Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 5.9 - Chapter 8

Fitting

“Lady Hannelore, it would seem that Dregarnuhr the Goddess of Time is weaving exceptionally well today. We will travel to Ahrensbach this afternoon, whereupon I will return you to Dunkelfelger. Please rest in your room until then.”

“Was I not invited to order a hairpin today?” Hannelore asked, confused. Our prayer for the dead must have done wonders to soothe her, as she looked more relaxed and a little bit sleepy.

I smiled and shook my head. “The order can be placed at any time. Your health is more important, so I would advise you to get some rest.”

“I appreciate and intend to take you up on that suggestion... but I was rather looking forward to ordering from your very own hairpin maker,” Hannelore said with an impish smile. She then retired to her guest room with her retainers, noting before she went that Dregarnuhr would weave our threads together again at third bell.

I was about to return to my chambers when Damuel suddenly took out his schtappe and adopted a defensive stance. Judithe did the same. I strengthened my eyes and peered in the direction they were facing to find a white lion approaching us with several more highbeasts in tow.

“Oh, Ferdinand,” I said when he reached us. “Good morning. You’re here early.”

He landed on the balcony with an intense grimace, then dismounted and eyed us all carefully. “I detected an immense burst of mana and thought it might be an ambush at dawn, when the night watch would be most exhausted. But I suppose you were the cause.”

“I was grieving the dead with Lady Hannelore. Those who gave their lives in Illgner, Gerlach, and the city of Ehrenfest are climbing the stairway to the supreme gods as we speak. I, um... did not intend to wake you. Sorry.”

Ferdinand needed to rest more than anyone, but his fear of an ambush had made him feel obliged to rush over. My knights had informed the Order of our plans but must not have deemed it necessary to send an ordonnanz all the way to my library.

“You need not apologize; I planned to come here anyway to restock the potions I used. Hmm... Would you care for a few? I can give you some that will induce a slumber so sound that you would think you were dead. You will not even dream. They are fairly valuable for when one does not have time to rest properly.”

“A dreamless sleep does sound appealing... but considering the very legitimate risk that I might spend another two days unconscious, I am strangely hesitant to try.”

I wanted a quick and easy way to recharge so that I could check up on the lower city and temple, but I couldn’t shake the memory of everyone leaving me behind in Ahrensbach. The thought of drinking another such potion put me on edge.

“You will wake up whether you want to or not,” Ferdinand assured me. “Do not forget you have a meeting with the Gilberta Company at third bell. Do you really intend to greet the seamstresses in your library while looking so blatantly exhausted...?”

I pressed my hands against my cheeks. The city of Ehrenfest had endured its own battle. Tuuli was probably worried about Dad, who had gone to such extreme lengths while stationed at the west gate. The last thing I wanted was for her or anyone else in my family to start worrying about me too.

It wasn’t my intention to start being as dependent on potions as Ferdinand, but I elected to make use of the sleep-inducing ones he treasured so dearly.

“Rozemyne, are you really feeling okay? There are... Ah, I suppose it was not my place to discuss such matters.”

“We were planning to consult you, Lord Ferdinand, but Lady Rozemyne is having some trouble at the moment,” Damuel explained. He had seen my reluctance to answer and elected to speak in my stead. “It would seem that she associates feystones with the recent battles and now feels too traumatized to even form her highbeast.”

“This is worse than I thought,” Ferdinand muttered with a frown. “It is impossible to say what kind of an impact that phobia might have on her everyday life. As it stands, we have yet to finish disarming the traps set by Melchior’s retainers, so the temple is far from at its safest. If you must go there, I would advise you to wait until the afternoon, when the cleaning is complete. Delaying the departure should allay any concerns you might have.”

I gazed up at him, my head cocked to one side. “Have you inspected the temple already?”

“No. My knowledge of the situation there comes entirely from reports.”

Justus had apparently seen Philine and Hartmut consult Melchior and his retainers about this very subject. He hadn’t been able to hear a word of their conversation, but in true Justus fashion, he had managed to read their lips.

“Well, if the traps haven’t yet been disarmed and there’s cleaning to be done, I will not make a fuss,” I said. “Still, I want to see the temple with my own eyes when they’re finished.”

