While touring the workshop, I noticed that the children who had given me picture books were counting sheets of paper, and those with free hands were issuing instructions for the next task.
"Why are those two children giving orders?"
"One is an Attendant, and the other is a merchant apprentice, but both are trusted confidants that
"It's the fifth bell. Let's return to the room. Everyone, fine work. Keep it up."
"Thank you very much."
At Ferdinand's words, everyone in the workshop wore proud smiles and knelt on the spot.
Clutching my picture book, I returned to the High Priest's room. Normally, after the fifth bell, my afternoon studies would be over and I'd have free time. I assumed today would be the same once I got back, but
"What's this?"
"These are the blessing words you must memorize before attending the Autumn Harvest Festival. The various notes of caution won't be necessary for Lord
"...Could it be that Rozemyne has memorized all of these?"
"Of course. Lady Rozemyne is the High Priest."
Fran nodded with a completely unmoved expression, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Once a poor reputation spreads among the nobility, it tends to follow you for a very long time, as I'm sure you're aware. Lady Rozemyne, as the Lord's adopted daughter, cannot afford to make mistakes. She must memorize new blessing words at every ritual throughout the year, so it's quite demanding, but she has been working extremely hard."
Fran counted off on his fingers the number of rituals where the High Priest performs blessings. He said that since Rozemyne became High Priest in the middle of summer, she had only experienced one season so far.
Even so, she had already handled the Star Binding Ceremony, the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, and the
"I can't do it. I can't read them."
Looking at the wooden tablets inscribed with blessing words, I shook my head. Rozemyne might need to memorize these, but they weren't things I needed to learn.
When I returned the wooden tablets to Fran, he smoothly took them and held them out to Lamprecht.
"Then, Lord Lamprecht, please read them aloud so that Lord Wilfried can repeat them and memorize the words. Once you've memorized them, we'll serve dinner."
"What!?"
"If you take it seriously, you can certainly memorize them. ...Chief Priest, let me prepare you some tea. You must be tired."
With that, Fran promptly headed toward the kitchen. Angry that Fran wouldn't even listen to my protests, I shouted at his retreating back.
"I don't want to! I'm not memorizing this!"
I stomped my foot and yelled, and Fran turned back with a slightly troubled look. Just as I was about to thoroughly shut him down, Ferdinand let out an exaggeratedly loud sigh.
"Hah... Fran, it seems Lord Wilfried doesn't need dinner. If he hasn't memorized them by the sixth bell, go ahead and serve dinner without him. We'll run out of time to distribute blessings."
"Understood."
...Ferdinand, you meddler!
I ground my back teeth and glared, but Ferdinand merely returned me with a cold, half-lidded gaze, not remotely intimidated.
...That's exactly why I hate stewards!
I mentally screamed the words my grandmother used to say often, which gave me a tiny bit of satisfaction.
Either way, there was no way they'd actually skip my dinner over some blessing words. Even when I hadn't learned my letters or skipped study time, I'd never been treated so harshly. All I had to do was wait until Ferdinand left.
The sixth bell rang. Ferdinand left for dinner.
I glanced over at Fran, who had been seeing Ferdinand off, and saw him start moving the moment Ferdinand was out the door.
...Just as I thought. I'm clearly more important than Ferdinand's words.
I snorted and waited for the meal preparations to finish. Lamprecht also seemed to be looking forward to the food, saying, "The meals here are better than the knights' dormitory."
"I've kept you waiting, Lord Lamprecht. Dinner is ready. Lady
"Aah, dining with Damuel is fine, but..."
Lamprecht's eyes darted anxiously between me and Fran.
"Lady Brigitte will be looking after Lord Wilfried in your stead, so there's no need to worry. Since it would be unfortunate for Lord Wilfried to go without eating, we've prepared a meal in the guard's separate room."
I was struck by an indescribable shock at Lamprecht's gaze and Fran's words. Fran truly intended to deny me my meal, just as Ferdinand had said.
"Fran, you—do you really think you can get away with this!?"
