The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 81

Chapter 81: The New Sauce and the Broken Magic Stone

Winter is fundamentally a season of stagnation.

The comings and goings between other villages and towns drastically decrease, and unless troubles arise like a bear emerging from hibernation or damage caused by excessive snow to homes and livestock sheds, there isn’t much work for the lord.

Having time means you can take on challenges that you couldn’t address while busy.

“I think I’ll try making a new dish before Rad comes back. Though, to start with, it’s a sauce.”

“Is it something like a white sauce?”

“Today I’m making a black sauce. It’s so black you might be surprised.”

She starts by finely chopping apples, carrots, onions, garlic, and ginger with a knife. The salted tomatoes are soaked in water to rehydrate and de-salt to some extent, then chopped finely into a paste in the same manner.

“Lady Melfina, is it really alright to grind all of these?”

Simon looks down skeptically at the nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, and dried chili peppers in the mortar.

“Of course, I’ll properly pay for the ingredients.”

“That’s fine, but I’m not quite sure about using herbs in cooking.”

As Simon says, many spices in this world are still considered herbs. They are mainly used in ways like brewing and drinking or inhaling their smoke.

— Fragrant and strong-smelling things tend to be classified as herbs.

Since Melfina took over the Enkar region, there has been a ban on free-range pigs and the installation of toilets, so the village no longer suffers from foul odors. However, it is still normal for human habitation to be associated with strong smells in this world.

This hygiene concept becomes a breeding ground for diseases like cholera and dysentery.

In this world, illnesses are believed to be caused by bad winds entering the body, and strong or pleasant-smelling things are often considered remedies to ward off such ailments.

While Simon grinds the spices, I put a lump of sugar and a small amount of water into a pot. As I slowly dissolve the sugar over low heat, Serleine peeks over from the side.

“Sister, what is this?”

“This is a secret ingredient.”

I almost said “trade secret”, but I stopped just in time. It seemed that Serleine was not satisfied with the response either way.

“Won’t you tell me?”

“I’ll tell you someday, so keep it a secret for now.”

“Promise? I want to know everything about you, sister.”

“Yes, definitely.”
After slowly simmering it on low heat, once it turns black, I add hot water, and it hisses and releases smoke. This completes the caramel. A sweet aroma fills the air, and though Serleine, who is sensitive to smells, might have figured out the nature of the white lump, she keeps quiet about it.
I add the spices and chopped vegetables and fruits to the caramel, simmering it on low heat to avoid boiling, and season with wine vinegar and salt.
“Next, put it into a ceramic jar, seal it, and let it sit in a cool place for two or three days to complete it.”
I tasted it to check, but the spice flavors are quite intense, and the taste is strong. It should mellow out with time, but it was still delicious as it was.
— It’s like choosing between freshly made curry and curry the next day.
In my previous life, I liked both equally.
If I had turmeric, I might be able to make curry. Even if making curry rice is difficult, combining it with naan shouldn’t be too hard.
I haven’t seen turmeric (ukon) in this world. Even Simon doesn’t recognize it. It’s either non-existent or grown in a very distant region.
Maybe traders from the Republic of Romana, a trade country, might know about it, but I won’t hold my breath.
“Well, let’s try it fresh while we’re at it. Ed, could you cut the pork? Use the thigh meat and cut it a bit thick. After slicing, cut the muscle fibers, tenderize the meat with a mallet, and then lightly salt it.”
“Sure!”

I take out the hard bread that I need to finish today. It was baked two days ago, but it has become hard and dry.

“Cedric, could you crush this bread into small pieces, just like you did with the vegetables? Please make it as fine as possible, almost like powder, and avoid clumping.”

“Leave it to me.”

With the two of them working, Melfina beats some eggs and adds a little water to loosen it. She pours oil into a cast iron pan and preheats it. Ed coats the sliced pork with flour, dips it in the egg mixture, and then coats it with the breadcrumbs Cedric made.

