The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 120

Chapter 120: Corn and the Eastern Merchant

Gelt, having been shown into the luxurious reception room, took a sip of the warm tea that was served. He pulled the cup away from his lips upon encountering an unfamiliar scent, fanning the steam with his hand to inhale the aroma.

He soon realized that it was the smell of corn, which didn’t sit well with him. However, as a merchant, it would be inappropriate to refuse a drink served by a duke’s household.

—So, they’re implying that corn is fitting for commoners, huh?

It was the first time he had encountered such blatant disdain in the North, but it wasn’t unusual to be subjected to this kind of nonverbal insult when conducting extensive business. A merchant couldn’t afford to be offended by every little slight.

When he took a sip, he found that although the taste was somewhat weak, it wasn’t unpleasant. Gelt had enough knowledge of tea to roughly determine its origin if it were black tea, but this drink lacked any distinctive features, making it a gentle flavor unlikely to provoke strong likes or dislikes.

Enjoying expensive tea was the prerogative of nobles and wealthy merchants, but for a casual drink, perhaps this kind of mild flavor was preferable.

Judging by the aroma, it was undoubtedly derived from corn. The contents of the cup were clear, with no sign of the cloudiness typical of grain-based beverages. It might have been brewed from dried, crushed corn husks or the parts that encase the kernels.

Corn is livestock feed. Because it’s extremely cheap, if it could be sold as tea leaves, it could turn into a profitable business.

As Gelt mentally calculated the potential profits, a young man dressed as a knight entered the room confidently through the still-open door.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. His Excellency wanted to attend as well, but it seems he couldn’t find the time.”

“Oh, no need to worry. Spring is a busy season everywhere, so please don’t concern yourself.”

Gelt stood and bowed deeply, and the knight gestured for him to sit before taking a seat on the opposite sofa himself.

Gelt recognized this knight. He was one of Duke Alexis’s close aides in the North. Officially, he was a bodyguard, but he was known as the duke’s right-hand man.

A little later, a maid entered the room and refilled Gelt’s cup. To his surprise, she also poured the same tea into a new cup for the knight opposite him. The knight showed no sign of concern as he casually tipped the contents into his mouth.

“The truth is, the level of busyness this year is unprecedented. Most of the civil officials are practically living at the duke’s residence, without even having time to go home. One newlywed official is lamenting that if things continue like this, his child might forget what he looks like.”

“I see… Certainly, these are restless times.”

The famine caused by the potato blight that began at the end of last summer is still shaking the entire continent. While the situation is somewhat manageable for the southern regions, which are warm enough to produce some food even in winter, and for the western regions, which share a large border with the Spanish Empire and can import food on a grand scale, as well as for the royal domain with its vast manors and ample reserves, the situation is dire in the cold North and in the northern half of the long, narrow Eastern territories.

Although spring has come and things have improved somewhat, many of the poor didn’t survive the past winter. Gelt, the Eastern merchant who resumed his rounds once the snow melted, witnessed countless wretched villages on his way to Soarasonne, which made him sick to his stomach.

Hunger makes people desperate. Traveling from place to place as a merchant, one can feel the decline in public safety firsthand. Many farmers have turned to banditry, attacking other villages, and the knights who are dispatched to suppress them cut them down mercilessly.

If only their stomachs were full, these people would still be ordinary farmers. Even knowing this reality, here he was, conducting high-value transactions in the reception room of a great noble’s mansion.

Potatoes are the food of the poor, even among the commoners. The man in the splendid knight’s attire before him likely eats bread made from the wheat harvested as usual, and only understands the severity of the famine as a matter of numbers on a page.

“What do you think of this tea?”

“Well… I’m not well-versed in tea, but this is my first time drinking something like this.”

“I thought so. Actually, this is a favorite tea of our lady of the house. She prefers this to wine or even black tea.”

“By lady of the house, you mean the duchess who married last year?”

“Yes, Duchess Melfina von Oldrand.”

“To think that I would be served something the duchess enjoys, well, I’m…”

Gelt, though still somewhat skeptical, knew he had to offer some praise if this was a tea even the duchess favored. However, the knight raised a hand to stop him.

“No, there’s no need to flatter. You’ll understand if you drink it—it’s made from corn. Corn is strongly associated with livestock feed, so many people wrinkle their noses at first.”

The knight spoke with a friendly smile as he poured more tea into his empty cup himself.

“The lady of the house is a very forward-thinking person. Soon after she married and arrived here, she began learning about estate management and started cultivating crops in the northernmost part of the territory. The first crop she chose to grow was corn.”

