Children's Tea Party

"Here's how I've been studying. What do you think, Lady Rozemyne?"

Clarissa spoke as she showed me the work she'd been doing recently. She had been working with the Aub's civil officials as the negotiator with Dunkelfelger during the lord's conference, but now that it was over, she was in my room doing work on my behalf.

It wouldn't kick into high gear until after I came of age, but I had already decided to start the printing business once I went to the Central District. I might even tour the Central Temple and, depending on the current state of its orphanage and the Gray Priests, dip my toes into charitable work as well. To that end, Clarissa was compiling noble-side documents related to the ventures I'd carried out so far, so that I could get the business started as smoothly as possible in the Central District.

Specifically, she was drawing up plans for how to begin the printing business in the Central District—which civil officials in which departments would need to be approached—based on everything from Ferdinand's past negotiations with the nobility, the contracts that were signed, the number of shops relocated, and the headcount of people involved, to the exchanges between Dunkelfelger and the Central District as reference.

"You managed to dig up all of this in such a short time, Clarissa. I honestly had no idea how Ferdinand went about things when I was setting up the workshop at the orphanage."

The materials made it perfectly clear that Ferdinand had been working behind the scenes while Benno and the others and I were running around, and I was reminded once again of how narrow my own perspective had been. I had only ever thought about the reports I had to submit and how annoying it was that scheduling an audience took days, but it had all been necessary and important.

"I can't let myself be outdone by Philine, who became the orphanage director and wants to be of use to you, Lady Rozemyne."

Today, too, Philine was at the Temple handing over her orphanage director duties to Monica. Just as Hartmut had done when he was installed as Chief Priest, she had undergone an oath ceremony and been given the Blue Robe. She was now a proper Blue Shrine Maiden Apprentice.

Incidentally, Roderick was listing out, at my instruction, how large a shop would be needed in the Central District based on the requests sent in from the Plantan Company and the Gilberta Company, what new work tools would need to be acquired, and how many rooms and of what size would be needed for the accompanying employees. The tea party room had been designated as his workspace as well.

After confirming that Lieseleta and Gretia had finished preparing for the tea party, I entrusted the room to Ottilie. Once Wilfried and Melchior left the room, Damuel—who was standing guard outside the door—would let me know, so I was on standby until then.

"Lady Rozemyne, word from Damuel. It seems Lord Wilfried and Lord Melchior have left the room."

Angelica returned and reported this to me. I left the room with my attendants and guard knights to attend Charlotte's tea party.

"Everyone, please step back."

After the greetings, being shown to our seats, and the tasting of tea and sweets for poison, Charlotte instructed her attendants to withdraw. Matching that, we too ordered our own attendants to step back. Now there was no one in the room except us lord candidates.

"I'll be using this one today."

Charlotte spoke as she moved to activate the area-specific eavesdropping-prevention magical tool. I hurriedly stopped her.

"Charlotte, if you use the area-specific one, won't the burden fall on you alone? Wouldn't it be better to use the kind you hold individually?"

"No, Sister. Today the area-specific one is better. Melchior might get tired from using it for a long time. I've heard he's been doing frequent magic power offerings at the Temple."

...What!?

I had been given an eavesdropping-prevention magical tool by Ferdinand from the very start and had never once considered it a burden, so I didn't know—but apparently, using the individually held eavesdropping-prevention magical tool for extended periods could be a strain on children who hadn't yet entered the Royal Academy.

...He never once showed me that kind of consideration, Ferdinand!

I thought back to Lutz's family meeting, which I believed was the first time I'd used one. It was a gathering guaranteed to be a lengthy discussion, so it must have been used solely to keep me quiet. I figured Ferdinand had a rough idea of my magic power capacity, but perhaps he thought that if prolonged use made me feel unwell and I had to leave, that would be just fine too.

...That Ferdinand!

Fuming and letting my anger take over, I offered to Charlotte, "I'll activate the area-specific magical tool."

"We can't let you bear the magic power burden alone, Charlotte."

"...And that's exactly how you always try to shoulder the burden by yourself, isn't it, Sister?"

