Chapter 78: 78

The carriage stopped at the ranch and I got off, having changed into a knight’s formal attire at the school’s changing room. I only have Helmut and Katharina as companions, but there shouldn’t be any problems.

“Welcome to the ranch, Sir Caan,” greeted one of the people lined up to meet me.

This old man is called Edward, and he was one of the supervisors sent from Carruzan when I opened a ranch in the royal capital. Of course, because he was sent all the way from Carruzan, he can be trusted and has the corresponding skills.

“Thank you for your hard work, Edward,” I said.” It’s been a long time since you moved from Carruzan. How is it going here?”

“Right…” Edward said. “Recently, the number of people who imitate House Caan’s agriculture has gradually increased, and the unit price has fallen. However, by expanding the ranch and increasing the amount we can produce, sales increased and are continuing to increase.”

It is already assumed that there will be vendors who will enter the market later if they know that the product will sell. It’s terrible to say, but I wonder if it’s good that the unit price is falling, and the large-scale ranches manage to make it through with low-profit margins and high sales volume.

It’s true that the profit is higher than before, but the production and sales volume are increasing more than that. As a result, due to the low-profit margin, it is difficult for other companies to enter the market, and it seems that a sudden price drop has been suppressed. If someone enters the market on a large scale and the price collapses all at once, small businesses and family businesses will be the first to go bankrupt.

Compared to that, the increase in the production of beet sugar and the drop in prices is unremarkable. Unlike farms that handle live animals, sugar beets are vegetable crops and do not require much care. There is almost no loss because it is only necessary to squeeze sugar from what was originally cultivated as feed for livestock and then use the leftovers as feed once more, there’s almost no loss. I don’t understand the nuances of “livestock feed”, but at most it’s just a problem item that the livestock are forced to eat because it’s useless and doesn’t taste good.

Originally, I thought that the method of making beet sugar would be leaked out and imitated, so I don’t mind that. Conversely, since there is no longer any need to hide it, sugar beets are cultivated as fodder for this ranch, and even in the royal capital, beet sugar was already being produced as fodder for livestock.

But where did the recipe for beet sugar leak out? In the end, the most likely candidate would be a worker at a beet sugar factory…

The workers at the beet sugar factory were not so rigorously checked. To begin with, House Caan has created and managed a solid family register since its development, but even Carruthers territory has a pretty vague family register. In such a situation, it is not easy to select only the right workers.

One of the reasons for this is the rapid expansion and the need for a large number of workers due to the increase in production volume. There must have been people who were able to get in with lax background checks, and there are also former workers who had no intention of leaking information at first, but after quitting their jobs, you could imagine that there were people who sold the details of their duties at the beet sugar factory to other producers.

I think that information flowed from various routes to various places and that’s why they were imitated. I expected it to be imitated sooner and the price collapse would occur, so I am thankful for that foresight.

Production bases and manufacturing factories for plate glass and white porcelain are subject to strict screening, so the risk of information leakage from workers is considerably low. Similarly, the shipyards and laboratories for new ships also limit the number of people who can enter and exit, so information management should be thorough. If it still leaks, it means that there is an insider somewhere.

“As expected… no, the price hasn’t collapsed as much as expected, so it might be something that our business should be happy about,” I said.

After I spoke with Edward, I was greeted by the rest of the people at the line-up. And one of them is a young girl who is nervous! You! It’s still too early! I’ll make time to talk to you later, so let’s calm down first, shall we?

“Then let’s start from here…” I said.

While being guided by Edward, I inspect the royal capital’s ranch. It’s been a long time since we built this place, but it’s the first time I’ve inspected it. In the first place, there is no big difference between ranches, so it is not much different from the ranch opened in Carruzan.

Or at least I thought so, but…

“This is… amazing…”

My thoughts changed 180 degrees after being guided through a certain building. This is also very different from Carruzan’s ranch. There is no difference between taking care of livestock and cowsheds. The difference is the dairy factory.

“Sir Caan has left it to the discretion of each ranch, so we are conducting our research here,” Edward said.

