"Florentine," Eli said. "It's been a while since I visited the markets."
Elise hadn't left the comfort of her home ever since the Marchioness passed away. The annual festival in Florentine didn't excite her anymore, because Navia wasn't there to watch the fireworks with her.
'Her grief ran deeper than I thought.'
Eli wanted to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the whimsical Florentine in Elise's stead. At the very least, it was a way to make it up to her, wherever she was right now.
Juli nodded along as leaves landed on her hair.
"Works for me! I was gonna drag you there anyway."
Juli plucked a leaf off her shoulder and flicked it at him.
It missed by a mile.
Eli simply blinked, incredulity written all over his face, and walked away.
"Wait!"
Juli jogged after him, her boots tapping on the cobblestones.
"Question!"
She caught up in three strides and fell in beside him, her hands laced together behind her head.
"I want to buy some wine from Renault. It's harvest season, right?"
'How would I know that?'
With a reluctant sigh, Eli scoured through Elise's knowledge on wine and its culture.
In Sienne, autumn meant wine, which came around September to November. The Latia Kingdom had four great wine regions, and one of them had its roots in Sienne itself.
The Renault Vineyards.
A half-day's ride south of Florentine along the stretch of terraced hills, the place has been tended by the same family for six generations.
The Renaults were special: they didn't own the largest estates, nor did they produce the most bottles, but every noble house was obligated to keep a Renault cask or two in their cellar, or else their noble status would come into serious question. That's just how precious their wine was.
The secret, according to Elise's memory, was the stone. The southern hills of Sienne ran through a vein of pale limestone that reflected sunlight by the day and released heat by night. The drainage at the surface forced the vines to fight for every drop of water, which was essential to stop the vines from growing leaves and start focusing energy on ripening fruit.
What came out of the press was divine. Throughout the years of tastings with the Marchioness, in Elise's evaluation, the word honest came to mind — that earthy, dry, faintly flinty of the stone… It was a wine that tasted like the place it came from.
Terroir. The essence of Old World winemaking.
'That billionaire grandpa did teach me some things about wine…'
He would bring a bottle of wine every day into Eli's room and offered a glass, even though he was underaged.
'Hah. "Wine is different than those cheap alcohol," he said.'
And yes. It was harvest season.
The first pressings of the year would be reaching the markets within the week, and of course, Florentine was first on the list, and during those times, the streets would be filled with merchants eagerly waiting to sweep the stocks as soon as possible to resell at a markup in the capital, by noble stewards restocking their cellars before winter, and by regular customers impatient enough to sell their houses just to get a taste and brag their opinions about it.
'They won't… but wow, Elise. You know your wine!'
Eli straightened her posture and glanced sideways at Juli.
"Harvest just started, yeah. The first casks are probably hitting the square about now. Florentine's going to be crowded for a week—"
Suddenly, another click echoed in his mind, just like the conversation with Joanne.
'I see how it is… A very devious plan.'
The Duchess… she had planned out everything meticulously, down to the last detail. However, she hadn't a clue about the anomaly that was Elise "Eli" Moreau, and they were determined to change the fate set upon the land of Sienne and the people.
'I'll have to sort things out later.'
Eli shook his head and listened in on what Juli had been saying.
"—raised by a woman with a cellar deeper than every House!"
Though it was incomplete, he could infer from the context.
Eli shrugged.
"The Marchioness had strong opinions about wine."
"She had strong opinions on just about anything!"
He huffed a small laugh.
"On everything."
Juli nodded in agreement.
The academy gate gradually came into view. That same pair of guards was still standing there, trying their best to look vicious.
"So. Why the sudden wine run?" Eli asked.
Juli shrugged, content to set her pace to slow-moving Eli as they approached the gate.
"Commander's birthday is coming up. Figured I'd bring him something decent, you know. The man's been drinking the same cheap red wine. He'd complain about it in every practice session. So annoying!"
Eli chuckled.
"Julius would be very happy."
The wind followed his hum.
"What about me? Any gifts for me?"
Juli slung her arm around his shoulders and poked at his right cheek.
"You have the unrequited love of the most dashing knight in the kingdom! What more could you want?"
Eli snorted.
"I want a refund."
"Oi!"
Juli shoved him with her shoulder, giggling.
The pair of guards at the gate snapped to attention as they walked past, posture so stiff people might think they were mannequins.
Juli gave them a lazy two-finger salute on the way by.
"At ease, boys!"
One of them flinched, almost dropping his polearm.
'They're terrified of her… I love it.'
The outer gate arched overhead, and Florentine opened up like a fairy tale book.
'I don't think this would ever get old.'
The main avenue ran straight down the central square, and they were met with the same old commotion and chaotic bustle: a boy chalking the day's prices onto a slate outside a butcher's shop, two women haggling over a basket of late apples, and neither of them was willing to budge.
Juli let go of his shoulders, interlocked her fingers, and stretched forward like a cat.
"Ahh. The rich city air! Never gets old, does it?"
She dropped her arms and scanned the square.
"Okay. Wine stall. Renaults usually set up where?"
"You know I could just get you a bottle down the cellar, right?"
Juli snorted, as if that notion seemed ridiculous to her.
"I want to buy Renaults with my own money! Ever since you locked yourself up with household duties, my wealth has been fattening up, waiting for this one moment. And alas, the era of my opulent splurge is finally here!"
Eli lowered his head and rubbed his temples, trying his hardest to swallow the chuckle.
"You're so dramatic. Is this the Great Splurge or something?"
Juli's eyes widened in genuine surprise.
"Huh? How did you know? That's exactly what I was going to call it!"
Eli closed his mouth in disbelief. He walked away for the second time.
"Elise! Wait!"