Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 3.3 - Chapter 3

The Start of Winter Socializing 

I could feel winter getting closer and closer. Each gust of wind was like hundreds of cold daggers pricking my skin, and even with my fireplace lit, I struggled to leave my blankets in the morning. 

As of late, I had seen carriage after carriage passing by the temple, going through the Noble’s Gate to the Noble’s Quarter. The nobles were evidently moving there in preparation for winter socializing now that the autumn Harvest Festival was over. I hadn’t noticed them at all last year, since I had been in the orphanage director’s chambers, but there was a window in the High Bishop’s chambers that gave me a clear view of the Noble’s Gate. 

“So, Fran—what is my winter schedule looking like?” I asked. “Has Ferdinand told you when I’ll be heading to the castle?” 

“You will be moving to the castle once the winter baptisms are complete,” Fran replied. 

Zahm, who had also come to my chambers to deliver a message from Ferdinand, gave a nod. “Traveling between the temple and the Noble’s Quarter will be difficult with all this snow. Please do take care of yourself.” 

It had been decided that once Ferdinand had finished intensely training the blue priests, and had thus secured Zahm’s replacement, he would send Zahm over to become my attendant. Such was the result of me informing Ferdinand that I wanted one of his skilled attendants, since Fran was so busy these days. 

For some time now, Zahm had been helping Fran with his work whenever he dropped by with news from Ferdinand. For that reason, Fran had assured me that he would be a massive help once he was officially assigned to be my attendant. It seemed that, with Gil always in the workshop, my chambers were mostly filled with girls, so Fran was unexpectedly happy to be getting a male coworker. 

Alongside his temple work, Ferdinand was using the time he had saved not going to the Knight’s Order and the castle to train blue and gray priests. This training was intense enough that the gray priests often said anyone who served him would be turned into a first-rate attendant whether they liked it or not. 

Ferdinand hadn’t needed to rely on potions to keep himself going lately, and in fact seemed to be exceedingly lively. He kept going on about what task to give them next, and I was glad to see him having fun cooking up study plans. He wasn’t the only one giving out intense instructions, though—his attendants were working hard to train the next generation of attendants. What a reliable bunch. 

Even Kampfer and Frietack—the blue priests I had recommended—were getting pretty teary-eyed over how grueling Ferdinand’s training was, but the amount they were being paid for their work was more than enough to improve their overall quality of life, so they were working hard nonetheless. Incidentally, their attendants were being trained alongside them, too; they had risen forth and deepened their bonds to face the common foe that was Ferdinand, with both master and servant completely throwing themselves at each task. 

While that was heartwarming to see, I couldn’t simply sit still and watch them or else I would be given work of my own, so I always had to do so stealthily. 

“Lady Rozemyne, a delivery from the Gilberta Company has arrived,” Fran said with a glance my way. 

I smiled in anticipation; today was the day that Mom and Tuuli would be delivering the hairpin that I was going to wear during my winter debut. I would be going to my hidden room after fifth bell to receive it, but in the meantime, I needed to memorize the words to the winter baptism’s prayer, among other things. I couldn’t wait to see them, though, since I had prepared gifts for Tuuli and Kamil. 

“Lady Rozemyne, may I ask you to go to the orphanage director’s chamber?” Fritz asked, calling for me when the time came. He was a calm-looking man with scorched-brown hair and eyes who had become my attendant just the other day. 

Several years ago, Fritz had managed to serve a fairly aggressive blue priest within the temple without issue, having developed an impressive amount of calm and patience in the process. In other words, he basically never got emotional. It was always Fritz who stepped in to mediate when Gil and Lutz got into arguments, so he had been something of a supporting pillar in the workshop for quite some time. 

But even now that he was my attendant, Fritz still went to the workshop every day with Gil, so I generally only saw him in the morning and during evening reports. Not to mention, he was one of the gray priests whose minds had been thoroughly corrupted by the saint propaganda; he always got super nervous in front of me, speaking rigidly and with an equally stiff smile. 

“Monika, Fritz—pay close attention to her walking speed. Furthermore, do not forget the items,” Fran instructed. 

“Understood.” 

And so I headed for the orphanage director’s chambers with Monika, Fritz, and my guard knights. Upon my arrival, Gil returned from the front gate with Lutz, Mom, and Tuuli. 

“My apologies for the wait, Lady Rozemyne.” 

“We may speak in the other room. Monika, please hand the box to Gil,” I said, before looking over at Damuel. He nodded at my silent instruction, at which point Brigitte took a step back. Monika then did the same once she had given Gil her box. 

