The gathering of summer materials was finally complete, and things had finally calmed down.
After finishing breakfast and discussing the day's plans with
"It would be nice if Campher or Frithak could learn to take over for the Chief Priest sooner rather than later."
When I let out a sigh,
"Lady
"...You're right. I suppose I'd be at a loss too if I were told to take his place."
Even if no single person could replace the Chief Priest, we needed to train the temple staff so that if the work was divided among several people, things could keep running. After all, now that the Chief Priest had returned to secular life, the number of times he'd need to leave the temple would only increase.
When the third bell rang and I finished my Feyscale practice, I headed to help the Chief Priest, but he called me over with a very stern expression.
"Rozemyne."
"Yes?"
When I tilted my head, the Chief Priest moved his chin to indicate the sermon room. I didn't think I'd done anything to deserve a scolding, but from that stare and the wordless chin-jerk, I could see nothing but cold anger.
I unconditionally wanted to blurt out, "I'm sorry for whatever I did." If anything, I wanted to run away. I looked up at Fran with a stiff, creaking movement, silently pleading for help, but he slowly shook his head in refusal.
...Someone, please help me.
As everyone quietly averted their gazes from me, I tearfully entered the sermon room. The moment we sat facing each other, the Chief Priest glared at me with his golden eyes, and I straightened up with a sharp intake of breath.
"I haven't heard about this, but at the end of summer,
"...Huh? I don't think I reported that?"
"I haven't heard. This is important."
"My apologies."
I relayed to the Chief Priest what had been discussed in my adoptive father's office when the lord and his wife returned. The former High Priest's death had already been reported to the
As I spoke, the Chief Priest's already troubled expression grew even more complicated.
"Wait. Why is she at the lord's conference?"
"What do you mean, why...? She married the lord of Ahrensbach, didn't she? Lady
Not understanding the Chief Priest's question, I tilted my head. He gently shook his.
"She married as a third wife. It would be unusual for her to accompany the first wife to the lord's conference. In fact, she shouldn't have been there last year. That's precisely why we were able to keep the entire matter regarding the former High Priest quiet during the conference."
Apparently, only the first wife was permitted to assist the lord and participate in politics. If she was on good terms with the first wife, she might serve as an assistant, but second wives and below were fundamentally barred from political affairs. It seemed this was to avoid the problem of too many cooks spoiling the broth.
"Oh, is that so..."
"You really don't understand, do you?"
"I do understand some things. Not everything."
I understood that the elder sister who had married into Ahrensbach had previously been in a position where she couldn't participate in the duchy's politics. And that by attending this year's lord's conference, she had clearly been elevated to the position of first wife.
"But even knowing that, I don't see how it changes the situation."
"That's what I'm saying you don't understand. The first wife's birth family has significant political influence — for better or worse. In recent years, Sylvester's other sister married into the duchy, and the influence from Frebeltau, where Florencia's family resides to the west, has been considerable. You know about that, surely?"
"They tried to force a small Holy Cup on us, after all."
Since her brother and sister were the ones involved, I'd heard that Ehrenfest's lord and lady were at a disadvantage compared to Frebeltau.
"But Frebeltau is still manageable."
Frebeltau had been caught up in a political upheaval, leaving its territory in a terrible state. Apparently, we had been providing some assistance, which had allowed us to build a somewhat favorable relationship.
"Ahrensbach is different. They are a major territory that successfully rode the wave of political upheaval. If their first wife is involved, we can expect increased interference from Ahrensbach going forward. The pressure they can exert won't be comparable to Frebeltau's."
The Chief Priest murmured this with eyes that seemed to gaze at future troubles. I understood the power dynamics between the surrounding territories to some extent, but I still couldn't see how that would affect Ehrenfest itself.
"What kind of person is my adoptive father's elder sister, exactly? I don't even know her name."
"Her name is
"I know. The letters the former High Priest kept described some of the circumstances."
"...I didn't ask about that."
When I confessed that "I thought they were love letters and wanted to leave them alone," the Chief Priest, whose temples had been twitching, dropped a bolt of lightning on me.
