The Attendants' Choices

Even though a number of unreasonable things had been said, along with things I wanted to refute, I felt relieved that Wilfried had at least blown up and then accepted maintaining the status quo for one year. No matter what path Wilfried chose from here on, Father and Mother would be watching over him.

"Well then, I'll be heading back to my room as well. I need to have my attendants think about their own situations."

"Ah, yes. Those who have sworn their names aside, minors need parental permission. Since the status quo will be maintained for a year, from the perspective of information leaks, it would be best to plan on leaving most of them behind. If any truly wish to serve you there, they can enter the central region after they come of age."

I nodded at my adoptive father's words and took a step toward the door, when I suddenly remembered something I needed to ask.

"...Um, Father?"

"What is it?"

"I'd like to write a letter to Lord Ferdinand. Would that be permissible? Must I still hold back?"

If the status quo was being maintained and I no longer needed to act as Wilfried's fiancée, I hoped at least a letter would be allowed. My adoptive father's expression turned exasperated—something like "Even after everything everyone has said, it's still Ferdinand?"—but he permitted it on the condition that I let him review the contents before sending it to Ahrensbach.

"...You really do like Uncle, don't you?"

Wilfried, who was walking with me toward the door, sighed as he said that.

"I do like him, but I think it's comparable to how you worry about Lady Veronica because you cherish her. He was the teacher who looked after me since before my Baptism Ceremony, practically family, yet he was sent by royal decree to a place where he can't easily be seen, working in an environment where he uses so many recovery potions that you can smell them just by getting close. It's only natural to worry."

I mentioned that even during the Interduchy Tournament, when I'd stayed in his tea room, it had smelled of recovery potions, and Wilfried looked slightly troubled.

"Uncle always smells of medicine, but whether it's from compounding or from regular use, there's no way to tell the difference."

"Huh? You can't tell the difference? Don't you have too few opportunities to compound things yourself, Brother Wilfried? You should practice so you can tell the smell of medicine being compounded apart from medicine in regular use—you won't be able to make what's needed when it's needed."

I said that not being able to make recovery potions or charms would surely be a problem, and Wilfried made a thoroughly disgusted face.

"Rozemyne, this is advice as your older brother, but your sense of normalcy is off. Members of a lord's family don't normally compound things themselves."

"Huh? But Lord Ferdinand always made medicines and charms for me himself..."

"Uncle's hobbies are research and compounding, aren't they? That's not the norm for lord-family members."

He said it with such a matter-of-fact expression that I could feel my own sense of norms crumbling as I sought confirmation.

"No way... Then, when I told my attendants that at the very least, they should be able to make their own medicine, was that within the bounds of normalcy?"

"There's nothing wrong with being able to make it, and I do think they should know how, but isn't everyday compounding the role of a civil official?"

Even when Ferdinand shut himself in the Temple workshop, he never let Justus in, and Justus never routinely brought medicine either. I had always thought it was natural to make your own daily-use medicine yourself, but apparently that wasn't the case.

...So Ferdinand's standards really were abnormal after all!

My own sense of norms was already skewed—warped by otherworldly norms being added to my Commoner-era norms—and to think that Ferdinand's standards, which I'd taken as noble standards, were also deviating from what was general.

...No, I'd actually suspected something was off for a while. But having it spelled out so clearly...

"In the first place, what are the civil-officer attendants even for?"

"My civil officers' main duties are Temple administration, transcription work, collecting stories at the Noble Academy, and writing new ones. Making medicine and charms is difficult, and I can't easily leak Lord Ferdinand's recipes, plus it requires quite a bit of Magic Power."

Having Philine or Roderich make my recovery potions would be difficult both technically and in terms of Magic Power, and I wanted Hartmut to prioritize Temple duties.

"You should give your civil officers opportunities to practice compounding as well. They're attendants of a lord's family—if their practical scores come back too low, that would be a problem."

"...They're lower and middle nobles, so I thought that was just how it was, but perhaps I should reconsider."

Their document work was unquestionably excellent, but I had never once considered relying on Philine or Roderich for compounding or tasks requiring Magic Power. Since I myself was also a civil officer, I had basically been doing my own compounding, but perhaps I needed to change my thinking a bit.

"Lady Rozemyne."

Brother Cornelius came hurrying over. Charlotte and the others had come out, and since I still hadn't emerged, he had apparently grown worried. I could tell he was casting a slightly wary glance at Wilfried, who was beside me, while checking on my condition, which made me feel a bit tickled.

