Just a hundred years ago, 99% of the sugar on the market was made in one way.
It was by distilling the juice squeezed from sugarcane.
Sugarcane was a crop that could only be grown in humid tropical climates.
So in the empire where more than half of the territory belonged to the cold climate, there was always a shortage of sugar, call it sucre if you preferred.
With the Industrial Revolution, the supply of sugar exploded, but the situation did not improve.
The empire's distribution network was unstable due to slow developnt of transportation networks.
Moreover, the demand for sugar greatly increased due to the outbreak of civil war.
Nobles had to distribute high-calorie sugars to soldiers to maintain their combat effectiveness and morale.
It was a ti when many nobles died in civil war and many new nobles were born.
Although there was various radical upward mobility news, becoming a son-in-law of a marquis and a son-in-law of a duke was considered disgraceful even at that ti.
The dozens of marquis titles that the previous emperor distributed to relatives for the authority of the aristocracy were nothing more than hollow honors that only maintained dignity.
However, when the emperor died suddenly without an heir, the marquis titles beca the right to vote for the next emperor.
While so marquises were considered walking ballot papers, there were also marquises who wielded real power directly.
The marquis who beca the son-in-law of Wilhelm Slagbrot was one of those ambitious people.
At that ti, Wilhelm was a renowned pastry chef in Yeterinpuurk.
He baked various strange pastries in ways that other craftsn had never thought of.
The most surprising of his mysterious secrets was sugar production.
He developed a technique to extract sugar from sugar beets, which were used as livestock feed at the ti.
It was amazing, but it didn't attract much attention.
Most alchemists had that level of vision.
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The real value of the extraction thod depended on profitability and material purity.
There were already hundreds of ways to produce sugar.
However, in the realm of 'industry', sugarcane was the only one used. It was because it had the highest profitability and purity.
So alchemists didn't think much of Wilhelm's thod.
"It's just a strategy to mystify his own pastries."
"No matter where you extract it, chemically, it's no different, but people are easily deceived."
It was a coincidence that the marquis who would later beco his craftsman found him.
He ca to Yeterinpuurk for a rest from the long civil war without an escape route and happened to eat a pastry in a bakery. It was sweeter and tastier than any pastry he had ever tasted.
And it was cheaper.
At that mont, he heard rumors about Wilhelm's sugar extraction thod.
The marquis foresaw that the outco of the civil war would be determined by vodka and sugar.
Moreover, sugar beets were a crop that could be easily found anywhere in the empire.
He saw the value of Wilhelm's sugar extraction thod.
It wasn't long before the marquis, faced with Wilhelm's cries demanding nothing but his pretty and renowned youngest daughter in return. Wilhelm stord out with a sword to slit the thief's throat who dared to covet his daughter.
In the midst of his frenzy, he noticed his daughter standing between him and the intruder.
During his short stay in Yeterinpuurk, the two individuals, unbeknownst to him, fell in love and secretly t each other.
The fact that his daughter suddenly wanted to eat pastries and dragged him to the pastry shop a few days ago was no coincidence.
Seeing his youngest daughter, who always cooed and laughed at him, shedding tears and shouting angrily at him for the sake of another man, he was shocked.
He finally approved of their marriage a month later.
A large confectionery industrial complex was built in Yeterinpuurk six months later.
It was seven years later that the heir supported by the marquis beca the emperor after the civil war ended.
It was fifteen years later that Wilhelm, supported by the marquis, won in the internal struggle of the marquisate and was also recognized as a marquis.
Although more than fifty years had passed since Wilhelm beca a marquis, he still preferred to be called 'Candyman' rather than Marquis Slagbrot.
Many believed it was a nickna derived from his pastry artisan days, but the truth was slightly different.
During the trend when lovers gave each other sweet nicknas, he called her Raspberry, and it was her who gave him the nickna Candyman.
Sitting on his ho office chair, he listened to the factory manager reporting on the business situation, wrinkling his nose.
Not only was he skilled in running the factory, but he also had a knack for understanding his superiors' moods.
Raspberry Pi and lemon cheesecake.
The two snacks on the ho office desk were favorites of his departed wife and daughter.
Though he was too old to see now, when he slled them, he could recall the smiling faces of the two people who loved his treats.
Their voices too.
"Heh, you think eating these cheered you up yesterday."
"Haha, how could anything made by His Lordship not be delicious?"
Wilhelm coughed loudly.
The factory manager, startled, looked at him.
He worried that maybe Wilhelm had found so flaw in the business report.
But the Marquis reassured him with a wave of his hand.
He had just cleared his throat to dispel the tears that were welling up from mories of the past.
Ever since he lost his sight, he had developed a habit of being wary of how he appeared to others.
"All right. What's on the agenda for today?"
"Yes. First, you'll inspect the snack production facility, then have lunch with the Golden Carnival acrobats, and afterward…"
The Candyman felt the sunlight stroking his cheek through the window.
Though he couldn't see, he could sll the scent carried on the breeze.
Sohow, he had a very welcoming feeling that a special guest would co today.
***
Slagbrot Pastry Factory welcod visitors every day.
Anyone who hadn't yet beco an adult was eligible to visit.
There was no admission fee. You just needed one guardian to accompany you.
It might only happen once in a lifeti, but children could gather unforgettable mories and go ho with arms full of snack gifts.
And if they were lucky, it might not just be a once-in-a-lifeti experience.
Ten or twenty years later, so people returned with their own children to visit the factory again.
Ella passed through the crowd lining up in front of the factory in a carriage.
They were guests invited by the owner of this factory.
They didn't have to wait like those people over there.
Sitting beside her, a Golden Carnival acrobat looked at the people outside through the window, reminiscing with colleagues about the mories they had when they visited this place with their mothers.
