Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume Short Story-1 - Chapter 17

Philine — Coming Home from the Royal Academy

A previously unpublished short story. Philine returns home after finishing her first year at the Royal Academy. After leaving the castle, she once again has to face the harsh realities of being a laynoble.

Author’s Note: The sales bonus for Part 4 Volume 3 ended up being too long, so I took away the first half and turned it into this short story. Of course, this means there might be some overlap with the original, but this chapter focuses more on how retainers prepare for their returns home and the relationship Philine has with her attendant Isberga.

“Such introductions would normally be done by one’s lord or lady... but as ours happens to be in such a state, I shall act in her place.”

Rihyarda shot a brief, worried glance at the bedridden Lady Rozemyne before moving to introduce us to the adult retainers who had stayed behind in the castle. Upon our return from the Royal Academy, Lord Bonifatius had thrown Lady Rozemyne into the air and made her so dizzy that she was now having to rest.

“These two are Lady Rozemyne’s retainers from the castle,” Rihyarda continued. “I imagine many of you already recognize her attendant Ottilie, since she is Hartmut’s mother. The other is Lady Rozemyne’s guard knight, Damuel. He is a laynoble, but he has served her since she was in the temple and is very trustworthy. Those lined up against the wall over there are newly assigned to be milady’s retainers at the Royal Academy. First is the apprentice attendant...”

I knew Damuel well. In the two years that Lady Rozemyne had spent asleep, he had served as our go-between with Lord Ferdinand and overseen the books being lent out in the playroom. I’d also helped him with his work, and we’d spoken often enough that I considered us to be on good terms.

“Philine, congratulations on getting chosen,” he said. “I know how hard it is being a laynoble in this position, so you can always come to me if there’s something on your mind that you feel you can’t discuss with anyone else.”

“Thank you,” I replied. “I certainly will when that time comes.”

Damuel knew that I’d been gathering stories for Lady Rozemyne’s sake, and seeing his gentle smile and kind gray eyes made a pleasant warmth spread through my chest. At that moment, I decided to work just as hard as he did. We were now fellow retainers, after all.

“You’re always welcome to come to me too,” Ottilie added. “Send word as soon as Hartmut tries to make any unreasonable requests of you.” She was wearing a kind smile too, and I noticed then that her eyes were just as orange as her son’s. My worries about being treated harshly because of my status faded right away.

“Hartmut is always a very considerate teacher,” I said. “It is because of him that I can proudly say I am Lady Rozemyne’s retainer at the Royal Academy.”

“That is nice to hear, but I mean it—you should tell me when he goes too far.”

It seemed that even a focused and accomplished student like Hartmut had to deal with worried parents. The motherly concern on Ottilie’s face and in her voice made me think of my own mother, who was no longer with us.

If she were still alive, would she have worried about me in the same way?

I was a little envious of Hartmut... but, more than that, being reminded of my mother again after so long filled me with a tender wistfulness.

Once we had all been introduced and given an overview of our duties in the castle, we apprentices were permitted to leave a bit earlier than usual. This was because we had just come back from the Royal Academy.

“Lady Rozemyne’s adult retainers will accompany her for dinner,” Rihyarda said. “Everyone else, you may return home and spend the rest of the day at your leisure.”

“If you will excuse us, then.”

We passed through the retainer room and into the corridor; as retainers, we had to go through the retainer room whenever we entered or exited Lady Rozemyne’s chambers. We then made our way down the hallway connecting the northern and the main buildings. It was strange to actually be somewhere that was exclusive to the archduke’s children and their retainers.

“Here’s some advice for when it’s time to come back to the castle tomorrow,” Cornelius said, imparting to us some of the wisdom he’d acquired over several years as a guard knight. “Those who commute to the castle should arrive after second bell. We use the retainer entrance, which is on the first floor of the main building—on the north side. If you’ll come with me...”

