Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 4.8 - Chapter 10

Visiting Great-Grandfather

“Lady Rozemyne,” Brunhilde said, “it is time to visit Great-Grandfather.”

“Brunhilde, Leonore, Hartmut, Cornelius...” I muttered, addressing my archnoble retainers one by one. “We all share the same great-grandfather, I see. It feels strange to actually say it.”

“All nobles are connected by blood in some way or another,” Cornelius said with a shrug. “Great-Grandfather certainly likes to moan about Lady Veronica’s family, but Lord Wilfried and Lady Charlotte have archducal blood. In other words, though it may not be particularly thick, they have Leisegang blood as well.”

Leonore gave a small giggle. “But to Great-Grandfather, the thickness of the blood matters more than anything. That is why he so fervently wishes for you to become the next aub, Lady Rozemyne.”

“As my retainers, are you not dissatisfied that I don’t strive for the archducal seat?” I asked. Their response came in the form of a collective shrug—and their eyes all seemed to say that it was simply the safest option.

“I believe it would be best for you to do as you like, Lady Rozemyne,” Brunhilde said with reinvigorating warmth. “As your attendant, I will strive to support you such that the trends you birth bring riches to Ehrenfest. Attempting to change your course would surely prove fruitless anyway.”

“She’s right,” Hartmut agreed with a nod. “No matter what you do, Lady Rozemyne, I shall strive to ensure that all see you for the saint you are. You may rest easy knowing that I will allow no mistake on your part to sully your good name.” He delivered this promise with a dashing smile, but for some mysterious reason, it made me feel exceedingly uneasy.

Our conversation continued as I traveled down the hall in Lessy, and soon enough, we saw Wilfried and Charlotte waiting up ahead.

“Wilfried, Charlotte, my apologies for the wait,” I said. “Given your pensive expressions, I assume you two must be contemplating something.”

“I thought that earning the Leisegangs’ aid was going to be a serious challenge, since Grandmother raised me and her blood runs through my veins, but Giebe Leisegang made it sound as though the most I need to do is convince your great-grandfather,” Wilfried explained. “We were just talking about that.”

Charlotte rested a troubled hand on her cheek. “Yes, but... I cannot imagine for the life of me what... series of words... or actions... would calm the former Giebe Leisegang’s wrath. Do you have any ideas, Sister?”

“Not at all,” I said, then gestured for us to continue toward Great-Grandfather’s room. “I can only do what I did with Giebe Leisegang: express my thoughts and intentions in person, rather than through a messenger.”

No matter how much Great-Grandfather wished for me to become the next aub, it wasn’t something I intended to do. In fact, as a former commoner, it wasn’t even possible for me. The most I could do was ask him to give up on his dreams.

“Great-Grandfather’s feelings of rage and animosity are his own to deal with,” I continued. “It was never my aim to do anything about them. I will simply be informing him that I do not wish to become the next aub, and that is all.”

“I’m impressed that you can be so nonchalant about these things. If you, the Leisegangs’ beacon of hope, make such a bold declaration to his face, I’m worried that he might just travel to the distant heights.”

I thought back to the traumatizing sight of Great-Grandfather collapsing right in front of me. “That would be problematic indeed... I certainly won’t be revealing that I would rather be a second wife for the sake of more free time—assuming that this lower position wouldn’t stop me from getting involved in the printing industry and creating my own library.”

“Not even I knew that!” Wilfried barked.

“It’s the truth, though.”

“Sister,” Charlotte interjected, “the Leisegangs would never accept that.”

“Which is why I usually never mention it. It does rear its head from time to time, though.”

Both of my siblings let out heavy sighs. “Just watch what you say here,” Wilfried warned. “We don’t want him ascending to the distant heights partway through our meeting.”

“Indeed.”

We arrived at the side building where Great-Grandfather was staying and were escorted inside. I expected to see him lying in bed, but he was properly dressed and seated in a chair in the large, ornate room. The fact that he looked more energetic than last year might not have been my imagination.

“Ah! Aah! Lady Rozemyne! Welcome to Leisegang! It must be by the grace of the gods that we are once again given the opportunity to meet!”

Great-Grandfather rejoiced with almost comical exaggeration at my arrival, but he didn’t even acknowledge Wilfried and Charlotte. His attendant lightly tapped him on the shoulder, but he swatted the hand away with annoyance.

“I am with my siblings as well,” I said. “They are Wilfried and Charlotte. Can you see them, Great-Grandfather?”

He blinked rapidly and squinted, as if only just noticing them. “When one reaches my age, their eyes truly begin to fail them. And you are sparkling so brightly that everything around you is that much harder to see, Lady Rozemyne. My apologies.”

Great-Grandfather went on to greet both Wilfried and Charlotte, but he never actually looked at them. It was impossible to say whether he really couldn’t see them or was deliberately averting his gaze.

We were offered seats, then tea and sweets were brought in. Great-Grandfather wasn’t able to test for poison himself, it seemed, as his attendant took on the duty in his stead.

Once it was proven that our refreshments were safe to consume, the tea party began. Great-Grandfather lavished my recipes with praise and said in high spirits that, thanks to Hugo tutoring his chefs during Lamprecht’s wedding ceremony, his meals here had improved dramatically. He was especially fond of pound cake, as it was soft and easy to eat.

“One can even taste the season by having pound cake mixed with a little fruit juice,” Charlotte noted.

“Taste the season, hm? That certainly is an idea...” Great-Grandfather said. He closed his eyes and then started to tell us about the seasonal fruits and vegetables farmed in Leisegang.

“Giebe Leisegang Emeritus, there is something I must say as well,” Wilfried announced when the mood turned peaceful... but Great-Grandfather didn’t respond at all. His eyes were still closed, and he was perfectly still, so it was hard to tell whether he was pretending not to hear or had actually fallen asleep. He was a tough foe indeed. Just getting him to listen was a struggle.

