The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 119

Chapter 119: Alchemist’s Request for Stay

After finishing the meeting and inspection for future pest control, the sun, which had risen high in the sky, had begun to tilt slightly.

Compared to winter, one can feel that the days are getting longer, but it is still too early in the season for the sun to stay in the sky for long. In this world where there are no streetlights, once the sun sets, the surroundings quickly plunge into complete darkness.

When absolutely necessary, they may use magic stone lamps to illuminate the path while advancing the carriage, but generally, people can only be active during the hours when the sun is out.

“It’s about time for me to take my leave. I’m glad we had such a fruitful discussion today.”

“Likewise, thank you for implementing the measures. I’ll have Eli compile the progress of the experimental zone and submit it.”

“Eli is really competent. I’d like her to return to the lord’s manor once Sara’s childcare needs are settled.”

“I heard from her almost daily back then about how much she enjoyed working at the lord’s manor, so I’m sure she’d be delighted. If Lady Melfina’s mind doesn’t change, please consider it.”

“I will provide compensation for compiling the results, and it might be a good idea to have Eli continue sending reports on what happens in Melto Village. I wish I could visit more often, but I’m so busy right now.”

“Eli mentioned how very busy you are, Lady Melfina. We’ll do our best not to trouble you.”

As they conversed like this, Nid’s language had become much more refined compared to when they first met. It’s clear he learned from Eli, showing how much he values her.

“Well then, shall we head back? Come to think of it, Lord Julius hasn’t returned.”

Looking around as they stepped out of Nid’s house, neither Julius nor Rena, who should have been with him, were in sight.

Leaving Rena aside, Julius stood a head taller than the villagers and his blue hair made him very conspicuous. If he were in a visible spot, he would surely be noticed.

“Shall we take a short walk to the market?”

When I called out to Serleine, he nodded happily. I thought he might have been bored since the conversation had been focused on the village’s defensive walls and their management, but it seemed that he found it quite intriguing.

“Sister, I’d like to know more about fruit cultivation using the walls.”

“That’s more of a byproduct of utilizing the defensive walls, so it’ll be a while before we actually plant anything. But I’m planning to conduct some experimental planting at the lord’s manor, so you can observe it closely when the time comes.”

“Luxen is much colder than the Enkar region, so fresh produce is very precious. If we could do the same in Luxen, it might lead to a new industry.”

“Luxen has many miners and sailors, right? Currant varieties that are suitable for wall cultivation are also effective against illnesses that sailors suffer from…”

Among the currant varieties, black currants, or cassis, are particularly suitable for making alcohol. If they manage to cultivate black currants successfully in the experimental planting, perhaps they could even make a cassis liqueur by soaking them in distilled spirits.

Although Serleine had been quiet during the meeting, once outside, he showed a lively, childlike enthusiasm. When they reached the market, the crowd had thinned considerably since lunchtime, and many of the street vendors had already packed up.

Among them, they spotted their target: the tall alchemist and the girl standing next to him. It had been a few hours since they parted ways at the field, but from a distance, it was clear that the two were still engrossed in conversation.

“Lord Julius, you’re here.”

“My lady! Oh, are you done with your work already?”

“Yes, I finished just a moment ago. Rena, have you had lunch?”

“Yep! Big brother Julius bought some for me from a food stall!”

Rena answered energetically, and I patted her on the head.

“It’s about time for us to leave. There’s something I’d like to consult with you about regarding wind magic, Lord Julius—”

“My lady, I’d like to stay in this village a bit longer!”

He leaned forward, almost interrupting me with his words, and a moment later, Cedric stepped behind Julius, grabbed him by both shoulders, and pulled him back with a firm tug.

“Calm down. …What do you plan to do by staying in this village?”

“I want to talk more with Rena.”

It feels like it’s been a while since Cedric has made such a pained expression, as if he had just swallowed something bitter.

Back when Melfina had first arrived in the Enkar region, although it was somewhat more restrained, it was almost a daily occurrence to see a similar look on his face.

Nostalgia washed over me as I furrowed my brows at Julius’s outrageous request.

“Even if you say you want to stay a bit longer, the sun will be setting soon. How about returning tomorrow instead?”

“No, my lady, I meant I want to stay in this village for a while.”

“But there are no accommodations here suitable for you, Lord Julius.”

“If there’s even a basic shelter to keep me from freezing to death, I can sleep anywhere. I’m used to that sort of thing.”

Even if he claimed to be accustomed to strange things, Julius was still a noble. It was obvious that Melto Village lacked the facilities to accommodate a noble’s stay.

“Please, my lady. If there’s work for an alchemist, just send me the documents and I’ll respond right away. I’ll also return to the lord’s manor from time to time. But for now, I want to stay here a bit longer.”

“Hey, don’t get any closer to Lady Melfina.”

Despite Cedric holding onto his shoulders tightly, Julius kept inching forward toward me, clearly determined, making even Melfina feel a bit intimidated.

Marie, likely unable to stand by any longer, subtly positioned herself between Melfina and Julius.

“Lord Julius…”

Julius, with his childlike innocence and unrestrained behavior, has a tendency to be relentless when it comes to what he wants. While he usually listens to Melfina and Cedric to some extent, the fact that he’s pleading in this way, even if politely, suggests that he has no intention of backing down.

