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Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 4.3 - Chapter 11




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The Tea Party for All Duchies

“The seats have been arranged. Lady Rozemyne, please memorize all of the names and duchies,” Lieseleta said, holding out a table of all the archduke candidates due to attend our tea party, as well as any archnobles attending in an archduke candidate’s place. The table contained each person’s name, the duchy they were from, a description of what they looked like, and any personal preferences that were likely to come up in conversation.

“Here is a list of each duchy’s quirks and specialty products. I hope you will find it of some use,” Philine said, adding another document to the pile. She had apparently organized all of this information with Hartmut after gathering it at tea parties.

Guh. I have to memorize all this?

My motivation was low, but I wasn’t about to stomp on the goodwill of my retainers. I had no choice but to put my all into remembering everything they had prepared for me.

“This must be hard for you, since you were sent back to Ehrenfest before you had a chance to socialize...” Philine said.

“I must count my blessings and appreciate that Wilfried will be helping when the time comes. Had I been alone here, I would truly not have known what to do.”

Wilfried and I were jointly hosting the tea party together, since all of the other duchies were going to be involved. One could guess that his participation had made it easier for male archduke candidates to attend, since there were several boys due to arrive. Of course, these lists naturally lacked photographs, so I had no idea what most people were going to look like; I just glared at the names and did my best to memorize the traits associated with them. At first, I had thought that all this information would help at least a little, but I already felt as though I was suffocating.

Let’s see... Klassenberg is sending Lady Eglantine, of course. And Dunkelfelger is sending... Oh? Not Lord Lestilaut, but one Lady Hannelore, a first-year. Crap. She’s in my grade, but I don’t remember her at all. I wonder what kind of girl she is. But, moving on... I thought Drewanchel would send Lord Ortwin, the first-year, but they’re apparently sending his fifth-year older sister. Interesting.

Perhaps because I had finished my classes so quickly, I barely remembered my fellow first-year archduke candidates at all; and the few I did kind of remember had siblings who would be attending instead. The fact that Dunkelfelger was sending Hannelore rather than her older brother was possibly due to Lestilaut holding a grudge against me.

Well, I hope I can at least forge a good friendship with Lady Hannelore. Oh, but she’s also a Dunkelfelger archduke candidate... Is she going to be all aggressive and ditter-obsessed too? Eeh...

“Lady Rozemyne, Lord Wilfried, we have received a response from Ehrenfest,” Justus announced. “They have said that they will not be able to provide much more material support for the Interduchy Tournament. This is all they can give at the moment.”

We had requested supplies for the Interduchy Tournament, but what they could actually provide seemed to be very limited.

“That can’t be! What do they expect us to do, then?!” Wilfried shouted, his eyebrows raised in anger. From my perspective, however, it felt as though those in Ehrenfest had done all that they could to help in whatever ways they could. The Interduchy Tournament was an annual event, which meant a portion of our duchy’s budget was put aside for it each year. There was no way they could just conjure up more resources; they had no doubt done all they could with the Archduke Conference and the business it would entail on the horizon.

“They provided more assistance than we had anticipated, no?” I asked. “We asked expecting nothing at all.”

“Rozemyne? This isn’t enough at all.”

“There is nothing we can do about that; sugar is simply too expensive. Considering how unreasonable of a request it is to expand the budget at such short notice, they must have worked very hard to accomplish even this. We have no choice but to handle the rest as best we can.”

The trade of sugar had continued to develop over the two years I was asleep, but it was still expensive and more on the sparse side than not. It was to be expected that Ehrenfest couldn’t send us its entire supply for the Interduchy Tournament.

“We won’t be able to satisfy our visitors like this,” Wilfried protested. “It’s not like we can make something from nothing.”

“Wilfried, do you know how many members of royalty will be visiting?” I asked.

“I’m pretty sure Ignaz looked that up for us,” Wilfried replied, at which point his scholar began fishing through documents.

“If we have enough pound cake to treat royalty and the archducal couples then I would argue that is satisfactory. We do have enough for them, correct?”

“Yeah, but what will we do about the other nobles?”

“First come, first served. We prioritize visitors in order of arrival and stop serving it when we run out.”

“Buh?” Wilfried widened his dark-green eyes like a cat that had just been smacked on the nose. “‘First come, first served’? Is that even allowed...?”

