The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 68

Chapter 68: Winter Picnic and Moltre Lake

Having finished checking the tent, I stepped outside to find Serleine and Felice still frolicking on the ground. Clearly, they were thoroughly enjoying their outing, as Serleine was beaming with joy.

“Felice, lie down.”

With my palm held out, I gave the command. Felice swiftly lay down on the spot.

Felice, trained by Godot—who currently handles the training of hunting dogs and guard dogs in Enkar Village—obeys basic commands well.

Though Felice’s gaze, with her black eyes looking up at me, was endearing, his heavy panting in the middle of winter suggested he had already been running around a lot.

“Serleine, look at all this grass on you.”

“Big sister! Felice is very smart. She can shake hands and do other tricks!”

While brushing the grass from Serleine’s snow-white hair, he exclaimed excitedly. Felice, seemingly aware she was the topic of conversation, wagged her well-browned bottom while still lying down.

“Serleine, what did we agree on for today?”

“Not to run around too much or get too excited!”

Despite looking quite excited already, he didn’t seem unwell. I brushed the last of the grass from his hair, helped him up, and handed him what I was holding.

“You answered correctly. So, here you go.”

“What is this, big sister?”

“I’ll show you how to use it. Watch closely.”

Felice, unable to hide her excitement, had her large triangular ears flattened.

“Felice!”

I threw it high into the sky. It whizzed and spun through the winter blue as Felice, like a spring, leapt after it, catching it mid-air before it could hit the ground.

Felice returned straight away, presenting the frisbee. Serleine was delighted, exclaiming how amazing it was.

“This is a leather frisbee. You throw it like I just did to play with dogs.”

“Big sister! I want to try it too!”

I handed the frisbee I received from Felice to Serleine. He smiled happily and threw it, but unfortunately, it only traveled a few meters before Felice quickly picked it up and brought it back.

“It didn’t fly like when you did it, big sister…”

“There’s a trick to it. When you throw it, try adding some spin with your hand. After a few tries, you’ll get the hang of it.”

“Okay!”

Receiving the frisbee from Felice, Serleine experimented a few times and soon managed to throw it a decent distance. Children are true masters of play, indeed.

“If you get too excited and overuse your energy, you might get a fever later. So, take a break at the right time, okay?”

“Yes, Lady Melfina.”

“Leave it to us.”

Roland and Sigmund saluted, acknowledging my request. We then headed to the rest area that Marie had set up, with the soldiers under her direction.

In the meadow overlooking the lake, benches were set up for resting. They were lined with furs and had plenty of cushions prepared.

A simple stove had been installed here so we could enjoy warm tea. While it didn’t provide as much heat as the tent, it was warm enough to be comfortable when nearby.

“Lloyd, could you come here for a moment?”

“Y-Yes!”

A young man, still bearing a youthful look, approached awkwardly, dressed in a soldier’s uniform. He was one of the young men from Enkar Village participating in the soldiers’ training, the youngest son of Lutz, and the youngest brother of Fritz.

“Can you tell me what you know about Moltre Lake? Are there any fish we can catch?”

“Yes, there are lots of trout and perch. Also, you can catch salmon from the tributaries.”

Trout are related to salmon, and perch are freshwater fish related to bass. Both are generally considered to be quite tasty.

“You can catch salmon here? I’ve never seen them sold at the market.”

“We usually eat the fish we catch at home. Even children can catch them, and they spoil quickly, so I’ve never thought about selling them.”

I nodded, understanding his point.

Cold management is crucial for the distribution of fish. In this world, where ice isn’t readily available, the idea of catching fish and selling them within the same village doesn’t seem to have taken root.

“If you don’t mind, could I send some fish to Lady Melfina? I can prepare fishing rods once we return to the village.”

I smiled at Lloyd, who suggested this while choosing his words carefully.

I’ve heard that they’re also teaching language and etiquette at the barracks. Even if it’s just a superficial attempt, his effort to be polite was admirable.

“That would be wonderful, but we’ve already prepared lunch for today, so perhaps another time. Since we can’t eat that much at the manor, it would be great if, when you or your brothers go fishing, you could catch a little extra and share it with us.”

“Yes! If it’s for Lady Melfina, the whole village would probably go fishing!”

“The lake isn’t infinite, so just a little extra will be fine. Maybe when you or your brothers go fishing, if you catch more than your family can eat, you could share the surplus with us?”

“Yes! Of course!”

After a few occasions of receiving more than I anticipated when Melfina vaguely requested something, I had learned my lesson.

By specifying limits clearly, we can avoid the manor being inundated with fish.

—The fish from the lake are mild but delicate and delicious. They’re a good source of protein, and salmon is great whether boiled, grilled, or dried.

Since my reincarnation, the mainstay of my diet has been meat dishes. However, recalling the taste of the fish I enjoyed in my previous life has suddenly made me crave fish.

Reflecting the clear sky, Moltre Lake shone like a blue mirror, creating a beautiful scene. Contrary to my expectations, I didn’t find it jarring or unpleasant.

—I’m glad I came here after all.

Moltre Lake is one of the precious resources of the Enkar region.

It seems such a waste that I had avoided this beautiful place, thinking it was not meant for me.

Additionally, several young men from Enkar Village who were participating in training were present.

It was only a few days later that these young men, who went fishing on their days off and gave Lloyd plenty of fish as a “gift”, led to Lloyd frequently bringing surplus fish to the manor.

＊＊＊

Sitting on the sofa and leisurely sipping the tea Marie had brewed while gazing at the lake, Serleine soon approached with Felice in tow. Although I thought he might have had enough play, his sparkling eyes indicated he still had plenty of energy.