With a slight hand signal from the knight, the maid, who had been standing by, left the reception room with graceful movements. A moment later, the sound of a cart being wheeled in approached.

“You haven’t had lunch yet, have you? I know it’s not much, but would you join me?”

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly…”

“The lord himself wanted to join us, but he’s probably eating the same thing in his study right now. And it’s not some extravagant course meal, so there’s no need to hold back.”

The plate placed in front of him held a dish he didn’t recognize.

Two round, baked grain patties with meat and vegetables sandwiched between them, topped with sauce, were set side by side. Unsure of how to eat it, Gelt hesitated, but the knight picked one up with his hand from his own plate and took a bite.

“It’s best while it’s still warm. Don’t worry about etiquette, just go ahead and eat.”

“Thank you very much.”

Bowing his head, Gelt followed the knight’s example, grabbing one with his hand. The meat and vegetables were generously packed, making it quite a luxurious dish for something a commoner would eat.

Gelt took a bite, making sure to get some of the patty, vegetables, and meat in his mouth, and his eyes widened as the aroma filled his nose.

The meat was tender despite being well-cooked, and each bite mixed the vegetables and patty in his mouth, creating a complex and delightful flavor. The strong taste of salt and garlic was also appealing.

“This is… delicious.”

But more than anything, it was the sauce that stood out. The contrasting red and white colors were striking; the red had a tangy taste, while the white offered a creamy, rich texture. The more he chewed, the more the flavors came alive—a sensation Gelt, who had traveled far and conducted extensive business, had rarely experienced in food.

“I was surprised the first time I tried it too. This way of eating is becoming popular from Soarasonne up north. Recently, some vendors have even started setting up stalls in the capital, so if you get a chance during your stay, you should give it a try.”

“Thank you. …This dough isn’t made of wheat or barley. It’s too pale for buckwheat, and this vibrant yellow color…”

“It’s corn. This dish was also created by the lady of the house. Thanks to her large-scale corn cultivation in the north, the duke’s family didn’t have to dip into their reserves.”

“This is… I see, now I understand why there were no rumors about the duke’s family opening their granaries.”

For merchants, information is everything. It’s natural for them to exchange information while traveling, and that often includes details about the financial state of noble families.

The northern region was expected to be hit hardest by last year’s famine. Although the Oldrand family has a reputation for good governance, there were no reports of them opening their reserves for the people. Many merchants speculated that the current lord must be extremely greedy.

Gelt quickly finished the large portion of food and glanced at the remaining one on his plate.

It seemed to be made with a different type of meat. The sauce on top was no longer the separate red and white from earlier but a blend of both, resembling the colors of a sunrise. He could already imagine it being just as delicious as the first.

Gelt swallowed hard, suppressing his growing appetite.

Grain crops, which are the staple food, are now highly sought after across the continent.

Even nobles who might seem indifferent to the deaths of commoners would find themselves in trouble without farmers to tend the fields, leading to a drop in tax revenue and financial strain on their households. It was obvious to someone like Gelt, who moved goods and money as a merchant, but many people fail to grasp the gravity of the situation until it directly affects them.

With winter over, the landholding nobles were beginning to realize just how dire the famine was for them as well. If things continued as they were, there would likely be a shortage of labor to harvest the summer wheat.

Corn is typically seen as animal feed, meaning it’s very cheap. For everyday consumption, it doesn’t have to be as extravagant as this. As a grain, it can simply be boiled in water and eaten.

As a basic meal to sustain life and labor, its value in the current circumstances would be immeasurable.

“Following the lady’s lead, large-scale corn cultivation has begun in the north this year. Specifically, almost all the fields that were planted with potatoes last year have been replaced with corn.”

“That’s quite bold.”

People often find it difficult to change long-established ways. In fact, many of the villages Gelt had visited were still planting the seed potatoes they had stored last year.

“The lady declared that this disease will likely persist for a while, so planting potatoes now would be pointless. Currently, she has designated small plots for growing potatoes according to her specific methods, and they are strictly guarded to ensure the seed potatoes are not depleted.”

Hearing this, Gelt’s instincts as a merchant, honed from his days as an apprentice to starting his own trading company, were deeply shaken.

If everything the knight said was true, the lady who married into the Oldrand family was the real deal.

Potatoes are easy to propagate and can be stored for a while, but they don’t last indefinitely.

Even if the disease were to subside eventually, it would be futile without seed potatoes to plant at that time.

In such a scenario, a single healthy seed potato would be worth more than gold.

The northern region, with its stock of healthy seed potatoes, would become highly regarded, not just across the country, but throughout the entire continent.