“Regardless of whether it is or isn’t, we cannot serve food that does not exist. We should ensure service only for royalty and the archducal couples, while serving other nobles as they come. Then, when we run out of seats, we can serve pound cake to be taken home. Once we run out of that as well, we will politely request that they leave, while saying that we await their visit next year.”

“That is simply too disrespectful,” Justus interjected, refusing the idea as well. Ensuring service for royalty and the archducal couples was a satisfactory idea, since it followed status-based customs, but simply ignoring other nobles outright was not an option. It seemed that the parents of some betrothed students were due to visit, and we absolutely needed to accommodate them to some degree.

“In that case, what if we calculate how many guests of such importance are going to visit and then reserve seats or gifts for them?” I suggested. “Only the nobles who wander our way unprompted will be turned away.”

“That is at least somewhat better,” Justus conceded. His approval was enough for us to go ahead with the idea. We were lacking numbers either way.

“As for how to dress up what we have as best as possible, and how to satisfy our visitors... I shall leave that all to you, Wilfried. I am not much of a socialite myself,” I said, directing work his way.

Wilfried grimaced and gave me an unhappy look, but what did he expect? All of my suggestions would simply be rejected, so it was much easier and quicker to have someone with more noble-like ideas handle things.

“As we can only host so many people, the only solution that comes to my mind is rejecting visitors,” I continued. “Of course, I have a few small ideas such as slicing our pound cakes into singular bites and distributing priority seating for next year, but nothing more.”

“Ah. I’ll see if I can think of anything.”

Preparations for the large-scale tea party progressed alongside preparations for the Interduchy Tournament until, at last, it was the day of the tea party.

The tea party room assigned to Ehrenfest was on the first floor, close to the stairway leading down to the basement kitchen, which made it easy to prepare sweets and tea. The door for visitors was connected to the central building of the Royal Academy, meaning anyone could enter, but the door connected to the dormitory was much like the dormitory’s front door in that only students of the relevant duchy could enter.

I entered the room my attendants had prepared and checked that everything was in order, including whether we had enough tea and sweets. After that, I discussed with Wilfried how we were going to divide our guests. There would be a great number of visitors here from every single duchy; I couldn’t hope to run the tea party alone.

“I’ll leave Klassenberg and her school friends to you, Rozemyne. I’ll prioritize hosting the first-years I know from class and those I know a little from attending those other tea parties.”

“That will be quite helpful, Wilfried.”

Third bell rang while I was double-checking the lists the apprentice scholars had made. The students would now be leaving their dormitories, so everyone started taking their positions. We needed to brace ourselves for the incoming storm.

Before the bell had even stopped, the smaller bell used to mark the arrival of a visitor rang from the other side of the door. One guest had arrived already, and the apprentice attendant who was standing by to open the door turned to look at me with surprise.

“Lady Detlinde of Ahrensbach has arrived,” came a voice from outside. All those who hadn’t yet gotten into position did so at once as the door began to open. We had mostly completed our preparations, but the sudden arrival meant we were feeling a bit anxious regardless.

Detlinde looked around the tea party room before lowering her eyes shyly and pressing a hand against her slightly reddening cheeks. “Oh my, I seem to have arrived early. I suppose I was just that excited to visit. How embarrassing... Should I leave and come back?” she asked. Her expression made it exceedingly hard to tell whether she had genuinely been excited, or whether she was just mocking us for not having been completely ready by the scheduled time.

“That is quite alright, Lady Detlinde,” I said. “I am glad you were looking forward to this tea party so much that you arrived before the bell rang. Please, come in.”

“Oh, but of course. I simply could not wait to see Wilfried,” she replied.

Okaaay... It was definitely just her being spiteful.

I made my conclusion in an instant—her dark-green eyes held no mirth nor light above the smile she was giving me. In a way, she was very easy to understand. I decided to leave handling her to Wilfried.

“Wilfried, it seems that Lady Detlinde wishes to see you,” I said, prompting him to step forward.

“It is so good to see you,” she said to him, having already forgotten about me entirely. “I believe the last time we saw each other was at our tea party between cousins, or perhaps that one hosted by Dunkelfelger.”

“I am glad to see you as well, Lady Detlinde.”

“Oh my. Formal today, aren’t we? I believe I asked you to be more casual, but I suppose there is going to be a crowd.”

While Wilfried was busy greeting Detlinde, I ordered my attendants to begin preparing tea and sweets for her. Wilfried then escorted her to and offered her a seat, demonstratively sipping the tea and taking bites from the sweets once her attendants had prepared the appropriate dishes and cutlery.