If they were love letters, I absolutely should not have hidden them, apparently.
"If the relationship is as deep as a romantic one, there are even more things that need to be investigated. Don't you dare conceal things on your own when dealing with criminals, you idiot! Do you want to become an accomplice!?"
"I'm sorry!"
I received a lengthy lecture about the danger of becoming an accomplice through concealment, and my shoulders slumped in dejection.
"Sigh, honestly... Sylvester's maternal grandmother was apparently the daughter of Ahrensbach's lord, and through that connection, Georgine married into the territory. ...To be honest, I don't know much about Georgine myself. She had already married by the time I entered the castle."
According to what my adoptive father had told me, she was the type who kept dredging up old grudges and making passive-aggressive barbs endlessly. I understood that she was someone he genuinely wanted to avoid conflict with, but I didn't know whether she only directed that attitude toward Sylvester, who had inherited the lord's seat, or toward everyone.
"I did see her once. She must have attended Father's... the previous lord's funeral. But I only saw her from a distance and never even exchanged greetings."
I blinked several times, confused. A neighboring territory's lord's wife — the daughter of the deceased — was coming to visit. This time, even I, the lord's adopted daughter, was being made to greet her, so surely the Chief Priest, who was Sylvester's half-brother, would have been expected to at least exchange greetings.
"Huh? Why not? At least a greeting..."
"I was despised by Sylvester's mother, and I entered the Temple shortly before the previous lord passed away. So I attended the funeral as a Temple official, not as a family member present at the venue. Naturally, she was not someone I would be expected to greet. That's all there was to it."
In his detached words, I pictured the Chief Priest at the funeral — not permitted to stand among the family, watching his father's departure from a distance as a mere Temple official — and my hand resting on my lap clenched tightly into a fist.
"So the Chief Priest... couldn't attend his own father's funeral as a family member?"
"That's right. Why?"
"'That's right'... isn't enough!"
When the Chief Priest raised one eyebrow as if to say "what about it," I couldn't help but shout.
"You call him 'Father' despite having a distant relationship with your family, so the previous lord must have been an important family member to you, right? Not being able to attend his funeral as a family member — you have every right to be angry and to cry, so why are you sitting there with that perfectly calm expression!?"
"...Even if I have the right to be angry, why are you the one who's angry? This has nothing to do with you."
The Chief Priest pressed his temples and muttered, "I can't comprehend you."
"Because it's sad and lonely, isn't it? ...When I imagined that someday I'd be in the same position, I thought even I would have the right to be angry and to cry..."
Even though I was family, in my current state of not truly being family, I would naturally never be invited to a family funeral. Worse, I might not even be told about it at all. I could be left completely in the dark, unable to even pray for their soul's repose.
"Calm yourself, Rozemyne. ...Please, don't cry right now. It won't look good."
"Is that really what you're concerned about right now!? Show me a little kindness — comfort me, or let me cry until I've gotten it out of my system, or something!"
When I stood up abruptly and demanded kindness, the Chief Priest said, "Honestly, you're such a handful," while pulling me toward him. He lifted me up and sat me on his own lap, then let out a small huff.
"Is this sufficient?"
Being told that with such a smug expression made me awkward. I didn't feel comforted at all.
"It's not. I can't see a single shred of kindness anywhere."
"Your tears seem to have stopped, so that's good enough."
My angry protest was brushed aside lightly, and I was immediately set down from his lap.
The instant that happened, along with a sigh, all the strength drained from my body with a soft whoosh. Feeling an indescribable sense of exhaustion, I settled back into the long chair.
"We've strayed too far off topic. In any case, according to Sylvester, she's a thoroughly troublesome person, so you must be on your guard."
"How should I be on my guard?"
"Never go anywhere alone. Always bring an attendant and guards. Try to stay at the temple whenever possible, except for banquets you're specifically told to attend. Since I don't know her personally either, I can't give you more precise advice."
He wouldn't accept any complaints about family matters, but he was meticulous when it came to warnings about noble politics. As I looked at this overprotective yet kindness-deficient Chief Priest, I let out another sigh.