We went through the retainer entrance and into the main building. Once inside, Cornelius called out for Norbert, the archduke’s head attendant and the man in charge of the archducal family’s retainers. “These are Lady Rozemyne’s new retainers,” he said. “They will be using this door starting tomorrow.”

“Yes, I received word from Rihyarda,” Norbert replied. “We have finished our own preparations.” He then looked at each of us in turn and said, “If the archducal family is to use a carriage, an attendant here will make the necessary arrangements. If any of you intend to use one, have your attendants put forth the request.”

Norbert was only involved with the comings and goings of the archducal family; the castle attendants dealt with everything else. He listed off more instructions and then guided us to another room.

“Your attendants prepared carriages for the trip home and are waiting for you here,” Norbert continued—and as he said, out came our attendants who had accompanied us to the castle. Each would guide us to a carriage emblazoned with the crest of our respective house.

Naturally, we were going to make our way out in order of status, which meant I would be last to leave.

“If you will excuse me. Let us meet tomorrow as the Goddess of Light rises.”

“Indeed. Cornelius, Brunhilde, Hartmut, Leonore—as the Goddess of Light rises.”

The four archnobles and then the mednobles Lieseleta and Judithe climbed into their luggage-filled carriages. Lieseleta was returning home alone today because her older sister Angelica was due to guard Lady Rozemyne through dinner.

“Here you are, Lady Philine,” said my attendant Isberga once the others were all gone. We climbed into the carriage together.

Isberga was the older cousin of my late mother. She had ended up with some time on her hands after her own child came of age last year, so she had accompanied me to the Royal Academy. Nobody had been happier for me when I first learned that I was becoming Lady Rozemyne’s retainer.

Once we were seated, Isberga signaled the driver, and our luggage-packed carriage slowly began moving forward.

“I am so relieved to have finished the year without making any major mistakes or getting seriously scolded,” Isberga said.

Adapting to my sudden assignment as a retainer had been hard on the both of us—especially in terms of money. But rooming with Judithe instead of renting on my own helped a bit, and Rihyarda had paid me some of my salary in advance when I’d spoken with her about my situation. I’d also managed to build up some savings by gathering intelligence and stories alongside Hartmut, so I was safe for now.

“You should be proud, Lady Philine,” Isberga assured me. “It is a remarkable achievement for a laynoble to be selected to serve as an archducal retainer. I am proud of you as well. It was such a relief to see that Lady Rozemyne is kind to those who serve her and that your coworkers are all so welcoming rather than being the type to ostracize those below them in status. I intend to accompany you to the Royal Academy next year as well, so do put in a good word for my family.”

Isberga had only reluctantly accepted when I asked her to serve as my attendant earlier this winter, but now she was promising to stick with me next year as well. She was likely acting with her own interests at heart, but this benefited me anyway. My family had been getting increasingly distant since Mother’s death—but if they came back in force, Konrad and I would have some protection at home, where we had been facing more and more exclusion.

“Lady Jonsara has been treating us so maliciously since her own child was born,” I said. “It feels like she turned into someone else entirely, and with how much control Father gives her, I can’t help but worry about Konrad.”

I wouldn’t have been so concerned if my father would properly stop Lady Jonsara, but he always gave her full control over matters of the house and tended to ignore our opinions.

“After giving birth, a mother tends to prioritize her child above all else,” Isberga explained. “Lady Jonsara may be more at ease when her son’s position becomes more stable, but as the wife of a widower, she is naturally faced with many hardships. She acts out of a desperate impulse to protect her child, so it cannot be helped.”

I couldn’t see Lady Jonsara’s new personality as anything but abrupt and unfair, but Isberga said there was nothing that could be done about it. Apparently, I would understand when I had a child of my own, though I didn’t want to understand something that could make a person turn so cruel.

“Still,” Isberga continued, “I predicted that this would happen and warned Lord Kashick again and again not to have a child with her. I wonder what drove him to impregnate a secondary wife nonetheless.”

“He could have at least waited until Konrad enrolled at the Royal Academy so I would not need to worry like this...”

