The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Warm Dinner

After walking for about ten minutes, the forest broke away, and they reached the familiar highway.

Beyond the freshly sown fields of barley, Melto Village came into view, a comforting sight.

They had chosen this spot because it was far enough away that the village couldn’t be seen with the naked eye, yet close enough to civilization to provide a sense of security. While Melto Village had introduced hunting dogs, these animals were quite friendly to humans, so sneaking past them shouldn’t be too difficult.

As they approached the entrance to Melto Village along the farm road, a high-pitched voice exclaimed, and among the few people nearby, one person dashed into the village. The remaining villagers emerged, wielding hoes and spades.

“Lady Melfina! Over here!”

“You scoundrels, stay away from Lady Melfina!”

Melfina had never heard the usually calm residents of Melto Village raise their voices so roughly. She glanced at Rii, who was being carried by Roana since she couldn’t walk anymore.

“Roana, could you hold Rii for me?”

Roana shifted slightly, as if to hide her daughter from Melfina. It was evident that she was trying to protect Rii from the strong hostility they were facing.

“I promise not to harm Rii, or any of you, of course.”

Even though she knew bringing her would slow their escape, Rii was her precious daughter. It was natural for Roana to hesitate, but eventually, she relented and handed Rii over to Melfina.

Her heart squeezed tighter than she had imagined at the weightlessness of her daughter in her arms.

“Lady Melfina!”

Nid, accompanied by about ten sturdy villagers, came rushing out of the village. It looked like they were about to charge in with their hoes raised.

It seemed that Melfina’s disappearance had already spread to Melto Village. Considering the passage of time, Cedric must have sent out riders to nearby villages and settlements to search for her.

“You lot! Stay away from Lady Melfina!”

The angry voices, ripping through the air, made Rii tremble in Melfina’s arms. Even Melfina, who had a deep connection with Nid, felt intimidated by the forcefulness of his anger.

To bolster her courage, she hugged Rii tightly.

“Nid! Lower your weapons, please! These people are my guests!”

Nid froze in his tracks. His anger had narrowed his vision, and he seemed to just notice that Melfina was holding a child.

Yet, the suspicion didn’t subside. He glared at those behind Melfina with fiery eyes, still burning with distrust.

“I want to offer them a meal, but may I have some preparations made?”

“But Lady Melfina!”

“Please. Everyone, I’m perfectly fine. There’s no problem at all. So…”

Though hardly convinced, the tension eased slightly with Melfina’s words.

“Waaah!”

Sensing the tension dissipate, Rii let out a cry as if releasing all the built-up stress. She clung tightly to Melfina’s clothes, burying her head in them.

“It’s okay, you were scared, huh? I’m sorry, Rii.”

Despite her soothing words, Rii just shook her head stubbornly. Melfina sighed and gently patted Rii’s back as she approached Nid.

“Nid, please prepare a meal at the assembly hall. Barley porridge for everyone. They’re all terribly hungry. Add as much water as possible and cook it until it’s soft.”

Nid glanced at the child Melfina was holding, then looked at the people behind her with a complicated expression.

Melfina had heard that Nid had lost a child in poverty before. While it pained her to remind him of that sadness, his strong empathy seemed to somehow calm his anger.

“Understood…”

“Thank you. And I’m sorry for causing you worry.”

“No… We’re just relieved that you’re safe. If anything had happened to you, Lady Melfina, none of us would have felt at ease.”

With a nod of acknowledgment, Nid wiped his eyes with his sleeve and turned his gaze to the people Melfina had brought with her.

“If Lady Melfina calls them guests, then we’ll gladly serve them a meal. Follow me.”

And so, the thirty refugees were welcomed into Melto Village.

“You should use about three times the usual amount of water, and simmer it slowly until the surface water becomes cloudy. Use less salt than usual to make it a gentle flavor.”

“Lady Melfina, if this many people are hungry, we could also slaughter a livestock animal.”

“Let’s wait until tomorrow or the day after to see how things are. For now, just prepare plenty of porridge and warm tea.”

Melto Village had vast fields cultivated this year nearby. To facilitate sowing barley in these fields this winter and to save the trouble of people from Enkar Village having to travel, a large building had been constructed for communal use, with facilities for short-term accommodation.

There was a communal kitchen and a well nearby.

Although initially intended as a shelter in case of emergencies such as heavy snows collapsing residents’ homes, there couldn’t have been a more suitable place to accommodate the refugees.

While waiting for the porridge to cook, they warmed themselves near the charcoal hut, taking turns wiping themselves clean. The villagers had volunteered to provide clothing. Then, they returned to the assembly hall, where they were given bowls of thin porridge one by one.