"I did tell you that dinner would be served only after you've memorized the blessing words, did I not? Lady Rozemyne has given me the same order."
Fran said this with a completely calm expression. If he were a castle Attendant, he'd be pale-faced and obeying me, but Fran refused to listen to a single word I said.
"Who do you think is more important—me or Ferdinand!?"
"Ferdinand-sama, obviously."
"Guh!? I am the Lord's rightful son! Don't lump me together with the steward!"
In the castle, I was told I was more important than Ferdinand the steward. I couldn't believe he didn't even know that, I thought as I shouted.
I thought he'd finally understood this time, but Fran merely narrowed his eyes slightly and still wouldn't budge.
"No, at present, you are the High Priest standing in for Lady Rozemyne. Not as the Lord's son, but treated in the same capacity as Lady Rozemyne—I have received strict orders from Lady Rozemyne never to coddle you as the Lord's son."
"Coddle... me?"
I was taken aback by the unexpected word. Words Rozemyne had said at lunch flashed through my mind. "I'm not being coddled or anything." "Then there shouldn't be any problem if my Attendant doesn't coddle you either." "Of course not." That was what I'd said.
"...Is asking to eat my way of acting spoiled?"
"Trying to escape from assigned tasks and punishment by throwing around your status as the Lord's son—that is acting spoiled. If such behavior normally worked, then you must have been thoroughly spoiled all this while, unlike Lady Rozemyne."
Fran said this bluntly, then turned back to Lamprecht.
"Please go ahead and eat. The food from here needs to be delivered to the orphanage, so it would be problematic if dinner runs too late."
"But I..."
"Perhaps you should leave Lord Wilfried in someone else's care for now. With you present—which is Lord Wilfried's everyday normal—he can't help but act spoiled."
Fran wore a gentle smile, but his air left no room for argument, and he led Lamprecht away to the separate room.
I was left behind in a space where I knew no one and sank into despair.
"Lord Wilfried, shall I read them for you? All the Attendants here are kind and devoted to their lady, but they're certainly not soft. It must be quite a surprise for you."
The female knight stood beside me, holding the wooden tablets. She was the one who had been appointed as a guard knight from Rozemyne's Baptism Ceremony, I believed. Someone like her would be able to teach me about the
"Are the Attendants here strict with Rozemyne too?"
"Yes. As the Lord's daughter and the High Priest, they approach her so that Lady Rozemyne doesn't make mistakes. When I first began serving, I also raised concerns with Fran that Lady Rozemyne's burden was too great. But I was told that was overstepping."
Brigitte held the wooden tablets and smiled bitterly. If even a guard knight felt compelled to speak up about the "heavy burden," then Rozemyne's life must truly be demanding.
"Will Rozemyne have to memorize even more than this?"
"Yes. In addition to these blessing words, there were wooden tablets on the table with summaries of ritual procedures, notes of caution, the targets for blessings, and even headcounts. ...On the day of the ceremony, she performed her role splendidly."
I was stunned by the difference between Rozemyne's situation and my own. I never truly believed I had been spoiled to such an extent.
"...Read them to me."
"Understood."
I had the female knight read the tablets aloud, repeated the words, and committed them to memory.
When Lamprecht returned from dinner, he stared at me with wide eyes.
"You worked very hard. That's impressive."
For the first time, Fran showed a smile as he set a portion of food on the table. By the time I had finally managed to memorize the blessing words, the seventh bell was about to ring.
It was a dinner for one, arriving late, yet steam was still rising from the dish. It seemed the cook had waited so that I could eat a warm meal.
...I see. So this is what "kind, but not soft" means.
As I ate the warm meal, I let out a quiet sigh.
I suddenly wanted to go home to the castle. I wanted to report to Father and Mother. I wanted to brag that I'd memorized the blessing words today, and have them praise me, saying, "Well done."
"...Eating alone feels a little lonely."
"Lady Rozemyne says the same thing."
"Oh. So Rozemyne eats alone here too?"
After finishing dinner, I took a bath and received reports from the Attendants about the day's work.
