Chapter 203 Product Planning Meeting V
Sara noticed that the maids were buzzing around the samples that had arrived and decided to check the goods sent by the women's settlement. Of course, Chloe's tension was MAX.
"Sara, this is super cute. Can I have one too?"
"You're a lady, Chloe, so buy one properly yourself."
"Eh, are you saying that to me now?"
By the way, Young Marquis was a debt tycoon.
"There's no helping it. Go advertise to your friends properly."
"Leave it to me!"
By the way, the ones who brought the samples this time were Helen, who was like the boss of the women's settlement, and Catherine, who was Rebecca's former lady-in-waiting.
"This time, it's Lady Sara, isn't it? I thought Lady Sophia was waiting."
"Hehe. Am I not good enough?"
"No, I know that no matter who I show it to, the answer will be the same."
Helen smiled at Sara with a sly grin. Even Helen, who was usually bold and carefree, was being polite and courteous within the Grandchester castle grounds.
'I see, she's aware of it, but it seems she's not convinced yet.'
"That's good. The part we rushed to deliver for the hunting tournament was received by the Sophia Merchant Guild. I think the servant brought cash immediately, but was it okay?"
"That's the thing, but it was more than we initially planned, and it was surprising."
"It turned out really amazing, and it was even 2 days ahead of schedule. The additional cost will be at the regular price, but I'm worried that the other side might not be satisfied."
"Even with the regular labor cost, it's higher than other merchants or merchant guilds, so it's a great job. Winter is coming, and the women from the nearby farms might also want to help out."
Sara turned to Chloe and asked.
"Hey Chloe, do you think this will sell to noblewomen or wealthy ladies?"
"I think it's cute, but I don't think it'll become a high-end product."
"Yeah. I don't plan on pricing it that high either. If we have extra, I want to make it affordable for commoners too."
Chloe made a slightly troubled face.
"Hmm. Nobles might not be happy about having the same thing as commoners."
"That's just how it is. Nobles are a pain."
"Lady Sara, I think it's a good idea to differentiate our product for nobles and the wealthy. We could add high-quality fabric, lace, and intricate embroidery. There are women who are skilled at that kind of work, so we could take custom orders."
Helen proposed.
"But do we really need to go that far with the pouches with potpourri and the makeup bags?"
Sara was half-convinced.
"That's a big deal. I don't understand noblewomen. If we're confident in the quality of the contents, we can't compromise on the outside. If it doesn't have a high-class feel all the way through, it'll look cheap, and noblewomen won't buy it."
"I kind of understand that."
"Hey, Sara, how about selling sachet and Pouch together as a set, like a series product? We can use the same fabric and lace. Of course, we'll go for a high-end route."
"That's a great idea, isn't it?"
'Chloe has a personality that's perfect for product planning, don't you think?'
"If Chloe were to create products, what kind of things would you want? It's okay if they're not in the samples here."
"Hmm... I got a hand cream yesterday, but are there other types?"
"There are many kinds since the fragrance changes depending on the essential oil we put in."
"I wish the scent of that one was a bit stronger, like a soft, fluffy fragrance. That might leave a good impression on my dance partner too..."
Chloe was getting into her maiden mode, fidgeting around, but Sara was thinking about her past life.
'A body cream with a nice fragrance, or something like a perfume. Yeah, a gentle, fruity fragrance like that would probably leave a good impression.'
"By the way, what kind of perfume do you use?"
"There aren't any factories in Avalon that can make perfume, so we import everything and it's really expensive. Even my parents only use it on special occasions. That's why some people put essential oils on their clothes and wear them inside their clothes."
"Why don't people make it domestically?"
"There aren't any perfumers, and there are many secret techniques involved in the manufacturing process."
Sara didn't know the manufacturing process since she didn't get involved in perfume-making during the Sarasa era, but she had used perfume before, so she could kind of imagine it.
'Perfume, I think, is made by mixing fragrance with anhydrous ethanol and stuff. If I made anhydrous ethanol from Elma, it would be such a waste. And, I can do distillation, but what about dehydration afterwards? How do I ensure calcium oxide doesn't oxidize? Do I have to burn seashells or something? ...Ugh, making perfume in Grandchester is impossible.'
"Sara, your face is all stiff and scary."