“This is the pound cake that is popular within Ehrenfest. We have prepared three kinds today,” he explained. There were honey, apfelsige, and rumtopf pound cakes, as well as several traditional sweets that had been served during previous years. “They were invented by Rozemyne.”

“Oh my. So they are sweets served in the temple, then? That explains the rustic appearance, but the flavor is certainly excellent.”

“I’m glad you like them.”

Wilfried... You’re giving a proud smile here, but she literally just said they’re poor-looking sweets she would expect someone raised in the temple like me to come up with. She’s insulting them. Pay attention!

Wilfried had described the tea party among cousins as very peaceful, but now I was starting to think Detlinde had voiced all sorts of coded messages and insults that had gone straight over his head. In reality, it had probably been a disaster. Now even I was starting to worry about him.

Soon after Detlinde took her seat, visitors began to arrive one after another. Wilfried and I stood at the entrance to greet them, while our attendants took them to their seats.

“Thank you ever so much for coming, Lord Rudiger.”

“Thank you for inviting me, Lady Rozemyne. I was thinking that I would like to have a leisurely discussion with you. Ehrenfest and Frenbeltag are on good terms, and that extends to us relatives as well,” Rudiger replied with a smile. He looked a lot like Wilfried, perhaps due to their parents being swapped-around siblings, and this familiar face made me feel instinctively closer to him. I also appreciated that he had bent forward slightly to meet my eye level, since most people were content to look down at me from above.

“You would consider me a relative despite the fact I am adopted, Lord Rudiger?”

“I wish to be as friendly as possible,” he replied. I similarly wanted to be on good terms with Frenbeltag, considering that it was Florencia’s hometown.

As we exchanged smiles, Wilfried was welcoming another visitor. “Lady Hannelore. Thank you for coming.”

“Thank you ever so much for inviting me, Lord Wilfried. I have truly been looking forward to today. Lady Rozemyne... is busy, I see. I will greet her later.”

As I was speaking to Rudiger, I glanced over at Hannelore. She was a quiet-looking girl, not at all comparable to her aggressive older brother Lestilaut. Her almost purplish light-pink hair was tied into two tails, one on either side of her head. She looked a little tense, and the way her red eyes darted around the room reminded me of a rabbit.

Lady Eglantine arrived when over half of our guests were seated. “Lady Rozemyne, I thank you ever so much for inviting me today. I am determined to introduce you to my other friends,” she said, gesturing to those she had entered with. Likely due to her being a sixth-year, pretty much all of her friends were older students.

The girls immediately began to circle around me. “Even up close, you truly are small, Lady Rozemyne,” one said. They eyed me as though delighting over the cuteness of a stuffed animal, though as archduke candidates, there was no doubt some plotting behind their smiles.

I wonder whether they’re being this friendly because I’m so small...? Or is it because Eglantine introduced me as a friend? I’m not sure how I should be interacting with them.

I entrusted Wilfried with handling our remaining visitors as I took the girls to their seats; duchy rankings took priority here. I then escorted Adolphine, an archduke candidate from Drewanchel the Third, who smiled at me as I gestured to her seat.

“You were forced to spend two years asleep in a jureve following a serious poisoning attempt, yes?” Adolphine asked. “My little brother has told me you are quite well-learned despite this fact. He wanted to come here as a fellow first-year, but I wished to see you ever so much.”

Er, sorry... I know that his name is “Ortwin,” but I don’t at all remember what he looks like!

I smiled, but I was screaming on the inside. “My brother tells me that Lord Ortwin is quite intelligent and that he is absolutely honored to be his classmate.”

Casual discussions were kicking up across the room; it was almost the end of socializing season, so the archduke candidates and the archnobles sent in their place already knew each other reasonably well by now. I was surrounded by Eglantine and her school friends, while Wilfried made his way over to those he knew the most.

“Ehrenfest’s pound cake has a humble appearance, but it really is quite good. Even Prince Anastasius is fond of it,” Eglantine said as she introduced the sweet. Several of her friends’ faces lit up at once as though they had been waiting for this very subject.

“I had some at one of your previous tea parties, Lady Eglantine. The apfelsige flavor was particularly delightful,” one girl said.

“That pound cake was a gift from Lady Rozemyne, which reminds me—the hairpin I will be wearing at graduation was made in Ehrenfest at Prince Anastasius’s instruction. It has ended up looking quite splendid.”