We stepped into the hidden room, and only once the door was completely sealed behind us did Lutz delicately set his own box on the table and open it. “Here are the delivered goods,” he said. “Please look at your leisure.” 

Lutz was much better at taking the hair stick out this time than he had been before, so I could guess that he had been practicing with Tuuli. The hair stick itself was decorated with large flowers that were a deep red to match the divine color of winter. They were gathered with lace into a bouquet, just as I had ordered, and adorned with bird feathers of a radiant white, the other divine color of winter. These two colors would match the outfit that I was planning to wear during my winter debut. 

...The red and white design of the outfit kind of makes me look like Santa, though. I understand why winter has two divine colors, but did it really have to be those two colors of all colors? 

My outfit was mostly red, with white fur around the neck and wrists for warmth. I had wanted to reject the design, in all honesty, but Rihyarda had looked so excited as she picked it out that I completely missed my opportunity to speak up. Not that anyone would have understood my misgivings, anyway. 

“Exactly as ordered,” I said. “May I ask you to put it on me?” 

Mom stuck the hair stick in with a smile, and when I asked whether it looked good on me, Tuuli pumped a fist and exclaimed, “Of course!” But as a nostalgic smile started to spread across my face, Damuel cleared his throat, prompting Tuuli to hurriedly correct herself. 

“...It looks very good on you, milady.” 

“Of course it does. Anything you make looks good on me, Tuuli,” I said with a smile. 

At that, Tuuli returned a smile of her own—one that very clearly seemed to say, “I know, right?” 

“Lady Rozemyne, my husband was overjoyed to have been assigned to guard the priests at Hasse,” Mom said. “And thanks to your bonuses, it seems the soldiers at the gate often fight over who should be picked to accompany him.” 

“He also said that the food at the monastery was super tasty,” Tuuli added, both her and Mom keeping an eye on Damuel’s expression as they spoke. I was glad to hear even that small piece of news. 

“I am glad they enjoyed it. The priests will be returning to Hasse come spring, so I will be asking the soldiers to guard them once again when that time comes,” I replied. 

They went on to talk about Dad, I spoke about the orphans, and then the conversation naturally progressed onto Kamil’s growth. He was apparently in the middle of a fierce struggle, trying to pull himself up to stand. My only memories of Kamil were of him sleeping at home and being carried in front of the temple doors, so it really surprised me how quickly he had grown. That said, I had heard from Wilma that Dirk had taken his first steps the other day, so it made sense that Kamil would be making progress as well. 

“...Gil.” 

“This, Lady Rozemyne?” Gil asked, before setting the box that Monika had given him onto the table and opening it. Inside were gifts for Tuuli and Kamil. 

I took out the ball of cloth that I had made with Delia and Wilma, then bounced it on the table. When I did, the bells that were inside started to jingle. 

“This ball has bells inside, so I think even babies should be able to enjoy playing with it,” I said. “It being made of cloth means it should be easier to grab and also reduces the risk of any potential injuries. Do you think it would sell in the Gilberta Company?” 

From what I could remember, we still had some leftover bells at home. I was pretending this ball was an example for Tuuli to work from, but in reality, it was a present for Kamil. Mom promptly accepted it, having guessed my true intentions. 

“Furthermore, as thanks for the hair stick, I would like to give you this, Tuuli. Please read it when you have the time,” I said, handing Tuuli a volume of our third picture book. It was a little thicker than usual thanks to the letter I had slipped inside, which Tuuli noticed as soon as she took it. She didn’t open the book, but her lips curled upward ever so slightly as she slipped it into my old tote basket along with the cloth ball. 

As I looked at the basket, surprised that they were still using it, I noticed Mom staring at me. She reached out a hand, but pulled it back with a clouded expression before giving an awkward smile. 

“Lady Rozemyne, the upcoming season will be cold and harsh. Please take care and watch your health so that you do not end up bedridden with a fever,” she said. 

“The same to you. May you and your family be safe.”

After the autumn coming of age ceremony had ended, on a morning where snow had started to pile up on the streets, the winter baptism ceremony began. My family was nowhere to be seen, since I had told them not to come in case Kamil got sick, but Lutz mentioned that Kamil had been very excitedly playing with his new cloth ball, so I was more than satisfied. 

Once the winter baptism ceremony was over, Ferdinand and I informed the blue priests in the temple what they would be doing in our absence. Kampfer and Frietack let out dying wheezes upon seeing the pile of work stacked in front of them, but the silent pressure that Ferdinand was exuding forced them to accept it. 

We quickly finished our preparations, and it was soon time for me to head to the castle. Once Ella and Rosina had gotten into their carriage, I climbed into mine and turned to look at the attendants who had come to see me off. 

