The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Harvest Festival and Sake Brewing Plan

As the festivities settled in, latecomers like farmers and craftsmen began to join in one after another, and the bustling square grew livelier.

Naturally, someone began to tap on a barrel to set the rhythm, and along with it, whistles and songs echoed, spreading the tumult of dance everywhere.

“Oh, it’s Lady Melfina!”

Even children from the former serf village had arrived, and as soon as they were spotted, they were swarmed.

“Hey, Rad, Rena, don’t pull me!”

“Miss Melfina, come on, hurry!”

“Everyone’s been waiting for Lady Melfina!”

Perhaps it was endearing to see the children urging her on, as those sitting on logs instead of chairs in the square, sipping ale, as well as couples dancing to the rhythm, were all smiling.

“Lady Melfina! Dance with me!”

“I’m next! Lady Melfina!”

“We’ll take turns dancing! Marie, help me out here!”

“If I interfere with Lady Melfina, I’ll be resented.”

Even Marie chuckled as she was invited to dance by one of the village boys and curtsied, lifting her skirt.

Her graceful gesture was captivating, even catching Melfina’s attention.

“Rena, are you full?”

“Yeah! My belly’s stuffed!”

“And Rad?”

“I had four huge flatbread sandwiches!”

Indeed, they have quite the appetite. By the time spring rolled around, they had grown taller and sturdier since the first time we met.

“My parents said to thank Lady Melfina for being able to eat so much.”

“We all worked together and harvested the food. Gratitude should be directed to the sun, the earth, and everyone!”

They danced together to the rhythmic music. There was no formality, just stepping to the beat, yet it was surprisingly enjoyable.

In Melfina’s life, there had never been so many people expressing gratitude, laughing together, and sharing meals.

She felt warmth filling her once-empty heart.

“Lady Melfina! Dance with me next!”

“Then it’s my turn!”

“Wait, let her rest.”

After dancing with several children according to their wishes, she finally managed to slip away when she was exhausted.

Marie was chatting with various leaders from villages and settlements like Lutz and Nid. Since autumn, she had been handling various negotiations on Melfina’s behalf, so they had become quite close.

“Lady Melfina, well done.”

“Thank you. Children seem to have endless energy.”

“They might, but simply being able to play like this together is rare, so they’re all uplifted by the special atmosphere.”

Cedric handed her a wooden cup. The cup emitted a white steam, and a gentle scent of corn wafted from it.

It seemed nearby households were brewing tea and offering it, as everyone seemed to have a drink in hand.

“The barley tea was delicious, but this corn tea is also quite nice. It has a pleasant aroma and warms the body.”

“Since we started drinking barley tea and corn tea, there seem to be fewer cases of upset stomachs.”

As Nid and Lutz spoke, Melfina nodded.

Part of the reason for this might be boiling the water once.

There was a nearby river with clean water flowing, and the village used wells and that river for domestic water. However, there was always a possibility of contamination, and it was often hard to tell if stored water had gone bad.

Boiling was the quickest and safest option in this world.

“Festivals are such enjoyable occasions. If only we had some sake, it would be perfect.”

“The ale from the lord’s estate disappeared in no time. We should have come early in the morning too.”

Nid, who managed to have two cups, murmured with a hint of regret.

“Indeed. If we have the opportunity next year, shall we attempt brewing some sake?”

“Lady Melfina, it might take a few more years before we can harvest grapes.”

“Wine is very simple to make, though. You can make alcohol from things other than grapes.”

Wine, for example, could be made simply by crushing grapes and leaving the juice in a barrel to ferment. It was a very common alcoholic beverage produced throughout the continent. However, grapes, being fruits, were relatively high-end, so they rarely made it to the mouths of commoners.

There was also mead, made from honey, which was also a luxury item requiring laborious collection. Ale, made from barley and water, was a drink that even commoners could afford.

“You can even make alcohol from corn.”

“Alcohol from corn!? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“Neither have I.”

Bourbon, one of the most famous whiskies from my past life, was made from corn.

By combining crushed corn and rye and boiling them together, then adding barley to create maltose, fermenting the saccharified mixture into alcohol, and finally distilling it and aging it in charred barrels, you get what is known as whiskey.

While the effort required compared to ale, which can be made with just germinated barley and water, is significantly more, the biggest advantage of distilled spirits is their high alcohol content.

Wine and ale, lacking in alcohol content, easily turn into vinegar or spoil, so they don’t have a long shelf life. Locally sourced and consumed products are the norm, to the extent that some nobles even build villas to drink wine or ale from famous breweries in distant places.

In this regard, whiskey, once made, can be stored for decades if done properly. A drink that can withstand long-distance transport would be somewhat of a revolution in this world.

—In the game, there was an episode where Maria challenged herself to make alcohol.

As poor-quality homemade liquor led to deteriorating public safety, the idea was to make better-tasting alcohol! It was an episode written humorously on game walkthrough sites and speculation blogs.

“However, corn liquor takes a bit longer to finish. It needs to be aged for at least two years, so even if we start making it this winter, it won’t be drinkable until three years from now.”

“In that case, it’s not much different from waiting for grapes to be harvested, so we might as well start sooner.”

“Brewing alcohol has its own romance!”

“Corn liquor… if it’s realized, it might become the village’s specialty.”

While their reactions were subtly different, Marie, Nid, and Lutz all seemed eager to jump into action. Their enthusiasm was a bit overwhelming.

“Do you all like alcohol that much?”

“Well, until now, homemade ale has been the norm, but once you taste the ale made by the lord… it’s hard to go back to our usual ale from tomorrow onwards.”

“That ale was truly delicious.”

“Do all villages with temples and monasteries drink such alcohol?”

“I doubt it. Only this village in the entire continent gets to enjoy such alcohol.”

When Cedric, with a look and tone befitting his stature, declared, the villagers exclaimed in awe.

Luxury items like alcohol, cheese, and sweets were mostly produced in temples and monasteries scattered throughout the region.

To obtain these items, besides payment, donations and bribes to the temples were necessary, naturally making them expensive luxury goods.

—It might be worth trying to produce alcohol by the common folk.

Through the deal with the ducal family, there would be at least minimal profit from corn until the year after next, but it would be even better to have a specialty that could earn foreign currency in the future.

“Shall we give brewing a try?”

“Let’s do it!”

“We have to!”

They toasted with tea, already intoxicated with excitement. While sipping corn tea and watching the lively atmosphere, someone plopped down onto a nearby crate.

“It seems like an interesting conversation you’re having, Lady Melfina.”

The stout, balding middle-aged man, Ricardo, fittingly representing the construction guild dispatched from a nearby town.

“Ricardo, well done. How’s the progress with the construction?”

“We should be able to finish before the winter winds start blowing. However, it’s starting to get quite cold around this time.”

“The Enkar region is the northernmost part of the country. I heard even Moltre Lake freezes solid in midwinter.”

“Indeed, I could use some strong spirits to warm up. By the way, are you serious about brewing in the Enkar region?”

“Well, I’m considering it. I’m not sure if it will work out, but I think it’s worth a try. Having hope is a good thing, after all.”

“Yes, I believe Enkar Village is probably the most hopeful place in the country right now.”

A smile naturally escaped Melfina’s lips at Ricardo’s words.

“It would be nice if that’s the case.”

She thought sincerely.