The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 65

Chapter 65: Knitting and Stories

“…And so, Little Red Riding Hood returned home safely. Little Red Riding Hood decided in her heart that she would never disobey her mother’s instruction not to stray from the path. The end.”

Just as I finished the story, I completed the final row of knitting and secured the stitch. When I spread it out, it turned out to be quite a well-made scarf.

“Sister, they say werewolves can transform into humans, but isn’t it a bit much to think one could resemble a grandmother so closely?”

When Serleine, who was sitting next to me on the sofa, said this, I tilted my head.

I believe the “wolf” in this story is just an ordinary wolf, not a werewolf. However, if asked why an ordinary wolf could speak and disguise itself as a grandmother, it’s difficult to explain.

In my previous life, there was no magic or monsters, so talking wolves, crocodiles, and raccoons in stories were accepted as “just how it is”. However, in this world, since there are beings other than humans with intelligence and the ability to speak, it’s easier to imagine.

“Maybe it was just that kind of werewolf.”

“Indeed… There are various types of werewolves, and it’s not impossible that some might be transformation geniuses.”

Although my response was rather offhand, Serleine seemed convinced and scribbled notes on the parchment.

Apparently, he has a young sister, and he wanted to tell her these stories when he returned to his country. So, on days without special plans, he would write down the stories Melfina told in the living room.

In the living room, Melfina usually spent time with Marie, Cedric, and now the newly joined Serleine. However, since Marie was generally silent and Cedric didn’t engage in casual talk in front of Serleine, the room naturally became quiet.

Melfina was accustomed to the silence even when Marie and Cedric were in the same space, as she had spent the summer secluded in the office. But for Serleine, it might have felt awkward, so she often ended up telling familiar stories as a substitute for conversation.

Having enjoyed reading in her previous life and having been exposed to many fairy tales and nursery rhymes since childhood, Melfina never ran out of stories to tell. By the time her repertoire was exhausted, Serleine would likely have grown accustomed to the atmosphere in the living room.

“Sister, your stories are all fascinating. I especially like Hansel and Gretel.”

“Hehe, do you want a house made of sweets?”

“I’ve been given plenty of delicious things, so I won’t be captured by a witch.”

“Oh dear, maybe I’m the witch, planning to fatten you up.”

Recalling how Rena once asked if I was a witch, I joked a bit. Serleine chuckled, his shoulders shaking lightly.

“If that happens, I guess I’ll never be able to leave the manor. That’s fine too. I’d like to stay by your side, listening to stories while you knit.”

“Like Alice or Wendy, you might want to go on an adventure someday.”

“But they all return home in the end. I wish I could come back to you too.”

With a snap, a piece of charcoal in the brazier cracked, prompting Marie to stand up quickly. After checking the brazier, she announced she would add more water to the kettle and left the room, soon returning with Ed in tow.

“Lady Melfina, would you like some afternoon snacks?”

“Oh, speak of the devil.”

“Indeed.”

As they laughed, Ed tilted his head curiously. With a gesture, he entered the room with a tray, walking slowly.

Although it was called a snack, making sweet treats in abundance was difficult at the moment, so it was more like a light meal. Today, it was a quiche with winter beans bound in egg, served with a savory cream.

Though Serleine held the highest status in the room, Melfina, as the hostess and head of the manor, first took the quiche to taste it, also ensuring it was safe. She added some cream and took a bite.

The quiche was still warm and tender. The beans had a hearty texture, and the richness of the cream added depth.

“Oh, this cream isn’t just regular cream, is it?”

“Yes, after whipping the cream, I mixed in about half cream cheese.”

“There’s a faint taste of cheese. It’s even better than plain cream. A wonderful touch, Ed.”

When I served Serleine, his expression brightened, and he immediately took a bite.

“Wow, it’s really delicious. The beans are tender, and the spinach adds a nice color. Ed’s cooking is always fantastic.”

Praised by Serleine, Ed blushed and smiled bashfully, clearly pleased.

“I used beans that were steamed until soft, and young spinach shoots to avoid any bitterness. Ah, the other parts of the spinach will go into the pie for dinner!”

“Here we are having a snack, and now I’m looking forward to dinner.”

After a bout of laughter, Ed placed the food down and left the living room. As we sipped the freshly brewed tea, Marie remarked thoughtfully.

“Ed has truly improved his skills. This quiche is almost as good as the ones you make, Lady Melfina.”

“When spring comes, we should take him to the church to check for ‘talents’. There are a few other kids I’m curious about, and if possible, I’d like all the children to receive blessings at least once.”

