The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 163

The caramel milk that Ed had brought was well-chilled, and when I took a sip, the bittersweet sweetness and the rich flavor of the milk blended perfectly.

It seemed to seep into my body, tired from the morning’s duties.

“This is nice. It’s delicious, and it feels like it will fill me up.”

“The cold version is delicious too, isn’t it?”

Although the Enkar region is a cold land, the temperature does rise in the height of summer.

Today, in particular, was very sunny, with the sun pouring down, so the windows of the office were left open.

“The Duke cooled it for us with magic, you know. Magic is amazing, isn’t it? It would take an hour in a refrigerator, but it was instant when he just held his hand over it.”

“Ice magic is nice, isn’t it? Having a lot of magical power has its various hindrances, but I think it’s convenient.”

Melfina, even with an affinity for an element, lacked the magical power to manifest it as magic.

On top of that, as someone who had once suffered from magic poisoning while trying to perform

“Synthesis”, which requires magical power, she couldn’t carelessly wish she could use ice magic. However, she did think it would have been convenient to have fire or ice magic that could quickly heat or cool things.

“You must be tired too, Ed. Weren’t you nervous dealing with those two?”

“They were both very nice people, so I was completely fine! Besides, it seems Lord William has gotten better, so I’m truly glad.”

“That’s good to hear. As a thank you, I’ll make some kind of candy using caramel next time.”
“I’d be so happy! Please, let me watch you make it!”

I smiled back at the cheerfully laughing Ed and was enjoying the cold caramel milk when a knock, knock echoed. When Theodore opened the door, it was August, who had returned from his inspection.

“Lady Melfina, I have come to report on the inspection.”

“Ah, then I’ll be heading back. Thank you for your hard work.”

Sensing that work talk was about to begin, Ed bowed his head and started to leave the office, but August called out to him.

“My apologies, but the kitchen is currently occupied by the ducal family having a pleasant chat. If you’re going back, could you wait a little while?”

“Understood. In that case, I’ll prepare lunch in the new kitchen.”

The kitchen built exclusively for Ed had just been completed the other day, but while it had a magic stone stove, large facilities like a refrigerated room and a stone oven only existed in the original kitchen.

Although there were plans to add those eventually, it was likely still inconvenient.

“Ed, I’m sorry.”

“If everyone can get along, that’s what matters most!”

With a bright smile, Ed bowed once more and left the office. Watching him go, August let out a heartfelt sigh.

“He’s a really good kid, isn’t he? Not to mention his cooking skills, he’s cheerful and has absolutely no unpleasantness about him.”

“Isn’t he? He’s our prized head chef.”

“Honestly, if he weren’t Lady Melfina’s head chef, I would have wanted him for the ducal house, even if I had to use somewhat forceful means.”

“Oh, I won’t give him to you.”

When I shot him a sidelong glance, August gave a wry smile and shrugged his shoulders.
“I wouldn’t do something as frightening as making an enemy of you, Lady Melfina. You are likely the only person in this world who would make the Duke of Oldrand, known as the ruler of the north, cook for them.”

“I was told I would receive additional compensation for the technology transfer, so I had him make me some sweets to nibble on, that’s all.”

“Let’s just leave it at that.”

Saying this breezily, August moved on to the main topic of his inspection report.
“I had them show me the fields planted with corn, and they have grown quite a bit already. It looked like some of it would be ready for harvest soon. We will soon be organizing laborers from the ducal house to transport the harvest, so I would like to coordinate the schedule with you.”

Currently, the ducal house is leading the promotion of corn cultivation throughout the northern region. However, because this was a sudden development, there are many uncertainties regarding securing farmland and predicting the yield. Furthermore, due to exports to the East, where food shortages are severe, they have been requested to export at least the same amount as last year, and possibly more depending on demand.

Although the price was promised at two-thirds of last year’s, it is an exorbitant amount to pay for corn. One can’t help but be impressed by the financial strength of the Oldrand family, which owns huge port towns and mines.

“Also, I feel that despite the Enkar region being somewhat colder, the growth is faster than in the Duke’s domain.”

“That’s probably because the proportion of wheat fields is smaller than in other regions, allowing for earlier planting, and seed selection is also having some effect. But I think the presence of fertilizer is the most significant factor. We decided to proactively use humanure fertilizer in the cornfields, in particular.”

“Humanure? Honestly, I never expected that something people just throw away anywhere could grow crops so well.”

“I thought there might be less resistance to using it for corn than for vegetables since it doesn’t directly touch the edible parts. It requires more effort than cow manure compost because it must be properly fermented, and there’s the issue of smell, but it’s an excellent material.”

Since dysentery and other diseases can spread through improperly fermented humanure, this is a step that can never be skipped. Using it for corn rather than vegetables likely reduces the risk as well.

“First, we need to establish a system of building toilets, having people use them there, and then collecting it to take to the manure pit, so it might take some time for it to take root.”

“It will likely be quite difficult if it requires an initial investment in facilities. Never mind cows, but even in the capital and other towns and villages, it’s still common for pigs to be free-range, so introducing pig manure fertilizer will also likely take time.”