“Damuel,” Ferdinand said, “ask Melchior’s retainers to retrieve the traps at once.”

“Understood.”

My conversation with Ferdinand did wonders to ease my concerns. I drank the potion he gave me and went straight to sleep. As he’d assured me, my head was clear for exactly one bell... and then an awful nightmare caused me to leap up out of bed. It suddenly made sense why he’d seemed so certain I would wake up on time. I was glad to have slept a little, but still...

“Is something the matter?” Ottilie asked and pushed aside the bed-curtains. She had swapped places with Gretia come dawn and must have heard me wake from my nightmare.

“I was woken up quite terribly... Ferdinand told me he treasured these potions for when he had very little time to rest, but I cannot imagine drinking them on a regular basis.”

As far as I was concerned, he deserved a good scolding... but everyone was telling me to stay away from him for the sake of preserving my reputation.

Geez... Being a noble is the height of tedium.

Ottilie insisted that I should sleep more, but I sent her to prepare breakfast. In the meantime, Bertilde dressed me and reported on her experiences during the recent battle. She had worked with Brunhilde and Charlotte, who had devoted themselves to back-line support, and explained that her greatest struggle was preparing the guest rooms at the time of the feast.

And the aub ordered for food to be sent alongside the knights being teleported out, apparently...

Over breakfast, Ottilie explained what my retainers were currently occupied with.

“According to Hartmut when he came back from the feast, Lord Ferdinand ordered that preparations be made for you to spend several days in Ahrensbach. It is necessary for you to return there at least once, he said. To think you need to head back into danger so soon after coming home...”

Everyone who had accompanied me to Ahrensbach before would join me once again, with the addition of Gretia and Lieseleta, who would serve as my attendants.

“I will prepare for your departure with Bertilde, with the intention of getting everything ready before this afternoon,” Ottilie continued. “The others are going to be busy with their own preparations.”

Bertilde held out the newest Ehrenfest books. “Please read these while we arrange a carriage to take you to your library. Gretia and Lieseleta prepared a book you have yet to read, while Lady Elvira said she would make as many as possible before you are wed.”

There were two books, both of which had been printed while I was gone for the winter. I’d spent so much of my time preparing for battle that I’d yet to read them, so I gave Bertilde my thanks and got straight to work rectifying that. A good story was the best way to escape terrifying thoughts.

“Ah, there you are. Your visitors from the Gilberta Company are waiting.”

At third bell, I climbed into a carriage with Hannelore and Heisshitze, and we made our way to my library. Carriages were always used when visiting a noble’s estate unless one didn’t want to be noticed or was very close friends with the noble in question. We had guests with us, which was why we had elected not to use our highbeasts.

“Let us go, Heisshitze,” Ferdinand said upon our arrival.

“Right! If you will excuse us, Lady Hannelore. Have fun shopping!”

Having escorted us to our destination, Heisshitze went with Ferdinand to the knights’ training grounds. They weren’t the only ones who had to take their leave; not even the men among my knights were allowed inside my library. An unmarried woman could never entertain male company while her clothes were being fitted... or so I was told.

Ferdinand, his retainers, and the Dunkelfelger men climbed back into the carriages we had ridden here and returned to the castle.

“Even Lasfam went with them...” I said. “Does he intend to train with the knights?”

“I very much doubt it. He will most likely be preparing tea and such for our guests,” Leonore said with a giggle. Then she gestured me into the library.

“Lady Rozemyne, Lady Hannelore... Welcome.”

Lieseleta and Gretia started guiding us at once. The seamstresses were gathered and awaiting our arrival; the estate’s parlor was full of cloth, and several women were kneeling inside. Tuuli was among them. I already knew she’d evacuated to the library before the fighting had started, but seeing that she was safe still came as a huge relief.

“I am here today with Lady Hannelore, an archduke candidate from Dunkelfelger and a very dear friend of mine,” I said. “If not for her duchy’s support, Ehrenfest might have lost its battles. I realize this will not be enough to express the true depth of our gratitude, but I wish to give her a hairpin of the very best quality. Tuuli, I must ask that you make it for her.”

“As you wish, Lady Rozemyne,” Tuuli replied. Her expression brightened when she met my eye. She must have been glad that I was safe too.

