CH 223

Words : 1049 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

The Wine Was Boiled And We Drank It “As for this wine that Phillip brought back… It cannot be drunk like this, yes?” “Yes. That is what Mr. Sebastian said.” “I believe…that it will be drinkable if you boil it… So do it with this barrel. Mr. Takumi, I will buy this barrel from you.” “Certainly. I will prepare it right away.” “Huh? I don’t mind, but… You can just have it if you want?” He must have decided to have Ms. Helena take one of the barrels and boil it so it could be drunk. As there were many, it would not be a bad idea to set one aside so we could all drink it. “Well, I still have my pride. So just allow me to buy it from you for now. Also, Ms. Helena. Save a few bottles of it before boiling.” “Yes, Your Grace!” Or perhaps it was better for everyone to drink something that was bought by Mr. Ekenhart, and not someone who wasn’t a noble…such as myself? I wasn’t sure, but I decided to go with it. As Ms. Helena turned to leave, he also told her to set some of the wine aside. It was probably so they could take it to the store. You could get dozens of bottles from a single barrel, so a few bottles was nothing. “Your Grace, here it is.” After the barrel was rolled over by a few men, Mr. Ekenhart smelled it. The fragrance was a mixture of the barrel’s wood and the wine, and it was indeed quite pleasant as it wafted around us. …Did Mr. Ekenhart know a lot about wine? He did look like someone who drinks a lot. And I suppose most nobles would be educated on wine. “Now, let us return to the drawing room and wait until Helena is finished.” And so I left the entrance hall with Mr. Ekenhart and Sebastian, and we went to the drawing room. By now, Ms. Claire’s anger had subsided, and she was quietly drinking tea. Leo and Sherry were playing with Tilura. …Leo seemed to enjoy it a lot more compared to when she was forced to play with Ms. Anne. Though, she also glared at me when I returned…but I pretended not to see it. As for Ms. Anne…she looked very tired… Even her rolls were a mess, and she looked quite different now. Well, she had been forced to play with the embodiment of her fears, so it was no wonder. “Excuse me. Master, the wine has been processed.” “Mmm.” As we relaxed silently in the drawing room for some time, Ms. Helena entered with the wine…which was now more like a juice. As it had been boiled, I thought that it would be hot, but it had been cooled until it was cold. …I suppose it was done with magic? “Now, Mr. Takumi and Leo. Is this…drinkable?” “I can’t say… Leo has to check… Go on, Leo.” “Wuff? Sniff…sniff… Wuff!” Everyone sat down at the table, and cups of the juice were placed down in front of them. There was no smell of alcohol, and I could detect nothing but grapes. After Mr. Ekenhart’s question, I had Leo smell it to confirm. After tilting her head to the side, she nodded firmly. So it should be fine then. “She says it is fine.” “I see. Then let’s drink. This is my first time drinking wine from Range village. …Though, I would have preferred to drink actual wine…” Apparently, Mr. Ekenhart had never drunk Range village wine before. Mr. Hannes did say that they sent the wine to Ractos and the count’s lands. I felt a little bad for only buying undrinkable wine, but it would have to do for now. “Mmm…” “…Glug.” Mr. Ekenhart, Ms. Claire, Tilura, and Ms. Anne all started to drink from their cups. And after taking one sip, their eyes widened in surprise. I took a sip as well… Hmm, due to the way it was stored, as well as the boiling, I was a little worried about the taste. But it was just as sweet and delicious as the wine I drank in Range village. Perhaps, while the alcohol was burned out, it became more concentrated… Though, I didn’t know much about such things. “Wuff-wuff.” “Kyau.” “Oh, what is it? Does Leo and Sherry want some too?” “Wuff.” “Kyau.” As I drank the juice with some surprise, I heard Leo and Sherry’s pleading voices. Both of them wanted to drink it as well. But Leo had shown no interest in the wine back at Range village… Was it because there was no alcohol now? “Sorry, but is there any for Leo and Sherry?” “There is plenty. I will bring some now.” When I asked Ms. Helena, she said that she could prepare some for them right away. They wagged their tails and faced the direction that Ms. Helena stood, so they must really be looking forward to it. “Now this is a surprise. I didn’t expect it to be this good…” “It really is. Father, I am quite ashamed that I didn’t know about it before.” “It’s delicious! I want to drink more!” “It is wonderful…the very idea of using this to spread a disease… How abhorrent…” “But it was you!” “…Oh. Yes, it was.” Mr. Ekenhart and the others were all surprised by how much they enjoyed it. And they drained their cups in no time. Ms. Helena took the cups and left in order to bring more, as well some for Leo and Sherry. Ms. Anne was also surprised. But it seemed like she was the forgetful sort, and Ms. Claire had to give her a reminder. “Mr. Takumi, this was a good idea. It would have been a great waste…to dispose of all of that wine.” “Yes. It was because I drank it there and knew how good it was. I couldn’t let them just throw it away. However…” “Hmm? What is it? Is there a problem?” “No. But regarding this whole incident…I talked to Mr. Hannes, the chief of Range village…”

CH 223

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