“Great-Grandfather! Great-Grandfather!” I called.

“Oh! Yes, Rozemyne?” he asked, appearing to jerk awake before unsteadily turning to face me.

“Can you hear me?” I asked.

“Indeed, indeed. I can hear your exceptionally adorable voice.”

So he was just pretending not to hear Wilfried, then. No helping that. I’ll just have to be the one to talk.

“I cannot become the next aub, nor do I wish to,” I said, going straight for the most important point.

Great-Grandfather sat still for a moment, then he slowly raised a hand and cupped it behind his ear. “Hrm? Aah, my apologies... To think my ears are in such a state that I would miss even your precious voice, Lady Rozemyne. I am profoundly ashamed...”

“Great-Grandfather, I cannot become the next aub,” I repeated. “Nor do I wish to become the next aub.”

“AIEEEEEEEEE!”

All of a sudden, Great-Grandfather let out a bizarre cry. He then collapsed onto the table, where he remained completely motionless.

Did... Did he just up and die?!

“Wh... What?!” I sputtered.

“EEEEEEK!” Charlotte cried.

“This is why I told you to choose your words carefully!” Wilfried snapped. “You were too blunt!”

As we all floundered over Great-Grandfather’s abrupt collapse, his retainer stepped forward. “Please calm down,” he said. “This is nothing out of the ordinary. He became a little too excited, but he will soon regain consciousness. You may enjoy your tea until then.”

“So you say, but...”

It was hard to relax in a situation like this. I glanced around nervously and saw that Wilfried was surprisingly calm.

“This is usual, huh?” he remarked. “Still pretty bad for the heart.”

“Wilfried, how can you be so at ease?!” I exclaimed.

He raised an eyebrow at me and said, “Because I’m used to you collapsing out of nowhere all the time. I mean, look. Your retainers are even calmer.”

“What?”

It was true—Brunhilde and Ottilie were already refreshing our tea while Great-Grandfather’s attendants prepared to carry him to bed so that they could start attending to him.

“When you pass out at tea parties, I always have to do what those attendants are doing now. Consoling the guests, cleaning up after your mess...” Wilfried explained. “How do you feel, Charlotte? This is your first time seeing someone collapse in front of you like this, right?”

“I... I am fine. I will need to get used to this sooner or later,” Charlotte replied, her voice quavering. Her face was pale as she watched Great-Grandfather being taken away.

“You do not need to get used to this, Lady Charlotte,” Brunhilde said. “We attendants have many countermeasures in place to prevent Lady Rozemyne from collapsing.” She poured me another cup of tea, which I sipped at while watching Great-Grandfather’s retainers try to wake him.

“Now, now. Wake up. You are in the middle of a tea party with Lady Rozemyne.”

“Mnnn...”

It was some time before Great-Grandfather regained consciousness, but when he did, he was instantly raring to go. His recovery was unusually quick, based on my own experiences, and I started to suspect that he had used a secret technique. Ultimate Move: Play Dead.

Great-Grandfather coughed a few times. “My sincere apologies.”

“Giebe Leisegang Emeritus,” Wilfried said, “there is not much more I need to say.”

“Guh!”

And so, we ended up in a peculiar cycle: I would speak to Great-Grandfather, then he would collapse almost immediately after. This apparent farce continued maybe five times. His retainers made no attempt to intervene, so our conversation advanced slowly but surely.

“Mm... My sincere apologies.”

“Great-Grandfather. I see you have awoken again,” I said. “Now, where were we?”

“You had just mentioned that the king acknowledged your engagement,” Hartmut answered in an instant. I praised my excellent retainer, then moved to continue.

“Great-Grandfather, do you truly intend to oppose the king’s decision?” I asked. “Surely you would never do such a thing.”

“No, of course not...” he replied. “That said, I am simply worried about your future, Lady Rozemyne.”

“You do not need to worry, Giebe Leisegang Emeritus,” Wilfried said. “I promise to end the Leisegangs’ struggles with Rozemyne as my first wife.”

For the very first time since we had arrived, Great-Grandfather looked straight at Wilfried. It seemed that he had at last decided to face him instead of continuing this unnecessary—and outright clownish—act. The atmosphere grew cold as the hatred within him overflowed into the room, unable to be contained. His wrinkled smile disappeared as though he had just disposed of a mask, leaving only emotionless features. Despite this vacant expression—no, because of this vacant expression, the hatred that had consumed him after a lifetime of suffering and humiliation became infinitely apparent.

Wilfried audibly swallowed. His hand resting on the table was trembling uncontrollably. I reached out to touch it. He recoiled at first, then looked at me and nodded. “As I am engaged to Rozemyne, I intend to do well with the Leisegangs moving forward,” he said. “There is no falsehood in that.”

“Then what will you do if an archduke candidate from a greater duchy weds into Ehrenfest?” Great-Grandfather asked in a scratchy voice.

“If one day I end up in the same position as the first Giebe Groschel, I will have Father adopt my children before she comes, to secure their status as archduke candidates.”

“The greater duchy will not be pleased about that.”

“Father has already agreed to it. He will not commit the same mistake as the aub of the past.”

“So the aub has resolve too, then...” Great-Grandfather said quietly. His eyes had glazed over; he seemed to be staring at Wilfried, but perhaps he was recounting some event from his past. We waited for him to respond again, but it was his attendant who spoke next.

“I believe that will do for today.”

We were being urged to leave, so we obliged and quietly excused ourselves. I glanced back at Great-Grandfather one last time on my way out. He was still staring into space, his eyes nonmoving... but for the slightest moment, I was sure that he was weeping.