Chris entered my room visibly tense, her nerves evident in the way she looked around.

    “P-Please... be gentle with me, Baron,” she said, her voice shaking.

    Under normal circumstances, that’s something one would say in the bedroom, not immediately upon entering. Clearly, her nervousness was clouding her judgment.

    Some nobles with unusual tastes might find a woman trembling with such innocence alluring, rushing straight into things. But I had no intention of being so hasty. I preferred when both partners could enjoy themselves.

    “Chris, we’re not starting right now. Take a deep breath and try to relax first,” I said calmly.

    “Yes, Baron,” she replied, taking in a deep breath and exhaling slowly.

    The movement made her chest rise and fall in a way that unintentionally drew my gaze.

    If it had been Chloe, she’d have noticed my glance, crossed her arms, and lifted her chest teasingly.

    After a few deep breaths, Chris looked at me, her cheeks flushed like a ripe apple.

    “I thought I’d prepared myself for this for days, but being here with you, I’m suddenly so nervous,” she admitted, her voice trembling slightly.

    Some would take this as a cue to suggest postponing, but that’s the sort of thing only someone with no tact at all would say.

    Instead, I reached for a magical “potion” to help her relax.

    “Would you like a drink, Chris?”

    I offered her a glass of sweet grape wine, potent yet pleasant to the taste.

    “Thank you, Baron.”

    I once heard that atmosphere is the most important part of a first experience.

    It felt a bit funny to be recalling something I’d heard, especially since my own first time with Chloe was an entirely different experience. She’d practically devoured me with her passion.

    Given that, I’d had to rely on the wisdom of scholars on the internet to approach this more naturally.

    The first step was to ease her nerves with some light conversation.

    “I heard you went to a cafe? with Chloe on Wednesday?”

    “Yes, we had a chestnut parfait. The chestnuts were sweet, and there was plenty of whipped cream. It was delicious.”

    “Really? I thought Chloe didn’t like that sort of thing. She never orders it when she’s with me.”

    Most noble families have to pay to enjoy a parfait like the one served at Cafe? Rothschild, but our family can indulge in such treats every day.

    After all, it’s my business, so I know all the recipes.

    Chris lowered her voice, smiling shyly.

    “Chloe said the Baron isn’t particularly fond of sweets, so she didn’t want to make you uncomfortable by offering you a taste.”

    It had only been about a month and a half since I’d changed my family name.

    Given that Rabat Island was somewhat remote, it wasn’t surprising that he hadn’t heard about the change.

    “Please call me Baron Rothschild now. I changed it to avoid confusion with my brother’s family name.”

    “Baron Rothschild, the Red Shield. A fine name. Though I think ‘Golden Shield’ would suit you better.”

    What an oddly morbid suggestion.

    That’s as absurd as eating raw crab with dried persimmons in Joseon. Just because I enjoy making money doesn’t mean I want such an outlandish title.

    “People already say I’m too much of a materialist. Imagine what they’d think if I went by Golden Shield!”

    “True, true.”

    “By the way, did you prepare what I requested?”

    “You mean the strong liquor? We’ve got about 300 tons ready. I never thought you could make such a potent drink from sugarcane.”

    His emphasis on its strength suggested it turned out just as I’d hoped.

    ‘In less civilized nations, strong liquor is as precious as gold.’

    Although it’s less addictive than opium, it can still create a dependency where one cannot live without alcohol.

    Much like the Russians, who, during prohibition, would distill disinfectants or industrial alcohol into liquor.

    “Thank you. Here is the payment we agreed upon: 1,500 gold coins. Please verify it.”

    The knight commander chuckled as he glanced at the receipt I handed him.

    “I trust you wouldn’t cheat me. Thanks to you, our order has never been better. With this influx of funds, our ranks have tripled, and we’ve been able to capture far more pirates.”

    Who would’ve thought that raiding villages and enslaving their people under the guise of religion would be something to boast about?

    I’m clearly not fully in sync with the medieval mindset yet.

    “That’s great to hear.”

    “Today’s a good day; care to join me for a drink? I’ve got some strong stuff we confiscated from the pirates.”

    “Yes, I’d be glad to.”

    After enduring a night with the booze-loving warriors, I set off for Botswana.

    The place where the Botswana tribe once lived had changed quite a bit.

    “With more people gathering here, it’s starting to look like a small settlement.”

    It was reassuring to see everything unfolding just as I’d planned.