Chapter 76: Cheese

Cheese is the most popular dairy product in this world.

Easily perishable milk has been made into cheese by the people of otherworld and has been using it as preserved food.

With the development of pizza, cheese began to move beyond the realm of simple preserved food and started being used in everyday meals.

However, due to the poor quality of the milk, cheese production was not high, and as a result, there was a chronic issue of unmanageable prices.

However, with the introduction of Lilith's milk, the price of cheese plummeted to an absurd level.

Of course, the price of pizzas with cheese also dropped.

The reason for Lilith's popularity in the Empire is partly due to her diligent and earnest attitude, but there was also this fundamental reason.

And that popularity, under the full support of the wealthy First Princess, led to the commercialization of cheese modeled after Lilith.

"Lilith, try stretching your arms up to the sky. Like doing milk calisthenics."

"Like this?"

"Just a little more, keep going."

"Ugh!"

"...That's perfect. Please hold that position for a moment."

The First Princess with a flushed face looked to the side and nodded.

Flash!

The crystal ball held by the wizard emitted flames and captured the image of Lilith.

"This time, let's try a stretching move where you sit with your legs apart and grab your toes....Okay!"

The First Princess asked Lilith to perform various stretching movements, and each time, she either marveled or applauded.

"Ugh! That's too much!"

Finally unable to endure any longer, Lilith got angry and the First Princess reluctantly finished the shoot feeling a bit disappointed.

"Well, it would be nice if there were a bit more variety, but this is enough for now."

The First Princess soothed her disappointment by looking at Lilith's images which was captured by the crystal ball.

Taking pictures of Lilith's stretching was merely a plan for the commercialization of cheese, rather than the First Princess's personal collection desire.

"Wizard, please make sure to transfer these images I took into my crystal ball separately."

"Understood."

*

"This is... nice."

I licked my lips as I looked at the prototype of 'Lilith's Cheese' that the First Princess brought.

[ Stretchy Lilith's cheese! Let's all stretch! ]

On the cheese wrapper, there was a drawing of Lilith clasping her hands together and stretching them up towards the sky.

In addition, there were various stretching exercises illustrated on each wrapper, such as toe grabs and shoulder pulls.

It seemed like an expression to emphasize how cheese stretches, but who would have thought to incorporate Lilith's stretching exercise into it?

"It's packaging inspired by milk calisthenics."

"Excellent."

"Right?"

"Yes."

The First Princess's sense was nothing short of genius.

This was a plan that could never have come about without someone who understood the needs of the citizens better than anyone else.

In terms of quality, it goes without saying.

As the name suggests, the cheese that stretches endlessly is Lilith's cheese.

"This will definitely sell well."

I agreed to the release of Lilith's Cheese without much thought.

Price, quality, model, planning—there was no flaw to be found in the cheese made by the First Princess.

In itself, 'cheese'.

The problem arose about a month after the release of Lilith's Cheese.

"...Your Highness, what is this?"

"It's the 'Lilith's Secret Recipe' with the instructions for making Milk Cheese Ramen."

"...."

I was momentarily speechless as I looked at the First Princess's secret recipe titled "How to Enjoy Lilith's Cheese Deliciously."

"Would you like to try it?"

"Um, I just finished eating a little while ago, so I'll give it a try later."

I used to pride myself on having a wide variety of food options, but the First Princess always had extraordinary creativity that has surpassed mine.

But that doesn't mean I can refuse the First Princess's invitation.

"Zion will evaluate it on my behalf."

"Zion?"

"The First Princess has finally presented a good suggestion, so we should at least try it."

Zion's face twisted comically, but there was nothing to be done.

Status is one thing, but the influence of the First Princess in the dairy industry was so immense that it couldn't even be fully expressed.

The First Princess was a major player who controlled the Empire's dairy industry.

With the First Princess bringing forth an idea for the first time in a while, I couldn't just let it go without anyone trying it.

In a situation where a scapegoat was needed, it just so happened that Zion, who was present, was the unfortunate one to be chosen.

The First Princess poured white milk into the deliciously bubbling ramen.

"...."

The cheese covers the horrific scene where the white milk invades the red broth.

"Here, eat up."

"...Haha, thank you."

