Meeting with the Prince

When the fifth bell rings, I have my audience with Anastasius. After finishing lunch, we set out carrying all the gifts Rihyarda had prepared. Of course, hauling everything is the job of the attendants and civil officials—my job is to walk my very best. Gracefully and beautifully, while keeping track of my energy reserves. Walking through the Noble Academy is actually quite taxing for me.

"Hey, Gudrun. Did Ferdinand-sama also receive invitations from royalty back when he was a student?"

"...Yes. I accompanied him on several occasions. Prince Ferdinand received not only invitations from princes, but also from princesses, and he would perform fechsspiel for them."

Gudrun explained that he was invited to tea parties by his music teachers and that princesses took a fancy to him and summoned him. Apparently, if he hadn't been a lord candidate, they would have wanted to make him their personal musician.

"Everyone goes through similar experiences, it seems."

"Your Ladyship, I believe you have a misunderstanding, so allow me to correct you. Being invited to a royal's personal chambers is not something just anyone experiences."

Gudrun said this with a look of exasperation, but I've been invited too, the Chief Priest has been invited, and given the way Anastasius phrased things, Eglantine must have been invited many times as well—so it can't be that unusual.

"Since we have the chance, let's ask Prince Anastasius about the Unopenable Library today."

"Your Ladyship?"

"If we know the location, maybe he'll open it for us."

When I voiced my brilliant idea—that if only royals can open the archive, then we should just ask a royal—Gudrun looked startled and stopped me.

"Please refrain from such a question, Your Ladyship."

"...Why? If only royals can open the archive, then asking a royal would be the quickest way to find out, wouldn't it?"

When I tilted my head, Gudrun let out a deep sigh.

"Lady Rozemyne, the Unopenable Library is one of the Noble Academy's great mysteries. It's a rumor of unknown origin—nobody even knows if it's true or false. It is not something you should bring to the ears of royalty."

"...So it's one of the seven mysteries of the Noble Academy?"

"Why seven? What are the other six mysteries?"

It's because school mysteries are always seven in number. I don't know the reasons or the other six mysteries either.

"I wouldn't know, but surely you know of others, Gudrun?"

"The mysteries of the Noble Academy I can recall number about twenty."

"Twenty mysteries... That's quite a lot."

"Students add to them for fun, and similar ones get merged, altered, and take on new forms as they spread. Not just the Unopenable Library—have you never heard of the statue of a god that dances on graduation night, the gazebo where the Goddess of Time plays her pranks, or the ditter match that erupts between genwinns?"

As Gudrun enumerated the mysteries on her fingers, Brother Cornelius and the others exchanged glances, then slowly shook their heads. The fact that senior students like Brother Cornelius didn't know about them perhaps meant these weren't widely discussed topics.

Wide-eyed, Gudrun murmured softly, "Perhaps even something like this has been affected by the recent political upheaval."

"Welcome back, Lady Rozemyne. ...I'm relieved to see you looking so well today."

Oswin, Anastasius's head attendant, loosened his cheeks with relief upon seeing me. Come to think of it, after I collapsed here last time, I never showed my face again and instead sent my return report to Ehrenfest along with my get-well reply. I'd been ordered home after causing all sorts of trouble, but without knowing that, it must have looked like I'd been summoned by the prince and had to return to Ehrenfest due to poor health. Oswin must have been worried about me this whole time.

"It happens fairly often, so I'm perfectly fine now. I caused worry not only for Prince Anastasius, but for everyone."

Oswin guided me to the room where Anastasius was waiting. I took a seat in the chair prepared for guests, and Anastasius, who had been waiting, gestured for me to sit.

...Huh? Is the prince... sparkling?

Anastasius's golden hair had always been luxurious, but now it had an even greater sheen. Could it be that Eglantine had shared some rinse with him? He looked so lustrous that I couldn't help entertaining that suspicion.

And it wasn't just his appearance. Unlike the last time he'd summoned me, all trace of impatience and fidgetiness had been completely swept away. He seemed composed—no, brimming with confidence. He even had a gentle aura about him; for a moment, I almost wondered if he were a different person with the same face.

"It was quite the extended return, wasn't it? I'd been waiting impatiently."

"My sincerest apologies. But thanks to that delay, the hair ornament destined for Lady Eglantine turned out beautifully."

"Is that so?"