"I'm heading back to my room. I have important matters to discuss, so please gather all the attendants. ...Ottilie, Brunhilde—please notify them as well."

"Understood."

Once I returned to my room and faced the gathered attendants, I spoke.

"I need all of you to think about your situations going forward, so I'll tell you, but this is highly confidential. You must absolutely not let it leak to anyone."

"Yes."

After seeing everyone's acknowledgment, I opened my mouth. I informed them that in exactly one year, around the time of next year's Lord's Conference, my adoption by the Lord would be dissolved, and I would be adopted by the King and sent to the central region.

"There's a possibility it could fall through due to the royal family's circumstances, but I want you to recognize that there is a high likelihood of moving to the central region."

Everyone's eyes widened slightly at the sudden news. Hartmut alone wore an expression as though he had expected this, and asked, "What will happen to Lord Wilfried?"

"The moment the adoption by the Aub is dissolved, the engagement is also dissolved. For this one year, the status quo is maintained."

"He accepted that..." Hartmut looked somewhat surprised—he apparently hadn't expected Wilfried to agree. He fell into thought. I shifted my gaze to Brunhilde. Having chosen to become the Aub's second wife, there was no way Brunhilde could come to the central region.

"Brunhilde, who made the decision to become my adoptive father's second wife, saying it was to support me—I'm truly sorry about this, but I want you to preserve the trends in hair ornaments, food, and other things together with the lower-town artisans, and to further develop them by adding the new trends you've thought of."

Brunhilde had once said to just push everything onto the commoners, but she had learned that you can't simply command everything. She had attended meetings with commoner merchants and learned to accommodate each other's schedules.

"I made this decision of my own free will, so it's fine. I'll simply do my utmost for Ehrenfest. But what about Bertilde?"

"This winter, I could formally treat her as an Attendant apprentice and handle her the same way as the attendants who are staying in Ehrenfest, or she could spend the winter gaining experience under both me and Brunhilde, then begin serving Brunhilde from spring. Considering Bertilde's background, please guide her as her older sister. ...It would be difficult since information can't be relayed if she's not officially an attendant, though."

"Understood."

Bertilde, who had been coming and going for education but had not yet formally become an attendant, was not present here, and information couldn't be channeled through her. We would have to leave it to Brunhilde.

After finishing the conversation with Brunhilde, whom I knew for certain would stay, I surveyed my anxious-looking attendants.

"For minors who have sworn their names, given the current state of affairs, I cannot leave them in Ehrenfest, and I've obtained the royal family's permission to accept them. For minors who haven't, parental permission is required for everything, so they will remain in Ehrenfest, and those who wish to may serve me after they come of age."

As I spoke, I looked at each member of the name-swearing group.

"In other words, the four of you—Roderich, Matthias, Laurentz, and Gretia—who have offered your names will come to the central region with me. Except for Muriella, who had wanted to offer her name to Elvira from the start, all of you accepted the burden with the resolve to be cared for for life. Since I've taken responsibility for your lives, I have no intention of abandoning you."

Matthias's expression softened slightly at my words.

"I appreciate that. I offered my name with the intention of following you for life as well, so I'm glad it wasn't casually dismissed."

"Just knowing that our parents won't be able to reach us makes going to the central region a relief," Roderich said. Both he and Gretia looked reassured. Only Laurentz did not appear at ease.

"I am worried about my younger brother in the orphanage, but since I have offered my name, I will obey my lord's words."

"...Taking Bertram along would be too much, of course. If I took him away before the Baptism Ceremony, he wouldn't be able to become a noble, and even after completing it, he's too young to enter the Noble Academy and formally become an apprentice. I can't make him my attendant."

The central region was more dangerous than Ehrenfest in various ways, and I couldn't bear the responsibility of taking a child who had no guardian right after his Baptism Ceremony.

"My successor as High Priest has already been decided—Melchior will take the position. I'll be leaving my Temple attendants with him as well, so the orphanage's treatment shouldn't suddenly worsen."

"I am grateful for your consideration."

Laurentz crossed both arms and knelt. Roderich, sensing a natural break in the conversation, raised his hand slightly and asked, "If we move to the central region, what kind of status will we have at the Noble Academy?" That was probably a concern for the minor attendants. Philine leaned forward slightly.