Eglantine is already shilling me to all her friends... What an actual goddess.

She was better than me when it came to flattery, and she was much more influential. I wanted to learn from her radiant example, but that seemed fairly tough.

“Your hair looks even more lustrous than usual, Lady Eglantine. Is that also thanks to Ehrenfest?” one of the girls asked. “I cannot help but notice that the women of Ehrenfest have especially brilliant hair today.”

For advertising purposes, every girl from our duchy had used rinsham in preparation for the tea party, much like they had done prior to the advancement ceremony. Even the attendants serving everyone had glossy hair.

“Your hair is especially glossy, Lady Rozemyne. May I touch it?” another girl asked.

“Of course.”

Eglantine’s friends took turns touching my hair, praising it, and expressing their jealousy. Of course, they also asked whether I would sell them some rinsham, but I wasn’t allowed to engage in any trade here.

“Unfortunately, I cannot make such decisions myself, since I need the aub’s permission to engage in any trade. Would you like trial jars, however? I can share that much, at least.”

“Oh my. You don’t mind?”

“Not at all. There are a limited number, though, so I will need to prioritize friends.”

In my eyes, one could hardly call a relationship founded on bribery a friendship, but this was just a fact of life for archduke candidates. Ehrenfest was in a hardly favorable position at the middle of the duchy rankings, and unless there was merit in befriending me, nobody would even bother trying. I needed to make as many friendships with other duchies as possible while Eglantine’s influence was on my side.

“I will have my attendants prepare them,” I said, “and then I shall greet our other visitors.”

“Tea parties of this size are always dreadfully busy. We wish you luck.”

With encouragement from Eglantine and her school friends, I slipped out of the circle and signaled Brunhilde with a glance. She would deliver the rinsham trial jars while I greeted those I had missed on my first pass.

“I wished to form bonds with you all as soon as possible, but fate necessitated that I return to Ehrenfest, and so it is only now that I have been able to hold a tea party. I extend my apologies and thank you ever so much for visiting during these busy weeks.”

“You were raised in the temple before being adopted by the archduke, weren’t you, Lady Rozemyne?” Detlinde asked, looking and sounding concerned. “You must participate in temple rituals even now. I cannot imagine how hard that must be, as I have naturally never set foot in a temple, of all places, but I sympathize with your struggles.”

The visitors were astir. Many had already known that I was adopted, but apparently not that I had been raised in the temple and continued to serve as the High Bishop even now. A few people scornfully muttered, “In the temple?” to one another. Their eyes were narrowed like predators that had just discovered a weakness to exploit.

Using faux concern to publicize my dirty laundry, hm? Talk about nasty...

This wasn’t a one-time thing either—I would need to go back for the Dedication Ritual every year from now on. Allowing my temple origins to become a lasting weakness for others to attack would only cause me lasting trouble; I needed to own it here, and so I looked over everyone and smiled.

“Indeed. As Lady Detlinde says, I was raised in the temple due to family circumstances. However, it is by the request of the aub that I continue to participate in religious ceremonies. Ehrenfest is suffering so greatly from the mana shortage that even a child such as myself is needed to serve as a saint and participate in ceremonies. I am admittedly quite jealous of greater duchies that have no such mana issues to deal with. Isn’t that right, Wilfried?”

“Yes. I, too, have participated in temple ceremonies, filling the duchy with my mana. It was arduous but worthwhile, since it is the duty of the archducal family to fill the land with mana. Of course, I also envy the greater duchies so rich with mana that their archduke candidates need not do this work themselves.”

I nodded in agreement and then gave Detlinde an envious look, one which said, “I would like for your home to share its plentiful mana.” It was an ironic jab, since Ahrensbach was plummeting down the rankings despite being a greater duchy, and she appeared to understand this—she furrowed her brow in frustration, and the hard look in her dark-green eyes intensified.

“Many middle and lesser duchies are suffering right now; Frenbeltag too is envious of the greater duchies,” Rudiger said with a calm smile. “And yet, despite the difficulties we all share, Lady Rozemyne assisted Frenbeltag when we called for aid. Our duchy has nothing but gratitude for the Saint of Ehrenfest.”

“I am grateful that your people are so appreciative, Lord Rudiger.”

“I hope that Ehrenfest and Frenbeltag can continue to assist one another in the future.”

Is that just a generic thank-you, or is he trying to lead into the proposal that I’ve already rejected with my guardians...?