I had expected him to demand to see it immediately, but Anastasius merely narrowed his gray eyes with delight and watched as the attendants began exchanging the various gifts.

"Did anything happen while I was away?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you seemed to have changed quite a bit in atmosphere, so I wondered if something had shifted between you and Lady Eglantine."

The phrase "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" flickered through my mind, and in the next instant, his composed demeanor crumbled.

"What's this? You're that curious?"

Even though he still looks young, women really do love romance talk, don't they? ...Very well. Things moved forward quickly thanks to the information you brought, so I suppose I can share a little.

...This is going to take forever, so I'd really rather not.

That's what I wanted to say, but I couldn't get the words out. Anastasius's gray eyes glinted as he silently pressured me with a look that said, "Now then, say you want to hear it." To top it off, even Gudrun was sending me signals with her eyes, clearly wanting to know. I had no choice but to read the room.

"I'm simply dying of curiosity. Ho ho ho..."

"Hmm. Very well, I'll tell you. That said, I can only share parts of it. There's quite a lot I can't go into detail about."

Grinning smugly, Anastasius began to speak. He looked like someone who had been dying to tell someone, anyone.

"After speaking with you, I had a private conversation with Eglantine. Following your advice, we spoke directly—without any intermediaries—to confirm what Eglantine wanted and what I wanted."

At that point, she had apparently asked him suspiciously why she had suddenly brought up such a thing. My being dragged away from the library had been witnessed by many students, and Eglantine had already figured out I was involved.

Since there was no point in lying, Anastasius had honestly told her everything we'd discussed—including the observation that too many intermediaries had gotten between them, and their hearts weren't reaching each other.

Then, having learned what Eglantine truly desired, he had set about making it happen, spending every spare moment on Earthday and after lectures to shuttle between the royal castle and Klassenberg, working tirelessly on her behalf.

"It hasn't been officially announced yet, so I can't give details, but I did see the joy on Eglantine's face. She wore a smile I'd never seen before—truly as beautiful as the Light Goddess herself."

As he said this, Anastasius's expression softened. With a gentler smile than I'd ever seen on him, his entire being practically oozed adoration for Eglantine. Honestly, it was almost too much to bear. I did not want to hear any more lovey-dovey talk.

"So, in other words, through your hard work, Prince Anastasius, you have successfully secured the position of escorting Lady Eglantine?"

"That's right. Convincing the former Aub Klassenberg was the most difficult part. I made trip after trip with Eglantine... Ah, forgive me. I've been told I can't go into detail."

...I don't want to hear any more.

Anastasius looked like he was bursting to tell someone, but as long as he could escort Eglantine, that was all that mattered. The hair ornament hadn't gone to waste, and if these two worked things out, Ehrenfest would have nothing to lose.

"Then, please take a look at the hair ornament I prepared for Lady Eglantine. My personal artisan poured her very best into creating this masterpiece."

I forcibly cut the conversation short, then signaled Gudrun to bring the ornament.

Carefully and quietly, with consideration for making no noise, I opened the wooden box on the table and tilted it so Anastasius could get a good look at the hair ornament inside.

"This is the hair ornament. I believe it turned out with an atmosphere that would suit Lady Eglantine beautifully—what do you think?"

It was decorated with corarelie, a lily-like flower that Eglantine favored. Large blooms were accented by green leaves that evoked the arrival of spring, and delicate lace surrounding it added an elegant flourish.

I'd heard that the dress Eglantine would wear on graduation day was the red of Geduldhrih, so the ornament had been made to match. The part closest to the flower's center was a slightly orange-tinged red, and it transitioned to a deeper red toward the tips of the petals—an intricately crafted piece.

Anastasius took the hair ornament from the box and inspected it with narrowed eyes. His gray eyes took on a serious light as he examined it from various angles.

Wondering whether it met royal standards, I swallowed nervously, waiting for his verdict.

"It's considerably more ornate than the one you're wearing."

"My hair ornament is for everyday use. It's quite different from one designed for a graduation ceremony—the coming-of-age celebration—matched to formal attire."

Besides, with my current appearance, the corarelie flower on my ornament would be far too large and showy. This was an ornament meant to suit Eglantine.

"Well? Does it meet with your approval?"

"Ah, yes. This ornament will undoubtedly bring out Eglantine's beauty magnificently."

