Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 4.8 - Chapter 18

A Visitor and Counterstrategies

“Next up is the Starbind Ceremony,” I said to myself as I checked my schedule. The summer baptism ceremony was now over and done with, and after holing up in my workshop, I had finally managed to complete my archduke candidate studies.

Ferdinand made a face. “I am told that Georgine and Detlinde are visiting Ehrenfest between the Starbind Ceremony and autumn. They wish for our duchies to interact as much as possible before the marriage, it seems.”

“Are they really allowed on such a long trip while Aub Ahrensbach is ill...?” I asked. My understanding was that he was on death’s door, and those from the duchy wanted a successor to be trained at once.

“Rozemyne, we do not know whether Aub Ahrensbach is truly ill,” Ferdinand replied with a grimace.

“What?”

“As I told you, it was intelligence from Justus; we cannot trust it entirely. It might also be something that Ahrensbach is purposefully hiding from others. In any case, you would do well to not speak of the aub’s health so carelessly. We do not wish for you to draw undue suspicion to yourself, put others on guard, or inspire a hunt for our source.”

It seemed that an archduke being ill was not something that duchies generally wanted others to know, as it often meant the changing of an aub. I was told not to ask Georgine or Detlinde about Aub Ahrensbach’s health under any circumstances.

“So, Ahrensbach considers it top secret information, then? And you want to keep our source hidden because you know who they are?”

“I can say only that it should not be blindly trusted,” Ferdinand said with a light shrug. He didn’t seem to trust the source very much himself, but given the situation, he had determined that it was likely correct nonetheless.

“Still... if there’s a chance of the aub dying while you’re still engaged, Ferdinand, then he must be fairly ill.”

“Death does not come only from illness; there are many other reasons one might believe their life to be in danger,” Ferdinand said. He was being deliberately vague, but I could guess at what he was implying. It was so scary that I couldn’t bring myself to press him; instead, it seemed wise to change the subject at the next opportunity.

“In any case, I’m kind of surprised that you and Lady Detlinde can get married at all.”

“What do you mean?”

“In my old world, my country made it illegal for uncles and nieces to marry,” I said. This seemed to pique his interest, so I decided to elaborate. “Each country had its own laws, however, so such unions were considered more acceptable elsewhere. Does Yurgenschmidt not have rules for marriage?”

“Of course we do,” Ferdinand replied. “A baby’s mana is mostly dependent on its mother, so her bloodline is prioritized. Detlinde is both Sylvester’s and my niece, but of the two of us, she can only marry me. This is because Sylvester was born to Veronica, whereas I was not.”

For siblings, their ability to marry was largely dependent on whether they shared a mother. The rules were more relaxed with cousins, who could marry even if their mothers were from the same family.

“Even siblings can marry, as long as they do not share a mother,” Ferdinand continued. “You and Wilfried are an example of this, no?”

“I thought that was because I was adopted, not because adopted daughters are considered the same as paternal half-sisters,” I said, blinking in surprise. It had been quite some time since I last felt the culture gap between our worlds this strongly.

“Filling in the many holes that remain in your common sense certainly will prove troublesome...”

“Who are you going to tell before you leave?” I asked. “About my previous life in another world, I mean.”

Ferdinand paused for a moment, considering my question carefully, then shook his head. “Your image as the Saint of Ehrenfest has become so widespread that it would not be wise to inform any others. I cannot even imagine how you might be exploited if your past became known. Legends of sainthood were convenient when arranging for your adoption, but now that the Sovereign temple has its eyes on you, they are nothing but dangerous.”

I thought back to the scary look in the Sovereign High Priest’s eyes and nodded quietly. “But who can I turn to when I have questions like this, then?” It seemed inevitable that my lack of common sense in this world would continue to cause migraine-inducing problems.

Ferdinand once again fell into thought, then headed over to a nearby shelf. “Use this to write letters,” he said, setting the bottle of disappearing ink in front of me. “Ink that responds only to its creator’s mana should make it across duchy borders without issue.”

Ordonnanzes couldn’t cross duchy borders, which meant interduchy communication was generally done by letter magic tools. These were inspected at the duchy border and then allowed to continue on their way if no issues were found.

“Use the disappearing ink to write your questions, then pen an innocuous message above it with regular ink,” Ferdinand instructed. “I will similarly use your ink for my response.”

“Secret letters, then. Hm... Is this like how Lady Georgine and Bezewanst used to communicate?” They hadn’t used disappearing ink, so it wasn’t similar in that regard, but Georgine had sent Bezewanst more than enough letters to indicate that he was a great pillar of support for her.

Lady Georgine must really hate me...

Bezewanst had presumably been her Ferdinand, so it made sense that she would despise me from the bottom of her heart for driving him to his death. It occurred to me that she probably hated Ferdinand for the same reason, and, in an instant, her visit and the upcoming wedding became a lot more terrifying.

