favorite sweet treat? Are you more of a cake lover, a fan of pastries, or does ice cream hold a special place in your heart? Let me know—I'd love to hear from you! 🧁🍩🍨

If you're enjoying Noble Soul, don't forget to vote and follow me to stay updated. Your support means the world to me, and I can't wait to share what's next with you.

As always, thank you for being part of this journey. Until next time! ❤️✨