"Master Ryoma!"
I had only just managed to settle the commotion at the Adventurer Guild and return to the ducal mansion when I was stopped by Arone, the head maid. She wore an unusually grave expression.
"Is something the matter?" I asked.
"There is a minor issue regarding Lulunese’s ceremony... I apologize for stopping you the moment you’ve walked through the door, but could you spare us some time?"
"If I can be of any help."
I wasn't sure what had happened, but I followed Arone for the time being. Before long, I began to hear women's voices—quite a lot of them, actually.
"—then! ———is how it should be!"
"No! Absolutely ———!"
"—right? For Lulunese's hair, ———"
It sounded like a heated argument was underway.
"Those girls... I apologize for showing you such an unseemly sight," Arone sighed.
She stepped forward and threw open the door from which the voices were emanating.
"You lot! What is all this ruckus? Your voices can be heard all the way down the hallway!"
The room went silent in an instant. However, Arone's own expression stiffened a second later.
"Madam! Were you here as well?"
It seemed the Madam had joined the fray without Arone's knowledge.
"Hello there~" the Madam chirped.
"Oh, Ryoma-kun! You're back."
"Good evening. I heard there was something to discuss regarding the wedding. Is now a good time?"
"Of course. Come over here."
"I shall prepare a seat."
"We must pour some tea as well."
"I'll go get some sweets."
The gathered maids began moving about busily, and the awkward atmosphere that had been lingering in the room was swept away. Once everyone had settled, the meeting resumed in earnest.
"Arone-san, you said you had something to consult with me about?"
"It’s regarding the wedding venue. Specifically, about these..."
She held out five sheets of paper I recognized instantly. They were the design sketches I had drawn as references during last night's meeting. While I personally never had any luck with marriage in my previous life, by the time I was nearly forty, most of my classmates were already wed. I often received invitations or photos of the ceremonies, so I had sketched out as much as I could remember. I had assumed they’d been well-received, but it seemed I’d sparked something else entirely.
"Those who were inspired by these drawings have been coming forward with one suggestion after another," Arone explained.
The list she handed me next was a compilation of requests, ranging from wanting to change specific details to adding entirely new features.
"In the end, from the perspective of the person we are asking to build it, we would like you to separate what is feasible from what is not, Master Ryoma."
"I understand."
Installing a wedding bell in a bell tower... Possible if there was enough space. Laying cobblestones at the venue... Also possible. Decorations for the walls and pillars... Possible, but depending on the volume and the items used, it might make it hard for the guests to see the ceremony.
After reviewing everything, I let out a breath. "...Alright. Arone-san, I’m finished."
"Thank you very much. I will summarize the requests for the venue based on your feedback."
There had been many questions, but the foundation was finally set. At this rate, I should be able to start construction tomorrow.
"Good work, Ryoma-kun," the Madam said.
"Good work to you too, Madam. ...?"
As I was checking the suggestions on the list, more time had passed than I realized. The lineup of servants in the room had changed significantly since I arrived, leaving only Arone and the Madam.
"How long has it been?"
"About two hours, I think? Would you like something to eat?"
"Thank you, but I had some sweets during the breaks."
Wait, why was the Madam here in the first place? When I asked, her usual elegant smile faltered for a rare moment.
"A guest I didn’t particularly want to see decided to visit suddenly, so I took refuge here."
"I suppose even people in your position have to deal with that," I remarked.
"Indeed they do~..."
I was curious about who the guest was, but the Madam looked genuinely displeased, so I decided to change the subject.
"That sounds difficult. Aren't you exhausted from dealing with guests every day?"
"I suppose... but it’s part of my duty, so it can’t be helped. I’d love to visit a hot spring, though."
"Do you like hot springs?"
"Do you know that my father-in-law has territory in a place called the Fire Dragon Mountains?"
"Ah, I heard about that from Branch Master Taylor. He mentioned that the former Duke once contracted with a Divine Beast and received various rights and rewards."
"That’s right. Within that territory, there is now a hot spring town. I used to go there often. The hot springs there wash away fatigue and improve your overall health."
"I’d like to visit sometime. What is the water like?"
I was a bit interested. I wondered if it contained some kind of fantasy-world components.
"I don’t know about the mineral content, but it’s fizzy. When you get in, your body gets very warm and your skin turns red."
Fizzy? That sounded like a carbonated spring. It didn't seem like a magical effect or anything particularly mystical. I was a little disappointed, but if that was the case, maybe making a Bath Bomb would help her recover.
"I can’t bring the hot spring here, but I can make something that mimics the experience," I suggested.
"You can mimic a hot spring?"
Her reaction was even more enthusiastic than I expected. Her eyes sparkled with intense interest.
"I can make a bath additive that brings the bathwater closer to a hot spring. Provided I have the materials."
The ingredients needed to make a Bath Bomb are sodium bicarbonate and citric acid. You add a small amount of potato starch or cornstarch, mix them, lightly moisten the mixture with a spray bottle, and then press it into a mold to harden and dry. You can add fragrant oils, but carbon dioxide gas will be generated with just the sodium bicarbonate and citric acid.
I could refine the sodium bicarbonate from salt or the caustic soda that the Acid Slimes awaiting evolution were eating, and I could extract citric acid from appropriate fruits using alchemy. For safety, I needed the quality to be good enough for food use.
"...Yes, I think I can make it as long as I have the materials."
"Is that 'Bath Bomb' perhaps the Secret Medicine of Beauty you were talking about yesterday?"
Secret medicine. It was an exciting-sounding term, but I felt hesitant to call a bath bomb a "secret medicine."
"It’s not quite a secret medicine... but it is quite useful."
"What do you need? If it’s something we can provide, I’ll have it prepared immediately."
"In that case, could you have a basketful of Ramon brought to my room? Also, if you could provide some Mumito sugar used for bread making and some high-quality vegetable oil that won't irritate the skin, I can make one more thing called a Sugar Scrub."
"I understand. I'll have them prepared right away. Arone!"
"Understood. A basket of Ramon, Mumito sugar, and vegetable oil. They can all be found in the kitchen. Master Ryoma, please wait in your room."
"How long will it take to make?" the Madam asked.
"The Sugar Scrub is just mixing them in a one-to-one ratio, so it will be done instantly. For the Bath Bomb, I’ll need to use Appraisal to confirm its safety before testing it. Even so, thirty minutes should be more than enough."
"I see. I’m looking forward to it."
Thus, out of pure goodwill, I decided to make Bath Bombs and Sugar Scrubs. However...
"...Hey, did you hear?"
"I heard. He said it’s a Secret Medicine of Beauty."
Just before leaving the room, I caught the hushed voices of the maids. It wasn't such a grand thing as a "secret medicine," I thought to myself.
I ignored the comments and moved on, having no idea that those words would eventually cause quite an uproar within the Ducal House.