The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 130

Chapter 130: Milkshakes and Human Worth

I sat down on the chair at the table in the kitchen, waiting for the stone oven to heat up.

Ed was sitting across from me, still in his wet clothes. Rad had gone to get a change of clothes from the lodgings, but it would take a while for the sauna to heat up with the heat from the stone oven.

—Ed used to light the stone oven every day to make dinner, didn’t he?

As someone with memories from my past life, I wanted to bathe as often as possible, and for hygienic reasons, I encouraged the residents of the manor to bathe as well.

The ability to warm myself in the sauna before going to bed after a busy day of work was all thanks to Ed preparing warm meals for dinner.

“I’m going to make you a warming drink.”

“Ah, I… I can do it.”

Ed, feeling uncomfortable letting me work while he was seated, quickly got up.

“Then can you help me a little? First, I want you to crack the eggs into a bowl and mix them well.”

Once the eggs were properly mixed, I added sugar, poured in a generous amount of milk, and mixed it thoroughly in several batches. Ed was diligently stirring the contents of the bowl.

“We’re going to put this in a pot on low heat and warm it up slowly while stirring. Since it has eggs in it, it will solidify if you heat it too much, so be careful not to let it boil.”

I stirred it carefully with a wooden spatula, keeping it below boiling point, and once white steam started rising, I removed it from the heat and poured it into cups. I handed one to Ed and another to Cedric, who was standing by the door, and then I sat down on the chair with my own cup.

“It’s called a milkshake. It’s sweet and delicious.”

I took a sip from my cup, and the gentle taste of milk and eggs melted in my mouth.

It would be even better if we could add vanilla beans or brandy for fragrance, but this was still a soothing and comforting flavor.

After confirming that I had taken a sip, Ed also held the cup with both hands and gently brought it to his lips.

“… It’s delicious.”

“Good. Even though summer is just around the corner, the mornings and evenings in the north are still chilly, so go take a bath as soon as the sauna is warm, okay?”

“Yes… Lady Melfina, I’m sorry. This is, a thank you for worrying about me.”

I smiled at the slight hint of ease returning to his expression and softly replied, “Yes.”

“Everyone was very worried. Let’s say thank you when you’re settled.”

“Yes… I was really stupid. I was just thinking about how I messed up, and I didn’t even consider that I was making everyone worry.”

I pondered what words to say to him as he sipped the milkshake from his cup, his shoulders lower than usual.

Talent is not something everyone is given. And for commoners who, unless they are exceptionally wealthy, never receive blessings at churches or temples, the words, “This child has talent”, are like saying, “This child will be a doctor or a minister someday”, in my past life. It’s a kind of praise meant to express hope for the future.

Ed’s worries are partly due to Melfina and those around her praising him in this way, and partly due to his background before coming to the manor.

Ed is from the same village as Rad and Cliff, and he came to Soarasonne from the countryside to work. He was twelve years old last year. He was of the right age to be an apprentice or a page, but it was undeniable that he was still too young to come to work.

He couldn’t do physically demanding work like adult men, so he seems to have done odd jobs, but Rad and Cliff hinted that he was subjected to what could be considered abuse by his employer.

Behind the face of this cheerful and carefree boy, there must have been a compulsion, almost an obsession, to be useful, to be the person he was expected to be.

He tries so hard, but he can’t become what he’s expected to be. Melfina knows that pain better than anyone.

“You know, Ed, I have the Appraisal talent, but Appraisal is considered a useless talent among nobles. When I received my blessing at the temple when I was twelve, I cried all the way back in the carriage, telling my parents I couldn’t believe I had this kind of talent.”

It’s a bitter memory, because in the end, no one showed any interest in my talent, and I was able to avoid reporting it to anyone.

“No matter what talent you have, or even if you don’t have any, it doesn’t change your worth as a person. As Enkar progresses, I think many different jobs will become available. The reason I wanted everyone to be blessed was because I thought it would be good if having talent could lead to something they wanted to do in the future.”

It would be difficult to convince people who used to only have the option of farming or going to the city to work, to choose different jobs.

The pioneers for that will surely be the children.

“You can choose how you live. There will be difficult things, and I’m sure you’ll face many hardships. But there’s nothing more important than laughing and living a happy life.”

I know it’s all just talk.

I was born into a high-ranking noble family, and arranged marriages were expected of me. I myself am not in a position to choose my own way of life.

This is a world with a feudal system and a strict class system. Whether they are commoners or nobles, far fewer people can make free choices or live the life they desire.

Even if rare talents blossom, far more of them will fade away without being blessed or wither as mere flowers in the face of the class system.

Still, I wanted him to understand that he shouldn’t think he’s worthless. He doesn’t need to try to be something someone else wants him to be.

“Ed, do you remember the day you came to the manor, a little over a year ago? You, Rad, and Cliff all said you wanted to work for me.”