Frenbeltag’s intentions were not yet clear. I appreciated the backup, but I couldn’t say whether they were expecting even more assistance in turn. To avoid the troubles that might have come with any further clarification, I ended the exchange with a smile.

“It feels that we are all struggling as of late...” came words of agreement from those in the middle and lesser duchies. My commoner upbringing meant that I couldn’t really empathize with them, but the civil war had dramatically changed the lives of countless nobles. The Sovereignty had also undergone blatant and quite extensive change, to the point that Justus had commented on how different the Royal Academy was not long after arriving here. Ehrenfest was struggling from having fewer people, but other duchies had been impacted even more.

“You say that Ehrenfest is struggling from a lack of mana, Lady Rozemyne, but your duchy’s grades have been steadily rising. You even are spreading new trends,” one girl noted.

“That is because we are putting our best efforts into areas which do not require mana,” I replied. “Of course, we are likewise working on the mana problem as best we can.”

It was true that our written grades had shot up, but those didn’t require mana, and all of our new trends were fashion accessories and sweets, not new magic tools. Everyone seemed to nod in response, understanding my point entirely.

“I consider your hairpins very delightful, Lady Rozemyne,” another girl said. “To think that one could help their duchy in ways that do not require mana... I believe I will need to learn from your example and think of something myself.”

“Oh? But Lady Rozemyne is also working on matters that do require mana,” came an unexpected rebuttal. I turned to see a boy looking at me with probing eyes—an archnoble attending because his duchy had no archduke candidates at the moment. “My first-year little sister made a highbeast that one can climb into and drive like a carriage. It seems you thought up that design yourself, Lady Rozemyne. How does one come up with such ideas?”

“I have always been of poor health, and so I spent much time thinking of ways to travel while minimizing contact with the outside. The drivable highbeast was my solution,” I replied. It was a complete, shameless lie. I certainly felt bad for all the people who were nodding to themselves at my apparent logic—the truth was, I had simply only been able to picture a car after being instructed to make a vehicle.

“One can ride drivable highbeasts without needing to change into riding clothes, plus they can be used to carry luggage,” I continued. “I believe it is quite a convenient design for women, but the surrounding walls block the usage of weapons, so my guard knights have maintained that it is not suitable for knights.”

There came a few impressed noises from among those gathered.

“The idea is quite splendid, but was it not said that you assaulted a dormitory supervisor with your highbeast?” Detlinde asked, drawing attention once again. “It was ultimately no more than a rumor, but its feybeast-like design is surely to blame. Did no one try to stop you, or do you simply have a fondness for such terrifying creatures?”

I knew from experience that attempting to convince everyone that Lessy was cute would not do me any favors. As I paused to think about what to do, Wilfried looked at the ground and then snapped his head back up as though he had just had some incredible idea.

“Rozemyne prioritized toughness when creating her highbeast; her weak constitution has resulted in her being drawn toward those who exude strength. Just consider how many knight commanders she is fond of. There is Lord Bonifatius, Lord Ferdinand, Karstedt...”

Wait, what...? I know you’re trying to back me up here, Wilfried, but that’s completely untrue. When have I ever said that I love strong people?! That’s so wrong!

That said, his twisted backup appeared to have had some effect—Detlinde was now giving me a look that was filled with both concern and pity.

“I see. The weak admiring the strong is understandable, but as a woman, I would suggest that you seek cuteness over strength,” she said. Some nodded in agreement, but others spoke up to support me.

“It sounds to me like Lady Rozemyne will be on good terms with Dunkelfelger, then. Don’t you agree, Lady Hannelore? Oh, where has Lady Hannelore gone to...?”

“It seems she has briefly left to wash her hands.”

Another missed opportunity to greet Hannelore... My timing sure is bad today.

It was then that Brunhilde whispered, “Everything is ready, Lady Rozemyne.” I concluded my greetings and started making my way back to my seat, all the while eyeing Hannelore’s empty chair. I was now going to be distributing the trial jars of rinsham to Eglantine’s friends. The girls met me with looks of excited anticipation; they had seen Eglantine’s and the Ehrenfest girls’ glossy hair with their own eyes, so it only made sense that they would want to secure some rinsham for themselves.

Brunhilde brought over the small jars with a half-smile, at which point I noticed Hannelore return out of the corner of my eye. We had completely missed each other. I wanted to speak to her at least once before this party was over, but for now I distributed the bottles to the friends Eglantine had introduced me to. I started with Adolphine and carefully worked my way down the status hierarchy from there.