It was the first time I'd experienced anything like this. My Attendants were always either by my side or searching for me. There was never a time when they were off doing separate work somewhere I wasn't.
After the reports were done, it was finally time for bed. I was exhausted. I'd never been so tired before. I'd never known what it was like to be worn out from using my brain.
It was earlier than usual, but my consciousness sank away immediately.
"Lord Wilfried, it's morning."
With those words, the canopy was pulled open. Bright light flooded in, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
"I'm still sleepy."
"It's time to get up."
"Persistent, aren't you? I said I'm still sleeping!"
When I pulled the covers over my head and retreated inside, the blanket was forcibly ripped away. I opened my eyes to see who would be so rough, and found a face completely different from those I was accustomed to.
Fran, eyes narrowed slightly, forced me upright and dragged me off the bed.
"I told you it was time to get up. Get dressed and eat breakfast. Even so, I waited until the last possible moment."
Morning at the Temple came early. And being forcibly woken up by someone was also a first for me.
Fran dressed me and set out breakfast. Since it was normally still sleeping hours, I ate in a slightly dazed state.
"After breakfast, it's time to practice the fehspear."
Rozemyne's musician said this and brought over a fehspear. Seeing what was probably the child-sized fehspear Rozemyne used, I scowled.
"I'm bad at the fehspear. I don't like it."
"Then you need to practice even more, or you'll never improve. Music is a refinement of the nobility."
"I know that much."
I knew instruments were a noble's refinement. But
When I said this, the musician tilted their head.
"I've had the opportunity to see Lord Karstedt at the Prayer Ceremony, but he's not unskilled with the fehspear simply because the flute is more his forte, is he? Learning scales, songs, and pieces on the fehspear is fundamental, and on top of that, you find the instrument that suits you. The existence of other instruments is not an excuse to skip fehspear practice."
"W-What?"
Neither Karstedt nor my music teacher had told me anything like that.
"Besides, Lord Wilfried, you've completed your Baptism Ceremony, haven't you? Just like Lady Rozemyne, you'll have your debut this winter, correct?"
"What about it?"
"I heard from the Chief Priest that there will be a performance event for the children. If you don't practice the fehspear, everyone around you will be able to play while only you can't. Wouldn't that be humiliating?"
The musician's words about being the only one unable to play reminded me of the previous day's karuta game, when I was the only one who couldn't read the letters.
Just imagining that scene repeating itself in front of the other nobles made me feel pathetic and frustrated, my face and head burning with shame.
"Does Rozemyne practice every day?"
"There are days when her schedule doesn't permit it, but whenever she's at the Temple, she never skips practice. If she doesn't practice, her fingers lose their dexterity quickly."
With that, the musician brought out sheet music.
"You won't improve overnight. Daily practice is what matters. By winter, please practice until you can play just one piece. Don't worry about the rest—just one piece is fine."
...If it's just one piece by winter, I might be able to manage.
That day's training was supposed to be fehspear practice, but I never once touched the fehspear. Instead, I was made to sing scales until I had them memorized.
When the third bell rang and practice ended, the musician praised me with a bright smile.
"Excellent work. When you return to the castle, practice moving your fingers along to those scales. The fact that you memorized them in such a short time shows you have a good memory, Lord Wilfried."
I was unused to being praised, so it tickled me terribly. They encouraged me, saying, "Once you can play this piece, it will be more than sufficient for your first debut after the Baptism Ceremony."
If I were at the castle, my morning tutor would be arriving next. But there were no tutors here. I let out a sigh of relief, thinking I'd finally get some free time, when Fran arrived carrying all manner of things.
"It's time to assist the Chief Priest."
"...Huh?"
"Most of the High Priest's duties outside of ritual blessings are handled by the Chief Priest. That's why Lady Rozemyne helps with administrative work, to lighten the load even a little. Now, Lord Lamprecht, please hurry as well."
Urged on by Fran, Lamprecht and I were escorted to Ferdinand's room.
Ferdinand's room was full of Attendants, all apparently busy with their own tasks. If I was going to work alongside everyone here, it would feel like joining the adults, and I'd probably feel a little proud.