...Now I understood why the Chief Priest's romantic relationships never lasted long.
And then, as summer drew to a close, Georgine arrived. I knew she had arrived when I saw carriages passing in front of the Temple, the noble gate opening wide, and a procession of vehicles filing into the Noble District.
After that, an ordinuns flew in from the castle to the Chief Priest's office, apparently bringing word that a welcome banquet for Georgine would be held. I was summoned by the Chief Priest and told to head to the castle to coincide with the feast.
"Now, now, my lady. Which outfit shall we select?"
The moment we arrived at the castle, preparations for the welcome banquet began. Though she was technically asking, Richarda's heart had clearly already been made up, as her gaze was fixed intently on a single outfit.
"Shouldn't you choose, Richarda? This is my first time welcoming someone from another territory to a banquet. I'm not sure what's appropriate, so please do choose for me."
"As you wish. Leave it to me."
Being the end of summer, a noble-colored outfit for summer was selected, paired with autumn-colored accessories. Instead of the usual extravagant hair ornament, a delicately embroidered veil was draped over her intricately styled hair.
"Women from Ahrensbach always wear a veil in formal settings. It was Sylvester's grandmother who first brought the veil custom to Ehrenfest after marrying from Ahrensbach. Back then, everyone imitated her, and wearing veils became quite the trend."
Richarda spoke nostalgically while pinning the veil in place with hairpins so it wouldn't fall from the elaborately arranged hair.
"What kind of person is Lady Georgine?"
"...She was quite the hard worker."
Richarda's voice sounded slightly subdued.
And so, the welcome banquet began.
Today's dishes featured nostalgic homeland cuisine alongside familiar Ahrensbach fare. Apparently, the recipes I had shared were sealed away. They didn't seem to be on particularly good terms, so I suspected my adoptive father might simply be hiding them.
The nobles gathered in the great hall wore, as Richarda had said, many Ahrensbach-style outfits. Most of the women wore veils, and the men had draped a large, thin cloth around their bodies over their shirts and trousers, rather than wearing cloaks.
After my adoptive father, the Chief Priest, and the rest of the lord's family made their entrance, the star of the day — Georgine — arrived.
She walked forward with the dignified grace of an unmistakably noble lady. The hair and eye color visible through her thin veil resembled Sylvester's, but her facial features were quite different. She was a beauty with sharp, well-defined features and deep-set, clear-cut eyes.
We stood side by side and greeted her — something Wilfried said he had struggled quite a bit to memorize, since until now he had only ever received greetings.
"On this blessed day illuminated by the radiant glory of the Fire God
Speaking in unison with Wilfried, we delivered the greeting. Georgine's red lips curled upward into a bright smile.
"I permit it."
We each placed a bit of Magic Power into our rings, completed the blessing, and rose to our feet. Georgine's gaze settled on Wilfried. Her green eyes slowly swept up and down as she examined him from head to toe.
"My, you really do look so much like Sylvester when he was young."
"I look like my father?"
Wilfried beamed happily, and Georgine smiled and nodded.
"Yes, very much so. You look very much like him."
Despite her warm smile and gentle voice, the hair on my skin inexplicably stood on end. I reflexively rubbed my wrist. Was I the only one who felt that strange sensation?
Looking around, the only person who appeared troubled was my adoptive father, who was wearing his usual mask-like expression devoid of all emotion. Everyone else — even the Chief Priest, of all people — was watching Georgine and Wilfried with fond smiles.
"Auntie, you look just like Grandmother. You're very beautiful."
Wilfried, completely oblivious to anything amiss, continued chatting with an innocent smile, but for just the briefest instant, I thought I saw Georgine's eyebrow twitch.
"Oh my, really? Your mother must have doted on you quite a bit then."
"Yes!"
The moment after, my adoptive mother stepped forward with a radiant smile, positioning herself between Georgine and Wilfried as if to shield him.
"Allow me to greet you as well, Lady Georgine."