She involuntarily took a deep breath.
mories with her parents.
"Ella, don't you like sweets? Want to go to the Candy factory with ?"
Three weeks ago, Wonderstein had invited her to co here together.
Back then, she had brushed it off, saying it was a waste of ti….
She looked through the window.
Excited children and smiling parents were there.
If only she had known, she would have agreed to his sudden suggestion of going out.
Maybe he wanted to give her so mories since she grew up as an orphan.
He was acting as a parent figure.
She felt grateful for his thoughtfulness.
She decided that when they returned, she would ask him to co here together again.
Even though he seed to have no interest in anything other than the Circus Grand Prix, now she understood why he had suggested going out of the blue.
He probably wanted to give her so mories since she grew up as an orphan.
His heartfelt intentions were appreciated.
She would have to pretend that she had never been here before, so he could anticipate her surprise, but…
When they got off the carriage, they were greeted by the factory manager.
His ample figure and jowls indirectly showed that he was a skilled pastry maker.
"Welco. The World's greatest acrobats."
Lord Fantastic stepped forward as their representative and shook hands with him.
"Although we may not match the skills of our guests, our artisans will certainly delight our guests' eyes."
As Ella and the Golden Carnival perforrs followed him into the factory, four people appeared in the crowd.
"Are you enjoying yourself, Director?"
In response to Yurakne's words, Wonderstein smiled with longing and looked up at the factory.
"Do I seem to be?"
"Yes. You've been humming a tune all the way here."
Wonderstein grinned awkwardly.
It was the background music for the candy factory map.
"Have you ever been here, Director?"
Wonderstein, who had been thinking for a mont, nodded his head.
"A long ti ago."
At that mont, the reception called out a number.
It belonged to Yurakne and Maya.
The two of them dashed forward.
Since Reyna had just gone into the restroom, Wonderstein looked around at the people waiting in line.
Adults and children stood in a 1:1 ratio.
To keep the spectators, employed jesters divided snacks and perford small-scale acrobatics.
"Eat just a little."
"If you eat too much now, you won't be able to enjoy the tastier things inside."
Parents made sure their children didn't fill up too much on the snacks handed out here.
Then, a jester extended a basket in front of where Wonderstein was standing.
He tried to refuse, but the jester looked at him with pleading eyes.
"Oh, Director Wonderstein, isn't it?"
He was a man with white face paint and a strawberry-sized nose.
At first, Wonderstein didn't recognize who he was, but soon he exclaid, "Ah!" with realization.
"Mr. Allen?"
At that mont, another jester, similarly dressed, approached.
"What's going on… Oh, it's you?"
He was surprised.
There was a brief pause between them.
Allen and Jo had applied for various additional roles, but they all fell through.
So they were earning money by doing such cheap jester gigs.
"Let's hope for the next opportunity."
"The path of art is long and hard."
"Please rember us for the next audition."
The two of them nodded to him.
But that was a mistake.
Snacks spilled out of the basket they were holding onto the floor.
A factory employee supervising the temporary workers ran over from afar.
"What's wrong with you guys! Earlier, you stepped on pudding and slipped at the sa ti!"
The two of them were eventually fired, and 10 minutes later, they were seen leaving the factory with their jester makeup removed and dejected faces.
Wonderstein looked at them with pity.
Two legends who had lost their anonymity as rcenaries ended up becoming codians by chance…
At that mont, Reyna approached him.
She tightly grabbed his sleeve and looked around.
Despite being in front of many people, she maintained her usual haughty princess deanor, but her voice was trembling.
"I-I think we might be too old…"
As Reyna said, most of the children in line were around their early to mid-teens.
It was the perfect age to enjoy a field trip and co to a place like this holding hands with their parents.
However, Reyna and Maya, brought by Wonderstein and Yurakne, were 17 years old.
Considering that they would beco adults in two years, they were sowhat late to co to a place like this holding their parents' hands.
Still, Maya, with her small stature and doll-like features, didn't seem out of place despite her age.
On the other hand, Reyna, with her tall stature and a body that could rival Yurakne, was quite mature.
Even though her face made her look like a teenager, her stature couldn't be ignored.
At that mont, Maya suddenly squeezed in between the two of them.
It seed like the registration was over.
"If you don't like it, then leave."
Her voice was cold and indifferent.
Reyna trembled at the hostility emanating from her.
She turned away from Reyna and looked at Wonderstein.
"Director."
She tightly grabbed his hand and pulled him towards her.
"Please change my clothes."
Reyna almost scread at her words.
What is she talking about?
Oh, she wants her clothes changed?
Reyna's face flushed red, but the two continued their conversation casually.
"Sweaters and cardigans might get lint in the factory, so hang them outside. But I don't want to wear factory uniforms."
"Oh, alright. Shall we go inside then?"
Huh?
Huh?
There was no ti to dry off.
She stared blankly as the two walked into the bathroom together.
In the sa stall?
In this era, bathrooms weren't just places for bodily functions but also served as rooms for fixing makeup and adjusting clothing.
Even so, for a man and a woman to enter together like that ant 'let's do sothing naughty.'
Of course, they wouldn't do such a thing in broad daylight, especially in an outdoor bathroom with the ceiling vents wide open…
But why would the Director change her clothes…
And why does the Director accept it so naturally…
What's going on between them…?
Reyna's mind was in turmoil.
Unconsciously, she approached the stall.
Then, a large cat appeared in front of the bathroom stall.
It was the illusion cat that Maya talked about.
As Reyna approached, the cat unleashed a psychic storm, baring its sharp teeth.
Nyaahh!
It was the illusion cat.
Reyna stepped back.
And as she confird the cat's expression, her face stiffened.
Pffft.
Though she couldn't hear any sound, Reyna could understand.
The cat was mocking her.
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