That was back when spring had just arrived. Enkar, which we had rushed to the day after our wedding, had only small villages and settlements, and the manor wasn’t renovated to its current state yet. The small mansion was dusty, and the first thing I did was open the windows.

The three of them, who had been hired for hauling luggage, were the ones who offered to help when I had already given up on finding a place to sleep for the night.

“Ah, at that time, Rad and Cliff couldn’t bear to see our employer hit and kick me. We were looking for another job together, but we were from the countryside and couldn’t find any other work. It just so happened that Lady Melfina was kind.”

“It just so happened, but I’m glad you were there.”

Tears welled up in his swollen eyes, and he gently wiped them away with a handkerchief.

“That day, Marie said I needed people who were on my side, just for me. Rad, Cliff, and you, as you said, have been my comrades all this time. That’s all that mattered.”

The three of them worked for Melfina with a surprising level of devotion.

Rad went back and forth between Enkar and Soarasonne, sometimes even going to the capital, to transport goods and procure what Melfina needed.

Even though he was always traveling, which must have been very hard, he never once showed a tired expression.

Cliff diligently cared for the horses and the mansion. Sometimes he acted as Marie’s assistant, playing the role of connecting Melfina and Enkar.

And Ed…

“When you first came here, we cooked together a lot. I was busy with my lordly duties, so I couldn’t spend much time in the kitchen, but I was so relieved when Ed started making meals. You’re always cheerful, and you always put the warmest, most delicious part on my plate.”

“Because Lady Melfina always works hard. You work from morning till night, and you praise us, and even though you’re a lord, you eat at the same table as us, and you tell us all sorts of things. It was all so fun, so…”

It was clear that Ed wasn’t doing those things because he was a lord or an employer.

He always directed his innocent and pure affection and devotion towards Melfina.

Melfina, who hadn’t even been interested in the ‘talent’ of her own blood relatives, would probably never understand how valuable that was.

Yet, it was what made Ed shine, more than any talent.

“I didn’t value you because you might have talent. Over the past year, your hands have prepared countless meals, enriching our lives. There’s no lie in that, is there? If you didn’t have talent, would those days be a lie?”

Ed, with tears streaming down his face, shook his head vehemently.

“I’ve been so happy this past year! I got to eat warm meals, the work was fun, and every night before I went to sleep, I looked forward to the next day. None of it was a lie!”

“Ed, I love you. Please don’t forget that.”

“B-but… y-yes.”

Maybe in the future, the fact that he didn’t have ‘talent’ would continue to trouble Ed.

Perhaps there will be days when he curls up in a corner and cries, unseen by Melfina.

But I wanted him to understand that that was not the only measure of his worth.

“This milkshake is one of my favorites. It’s especially good when you drink it in the winter. Will you make me one next time, Ed?”

“… Y-yes!”

It seemed that my wish for him to stay at the manor for a long time, even as the seasons change, had been conveyed. I let out a sigh of relief as I watched Ed tilt his cup, sniffling.

The stone oven began to radiate heat, warming the kitchen.

The sauna should be ready soon.

“Go take a bath. We’ll make dinner together tonight, for the first time in a while.”

“It’s getting pretty late, isn’t it? I’ll go take a bath quickly!”

“Make sure you warm up all the way through. I’d be in a lot of trouble if you got sick.”

I was relieved that my voice had become firmer, and I turned to watch Ed’s back as he left the kitchen, but as he opened the door, he exclaimed, “Waa!” in surprise.

Outside the door, besides Rad and Cliff, Anna, a maid named Selene, and even Marie were all gathered.

“W-why are you all here!?”

“We were worried about you! You idiot, Ed!”

“Idiot? You’re the idiot!”

“Ah, Ed, here’s your change of clothes. Go to the sauna quickly. And by the way, I’m starving.”

Ed took the change of clothes Rad had handed him and mumbled, “Thank you”, before his loud voice reached Melfina, who was still sitting in the kitchen.

“I’m sorry I worried you all! I’ll make dinner right away!”

Then, everyone exchanged glances at the sound of his footsteps fading away as he hurried off, looking embarrassed and scattering.

By the time we were all gathered for dinner, the awkwardness in the air would surely have subsided.

“I felt it was inappropriate to eavesdrop, but it seemed like I might interrupt Lady Melfina’s conversation, so I let it slide.”

“Everyone was worried about Ed. Thank you, Cedric.”

Cedric, who had been standing by the door, must have sensed the presence of the people on the other side. It wouldn’t be strange if he tried to disperse them, being as conscientious as he is, but he seems to have chosen to ignore it this time.

“… This drink sounds especially delicious when you have it in the winter.”

It seems Cedric also felt uncomfortable for doing something out of character. I smiled at his mumbled words.

“This one, you know, is also really delicious if you mix it with aged distilled liquor.”

“That… I look forward to it.”

Cedric’s eyes, peering into the empty cup, were sparkling with light, and his chuckle in response made Melfina feel a little lighter as well.