“Here is yours,” I said. “My attendants will explain how to use it later.”

“Oh my. I thank you ever so much.”

As I was handing them out, I noticed that I was drawing attention from the people Wilfried was speaking to as well. They didn’t say anything to me, however, and so I continued distributing the jars to my new friends.

“They all smell lovely, don’t they?” Eglantine asked. “I am quite fond of the scent myself.”

The other girls opened the corks sealing their jars and tried the scent for themselves. They all immediately let out awed gasps of delight. They likely had their own preferences, but for this particular event, I had given them all the same kind I had given Eglantine.

“Brunhilde, teach everyone’s attendants how to use the rinsham for me.”

“Understood, Lady Rozemyne.”

As Brunhilde gathered the attendants of my new friends and taught them to use rinsham, those who hadn’t been given any jars leaned toward me, as if unable to resist the allure.

“Lady Rozemyne, what is in those jars?” one person asked. “It smells ever so delightful.”

“It is rinsham, a liquid which brings out the glossiness in one’s hair. I’m afraid there’s a limited amount, so I am distributing these jars only to my friends today.”

“Oh my. Are you not distributing them to Lord Wilfried’s friends also?” Detlinde asked. Her wide eyes turned to Wilfried, and soon enough, many more eyes had gathered on him.

“Well, it was Rozemyne who created rinsham in the first place,” Wilfried responded with a smile, backing me up. “And unlike girls, I’m not too interested in glossy hair. I generally leave all matters related to beauty products to her.”

Several of the boys gave wry smiles to indicate that they felt the same way. Much like Wilfried, they had most likely failed to understand why women were so passionately obsessed with rinsham.

“I see,” Detlinde replied. “So that means you will be giving me rinsham as well, yes, Lady Rozemyne?”

Um... What? Where in the world is that brimming confidence coming from? Is she, like... trying to use her authority as a greater duchy archduke candidate to order me to give her a jar? I cocked my head to one side in confusion, unsure how to respond.

“Goodness, Lady Detlinde. Did Lady Rozemyne not just say she is distributing them only to her friends? I do not believe your words thus far have been friendly in the least,” Eglantine said, chastising her with a soft smile. She spoke as the archduke candidate of Klassenberg, the highest-ranking duchy, and our friends who had just received rinsham all nodded in quiet agreement.

Aah, I see... So this is why mednobles and laynobles flock to greater powers—it keeps them safe from tyrannical misuses of authority.

As a lower-ranked duchy, Ehrenfest had to obey the orders of Ahrensbach... but if an even higher-ranking duchy like Klassenberg stepped in, then Ahrensbach would need to back down. It was only now that Eglantine had protected me, despite not being a relative or my guardian, that I started to truly know how it would feel to be a mednoble or even a laynoble here. At the same time, I understood for myself what members of a faction expected from those they followed.

In the Royal Academy, I need to take care to be as friendly as possible with greater duchies. And in Ehrenfest, I need to take care to protect the mednobles and laynobles in my faction.

Even after Eglantine’s interjection, Detlinde persisted. She widened her dark-green eyes as though she were the one being treated unfairly, blinked in surprise, and then sadly looked down. “I am shocked that our relationship seems so cold on the outside. I am always, always concerned for Lady Rozemyne; she is my precious cousin, and my heart ached when I learned that she was attacked by other nobles in her home duchy.”

Um. Um. What? “Precious cousin”? Your what now?

“My words may have seemed harsh to most, but such sharpness is a reflection of our familial love. Lady Rozemyne understands me. Don’t you?”

...No. Not at all.

She was flip-flopping so blatantly that my jaw actually dropped as she spoke. However, I quickly snapped back to reality. I needed to reject her here, otherwise everyone would accept her erroneous statements as fact.

“This is my first time hearing such a thing. I recall you once saying to my face that I am no cousin of yours.”

“Oh my. It seems that even you misunderstood me, Lady Rozemyne. How tragic...” Detlinde said, slumping forward. The boys watching certainly appeared to have fallen for her act, and I started to worry that the girls would similarly conclude that there had been a tragic misunderstanding... As I turned my attention to them, however, it became clear that they had picked up on the lies and were getting annoyed. They subtly signaled for me to end this already.

“Lady Rozemyne, it was all a misunderstanding. You are my precious cousin,” Detlinde reiterated, seemingly intent on continuing this charade despite the flat, unamused looks she was receiving from all the other girls.