“Gil, Fritz—please take care of the orphanage alongside Wilma. And be especially sure to put your all into the printing that you shall be doing as winter handiwork.” 

“Lady Rozemyne, err... good luck with business?” Gil said. 

I smiled and gave him a nod. I would be selling learning materials to all the noble kids no matter what. 

“Lady Rozemyne, please consider your health above all else, and take care not to push yourself,” Fran added. 

“Thank you, Fran. I hope that you all take care of yourselves as well.” 

Meanwhile, Ferdinand was giving precise instructions to his own attendants. “Kampfer and Frietack are preparing for the Dedication Ritual, but they will need your assistance,” he said. 

“Understood,” his attendants replied. 

At some point, Ferdinand’s attendants had all received diptychs of their own. It had apparently all started when Zahm asked Fran for one, which was then ordered from Lutz through Gil. They had since become essential tools not just for my attendants, but for Ferdinand’s, Kampfer’s, and Frietack’s as well. 

“That will be all for now,” Ferdinand concluded. 

“We shall await your safe return.” 

And so, as snow fell upon Ehrenfest, my living quarters were moved from the temple to the castle. 

“Welcome home, Lady Rozemyne. Welcome back, Lord Ferdinand.” Norbert, Sylvester’s head attendant, welcomed us upon our arrival, before guiding us to the nearest waiting room in the northern building. There we found Rihyarda, who went on to inform me and Ferdinand of our schedules over tea. 

“The baptism ceremony will be performed three days from now, on Earthday,” she said. 

The winter baptism marked the beginning of winter socializing, followed by the debut of all the children who had been baptized that year. And as all of the nobles gathered, the children who would soon be joining their ranks would be invited to join. 

“...Baptism ceremony? Am I going to be performing that one, too?” 

“No, since the winter baptism ceremony overlaps with the debut, I will be performing it instead,” Ferdinand said. “Watch closely, though, as you will be performing it next year as the High Bishop.” 

...So the High Priest will be performing the baptism in the High Bishop’s place? Aww... If he hadn’t banned me from selling illustrations of him, I could have made a ton of money. What a shame. 

“Rozemyne, I can tell from the look on your face that you are plotting something rotten,” Ferdinand observed, watching me with narrowed eyes. 

“Well, it’s not a plot that I can actually execute, so there’s no need for concern. Sigh...” 

I had thought about slipping illustrations into the financial reports for the harspiel concert, but Ferdinand had instantly rejected the idea. And when I asked whether I could distribute them for free instead, he just called me an idiot. 

“Milady, you need not think about that right now. Please focus on what I’m telling you,” Rihyarda interjected. “During your debut, you will offer up a song to the gods, praying for future protection and gratitude for the growth you have experienced. The order is such that nobles of a lower rank go first, while those of a higher status play later.” 

“I’ll be playing before Wilfried, then.” 

Hierarchy was very important to nobles. Wilfried was the archduke’s son and heir, so as a former archnoble turned adopted daughter, I would be considered beneath him socially. That was why I had assumed that I would play before him, but Rihyarda shook her head. 

“No, you will be playing last, so as to announce that you have been adopted by the archduke. There will be nobles gathering here in the winter who were not present for your summer baptism.” 

“That would make sense,” Ferdinand said with a nod, but that just confused me more. 

“But why? Isn’t going against hierarchy a bad thing?” 

“Officially speaking, there is no hierarchy between the children of the archduke,” Ferdinand replied. “That is why, under normal circumstances, a successor would not have been picked yet.” 

“But even then, aren’t adopted children on a different level from normal children?” 

“You must learn to read between the lines. By introducing you last, we avoid Wilfried playing after you and being unfavorably compared to your performance. Am I correct, Rihyarda?” Ferdinand asked. 

Rihyarda had no choice but to nod. “My boy, Lord Wilfried has been progressing so fast that you wouldn’t believe it. But he hasn’t even been practicing for a single season, whereas you’ve been practicing for years, milady. Everyone will notice how much better at the harspiel you are than him.” 

“Oh, that’s what you mean. Now I understand.” 

Once Rihyarda had explained what would happen during the baptism and the debut, Ferdinand told her our plans for the Dedication Ritual. Traveling between the temple and the castle would limit how much time I had for meetings and spending time with other kids. 

“I imagine that there will be many requests to meet with Rozemyne, but prioritize her health above all else. I trust you to make the proper arrangements,” Ferdinand said. 

“As you wish, Ferdinand, my boy.” 