I knew it in reports and conversations. The first ranch opened in Carruzan, then the ranch opened in the royal capital, and the ranch in Caanburg, Caan territory, which is currently being developed. They all look alike but they all have differences. For the research and development of dairy products, each of them conducts some form of experimentation.

Of course, information on failures and successes is shared. However, rather than simply knowing the methods developed by others or failed methods as basic knowledge, each farm conducts its research differently, promoting progress and product development based on completely different ideas.

A recent example is the improvement of cheese. Each ranch has tried various methods and improvement techniques. Methods that others had failed and given up were verified by other ranches with their improvements, and successes and failures were shared with the other farms while maintaining their originality.

As a result, they finally made a cheese that doesn’t smell so bad, but I didn’t end up with one type of cheese. I’m not that knowledgeable about cheese either, but I knew there are many different types of cheese. Mozzarella cheese, Camembert cheese, blue cheese, cheddar cheese. Even on Earth, there are various things, from smelly cheeses to not-so-smelly cheeses.

Even if they’re all my ranches, each one has completed their research projects, and as a result, various types of cheese have been completed. Each one has a different flavor and texture, so it would be good to use them according to specific purposes. They were completed by each ranch sharing information and experimenting.

In addition, they are independently researching how to make butter and fresh cream, so the method of making it differs depending on the ranch. I also taught them about the centrifuge, but it’s not a very efficient method in this environment where electricity and mechanization are yet implemented. There are cases where it is more efficient to think of another method than having to turn it by hand.

Guided by Edward and the others, we were able to have a meaningful inspection. It’s been a long time since I’ve inspected anything, so it’s about time. I thanked Edward and the others and ended the inspection. At the same time, only a young girl who was nervous the whole time was summoned separately. I don’t care what the reason is, so I asked Katharina to call her, and while I was waiting in the carriage, Louisa came.

“Geeze, Floto! It’s already so late!” Louisa yelled. “I was wondering if we couldn’t talk today.”

“Ah, I’m sorry about that. But I did have to do the inspection properly, didn’t I?” I said.

I expected to be able to talk to Louisa, but I didn’t come here to play around, either. If you do not do your job properly, you will be disqualified as a lord or a manager.

“I know that, but.… you’re actually a girl, the daughter of Margrave Carruthers, a knight, and a ranch manager, how much did you lie about?” Louis asked.

“Uh… I don’t think I lied much, though?” I said. “At that time, I wasn’t knighted yet, so it wasn’t a mistake to call me a knight apprentice, and I didn’t say I wasn’t a manager, and I was dressed as a man from the start, so did I ever say I was a man?”

Yes. I was in a state of “I didn’t tell you the truth.” as much as possible, but it shouldn’t be so much like “I lied and deceived you.” Of course, I think there are some similarities. But like I just said, I wasn’t lying about everything. I just didn’t tell the truth.

“That may be true, but… I don’t think it’s convincing…” Louisa said.

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Well, I understand what she’s saying. Even if I didn’t lie blatantly, if I intentionally made her misunderstand my words, it can’t be helped that she thought she was being deceived.

“I understand why you feel lied to, Louisa,” I said. “Let me apologize for that. However, I also had my own reasons and circumstances.

“Ah! Wait! I’m not blaming you…” Louisa said.

The atmosphere became a little heavy and like we were strangers. Both of us have become adults to some extent and are able to think about the other person’s circumstances and feelings. However, at the same time, I also feel the distance as if there is an invisible wall. In other words, it may be said that they are not able to confront each other honestly.

After all, the relationship between me and Luisa must still be awkward. It’s different from Katharina’s time with me. It’s not like I quarreled and parted with Katharina. I was shocked in its own way, but Katharina left me with a positive feeling of wanting to be qualified to serve me, so there was no negative feeling there.

Compared to that, parting with Louisa was like a quarrel. After all these years, we still have a lot of bitterness about it, so I guess we still can’t get along like we used to. I don’t know what to do at times like this.

