Danila pushed open the wooden door leading to the basement, holding an Oil Lamp in her right hand that emitted a faint glow, and stepped slowly down the stairs into the depths.
At this moment, Finihiya carefully followed behind her.
Relying on the dim light from the Oil Lamp, she watched the stone steps beneath her feet to avoid misstepping and falling.
The steps were polished quite smooth, and the stone walls on both sides were similarly refined.
The basement was built very deep.
Perhaps due to inadequate ventilation, the air inside was thick and stale, making her breath feel slightly heavy.
“Lady Finihiya, do you also have an interest in wine?”
Danila, walking ahead, spoke to her in her usual somewhat gentle tone.
Because the basement was so quiet and empty, even this small voice echoed clearly off the walls.
“… I just wanted to take a look.”
Finihiya didn’t know how to respond to Danila’s words, so she replied vaguely.
“I see. Please be careful with your footing, Lady Finihiya, so you don’t fall.”
“Mm.”
They continued down the polished steps for a while.
Using the faint light, she saw another wooden door at the bottom of the stairs.
The large double doors were unlocked and were easily pushed open by Danila with one hand.
A rich aroma of wine immediately filled the air from behind the doors.
Stepping into the basement, Finihiya saw a spacious area with Wine Barrels neatly arranged on both sides.
“There used to be a lot of wine here,” Danila said softly as she took out a Fire Striker to light the Oil Lamps on the walls.
“At that time, almost the entire basement was stocked with wines from various regions.”
One by one, Danila lit the Oil Lamps on the walls.
The dim basement slowly brightened with the faint light.
Finihiya silently smiled at Danila’s words, her gaze curiously roaming over the wine cellar.
“These on this side are wines from the Kingdom of Ireneth. The abundant sunshine and rainy season there make the grapes especially flavorful. Would you like to try some, Lady Finihiya?”
“No…” Seeing Danila holding a ladle, Finihiya shook her head immediately in refusal, then lifted one side of her face with a dry smile and explained, “I have no interest in wine.”
“No interest?”
Danila seemed puzzled by this explanation.
Finihiya nodded once, then continued, “I’m just here to find something.”
“Something?” Danila returned the ladle to its place. “What is it that you’re looking for, Lady Finihiya?”
Glancing around the wine cellar, Finihiya replied, “Is there any wine that has gone bad, turned sour?”
“Gone bad, turned sour?” Danila repeated, confused, then turned slightly toward the far corner of the cellar. “The barrels piled up over there are sour wines waiting to be discarded.”
Following Danila’s gaze, Finihiya saw two wooden barrels in the corner.
As she stepped closer, the air around the barrels carried a faintly pungent sour scent.
“Can I open these barrels?”
“Of course.”
Perhaps because they had been opened before, Danila easily removed the wooden lids from the barrels.
Gazing into the dark liquid in the dim light, Finihiya fetched a ladle and scooped out some wine.
The sour smell in the air intensified noticeably.
Bringing the spoiled wine closer to her nose, Finihiya raised her right hand to gently fan the wine.
After confirming the sourness, she raised her right index finger to lightly tap the wine in the ladle, then brought the finger’s tip, coated in the liquid, to her lips.
With her tongue gently touching the wine on her finger, Finihiya pursed her lips, concentrating as she savored it.
Danila stood beside her, wearing a puzzled expression, though she did not voice her confusion and simply watched silently.
The sour flavor spread across Finihiya’s palate.
***
After a moment of thoughtful frowning, her slender, beautifully shaped eyebrows finally relaxed.
At the same time, a faint smile appeared on her delicate, porcelain doll-like face.
Pouring the wine back into the barrel, Finihiya turned slightly toward Danila and spoke with a light tone, “May I have this barrel?”
“Please do not ask that, Lady Finihiya.”
Danila lightly saluted. “As the Yonguan Owner, you may use anything inside here freely.”
“Then… could you please have someone bring this barrel of sour wine to the pavilion in the courtyard?”
“I understand. I will instruct the servants shortly.”
“Thank you~”
The wind blew in from beyond the sea, gently stirring the skirts of her dress, while the palm leaves a little way off rustled softly in the drizzle.
Coming out from the basement wine cellar, Finihiya returned to the pavilion where she usually stayed.
She actually preferred to stay on the Hill by the sea, where the view was much wider, but continuous rains for half a month confined her to the courtyard pavilion.
The breeze stirred the three downy roses decorating her chest.
She watched the bouquet in the courtyard bathed in rain.
Before long, a mature male voice reached her ears from outside the pavilion.
“Lady Finihiya.”
She shifted her gaze and saw a sturdy-looking demi-human standing there, carrying a Wine Barrel.
Seeing this, she rose and politely gestured for the man to place the barrel nearby.
“Just put it here.”
“Yes.”
After setting down the barrel, the man straightened his back, placed his right fist over his heart, then turned and disappeared into the rain.
Among the servants living in the Yonguan, she had never seen such a tall, strong demi-human before, and judging by the formal Military Salute, he was likely one of the demon soldiers responsible for guarding the estate.
Scoop out a bit of the sour wine from the barrel.
Finihiya carefully examined it for a moment, then pursed her lips, thinking about other materials she might need.
The acid component was now ready…
Though the spoiled wine’s acidity wasn’t very strong, it was sufficient.
Now, she only needed an alkaline solution and oil to make the shampoo base have better cleansing power.
Oil was everywhere, and getting alkaline solution was very simple—just soak ashes from burned wood or dry grass in water to easily obtain a solution with alkaline properties.
With this in mind, Finihiya slowly stood up, then opened her pale white parasol and headed toward the Yonguan kitchen.
Nightfall cloaked the Yonguan earlier than dusk.
At the kitchen door, the servants were busy at the sink preparing dinner.
“Lady Finihiya.”
As she stepped into the kitchen, the dark elf Gad Winters, who served as the head chef here, came directly toward her.