Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 4.6 - Chapter 19

Going Home

The next thing I knew, I was lying in my bed. I had fallen asleep without realizing, apparently. I sat up, wondering why I couldn’t remember the previous night, and reached for the bell sitting beside me. No sooner had I rung it than Rihyarda pushed through the curtains around my bed with an anxious expression.

“How are you feeling, milady?”

“I had the most wonderful dream,” I replied. “I was invited to the palace library.”

“That was not a dream... but we will need to wait and see whether the king grants his permission. I am just glad to see you well,” Rihyarda said, her worry swiftly turning to exasperation. At that moment, my memories suddenly came flooding back to me—I had collapsed midway through the tea party after failing to control my mana due to overflowing elation.

Nooo! This is the second time I’ve collapsed at a tea party I was hosting—the second time I’ve passed out in front of royalty!

The blood drained from my face. This wasn’t good. In fact, it was pretty bad. “Rihyarda, erm... The tea party? How did the tea party go?” I asked, looking up at her fearfully.

“Naturally, it was suspended. We could not continue in that state,” she replied. It seemed that our comfy bookworm tea party had turned into a suspense-laden horror story when I abruptly passed out. “The prince’s retainers fell into a bit of a panic when you noisily collapsed onto the floor the moment they suggested inviting you to the palace library—and Sovereign archnobles are supposed to be better at containing their feelings than anyone, milady.”

Arthur, the evident cause of my collapse, had spluttered, “Wha?!” and stood frozen in place with his mouth opened wide. It wasn’t exactly normal for someone to collapse out of sheer excitement at the mere suggestion of receiving permission for something.

Oof. Sorry, Arthur.

Hildebrand had seen my corpse-like state and tearfully asked the frozen Arthur, “What happened to Rozemyne?” His retainers had tried to calm him down, but their cracking voices had given away how anxious they were themselves.

I’m sorry, everyone. I really am. I didn’t mean to traumatize you all.

“You needed feystones from the moment the discussion turned to books,” Rihyarda said. “It’s understandable that nothing could contain your excitement when it came to an invitation to the palace library. However, you’ve once again collapsed in front of royalty, milady. Lady Hannelore got teary-eyed as well, no doubt remembering last year.”

Solange had apparently been just as terrified.

“What happened next?” I asked.

Rihyarda explained that she had sent an ordonnanz to Wilfried and Charlotte, requesting their help. Upon their arrival, they had consoled the prince’s group, explained the circumstances, and settled what issues they could. Meanwhile, Rihyarda had carried me out with my guard knights while my attendants and scholars cleaned things up.

“You will need to thank them both later, milady.”

“I know...”

I sure am a nuisance, aren’t I...?

As I hung my head, I realized there was one important question that I hadn’t yet asked. I nervously looked up at Rihyarda. “Erm... When was the tea party, exactly? Yesterday or just a moment ago?”

“Two days ago. We have received countless get-well presents and worried ordonnanzes from Prince Hildebrand, Lady Hannelore, and Professor Solange.”

I cradled my aching head, and that was when I heard voices from the other side of the curtains confirming that I was awake. It seemed that my female retainers had started to gather in my room after being informed that I was conscious again.

“If your mana has calmed and you feel well again, milady, then let us go eat. Lady Charlotte will soon be returning for lunch. Please do show her how much you have recovered,” Rihyarda said.

It was only then that I realized I had been dumping mana into feystones while I slept, which explained why I had woken up feeling so refreshed. I climbed out of bed, and when I passed through the surrounding curtains, my retainers all gave a collective look of relief.

“I’m sorry to have worried you all,” I said.

“There is nothing for you to apologize for, Lady Rozemyne,” Brunhilde replied. “To think I would allow you to collapse during a tea party with royalty... I am a failure of an attendant.”

Brunhilde promptly started washing my face and then dressed me, her lips pursed in frustration all the while... but what she had said wasn’t true in the slightest. My attendants had worked so hard to ensure that my tea party was a success, thinking up ways to communicate with me through how they served cookies and tea and memorizing the best times to hand me feystones. There was no way they were failures.

“You are not the failure here, Brunhilde; I am, for having fallen unconscious in the presence of royalty on a second occasion,” I said, slumping my shoulders. But Leonore quietly shook her head.