No, I’m pretty sure I understand you just fine, Detlinde. But, hm... What should I do? How do people want me to end this?

I paused, unsure what a noble would do in this situation, and that was when Gudrun appeared with one of the small jars in hand. “Milady, might I suggest you gift your cousin, Lady Detlinde, some rinsham too?” he asked with a smile, handing me the rinsham while simultaneously showing me a slip of paper on his palm that read, “Use this opportunity to emphasize your position as cousin to an Ahrensbach archduke candidate.”

He was right—there was no harm in me exploiting her status. The very reason I was distributing the rinsham to my friends was to ensure my own security.

Though it is annoying having to give her some after she smack-talked me so much.

“I had no idea you viewed me as such a precious family member, Lady Detlinde. My apologies. If you would have me, then I welcome our relationship as cousins,” I said. She probably wouldn’t be able to backtrack on our connection as family now that she had announced it in front of archduke candidates from every single duchy. I smiled and held out the bottle, which Detlinde took with a smile.

“Indeed. May our relationship be long and fruitful, Lady Rozemyne.”

Giving some rinsham to Detlinde caused a number of girls from other duchies to step forth, all asking for trial jars of their own. I counted, and we had just enough for all those flocking around me.

Once the jars of rinsham had all been distributed and my attendants had explained how to use them, the topic shifted to Eglantine accepting Anastasius’s request to escort her during the graduation ceremony.

“In truth, I acquired Prince Anastasius’s escort thanks to Lady Rozemyne’s assistance,” Eglantine revealed.

“Is that so? Please do share the details,” came a reply. It was highly important even from a political perspective whom the royals chose to escort, so boys and girls alike were interested in what Eglantine had to say.

“Lady Rozemyne, it is quite interesting that you were able to meet with Lady Eglantine despite having returned to Ehrenfest before socializing season began,” one girl said.

“It was when the music professors invited me to a tea party,” I replied. “Lady Eglantine invited me to a separate tea party with her afterward. My time in the Royal Academy is limited, so it was quite reassuring that I was given the opportunity to befriend her.”

Some girls responded with looks of surprise, no doubt because I had started socializing so much earlier than usual, but Detlinde gave a worried look of sympathy. “You must feel very concerned then,” she said, “considering that Lady Eglantine is about to graduate.”

“Oh my. You are quite prone to worrying, aren’t you, Lady Detlinde? Fear not—Lady Rozemyne and I have promised to remain friends long into the future, haven’t we?” Eglantine replied, easily restraining Detlinde and directing a smile my way. It was the soft smile of a goddess, and I returned it with a nod.

“Um, Lady Rozemyne...” came a small, trembling voice. I turned and saw Lady Hannelore from Dunkelfelger, clasping her hands before her chest and wearing a resolved expression. “There is something I want to ask you, Lady Rozemyne...”

Whew... I can finally greet her.

I had an attendant help me down from my chair so that I could stand before Hannelore. She was certainly on the smaller side for a first-year student, but she was still significantly taller than me, as one would probably expect. I looked up and saw that her red, rabbit-like eyes were wet and trembling.

“I thought it important to greet you properly, Lady Hannelore. It feels we have been just missing each other all day,” I said before giving the proper noble greeting. Much to my surprise, however, Hannelore looked more troubled than pleased when she greeted me in turn.

Wait... Did she not come here to greet me? Have I messed up?

I was starting to feel worried, and Hannelore likewise looked around with an anxious expression. People were starting to watch us with curious looks, as if something was about to happen.

“I wanted to speak to you about my brother, Lady Rozemyne. But on second thought, this is not quite the place for it. I will save the matter for another time.”

Hm...? Is Lestilaut causing more problems or something?

We had beaten Dunkelfelger in a game of ditter using what was considered an unusual plan, thereby avoiding their attempt to take custody of Schwartz and Weiss, and then we had refused a rematch through our dorm supervisor. Perhaps Lestilaut was going to make some unreasonable demand of me that Hannelore couldn’t mention in public.

“That is not all, however—I also wanted to ask if we could possibly be friends...” Hannelore asked nervously. I glanced over at Brunhilde and felt my stomach drop when she subtly shook her head.

Oh no... This is even worse than an unreasonable demand! We’re out of trial jars! I’d assumed that Hannelore wasn’t interested, since she was busy talking with Wilfried while everyone else was crowding around me. What should I do? Maybe I should have saved a jar for each greater duchy. It’s obviously a problem that a greater duchy is asking for some rinsham after we’ve already given it all away. Sheesh! Greater duchies should demand a jar first; that’s how they’re supposed to act!