“Do you use that much oil?”

“Yes. It’s a luxurious dish.”

The oil from soybeans has a strong bean flavor and is often polarizing when used directly like olive oil. However, it doesn’t matter much in stir-fries or frying.

Used oil can be mixed into compost to make excellent fertilizer, but considering the amount of soybeans required to extract that much oil, it’s still quite a luxury.

I place the breaded cutlets into the oil and fry them slowly. Once the surface has browned sufficiently, I take them out of the oil, put in the next cutlet, and when that one reaches the same state, I return the previously fried ones to the pan.

“Lady Melfina, why do you put the cutlets back into the oil after taking them out?”

“If you try to cook it all the way through in one go, the outer coating will get too much heat. By taking it out of the oil once, the residual heat cooks the inside. Also, cooking meat slowly makes it tender and tastier.”

“This is the method you taught me before.”

“Indeed. Especially for pork and chicken, double frying is effective, so be careful when you do it, Ed. Fish cooks much more quickly than meat, so it’s usually fried in one go.”

“I’d like to try making that someday too!”

“Sounds good. Fried fish is delicious too. Ed, could you slice the square bread? Make the slices a bit thicker than for sandwiches.”

“Sure!”

Since Ed has made sandwiches a few times, he slices the bread with practiced ease. I’ve told him to be especially careful when handling knives, but he focuses and cuts the bread into uniform thicknesses, as expected.

In spring, I decide to definitely take Rod along for the church blessing as well.

The cutlets are fried, excess oil drained, and generously coated with Worcestershire sauce. Placing them between the slices of bread and cutting it into quarters completes the dish.

I pick up a piece and take a bite.

The pork in this world is a bit tougher than what I remember from my previous life, with a denser texture, but Ed had tenderized it well, so it wasn’t an issue.

The soft bread gives way to the crisp, freshly fried coating, and the rich meat juices spread in my mouth. The flavor of the meat and the tangy Worcestershire sauce, with its strong spice presence, create a delightful explosion of taste.

“It might be a bit heavy for a snack, but everyone, try it out.”

Each person takes a bite of the cutlet sandwich, and as they all light up with delight, Melfina smiles naturally.

“Sister, this is incredibly delicious. Really!”

“I think the meat alone is quite tasty, but the sauce enhances the flavor.”

“Yes, even though there’s so much oil, it feels like the aftertaste is refreshing.”

While everyone chats excitedly about the flavor, Simon, who remained silent until the end, lets out a long, drawn-out sigh.

“This… might overturn the concept of herbs.”

“Indeed, herbs are expensive and not something you can use casually.”

“That’s not what I meant… When something is this delicious, people would want to use herbs as a sauce ingredient rather than for medicinal purposes. If it becomes common to use herbs in meals, production will increase, and the rarity of valuable herbs will diminish.”

“Do you think it will work out that well? Even now, herbs are in high demand because they’re hard to come by, which makes them expensive.”

“I’m fortunate to serve Princess Serleine, but nobles typically seek remedies for physical ailments from the church or temple. Herbs are mainly relied upon by workers and those of lower status. They don’t have enough money to easily buy herbs, so they don’t sell frequently, and the demand doesn’t increase. However, this sauce would be something nobles would greatly desire.”

“Oh, I see. If the demand from wealthy nobles increases, the need for herbs would rise, leading to investment in cultivation. If a stable supply of herbs can be produced, the price of herbs themselves would go down.”

The demand from the wealthy can indeed have the power to overturn existing distribution networks. And it’s common for the customs of the nobility to eventually spread to wealthy merchants and officials.

As demand increases, prices drop. This principle remains unchanged in this world as well.

“…Lady Melfina, you seem quite knowledgeable about economics.”

“You were the one who noticed it before me, Simon.”

“A doctor is, in a way, a type of craftsman. It wouldn’t work without a certain level of calculation and strategy.”

