22 Traveling to the Middle Ages 022

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The banquet was, of course, not merely about eating and drinking; amidst the feasting, there were numerous entertainments as well. At the height of the banquet, when the main course was halfway through, four attendants carried in a massive round pie and placed it in the center of the dining table. The crust bore a pattern resembling the Balzac family crest, and its sheer size was striking—such pies were quite common in medieval court feasts, though they were meant more for display than consumption.

Much like how, centuries later, elaborate sugar sculptures were crafted—not to be eaten but admired—these grand pies served as visual spectacle. Nobles in this era were not yet wealthy enough to waste sugar in such ways.

Amidst the crowd’s attention, Louisa glanced indifferently at the pie, then shifted her gaze to the main dishes on the table: eel sauce roasted beef, milk oats with gilded wild boar, and roast swan. The fishy aroma of the eel sauce made it difficult for her to approach the beef; the gilded wild boar was literally adorned with gold leaf. At this time, golden-colored foods were fashionable, so noble banquets featured dishes either gilded or dyed saffron yellow.

While a small amount of gold leaf posed no harm—some modern extravagant dishes still use it—Louisa’s instincts recoiled. As for the roast swan, it was customary at noble feasts to restore cooked dishes to their living appearance; thus, the feathers were individually glued back onto the swan’s body with honey after roasting.

Louisa did not want to ponder whether the feathers had been boiled or dried, or if they were used raw, potentially carrying disease. Even when attendants cut into the swan, she had no intention of touching the meat inside.

At that moment, an attendant began slicing the giant pie, and Louisa noticed his movements were awkward. Before she could wonder why, the crust broke open, revealing a hole—not too small or large. The pie was hollow inside! Suddenly, several birds flew out from the opening...

The crowd gasped in surprise!

Louisa: Handsome guy, speechless.jpg

It wasn’t her first encounter with such a spectacle. She had never seen anything like this in the convent but returning to the Brudo court was different. At first, such surprises were bewildering, but now she accepted them calmly—perhaps because the food itself was unremarkable, the spectacle was the only source of flair.

Louisa watched quietly, indifferent both to the commotion and the food. Her aloofness was seen by supporters and neutrals as noble. Yet some looked upon it with disdain, suspecting she was feigning indifference under the influence of wine.

“Drink, drink, drink!” Wine glasses passed among the tables away from the main one.

At such banquets, the most esteemed guests had small portions of high-quality food before them. Others shared dishes among several people; even when attendants divided the portions, it was less dignified. In general, meals were served separately, and similarly, each had their own wine glass—passing glasses around to drink was technically improper.

Yet sometimes, in particularly warm atmospheres, those of higher rank would offer their wine to those of lower rank as a gesture of goodwill. But the giver must remember—when drinking, one must swallow all food first and wipe the mouth, especially the upper lip, clean so no grease taints the glass or wine.

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Suddenly, a man stood up, holding a wine glass, shouting at Count Balzac: “My lord, there’s nothing else to complain about, except one thing—our future lord will be a woman!”

Louisa recognized the burly man with a somewhat unkempt beard; he was a baron of Brudo. On the surface, his words sounded like a typical grievance—after all, female lords were rare in this era. In a male-dominated, even misogynistic society, no vassal wished for a female lord.

But Louisa recalled that this baron was related by marriage to her cousin; three years ago, he had married his sister to Louisa’s cousin. That cousin now had a legitimate heir, which sparked certain ambitions among some in Brudo.

If Brudo did not follow a “primogeniture with male preference” system but rather a more common “male-only primogeniture,” or a “male-line primogeniture,” the countship and all its appurtenances could very likely pass to Louisa’s cousin.

This was a form of provocation, an attempt to pressure Count Balzac to amend the inheritance laws within his domain. Such matters were rare at this time and usually driven by the royal family, who wielded greater power and could bend rules for personal gain.

But change depends on human will... or so some hoped.

Yet these people failed to realize that most royal changes to inheritance laws aimed to grant daughters the right to inherit. Male succession was naturally preferred; if the goal were to secure a son’s inheritance, no law change was needed. Only when daughters were denied inheritance, and the property risked passing to outsiders, was there motivation for upheaval.

Of course, occasionally efforts were made to enable illegitimate sons to inherit, but such cases were far more complex and never openly discussed—at least nowadays, illegitimate children had no legal claim.

In reality, illegitimate inheritance happened only after facts were established and reluctantly accepted.

In a way, no illegitimate heir who successfully rose was ever truly “legitimate.” Yet illegitimacy did not negate their existence.

The wine at the time had a low alcohol content and was often diluted with water during meals—not to save costs, but due to custom, making it milder. Those prone to intoxication should be cautious at court banquets. Thus, the baron’s loudness was likely deliberate.

Count Balzac’s displeasure was evident; his face darkened at the baron’s “nonsense.”

Some might prefer a nephew to inherit rather than a daughter, as a nephew at least carried the family name, whereas a daughter’s marriage would risk changing the land’s surname. But Count Balzac was not that kind of man; he generally favored direct bloodline succession.

Now, with these remarks, it seemed more like an attack on him as lord... Did they think he would refuse to acknowledge his daughter as countess if he insisted on traditional inheritance?

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The formerly joyful voices gradually faded, the atmosphere growing as cold as Count Balzac’s expression.

“Yes, no surprises—our future ruler of Brudo will be a woman.” Louisa stood calmly, breaking the uneasy silence.

The baron, feigning drunken bravado, seemed taken aback that Louisa would speak up. He had expected the count to be displeased but silent at the banquet. He also wondered if others shared his view—that they did not want a female lord. But Louisa had never entered his calculations.

A “woman”? What could one expect of her? Weak, foolish, vain, always needing a “guardian”—that was a woman, even if she was Brudo’s rightful heir.

Rooted in deep prejudice, they never imagined Louisa would stand up. So, when she did, their first reaction was anger. Perhaps numbed by alcohol, the baron sneered, “Hey, lady, you should learn to keep silent, be a virtuous little woman. There’s no place here for your voice.”

Louisa did not wish for Brudo’s nobility to see her as weak. This was not about being overly ambitious or battling a male-dominated era—it was about preparing herself as Brudo’s heiress to govern the land and its people.

If she wished to avoid future difficulties, the “first button” must be buttoned correctly.

“You may refuse to see me as a ‘little woman,’ but before being a woman, I am Brudo’s heir—your future lord. I believe this world values rank before gender. Otherwise, you would not bow to Her Majesty the Queen, nor would your male subjects respect your wives and daughters.” Louisa countered using the era’s logic.

This seemed to offend the baron, who, lacking a strong retort, angrily spat, “Oh! How dare you! You’re clearly not my lord yet... If it comes to that, I can only say I deeply regret—”

“You should be cautious with your words. Do you truly understand what you’re saying?” Louisa cut him off coldly to prevent further insult. “My authority and special status come from bloodline and law, not from you. You must understand your limits.”

Fortunately, the nobles beside the baron were belatedly realizing the gravity of the situation. They dared not meet the radiant gaze of Brudo’s heiress and hastily pulled the drunken baron aside.

“Baron, hey! You’ve had too much to drink!”