The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: This World

In the bustling Enkar Village, as we hurriedly organized our surroundings and were consumed by a construction boom building barns, chicken coops, and drying huts, three and a half months flew by in an instant.

“Well, of course, I had hoped it would turn out like this. But to think it would go this well, I honestly didn’t expect it.”

The rainy season had ended, and the Enkar region was now in the midst of a full-fledged summer. The sky was clear, with a dry wind blowing, making for a pleasant summer afternoon.

“You’re saying that, but everything is going according to your plan, isn’t it, Lady Melfina?”

— Well, I wonder about that.

As I quietly murmured such a reply in my mind to Marie’s somewhat proud words, I found myself unable to take my eyes off the scene before me.

As far as the eye could see from the serf’s settlement, the newly developed wasteland was covered with lush green fields.

“It takes about two hours by carriage to go from one end to the other, so the newly expanded areas have been temporarily divided into two settlements for ease of management. The serf settlement responsible for the western forest development has also merged with them.”

Nodding to Marie’s brisk report, I squatted by the field, where the corn was beginning to grow plump and extend its silks.

Although the corn was thinner than what I remembered from my previous life due to the lack of crossbreeding and genetic improvements, it was clear that the kernels inside were tightly packed.

The silks were still a faint, translucent green, but the first fields planted would likely be ready for harvest next week.

“How is the construction of the drying sheds progressing after the harvest?”

“We’ve built simple sheds around the fields. We’re more likely to have trouble finding storage places after drying than during the drying process.”

Despite expressing this concern, Marie’s voice was slightly buoyant.

As she spent more time with the serfs alongside me, Marie seemed to become increasingly aware of the unfairness of their circumstances. She had always been a kind person. It seemed she was pleased to see the serfs receiving fair compensation for their labor and being able to eat their fill.

— Even so, what an incredible sight.

Burning the wasteland and creating fertilizer was one thing, but seeing such a bountiful corn harvest with a mix of serfs unaccustomed to corn farming and Melfina, who was engaging in agriculture for the first time, seemed extraordinary. This sense of wonder might stem from my memories of my previous life.

Using disease-resistant, genetically improved seedlings and providing ample fertilizer and water, even a small home garden should have posed a significant challenge for an amateur.

In the Kingdom of Hearts, Maria could adjust the difficulty from light mode to hard mode. In light mode, the mere presence of a saintess would halt epidemics and enhance her divine reputation. However, in hard mode, the heroine had to physically go out to the fields and implement agricultural reforms.

On Alexis’ route, this Enkar region served as the stage.

After Maria successfully led them to a bountiful harvest, the still image of Alexis and Maria standing together by the glittering Lake Moltre was stunning. Yet now, thinking back to “meanwhile, in the royal capital, Melfina’s recollections as she seethed with hatred”, only stirred my anger.

In the game, Maria improved the soil and provided fertilizer, making it possible to grow corn even in relatively barren lands. Corn, if the environment was suitable, could be harvested in less than three months, offering salvation to the starving populace.

Given its reputation as a trivia-based otome game, hard mode in Kingdom of Hearts required Maria to possess extensive knowledge about fertilizer production and soil improvement, often needing to consult her smartphone for each decision.

— To think that would come in so handy.

Though I worried the bountiful harvest was solely due to the saintess Maria, the results were undeniably a huge success.

“Corn doesn’t suffer much from continuous cropping problems, so after harvesting, instruct Nid to add more fertilizer and plant another round of seedlings. Also, let’s increase the number of legumes. Beans are easy to store and will provide a good source of protein during the winter.”

“Understood. We should probably make more barrels for storage.”

“Yes. And they’ll be necessary for selling in the city as well.”

“Right. Also… I have a report.”

Noticing the sudden drop in Marie’s previously buoyant tone, I turned around.

“The potato fields in Enkar Village are withering one after another, and we’ve received complaints. Because they died before the harvest, there is already a slight food shortage in some areas.”

“I see…”

“When Rod visited the towns and villages between here and the capital, he found that the potato fields everywhere are suffering the same fate. Hopefully, it won’t spread too widely…”

Since potatoes can be stored for a certain period, it might not lead to an immediate food shortage, but the sense of unease is inevitable.

Eventually, the prices of foodstuffs will rise, casting a dark shadow over daily life.

“What about the wheat fields?”

“Those are doing fine, as usual. No particular problems have been reported.”

“We can only keep an eye on things for now.”

In the current situation, there is no point in Melfina causing a stir. If I were to claim that potatoes across the country, or even the entire continent, were dying off, I would be dismissed as a madwoman. Worse, I might be suspected of being the cause of the potato blight.

Gazing at the lush cornfields, what should have been a pleasing sight only filled me with an indefinable sense of unease.

— This world is somehow twisted.

While it possesses the whimsical fantasy elements of an otome game, beneath the surface lies a stark reality of poverty, hunger, and an unjust class system.

And yet, as long as one follows the script, even an amateur’s knowledge can create the sight of vast, bountiful fields.

If I only had Melfina’s memories, I might have simply accepted the miracles of the saintess as just another aspect of being a saintess.

But now that I have regained my memories from my previous life, the lack of consistency in this world feels slightly unsettling.

“Lady Melfina?”

“Hm? What is it, Marie?”

“Well, your face looked a bit pale… Is something wrong?”

Marie observed Melfina closely. Not wanting to worry her, Melfina forced a smile.

“No, it’s nothing. I was just thinking how important potatoes are, and hoping we can harvest them safely.”

“Fortunately, we planted fewer potatoes this year. The pumpkins seem to be doing fine, at least.”

No matter how unnatural this world felt, Melfina’s goals remained clear.

Securing a solid position and accumulating enough personal wealth to survive even if everything else were taken away—these objectives had not changed.

—But if possible, I want Marie, the serfs, the people of Enkar Village, and those in the surrounding settlements to find happiness as well.

“We’ll turn the harvested corn leaves and stalks into compost. Since corn decomposes slowly, we need to let it rot for a long time and plow it into the fields before winter.”

“Yes, I’ll instruct Nid on that as well.”

—Even if the day comes when I have to leave this place, the knowledge and experience will remain.

Melfina’s agricultural methods were far more advanced than those of this world, embodying what seemed to be the “correct” way, loved by this world.

At least in the Enkar region, those who worked the soil would not have to fear hunger.

—I pray that everyone can live happily without ever feeling the pangs of hunger.

Even though she couldn’t foresee her own future, she couldn’t stop herself from praying for this.