Preparing For The Festival (7)

"So? What do you think?"

I stared at the Duchess with anticipation, watching as she licked her lips and observed the deep sapphire liquid inside her wineglass, her expression neutral and her eyes unreadable.

"Hmm... Sweet - almost sickly sweet sometimes - but sharp and... like a punch to the mouth would be the best way to describe it. Sudden. Strong. Good flavor too. Potent in alcohol content... which person helped purify this?"

"My daughter, Aethisia. It was Lightning Magic that she used. Why?"

Nodding, the Duchess glanced at Aethisia for a brief moment, her eyes taking on an indecipherable gleam for a second before she looked back at me, still nodding as she brought the glass to her lips for a second time.

Taking another sip, she finally said "It's a unique flavor. Good, not something I would go out of my way to get, but that's because I prefer subdued, weaker wines. I imagine that this would do well with those who can handle their liquor but wanted something 'lighter' to start or end the night off with. It'll do just fine. Though, I still think that you, Kalia, have made the best wine. That sweet, refreshing white wine was by far some of the best wine I had tasted from someone just learning how to make wine."

Kalia smiled happily as she accepted the praise, causing Sari to ruffle her pink hair and pinch her cheek with a smirk before asking "Duchess, would you suggest we get into spiced wines as well? Or is that too... 'niche' for a starting business?"

"Spiced wines? Like vanilla, cinnamon, dried berries or some fruit rinds mixed in? No, I think they'd be well within the realm of possibility for most people buying wines. Specifically, I think they could become a staple of the store if done correctly. Too many people make pure wines only, so the market for spiced wines is small and expensive."

Sari nodded, taking another bite from the neat sandwich that the Duchess had made for us, the Catkin chewing for a few seconds before washing it down with her own glass of wine as she then asked "Which would you prefer? I think it'd be best to focus on a single spiced wine as well to start, before gradually releasing other flavors into the market. Perhaps try using herbs to flavor it as well? Mint would be a good flavor, don't you think~?"

She glanced at me as she asked that, and I blushed beneath my veil at the thought of a wine thats taste reminded me of Rhefia, just like the idea of a vanilla wine was something that would remind me of Sari...

Kalia was the one to say something next, smirking at me before innocently smiling at the Duchess as she asked "Or raspberry? It is spring, and raspberries were rather abundant inside the city when we last visited. Is it a flavor that is loved by most of Birchan's people?"

My cheeks darkened even more as I looked towards the Duchess, who was wearing a small smile as she alternated her gaze between Sari and Kalia, eventually answering "Yes, it is a rather favored taste amongst the people. It's even a staple of the Festival as well! Raspberry tarts, lemonade mixed with raspberries, and just raspberries on their own are sold in abundance."

Looking towards me, the Duchess' smile widened for a moment before she looked away and stood up, brushing off her dress and saying "Well, I don't want to take up too much of your time. The sun is beginning to descend after all."

She lifted up her basket and nodded at all of us, turning away and beginning to make her way up to the vacation house only to stop and look back, adding "Perhaps we can try some of those tarts at the Festival, Astra? I think you'll quite like them."

Her smile was just as bright as the sun, though I was robbed of its brilliance as she continued to make her way back towards the house, going inside and leaving us alone on the hillside; my face was completely red, though thankfully the veil hid that from sight, but...

"You're absolutely crimson right now, aren't you?"

"Yes, I do think Mother is blushing rather hard currently..."

"Is that surprising to either of you~? I mean, the Duchess is..! Wow..."

I glared at the three women and let out a huff, standing up stiffly and marching over towards the foundations we had created, getting back to work and leaving them behind... mainly so that I could calm myself down.

My heart was beating rapidly inside my chest, and I could feel my lower lips getting wetter with each passing second as I began to mark out the storage areas for the barrels, waiting for the others to join me.

The more I thought about this Festival, the more I was beginning to think that it was, perhaps, a d-d-d-date?!

My cheeks - which had lost that crimson luster a few moments ago - heated back up as I blushed even harder, while my knees rubbed together unconsciously as my pussy made its opinion known through the droplets that streaked down my thighs...

Just thinking about that made me horny, embarrassed, aroused, expectant, hopeful, horny, and happy as I stood there, doing a portion of my job for this woman whilst thinking about going on a d-date with her~!

Would we walk through the Festival and hold hands?!

Perhaps we would share a treat unique to the Festival together in the shade, with the Duchess leaning forwards to take a bite of whatever I was offering her?!

O-Or, or maybe we would go and dance together amongst the locals?!

"Goddess above... could you be any more obvious, Astra..? I'm amused, happy, and pissed at the same time... though knowing that you're likely smiling like a loon beneath that veil, I'm mainly amused..."

Hearing the familiar voice of my Catkin wife, I blushed some more - for an entirely different reason as the tone used was one I was all too familiar with - and turned to see her smirking at me, those yellow eyes staring straight into my own eyes as if the veil wasn't actually here...

"Besides, the more you pine after her, the more I want to tie you up and fuck you back home until you yield to me again and accept my seed... So clamp down on your expectations for a bit, alright? Otherwise I'll push you against the wall and have my way with you for a round or six."

I blinked at the mixed signals her words gave me, but a swift smack on my butt and a wide smile made me shiver and turn as I began to get to work again, knowing that she would do as she 'threatened' if we didn't get this over with soon...

Besides, it did make me feel slightly guilty as I realized I was rather rude to both her and Rhefia with my current fantasies, though I was also adamant to turn them into reality... which only made me feel a bit more guilty as we began to put the shed together, carving out the areas for the barrels and nailing the planks to the support beams, turning this from a cubic hole into a proper shed.

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Gonna do a few more of these, maybe get to like 9 or 10 before the Festival actually begins?

Dunno, just been having fun with them and feel like there are a few things that need to be done before then.

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