“Do you recall the previous order you took for Dunkelfelger? That hairpin was for Lady Hannelore’s older brother.”

“I remember it well. The design was a sight to behold.”

Back then, Lestilaut had provided a sketch of a rare flower. Tuuli thought back to it, but only for a moment; then she started asking Hannelore detailed questions about her tastes.

“I suppose I should request the divine colors of winter so that I can wear it at the Royal Academy...” Hannelore mused. “As for the design, this is quite the bind... The hairpin my brother gave his fiancée was wonderful, but so is the one Lady Rozemyne tends to wear.”

“As you are such good friends with Lady Rozemyne, might I suggest a hairpin similar to hers?” Tuuli said. “Then the two of you can match. Of course, it will not be exactly the same—we will use differently colored thread and such—but...”

“Oh, what a wonderful idea! I’ve always wanted something like that!” Hannelore clapped, her red eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. Then she seemed to remember her situation and nervously turned to look at me. “That is, um, unless you disapprove, Lady Rozemyne.”

“Perish the thought; I am entirely on board with that idea. Tuuli already knows what hairpins suit me well. You should speak with her to iron out the details for yours.”

Having entrusted the hairpin to Tuuli, I went over to the enthused seamstresses. Gretia and Lieseleta removed my clothes, leaving me in my underwear.

“We must have everything done in time for the Archduke Conference, but please be aware that Lady Rozemyne is still very tired,” Lieseleta warned the others.

“We will strive to finish as quickly as we can,” Corinna replied.

The seamstresses dressed me in unfinished clothes, made a few adjustments, then swapped out the garments and repeated the process. This continued for some time until Corinna spoke again.

“The seamstresses of the archducal family who could not be here today asked us to perform their fitting for them. It would seem that other clothes are going to be made with these as a base.”

For obvious reasons, we hadn’t been able to call the archducal seamstresses here at such short notice. Moreover, while the Gilberta Company was taking care of today’s fittings, some of these outfits were being made in other workshops. My sudden, unexpected growth spurt had put them all in such a bind, and now my return to Ahrensbach had given them even less time to work with. It saddened me to think I was causing the seamstresses so much trouble, but considering that the alternative was not having any clothes to wear, I wanted them to continue working hard.

“I must be troubling everyone with how little time I can stay here in Ehrenfest...” I said.

“You need not worry about that,” Corinna replied. “We are to be paid extra for the urgency of your orders.” There was a merchantlike glint in her eye that reminded me of Benno and immediately brought a smile to my face.

“Please be sure to make them as exceptional as you can. After all, I am going to be wearing them in the presence of royalty.”

“Understood. We will make them the greatest you have ever seen,” Corinna said. Her silvery eyes were normally so calm and gentle, but now they held the determination of someone with a clear goal in mind. She really was Benno’s younger sister.

As the fitting continued, I couldn’t help but wish that Benno, Lutz, and the others were here. I turned to check on Hannelore and saw she was looking right at me. Tuuli was busy searching through the thread she had brought, trying to decide which would suit her new customer best.

“Have you placed your order, Lady Hannelore?” I asked.

“Indeed. That said... You certainly are ordering a lot of clothes at once. Many of them are of a style I do not even recognize.”

“Yes, we are combining cloth dyed in Ehrenfest’s new fashion with a much thinner variety from Ahrensbach that Ferdinand sent me.” I pinched up one of my skirts to show some of the thin cloth I was referring to. “Veils are not commonly worn here in Ehrenfest.”

Hannelore placed a hand on her cheek and gave me a curious look. “Um, Lady Rozemyne... There is something on my mind that has been bothering me greatly. I wish to ask you a question—but if you consider it improper or rude, I will not pressure you to answer. May I?”

“Of course.”

“As it stands, it seems to me that you have several options for your future: an Ehrenfest archduke candidate, the next Aub Ahrensbach, or even a Zent candidate. Do you know which path you intend to choose?”

In truth, it wasn’t something I’d really considered. I paused in thought, then said, “Lady Hannelore... I do not have any options at all.”

I’d dyed Ahrensbach’s foundation, but that didn’t mean I was a true aub. I was underage, first of all, and the king had yet to give me his approval. As for being a Zent candidate, my Book of Mestionora was too incomplete for me to deserve the position. By the process of elimination, I was an Ehrenfest archduke candidate and nothing else.