Anastasius nodded, looking satisfied. Hearing the word "magnificent" from a royal's lips, I couldn't help but break into a beaming smile.

...I did it! Turi, the prince said it was magnificent! My Turi is amazing! Oh, I want to show off to everyone.

I clenched my fist under the table, suppressing the excitement welling up inside me, when Anastasius told me to "rein in your expression." I hurriedly pressed my cheeks, but the corners of my mouth kept curling upward and refused to come back down.

Oswin placed the hair ornament back in its box, carefully closed the lid, and carried it away. In his place, Gudrun set sheet music before me. Seeing her narrow her eyes as if to say "switch gears," I finally managed to calm down.

"Prince Anastasius, shall we discuss the piece to be dedicated to the Light Goddess? Though I still think it would be better for you to present it to Lady Eglantine personally rather than having me—"

"That's right. As I said from the beginning, I will purchase it. Oswin."

Oswin stepped forward and began exchanging the sheet music with Gudrun. Meanwhile, Anastasius looked over the music and nodded with satisfaction. The Chief Priest and Rosina had arranged it, and the rework was flawless. I was sure there would be no issues.

After that, we chatted about Eglantine's charms and the small daily events of the Noble Academy, and I was about to bring the meeting to a close when... Gudrun cleared her throat.

...Was there something else?

At an angle the prince couldn't see, Gudrun held her hand hidden in her skirt and made a scissors shape with her fingers. Then she wiggled them back and forth.

...Schwarz and Weiss!

Now I remembered. Before we departed, I'd been told to "please ask the prince whether it would be alright to present research on the Magical Tools in the library at the inter-dormitory tournament." I'd completely forgotten.

"Ah, Prince Anastasius. There is one last thing I'd like to ask. The civil officials of Ehrenfest would like to present research on the Magical Tools Schwarz and Weiss from the library at the inter-dormitory tournament. These would technically be royal relics—would there be any problem with presenting them?"

"Oh. I don't suppose there would be. Has there been some new discovery?"

At Anastasius's words, I opened my mouth to say "I don't know," paused, and then tilted my head slowly.

"I'll refer you to Professor Hirschur for the details. I've only recently returned to Ehrenfest, and I haven't been shown everything yet, so..."

"Hirschur again. Ehrenfest should spend less time on its dormitory supervisor and more on expanding student exhibitions."

Hearing him say this with an exasperated look left me at a loss for words.

"Next year, I will do everything in my power to ensure our students present research that will astonish everyone."

"...I suppose I'll wait with low expectations, then."

I received Anastasius's dismissal, and the audience concluded.

Back in the dormitory, Gudrun let out a long, slow breath and said, "Now I understand Ferdinand-sama's wisdom in assigning me to be Your Ladyship's attendant."

"Huh?"

"With a prince as your conversation partner, I can never predict what you'll say or how you'll respond. On top of that, you seem to forget things we're supposed to have rehearsed beforehand—it was all extremely nerve-wracking. I'm only now truly appreciating Ferdinand-sama's words when he said he wanted to keep Your Ladyship away from socializing as much as possible."

Gudrun's voice, practically oozing with relief that it was over, made me feel extremely anxious.

"...Gudrun, is my socializing really that bad?"

"The most troublesome part is that you seem perfectly capable at first glance. Your responses are mostly fine. But bringing up the Unopenable Library to a royal, forgetting things you were told beforehand—the kinds of mistakes Your Ladyship makes have the potential to be catastrophic. Your attendants will need to be extremely vigilant. I'll also make recommendations to Ferdinand-sama regarding the attendants' training."

The apprentice knights might receive training from Grandfather, and the apprentice civil officials might end up getting lessons from the Chief Priest. The attendants, who now knew of the Chief Priest legend spreading throughout the Noble Academy, paled visibly.

Gudrun said she would swap out with Rihyarda shortly and write a report back to Ehrenfest.

"Welcome back, Your Ladyship. We've received replies to the tea party invitations hosted by Ehrenfest."

When Rihyarda took over, what she held in her hands were the RSVPs. A meeting room had already been prepared, and we immediately began reviewing the responses.

It was going to be a full-attendance tea party. Due to the room's size, attendance was limited to one representative per duchy, but with attendants and guard knights included, the total number of people would be enormous.

