...
In the banquet hall of the Medici family, one dish caught everyone's attention.
A cake adorned with pure white whipped cream and vibrant, jewel-like fruits. Naturally, the nobles' interest was entirely focused on this unique dessert.
"Has there ever been a dessert like this in the Tosca Empire?" said one of the nobles. Being unfamiliar, they assumed it must be some kind of exotic Eastern delicacy.
"The Bread Guild doesn't make anything like that. Could it have come from the East?"
"But it fits so well with the other dishes in the banquet."
They were both intrigued and cautious.
"To come up with something this new, they must have hired a genius chef. The new Medici Baron isn't ordinary."
Just as curiosity was heating up, Albert, the new Medici Baron, entered. Thanks to the new dessert, the atmosphere was relatively bright. It wasn't exactly lively, but curiosity was in the air, and so was a sense of heightened expectations for him.
'Fabio's new dessert is already receiving such high praise.'
"This is a new dessert our family has created, a cake. We will serve it as the final course of today's banquet." said Albert.
Nobles from families friendly with the Medicis congratulated Albert on his succession and exchanged small talk. In doing so, they subtly revealed their curiosity about the cake.
"I wonder what this new dessert from the Medici Baron will taste like."
As a result, the banquet meal was served a bit earlier than usual. Dishes like peppered tenderloin steak, pasta laden with cheese, and other dishes coated in spices like cloves and nutmeg.
They were more about flaunting wealth than flavor. Most of the dishes fit the banquet of nobility perfectly but were, honestly, just expensive.
"And now, for today's dessert: cake."
Would something that looks this good also taste good?
The nobles swallowed instinctively.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what this new Medici dessert tastes like."
"I was getting bored of the same old dishes every time."
Nobles are incredibly sensitive to trends. Failing to keep up with changing fashions could mean political downfall. Decline often leads to ruin or even death. So, if they don't adapt to something new, it could be the end for them. The question is, should they accept this unfamiliar dish?
"Please, enjoy."
They swallowed again as they gazed at the cake, each piece carefully plated. It looked like a work of art, with glistening red strawberries atop the white whipped cream. The cake's true worth became apparent the moment they tasted it.
"The whipped cream melts sweetly, like snow."
"What a delicious dessert.It's truly worthy of the Medici name."
"This is bound to start a trend."
The other banquet dishes served only to showcase wealth, and many nobles felt it wasn't even worth eating. But the cake had just the right amount of sweetness, not too overpowering, and the strawberries' fresh tanginess was perfectly balanced.
It was so good that they already wanted to have it again the next day. Some nobles even let their guard down in front of the Medici Baron.
"Baron Medici, could I have another slice? It's truly delicious."
"This is the kind of dessert you wouldn't even get in the Imperial Palace."
With continuous praise, Albert, the new Medici Baron, graciously accommodated all their requests with a smile.
...
The next morning, the Medici family was flooded with letters from people who had enjoyed the cake, all requesting the recipe.
"I expected every noble would be interested in this cake, but the reaction is far better than I imagined, young master."
The butler walked up to Fabio in a calm manner. As soon as he saw Fabio, he smiled with a look of disbelief.
"After tasting the cake at the recent banquet, we received a flood of requests from various noble families for the recipe."said the butler.
In truth, making this kind of cake isn't particularly difficult. Even a cooking novice like me could whip it up beautifully with a few sessions with the chef.
'If it were a truly complicated dish, I would have gone through much more trial and error.'
No matter how skilled the chef, a difficult dish would have caused us to hit a wall with mistakes until we succeeded.
"So, what did you do?" asked Fabio.
"Master Albert, or rathe Baron Medici, said it's up to you since it's your recipe." said the butler.
You'd think that now that Albert's the Medici Baron, he'd be done with his suspicions. Has his paranoia worsened since he inherited the title?
Fabio understands his anxiety about his shaky position as a new baron, but does he really need to test him by seeing whether he'll yield or not?
'If I don't hand over the recipe, he'll think I'm suspicious.'
Not that Fabio had any plans of making a fortune off a single recipe in a world with no patent laws.
"Tell them it's fine to share the recipe with the noble families close to the Medici family." said Fabio.
Ideally, he'd sell the recipe at a decent price to friendly families and at a steep price to hostile ones. With no patents, there's no expectation of royalties, so Fabio has to earn some initial capital this way.
