The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 170

Chapter 170: The Tasting Party and the Given Chance

After the main part of the discussion was over, the corks, leaving a portion to be kept at the workshop as samples, were put away in Lloyd’s bag.

“Since I’ve gone to the trouble of gathering you all, let’s have a tasting of these bottled goods, and also make it a social gathering for the workshops.”

When Melfina announced this, Marie quickly spread a cloth over the table and took out several bottled items and thinly sliced bread from the basket she was carrying.

“I’ve made them so they’re delicious when eaten on bread, so please do try them. Oh, and I think they go very well with ale.”

“I’ll go get some ale that we can provide from the workshop!”

“Hey! Don’t forget the mugs, enough for everyone!”

A burst of laughter echoed at the voice that called out to the back of the brewer from the ale workshop as he ran off.

“Go ahead and try opening a bottle. I think it takes a bit of a knack at first.”

“This wax seems different from candle wax. Is it for sealing?”

“I used sealing wax this time, but once production of bottled goods begins in earnest, I’d like to develop a special wax using beeswax. It’s safer that way, even if it doesn’t actually go into your mouth.”

“Beeswax? Won’t the price jump considerably?”

“For the time being, these will be products for the nobility, and with anything, the unit price goes down if you make it in large quantities, so that’s something we’ll need to work on through trial and error as well.”

In this world where the art of beekeeping has not been established, honey is an extremely precious commodity that can only be obtained by chance from the forest. Mead, made from honey, is a special treat even for the nobility.

She had been considering beekeeping for some time, but it was an area she hadn’t been able to get to, prioritizing the small population of the Enkar region, increasing food production, and developing specialty products that take time.

It might not be a bad idea to start beekeeping somewhere in the castle grounds.
A knife was inserted into the part where the bottle and wax met, and the wax was cut away. The cork was fitted tightly using air pressure and was not easily removed, so a knife was inserted here as well, and it was opened using the principle of a lever.

“It’s fitted in much more tightly than I thought.”

“Food from two weeks ago… a part from the oil-preserved items, what is this brown stuff?”

While the remaining craftsmen were chattering about the contents of the bottles, the brewer returned, carrying a keg of ale and mugs. Once everyone had a mug, Melfina first picked up the bottle containing the brown paste that had been the subject of debate.

“This is a chicken liver pâté. It’s made by cooking chicken liver with garlic and butter, then mashing it until it’s smooth.”

For a time, she had often made it to help with Serleine’s anemia, but since the beginning of this year, Serleine’s health had stabilized and improved, and his own appetite had returned, so the frequency of making it had decreased.

She placed some of the chicken liver pâté on a slice of thin bread and ate it. She had already confirmed with Appraisal beforehand, but no bacteria had grown, and it was perfectly delicious.

“Mm, it’s delicious. It goes wonderfully with the ale. Everyone, please, help yourselves.”

When Melfina said this with a smile, the craftsmen also reached out one after another.

“The saltiness is perfect, it’s delicious! The ale disappears like water!”

“No, the ale itself is wonderfully delicious, isn’t it? The ale workshop, haven’t you gotten even better?”

“It’s a daily process of trial and error. I brought the best barrel today.”

“Gah, if it’s this good, we’ll drink it all up within the castle grounds no matter how much we make!”

It is said that craftsmen are often difficult people, and many of the craftsmen Melfina had met so far had been, to a greater or lesser extent, taciturn or unsociable. However, the craftsmen of the glass and ale workshops seemed to have a more sports-team-like vibe, guzzling down ale with snacks in hand.

With one bite, any aversion to food made weeks ago seemed to be dispelled, and the bottled goods were opened one after another.

“Rena, the liver and meats have a bit of a strong flavor, so try this. It’s jam made with berries we got from Melto Village.”

She handed a piece of bread spread with jam to the small girl, who couldn’t even see over the table. Rena popped it into her mouth, and her eyes lit up.

“! Lady Mel! This is so sweet!”

“It’s also delicious if you spread cream cheese on it and then put this on top. You too, Rod.”

“My, it’s been a while since I’ve had sweets from the lord’s mansion! Life in Melto Village is comfortable, but this is the one thing I’ve been missing.”

Julius piled a mound of jam onto his bread, devoured it in one bite, and smiled happily.

“The fact that it keeps means it can be transported all the way to the royal capital in this state, doesn’t it? This is something I think many nobles will want.”

“I made these one by one, but it will likely be some time before a stable supply is possible. The more you make, the higher the possibility of producing a product with a failed seal, so that is also a future challenge.”

The bottled foods were made to visualize their usefulness for the craftsmen; the main products to actually be commercialized would likely be things that are inherently slow to spoil, like wine, ale, and whiskey.

Still, it was a good thing that bottling raised the possibility of getting one’s hands on foods that were otherwise difficult to obtain.