“This incident can hardly be described as your fault, Lady Rozemyne,” she noted. “The prince’s attendant was simply too good at homing in on your weakest points—as I would expect from someone serving royalty. Furthermore, Lord Ferdinand mentioned in his letter that this might actually have been a boon.”

“Hm...? How was it a boon?” I asked, blinking.

Philine’s eyes wavered for a moment before she spoke. “Because, had you not fallen unconscious, you would have agreed to the proposition on the spot without consulting anyone first.”

Whew... He’s right—I really would have. The idea of consulting someone didn’t even cross my mind. Talk about lucky...

“Because you were unconscious, you missed the date you were supposed to leave the Royal Academy,” Rihyarda said. “But as you cannot leave before apologizing to royalty and the greater duchy, Aub Ehrenfest has granted you special permission to extend your stay.” I needed to apologize to the participants of the tea party and inform Adolphine of Drewanchel that I would soon be leaving.

I suppose I should supply mana to the library while visiting to apologize. Maybe I should bring a feystone. Hm... It feels like there’s something else I’m forgetting, but what? What could it be?

As I made my way down to the dining hall, I counted off everything that I needed to do before heading home on my fingers. Cornelius was waiting by the stairs and stroked my cheek when I reached him, saying he was glad that I had awoken. Apparently, I had almost given him a heart attack.

By the time I entered the dining hall, it was already filled with students eating lunch. Charlotte cried, “Sister!” upon seeing me, and all eyes fell on me at once. Everyone had evidently been informed about my collapse during the tea party.

Charlotte peered down at my face, her indigo eyes stirring with worry. “Should you not still be resting? Being awake does not mean you are well.”

“I feel excellent right now,” I said, smiling for her sake as she touched my forehead and cheeks all over. “I’m sorry that I worried you, Charlotte.”

After performing her checks, Charlotte’s expression relaxed as though her anxiety had finally dissipated. I turned to Wilfried, who paused in the middle of eating.

“I’m sorry for causing more problems, Wilfried.”

“I’m just glad that you woke up,” he replied. “Feeling better, then?”

I nodded, at which point Wilfried returned to his food, describing what had happened at the tea party following Rihyarda’s and my departure. He and Charlotte had explained everything to Hildebrand and the others, with Wilfried recounting how he had accidentally knocked me unconscious in the past by dragging me around at my baptism and pelting me with snowballs. Rather than calming Hildebrand down, however, this just made him exclaim, “How could you do that to her?!”

“The prince was probably in such a panic that he spoke without thinking, but now I can say I’ve had the rare and valuable experience of rushing to help you only to be yelled at by royalty.”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, dear brother.”

The prince had subsequently been chastised by his retainers, and when they eventually departed, Wilfried had tried his best to cheer up Hannelore.

“She kept saying she was fine, since she had experienced you passing out before, but I could guess from the way she was very obviously crying that she wasn’t fine at all. I thought she was going to pass out too.”

In the end, Wilfried had seen Hannelore off to her dorm, much like the year before.

“I handled Professor Solange,” Charlotte said. “It was my first time being at the location of one of your collapses, Sister, and in truth, it was quite disturbing for me as well.”

Now that I thought about it, Charlotte was right—I had never collapsed in front of her before, and I was pretty sure she had never been there for the aftermath either. She had copied Wilfried and emphasized that this happened often, but she had apparently kept thinking about my unconscious form in the jureve and was so afraid that she had wanted to cry herself. And yet, despite her fears, she had put on a brave face and consoled Solange while giving instructions to Brunhilde and the others as they cleaned up the tea party. It was hard to believe that it was her first time having to deal with such an accident.

Geez. Charlotte is way too mature for her age.

“You’re going back to Ehrenfest as soon as you’ve apologized to everyone,” Wilfried said. “Alright?”

Hartmut returned to the dorm around when I finished eating and started to deliver his report before even sitting down to have lunch himself. He had gone to his brewing lesson in the morning and stayed after class to speak with Hirschur.

“Lady Rozemyne, Raimund is requesting a meeting so that he can deliver his research results,” Hartmut said. “Same for Professor Hirschur. What will you do?”

Oh yeah... The thing I forgot was Hirschur’s disciple!

He was the other person I needed to speak with before leaving for Ehrenfest, and finally remembering him took a weight off my shoulders that I hadn’t even realized was there.

“I must go to the library tomorrow morning to deliver my mana and some feystones,” I said. “Tell them that they can meet with me there.”