However, if Fabio even suggests selling it to our enemies, his brother Albert might suspect him of trying to curry favor with them. He'd easily mistake him for a coward trying to survive by selling out.
"Yes, young master. Also, the retired Baron wanted to commend you on the success. He's waiting in his study now." said the butler.
Honestly, he'd done quite a bit. By creating a dessert that brought prestige to a noble's most sacred event, he raised the Medici family's influence.
And by freely offering the recipe of what would be a central dish at future Imperial banquets to our allied families, he earned a fair amount of goodwill.
It might seem trivial, just a single recipe. But in Korea, before smartphones were common, a recipe for cold noodle broth with a few drops of acetic acid could sell for millions of won.
For a recipe that could dictate the pride of nobility, the sky's the limit. With the act of hiding his abilities finally done and a reward waiting, his steps felt lighter. Fabio felt so pleased that he almost started humming a tune. But he held back, thinking it might look strange if he was too excited.
"Have you been holding back your abilities all this time, young master?" said one of the servants.
"He suddenly seems so reliable these past few days." said one of the servants.
They say when a notorious troublemaker does one good deed, he appears as the kindest person alive. He wasn't exactly a nuisance, but hiding behind a facade and showing results at last was bound to raise his status among the servants.
Father, too, must have increased his evaluation of me.
Just as Fabio was beginning to bask in the satisfaction of a successful start in this other world…
Knock!knock!knock!
"Father, I'm coming in." Fabio knocked on the door of his father study. Only a few days ago, he had a similar conversation with his father about his future.
But today, he's different from the person he was back then. No, he had solid justification and concrete results to persuade him.
"Your steps seem bolder." Father smiled the moment he saw Fabio.It's only natural he'd be pleased to see his child achieving results to be proud of at such a young age.
With a smile, he pushed a basket on his desk toward Fabio. The basket was full of letters from nobles.
"I've heard from Sebastian, so I won't belabor it. You did well. Thanks to you, Albert was able to hold his head high." said his father.
To nobles, banquets are wars where lives are on the line. Of those, weddings, funerals, and the first banquet held after assuming lordship are particularly important.
'The debut banquet is a moment where a noble's capabilities are assessed.'
Father's praise was soon followed by a sigh: "You're standing out even in a humble trade. It makes me think you could have a stellar career as an officer or official. But since you've kept your promise, I won't force you."
"Thank you." said Fabio.
"If you're serious about business, you'll need seed money. How much will you need?" said his father.
The more initial capital, the better. But there's no point in speaking too broadly to a noble who's survived lifelong political battles.
"One suitable shop in Vecchio Street, a skilled pâtissier, and fifty gold coins." Fabio said. He can't precisely convert a gold coin into Korean won.
That's because the nominal value of currency in this era differs vastly from 21st-century Korea. But, based on the Tosca Empire's standard. Fifty gold coins would buy you a middle-class home in the capital.
"You're asking for quite a bit." said his father.
"I believe what I've done is worth that much. And I'll return the favor with political gains." said Fabio. It may seem excessive to ask for the equivalent of a small apartment for a single new cake…
But what he'd done is worth at least that much. He'd proven that the Medici family won't have uncertainties in its leadership succession and raised the family's prestige.
"What do you intend to do?" asked his father.
"I want to create a space where people can chat over cakes, pastries, and tea." replied Fabio.
Introducing new pastries or cakes every few months in a world that doesn't have them will quickly turn it into a trendsetting hotspot. Nobles are thirsty for anything new in this stagnant environment. Once at the center of trends, the café will become a hub for political and economic influence.
"Even though you've made a name for yourself with your cake, Fabio de Medici, that alone won't be enough to attract people." said his father.
Currently, he is just the second son of a barony who invented a new dessert. He's not exactly unknown. But people won't flock to the café just for his name. So, I'll use another strategy.
"I'll use the cake's reputation to attract courtesans." replied Fabio.
Courtesans, the empire's equivalent of Korea's geishas or idols. As idols, they heavily influence trends across the empire. Why? Because they're stunningly beautiful. And if beautiful women—idols, no less—frequent the café, there's no way it could fail.
'Just by giving them free cakes and pastries, they'll line up to come.'
Father picked up a pen and quickly wrote an order and a check.
"You've proven your worth, so do as you please. Even if you fail, I won't hold it against you." said his father.