“Serleine, come over here and have some tea.”

“Yes, big sister. Come here, Felice.”

The inseparable duo of boy and dog came over to where I was seated on the sofa, and Serleine sank into the cushions. He took the slightly cooled tea that Marie had poured and drank it down quickly, then looked at me with a beaming expression.

“Big sister, this is so much fun. My cheeks hurt from laughing so much.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Let’s enjoy some sunbathing here. It’s good for you to get some sunlight.”

“Can I sit next to you, big sister?”

“Yes, of course.”

Serleine snuggled up to me, brushing aside the cushion between us, and I draped my shawl over his shoulders. Felice, wandering around at our feet, was quite heavy when I lifted him onto my lap.

Felice, who was just a puppy when we got her at the end of summer, had grown considerably since then.

With her charming antics every day, she had become the darling of the manor.

“This is so much fun. I’m having such a great time.”

After taking a sip of tea and letting out a sigh, Serleine’s voice turned drowsy. I gently patted his shoulder, and his eyelids, framed by his white eyelashes, slowly drooped.

“In the Kingdom of Luxen, the sun doesn’t come out much in winter. It’s warm and feels nice here.”

“You should get some sleep. I’ll wake you up for lunch.”

Before he could respond, I heard his soft, steady breathing. It seemed he had run out of energy.

Serleine had been in the Enkar region for just over a month. Although his body was still not very strong, he had become noticeably more cheerful compared to when we first met.

“You all can head back to the tent and leave the knights here.”

Although the northern winter air was quite chilly, wrapped in cushions and blankets and with the stove nearby, I barely felt the cold. The contrast between the cold wind on my cheeks and the warmth of my body felt just right.

But the soldiers standing guard must be feeling the chill.

“It’s said that the most dangerous time is when you’re moving. Rather than getting cold and sluggish when you need to act, stay warm while waiting and ensure proper protection on the way back.”

“We’ll take over the guard duty here, so it’s fine for you to return to the tent.”

Cedric said. The soldiers, exchanging glances, nodded and retreated to the tent.

“Marie, you too, go back to the tent.”

“No, I’ll stay here and keep watch.”

I smiled at Marie’s firm response and softly patted the seat beside me on the sofa, opposite Serleine. Marie silently sat down next to me.

“If you’re staying here, keep warm. It would be very troublesome if you caught a cold.”

“I don’t have much secretary work during winter, though.”

“I’d be very worried and troubled.”

“Then, I absolutely won’t catch a cold.”

I suppose deciding not to catch a cold doesn’t actually prevent it, but there’s truth to the saying that a strong mindset can impact one’s health. Such determination is probably a good attitude to have.

“It’s a beautiful day. Sunbathing is good for your health. It helps build strong bones, keeps your spirits up, and improves your sleep at night.”

“Then we should soak up a lot of sun.”

“I don’t seem to get sunburned, but be careful not to get too much sun, Marie.”

Even in this world, maintaining fair skin is important for women, especially for noblewomen, where getting sunburned is considered quite shameful.

In fact, it’s common practice to undergo bloodletting to appear paler.

“I think a healthy, sun-kissed complexion can be beautiful too.”

“People from the North need to be careful about too much sun exposure because it can turn their skin bright red and painful, but we generally don’t tan much.”

That’s likely due to having less melanin. Indeed, in the North, there are many with silver or white hair and light-colored eyes. They might not tan easily, but their skin also lacks a strong barrier to protect it.

So, moderate sunbathing is best.

With Marie keeping me company, I didn’t feel idle, but perhaps doing some lace knitting in the sun would have been nice.

Knitting with wool is one thing, but I’ve never been particularly good at lacework. I can manage the basics, but just enough to avoid it looking awkward.

In the North, lace knitting is part of the winter handwork. Marie is very skilled at it, but surprisingly, Cedric is even better.

Before Serleine began spending time in the family room, Cedric often had nothing to do while he and Marie were sewing winter clothes. To keep him occupied, they suggested trying lace knitting, and he surprisingly showed remarkable skill.

His knitting was flawless in both pattern and shape, producing items that were not just good enough to sell but could fetch a high price. His delicate lace, called “jewels of thread”, was so beautiful it was highly valued for decorating dresses and living rooms. Even the most skilled pieces could be traded at extremely high prices. Marie and Serleine were astonished to see Cedric’s serious and slightly neurotic nature manifest in such beautiful lace after only a brief lesson.

“If you’d been doing this since childhood, you’d definitely have developed a ‘talent’ for it.”

“No, if I had done that, I wouldn’t be here now. I prefer being a knight.”

Cedric, the one knitting these intricate patterns, seemed to view it merely as a pastime and didn’t take it too seriously.

“Yes, I’m glad your prefer being a knight too.”

…Since Serleine started coming into the family room, they no longer sat together, but as he gradually got used to it, it would be nice to knit together again.

Then, they could have Cedric knit lace for the collars and ribbons of clothes for the transition from winter to spring. As Marie thought about this while basking in the sunlight, Serleine, resting his head, shifted and murmured.

“Sister… I’m hungry.”

“Yes, let’s have lunch soon.”

Playing, resting, and having an appetite upon waking up—these were all signs of a healthy body, something Serleine’s weakened state often struggled with, but it showed he was recovering well.

“I’ve prepared a new dish for the first time today.”

“That sounds wonderful! I’m really looking forward to it!”

The adults around couldn’t help but smile at the boy’s cheerful words.