“If we could make it in Elban, I’d like to eat oil-preserved seafood. The fish caught in lakes and rivers are delicious, but sometimes I crave seafood.”

The royal capital is located in the center of the Kingdom of Francesca, so in this body, Melfina had never once eaten seafood.

It was a strange thing, that she still longed for it due to the memories of her past life.

“It seems many of the bottled items here are also preserved in olive oil. Is there a reason for that as well?”

Helmut asked, while enjoying the cheese cut into cubes and steeped in olive oil with herbs.

“Basically, the key to making things last longer is to prevent them from coming into contact with air. Submerging them in oil stabilizes the quality, and olive oil itself is less prone to spoilage compared to other oils.”

“Eventually, I’d like to make bottle-conditioned… ale that undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle. It has a different flavor from ale that is fermented only in a barrel.”

At those words, the ale brewers looked dumbfounded for a moment, then their expressions turned determined.

“Ale that ferments in a bottle, not a pot or a barrel… I would very much like to take on that challenge.”

“Hey, you at the glass workshop, hurry up and develop a bottle that can withstand the fizz, I’m counting on you.”

“Heh, of course I want to drink an ale like that. I’ll make it for you right away, so you’d better polish your skills and wait for us.”

The craftsmen slapped each other on the back, tilted their mugs, ate the bottled goods, and poured more ale.

She had hoped that the people who would be producing this new preserved food would tackle it without prejudice, but it seemed the social gathering had gone better than she had thought.

Just as the excitement reached its peak, she announced she was returning to the lord’s mansion and left the workshop.

“Those bottled goods have many potential uses. The simple fact that they allow for food preservation is significant, but until now, preserved food has tended to be salted meat or cheese. If it becomes possible to make vegetable pastes as well, it could be useful for health management.”

“That liver pâté was extremely delicious. I didn’t have the impression that organ meats were very tasty due to their strong smell, but that was smooth, and while it had a slight gaminess, that too was strangely not unpleasant.”

While Helmut spoke eloquently about the practical value of the bottled goods, Günter spoke rapturously about the taste.

They, too, must be extremely busy. If they liked it, perhaps she would make a jar of pâté and deliver it to them as a token of her gratitude.

“Lady Melfina!”

As she was thinking such thoughts on her way back to the lord’s mansion, she heard her name called and turned around. Rod, having slipped out of the workshop, was jogging to catch up.

“Rod, what is it?”

Rod stopped in front of Melfina and bowed deeply.

“Um, thank you for this opportunity! I… I’ll definitely do a good job!”

Surprised by Rod’s formal tone, she then thought with deep feeling.

Just as Ed had, Rod, though not yet an adult, was growing up fast. He would surely become a wonderful adult.

“I’m the one who asked because I thought you could do it, Rod. I should be the one thanking you for accepting.”

“I’m a commoner, so I shouldn’t really be allowed to do a job like this, right?”

“Being a commoner has nothing to do with it. If you’re going to say that, then all the craftsmen in that workshop are commoners, and the only one of noble birth is Lord Julius, you know?”

“But…”

“Rod. It would be best if you didn’t say any more than that.”

Günter gently cut off Rod, who still seemed to want to say something.

Unlike Helmut, who had a stern face and often used somewhat high-handed language, Günter’s appearance and words were gentle, but he had a strangely imposing air. Rod, too, pressed his lips together firmly and drew his chin back.

“Honesty and humility are virtues, but the most important thing for an administrator is to maintain a proper facade. It won’t hurt you to learn that now.”

“Don’t teach the boy things that are improper for him to hear.”

“Oh my, wouldn’t that be your area of expertise more than mine?”

“Be quiet.”

When Helmut spoke sullenly, Günter said it as if to tease him.

These two were always like this, their exchanges somehow reminiscent of Auguste and Cedric, but unlike those two, it was clear even from the sidelines that they were very good friends. In fact, when the two of them were together, she was often impressed by their perfect coordination.

“Rod, you are still young. It would be good if you build a track record and become known by everyone as Lady Melfina’s right-hand man. For that, you must not let the chance you’ve been given slip away.”

“…! Yes! I’ll do my best!”

Straightening his back and bowing once more, Rod ran back to the workshop just as he had come.

“My, youth is a fine thing, isn’t it? It’s so bright it hurts my eyes.”

“Don’t say such elderly things.”

“I’m thinking of growing a beard to give myself some dignity. What do you think?”

“It would only make you look more suspicious. Don’t do it.”

On the way back to the lord’s mansion, watching the two administrators who had been a team for many years bicker, she couldn’t help but laugh.

“I wonder if we’ll end up like that?”

“I don’t think a beard would suit you, Lady Melfina.”

“That’s not what I meant, honestly!”

“Fufu.”

As she and Marie giggled together, Helmut and Günter’s voices harmonized as they said, “They get along so well,” and bright laughter continued all the way back to the lord’s mansion.