Chapter 74 The popularity of ice cream

"Ice cream, what kind of dessert is that?"

True to her nature as a girl, Li Weiwei immediately picked up on Carter's mention of it and inquired, "Is it a sweet made from ice?"

Carter gestured for a male servant to fetch the ice cream from the kitchen before explaining to everyone, "Ice cream is a delightful frozen delicacy, a specialty of the Flower Town Castle's kitchen. It's a uniquely formulated dessert perfect for beating the summer heat and complementing meals. It was Lord's brilliant idea."

"It sounds like some sort of frozen cheese," Mrs. Penelope commented with disdain. "I don't like cheese; it makes me nauseous all afternoon."

Levis shrugged. "I don't like cheese either. Maybe I could have a cup of frozen juice instead."

" Ice cream isn't cheese. Try it first, and I'm sure you'll be charmed by its allure, this irresistible treat," Liszt said casually.

"You have an interest in gastronomy?" Mrs. Mary asked with a smile. "I must taste a dessert crafted by a nobleman myself."

The earl had been enjoying the roasted meat on his plate.

Upon hearing Mrs. Mary's words, his expression darkened slightly, and his tone turned serious. "Liszt, you're already an adult and have been granted your fief. You should focus on developing Flower Town and earning the glory of knighthood, not on food. That's a breach of noble etiquette. The kitchen is where servants belong!"

Nobles would never enter the kitchen, for it was a place for the lower class.

List sipped his chilled beer casually, ignoring the earl's reprimand. "My lord father, ice cream is merely an idea. Mrs. Abby has brought it to life based on that concept. As a noble, my role is simply to taste it and offer feedback on its texture."

He then smiled at Lady Mary. "If you enjoy it later, please do commend Mrs. Abby. She is a diligent and attentive cook."

"I would be delighted to," Mary replied with a smile.

Lowering her head, she began cutting into the seafood on her plate, her smile fading swiftly.

In the brief interval, the male servants had already carried trays of colorful ice creams, one by one, to the nobles, placing them on their tables.

The cups were precious crystal glasses. Crystal was often found alongside Dragon gems in mines; those of high quality with magical properties could be crafted into lamps, while those of lesser quality without magic were fashioned into various crystal utensils, symbolizing a noble's status, power, and wealth.

There were twenty crystal stemware glasses in the castle.

Originally meant for serving red wine at banquets, they were now repurposed for holding ice cream.

"Ah, this is ice cream, isn't it? It looks lovely, and the aroma is delightful." Li Weiwei picked up the ice cream cup, examining it closely. Inside the cup, there were three round spheres.

One was pink, another light yellow, and the third a pale green.

On top of that were two small purple wild berries.

She then glanced at Levis's cup, which also contained three spheres in pale yellow, pink, and dark brown.

Essentially, there were only four colors: pink, pale yellow, pale green, and dark brown.

It was just that the combinations of colors in each person's cup varied.

Carter spoke gracefully, "Ladies and gentlemen, there are four flavors of this ice cream. The pink ones are strawberry, the pale yellow are banana, the pale green are matcha, and the dark brown are chocolate. You can choose according to your preference."

"Very cold." Captain Mickey held his cup and, instead of tasting it, asked out of curiosity, "Lister, are these made with ice? If I'm not mistaken, Flower Town doesn't have an icehouse. Please forgive my curiosity, but I can't figure out how you made the ice cream."

"Indeed, Flower Town doesn't have an icehouse, but that doesn't mean there's no ice," Lister said, looking at everyone's curious eyes without any intention of hiding anything. "I found a very tiny nitre deposit in the town. I remember reading in a knight novel that nitre can be used to make ice, so now Flower Town has ice."

"Nitre? For making ice?" The Earl looked at the increasingly unfamiliar Lister and couldn't help asking, "Is this a wizard's trick?"

"Wizards can create ice directly, but nitre making ice is a... natural phenomenon. Nitre dissolves in water and absorbs heat, turning the water into ice."

"Mysterious nitre. Can I witness it?"

"Certainly, but I'm afraid it's not possible today. We've run out of saltpeter. It takes an enormous amount to turn a small amount of water into ice. Flower Town has only a tiny saltpeter mine, and even if we mined it all, we wouldn't be able to make more than two buckets of ice in a day."

Captain Mickey sighed. "What a pity."

Li Weiwei interjected immediately, "Lister, give me the saltpeter for one bucket of water, and I'll pay you with gold coins!"

"Try this ice cream and see if you like it, Sister," Lister deftly changed the subject. His sister had been used to snatching his toys since they were young, and she always wanted whatever was good.

Li Weiwei glared at Lister.

Her once easily bullied little brother had grown up to ignore her.

"Makes no difference if it's only two buckets of ice a day, it's still remarkable. Tulip Castle can't open its ice cellar every day either. Ice in summer is worth more than gold," Mary said, turning to the Earl. "Darling, perhaps saltpeter could develop into an industry. You know how the nobles always eye our ice cellar during the summer."

The Earl scooped out a ball of ice cream without lifting his head. "Saltpeter may be magical, but two buckets of ice a day are only enough for Lister's personal use. It doesn't hold much value."

As he tasted the chocolate-flavored ice cream, his eyes lit up. "A very unique taste."

Levis chimed in, "It's truly delicious. Is this called ice cream? I like this strawberry flavor. Compared to frozen cheese, it's rich in milkiness without being overly sweet. It's softer to bite and melts in your mouth instantly."

"I prefer matcha flavor." Li Weiwei had already finished her pale green matcha ice cream scoop.

"An excellent dessert after a meal, especially during summer banquets," Captain Mickey commented.

The delectable ice cream instantly captured everyone's taste buds.

Only one person at the table shook her head—it was Mrs. Penelope. "Oh, I'm sorry, but I'm not accustomed to such a taste. It doesn't seem like food at all, Mr. Carter. Please switch it for a glass of rock sugar water for me."

"Grandma doesn't like it? I do. Mr. Carter, another cup of ice cream for me, please. I'd like chocolate and banana flavors this time," Lytton said, having already polished off his cup of ice cream.

...

Ice cream was merely a dessert.

Lister "invented" it solely to have a refreshing cold treat in the summer—he couldn't drink iced beer all day, but he could eat ice cream all day long.

However, at today's banquet, the ice cream stole the show.

Aside from Mrs. Penelope, who wasn't fond of it, and Captain Mickey and the Earl, who weren't overly enthusiastic, the rest were captivated by its taste.

Mrs. Abby's four generous servings of ice cream were devoured without a trace.

The grand luncheon concluded on a delightful note, the taste of the ice cream lingering.

With a straightened back and all tension relieved, Carter busied himself supervising the servants as they tidied up the aftermath. In the corridor, he crossed paths with the underbutler, Silva, whose face was radiant with a broad smile. "Mr. Silva, I must extend my gratitude to Lord for the delightful fare. The gentlemen thoroughly enjoyed themselves at the luncheon."