The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 117

Chapter 117: The Girl and the Alchemist

As they were about to return to the village after the inspection, there was still no sign of Julius.

“It’s fine if we leave him behind. He was always a wanderer, even back when we were in the royal capital.”

“We can’t just do that. He might have fallen asleep somewhere.”

Even though spring had already arrived, the northern wind was still chilly, and it would get cold if they stayed still for too long. As Melfina was worrying about what to do in front of the carriage, she saw a man from Melto Village, who had gone to look for Julius, running towards her.

“Lady Melfina, the alchemist you’re looking for asked if you could go on ahead without him.”

“Did something happen?”

“No, it seems he hit it off with the village chief’s daughter and they’re having a lively conversation.”

Without thinking, Melfina glanced at Nid, who also had a look of surprise on his face.

The village chief’s daughter must be referring to Rena. She was more of a little girl than a young lady, someone who could still be called a toddler. When they first met, her tongue wasn’t quite accustomed to speaking, and she was one of the few children who called Melfina “Lady Mel”.

It was intriguing to think how the top seat of the prestigious magical research institution, the Ivory Tower, and a young girl who until last year had been raised as a serf, could be having such an animated conversation.

“I’ll go talk to Lord Julius for a bit. I’d be worried to leave him alone with Rena.”

Julius had the tendency to become completely absorbed in whatever caught his interest, often ignoring everything else. It was likely that he wasn’t paying attention to Rena’s safety.

When the village man guided her to them, she saw the two of them sitting side by side, huddled together at the edge of the field. Even from a distance, it was clear they were enjoying their conversation in front of the beans, which had just begun to bloom.

“Ah, Lady Mel!”

“Rena, it’s been a while.”

Melfina bent her knees to meet the eye level of the girl who ran up to her with a bright, cheerful expression as she noticed them. Though it had been a while since she had seen Rena, whom she’d met twice over the winter, it seemed that with the coming of spring, Rena had grown a bit more mature.

“Hey, Rena! Tell me more!”

Julius’s voice sounded almost impatient, which surprised Melfina. Rena glanced back and forth between Julius and Melfina, clearly unsure of whom to talk to. Seeing her hesitation, Melfina took Rena’s hand and led her over to Julius.

“Lord Julius, did you find something interesting?”

“Oh, Lady! Everything becomes fascinating when talking with this little sage!”

“Oh, you’re exaggerating!”

Rena looked a bit sulky, though it was clear she wasn’t entirely displeased. Melfina could sense the confusion from Nid and the others following behind, but she couldn’t help feeling a little curious about what had Julius so absorbed.

“Rena, what were you talking about?”

“Well, we were talking about how the bugs on the beans, um, are all females.”

“This girl is incredible, Lady! She observed these tiny bugs, like specks of dust, on the underside of the leaves and concluded that every single one is female. I had assumed, like most living creatures, that these insects would reproduce with both males and females, and that insects typically lay eggs to reproduce. But it turns out that these bugs give birth to offspring that look almost identical to the adult bugs. I used Appraisal and it was true—there were only females!”

Julius had a habit of speaking quickly when he got excited. His eyes were wide open, and his golden irises sparkled with light.

“What’s more, she’s been observing these bugs since last year! She says that when autumn comes, the bugs start laying eggs, and the ones that hatch from those eggs have wings, unlike the parent bugs. I’d love to catch some and observe them, but we were just discussing how there might be differences between those raised in captivity and those in the wild.”

“We were talking about how, once they get wings, they might fly off to other fields, which would be a problem.”

“I see. Rena, how did you figure out that all the bugs were female?”

“Well, they all looked the same, so I wondered why. Other bugs have different shapes for males and females, so at first, I thought the bigger ones were the males. But then, I saw the bigger ones giving birth to smaller bugs, so I caught some of the smaller ones, thinking maybe they were the males. But then they grew up and started giving birth too, and it just kept happening like that.”

Rena tried her best to explain, speaking haltingly, but when she started to feel awkward being the center of attention from the adults, she grabbed onto Melfina’s skirt and gently buried her face in it.

“Rena, don’t be rude to Lady Melfina. Let go.”

“It’s fine, Nid. Rena, thank you for explaining so well. You did a really great job.”

It might be dismissed as simple childlike curiosity, but Rena’s thoughts were well-organized, and her process of arriving at the correct answer from her question was sound.

I was genuinely impressed that Rena, who would still be a preschooler in my past life, was capable of thinking so clearly.

“My lady, I believe she may have the talent for appraisal.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“We should have her receive a blessing at the temple as soon as possible. But today, I’d like to speak with her a bit more.”

“Please calm down, Lord Julius. Even if we’re going to the temple, it won’t be today or tomorrow. —Rena, are you okay with talking to that young man?”

“Yeah! Talking to big brother Julius is fun!”

It seems my worry about how they would get along was unfounded, and as the initial report suggested, the two of them have hit it off and are having a lively conversation.

“Lord Julius, Rena is still a little girl. Could you please make sure to escort her back home properly as her guardian?”

“Of course, my lady. After all, I am a gentleman.”

Whether discussing insects while crouching beside the field is appropriate behavior for a gentleman is debatable, but since Julius came to the manor, he has fulfilled everything he said he would. It should be safe to trust him.

“Rena, you won’t get lost on the way home from here, right?”

“I’ll be fine!”

“Then, will you keep chatting with Lord Julius? If you get hungry, come back to the village.”

“Yes, Lady Mel!”

Melfina gently patted Rena’s head, and when she turned around, she noticed the adults who had followed her were all looking surprised.

“Nid, is it alright for Rena to keep Lord Julius company? Did she have any other tasks?”

“No, lately, we try to let the children play as much as possible unless there’s special work to be done, so that’s not a problem. But, um, isn’t that gentleman a noble?”

It seemed Nid was curious because Melfina had addressed Julius with an honorific.

“He’s an alchemist employed at the lord’s manor. You don’t have to worry too much about formalities. He’s definitely not the type to demand someone be punished for disrespect.”

“I see… Rena, make sure to be polite.”

“Okay!”

With a lively response, Rena crouched back down to her spot and became engrossed in her conversation with Julius. Most of the talking was done by Julius, who spoke like a waterfall, but Rena was listening attentively, nodding and laughing as she responded.

Despite being such an unexpected pairing, they seemed to have the air of good friends.

“Let’s go. I’d like to take a look at the food stalls and the market as well.”

“Alright…”

Although Nid still seemed concerned, glancing back over his shoulder at the two every now and then, he followed Melfina.

If Rena really did have the talent for Appraisal, it would be wonderful news. When she grows up, she could become a valuable asset to the production sector in the Enkar region.

Even if not, once she learns how to use her talent, she won’t have trouble finding work, whether as a merchant or a craftsman.

“She’s always been a bright and lovely child, but she’s also very clever.”

“She must take after her mother. I still have so much to learn from her.”

“Hehe.”

Melfina gently shook Nid’s shoulder as he spoke with a sense of nostalgia.

“Last year, there was talk that Nid’s son, Rod, might also have rare talents for calculation and arithmetic.”

“The future of Melto Village is surely secure.”

Melfina said thoughtfully.

Nid nodded with a proud expression and replied,

“Yes, indeed.”