✔DROP!! A TALE OF THE FRAGRANCE PRINCESS

Volume 2, Act 12: First Battle Invitation - Part 01

Four years had already passed since Cordelia received the greenhouse and laboratory from her father, Elvis.

At first, various plants were grown in the spacious greenhouse. Similarly, the laboratory was neatly lined with a lot of equipment; so much so that she struggled to fit more in.

Cordelia Enna Pameradia, the spring of her 12th year.

She returned to the mansion after a long time carrying a lot of luggage in the refreshing weather. Of course, she wasnt alone. She was with Elvis and the servants who were carrying their luggage. Cordelia had accompanied Elvis on his inspection to the south until then.

After the inspection at the fief, Cordelia would often accompany Elvis on his inspections. As with this time, they didnt just inspect towns in the fief, but also towns out of the fief, as well. During the inspections, Cordelia had the opportunity to practice the basic trading skills that shed learnt from Elvis prior to leaving, and she traded for various things. She had made quite a good profit from the mushroom and fruits which could be collected from the fief, and she had also made a big profit from cameo1) related products, such as engraved stones and shells.

When Cordelia had first seen cameo in this world, it hadnt been recognised as a typical accessory yet, and were only sold in small qualities as traditional crafts from across the sea in stalls of port towns. However, it was very beautiful and Cordelia thought that it might sell well if she brought it back to the fief, just as it was.

There were a lot of simple flowers and birds on cameo designs, but then she suddenly remembered that there were cameos with young ladies face profiles. So, she asked the merchants, who sold the cameos at their stall, 『if they could, as craftsmen, carve the profile of young ladies onto the cameos』 via wholesale traders.

Her request was accepted and the result They sold at a tremendous rate. The cameos were sold out as soon as they arrived.

Of course, that was also because the cameos were beautiful and rare, and it came in many forms, such as brooches and necklaces. However, that wasnt the only reason; another reason why it sold so quickly was because of her request to engrave young ladies face profiles onto them. That design created a fad amongst the ladies, 『I want something that resembles my face』. Cordelia never imaged that such a fad would be created from carvings that werent especially modelled after anyone, and had lit the ladies desire to purchase it. The fad, which spread vigorously in Ertiga, also reached the Royal Capital. Now, cameos were recognised as an accessory and were in demand, even in the Royal Capital. The price of the cameo depended on labour time and colour of the materials, so commoners could also purchase some designs as luxury items, while nobles could boast about the cost of the cameos. It could also be said that the cameos were popularised by a broad variety of buyers, and became fashionable.

However, merchants, who follow fads, also appeared. But, in the first place, it was difficult to receive a large amount of hand-carved items, and, in addition, Cordelia had contracted the skilled craftsman first, so the cameos that went through the Pameradia House were recognised as the ones with the most value. And, even when the fad started dying down, the new accessory called cameo had been established.

Moreover, the merchants who had originally sold the cameo were also thankful, after the fad died down. The merchants, who up until then, had only sold flower and bird cameos, became more marketable thanks to that recognition.

She didnt just purchase things from others, she also tried exporting the jewellery boxes, made from the wood which was a special product of the Pameradia fief. The classy jewellery boxes, which had deep bottoms and a slightly reddish tint, were highly sought after across the ocean and she was able to build a good relationship with the traders there. Sometimes, the exported jewellery boxes would be decorated with cameos and then exported again.