Simon spoke with a hint of self-deprecation.

“I’m impressed, Lady Melfina. — So the rich forest nearby and the vast fields in the Enkar region were all part of a plan to monopolize the production and sale of this sauce?”

“No, I just came up with it on a whim. Besides, having Simon here was just a lucky coincidence that allowed me to get the ingredients.”

“…Just a whim?”

“If everyone likes it, I might make it occasionally. But since the ingredients are quite special, I’m not considering exclusive production or sale at the moment.”

Given that sugar production is not public, it’s a bit too early to make it widely available. It’s fine to make it for consumption in the manor, but it’s still too soon to release it outside.

“Sir Simon, if you’re going to be surprised by everything Lady Melfina does, no amount of composure will be enough.”

Marie spoke calmly, and Cedric, standing next to her, wore a strangely solemn expression with a faint smile on his lips.

“I see, I see…”

Simon nodded several times, then shook his head, as if to say no, no, no. No one paid him any mind, and Marie, who had placed a kettle on the stove, exclaimed in surprise.

“What’s wrong, Marie?”

“Oh, it seems the magical stone’s power has run out while I was preparing to make tea.”

The kitchen in the manor is equipped with a stove using expensive magical stones. It’s a convenient heat source with an adjustable knob for controlling the intensity.

“The magical stones are supposed to last for about ten years, but since this stove was here before we arrived, it might have been used up. I’ll remove this and put in a replacement stone.”

Turning the knob at the base of the stove, Marie revealed the compartment for the magical stone. Inside was a transparent stone.

It had originally been red, infused with fire magic.

“Magical stones can be recharged if you take them to the guild, right?”

“Yes, it’s typically done because recharging costs about a quarter of buying a new one.”

Magical stones are harvested from the stomachs of magical beasts. They are highly transparent, resembling clear crystals in appearance. If left exposed, they can lead to the reappearance of magical beasts, but purifying them at the temple renders them colorless and transparent. By imbuing these purified stones with elemental magic, they can be used as heat sources, water sources, and for various other purposes.

Although magical stones are very expensive due to their rarity, they are commonly used because they can be recharged.

Marie left the kitchen with the magical stone and quickly returned. She was holding a vivid red stone, resembling a ruby. Having worked as a maid for the duke’s family for a long time, Marie seemed quite experienced with managing and replacing magical stones. Without any fuss, she set the new stone into the stove, making it ready for use.

“If I could master fire magic, I could have refilled it myself.”

“Serleine, you were of the ice attribute, weren’t you?”

“Yes. Oh, did I ever mention that?”

“You once said so in your sleep.”

“…Please forget that. It’s embarrassing.”

Though Serleine didn’t show any sign of suspicion, the accidental lie made me feel a bit uneasy.

— I need to be careful not to confuse my past life’s memories with the present.

Serleine is a powerful ice mage. However, she will only become adept at using magic after meeting Maria and recovering from magic poisoning caused by her excessive magical power.

“May I ask what your attribute is, Sister?”

“I’m of the wind attribute, but since I don’t have much magical power, I can’t use magic. I can only perform a rather weak ‘Appraisal’ spell.”

“I see. That’s a relief.”

Serleine’s words, coming from her congenital excess of magical power that led to her frail health and delayed growth, were innocent but seemed heartfelt.

Smiling, I patted Serleine’s soft white hair, and he smiled bashfully, saying “Ehehe.”

“When Rad comes back, I’ll make sure he gets to taste it. By then, the sauce should be even better.”

“Even better? I’m looking forward to it!”

As we shared a smile, I sealed the remaining sauce in its pot tightly.

— With Worcestershire sauce, I could expand the variety of dishes. It’s a shame it’s only for the manor at the moment.

When the time comes, it might be a good idea to follow Simon’s suggestion and start producing and selling Worcestershire sauce branded with the Enkar region’s mark.

But that remains a story for the future, still unseen.