Chapter 71: High-Grade Skin Lotion

“I think it’s probably these flowers.” “Ah, this! This is it!”

When I asked Leon about Daisy fleabane (Harujion), Philadelphia fleabane (Himejoon), and Balsam (Housenka), he returned to his room and readily handed all the flowers to me. No mistake, these are the same flowers I know. It’s amazing he knew just from characteristics and roughly drawn pictures.

“…But why did you have these?”

Suddenly, I voice my doubt. Isn’t it strange he just happened to have these flowers? No well, for Leon-boy who loves plants, I think it’s not impossible, but these even have roots attached, and even soil.

“I keep the seeds of most plants I find myself. These were grown from the seeds of Balsam among them.”

Leon explains holding the Balsam flower. Heh, so they call Housenka ‘Balsam’ here. Or rather, no, no.

“No, planting seeds doesn’t make flowers bloom that quickly, does it?” “Ah, that’s because I used the ‘Pot of Acceleration’.” “‘Pot of Acceleration’?” “It’s a magic tool (artifact) passed down in my Traumerei family. Seeds planted in that pot grow in the blink of an eye. I planted and grew this Balsam just a moment ago.”

Ah! Now that you mention it, there was such an item! If I recall, it’s an heirloom of the Traumerei family, a convenient item where any plant seed planted sprouts and blooms instantly. Since it grows regardless of season, I remember there was an event showing spring flowers to Estelle in winter. He said any plant, but apparently growth stops when roots fill the pot. So he said large plants or root vegetables like potatoes are difficult.

“What will you do with those flowers?” “For these flowers, crush the petals to make dye. Paint it on nails to color them.” “On nails…? I feel like I heard some northern tribes have such a custom. Is it that?” “Y-Yeah. Probably.”

Is that so? Well, similar things are done all over the world. Then making a profit from this might be difficult? No, if Mother, the fashion leader of the Royal Capital, and the Queen, number one in this country, use it, all noble women should fall for it!

“What about the flowers here?” “Those are for skin lotion… used to moisturize and soften the skin.” “These flowers have such an effect…?”

Oh, it seems even the brilliant Leon-kun didn’t know this. If even plant otaku Leon doesn’t know, maybe this will work?

“Umm, can I watch you make it? If it’s a secret technique of the Ducal House, I’ll give up though…”

Leon‘s ‘Gift’ [Drug Creation] is an alchemy-type ‘Gift’ that allows instant creation of medicine if the method is understood and materials are gathered. Showing him making it means Leon will also be able to make it. Well, secret technique or whatever, it’s just pickling in shochu though… Ah, getting high-alcohol shochu might be difficult in other territories? At my place, I have [Store Summoning]’s liquor shop so it’s all-you-can-use, but. Relying on Leon to prepare flowers for experiments, and even if skin lotion can be made, selling it only by us might invite envy. Leon‘s Traumerei family is a production area for medicinal herbs. They probably have the technology to grow Daisy fleabane and Philadelphia fleabane in large quantities. Would making it a joint development with the Traumerei family serve as a cover somehow…?

“Understood. But don’t spread it lightly. It might become a specialty of our place.” “Of course I won’t do such a thing.”

To Leon, who probably just wants to know out of curiosity, I am fully intending to utilize the Traumerei family behind him. Scheming? It’s fine, I’m a Villainess after all.

◇ ◇ ◇

“I-Is it just this…?” “Just this.”

Leon looks at me with eyes saying ‘You’re kidding, right?’. No well, it’s just pickling flowers and roots in shochu. Daisy fleabane and Philadelphia fleabane are floating in two jars containing shochu on the table. Well, it’s not done immediately with just this; normally it needs to pickle for about three months, but the Ducal House has a secret weapon.

“Mother, please do it!” “Okaaay.”

The jar containing Daisy fleabane in Mother’s hands is wrapped in light. Then, the shochu inside the jar gradually changes color from colorless transparent, and the flowers inside also change in the blink of an eye. Mother’s ‘Gift’, [Time Acceleration]. [Time Acceleration] is a ‘Gift’ that forcibly advances the time of objects within a one-meter range. Maximum advance is one year, and adjustment seems freely possible. Apparently can’t be used on living things, but since she uses it for wine fermentation and cheese aging, it seems effective on microorganisms. Plants can also be withered if cut from roots. So meat aging is also possible. By the way, apparently objects whose time was advanced once cannot be advanced further. Meaning you can’t do it ten times to advance ten years. Originally, once time is advanced, it cannot be reversed… but with Father’s ‘Gift’, [Object Restoration], some things can be returned. Truly a matching couple.