"With this many people, is it really going to be fine?" Brother Cornelius asked in a worried voice, but Brigitte's caramel-colored eyes gleamed with confidence.

"Think of it as a preliminary skirmish before the inter-dormitory tournament. Since we're limiting it to one person per duchy, it'll be far easier than the actual day. On that day, we'll likely have aubs and their spouses, nobles—probably even more guests. Justus is right: no matter how much you prepare, it might not be enough."

"Our kitchen can only produce so much. What should we do?" Lieselotta asked.

Hmm, I thought, and pondered.

"We'll send a request to Ehrenfest and have them place orders not only with the castle kitchen but also with the Otomar Company that sells quatre-quarts. Have the supplies shipped to the Noble Academy in time for the day before the tournament."

I needed to get the request off to my guardians in Ehrenfest early, because there was no way the resources currently being sent to the Noble Academy would be sufficient. I left the calculations for order quantities and costs to the attendants and turned my mind to how we'd handle such a large number of guests.

During the lead-up to this large-scale tea party, I received a summons from Eglantine as well. She wanted me to teach her how to wear the hair ornament I'd gotten from Anastasius, so I had no choice but to go.

Eglantine's quarters were men-prohibited. Hartmut and Brother Cornelius stayed behind, but Justus would apparently come along disguised as Gudrun. The moment I learned Gudrun would be accompanying us, I couldn't help but feel extremely uneasy about Hartmut's reaction.

...Please don't let Hartmut go down some weird path.

"I'm sorry to call on you when you're so busy, but I had to have you come before graduation day."

Eglantine greeted me with a radiant smile. She wasn't the Light Goddess, but she was truly beautiful enough to be mistaken for one. She had always been a lovely girl, but now, as a woman in love—or rather, as a woman being loved—she had gained that special, radiant happiness unique to such a person, making her utterly invincible.

"I was so happy to receive such a magnificent hair ornament, but I was very worried that Prince Anastasius might have made an unreasonable request of you."

The gentle Eglantine had apparently been concerned that the prince had been making unreasonable demands of me. I smiled and shook my head.

"I was the one who suggested it. I thought it would suit Lady Eglantine beautifully..."

"Oh my. ...Then, would you mind teaching me how to wear it?"

To demonstrate how to put on the hair ornament, Eglantine agreed to try on her graduation-day dress. She apparently wanted to see for herself whether the ornament's colors matched.

"How does it look?"

"It's beautiful. Even without Prince Anastasius, anyone who saw you would be captivated."

The rich golden hair was gathered up in a style befitting a coming-of-age ceremony, and the white skin of her neck and shoulders stood out beautifully against the red dress. The long, elaborately embroidered sleeves swayed as Eglantine, self-conscious about the bare neck she usually kept hidden, reached up to touch it.

"Is this embroidery the Klassenberg crest?"

"Yes. My grandfather—no, my adoptive father—had quite a lot of input into the embroidery design."

"After all, it's the coming-of-age dress for his granddaughter and youngest daughter, Lady Eglantine. He must have been deeply invested. But even these lavish embroideries can't overshadow your beauty, Lady Eglantine. It suits you wonderfully."

As I listened to my own attendant instructing Eglantine's attendant on how to insert the hair ornament, I complimented her dress.

Eglantine's attendant placed the hair ornament exactly as she'd been shown. The large red flower bloomed magnificently atop the golden hair, which had been given a lustrous sheen by the rinse. Several shades of green leaves, evoking the arrival of spring, surrounded and swayed around it. Both colors only served to make Eglantine's golden hair appear even more magnificent.

"Oh, how absolutely lovely."

"It suits you perfectly, Lady Eglantine."

The attendants' reactions were excellent. With this, there would be no problems at the graduation ceremony. Eglantine smiled happily and said, "Thank you," then touched the hair ornament with her finger and tilted her head slightly.

"Lady Rozemyne, would it be alright to wear this ornament while dancing?"

"Try a few moves, please. If it seems like it might fall off or get in the way of the dance, we'll need to change the placement or rethink the hairstyle. I usually insert mine from above, so it doesn't bother me much, but if it's placed to the side, there's a chance it could fall out during the dance."

Eglantine slowly raised her arms and began to dance right there on the spot. Humming a soft melody, she moved.

As she turned, the loose strands of her hair caught the light and shimmered faintly, adorning her. The long sleeves billowed softly, catching the air as if they possessed their own will, dancing along with her fluid movements.