My mother had passed away only a season or so after Konrad was born. According to what others told me, Father had thus been faced with two options: hire a long-term live-in maid to nurse him or take another wife. He chose the latter. It was the most economical choice, as I understood it.

“At the time, Lady Jonsara also happened to be struggling with the death of a family member,” Isberga said. “Given the trying circumstances, nobody would have criticized your father for taking her as a wife and using her Aunt Eineira’s services as an attendant—that is, assuming he had intended to use this help to support his own children.” She sighed. “Instead, he impregnated his secondary wife and abandoned both you and Konrad. His actions have been exceedingly foolish, and in truth, Lady Jonsara is shockingly ungrateful.”

Hearing her complaining actually made me feel a little relieved. It was nice to know that someone else was angry with Father and Lady Jonsara.

“I said all that to Father, but he gave me a harsh scolding and said that I wasn’t being considerate enough of Lady Jonsara’s child-rearing. However, I simply refuse his criticisms.”

“Oh my...”

“Mother put Konrad in my care before she passed away, but my dear brother’s situation really isn’t good for him.”

Lady Jonsara was always so busy with her baby that she would neglect to feed us. She shrieked in outrage over the smallest trouble, and she was always quick to raise her hand to us in the name of “discipline.” Just thinking about her soured my mood. And if she was going to forget our basic needs, then the least she could do was not complain when I instructed the servants to prepare food on her behalf. If she was going to be all prideful about that duty belonging to “the woman of the house,” then she should actually carry it out.

“I should like to have Lady Jonsara moved to a side building,” I announced. “What do you think of that, Isberga?”

Normally, second wives were given side buildings in which to live, so as to avoid any disputes with the first wife and her children. Feuds and discord were nigh inevitable otherwise. Unfortunately, Lady Jonsara was not a normal second wife: she had been brought into the family to raise Konrad and me, so she had always lived in the main estate. That fact remained even now that she had given birth to her own child.

I didn’t intend to push for a divorce or force Lady Jonsara to leave; I was well aware that she and her baby wouldn’t fare well on their own. But if she was going to abandon Konrad entirely, I wanted her and Eineira to move into a side building.

“Now that I am Lady Rozemyne’s retainer, my salary is higher than that of a normal apprentice. Konrad is also old enough not to require much extra care with meals and the like, so as long as I’m careful with my savings, I should be able to hire servants for him.”

I was bringing this up now in hope that Isberga would give me her support when I broached the idea to Father, but after some thought, she shook her head. “I understand how you feel all too well, but I do not believe that is possible right now. We still do not know how much it will cost to prepare all you will need to live as a retainer of the archducal family. Do you believe Lord Kashick would choose to spend on both preparing a side building and supporting your new lifestyle? If he had such funds at his disposal, he would have hired a maid to begin with instead of remarrying.”

Her calm, accurate analysis made me hang my head. I’d assumed that, because I now had an income and was soon to learn a new mana compression method, I would be able to protect Konrad without hurting our family’s finances. But as it turned out, no matter how hard I worked, I simply didn’t have enough power yet.

“It is nothing to feel down about,” Isberga said consolingly. “Lord Kashick married into your family. He is not the head of your house, meaning the estate will instead be passed down to you and Konrad. Not to mention, as you have been chosen as Lady Rozemyne’s retainer, they will not be able to treat you poorly. You will be of age by the time Konrad enters the Royal Academy, at which point you can use your status as someone serving the archducal family to give him the backing he’ll require. You need only be patient.”

I nodded. Assuming that Father and Lady Jonsara respected our positions more now that I was Lady Rozemyne’s retainer, the abuse we were so used to would surely come to an end.

I was correct to offer my loyalty to Lady Rozemyne.

Whether it was by telling me to write down Mother’s stories so I wouldn’t forget them or choosing me as her retainer, Lady Rozemyne was always saving me. I was resolved to serve her as faithfully and as diligently as I could—and, at that thought, our carriage rolled into my estate.