In response to the First Princess's gesture of personally mixing the milk, Zion awkwardly smiled and picked up the chopsticks.

"How does it taste?"

"Ah, yes. It doesn't seem bad."

In response to the First Princess's eyes filled with anticipation, Zion smiled back.

I suddenly became curious when I saw that insincere smile.

What kind of process did you have to go through to reach such a conclusion?

"Your Highness, I can understand the cheese, but how did you end up with mixing in milk?"

"Honestly, ramen is too mild, isn't it? So, I was pondering how to eat it deliciously, so I reduced the water, added milk, and guess what, it became mild and savory. Isn't it amazing?"

"...Ah, yes. That's surprising."

It was truly amazing.

If the ramen is bland, you might think of adding chili or reducing the water, but the idea of substituting the reduced water with milk is not something that easily comes to mind.

It was a difficult process to understand, but I calmly got through it without panicking.

The princess's unique tastes is something I had already experienced many times, so I was already accustomed to such antics.

"It seems like a good idea."

I was more than willing to give such compliments. But my thinking was too short-sighted.

"As expected, I knew Yuri would understand me. Leon was so opposed to it though."

"...What do you mean by saying that the Third Prince Leon strongly opposes it?"

I felt uneasy upon hearing that the Third Prince vehemently opposed it.

Sure enough.

"We decided to provide new processed foods for the soldiers who are working hard."

"Yes? Then..."

When I looked at the bowl of ramen in front of Zion, the First Princess smiled brightly.

"That's right. That's the milk cheese ramen."

In an instant, a multitude of thoughts flashed through my mind.

Then, a sudden question comes to mind.

How was the evaluation from those around you?

"Everyone said it was delicious and liked it, didn't they?"

"...."

Unfortunately, there were no loyal subjects around the First Princess to correct her.

From the perspective of the nobles who had aligned themselves with the First Princess, it wouldn't be easy to criticize the princess's eating habits. Or maybe they have unique tastes themselves.

The problem is that the soldiers in the capital are in a position where they have to taste a new dish called "Milk Cheese Ramen" that the First Princess is promoting.

The intention behind the free meal distribution was good, but it was expected to be very polarizing.

Lilith will be used as the model there.

It was obvious what the military's opinion of Lilith would be.

Of course, the White Tower, which invested in Lilith's Milk, is also deeply involved.

"Oh, and I've thought of a couple new ideas. For pizza..."

"Your Highness."

"Yes, Yuri."

Before the First Princess's bombshell remarks could continue, I interrupted her mid-sentence.

"Milk cheese ramen is certainly a good idea, but I don't think it would be suitable for military supply."

"Why?"

In response to the genuinely bewildered reaction, I chose my words carefully.

Honestly, the First Princess's idea seemed strange from the perspective of ramen, but it wasn't unusual at all when viewed within the context of food.

'This would probably be fine as just pasta.'

The First Princess's recipe, if simmered gently, could be considered a creamy pasta dish.

Just as I was about to present the pasta, Zion opened his mouth as if he couldn't contain his curiosity.

"If it's too spicy, why did you add milk instead of just putting in more chili?"

"Even with the chili, it's still bland."

""?""

A question mark appeared on both Zion's face and mine at the same time.

I felt a twist as if we were having completely different conversations.

"So, are you saying that even if you add chili peppers, it's not spicy?"

"Yes, that's what I mean. If I add more soup, it will be too salty."

I pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Zion, bring that over here."

"Is that okay?"

"It's okay, so bring it."

"...Understood."

Zion hesitated and then stood up. What he brought back after going outside was a bright red fruit that looked like a bell pepper.

The only difference is that the surface is bumpy, making it look ominous.

Pepperidge.

This was a spicy pepper that could definitely be counted among the top contenders for spiciness among the fruits I discovered after coming to this world.

Even I, who am confident in my ability to handle spiciness, can't eat this pepper without milk, and that pepper is the pepperoncini.

Zion was frowning, as if just looking at it made him feel sick.

But.

"What is this? Is this a bell pepper?"

The First Princess was biting into it as if she was eating an ordinary strawberry, tilting her head in confusion.

Support me in my translation journey!

Patreon.com/SiRoasa

— Currently you can read Twenty (20) chapters ahead!