“I think it’s best to have them assessed all at once between the ages of thirteen and sixteen, and then after that, have them evaluated when they turn thirteen. Most ‘talents’ appear by the age of thirteen and fade by sixteen.”

“It would be helpful if someone has the ‘Appraisal’ talent, but that one often shows up in noble children.”

Currently, many of the fermented foods produced in the Enkar region are made possible by Melfina’s ‘Appraisal’.’

By using ‘Appraisal’, she can select yeasts and beneficial bacteria without a microscope and distinguish if there is spoilage or toxins from unwanted bacteria, significantly increasing the success rate compared to when this process is done without ‘Appraisal’.

In this world, where the reliability of sterilization and disinfection is low, the ability to identify spoilage is extremely valuable for those handling food.

…What was a mostly useless ‘talent’ for a noble lady has become almost a cheat ability since coming to the Enkar region.

Though the winter months are relatively calm, Melfina’s duties as a lord will become busy again once it warms up. Having someone with the talent for appraisal to oversee the production of processed goods during that time would be very reassuring.

“I’ve heard that children who become apprentices to merchants around the age of six have a fair chance of developing the ‘Appraisal’ talent, but it’s probably difficult to recruit children who are already in service.”

“They’re apprenticed to become merchants. We can’t ask them to change careers forcefully.”

The merchants who frequented the Crawford Marquisate’s townhouse possessed far more accurate appraisal skills than Melfina.

For merchants, who need a keen eye, this talent is undoubtedly a powerful asset. Children who acquire this talent as apprentices are likely to be trained as promising future merchants.

Convincing someone to leave their promising career to work in food production at a territory on the northern edge of the country would be a tough sell.

“Probably only those with ‘Appraisal’, who are third sons or lower of nobles, and unsuited to be knights would fit the bill.”

“In that case, you might be surprised how many suitable candidates we could find.”

Cedric said casually, and Marie nodded in agreement.

“Most noble girls marry, but third sons and lower are often left without a clear role and sometimes even sent away when they come of age.”

“If they possess ‘Appraisal’ and can gain practical skills, the family might even ask us to take them in. In such cases, we’d also need measures to prevent the leakage of our techniques.”

If someone who has learned the techniques resigns and returns to their family, they could potentially start a new venture based on our methods. For children who were expected to leave their family homes, it would indeed be a chance.

“Keeping core technologies secret can be managed to some extent through division of labor, but if people keep quitting as soon as they acquire the skills, that would be problematic.”

But locking craftsmen and their families on some isolated island is certainly not something I want to do.

“We’d have to handle it by incorporating terms into their employment contracts, ensuring they work for a certain period. We don’t want to spread technology aimlessly and incur the church or temple’s disapproval.”

Marie and Cedric seemed to grasp the meaning of those words immediately.

It dawned on Melfina that the reason why churches and temples monopolized fermented foods in this world was likely because noble children often possessed ‘Appraisal’, and once they entered religious life, leaving it was difficult due to the established system.

If noble children, who previously had no clear future, possess ‘Appraisal’, they can carve out a path as fermentation technicians. While this seems wonderful, it’s a situation that the church and temples might find less than welcome.

These surplus noble children often come with a dowry and are sent to the church or temples. They sever ties with the secular world, become distant from their families, and serve the deity.

This arrangement mitigates concerns about spreading their bloodlines.

…Since people with ‘Appraisal’ reliably and regularly join and are effectively isolated from their families, it creates an ideal environment for secretly producing ale and cheese.

In the future, as people with ‘Appraisal’ become skilled technicians, the church’s and temples’ dominance will gradually erode. Melfina wants to keep her central role in this transformation as concealed as possible.

It seems the people around her think she’s always up to something, but Melfina’s goal is simply to live peacefully and unbothered in a stable position.

She never intended to undertake something as grand as revolutionizing this world.

“We should be cautious in hiring people with ‘Appraisal’.”

She said, and Marie and Cedric nodded solemnly in response.

The church and temples usually only interfere in secular matters during wars or private conflicts. However, if they deem their key revenue sources to be threatened, they might refuse to bless children from the Enkar region, which would be a major problem in the future.

This world has its own rules and systems, formed through accumulated history.

Sudden changes often create undesirable distortions.

…Perhaps, in the game, Melfina’s life in the monastery valued her ‘Appraisal’, allowing her to live a reasonably satisfying life.

This is an unrecoverable, lost future now.

Yet, she couldn’t help but hope that it might have been true.