“I have always looked up to you,” Hannelore told me. “You had to endure so much at the Royal Academy because of your young appearance, but you did not let it hold you back. You flatly refused my brother’s demands despite his status as a greater duchy’s archduke candidate, expressed yourself clearly to Prince Anastasius, and forged a path according to your own wishes. I sincerely mean it when I say that you dazzled me with your brilliance.” To someone who had spent so much of her time at the Academy warily observing others and trying not to be scolded, I’d come across as quite the heroine.

As an archduke candidate through and through, Hannelore must not have been paying any attention to the commoner seamstresses... but I could see that Tuuli was listening. She and the rest of the Gilberta Company were family to me, and it concerned me to think how they might react to what was being said.

Um, Lady Hannelore... It’s fine for you to be curious, but this really isn’t a good time...

Of course, my silent pleas did nothing to stop her. She continued to discuss my antics without a care in the world.

“You shone like a future Zent when you invited Dunkelfelger to true ditter and appeared at our country gate,” Hannelore continued. “Then you dyed Ahrensbach’s foundation and fought to save its nobles from Lanzenave, even when it would have been so easy for you to abandon them. Here in Ehrenfest, however, you have merely accepted your engagement and the distance it will put between you and Lord Ferdinand. It seems strange, does it not? You are most honestly an archduke candidate, but for as long as we have been here, you have seemed the least like your true self.”

A cold sweat ran down my back as Hannelore approached me. I was watching Tuuli out of the corner of my eye. Her expression betrayed concern and a demand to know what was going on.

“There is still time,” Hannelore continued. “You can still make it.”

“T-To what are you referring?”

“The formal announcement will not be made until the Archduke Conference. If you so wish, let us make you an aub or the Zent before then. I will do everything I can to support you.”

I still didn’t know what Hannelore meant. Surely she wasn’t aware of my dream to create a library city. I turned to my retainers, seeking their aid... but rather than doing anything to stop Hannelore, they also appeared to be awaiting my response. All eyes were focused on me.

“Lady Hannelore,” I said, “assuming I did become an aub or the Zent, what would there still be time for me to do?” Dunkelfelger’s support was so overwhelming that it legitimately scared me; I was already well aware that I couldn’t treat an alliance with them lightly. I needed to know what Hannelore had in mind.

“Is it not obvious?! You could act on the feelings for Lord Ferdinand you have had since you were young!”

Tuuli was so openly stunned that I feared her eyes might pop right out of her head. Her expression screamed, “You’ve been in love with the High Priest all this time?!”

Corinna kept fitting my clothes, but her smirk spoke for her: “Oh my. I suppose you are at that age now.” I seldom cared when nobles misunderstood things about me, but this was unbearable.

P-Please stop! You’re saying all this in front of my family!

“Lady Hannelore!” I exclaimed. “Wait just a m-m-moment. Take a deep breath and calm down. I am not in love with Fer—”

“You need not hide your true feelings. Not from me. You told me before that you were in love with someone other than your fiancé, did you not? Someone who has been with you since you were a child, who has guided you on your path, and who has always supported you...”

Oh, right... I guess I did say something like that. But that doesn’t make the timing of this outburst any better!

Hannelore continued, “Lord Wilfried told me that nobody matches those criteria better than Lord Ferdinand. Unless you mean to tell me there is someone else.”

This is bad... I was thinking about Fran and Lutz when I said all that, but when it comes to nobles, Ferdinand is the only one who fits the bill. Of course people think I’m in love with him! NOOOOOOOOO!

I put my head in my hands, unable to bear the pain of my situation. And as I desperately racked my brain for a solution, Hannelore continued with her passionate speech.

“Even in stories, I cannot stand it when love goes unrealized. The one I read this morning almost broke my heart. The very thought of you needing to marry a prince with ill-suited mana all so that you can give the royal family the Grutrissheit pains me greatly. I will not stand for it. You must win your husband in fair and glorious combat so that your parents and siblings no longer have room to complain. For the sake of your happiness, Lady Rozemyne, I will support you as much as I can. Okay?”

That little “okay” at the end was adorable, but... Holy cow! Hannelore really is a Dunkelfelger woman!