“I suppose our lessons are going to be put on hold for a while, what with their visit...” I said.

“Indeed... I expect my schedule to be filled with invitations to meals, tea parties, and such during their stay. If only I could do something to make them leave sooner,” Ferdinand muttered in response, looking notably disgusted. I couldn’t help but pity Detlinde, knowing that her fiancé was intending to welcome her with such contempt. It wasn’t like she had done anything to him personally.

“Don’t look so glum; let’s be optimistic about this,” I said. “Try to focus on the silver linings, like... maybe Lady Detlinde will have some Ahrensbach books. Or perhaps she’ll offer us some fish. In your case, why not try to think that she might bring research materials with her?”

Ferdinand looked down at me with cold eyes, then sighed. “You are too honest with your desires.”

“All you have to do is repeat these thoughts again and again in your head. It’s a trick for staying optimistic. You won’t actually be asking them for these things, so why not give it a try?” It would have been overbearing to actually make such requests, but simply thinking them wouldn’t bother anyone.

“Your obsession with books aside, they might actually bring some fish if you ask.”

“Really?!” I exclaimed, looking up at Ferdinand with a beaming smile.

His lips curved into a grin. “But I am sure they would think of you as overbearing if you actually made such a request, no? You will have to go without.”

“You gave me hope just to take it away again?!” I exclaimed, furious. “That’s so mean!”

Ferdinand merely scoffed in amusement. It was like I was a toy to him—something he could effortlessly bat around whenever the mood took him.

“Oh, but if we’re making requests, could we perhaps ask them to bring Raimund along?” I said. He would make for a good source of conversation during tea parties and meals, and if Ferdinand was unable to put aside his disdain for Detlinde, then he and Raimund could talk while Charlotte and I discussed hairpins and such.

“Raimund...”

“He is your disciple as much as he is Professor Hirschur’s. They may bring him if you say that you plan to take him as a retainer in Ahrensbach.”

I wanted Ferdinand to be in a good mood for his first meetings with Detlinde so that they were more likely to get along. It was important that his new life in Ahrensbach be at least reasonably comfortable. He would want to be on guard, but he also needed to break some of the ice on his own.

“Rozemyne, there is much that I must observe and investigate,” Ferdinand said. “How this marriage will revitalize the former Veronica faction, who Georgine trusts most here in Ehrenfest, her reason for returning to our duchy... I will not have the time to leisurely discuss research with Raimund. There is no knowing what Georgine might be doing in the shadows while we are preoccupied with Detlinde.”

Ferdinand was focused more on Georgine than Detlinde, and while he had good reason to be, this visit was meant to be his chance to bond with his future wife.

“In that case,” I said, “you would be wise to request my mothers’ help sooner rather than later.”

“Lady Florencia and Elvira?”

“Yes. Lady Georgine and Lady Detlinde are both women, so I expect they will participate in women-only tea parties. You will not be able to gather intelligence there. My mothers were able to form an information network all the way back when the Veronica faction was at its peak, and now that said faction is crumbling more by the day, their efforts should prove fruitful without Justus needing to cross-dress. Why not meet with them and tell them what you wish to know?”

I was pretty sure that Elvira would put her all into getting any information that Ferdinand wanted—and one could tell that she was a skilled information gatherer from the abundance of love stories she had written.

“Asking for help, hm...?”

Ferdinand was reluctant to trust others and so talented that he could do most things himself, so it was exceedingly rare for him to ask for help. Thus, he always struggled in situations like this, when he needed to deal with someone other than his target.

“We’re preoccupied with our own matters, so perhaps we could ask them to shorten their stay in Ehrenfest,” I said. “Furthermore, we will need to ask them to bring those with whom we wish to speak. There is still time before their visit, and we gain nothing from simply waiting around in a daze. Ahrensbach negotiations are going to keep us very busy indeed.”

“I think you mean to say they are going to keep me busy. Good grief... You would have me do more than I do already?” Ferdinand asked while looking over the progress of my studies.

“But you don’t have to do anything at all, Ferdinand. This is a talk between duchies; could you not tell Sylvester to do it and then leave things to him? You should try to step back from castle work as much as possible. This is going to be an important part of your successors’ training.”

“You truly do adopt only the worst aspects of your guardians...” Ferdinand muttered. Although he sounded exasperated, in the end, he conceded to my suggestion. He told Sylvester his request for Ahrensbach, asked Florencia and Elvira for their help, and started dedicating his time to my archduke candidate lessons in particular.

The lower city was bustling with merchants from other duchies come summertime, and soon enough, it was time for the Starbinding. An emergency family meeting was held sometime prior to the ceremony, during which the cancellation of Eckhart and Angelica’s engagement was discussed.