Eager to work just like the children I'd seen in the workshop the day before, I strode into the room—only for Ferdinand to raise his eyes and look at us.
"Ah, you're here. Wilfried, sit over there and practice your characters. I've prepared examples, so use the slate to practice writing. Lamprecht, you're on calculations."
Ferdinand pointed at the table, and the surrounding Attendants carried slates, paper, and wooden tablets, piling them up in front of Lamprecht and me. In the blink of an eye, the table was covered with wooden tablets, ink, and a Calculator.
"Character copying!? I thought I was supposed to help with work!"
"You fool. What help could someone who can't read or write a single character possibly provide?"
Without lifting his eyes from the documents, Ferdinand said this.
"Rozemyne..."
"Before I even started teaching her, she could already write at least the entire basic alphabet. She learned vocabulary quickly once I taught her, and when I let her into the Library, she dove into the Holy Book with delight—so I barely had to teach her letters at all."
It turned out Rozemyne could write without being taught by Ferdinand. What on earth was my sister?
"Furthermore, Rozemyne deals with merchants at the workshop, so she's good at calculations. What I've piled up in front of Lamprecht is the work Rozemyne normally handles. You said you'd take her place, so do it properly."
Lamprecht's eyes were wide as he stared at the wooden tablets piled before him. He was the one who'd told me, regarding my studies, "I understand you don't want to do it, but you must." He was definitely bad at calculations.
"I thought I'd be doing work, but instead it's character practice? How am I supposed to do this? I don't even know how."
I jumped off the chair, ready to flee as usual—but Ferdinand pulled out a Staf and chanted something in a rapid murmur.
"Ferdinand-sama!? What are you doing!?"
Overriding Lamprecht's panicked voice, a ribbon of light shot from the Staf and coiled around me. Wrapped in an unbreakable band of Magic Power, I couldn't move a muscle and tumbled gracelessly to the floor.
Ferdinand strode over, hoisted me up like luggage, and dropped me unceremoniously onto the chair.
"You won't get away even if you try. You're the one who said you'd swap places for a day. Take some responsibility for your own words."
Bound to the chair by the band of Magic Power, and then tied down with actual rope, the ribbon of light finally dissolved.
I was dumbfounded by the barbaric, rude treatment. I had no idea why anyone would be allowed to do this to me.
"Lamprecht, get on with your calculations. Stop spacing out. You're wasting time."
Seeing Lamprecht straighten his back and begin working, I knew all too well that Ferdinand couldn't be beaten. With no other choice, I picked up the stone stylus.
The scratching of pens, the clacking of Calculators, and the occasional quiet request for Ferdinand's approval or submission of finished work—it was a tense, suffocating space. I could hardly breathe.
I tried practicing my characters for a while, but my hand grew tired, so I set down the stone stylus.
Noticing this, Ferdinand stood and looked down at my slate.
"...Is this all?"
"For Lord Wilfried, this is quite the effort, Ferdinand-sama."
That was right. This was far more than I ever put in normally. Lamprecht, say more!
As I silently cheered Lamprecht on, Ferdinand turned his cold gaze from me to Lamprecht.
"You fool. It's because you all coddle him like this that he grows up to be such a lazy imbecile."
Lamprecht swallowed hard and his eyes went wide. Then, as if trying to protest, he opened and closed his mouth several times before biting down hard on his back teeth.
Looking down at Lamprecht, Ferdinand snorted and directed his frigid golden eyes at me.
"Wilfried, at the castle, no one else would tell you this, so I'll teach you the truth. You are a foolish, selfish child with no sense of duty, no resolve, and no effort as a Lord's son—you merely carry the blood of the Lord."
Even I had some sense of duty as a Lord's son! And no one except Ferdinand ever called me a "foolish, selfish child." Ferdinand was the one who was wrong!
"Ferdinand, you're being insolent!"