With those words, my adoptive mother knelt. My adoptive father, his eyes slightly lowered, stood beside her, exchanged a single look with Georgine, and then slowly knelt as well.
Beneath the thin veil, I could see Georgine's lips form a deeply satisfied smile.
After the lord and his wife finished their greetings, Georgine beckoned me over, saying, "You must be the High Priestess who wrote to me?" My heart leaped, and I stepped forward with a start.
"Yes, that's me."
"It was very helpful of you to let me know."
Georgine smiled gently as she spoke. She was so refined, so elegant — honestly, she was a woman of a higher caliber, and I could genuinely admire her beauty.
"Sylvester has always been lazy, hasn't he? You must have had a hard time with him as your adoptive father. To place such a young child in the position of High Priest — he probably doesn't even understand how difficult it is just to stand as a symbol. What a troublesome matter."
Was this acceptable because it was conversation between family? Despite her elegant smile, she was mercilessly disparaging my adoptive father.
There were parts where I was tempted to nod along, but as his adopted daughter whom he was protecting, I should at least try to offer some support.
"The role of High Priest is certainly demanding, but he considered my situation and appointed Lord Ferdinand as my guardian. My adoptive father does think carefully about many things."
"Oh my! Even though he took you in as his own daughter, he placed the guardianship of his adopted child in someone else's hands? As a family member, I find that truly embarrassing. He hasn't changed at all since childhood — delegating everything to those around him while doing nothing himself."
...Sorry, Father. My attempt to support you was completely useless.
"I wonder if you at least have a capable guardian? Or perhaps..."
She left unspoken the question of whether a useless one had been forced upon her, and turned a gaze of pity toward me.
In her mind, the story apparently went like this: they had seized upon my abundant Magic Power, forcibly adopted me, and then saddled me with an incompetent guardian as High Priest to exploit me mercilessly. I could read that assumption in her eyes and the edges of her words.
"My guardian, Lord Ferdinand, is extremely capable, Lady Georgine."
"...Ferdinand — I've heard that name somewhere before..."
As she spoke, Georgine turned her gaze toward my adoptive father. I thought I heard her say, "I don't believe I've been introduced."
My adoptive father, wearing his expressionless mask, glanced back at the Chief Priest and then introduced him with a perfectly courteous demeanor.
"Sister, this is Ferdinand. He is my half-brother. He entered the castle after you married away, so I don't believe you've ever met."
The introduced Chief Priest smoothly stepped forward before Georgine with a fluid movement. He met her gaze and smiled.
...What on earth!?
The Chief Priest had an incredible smile on his face. It was the most radiant, warm smile I had ever seen on him as he knelt before Georgine and delivered his greeting.
"On this blessed day illuminated by the radiant glory of the Fire God Leidenschaft, we humbly pray for the divine blessing of this divinely guided meeting."
"I permit it."
After rising, the Chief Priest fielded several questions about his role as my guardian, answering each with a dazzling, sparkling smile. How to describe it — he looked roughly three times warmer and more refreshing than his usual polite smile. Honestly, he didn't look like the same person behind his usual Buddha-face.
...That's strange. He's smiling so beautifully, yet somehow it looks deeply unsettling.
After finishing her greetings to the lord's family, Georgine began walking through the great hall to receive greetings from the other nobles. Being originally from Ehrenfest, she apparently had many acquaintances.
"Lady Georgine, how wonderful to see you again!"
"My, you look as well as ever!"
"I'm planning to host a tea party during your stay, Lady Georgine. Do please come."
"Yes, absolutely. I look forward to it."
No sooner was she surrounded by women than men began calling out to her as well. To the generation above their thirties, she was clearly a familiar and well-known figure.
"Lady Georgine, you're as beautiful as ever..."
"Oh my, you're as silver-tongued as always. Ho ho ho..."
At the center of countless nobles, she wore a brilliant smile, deftly handling people and keeping conversations flowing with social grace that truly befit the wife of a great duchy's lord.
Sylvester's elder sister has arrived.
Next time, it will be a side story from Florencia's perspective.