Chapter 64 - A Sweet Girl Won’t Be Fooled By The Villainess

Chapter 64: So Tired! 【Scan completed, this is sugar beet】 The system announced the scan results, which were just as Ifia had suspected. This surprise made her eyes widen in amazement — she hadn't expected to find sugar beets in this world at all! She had thought this kind of plant didn't exist here. It was truly an unexpected delight! Wait a minute, if there are sugar beets, why is sugar still so expensive?? Even though Ifia knew she was a bit of a dim-witted student, she still knew that sugar could be extracted from sugar beets. This meant that even if the Sis Empire couldn’t grow sugarcane, they could still have sugar to eat! They wouldn't need to import it from other countries. 【System, I don't understand. If we have sugar beets, shouldn't we be able to extract sugar from them? Why is the price of sugar still so high?】 Since she had questions, she turned to the system. The system didn't disappoint Ifia and quickly provided an explanation. 【Sugar beets are a newly introduced species and the empire hasn't promoted them extensively. As a result, they are only popular in a small scale. When people tried eating them raw, they found them less sweet than fruits. Then they tried cooking the sugar beets and found that they have a sweet taste, but eating too much of them would be filling, so they are only treated as a side dish or a snack for children】 【But there are still people researching how to extract sugar from sugar beets. This research, however, conflicted with the interests of the nobles, so... Host, you know, the attempt to extract sugar was immediately stopped】 The system's response was somewhat dark, causing Ifia to sigh helplessly. However, she still had some lingering doubts. 【Regarding conflicting with the interests of the nobles, does it mean that if sugar becomes cheaper, the nobles would earn less?】 Facing Ifia's suddenly curious expression, the system didn't get annoyed. Instead, it seemed to feel a gratifying sense of satisfaction at her newfound ability to think for herself. Finally, the clueless host is starting to think for herself! 【The most important point is regarding the villainess’s father, Duke Barren. He controls the Sis Empire's sea routes, import and export trade, etc. If cheaper sugar appeared, it would undermine his power in the empire】 【However, there's always a way, and the laboring people have boundless wisdom】 【Even though the empire didn't disclose that sugar could be extracted from sugar beets, there are always clever people using sugar beets to make syrup, albeit dark red in color. It doesn't affect the taste! But due to a large number of believers, the empire... has more people who are superstitious. They think that this sweet red syrup is a temptation from the devil and would lead them to hell if consumed】 【Coupled with the strong suppression from the nobles, the red syrup couldn’t appear in the market and could only be traded secretly】 Having received this explanation from the system, Ifia immediately understood. It was just something to be aware of. In order to maintain the monopoly of the Sis Empire's commoners and nobility for the sake of releasing the information about extracting sugar from sugar beets, one would have to dare challenge the unfairness. But Ifia was hesitant! Moreover, the fact that the red syrup made from sugar beets was already being traded in secret meant that its circulation had been maintained for a while. During this time, no one had dared to resist, so why should she challenge the imperial authority? It would be her death! Hesitant as she was, Ifia knew that curiosity killed the cat. Therefore, she decided to halt the matter of extracting sugar from sugar beets. This made the system feel frustrated, as it had intended to share more information about Duke Barren. Once again, it questioned why it had been bound to a host who was a layabout. Was it because it had just been manufactured, and this was its first time as a system? Having found the suitable substitute for sugar, Ifia immediately bought up all the sugar beets from the stall and paid extra to have the vendor deliver them to the vicinity of the Pris Academy. She quickly purchased the other materials and some ready-made wooden barrels. A little extra money would ensure that the vendor would carry the sugar beets en route. Once the sugar beets were delivered to their destination, the vendor promptly left after settling the payment. It was said that there was still surplus sugar beets left at home. If left for a few more days, their taste would deteriorate. Ifia didn't have a huge appetite to consume all the sugar beets from the stall. She simply aimed to earn some money to improve her life, without banking on becoming wealthy through this. So, everything had to be in moderation. She also didn't want to deal with so much. However, the problem arose as to where to store so many sugar beets. After some silent contemplation, Ifia ultimately decided to hire someone to look after the sugar beets and other materials, while she hurried back to her dorm to knock on the dormitory manager's door. When the dormitory manager opened the door with a stern expression and saw that it was Ifia standing there, her expression immediately changed. If she had seemed ready to scold a moment ago, now she was bent low, turning into a servant. Ifia subtly curled the corner of her mouth. This didn't need to... Since Amilia appeared in the dorm, the dormitory manager who usually yelled at commoner students was now as warm as a spring breeze when facing her. It felt strange. But when it came to making money, Ifia thought she could get used to it! ... Using the dormitory manager's small kitchen didn't pose any hindrance, so Ifia quickly got to work. Boiling the sugar beets to extract the dark red syrup, adding a bit of salt would turn it into white syrup. Considering the situation in the Sis Empire, Ifia decided to keep this little trick under wraps! Not to prevent others from competing, but to avoid being assassinated by the nobles. For Ifia, it was just a small trick. But for the sugar-starved Sis Empire, it was a very important technique... Fortunately, the small kitchen of the dormitory manager was located behind the dormitory building, in a separate small house. Once she closed the kitchen door, it was tightly sealed, and she didn't have to worry about being seen. Now that the syrup had been refined, it was time to make the little treasure that would earn her money! Back when she was still living a wealthy life, Ifia had casually heard someone mention that 'Money from children and women is the easiest to earn'. Thinking about it now, it did seem right. This time, she'd target the noble female students. Like Jessina, the wealthy noblewoman. So, the little treasure Ifia chose to make was the milk tea favored by women! Compared to fetching meals, she could just carry a bucket of milk tea to class. People who wanted to buy could come over with a cup and give her a gold coin for a cup. After all, making milk tea required a lot of ingredients. Moreover, without electric kitchen appliances, just refining the syrup was very tiring! And using cassava to make the tapioca pearls was also very tiresome! щ(ºДºщ) Heavens, she would only do this once and then lay flat. After everything was ready, due to her lack of strength, Ifia couldn't carry the lidded bucket to the classroom. She had to continue to seek the dormitory manager for a small pushcart. Grateful for the favor, the dormitory manager helped to push the wooden bucket into the classroom. Ifia didn't let the dormitory manager's help go unnoticed, and paid with a cup of milk tea as a reward. From the purchase of sugar beets to the finished product, the whole process went very smoothly, and Ifia was very reliable throughout. It even surprised the system, silently peeking in. Was this still that idiotic host of hers? Indeed, money is the primary driver of productivity. "Wow, Ifia, what is this, and why does it smell so sweet?" As soon as Ifia's wooden bucket was brought into the classroom, it immediately attracted the attention of the gluttonous Jessina. Her eyes lit up as she naturally became the first customer. When Ifia opened the wooden lid, the rich and sweet scent of milk immediately spread, drawing the attention of many others. After pouring a full cup of milk tea for Jessina, she eagerly took a big sip, her expectant expression turning into shock as she lowered her head to look at the milk tea in disbelief.