“Master Bonifatius, Lady Elvira, I am heartbroken to be losing Lord Eckhart,” Angelica said, acting the part of a sorrowful young woman. “I wish to be left alone for a while.” She was no doubt reciting lines fed to her by Stenluke.

“Oh my! Angelica!” Elvira exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she started scribbling down the tale of their lost love.

Angelica and I glanced at each other, then exchanged a discreet fist pump and appreciative nods.

Elvira continued writing for quite some time, making me question what exactly she was noting down. When she eventually stopped, she looked up with a smile and said, “Angelica, I understand the pain of your heart, but reality is nothing like love stories.”

“Bweh?”

“If you wait until your broken heart heals then you will struggle to find a new partner. My family will shame your parents if you are not at least engaged.”

Bonifatius nodded along in agreement, as someone who wanted Angelica to marry into his house. Her broken heart was unfortunately deemed irrelevant, and the search for her next partner began immediately. She had done all that practice for nothing.

“You should marry her, Lamprecht,” Bonifatius said. “You need a second wife.”

Lamprecht shook his head without the slightest hesitation. “As much as I agree with you, I cannot start discussing a second wife while Aurelia is still pregnant. I would prefer to wait for at least a number of years.”

His request was reasonable enough—it was normal for second wives to be taken years after the first, and we wouldn’t want to introduce any uncertainty during Aurelia’s pregnancy. Not to mention, she had married into our duchy, and Lamprecht didn’t want to risk offending Ahrensbach by taking another wife at this juncture.

“Cornelius, then.”

“I am already engaged to Leonore. I don’t believe it would be acceptable for me to marry someone older than her before we are officially wedded,” Cornelius replied, avoiding taking Angelica as a second wife by desperately clinging to noble traditions.

Having been refused on both fronts, Bonifatius muttered that Traugott was the only remaining option.

“I understand that this is selfish of me,” Angelica said, adopting a terribly sorrowful expression, “but there is one thing I truly desire in a husband. He does not have to be as strong as Lord Eckhart, but I would ask for someone who is at least as strong as Lord Cornelius. I do not wish to be with a man weaker than me.”

Upon hearing this, Bonifatius clenched a fist and declared, “Then I have no choice but to beat Traugott into shape!”

“But how long will that take?” Elvira asked, ever the realist. “You must consider, Lord Bonifatius, that Angelica will only be in her prime for so much longer.”

Bonifatius frowned. “If reforming Traugott can’t be done in time, then either Karstedt or I will need to take responsibility. I have no other descendants who can even hope to match Angelica. Nikolaus is too young, as we know.”

“I could not bear to see Angelica become Father’s or your wife,” I interjected without a second thought. “She is much too young.” I turned to her, expecting to see her distraught about such a suggestion... but she was smiling from ear to ear. In fact, she looked happier than I had seen her all day.

“I have no problem with that.”

Wait, you don’t?! You’re perfectly fine with marrying my grandfather? Even though he’s that much older than you? Hold on a second, Angelica... Your taste in men is way too focused!

It seemed that Angelica was happy to marry anyone as long as they met her one condition—be it Traugott, Karstedt, or even Bonifatius himself. I wasn’t the only one left in a daze by this news; Elvira was cradling her head, ready to put a great big “X” through the Eckhart and Angelica notes she had been making.

Karstedt turned to Bonifatius. “I assume you’ve resolved to take responsibility for Angelica if your plans for her fall through, Father. If not, then I seriously recommend that you put your all into training Traugott,” he said, bringing the family meeting to a swift close. I could tell that he was desperately trying to push the thought of marrying Angelica from his mind.

The Starbind Ceremony arrived in the blink of an eye, and once the lower city’s ritual was complete, Ferdinand and I moved our home base to the castle. We had no plans to return to the temple until after Georgine and Detlinde’s visit.

We went on to perform the Starbind Ceremony in the Noble’s Quarter. It was mostly uneventful and concluded without incident, although there was some buzz when it was announced that Georgine and Detlinde would soon be visiting. Most were already aware that Ferdinand was getting married, since it had been mentioned during the meeting following the Archduke Conference, but some of the nobles who worked under giebes evidently hadn’t known. The former Veronica faction had abruptly been revitalized, and the Ehrenfest leaders were observing carefully to see how people reacted.

“How glorious. To think Lord Ferdinand is marrying into a greater duchy...”

“Lady Georgine is so deeply compassionate, allowing someone who once entered the temple to marry her daughter.”

Ferdinand watched with a fake smile as some praised his good fortune and others rejoiced that relations with Ahrensbach would soon resume.

Elvira was wearing a wonderfully false smile herself, and in a hushed voice she said, “Lady Georgine is exceptionally skilled at turning Ehrenfest on its head, so we must greet her with great attention. Your requests are always quite a handful, Lord Ferdinand, but they are very worthwhile.” She then murmured about how much she had struggled when she had needed to take me in and train me enough to be a respectable archnoble girl.