"Ah, sorry. I was thinking. I think I can make what Chloe wants. But for extracting fragrance, we'll need Ms. Amelia to work hard on it."
Amelia the Pharmacist Girl was taking notes while listening to Sara and Chloe's conversation, already considering several ideas.
"If we're going to use it like perfume, the scent is limited, isn't it? Right now, we only have a sufficient amount of lavender, rosemary, peppermint, and lemongrass, but you want a more elegant scent, don't you?"
"Actually, I want rose or something."
"Yes, rose is an elegant scent, but extracting its essential oil is really difficult. We need a huge amount, and cultivating it is also tough."
"Maybe we can use enfleurage?"
"Miss Sara, you're really like a pharmacist or alchemist, aren't you? That's right. The enfleurage method for extracting fragrance is well-known. However, the high-proof liquor used in that process is a secret."
"We call it ethanol in Avalon, don't we?"
"Yes. It's written that way in papers on enfleurage, so pharmacists and alchemists call it ethanol."
"In the end, it's bound to come to that, isn't it? If we can get our hands on ethanol, we can even make perfume."
"That's true. Through experimentation, we've already confirmed that simply repeating the distillation process won't produce the desired result. So, how can we increase the alcohol content to that level?"
"You distill the shells that have been thoroughly burned and add the resulting high-alcohol liquid. Maybe using limestone would also work, but we won't know until we try. If we wait for a while, the ethanol and water will separate, so we can filter it or take only the clear part and distill it again. In theory, that should work, but I can't guarantee the outcome."
Sara's words prompted Alicia the Alchemist Girl and Amelia the Pharmacist Girl to exchange a glance and nod in agreement.
"Miss Sara, is that based on Paracelsus' writings?"
"No, I haven't seen any records of Paracelsus writing about that."
"Well, the experiment seems doable, at least."
"But we need to buy those shells, and Grandchester doesn't have a sea, does it?"
"That's right. In Avalon, only the capital city and the surrounding royal territories have a coastline."
Suddenly, Rebecca interrupted the conversation.
"But there is a sea. The territory I received 10 years ago, which originally belonged to the royal family, has a coastline. It's a small place with only an orchard and a tiny fishing port, but the climate is warm, so it's popular for relaxation."
"Mother, just hearing the word 'sea' gets my heart racing, but can we get salt?"
"I don't have a salt farm, though."
"There's no trade port, is there?"
"Yes, it's really just a small fishing port."
"What kind of fruits are grown in the orchard?"
"Like, there were a lot of olives and oranges..."
Sara started giggling, making a silly face.
"Olives... they're amazing, aren't they? Really great."
"Sara, your face is scary. You've completely forgotten how to smile like a lady."
"Maybe Mother's land is a treasure trove or something. At least, just listening to the story, I can hear the sound of clinking money."
"I don't get it at all. Olives aren't that profitable, are they? Just for their oil?"
"Don't you think Ms. Amelia would know why I'm so excited about olives?"
Sara asked Amelia the Pharmacist Girl.
"Yes, I want to make cosmetics using olive oil. I also want to use it for hair care."
"I see. So it's not just for food, huh?"
Rebecca nodded in understanding.
"I also want to make soap."
Alicia the Alchemist Girl turned to Sara, who had started giggling again.
"Do you know the formula for making soap, Miss Sara?!"
"I know it in theory, but I've never made it before."
"Soap is one of the products with a secret formula. The Panial Empire, across the sea, only produces it in limited areas and keeps it under military guard. And the craftsmen have magic spells cast on them to keep it secret."
'Wow, is it that big of a deal? No wonder it's so hard to get good lather when I take a bath!'
"I'll send you the written formula later. Let's put it aside for now. First, we have to get through the hunting tournament. But after that, I want to visit Mother's territory!"
"The name of our territory is Cornwell. Right now, I'm the lord, but after I get married, I'll have Rob take over as the lord. In the future, it wouldn't be bad if Ms. Sara inherits it, don't you think?"
"Mother, please do your best to have an heir!"
"Oh, Ms. Sara would probably develop the territory, wouldn't she?"
"Of course, I'll support my younger brother or sister in developing it."
"That's reassuring, isn't it?"
Rebecca wore a bright smile on her face.
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