“Welcome back, Lady Philine,” said Eineira once we were inside. She and a male servant were the only ones here to greet us.

“Oh my...” Isberga remarked, her brow furrowed. “I sent word of our coming well in advance, so where is Lady Jonsara?”

Eineira turned around to look down the hall, then quietly replied, “My sincerest apologies, but she is answering the call of Wiegenmilch.” That was what she said whenever Lady Jonsara was too preoccupied with her baby to do anything else.

Incidentally, according to Lady Rozemyne’s picture-book bibles, Wiegenmilch was a goddess who raised and protected children before their baptism.

“I see,” Isberga said. “I wished to greet her, but there is no helping that. Have the servant bring in the luggage. I will ride the carriage back later. Oh, and I wish to see Konrad again; it has been far too long. Call for him.”

Eineira looked troubled by this request. “But he has not yet been baptized.”

“That is not a problem; I am related to him through his late mother. I wish to see his face.”

Realizing that Isberga wasn’t going to budge, Eineira looked to me for help—but I certainly wasn’t going to interfere. It would greatly benefit Konrad and me to have Isberga in our corner, and getting her to meet my brother now would assist him considerably in the future.

“If you are busy, Eineira, then I will call for him myself.”

“Oh, no. Allow me. My apologies, Lady Philine, but could you serve Lady Isberga some tea...?”

“I can,” I replied.

I took Isberga to the guest parlor and did my very best to politely serve her a drink. She sipped from her cup and then grimaced a little; evidently, the tea wasn’t very nice.

“My apologies that I must serve our drinks,” I said. “Eineira is our estate’s only attendant.”

“That certainly seems inconvenient,” she replied, wiping her mouth. “To my knowledge, attendants trained in the temple can be purchased rather cheaply. They cannot use magic tools, but they should be well suited to a laynoble estate. Lady Rozemyne might accommodate the idea if you ask her.”

Indeed, maybe it would be wise to consult her when I properly started earning my salary. If possible, I wanted new attendants to care for Konrad and me, at the very least.

“I have brought Lord Konrad,” Eineira finally announced, slowly leading him into the room by the hand.

“Welcome home, Sister,” he said. “I’m glad you’re back.”

He looked thinner than I remembered, but I closed my mouth before I could say anything. Though I was concerned, I couldn’t bring myself to interrupt him while he was doing his best to repeat the greeting Eineira had apparently taught him. Plus, it would be rude to interrogate Eineira in front of Isberga.

“That greeting was excellent, Konrad,” Isberga said. “But you seem quite a bit skinnier than before. Have you not been eating enough?” She hadn’t so much as hesitated to voice what was on both of our minds.

Eineira gave another troubled smile. “Lord Konrad has always been a light eater. His appetite seems to have shrunk even more in your absence, Lady Philine, so we decreased his portions accordingly. I am sure he will start eating more now that you can have meals together again.”

Konrad bobbed his head and added, “I want to eat with you, Sister.” I was so glad to hear that he’d been looking forward to my return.

“I want to eat with you too,” I replied. “Let us start having breakfast and dinner together.”

“But... what about lunch...?” he asked, confused. “Won’t we always be together now?”

An indescribable feeling of guilt arose within me. “Sorry, Konrad. From tomorrow onward, I’ll be working in the castle like Father. I need to go there until sixth bell each day. Remember how I went to the playroom last year? It’s—”

“No! Don’t go again!”

“That isn’t an option. This is an important job for me,” I said, surprised to see him on the verge of tears when Isberga was here with us. It pained me to see him like this, but I couldn’t have lied to him and said we would be together all day every day.

“Lord Konrad, you mustn’t trouble Lady Philine,” Eineira admonished, squeezing his shoulder. “You promised to be a good boy, didn’t you? And we have a visitor.”

Konrad looked up with a start, then hung his head. “Sorry for being so jealous...”

