The Rich barony was, in short, a household that was poor but blessed with many children. Between the Baron, his wife, and their children—Marie, her three brothers, and her four sisters—they were a massive family of ten when everyone gathered. Currently, every single member of that family had stopped eating and was clutching their head in unison.
The reason for this collective despair was, of course, the report Marie had given regarding the tea party she had attended. At first, the atmosphere had been warm and harmonious, like a family listening to pleasant stories brought back from a trip. However, as Marie’s tale progressed, the complexions of those in the room grew increasingly pale, until they finally ended up in their current state of distress.
"Wait, so... being invited to a tea party at a Marquis House is a major event on its own, but you’re saying the Underworld King-sama participated in that same party? And you were permitted to introduce yourself... and beyond that, you were recognized as a friend by Miyama Kaito-sama and received a Nifty personal ordering magic tool as proof of that friendship?"
"Yes. That is correct."
"I was never taught how to handle a situation of this magnitude..."
Baron Rich’s face twitched as he asked for clarification, praying all the while that he was somehow mistaken. When Marie confirmed his fears, the Baron buried his face in his hands once more.
"I have never even spoken directly to one of the Six Kings-sama myself. I truly have no idea how we should proceed. Moreover, since this happened at a tea party hosted by the Hamilton Marquis House, news of this will surely spread to every noble in the Arclesia Empire as early as tomorrow... Goodness, this is a disaster."
"Well, dear, as a couple, we only attend parties in the capital about three times a year. According to the usual schedule, the next one is Emperor Chris's Birthday Commemorative Party, so we still have plenty of time to prepare."
The Rich Baron House sat so low in the aristocratic hierarchy that it was far faster to count from the bottom up. They were an obscure house that most people likely forgot even existed, yet by tomorrow, they would be at the very center of noble society's rumors.
Naturally, neither Baron Rich nor his wife felt they had the confidence to navigate such a situation. However, as the Baroness pointed out, because they were poor nobles who rarely visited the social scene to begin with, the fact that they had a significant window of time before their next appearance was a small mercy.
"How many times more expensive is Nifty’s tea than the leaves we’re using right now?"
"Is it even a matter of 'how many times'? It might be dozens of times more..."
Following the second daughter’s murmured question, the eldest son replied with a look of pure misery. Just as Marie had worried during the tea party, regularly purchasing Nifty products in quantities that wouldn't invite scorn from other noble houses was a staggering financial burden for a family with the Rich barony's meager resources.
"Regarding that, it seems they have a low-price range lineup, similar to the sugar cubes I received today. I’m hoping we can manage to maintain appearances with those. Oh, and one more thing—since Miyama Kaito-sama mentioned that he likes Ripples, I was thinking of sending him a box. Would that be alright?"
Marie was also struggling with the financial implications, but her immediate plan was to buy enough from the cheaper products to stay respectable. She made sure to check with her family before following through on her promise to Kaito.
"Ah, that won't be a problem at all. We have quite a surplus of Ripples this year, after all."
"Expanding our sales channels costs more than we have. Life is truly harsh."
The Rich barony owned a large Ripple orchard, and aside from tax revenue, the sale of that fruit was their primary source of income. However, they only shipped to nearby cities at most; expanding their reach across the entire Arclesia Empire required upfront capital they simply didn't possess. Compared to the businesses of other noble houses, their income was a mere pittance. Furthermore, because they had so few wholesale destinations relative to the size of the orchard, they ended up with a surplus of Ripples every year. Gifting a single box was trivial.
"However, if we are sending them to that Miyama Kaito-sama, we must ensure they are of the highest quality and as fresh as possible. Hmm, it will be a bit expensive, but let’s send them via Teleportation Delivery."
"I agree. With Teleportation Delivery, they should reach Miyama Kaito-sama the day after tomorrow, even including the time for preparation. That sounds like the best course of action."
Marie voiced her approval of the Baron's decision. Teleportation Delivery was exactly what it sounded like—a method of transporting goods using Teleportation Magic. While the fees were significantly higher than using wagons or the Wyvern Service, it allowed items from the furthest reaches of the Arclesia Empire to reach the Sinfonia Royal Capital, where Kaito lived, in a matter of days.
"We take great pride in the taste of our Ripples, so it would be wonderful if he takes a liking to them."
"Hahaha, indeed. If that happens, our sales might actually increase for once."
The Baroness spoke with a playful, teasing tone, and Baron Rich laughed along with her.
At this moment, it was just a joke—a small, hopeful dream of what might happen. Yes... "at this moment."
Serious-senpai: "Th-These fools... they just moved up the date for the death of their own stomachs. I thought Cornelia would be the first one to get punched, but these guys just signed up for the express delivery to stomach pain..."