“Understood,” Hartmut replied. “I will send an ordonnanz.”

With that, Hartmut swiftly exited the dining hall. I went ahead and asked Lieseleta to prepare some light meals for Hirschur and Raimund in preparation for when we saw them at the library. Something told me that those research-obsessed loons hadn’t been eating well.

After lunch, I sent out ordonnanzes explaining my recovery. I also apologized for what had happened during the tea party and for leaving the Academy in such a hurry. They were all near-identical speeches bemoaning my rudeness, with the only variation being in the one I sent to Solange, where I mentioned that I would be coming to supply Schwartz and Weiss with mana tomorrow morning. I similarly told Adolphine that I was being called back to Ehrenfest due to collapsing at a tea party, and from there, I spent the afternoon finishing my preparations to leave.

“Lady Rozemyne. I am very relieved to see you well.”

“My sincerest apologies, Professor Solange. This happens often when my emotions stir, so please do not think too much of it.”

I apologized to Solange again—which she received with a thankful sigh—and then handed over a feystone for her to use in my absence. Rihyarda had used feystones to drain my overflowing mana when I was excited for the palace library, so we had several that were completely full.

“Prince Hildebrand and Lady Hannelore are going to be here, so I cannot see you wanting for mana, but I thought I would deliver this just in case,” I said.

“I thank you ever so much—although I am more concerned for your health,” Solange replied. “Please rest well in Ehrenfest.”

I’m pretty sure I’ll end up even busier than I am here.

We were in the middle of winter socializing, and there was the Dedication Ritual too. Plus, before I started on any of that, I was sure to receive a massive lecture from my guardians. Not that I would say that out loud when Solange was already so worried about me.

“Hildebrand is here,” came Weiss’s voice. I turned to the door and saw that the prince really had arrived, with his retainers in tow. It seemed that Schwartz and Weiss could tell the instant their master or any assistant stepped into the library—or more precisely, they could tell where in the library these people were at all times.

“Rozemyne, are you truly well...?” Hildebrand asked. We were the same height, so when he looked at me directly like this, I could see the worry clouding his purple eyes all too clearly.

Yeeeah... I can imagine why this whole thing surprised him so much. I doubt anyone as sickly as me usually spends time with the prince.

Hildebrand may have ended up bedridden on occasion, but I suspected that he had never seen anyone else in such a state—or seen them suddenly fall unconscious, for that matter. It must have been a real shock.

“I apologize for the disturbance,” I said. “I am, erm... prone to falling unconscious when emotionally moved. It surprises those who are unprepared, so we strive to prevent it from happening by any means possible. It seems that our efforts did not suffice this time. I cannot apologize enough.”

I also added that the palace library was something of a risky topic for me—but only in my head, of course. I didn’t want to give them a reason to take back their invitation.

Hildebrand frantically shook his head from side to side. “It was surprising, but I’m fine now. As a member of the Library Committee, I can’t let something like that get in my way—I need to be strong enough to help you.”

It’s so cute seeing him try to act all manly...

The prince’s eyes seemed to burn with resolve as he clenched his fists and swore to never be so panicked again. It was especially cute that this was his idea of getting stronger.

“Please take care of Schwartz and Weiss in my absence,” I said. “I can rest assured knowing that you are here for them.”

Hildebrand accepted my words with a genuine smile, and at that moment, the library was bathed in light of various colors. Classes were over, which meant Raimund would soon be arriving.

“Erm, Prince Hildebrand... I regret having to say this, but I am due to meet some people here soon.”

“Prince Hildebrand, we must not allow too many others to see you. Now that you have confirmed that Lady Rozemyne is well, let us return at once,” Arthur said, prompting the regretful-looking prince to leave. He then looked over at me and said, “We are relieved to see that you have recovered.”

The bell rang a short while after Hildebrand disappeared from sight, and not too long after that, Hirschur arrived with Raimund. They were both well groomed, perhaps because they were actually having to leave the laboratory today.

These two kinda seem like mother and son... They both have really similar auras as, like, people who are dedicating their lives to science.

“You are leaving especially early this year, Lady Rozemyne,” Hirschur said with a displeased expression. “I have not gotten as much work done as I had hoped.”