“And so, I have a proposition. Since the entire northern region is now growing corn, overproduction is anticipated. We would like to export it outside the north, if possible.”

Being summoned as an eastern merchant, served that unique tea and food, and seated opposite a knight of considerable status for a meal, Gelt had already anticipated this offer.

However, there was one thing he couldn’t quite understand.

“Why me—or rather, why our trading company? I do have some confidence in our size, but there are several much larger trading companies in the east.”

Transporting grain would be a large-scale operation. If Gelt were to take on this job, he would need to increase his fleet of wagons and hire more guards to protect them.

It would be a highly lucrative venture. But precisely because of this, he couldn’t help but wonder why they were choosing him.

“Ah, the truth is, it was actually me who recommended you for this deal.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“Suppose, for instance, we approached the largest trading company in the east with this deal. However, if people continue eating only this corn-based diet, there’s a chance they might fall ill. Symptoms could include discolored skin, rashes, sores in the mouth, and so on. It takes some time for these symptoms to manifest, and not everyone will be affected, but the poor are more likely to suffer from it. Small children and those with weak constitutions might even die. What do you think they would do?”

“If it’s just a possibility, I think they would still sell it as is.”

Consuming nothing but grains is something only the poorest of the poor would do. Many of the impoverished, rural peasants, and serfs already suffer from the symptoms the knight described.

It’s common for half of the weak and young children to die.

Nothing would change. At least, that’s what a major trading company would conclude.

“Then, what if I asked you to take on this job, knowing that these symptoms can be prevented by a certain method of preparation? This method only requires boiling the corn together with a specific ingredient. What would you do?”

The question was clearly a test.

Of course, the ideal response would be to say, “For the sake of the people, our trading company will handle that extra effort. We promise to sell only prepared corn.” Given that they were already selling it from street stalls in the north, it likely wasn’t a very complicated process.

Before him was a business deal that was certain to succeed if he accepted it. Gelt knew that the “correct” response would be to rub his hands together and agree.

“…Many traveling merchants come and go from our trading company. Before we sell the corn to them, we can demonstrate the cooking method right in front of them. We can also make it a condition that they spread this cooking method in their regions as well. How does that sound?”

The knight grinned. Gelt could feel sweat slowly trickling down his back from the tension of being on the verge of a major deal.

—It was like walking on a swaying suspension bridge.

“The poor are already struggling just to survive day by day. If the price increases because of this process, the additional cost will only make things harder for them. It’s clear that it would be best for them to do this simple preparation themselves to keep the product affordable. Besides, unless they prepare it themselves, it won’t take root as a staple food.”

The knight nodded in satisfaction and reached for the last piece of the dish.

“Lady Melfina… The lady was looking for a merchant who could think like that. I’ve seen many traveling merchants, but Gelt, you were the one who seemed closest to the answer the quickest.”

With a confident gaze, the knight finished the second dish in a single gulp, emphasizing his confidence in his judgment of people.

“Lady Melfina is wise and has foresight, but above all, she is compassionate. She despises seeing peasants and the poor suffer more than anything. If she were to hear that an unskilled merchant allowed this disease to spread throughout the East, it could even strain her relationship with the duke.”

The knight spoke with a stern expression, making it hard to tell how serious he was being.

“On the other hand, if you handle this well, it will naturally raise the duke’s reputation. That’s why we needed a merchant who not only has business acumen but also cares for the poor. I can trust you with this, Gelt.”

Hearing his name spoken by a knight, who likely held a noble rank, made Gelt’s merchant spirit tremble.

Before him was a path paved in gold, but it was more than just that.

“I promise to spread the corn along with the method throughout the East. I will work tirelessly to establish it as a staple food and ensure a stable supply.”

With a fervent tone, Gelt grabbed the dish on the plate and took a bite.

—Delicious!

It might not be the same quality as what was served in the duke’s household, but he would definitely have to visit those street stalls in the capital and taste it for himself.

“…I was also once sent to the city as a child to work, having come from a rural village. I understand that the foundation of this country lies in the land where crops grow abundantly. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to contribute to that.”

The knight, suddenly looking bashful, poured some of the now slightly warm tea from the pot into Gelt’s cup.

Though it was the same scent and taste as when he was first led into this room, now it felt like a nectar of wisdom and compassion, savored within the caring embrace of the duchess’s benevolent hand.

—I have to start by breaking the notion that this is just livestock feed.

With a strong resolve, Gelt downed the cup of tea.

This would later become the day when the man who would be known as one of the foremost great merchants of the East took his first major step forward.