Chapter 33: Tincture of Lily Flowers
――One week later.
Using the flowers that had been picked and preserved in sugar beforehand, Diana began making candies in one go.
She cooled the iron plate and diligently removed the candies one by one.
Next to her, Leon silently made a flower wreath out of the flowers from the back mountain and placed it on Diana’s straw hat, which he had bought for her from the village store.
By midday, all the candies were finished.
The blue and pink candies gleamed round and jewel-like in the basket.
“I’m looking forward to lunch.”
Leon murmured as he placed the flower-adorned straw hat on Diana’s head.
Diana couldn’t help but smile at the scent of fresh summer flowers.
Yes, the two of them had also accepted Gustav’s invitation for lunch.
“It’s probably going to be a feast.”
“Don’t be too greedy. Remember to behave somewhat elegantly. Wealthy people don’t just buy things; they buy the attitude and background of the creator as well.”
Diana and Leon left the cottage together and rode down the hill on their beloved horse, Regina.
Leon chuckled and said,
“Diana, you’ve become quite like Aurel-sama since coming to this village.”
Diana’s eyes sparkled.
“. . .Yes. When I was in Latgip, I was just a young lady.”
“. . .And now?”
“Leon’s wife. But that’s why I want to do things I can do on my own. I don’t want to be seen as someone who married a farmer and became unhappy. I want to earn money and have a better life with Leon.”
“I feel bad. It’s because I don’t earn much as the breadwinner.”
“. . .I also don’t want you to think that way. You were delayed in receiving your inheritance, but that’s not your fault. Let’s turn misfortune into an advantage. Fortunately, the back mountain, which couldn’t be turned into a field, turned out to be a treasure trove of flowers. Let’s earn money with flowers instead of food. I’ll use what we have. If my father were still alive, he would have planted those seeds and done something similar to me.”
Leon silently rested his chin on her straw hat from behind. Diana smiled happily.
“Fufufu. And I also have a new product prepared. . .”
“Oh? By the way, Diana, I heard that you went to Thomas’s place while I was working on the farm.”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t ask what you bought.”
“I bought alcohol. Look.”
Diana shook the basket to show him. Leon peered inside while still holding the reins.
“This bottle. . .It contains lilies?”
“That’s right. It’s lilies soaked in alcohol. It’s called a tincture.”
“Tin. . .? Tin?”
“It’s easier to understand if you say tincture. If you let it sit for a while, the pleasant scent of lilies will dissolve into the alcohol.”
“What do you use it for?”
“You can use it as a facial toner or linen water, but I recommend using it in the bath. When you put it in hot water, you can enjoy the nice fragrance.”
“Hmm. . .It seems like something I’ll never use in my life.”
“Is that so? I also made a tincture with knotweed. It works as an insect repellent.”
“Oh! That’s helpful. If we have insect repellent, I can go deeper into the back mountain even in the summer!”
“It’ll be ready to use in two more weeks. Look forward to it.”
They passed through the hill, passed through Pabst village, and continued further south.
They could see the hot spring inn on the outskirts of Lipps village.
When they got off Regina, Ilsa came rushing out from the entrance as if she had been waiting eagerly.
“Diana! Leon!”
“Onee-sama, it’s been a while.”
“Now, come to the garden right away. Lunch is already prepared. Today, it’s a standing party!”
“Huh. . .? A standing party?”
Diana opened her mouth in surprise. Ilsa didn’t enter the house but pulled her sister’s hand and urged her to the backyard.
Diana and Leon were shocked by the sight in the garden.
There, in a scene that didn’t resemble the countryside at all, nobles dressed up to the nines had gathered in large numbers. Diana and Leon, who stood out like sore thumbs, broke out in a cold sweat.
“W-What is this. . .!”
“Well, you see, Daniel invited one noble family, and then everyone in the vicinity just came. It seems like they’re all extremely bored.”
“Um. . .the candies. . .”
“Look, Daniel’s spot is empty now. Go there right away.”
Diana carefully made her way through the noblewomen and approached Daniel.
When Daniel noticed Diana, he smiled and lifted up a crystal glass plate.
“Here, put it in here and show me.”
All eyes were fixed on Diana. She put the lily tincture in her pocket and then poured the contents of the basket onto the plate.
Illuminated by the daylight pouring into the garden, the candy-like flowers sparkled.
At that moment, sighs escaped from the noblewomen.
“Oh my, how lovely.”
“It has a mint flavor. Please try it after your meal.”
“It’s like a jewel.”
Daniel quietly spoke to Diana from behind, as she smiled and showed the plate.
“. . .This is your payment.”
Inside a small bag, silver coins were tightly packed.
“S-So many. . .?”
“. . .It includes the wedding gift as well.”
“T-Thank you so much!”
Diana was overjoyed to the point that her back felt scorched. With the weighty bag, memories of her various efforts came flooding back, and she quietly held back tears.
As she put the bag in her pocket, the women crowded around Diana.
“Oh, what a lovely straw hat. The flowers are beautiful.”
“What were those bottles that were in the basket earlier? Show us.”
“The women in this village wear such loose dresses. It seems comfortable, doesn’t it?”
Diana took off her straw hat and blinked her eyes. Then,
“Ladies and gentlemen! Let me introduce her.”
Ilsa confidently broke into the group.
“This is my sister, Diana. She recently got married and became a farmer’s wife in the neighboring village of Pabst!”
While Diana was bewildered, the women started to get excited.
“Oh my, is that so?!”
“Heinz’s young lady became a farmer’s wife? What does that mean?!”
“Wait, tell us more details. . .”
Diana was surrounded by the excited women and led to a corner of the garden.
(Leon. . .!)
As she searched for her husband’s figure amidst the chaos, she saw him heading towards the buffet, cheeks puffed up as he silently continued to eat basil pasta.
(Hey, hey, hey!)
However, Diana’s feelings changed at that moment.
(Well, well. . .This is an opportunity. We don’t have time to be distracted by meals!)
・・・
【”𝐀𝐰𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬.𝐜𝐨𝐦” – 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.】
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