Once the discussion was over, Ferdinand stood up to head to his estate in the Noble’s Quarter. I assumed that he would be leaving at once, but he instead glared down at me and started listing off warnings. 

“I will be leaving potions with Rihyarda, but take care to manage your health. Do not go to the book room yourself; have your books brought to you instead. Do not speak directly to nobles you do not recognize; have your attendants speak to them for you. Furthermore—” 

“That should be enough, my boy,” Rihyarda interrupted, clapping her hands together a few times. “I can give her such minor instructions myself. Besides, if you list them all off at once, she won’t remember them.” 

“Ah, yes. I had forgotten that there are others who can keep her on a leash,” Ferdinand murmured before leaving the room. The next time we would meet was for the baptism ceremony in three days’ time. At last, I could spend some time relaxing without him constantly butting in to say one thing or another. 

A short while after our discussion, I changed clothes and went to check on Wilfried, at Rihyarda’s suggestion. 

“Lord Wilfried is progressing shockingly quickly, though he seems to have grown just a little smug lately, which is leading him back into laziness. He truly does resemble Lord Sylvester,” Rihyarda said with a troubled yet nostalgic smile. She had already requested a meeting with Wilfried, so I was let straight into his room. 

“Wilfried, I hear that you have grown considerably. May I look at your task list?” 

“Sure, take a look. Impressive, huh?” Wilfried said, proudly holding out the sheet. Almost everything on the list had been marked off, and I could tell that he had been working fairly hard. But at the same time, it was obvious that being this close to finishing had made him somewhat apathetic; everyone was probably telling him that he had done well to get this far, and that it didn’t necessarily matter whether or not he finished. 

But while this certainly was impressive to those who were used to Wilfried’s past behavior, the task list was the bare minimum he needed to accomplish as the archduke’s son. Not completing it would be deemed a failure, no matter how close he was. 

“My, I see that you truly are working hard. But it doesn’t quite seem like you’ll make it,” I commented. 

There were still five tasks that hadn’t been checked off, which meant that his chances of success were precariously balancing between possible and not possible. But I didn’t say that aloud, and instead deliberately framed it as though he had already failed. 

“That’s a shame, but don’t feel too down about it, Wilfried.” 

My words caused Wilfried’s eyes to open wide in anger, and a stir spread among his attendants. 

“What?! I-It’s not over yet! There’s still time before the debut!” Wilfried protested. 

“...Three days, you mean? Can you really finish everything here that quickly?” 

“Of course!” Wilfried declared. “Let’s do it, Moritz!” 

It appeared that my taunting had reignited his motivation, and he called Moritz over before starting to study as fervently as ever. I watched for a short while, and then stealthily exited the room with Rihyarda. 

Once I was back in my chambers, I had my things from the temple put away while I leisurely read a book that Rihyarda had brought me from the book room. Then, at dinner, Oswald reported that Wilfried had completed another one of his tasks. This announcement was met with considerable praise by Sylvester and Florencia. 

Wilfried puffed out his chest and looked at me. “See, Rozemyne? I can do it when I try.” 

“Oh yes, it’s very impressive. And as you just implied, you don’t get anywhere when you don’t try. Realizing this is the most important step that you can make,” I said to taunt him further. 

My words earned me a frown from Sylvester, who quickly protested. “Look, Rozemyne—you gotta do something about Ferdinand.” 

“What do you mean by that?” 

I hadn’t known about this, but Sylvester went on to explain that he had sent several SOS messages to Ferdinand asking for help. They had all apparently ended up being refused in the same way: “Unfortunately, I cannot assist you without the High Bishop’s permission.” 

“So I’ve been telling him to get your permission, but he just says you’re either absent or busy. It’s pretty clear that he just hasn’t been contacting you at all.” 

...You know, I think I can see Ferdinand giving one of his evil smiles right now. 

But either way, by permitting Ferdinand to come back to the castle to help out, I would be allowing things to go right back to how they had been before. 

“With all the scholars in the castle, I am sure you can handle things yourself. The very reason that Ferdinand entered the temple was to signal his withdrawal from the world of politics, so it is strange that he has been visiting the castle and helping with your work at all,” I said in rebuttal. 

No matter how stealthily Ferdinand did the work, it clearly wasn’t something he should be doing in the first place. 

“Ferdinand is currently in the middle of quite joyously training replacements in the temple,” I continued. “I have heard that there was a massive purge that greatly diminished the number of nobles, but Ehrenfest ended up relatively unscathed due to maintaining a neutral position during the civil war, correct? Now is the best time for us to train newcomers and build strength for the future.” 

They were relying on Ferdinand so much at the moment that there would be countless problems if something were to happen to him. 