"You know that noble children from the provinces go to the Noble Academy from their parents' territories, right? So the minors who go to the central region as my attendants will spend their time at the Academy in Ehrenfest's dormitory. I hope you'll also be active in terms of information exchange."

"I understand."

Roderich and Gretia nodded with looks of relief, while Philine rested her cheek against her hand, deep in thought. At that moment, Hartmut stepped forward boldly.

"Lady Rozemyne, please accept my name as well."

"Hartmut, didn't you say before that you wouldn't offer your name unless I desired it?"

"I've changed my mind."

"...Huh?"

"At this crucial juncture where Lady Rozemyne is moving to the central region, the first people mentioned as personnel to bring along are those who have offered their names. I desperately want to be among them."

I never imagined he would demand to offer his name just because his wasn't among the first ones mentioned. Caught off guard, I hurriedly tried to dissuade him.

"Um, listen, Hartmut. Those who offered their names had no other choice—you have choices. That's all there is to it. I wasn't particularly thinking about priority or anything like that. ...Well, with Hartmut, it's more like unconditional trust, or certainty... You see..."

I couldn't bring myself to say to his face that the thought of Hartmut not following me had never even crossed my mind, so I hedged. Hartmut smiled his refreshing smile and said, "That unconditional trust is precisely what makes you dangerous."

"Given that it's plain to see the Aub of Ehrenfest and the other nobles will be troubled, Lady Rozemyne would surely not want to take too many personnel from the current Ehrenfest. And I, using that unconditional trust as a shield, could very well be left behind in Ehrenfest under the pretext of protecting the Temple, the library, and the merchants that you cherish."

"It's true that having you stay would be reassuring. But..."

Before I could even say that I couldn't imagine Hartmut staying, Hartmut knelt before me and took my hand.

"At any time, in any place, without hesitation before anyone, I wish to follow you. Please accept my name. I swear I will be of help to you."

"Say things like that to Clarissa! It's not something you should say in front of your fiancée!"

When I pulled my hand away and pointed at Clarissa, she swiftly knelt beside Hartmut and looked up at me with sparkling blue eyes.

"Me too! If you're accepting Hartmut's name, please accept mine as well, Lady Rozemyne!"

...Huh? Why is she reacting like that!?

"Clarissa, offering one's name isn't such a light decision. You two are going to be married—why not offer your names to each other and swear your love instead?"

Offering your name to someone else in front of your fiancée was absurd no matter how you looked at it. When I pointed this out, the two of them knelt there, looked at each other, and tilted their heads.

"Huh? Offer my name to Hartmut?... I can't even fathom it."

"I wholeheartedly agree with Clarissa. There's no point in offering my name to Clarissa. Rather, wouldn't offering our names to Lady Rozemyne together make us feel more connected?"

"Oh, that would be lovely!"

...Where!? Tell me, where is that lovely!? I'd been thinking it for a while, but the two of them were both out of their minds.

Maybe, as Wilfried had pointed out, my sense of normalcy really was off. The two of them were so perfectly in sync that I was starting to lose confidence.

"Ottilie, um, is this reaction within the bounds of noble common sense? Saying you'll offer your name to someone else in front of your fiancée, or feeling more connected by offering your names to the same lord together?"

Desperately wanting someone to stop my son and his fiancée, I turned my gaze to Ottilie for help. Ottilie, who had been watching the two of them, smiled silently for about three seconds, then slowly shook her head.

"This is not within the bounds of noble common sense. Please rest assured that Lady Rozemyne is not in the wrong. However... during the Lord's Conference, the time Lady Rozemyne spent with them at her side was limited, and on top of that, the possibility of being left behind, however slight, seems to have emotionally stirred them up. I humbly apologize, Lady Rozemyne, but whether they offer their names or not, please take those two with you."

Ottilie gazed down at the two kneeling before me with an expression that seemed to say this was someone else's problem entirely. Even if I didn't take them, they would follow. That probably wasn't just my imagination.

"I can't follow you to the central region since I have a husband, but those two would follow you to the ends of the earth. Perhaps accepting their names would be one way to keep them in check if they truly go off the rails."

I wondered whether I could really take Ottilie's assessment at face value, given how serenely she smiled about how troublesome those two were to handle at once. I was becoming deeply anxious about whether there were any people with a normal sense of reason in my vicinity.

"Ottilie, is it really alright for a mother to say things like that? Offering one's name is the same as offering one's life!"