“I think it’s best to start with a small town or village as a model case. By identifying what works and what doesn’t there, and gradually introducing it to larger towns, we should be able to avoid major failures.”

Melfina had carried out many reforms in the Enkar region, but she was able to implement them without major problems precisely because it was a time when there were only small-scale villages and settlements.

People are reluctant to change familiar ways, and new habits do not take root so easily. The reason these things functioned smoothly in the Enkar region was that the residents trusted Melfina and followed her instructions; the speed of it was unexpected even for Melfina herself.

“The cities are all overcrowded, aren’t they? How much time will it take until the concentration of livestock and the complete installation of toilets are spread throughout the entire north…”

Although he said this with a sour face, the expression on August’s face as he stared at the documents where he was apparently noting the results of his inspection was serious.

“Well, after being shown such successful examples, we must ensure it takes root. Seed selection will have to start with training technicians who have the ‘Appraisal’ skill, but we want to introduce the fertilizer technology to the Duke’s domain as soon as possible. Also, about the hoe used for processing wheat straw, I would very much like to request a technology transfer to the ducal house.”

“Ah, you mean the spade-plow. That was Lord Julius’s idea. He’s not one to be very interested in things after they’re made, so I don’t think he’ll say no, but I’ll confirm with him.”

The spade-plow is a tool with a projection attached to the back of an agricultural fork. By pushing it deep into the soil with one’s foot and placing the projection on the ground, it uses the principle of a lever to simplify digging.

After the wheat harvest, if the straw is left behind, the field consumes nitrogen as it decomposes, causing nitrogen starvation in the soil. Therefore, it is necessary to quickly dig up the straw, compost it, and plant green manure crops in the fields where wheat was harvested to restore the soil’s fertility.

“A year ago, when I first met you in the Enkar region, Lady Melfina, it was about this time of year. I was astonished that you were planting crops in the fields after the wheat harvest.”

Even though it was only a year ago, August said it in a deeply reminiscent tone.

“Every time I come to the Enkar region, you allow me to introduce a new technology. Honestly, recently, I’m starting to forget how extremely difficult it is to obtain even a single new technology… Lady Melfina, don’t you ever think of monopolizing these technologies?”

“Technologies that should be monopolized, I naturally do monopolize. The ones I make public are mostly things whose mechanisms can be somewhat understood just by looking at the actual object, and I think it’s a good thing for overall productivity to increase when things become more convenient. Besides, regarding technology transfer to the ducal house, I am being properly compensated by the ducal house. Please use them to your heart’s content.”

“Truly, Lady Melfina, you are a rare… no, a unique individual.”

The inventors of those tools were people from various countries in her previous life who created them through trial and error. Melfina is merely appropriating knowledge from her past life, so being praised too much feels uncomfortable.

Giving a wry smile, she decided to change the subject with a “speaking of which.”

“I wonder what will become of Marie and Lord William.”

“This morning, after you told Lady Marie she could do as she pleased in the Enkar region, she occasionally showed a pensive expression, so they may be discussing that right about now.”

“I see… I hope it goes well for them.”

This morning, when asking Marie and August to lead the inspection, there was one thing she had told Marie.

Within the lord’s mansion, she could behave towards Alexis and William in any way she wished, and if she wanted to keep both, or just one of them, at a distance, she need not invite them to the Enkar region ever again.

If Marie held any reservations about her half-brother Alexis or her nephew William, she had genuinely intended to do so. Beside her, August had a startled look on his face, but after a moment of hesitation, Marie had said she wanted some time to think and had left for the inspection.

Marie is a precious person to Melfina. She wishes for her to have as few worries as possible.
“You don’t think that Lady Marie finds His Excellency or Lord William to be a nuisance, do you, Lady Melfina?”

“Even you didn’t really think that Marie genuinely disliked those two, did you, August?”

“I have served the Oldrand family for a reasonably long time, so I had a faint idea, I suppose…”

Marie, though not to the same extent as Alexis, has a tendency not to show her emotions much, but if you are around her, you come to understand her personality.

“Anyone can see right away, just by being with her, that Marie is kind and considerate of others. She was even concerned about her younger brother, with whom she had barely lived. I couldn’t imagine her not finding her nephew, Lord William, whom she has known since he was a baby, to be dear.”

However, Marie seemed to be keeping him at a distance. If so, the conceivable reasons were either that she held some unavoidable, deeply-seated feelings that made it difficult to accept William, or that she was doing so out of her clumsy kindness.

“August, isn’t it because you also know that kind of hard-to-understand but clumsy, deep affection in the Duke that you’ve given up your dream of being a bard to work as his aide?”

“—You’ve got me there. It’s not something men speak of openly, Lady Melfina.”

“I don’t think there’s any difference between men and women when it comes to putting important things into words.”

“Hah, truly, I am no match for you, Lady Melfina. From this point on, I will absolutely never do anything to make an enemy of you.”

“Fufu, I’m grateful for that… It’s frustrating, isn’t it? To be the one closest to them, yet only be able to watch over the important parts.”

“But you don’t think it’s so bad, do you?”

“Oh, I wonder.”

Although I tried to be evasive, August looked at me with mischievous eyes, and I let out a wry smile.

I understand. Because I’m the same.

I felt as if that’s what he had said.