Struggling with the impossible problem before me, I decided to plainly state the truth. “Lady Hannelore, I am truly sorry, but we are out of jars to distribute.”

“What...?” Hannelore widened her eyes in surprise; then she looked down at the floor and slowly shook her head from side to side. I doubted anyone else could see her face, considering that she was hanging her head, but I was short enough to see her devastated expression up close. She looked as though she was about to burst into tears.

NOOOOOO! I’ve never seen anyone more disappointed in my life! Justus, save meee!

I turned on instinct and saw Gudrun quietly walking over to stand behind me. He placed a hand on my shoulder and gently encouraged me forward. “Lady Rozemyne, I do believe Professor Solange mentioned that Lady Hannelore visits the library often. Perhaps you could lend her one of your books, as proof of your friendship?”

I widened my eyes in shock, and Gudrun nodded to confirm that it was true without a doubt. There was an instant where the question of when he had heard such information from Solange flashed through my mind, but it was quickly forgotten amid the intensity of the revelation.

“Oh my! You are a lover of books, Lady Hannelore?”

“Y-Yes, well... I do not dislike them,” Hannelore said, looking up and nodding. Most archduke candidates never bothered to go out of their way to visit the library, but Hannelore apparently went there quite often. She had presumably started going there once her lessons were all over, which had probably been right around the time I returned to Ehrenfest. I could tell we would have become fast friends if only we hadn’t missed each other.

Aah! I’ve found a bookworm cutie! I want to be friends with her. I want to be friends with her so bad. This must be the guidance of Mestionora the Goddess of Wisdom! Woohoo!

Hot mana started to course through my body as I was struck with the urge to offer a prayer of gratitude right then and there. I managed to contain myself, however, since it would be well and truly awkward for me to pray in the midst of all these archduke candidates so soon after my temple upbringing had been mocked.

“Lady Hannelore, I have many knight stories, but which would you prefer—stories focused on romance or on fighting? As an archduke candidate from Dunkelfelger, I presume the latter?”

Hannelore paused in thought. “If I had to choose, I would say that I prefer stories about romance,” she finally responded in a quiet, reserved voice. The thought of such a shy-looking girl enjoying romance was in itself enough to bring peace to my heart.

I see... She likes both but prefers love stories. Interesting. Interesting...

In which case, I would lend her the book of romantic knight stories that Elvira had written and then probe her for opinions. Perhaps we could even make a book together in the future. The possibilities were endless.

“I will have it sent to you at once, then. I am quite happy to have made a book-loving friend,” I said with a full smile.

Hannelore responded with a cute smile, looking relieved; then she clapped her hands together in realization. “Um, in that case, I’ll lend you a book of my own in return. What would you be interested in, Lady Rozemyne?”

Um. Oh my gosh. Hannelore might be a literal angel. A precious, precious angel who lends me books. She was sent to me by Mestionora. Aah, my truest friend!

My arms began to rise in prayer as I entrusted my body to the fervor and joy burning with me. This lack of restraint was short-lived, however—Gudrun intensified his grip on my shoulders, quite clearly signaling for me to contain myself. I forced down the mana in my body that was searching for an exit and looked up at Hannelore.

“I adore all books, but I would especially like to read stories about knights or romance that are rich with Dunkelfelger culture,” I answered.

“I will get it to you as soon as possible. I am so glad that we can be friends, Lady Rozemyne.” Hannelore smiled warmly and then clasped my half-raised hands in hers.

Holy cow! What?! She’s so cute! She’s a totally adorable bookworm! What should I do?! I think I’ve just found my best friend in the whole world!

I broke into a goofy smile of my own, overwhelmed by Hannelore’s cuteness.

 

    

 

“I am glad to be your friend as well, Lady Hannelore. I... Oh...?”

All of a sudden, everything went black.

When I woke up, I was already in bed. I sighed at how familiar this whole experience was.

“It feels like a while since I last messed up like that...”

It seemed that I had gotten too excited about finding a new best friend and had fallen unconscious. The massive quantity of mana raging through me had not had any form of release, whether through prayer or a feystone, so even my jureve-expanded capacity hadn’t been enough to contain it.

Once I’m feeling better, I’ll have to bring Hannelore that book and apologize...

 



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