Even though I’ve been living for more than 40 years including my previous life, I don’t know what to do at a time like this, as I’ve lived a life where I could say I had no life experience at all.

“I don’t understand why you’d get angry because Miss Flora was a woman,” Katharina said. “If you were in love with Floto, it wouldn’t have mattered if she was Master Floto or Miss Flora.”

“Katharina?” I asked.

She had been silently listening in until then, and now unusually butt into the conversation. Normally, when I’m talking to someone, he wouldn’t interrupt me, but it’s really rare.

“It-It’s not like that!” Lousia said. “I was surprised when I found out that Floto was a girl, but I just thought she was beautiful!”

“Then what’s the problem? Is it because Prince Ludwig was next to her like you said before?” Katharina asked. “Because Prince Ludwig happened to be next to Miss Flora, was your lashing out at Miss Flora justified?”

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Hey, hey!? What happened to you, Katharina? You’re usually reserved and don’t do things like this, but today you’re awfully harsh with Louisa…

“Wha…?!” Lousia cried. “You have no right to say such things! This is a problem between Floto and me!”

“No, you’re wrong. Miss Flora was greatly hurt because of you,” Katharina said. “Miss Flora was kind enough to forgive you with the apology the other day, but normally it’s not something that can be forgiven.”

Why is Katharina saying so much? Something’s scary about her……. What is this atmosphere… I just wanted to talk casually with Louisa for the first time in a long time, but what is it? What is this escalation?

“-! That’s…” Louisa said.

Then, she fell silent.

“Louisa, don’t worry about it,” I said. “It was really my fault, so there’s no need for you to apologize or worry.”

“Floto…”

When I called out to her, she stared at me with wet eyes. I thought this would calm her down…

“Ms. Louisa… what do you think of Miss Flora? What do you want to do? Are you just forcing your ideals on her?” Katharina asked.

She presses even further. I wonder what happened to Katharina today? I get the feeling that this attitude that seems like she’s trying to box Louisa in, doesn’t look like the usual Katharina.

“I… I like Floto! Even if she’s Lady Flora, my feelings won’t change!” Lousia said. “You said your name was Katharina?! Who the hell do you think you are? A mere maid interfering with Floto’s personal life, aren’t you being too intrusive!?”

“I have long admired Miss Flora,” Katharina said. “It doesn’t matter if Miss Flora is a woman or Master Floto is a man. My feelings are unswayed by such a thing. Are your feelings at such a level that they’d be shaken just by that?”

Huh? Huh? What? What are you talking about? Aren’t you talking about something important right now?

“Don’t speak as if you know me!” Louisa said. “I like Floto, too! No, I love her! Even if Flora is a woman, my feelings won’t change!”

“Then what are you so afraid of?” Katharina said. “Are you afraid that if it becomes known that you, Ms. Lousia, a woman, love Miss Flora, another woman, you would be shunned?”

Katharina’s voice, which had sounded like she was questioning Lousia, suddenly changed into a voice that gently admonished her.

“I’m… I’m not…” Louisa said.

“No, you’re aware of that, aren’t you? You know you can’t talk to Master Floto like you used to. But, it only hurts Master Floto more and more. Please don’t hurt Master Floto anymore for your selfishness and self-preservation,” Katharina said. “Don’t worry, however, Master Floto will accept everything.”

Huh? I? What? Katharina is looking at me with a soft smile, but honestly, I can’t follow her. What? Is it okay for both Luisa and Katharina to still love me after knowing that I’m a woman? What do they mean by that? In a lily-lesbian sort of way?

“Floto… umm…” Louisa said.

Even though my understanding hadn’t caught up yet, I couldn’t move while I was glued to Louisa’s gaze, staring at me with those wet eyes.

T/N: This isn’t the biggest reason that I love Katharina, but it is part of what I enjoy most about her. She forces confrontation and conflict in a way that makes her a very interesting part of Flora’s life and social circle, especially with how much more intimately involved she is with Flora as her maid.

It also entertains me to think about what the hell must have happened in the intervening years, during her training, that Katharina turned out like this.

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