Please Fall in Love with Me! – A Villainess on Her Second Loop, using 'Seduction' to Avoid Ruin! - Chapter 2.9

She couldn’t determine the exact temperature, but—she trusted the instincts she had honed over the years.

With that in mind, she slowly poured the slightly cooled water over the coffee grounds in her homemade nel drip, allowing them to absorb it gradually. The coffee began seeping through the flannel filter, dripping steadily into the bowl below.

“What exactly are you doing…?”

Claude furrowed his brows in confusion—only to suddenly freeze, covering his nose as his eyes widened.

—Yes, it smells amazing, doesn’t it? It’s surprising, isn’t it? She understood.

Savoring the rich aroma of the coffee, she patiently brewed two full cups. Once finished, she swirled the bowl to ensure the brew was evenly mixed before pouring it into two cups.

Then, she placed one in front of Claude.

“Try it.”

Claude frowned slightly as he stared at the cup.

Given how unfamiliar this brewing method was in this world, it wasn’t surprising that he hesitated to take a sip.

Hoping to ease his wariness, she lifted her own cup and took a sip first.

“Ahh… this is delicious!”

That distinctive Mandheling profile—the spicy herbal notes, the deep, earthy astringency reminiscent of green tea. Rich bitterness yet a clean, crisp finish, with undertones of bitter chocolate and caramel adding a layered depth of sweetness.

“…! This is…”

Perhaps encouraged by her reaction, Claude finally took a sip—his eyes widened in shock.

Then, with a more serious expression, he took another, this time properly savoring it as if he were tasting wine.

A butler’s original role, after all, stemmed from “bottler”—one who managed wine cellars. Their primary duty was to oversee the household’s alcohol and tableware, as well as serve their master.

A refined palate was essential—not only to discern the quality of a drink but also to detect spoilage, tampering, or contamination. Naturally, Claude’s sense of taste was incredibly sharp.

He would understand.

This wasn’t simply a weaker version of the coffee he was used to.

This brew carried a complexity that the usual method lacked—a depth of aroma beyond just bitterness, a multi-layered richness in flavor.

“This is… delicious… What exactly is this…?”

Claude muttered in disbelief.

“I wanted to drink better coffee, so I came up with this.”

“You… came up with it?”

“There are other things I’d like to show you, too. Would you come to my room, Claude? Like this coffee, I’ve thought of many things that could make life just a little richer.”

Claude stared at his now-empty coffee cup, deep in thought.

He had always despised Adelaide—the girl who treated her servants not just as objects, but as if they were no better than insects.

The only reason he tolerated her was because she was the granddaughter of the former Duke of Kishtaria. Even then, he kept his interactions with her to a bare minimum.

The reason she went to such lengths was simple: if she had just summoned him to her room outright, Claude would have made up some excuse not to come.

So, she needed to prove that she was different now.

She personally went to the pantry.

She made a request politely, thanked him when he fulfilled it, and then demonstrated a skill unlike anything he had ever seen before.

She had thought that would be enough to convince him, but… he was still hesitating.

Ugh. He’s a tough one.

At this point, I had no choice. If coffee alone wasn’t enough, I’d have to use the ultimate persuasion tactic on Claude—someone who loved both money and making money.

“If you come with me, I’ll prepare the finest Blue Dee Mountain coffee beans—exclusively served to the Kishtaria family and their most esteemed guests—brewed using this very method.”

“I’m coming.”

◇＊◇

“T-This is…!”

Claude’s hands trembled as he held the ultimate presentation materials (thirty-five sheets of parchment).

“Everything in here is a moneymaker!”

—Yes, it absolutely is. And then some.

In fact, in my “first life,” I made a considerable fortune with these ideas. After all, they were just everyday conveniences in 21st-century Japan.

But still—

I put on my most enthusiastic expression, letting my face light up with excitement.

“You really think so!?”

“Of course. Every single one of these is a groundbreaking idea.”

“That’s a relief. I was worried you might say something like, ‘Why would anyone need a heated toilet seat?’”

Well… I will end up hearing that later. From the magic tool craftsman I commission to make them.

“It’s necessary. That unpleasant chill when you sit down might just be a minor discomfort for young people like us, but for the elderly, it can actually put strain on their heart.”

He had a point. Heat shock could be dangerous, after all.

“A nel drip, a siphon brewer, a coffee maker, heated toilet seats, bidets, instant water heaters, hair dryers, fans, cooling fans, washing machines, heated blankets… and so much more. These ideas are revolutionary.”

Even though I used these things daily in my past life, there were surprisingly few I truly understood at a structural level.

So if I had reincarnated into real 19th-century Europe, I probably wouldn’t have been able to recreate any of them.