“You might think this is a meager meal, but you must be very hungry, right? I hate to say it, but if you eat too much at once when you’re famished, it could be fatal. Start with soft foods for a while, and if you seem okay, we’ll gradually transition to regular meals.”

“If you say so, then we’ll follow her instructions without fail, Lady Melfina.”

“Lady Melfina, you know, no matter how strange things you say, later we’ll realize it was right.”

Nid and his son Rod said in unison while distributing porridge to the bewildered refugees. When the man who was handed a bowl started to drink it in one go, Melfina hastily stopped him.

“Slowly, slowly! Please, take your time.”

Whether Melfina’s words sounded odd or not, Nid and Rod went around the refugees with a smile, saying “Slowly, slowly” as they handed out bowls.

“Rod, if there’s any left, can I have some too? I missed lunch.”

“In that case, I’ll make something more filling!”

“It’s okay. I… I want to eat the same as them.”

The woman who had assisted with the food distribution hesitantly offered a wooden bowl. Inside was a lightly cloudy broth, closer to a thick soup than porridge. It had a mild flavor due to the low salt content, tasting of simple wheat.

Nevertheless, sipping the slightly thickened warm liquid brought relief. The villagers of Melto Village, observing this, finally seemed to relax fully.

“Lady Melfina, would you like to try this too? I tried removing the bitterness using the method you taught us.”

As Nid spoke, he offered a small dish containing boiled green vegetables. They looked like boiled spinach, and upon tasting, they had a slightly chewy texture and bitterness, which complemented the bland porridge nicely.

“Oh, this is delicious!”

“Yes, we’ve been adding it to the porridge or boiling it with salt, and the children enjoy it too.”

“That’s great! If there are any wild vegetables that were too bitter before, try them as well. You might make some new discoveries.”

“Come to think of it, when you bite into a licca fruit, it turns your mouth bitter just like the daikon greens. I thought I couldn’t eat them before, but maybe this method will work.”

“What are licca fruits like?”

When I asked about it, tilting my head at the unfamiliar name, Nid clenched his fist tightly.

“They’re fruits that grow on trees in the mountains, about the size of an adult’s fist. When they ripen, they turn a color close to the red of a sunset, and they look delicious. But when you bite into them, your mouth gets really astringent. I think they might still be around at this time of year.”

It sounded like they might be something akin to persimmons in my past life. I’d have to see them for myself to know, but I definitely wanted to try.

“I might be able to make them edible. If you have a moment, could you get about twenty licca fruits for me? Of course, I’ll compensate you.”

“I can’t accept gratitude from Lady Melfina. If it’s okay with you, could you teach me how to do it? I want to try making some for our village too.”

“Hehe, sure thing.”

“Oh, I know where licca fruits grow. I’ll go get some tomorrow.”

“I’ll help too!”

“If the astringency comes out nicely, they might become really sweet. So please just get enough for those who want to try them.”

As we laughed with the villagers, I suddenly felt their gaze and turned around. The refugees were looking at us with a mix of surprise and sadness, clutching their porridge bowls.

“It’s better to eat before it gets cold.”

As I conveyed this, everyone suddenly remembered and began to tilt their bowls.

We needed to warm their bodies, hydrate them, and ensure they slept in a warm place tonight. Then, once their bodies were ready to receive nutrition, we had to restore their emaciated forms.

“Tomorrow, we’ll bake flatbread while monitoring everyone’s condition. We’ll also buy more livestock from the capital, so no one goes hungry.”

A sound, like a gulp, echoed from somewhere.

It spread among the refugees like water droplets hitting the surface.

“This is… delicious… and warm.”

“Huh, ugh, mmm… this is… something else. I’ve never had anything like it before.”

Both adults and children, even the boy who challenged Melfina in the forest, were shedding tears. Only young Rii seemed bewildered, looking around with Melfina.

“Um, why are you crying? You see, it’s really dangerous to eat too fast when you’re really hungry.”

Feeling flustered that the thin barley porridge might not be satisfying enough, I was caught off guard when Rod burst into laughter.

“Even though Lady Melfina knows everything, she’s surprisingly clueless.”

“That’s what makes Lady Mel special, even Cedric said so.”

“Why bring Cedric’s name into this?”

“Just because.”

The children of Melto Village exchanged glances and chuckled, their shoulders shaking.

Though I didn’t quite understand why they were laughing, the mention of Cedric reminded me of the still unresolved issue, perhaps the biggest one yet.

When we arrived at Melto Village, I sent someone to inform Enkar Village. Since they were sent on horseback, the message should have reached them by now.

As the winter sun quietly set behind the mountains, Melfina, feeling the tension return, squeezed her hand tightly.