I recalled the time when Julius first came to the lord’s manor and pulled off the stunt of sneaking into Melfina’s bedroom in the middle of the night.

If we forcibly took him back to the manor in his current state, he would surely sneak out in the dead of night and head to Melto Village.

“Why not let him stay, sister?”

“Serleine?”

“During the discussion earlier, it was mentioned that there’s still a bit of space left in the longhouse. We could ask the current residents to free up a room and use that as Lord Julius’s sleeping quarters.”

“But the longhouse is only equipped with the minimum space and amenities for a commoner family to barely get by. It has a brazier, so he might not freeze to death, but that’s about it.”

“That’s perfectly fine!”

“Lord Julius, if a noble like you stays there and something were to happen, the entire household in the longhouse could be held accountable.”

“If anyone tries to bother me while I’m asleep, they’ll be torn to pieces by my drowsy self. There’s no problem at all.”

His casual response made me cover my forehead with my hand. It’s a huge problem. The first ever “haunted” property in Melto Village could be born from this.

“Hmm…”

“Lady Melfina, I know it’s presumptuous, but if you’d like, he could stay at our place.”

Nid, who seemed to be watching the situation with concern, offered his help, making Melfina’s brows droop apologetically.

“Nid, you have three children, and you’re busy with your work as the village chief. Taking in a guest on top of all that would be too much.”

“We built three rooms since it’s the village chief’s house, but I sleep in the same room with Eli and the baby, while Rod and Rena share the children’s room. The third room is used for storing ale and food supplies. We could move those to the barn and make a room available.”

After glancing briefly at Julius, Nid sighed deeply, clearly troubled.

“Having such a conspicuous person staying in the longhouse would be, well, from a village chief’s standpoint, rather…”

“No, I understand. I’m sorry for troubling you.”

With his long, lustrous hair, tall and slender figure, and the fine quality of his clothing, Julius was clearly a noble no matter who looked at him.

If something were to happen to a noble like him, and it was found that the incident occurred in a longhouse—a bare minimum living space for farmers and frequently used by laborers—it could greatly damage the village’s reputation.

Even if something were to happen, it would still be less damaging if the location was the village chief’s house, as it would at least maintain some semblance of propriety.

“…Lord Julius. If you stay at Nid’s house, you will have to obey him, as the head of the household. Is that acceptable?”

“Of course, Lady!”

“You must not stay up late just to talk to Rena, nor should you sneak into the kitchen for a midnight snack. And you cannot get upset if the baby’s crying disrupts your sleep.”

“Staying up late is bad for children’s health, and I can sleep well no matter how noisy it gets. As for snacking… I’ll try to be careful.”

Though I gave him many warnings, hoping he might eventually give up and return to the manor, Julius accepted them all without complaint, like a child being gently scolded. It seemed today had thoroughly piqued his curiosity.

“If there’s alchemy work to be done, you’ll have to return to the manor. Is that still fine?”

“Yes, Lady!”

Julius beamed with joy, his smile radiant, clearly delighted to be able to stay.

I told Nid to at least prepare a bed with fresh straw, and not to worry about Julius sleeping for hours on end—it’s just his nature. I also asked him to let Eli know to charge the expenses without hesitation. In the end, we left with one less person than when we arrived, as we boarded the carriage.

Julius, standing next to Rena and waving at us, looked truly happy.

“I never imagined that Lord Julius would take such a liking to Melto Village.”

“Isn’t it more that he’s taken a liking to that girl?”

“Rena is a smart and good child, so I can understand why.”

Come to think of it, it was Rod and Rena who had approached Melfina without hesitation when she suddenly appeared and started doing things that didn’t quite make sense.

It had only been about a year, but it already felt so nostalgic.

If Rena were a bit older, or if Eli hadn’t just given birth, it would have been possible to have them stay at the manor for a while, but that couldn’t be helped.

“Marie, could you arrange for someone to check on Lord Julius every few days?”

“Yes. There’s a lot of traffic between Melto Village and Enkar Village now, so I think we’ll be able to get updates more frequently than every few days.”

Feeling a little relieved by those words, I looked out the carriage window.

I still had some concerns, but Julius was different from Melfina in that he didn’t care much about social status.

He loved good food, but he didn’t seem like the type to complain about bad food either. At the very least, compared to an average noble, it was unlikely he would face too many issues staying in Melto Village.

—But the intensity of his interest and obsession is a bit unsettling.

Julius had changed somewhat since he came to the Enkar region a few months ago, but he was never an evil person.

Remembering what Julius had done in the game, a slight unease surfaced in my mind, but I wanted to believe in the person I had come to know firsthand.

“Sister, you don’t need to worry so much. I’m sure everything will be fine. Lord Julius just loves to have fun. I’m sure he’ll find something amusing every day and keep laughing.”

“…Yes, you’re right. I’m sure he will.”

That’s much more like the Julius I know.

“He might end up liking it so much that he’ll say he wants to settle down in Melto Village permanently.”

“I don’t think that’s likely, but…”

—It’s not, right?

After laughing together, for just a brief moment, Melfina couldn’t help but think that would indeed be a bit of a problem.