“My guardians back in Ehrenfest are worried about me, considering that I collapsed twice in such quick succession,” I replied, of course referring to the ternisbefallen incident and the tea party that had followed soon after my recovery. I didn’t say much more, since it was being kept secret that Ehrenfest students had been involved, but Hirschur understood nonetheless.

“Ferdinand must be at his wits’ end with you,” she cackled. “Rauffen has been talking about holding an inquiry once you’ve recovered, but that won’t be possible if you are no longer here. Leave things to me.”

“You have my thanks.”

The order for my return had come while Rauffen and the other professors were getting ready to hold an inquiry about the ternisbefallen incident. To be honest, I appreciated getting the opportunity to discuss things with my guardians first.

With all that out of the way, Hirschur took several of the documents that she was having Raimund carry. “These are the results of my research. Please give them to Ferdinand. We also have with us the assignments that Raimund completed for him.”

Raimund took a hesitant step forward, having been more or less pushed by Hirschur, and proffered a bundle of plant paper. “I’ve made improved versions of the given circles,” he said. “Please give these to Lord Ferdinand as well. I would, um... very much appreciate it if you could tell me his thoughts on them.”

Hartmut accepted the papers with a nod. He and Raimund seemed to have been speaking behind the scenes quite regularly, and I could see the tension drain from the latter’s shoulders.

“Raimund, I am going to be returning to Ehrenfest, but Hartmut will remain here in the Royal Academy to give you your new tasks once they are confirmed,” I said. “Please use the time until then to finish your classes, eat well, and rest—to live a proper life, as you would.”

“Oh my. Have you become his mother, Lady Rozemyne?” Hirschur asked, exasperated.

I glared at her. She was presumably the reason that Ferdinand was so prone to locking himself away in his workshop, yet we were the ones suffering for it. Hirschur had gotten away scot-free.

“If you do not raise Raimund properly, Professor Hirschur, then there will be very real consequences,” I warned. “A person’s upbringing has a great impact on their future, so I refuse to remain silent while your disciple’s life falls apart. At this rate, he will end up becoming another Ferdinand.”

“Really?!” Raimund exclaimed, positively delighted.

“I would not sound so pleased—that was not meant positively.” I shook my head and then presented the light meals that Lieseleta had prepared. “I imagine you were focused on your research until the last moment before this meeting and therefore made no time for lunch. Please eat this and spend the rest of the day resting.”

“You truly are a saint, Lady Rozemyne. I’m touched,” said not Raimund, but Hirschur, her hands trembling with emotion as she accepted the basket of food. She really was a no-good teacher.

“Professor Hirschur, do not forget about your classes,” I said. “And remember, Raimund—ensuring that your teacher does her job is an important part of being a disciple.”

With that, our meeting came to an end.

“I believe that’s everything...” I said after finishing my last checks on the way to the dormitory’s teleportation room. Wilfried, Charlotte, and my retainers were going to be seeing me off.

“Shouldn’t be anything to worry about if you’ve checked everything on the list,” Wilfried said. “Now head on home and get ready for the scolding of a lifetime. They ordered you to stay away from the prince, you know, and what did you do? You collapsed at a tea party, guaranteeing that he’ll never forget you. Everyone back in Ehrenfest is pretty much banging their head against a wall at this point.”

“Eep...”

Cornelius was on the teleportation circle with me, but he wasn’t going to be staying in Ehrenfest—he intended to enjoy his last term at the Royal Academy to the fullest, meaning he would return to the dormitory as soon as he had ensured my safe arrival. I was heading home so early this year that Judithe and Leonore hadn’t even finished all of their classes yet.

“Damuel and Angelica are in Ehrenfest, so I won’t have any problems with guards, but... going back home by myself makes me feel a little bit lonely...” I admitted.

“Please try to return to us as soon after the Dedication Ritual as possible,” Charlotte said with a smile. I was entrusting Rosina to her in my absence, and it was heartening to know that a fellow female archduke candidate was going to be here to take my place while I was gone.

“You don’t need to worry about us, Rozemyne—now that we’ve got Charlotte, things won’t be as bad as last year,” Wilfried assured me. “At the very least, I won’t have to go to any of those girl-only tea parties.”

Both Charlotte and I giggled at his remark.

“Rihyarda, Cornelius—let us go,” I said.

I stepped onto the teleportation circle with Rihyarda and Cornelius, and after a sudden flash of black and gold, my vision began to twist...