The small smile on her lips made it clear just how much Eglantine valued her dancing.

"...It seems there won't be any problems with this."

Eglantine smiled with satisfaction as she said this. I was delighted to have unexpectedly witnessed her dance—Eglantine's dedication dance, to be exact. I'm a fan.

With the hair ornament's success confirmed and a bottle of rinse quietly sold as a souvenir, my obligations for this visit were complete. As I clenched my fist, pleased that I'd managed to do everything I'd been asked without forgetting this time, Eglantine produced a Magical Tool for eavesdropping prevention.

"Would it be alright if we spoke a little with this?"

"Of course."

Heart pounding with anticipation about what she might say, I gripped the Magical Tool.

"I am able to have Prince Anastasius as my escort at the graduation ceremony all thanks to you, Lady Rozemyne."

"I heard that Prince Anastasius worked very hard."

"...That is undoubtedly true. Prince Anastasius truly did his very best. He made the trip to the king, to Prince Sigiswald, and to my grandfather many times over, speaking to them again and again. It wasn't his thousand words of love that captured my heart—it was the sight of him doing all that."

...Lovey-dovey talk using an eavesdropping prevention tool.

It seemed that Eglantine had been charmed by the earnest image of Anastasius—now her adoptive grandfather, the former Aub Klassenberg—sincerely persuading him. With her cheeks flushed and eyes glistening dreamily, Eglantine radiated the aura of a woman in love and was incredibly adorable and captivating.

But perhaps my imagination was lacking, because all I could picture was Anastasius desperately trying to woo Grandpa. What a letdown.

...Of all things, for a pair of stunning beauties, this love scene just isn't getting my heart racing.

Still, Eglantine was smiling happily, and that was enough. She looked far more wonderful than when she'd been agonizing over the thought that she might become a pawn in political machinations.

"As for what happens to us after graduation, it will be officially announced at the spring lord's conference, so I can't share any details until then—but the turning point that led to these improved circumstances was you, Lady Rozemyne. I truly am grateful."

"I'm happy to see that you seem so content, Lady Eglantine."

When I smiled and said this, Eglantine's expression clouded over, just slightly.

"Lady Rozemyne... if we were to be distanced from the throne, would you still congratulate me the same way?"

"Of course. I've decided to be on Lady Eglantine's side. Being distanced from the throne is no issue whatsoever."

Remembering how I'd been scolded for getting too close to the throne's issues, I puffed out my chest and declared that being distanced from it would actually be preferable. Eglantine looked genuinely surprised, her eyes going wide.

"...Lady Eglantine, is something wrong?"

"No. I just didn't expect that kind of answer, so I was surprised. Won't you be scolded by the Aub of Ehrenfest later? Surely it would be better for the person deciding your duchy's direction to be closer to the throne?"

"Ehrenfest has always been a neutral duchy that doesn't align with any faction, so actually, I'd get in trouble for getting too close."

"Oh my!"

Eglantine giggled, and the cloudiness in her expression vanished, replaced by a gentle smile.

"Lady Rozemyne really is the Saint of Ehrenfest, isn't she? I feel as though I've been saved, just a little."

"If I was of any help at all, then I'm honored."

...Wait? Did I actually do anything?

Without quite understanding what had happened, I endured an avalanche of lovey-dovey talk, and my tea party with Eglantine came to an end.

"Sending Your Ladyship out to socialize is far too dangerous."

Justus, who apparently had skills in lip-reading, was holding his head in his hands the moment we returned to the dormitory. He was already saying he'd need to write a report to the Chief Priest.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"It's a lack of education, a difference in awareness... The problem is less with Your Ladyship herself and more with those around you. The most terrifying thing was that you seemed completely unaware you were crossing a dangerous bridge. We need to address this urgently."

Justus said this with an utterly exhausted expression. The other attendants, who lacked lip-reading skills, tilted their heads in confusion.

...I'm not really sure what happened, but I'm sorry.

While Rozemyne was away, time at the Noble Academy continued to flow steadily.

Prince Anastasius, you did well. You succeeded in making Lady Eglantine swoon. Good for you.

And Justus, the capable report-writer who's probably suffering the most stomach pain of anyone. Hang in there!

Next time: the tea party, with every duchy invited.