“I very much look forward to hearing about your success,” I said, smiling at both Elvira and Florencia. I sensed that this was going to be a feminine battle far too great for me to participate in. They would need to fight it all themselves.

“We do not mind you entrusting Lady Georgine to us, Rozemyne, but you must stick as closely to Lord Ferdinand as you can,” Elvira said. “The more he speaks with that smile, the wider the rift between his and Lady Detlinde’s hearts will grow.”

Naturally, Wilfried would need to join me to prevent any untoward rumors or misunderstandings about my relationship with Ferdinand. Charlotte needed to keep her distance from him for the same reason.

“Lady Charlotte is very observant of her surroundings and would make for an excellent peacekeeper,” Elvira continued, “but as you have spent more time with Lord Ferdinand, you are better able to understand his expressions and emotions.”

I would need to support Ferdinand as best I could, but I wasn’t confident that I could manage it. In fact, I felt like I would be holding him down, if anything.

“This will also be the time for them to show Ehrenfest’s nobles a formal proposal and engagement,” Elvira said. “Lady Detlinde will most likely be bringing a proposal feystone. Is Lord Ferdinand preparing one to give in return?”

The blood drained from my face. During our lessons together, he had prepared rejuvenation potions and defensive charms to bring to Ahrensbach... but I hadn’t seen him preparing a proposal feystone.

“I expect not...” I replied. “He has been tutoring me this entire time, and preparing the temple for his departure is his greatest priority.”

Still, there was no way that Ferdinand could make an excuse when Detlinde was offering her own feystone. After all, Ahrensbach had informed us of the visit and its goals well ahead of time.

I summoned an ordonnanz and said, “Ferdinand, have you prepared a proposal feystone?” I was sure we could still remedy this in time if not, but the response he sent knocked me out of my chair.

“I already have one. It is of all elements, so it will suit her no matter which ones she possesses.”

“Hold on! Aren’t proposal feystones supposed to be made to match your partner’s elements exactly?” I wanted to put my head in my hands; a feystone with all elements was fine for the sake of appearances, but it also communicated a complete lack of interest in learning about one’s partner. “There’s a limit to how brusque you can be! At the very least, consult Ahrensbach about Lady Detlinde’s affinities. They might assume your proposal feystone was intended for someone else!”

“I made it for class in the Royal Academy, so I expect no such misunderstandings,” came his response. Now I really had to cradle my head; he had no motivation whatsoever.

“Brunhilde, will this cause any problems?” I asked.

“W-Well... as a feystone with all elements, it could perhaps please her, depending on its quality and the words carved within it...” Brunhilde noted.

I grasped at this solitary thread of hope and asked Ferdinand what words were carved into his feystone. It was the simplest and most generic message, which he had used so that he could give the stone to anyone: “May my heart be yours.” Naturally, even Brunhilde gave up at this point; the feystone was beyond saving.

“Let us remake the stone,” I said via ordonnanz. “Your current offering is simply too poor. No woman will appreciate receiving it.”

“It exists and shall continue to. I have no desire to waste time consulting Ahrensbach and making a new one. If you insist on me having a feystone that matches her affinities, then you can make it yourself, as my family.”

“This isn’t something I should be making! I’m not the one getting married here, you know!”

“All will go smoothly as long as I deliver the feystone with a smile and some honeyed words. Discussing this further is pointless. I am busy.”

After that, he stopped replying to my ordonnanzes. It seemed that he was set on using his all-element feystone no matter what.

Geez, can you imagine a worse groom?! Ferdinand is the least marriageable person ever!

He was so intently focused on Georgine and the former Veronica faction that he was giving barely any thought to his own fiancée. At this rate, Detlinde would absolutely despise him by the time her stay was over.

“We must ensure that Lady Detlinde receives the best treatment in Ehrenfest,” I said, “or her opinion of Lord Ferdinand will end up beyond saving. Brunhilde, Lieseleta, Rihyarda, Ottilie—the task ahead is by no means an easy one, but I must ask for your assistance during her stay.”

“Understood.”

To be honest, I wasn’t well educated in the ways of romantic gestures and expressions. I would need people supporting me as well.

“Let us summon Wilfried, Charlotte, and Melchior,” I said. “We must ensure that the upcoming visit is enjoyable for everyone.”

Anything was better than letting Ferdinand give his fiancée the cold shoulder upon her arrival. I consulted Wilfried’s and Charlotte’s retainers about Detlinde’s preferred sweets and topics of conversation, which they had picked up on during the tea party for cousins that Wilfried had attended, and asked for their help with the challenge ahead.

From there, our progress was steady. We ensured that the necessary rooms were prepared and discussed what to serve during tea parties and meals, while Ferdinand attended more meetings with members of the former Veronica faction.