“So, in other words... you have no intention of handing Ferdinand over?” Sylvester asked. 

“Oh my, that’s not the case at all. You may inform the scholars that those who absolutely require Ferdinand’s assistance may visit the temple to seek his counsel,” I said, knowing that no noble would visit the temple of their own volition unless the situation truly was dire. Well, perhaps one noble would; I could imagine a certain someone gleefully infiltrating the temple in order to explore. 

“Rozemyne, you must know that Sylvester needs him,” Florencia began, but I shook my head. 

“Florencia, dearest mother, your worries are unfounded. The one and only Aub Ehrenfest would never be so weak as to give up on his work while his own son is striving to one day become the archduke himself,” I said, landing a powerful blow. 

Sylvester averted his gaze with a pout that was just like his son’s, at which point Wilfried looked up with a glint in his eyes and eagerly tried to counter me himself. 

“Father’s incredible, Rozemyne,” he said proudly. “No way is he weak.” 

...And now it’ll be even harder for him to avoid doing his work. Good job, Wilfried! 

I spent my days practicing harspiel with Rosina and playing the role of a taunting sibling to motivate Wilfried, and soon enough, the morning of the feast where all the nobles in Ehrenfest would gather had arrived. I was washed as early as I usually would be before a baptism ceremony, ate my breakfast, and then had my hair done while dressed in my debut outfit. 

Once everything was ready, we moved from the northern building to a room in the castle’s main building that was close to the big assembly hall. We had made sure to depart extra early to account for how woefully slow I was and to avoid the looks of sheer bafflement that anyone who saw my highbeast would surely give us. 

I was with Rihyarda and Rosina, the latter of which was carrying my harspiel, and would be waiting in the room for debuting kids until third bell. Cornelius and Angelica were my guards for the day, and both were wearing dark yellow capes clasped with brooches. I had seen the members of the Knight’s Order in similarly colored capes during last year’s trombe extermination. 

“I see you and Angelica are wearing matching capes,” I said to Cornelius. “Is that a cape for knights?” 

“No, Aub Ehrenfest gives these capes and brooches to all those who enter the Royal Academy, so all those you see wearing them today are its students,” he replied. 

They were apparently like a school uniform for the Royal Academy. When I asked for more information, I was told that a golden-yellow similar to ocher was the official color of Ehrenfest, and that students from other duchies would be wearing capes that were their own duchy’s colors. 

“You’re here early, Rozemyne.” 

“Good morning, Wilfried.” 

Wilfried came to the waiting room, and soon enough, other nobles started to arrive with their children. We were sitting at the far end of the room, while Rihyarda and Oswald handled those coming in. The kids were our age, but we had been instructed not to talk to them; doing so would have political implications due to their parents’ status. 

Oh, there’s a girl. 

I smiled and waved, but she just returned an uncomfortable look; it would probably be best for me to hold back here. I turned my gaze to outside the window, where I saw the highbeasts of nobles clad in riding gear arriving one by one alongside carriages. 

Eight kids came to the waiting room in total. There had been around ten kids on average across the previous years, so this was definitely less than usual. 

At third bell, Wilfried stood up and held out a hand toward me like a gentleman, a tense look on his face. “Let’s go, Rozemyne,” he said. It seemed that he would be escorting me to the assembly hall. 

He started to lead the way, but his fairly quick pace forced me into a jog. I thought back to the time when he had pulled me along until I fell unconscious, and pulled on his arm a little to try and prevent history from repeating itself. 

“Wilfried, please do not walk quite so fast.” 

“...If you think this is fast, you need walking practice more than you need harspiel practice,” he remarked. 

“You may be right. But either way, it’s too late for that now,” I replied with a shrug. And at those words, Wilfried grinned as though all of his worries had melted away. 

When we arrived, the kids all lined up by the doors to the assembly hall. As children of the archduke, Wilfried and I were standing at the very front. 

“Once inside, please walk straight until you reach the altar,” Oswald said. Wilfried, the other children, and I all responded with nods, then Oswald and Rihyarda opened the doors to the assembly hall. 

“Welcome, new children of Ehrenfest!” Ferdinand declared in a loud, echoing voice. 

A larger crowd of nobles than I had ever seen before all turned to look at us, their eyes so full of curiosity and judgment that I faltered for a moment in fear. Judging by his expression, Wilfried seemed to be feeling the same way. I swallowed hard and slightly tightened my grip on his arm, which snapped him back to his senses. He looked my way, and our eyes met. 

“Let’s go,” he said. And after exchanging a nod, we both took a step forward.