"...I can say with absolute certainty that whether they offer their names or not, their behavior won't change. So wouldn't it be best for you to handle them in whatever way is easiest for you, Lady Rozemyne? They're both adults of an age where they can take responsibility for their own words. If you need witnesses, please call upon me."

"Huh?"

...She passed the buck! Ottilie has gone into "I don't want to think about this anymore" mode!?

It was a miscalculation of enormous proportions that Ottilie, who seemed like the only one who could rein these two in, had given up. I cautiously looked down and saw Hartmut gazing up at me with his amber eyes shining with joy.

...I want to say I don't need it, but when he looks at me with those eyes, it's incredibly hard to refuse.

"Mother has given her permission as well, so please accept my name. I've already gathered the materials and can prepare it as soon as tomorrow."

...Aaaah! The name-offering is being forcefully pushed on me! I seem to have no veto power at all!

I looked around, searching for someone among my attendants to stop this, reaching out for salvation. No one tried to help.

"Cornelius, Damuel."

"Lady Rozemyne isn't in any danger, so we can't meddle in personal matters like name-offering. If you can't accept it, just cut them off cleanly. If it troubles you, I think you should accept. It would reduce the collateral damage to those around you."

Brother Cornelius shrugged, and Damuel beside him also didn't come to my aid, instead endorsing Hartmut's name-offering.

"Everything Cornelius says is correct. If possible, it would be a tremendous help to all the attendants if you would accept Hartmut's name."

"What collateral damage has there been?"

"Hartmut just gets a bit jealous of attendants whose names you've accepted. Nothing serious."

...Hartmut, you've been doing that!?

"Cornelius, don't you think there's no need to burden Lady Rozemyne's ears with unnecessary information?"

"Isn't it the truth? Besides, I'm trying to encourage you to accept his name."

Hartmut grinned, and brother Cornelius grinned right back. The two of them wearing dark smiles looked strangely close. Since no one else denied what Cornelius had said, it must have been true.

"Fine. I'll accept. I suppose I should."

"When shall I bring it? Earlier would be better, I think."

"Lady Rozemyne, please accept my name as well!"

"Thank goodness, truly..."

"This should calm them down a bit, shouldn't it?"

Once I gave my consent, it wasn't just Hartmut himself—everyone around us was delighted.

...Was name-offering supposed to be done in this kind of mood? It wasn't, right? I'm not wrong, am I?

Just as I was thinking I could no longer trust my own judgment, Philine stepped forward. "Lady Rozemyne, please accept my name as well."

"I swore to dedicate my stories to Lady Rozemyne. And I received the blessing of Mestionora. At that moment, I had already decided which lord I would serve. Besides, if I'm left in Ehrenfest, I'll have to return to my parents' home. If I can't follow you without offering my name, then I'll offer it. So please, take me to the central region as well!"

Philine fixed me with her light-green eyes, her expression resolute. I had seen that face of Philine's—determined and unwavering—several times before. I understood that her resolve to carve out her own path was ironclad, but I couldn't accept right away.

"Philine, what about Konrad? Unlike Laurentz, who has offered his name, you still have a choice."

Philine's expression hardened, and she pressed her lips together. Then she looked at me.

"I intend to buy Konrad's freedom. Since he hasn't had his Baptism yet, if I sell Mother's keepsakes, I should be able to afford it."

"I understand your motivation and your reluctance to be left behind, but what would you do by taking Konrad to the central region?"

Konrad was a boy. I couldn't keep him in Philine's room as an Attendant apprentice attached to an attendant. He was too young to work as a servant in the central region. Even with Konrad still in the orphanage, Philine's clothes came as hand-me-downs from those around her, and she already struggled to gather the study supplies and magic stones needed for the Noble Academy. There was no way she had the means to provide for Konrad's food, clothing, and shelter as well.

"That's..."

Philine looked at me pleadingly. But I had already been scolded by Ferdinand for getting too involved. I couldn't continue showing Philine favoritism and looking after Konrad on her behalf. I didn't think taking Konrad—an orphan and a commoner—to the central region would lead to happiness either.

"There's no need to rush to a conclusion. Take a little more time, listen to what Konrad wants, and then reaching a conclusion won't be too late. Why not spend a year wrestling with it?"

"...Yes."

Philine lowered her shoulders and stepped back.

"Lady Rozemyne, please give me time to think as well. Whether I follow before or after marriage changes how I'd be treated, and there are many things to consider—like whether it would be better to marry in the summer and so on."