“Oh, I do not mind,” Isberga replied with a kind smile. “You just love your sister, that’s all.”

It was then that the servant from earlier returned. It appeared that all of our luggage had been brought inside, which meant it was time to bid Isberga farewell.

“I thank you ever so much,” I said to her. “It is because of you that I was able to lead such a comfortable life in the Royal Academy. I hereby conclude your service contract.”

“The greatest reward I could have received was being able to witness your growth with my own eyes. I shall await your call next year as well. Now, if you will excuse me...”

Eineira, Konrad, and I watched as Isberga returned to the carriage. It started rolling along once again... and, the moment it turned a corner, Eineira’s attendant-like smile gave way to a very fierce glare.

“You are very late returning home, Lady Philine. Sixth bell rang long ago. To think you would have us waste even more money on a servant than was necessary...”

“I don’t want to hear any such complaints from you,” I shot back. “The order in which we return home is dictated by status. More importantly... Konrad, let us eat di—”

“You were so late returning that Lord Konrad has already eaten. Now, I must go bathe him. Use this time to eat on your own.” At once, she started tugging Konrad away by the arm. If she was bathing him, then she had probably been looking after him all this time.

“I thank you ever so much, Eineira. I trust you will bathe Konrad properly. Before then, however, I would ask that you help me get changed.”

The Royal Academy’s black uniforms were designed to be put on with the help of one’s attendants. In other words, I couldn’t take mine off alone.

Eineira frowned at my request. “Lord Konrad, off to your room.”

My brother gave me an imploring look. He had no doubt been lonely while I was gone, but he had to go; I didn’t want him hanging around while I was getting changed. I hugged him close and said good night.

“Konrad, may you have Schlaftraum’s blessing and a pleasant rest. We will eat breakfast together in the morning.”

“Yes, Sister.”

After giving me an overjoyed smile, Konrad headed off to his room. I was relieved by his obedience as I went to my own room with Eineira.

The servant had piled my luggage wherever was convenient, so my room seemed smaller than usual. As I gazed at some of the wooden boxes out of the corner of my eye, I opened my closet, inside of which were commoner clothes one could put on and remove without assistance. They were everyday outfits I would never wear in the Royal Academy.

“Lady Jonsara seems to be busy at the moment,” I remarked. “Has dinner been prepared?”

“Indeed. I must check up on her and cannot serve you your meal, but your food is ready.”

“I see. Tomorrow, I need to go to the castle at second bell. I will ask you to help me change again after breakfast.”

Eineira helped me out of my Royal Academy clothes, her lips pursed in displeasure all the while. As soon as she was done, she practically stormed out of my room.

I’m just glad she’s actually helping Konrad bathe.

I put on my commoner clothes by myself, served my own dinner in the dining hall, and then ate on my own. The food was so plain and the atmosphere so lonely; I remembered the delicious meals and the lively conversations I’d shared with Lady Rozemyne and her retainers at the Royal Academy, and immediately I wanted to return there.

After my dinner, I went back to my room. I could hear the crying of a baby coming from somewhere else in the building. Much like Lady Jonsara herself, Eineira had been dedicating almost all of her time to the child since he was born. She only ever did things for Lady Jonsara and my father, so I doubted she would help me put away my things or prepare my bed for me.

How long is it going to be before I can sleep?

I looked around at my room, which had seemingly been neglected the entire time I was away, and sighed. I would need to clean up, change my sheets, and prepare for work tomorrow before I could get any rest.

Girls from other families were probably welcomed back by their mothers when they returned home from the Royal Academy. Even if their mothers had passed away, I assumed they at least had an attendant preparing their room for them. It really made me wonder how many other nobles changed into commoner clothes immediately upon returning home and weren’t able to sleep until they sorted out their own living space. It was so pathetic that I wanted to cry, but I knew painfully well that getting emotional wouldn’t achieve anything.

So, after taking a few deep breaths to calm down, I rolled up my sleeves and went to fetch some cleaning equipment.