The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Harvest Festival and Unveiling of the New Ale

After finishing their morning tasks, Melfina, accompanied by Marie, Cedric, and Rad, decided to have lunch at the festival stalls and headed to the festival venue.

Earlier, they had sent Ed, Cliff, and Eli ahead to the venue to prepare for the lord’s hospitality.

Especially Ed, who had rapidly improved his cooking skills, was now a valuable asset to the lord’s mansion. If he was taught a recipe and demonstrated it, he could execute it even more efficiently than Melfina herself.

Perhaps Ed also has some “talent” after all.

When winter ended, she might consider taking along the children who showed glimpses of talent to visit nearby churches and temples.

Upon reaching the square, it was already bustling with residents. Everyone seemed to have dressed up a bit, exchanging greetings with bright smiles as they made their way to the lord’s mansion stall.

“Welcome back, everyone. How are the preparations?”

“Welcome back, Lady Melfina! We’re ready to start anytime now!”

The two large pots emitted a delightful aroma of warm soup. Riding on the pure white steam, the scent spread throughout the square.

“Lady Melfina, where should we put the barrels?”

“Over here, please. Bring them over as quickly as you can.”

Asked by Rad, Melfina pointed to the space near the lord’s mansion stall. Rad and Cliff, who were originally laborers, skillfully transported the barrels with a cart.

These were the ale barrels that had been maturing in the underground cellar near the lord’s mansion until this morning. They were made by skilled coopers from sturdy oak wood.

“It’s finally time for the unveiling.”

“Yes, I hope everyone likes it.”

As the barrels of ale, which had been the subject of trial and error for some time, were stacked up, accompanied by the pleasant aroma of soup, the villagers who had gathered around began to cast occasional glances in their direction.

“Lady Melfina, everything is ready now.”

“Yes, let’s start the festival.”

Prompted by Lutz’s son, Cedric escorted Melfina to stand near the harvest altar set up in the center of the square.

The square was neatly arranged, and the villagers and former serfs who had gathered there looked at them with bright expressions. Melfina couldn’t help but smile involuntarily.

“Everyone, thank you very much for your hard work from spring to summer. Thanks to you, the Enkar region has been blessed with a bountiful harvest. With new residents gradually increasing, I believe we will continue to develop even further.”

Looking up at the sky, it was a typical autumn day, clear and sunny.

The aroma of food filled the air, stimulating the appetite pleasantly.

“I am truly delighted to spend my first autumn here with all of you in the Enkar region since I arrived.”

Melfina had arrived here in the early spring, just as the snow was starting to melt away.

Back then, she was filled with burning anger towards her fate, and only Marie and Cedric, who served as Alexis’ watchdogs, were her companions.

But now, she was surrounded by so many people.

“Today, let us give thanks for the blessings of spring and summer, and let us eat, drink, and dance a lot to prepare for the coming winter. Let the harvest festival in the Enkar region begin!”

Cheers erupted, and applause filled the air. Melfina suppressed her shy feelings and stepped down from the platform, quickly returning to the lord’s mansion stall.

“Everyone, please enjoy the ale made by Lady Melfina! Bring your own cups and line up one by one!”

“And please enjoy the soup too! Please prepare your own utensils! We have prepared plenty, so take your time!”

Due to the lack of disposable cups and utensils, participants had to bring their own. Cliff and Rad efficiently managed the line in front of the ale barrels, while Ed and Eli served the soup.

“Marie, Cedric, and I will go buy lunch for everyone.”

Although it had been announced beforehand that today was the festival, some people were delayed due to work, and in the villages of former serfs, there were those who lived far from the venue, resulting in longer travel times.

Despite being informed that they could gather leisurely to enjoy food and socialize, the square was quite crowded. People sat on wooden crates placed in the square, spreading out dishes they had brought from nearby or already getting lively with their homemade ale, which could be seen everywhere.

“Wow, this is delicious!”

“Hey, Lord Melfina’s ale is really good!”

Amongst the murmurs that spread like ripples after the first enthusiastic comment, Marie and Cedric exchanged glances and chuckled knowingly.

“It’s quite bitter… but has a refreshing aftertaste.”

“And it’s very… how should I put it… watery. Clear, you know?”

“I could gulp it down… I’m going back for another round.”

“Me too!”

It was a slightly embarrassing yet gratifying feeling to receive compliments for their own creations. After getting their own servings of soup, they sat down a little away from the stall with Marie.

Since Cedric was on guard duty, he stood behind them.

“It seems the feedback is quite positive.”

“I did struggle quite a bit to adjust this bitterness. Finding the hops was a real stroke of luck.”

They had high expectations for hops, given the cold climate of the Enkar region and the abundant vegetation of the Moltre Forest. When they found the hops, which they had asked the hunter Godot, who was also training dogs for them, to collect when he went into the forest, they were truly excited.

Hops, with their strong bitterness and refreshing aftertaste, as well as their potent preservative properties, were an essential ingredient in beer even in previous lives. There was even a time when it was mandated that beer could only be made with water, barley, and hops, nothing else.

Drinking the ale they had separated earlier, it may not have reached the same level of sharpness as in their previous lives, but it was certainly delicious enough.

It had a mild and mellow flavor, reminiscent of what was called craft beer. The scent of hops made me deeply appreciate its presence in beer once again.

Here, the flavoring of ale often involved a combination of herbs and spices called gruit.

Depending on the blend, the resulting taste varied widely.

To be honest, the taste wasn’t always refined, and the yeast used varied greatly depending on the brewer and location. Depending on the yeast used, the ale could end up with a strong moldy smell.

In the selection of yeast for this batch of ale, the most useful tool was Melfina’s “Appraisal.”

Combining her knowledge from her previous life with “Appraisal”, she selected the yeast, and then it was a matter of trial and error through the brewing process.

Since the process of making ale itself was very simple, they brewed multiple batches simultaneously, tasting them at the estate, and finally determining the best-tasting yeast.

Finally, after aging, it was unveiled today.

“I think this taste will revolutionize the perception that ale is just a drink for commoners.”

It seemed Marie was quite fond of the new ale. She blushed slightly, looking pleased.

“We rushed to make it in time for the harvest festival, but I think we can refine it a bit more.”

“Refine it further? It already feels… quite luxurious, doesn’t it?”

“Eating delicious food, drinking, having fun… that’s the ultimate luxury, I’m sure.”

Melfina, having experienced first-class cuisine as the daughter of a duke, knew her way around gourmet delights.

Yet, she had never felt as happy as she did experimenting with ale at the estate or sharing a meal with everyone.

… Surely, even this moment is a truly luxurious one.

Watching the endless line for ale for a while, since it kept growing, they decided to divide the ale barrels and have each person pour their own.

Today is the festival day. It would be a shame to just end it by drinking ale.

“With all those barrels we’ve brewed, it looks like they’ll be empty by the end of today.”

“We can always brew more.”

Once currency circulation becomes commonplace, they’ll likely be able to sell the estate’s ale as well.

Imagining such a prosperous future filled me with joy.