“About this much, maybe.”

I receive the jar with changed color from Mother’s hand. Yeah, looks nicely steeped. Opening the lid, filter it once with a fine cloth to remove flowers and fine debris. Furthermore, add a little rose essential oil here to mask the shochu scent. Finally, put it in small plastic spray bottles sold for some reason at the model shop… Complete! Pushu, spray on the back of the hand and rub it in. Yeah, doesn’t sting, think it’s fine. Daisy fleabane and Philadelphia fleabane have skin whitening components, and although effects vary by individual, they suppress melanin pigment and condition skin to be moisturized… however, with child skin like mine, can’t really tell the difference. It’s originally mochi-mochi smooth moisturized skin after all. For someone around Grandmother’s age, I think the difference would be noticeable though… Glancing at Grandmother—chirari—Grandmother had a beaming smile.

“Sakuraile? Sometimes eyes speak as much as the mouth, so be careful, okay?” “Gh, yeeees!”

Nuoooo!? Mind read! As expected of a country’s Empress Dowager, can’t let guard down! While I was frightened by that insight, Grandmother snatched the spray bottle containing skin lotion from my hand—hyoi. And Pushu, sprays and rubs it on the back of her hand just like I did.

“This is…! Does it change this much…!?” “Eh?”

Grandmother is surprised looking at the back of her own hand. Eh? Surprised that much? Peering at Grandmother’s hand, only the part where skin lotion was rubbed in was shining glossy and moist. Touching it, the texture is clearly different from the rest of the skin. Like skin rejuvenated only in that part. Wait a minute, this is just wild grass skin lotion!? No matter what, it shouldn’t have that much effect, right!?

“Sakura-chan… is this the normal effect?” “No, as far as I know, it didn’t have this much effect…”

I manage to answer Mother’s question. To Mother and the others, I’ve said I learned this recipe from the apothecary grandmother who raised me. Why did normal skin lotion have such an effect…? Don’t tell me this flower isn’t Daisy fleabane…? Similar flowers, but don’t know if flowers in another world have the same effect as Earth. Contained stronger whitening components than Daisy fleabane, maybe?

“…Perhaps it’s the effect of the ‘Pot of Acceleration’.”

While I was pondering, Leon timidly opened his mouth. Effect of ‘Pot of Acceleration’? That magic tool (artifact) has such an effect?

“The ‘Pot of Acceleration’ is a magic tool that uses atmospheric magic power to rapidly grow seeds. I heard from Father that rarely, there are species that mutate by taking in too much magic power. Maybe this flower was one of those…”

Nn? Mutate by taking in too much magic power? Meaning rapid growth by magic tool turned it into Super Daisy Fleabane?

“Then this effect… this is usable. Noble daughters and wives will all want this… obtaining such an outrageous thing even if by chance.”

Staring entranced at the back of her hand that became smooth, Grandmother murmured such things. Wa, wait a minute!?

“Grandmother!? This is a new product jointly developed by the le Philharmonie family and the Traumerei family, okay!? The Imperial Family cutting in is no good!?” “O, oh my? No well, I won’t do such a thing. …But we can have this special skin lotion distributed to the Imperial Family too, right?”

Looking awkward, Grandmother says such things. No, well, I’m not reluctant to present it though.

“Either way, it’s after formally concluding a contract with the Traumerei family. Leon is okay with that too, right?” “Ah, y-yes. I think Father won’t oppose either.”

The le Philharmonie family provides shochu, and the Traumerei family leads skin lotion production. Using the ‘Pot of Acceleration’, make some high-grade skin lotion, and sell that exclusively for nobles. If sold as a jointly developed brand, I think considerable profit can be expected. By the way, the manicure made from Balsam also became redder and shinier than the Balsam one in my memory. Is this also the effect of the ‘Pot of Acceleration’? Though not as clearly amazing as the Daisy fleabane. But Philadelphia fleabane showed almost no change. No, it has effect as normal skin lotion though. I think this will sell as is. If materials and method are kept secret, it can only be sold in le Philharmonie territory and Traumerei territory. However… just because this sells doesn’t mean people will come to our territory, right? Well, maybe sell it as a tourist souvenir? If going to le Philharmonie territory, the souvenir is skin lotion—it would be good if it becomes like that. I have to make it so shochu can be produced independently too, not relying on my ‘Gift’. Need a distiller. Ah, maybe ask dwarf Balay-san to make one. Being a Magic Sword smith, he might make it easily. If it means new liquor can be made, he’ll undoubtedly cooperate. While watching Mother and the others frolicking over high-grade skin lotion, I was formulating such plans.