Brother Cornelius, who had been given a mansion by Brother Eckhart and was already preparing for marriage, said this. Leonore smiled and said, "I'll follow Cornelius, of course." How wonderfully passionate.

...Oh, but I need to report this to Father and Mother too.

When I first declared "I am the next Zent candidate," Father was present, and since his consent was absolutely necessary to dissolve the adoption into Ehrenfest's family, he had been informed of the circumstances. But I didn't know whether Mother had been told, or whether it was even appropriate to tell her.

...I'd like to let them know I'm going to the central region, since there's the printing business to hand over as well.

I'd probably have to ask my adoptive father again. While thinking this, I turned my gaze to Damuel, who had distanced himself from brother Cornelius and Leonore at some point without my noticing.

"What about you, Damuel?"

I wanted Damuel to come, since he knew about various sensitive matters, but he was already struggling as a lower noble in Ehrenfest, and I couldn't force him. The lower-town soldiers knew his face and relied on him, so having him guard the lower town here wouldn't be a bad thing either.

"...I can't decide immediately. Please give me some time to think as well."

"Understood. And Eudiet...?"

I turned my gaze to Eudiet. She smiled with a hint of sadness.

"I believe I'll be staying in Ehrenfest. When I returned to Kürrenberg, Father proposed a marriage arrangement. I wouldn't be permitted to come of age and go to the central region, and I don't have the courage to offer my name and follow you."

For minors, parental permission was required for everything. Marriages were decided by parents too. And Eudiet, who had no special family circumstances or survival reasons to justify it, couldn't easily summon the resolve to entrust her life to someone else. Just watching Eudiet and Theodore interact at the Noble Academy made it clear they were a close family. She couldn't just leave home.

"Eudiet, you seem to be feeling some kind of guilt, but having minors stay, not getting parental permission, not being able to offer names—those are all perfectly normal. It's Hartmut and Clarissa who are abnormal."

When I declared this, Eudiet looked at Hartmut and Clarissa and nodded with understanding.

"Brunhilde and Ottilie are staying as well. Staying isn't a wrong choice. Eudiet, please remain in Ehrenfest and lend Brunhilde your strength."

"Yes!"

Seeing Eudiet's bright smile with the tension finally gone from her shoulders, I let out a breath of relief. Liselinda patted Eudiet's shoulder and smiled. "Let's do our best together."

"I'm the heir daughter, and I'm already engaged to one of Lord Wilfried's attendants. I can't easily leave Ehrenfest. After Lady Rozemyne goes to the central region, I'll serve as Brunhilde's attendant and take on the role of sending Ehrenfest's books to Lady Rozemyne."

With Liselinda saying that, the only attendant left who hadn't responded was Angelica. Everyone's gaze naturally turned to Angelica.

"What about you, Angelica?"

"What does Lady Rozemyne think would be best?"

Angelica tilted her head and asked me for the answer.

...No, I'm the one asking you! This is your life choice!

I was about to clutch my head in exasperation at Angelica's ever-constant refusal to think for herself, when Liselinda giggled.

"I think it would be better for Big Sis to go to the central region with Lady Rozemyne."

"Liselinda."

"Our parents would feel more relieved than if Big Sis were to actually marry Lord Bonifatius, and the central region's Knight Order is far stronger than Ehrenfest's."

"I'll go."

Angelica answered instantly at Liselinda's words. But I wanted her to think about it a little more. Our parents had once held a family conference to decide Angelica's marriage partner—marrying Traugott, or marrying Grandpa. What would become of all that?

"Angelica, but, marriage..."

"It's not particularly a problem if it doesn't happen, and I can't imagine serving any lord other than Lady Rozemyne."

...That might be true, but you don't have to say it with such a stern expression!

"Lady Rozemyne, now that the adoption is being dissolved, we'll need to have a meeting at my family home, won't we? Wouldn't it be wise to discuss things with both parents at that time? Since Angelica's marriage is involved, I don't think it should be decided by Angelica's judgment alone."

Grasping at brother Cornelius's lifeline, I decided I would seek both Father's and Mother's opinions regarding Angelica accompanying me.

If the chapter got unnecessarily long, that was Hartmut's fault.

It turned out Hartmut had been biding his time, waiting for an opportunity to offer his name.

Ottilie had already given up.

And then, each person's choice. Of course, not everyone could choose easily.

Next, I'll speak with Father and Mother.