"Insolent? I'm stating facts. You've completed your Baptism Ceremony, yet you can't read, can't write, can't calculate, and you wave your status as the Lord's son around to run from everything. You're a useless incompetent who can't even be trusted to help with the Lord's work—stop acting spoiled!"
Growling through clenched teeth, I glared up at Ferdinand. I wanted to shout back that none of that was true, but I couldn't find the words.
"Ferdinand-sama, that's enough..."
"Lamprecht, what are you dawdling for? If this were Rozemyne, she would have finished by now. You're slow. The two of you together are utterly useless."
Ferdinand dismissed Lamprecht with those words, then looked straight at me.
"Wilfried, your father, having suffered through the heir problem himself, wants to name you heir if your Magic Power is sufficient.
"That's too much to say to a child."
"Even so, you've already completed your Baptism Ceremony. And you're not just any child—you're the Lord's son. In principle, you, not the adopted daughter Rozemyne, should be the one with the awareness and the sense of responsibility."
It was too true.
Being here, I couldn't help but see Rozemyne's excellence and daily efforts. The Attendants were united in giving her countless assignments, so that she would never disgrace her role as High Priest and the Lord's daughter.
Compared to that, what had I been doing all this time?
"Ferdinand-sama, while what you say is true..."
The moment Lamprecht spoke, Ferdinand directed a sharp, hard gaze at him. Ferdinand's eyes seemed far more furious than when he'd been looking down at me.
Lamprecht sucked in a breath and froze as though bound in place by that gaze, trembling slightly. When Ferdinand leaned forward, drawing closer to Lamprecht, the knight let out a small, pained groan.
"It's not only Wilfried who's a useless incompetent who won't put in the effort. You are too. If you truly care for your lord, then bind him to a chair if you have to and make him learn, Lamprecht."
My eyes went wide at what I was hearing, and in the next instant, Ferdinand gave me just a brief glance.
"Rozemyne is special in many ways, so she's not a fair comparison, and I'm not asking you to achieve the same results, Wilfried. But if you're going to call yourself the Lord's son, then you should put in at least as much effort as Rozemyne to earn the recognition of those around you. Isn't that right?"
"...That's correct."
Lamprecht forced the words out through his pain. It was as if Ferdinand had cast some sort of curse on him, but Ferdinand wasn't even holding his Staf. Not knowing what Ferdinand was doing to Lamprecht, I could only feel an indescribable fear building in my chest.
"I received a report from Fran that last night, Wilfried managed to memorize the blessing words and complete the task of memorizing the fehspear piece. I've revised my assessment—I don't think you were born foolish. You can do it when you try, and you're not incapable of effort. Then the ones who are coddling you and raising a fool of their lord are those around you. Recognize your responsibility!"
Ferdinand exhaled softly and lowered his eyes, and the moment he did, Lamprecht collapsed forward onto the table.
"Lamprecht! Ferdinand, what did you do..."
"Wilfried."
Ferdinand cut off my words and called my name in a voice heavy with weight. It might seem strange to say a voice had weight, but it truly was a crushing, heavy sound that pressed down on my shoulders and stomach.
And then, looking into those cold, dark golden eyes that held not a shred of warmth for me—the cruel eyes I had never seen directed at anyone before—I swallowed hard. Without realizing it, my teeth began to chatter in small, sharp clicks.
"I have zero interest in serving as a master to someone like you who puts in no effort and knows neither hardship nor struggle. If the current you takes the position of Lord, then I will raise your younger siblings and crush you with everything I have."
Father and Grandmother had said I was the heir, so I'd believed it was an absolute certainty. I'd never even considered that someone might oppose those words. Being slammed with the reality that my position wasn't absolute made me want to cry.
"The one who becomes Lord is, in principle, the child of the legal wife with the most Magic Power. Remember that."
As I swallowed hard, the fourth bell began to ring.
It was the end of the promised day of swapping roles.
Having been thoroughly threatened by the Chief Priest, Lord Wilfried's day as High Priest came to an end.
But the one who probably carried away the biggest trauma was Lord Lamprecht.
Next time, what was Rozemyne doing around that time... a different story.