Charlotte gave me a cute little glare with her blue-gray eyes. I, who occasionally wanted to act the part of a proper elder sister, slid off my chair before Charlotte could activate the tool and activated it with a tap. Victory for my agility.

"It's not much of a hardship when it's just the magic power burden, so please, Charlotte, do feel free to lean on your elder sister from time to time. You've already left all the social matters and the assistance for Mother to me, after all. Besides, the fact that you've prepared all of this means you want to discuss my going to the Central District, doesn't it?"

I said this proudly, then sat back down in my chair. Charlotte smiled softly and murmured, "I'm always being spoiled by you, Sister."

"I don't really think that's the case..."

"But it is. I heard that when your engagement to Brother was decided, you asked Father to keep my future marriage prospects open as well. This time, too—becoming the King's adopted daughter and being engaged to Prince Sigiswald weren't your own choices, yet you were given all manner of options. ...What could I possibly give back to you, Sister?"

...Right from the start, she hit me with something this heavy!? Can I just say, "You being cute and telling me 'Sister, you're wonderful! I admire you!' is more than enough"? I probably can't, right?

Caught off guard by her serious gaze, I couldn't decide whether to give a light answer or grapple with it seriously alongside her.

"Thanks to you, Sister, we can truly understand—on a fundamental level—how lower-ranked territories are treated. When I talk to people over thirty, I can really feel it."

Charlotte had been assisting Mother, involved in the First Wife's duties, and touring the nobles working in the castle, and from that she had realized there was a complete divide in awareness between adults who only knew the old way of handling lower-ranked territories and younger people who had rarely been treated as such.

"...Yes. I got the sense that a shift in awareness started around the generation that attended the Royal Academy with my uncle."

Ferdinand, who had been shunned by Veronica, had essentially only earned excellent grades as an individual and hadn't contributed much to the territory's ranking. However, the knights' course students had defeated Dunkelfelger in the treasure-stealing ditter under deplorable command. In the civil servants' course, too, once the top performer from their own territory stepped up, the awareness naturally rose as people naturally wanted to keep pace.

By the time of Ferdinand's graduation and Damuel's generation, the political upheaval had ended and the purges had taken place, allowing Ehrenfest to climb the rankings with ease. This was the last generation that remembered Ehrenfest being at the very bottom, and at the same time, it was a turbulent generation in which special measures were enacted to make the Blue Priests from various regions into full nobles, the teaching staff changed dramatically due to the purges, and the Royal Academy's curriculum was overhauled.

And this was the generation where, even though the rankings climbed, the surrounding treatment continued to be that of a lower-ranked territory—until the release of the Holy Book picture books and educational toys, combined with the improvement of children's room education, began to shift the awareness of those around them. Cornelius and his cohort belonged to this generation. They had experienced both the treatment as a lower-ranked territory and Ehrenfest's rapid growth.

With my and Wilfried's enrollment, the trendsetting that had previously been held back kicked off, the Academic Improvement Committee was established, and there was a dramatic improvement in classroom performance. Ehrenfest advanced rapidly and drew the attention of those around it. The dormitory cuisine being delicious went without saying, and invitations to tea parties were so plentiful that they had to be selective—the territory was in high demand, and receiving requests from upper-ranked territories was no longer unusual. Because the territory's rankings kept climbing year after year, this was a generation that had never been treated as a lower-ranked territory. Charlotte, of course, belonged to this same generation.

"At the Royal Academy, we're still told that we lack the mindset of an upper-ranked territory and need to act more like one. But if you look within Ehrenfest, awareness has certainly changed. If you were still here, Sister, I would have taken all of that for granted without a second thought."

It would have been enough to simply criticize the people clinging to old ways. But the problem was that those people were overwhelmingly numerous, and even among the lord's family and their closest retainers, one couldn't say that awareness had fully shifted. If I—who had stood at the front and shattered the old conventions—were gone, dropping in rank would happen in the blink of an eye. It was the people remaining in Ehrenfest who had to do something about it. Charlotte said this and let out a sigh.

"We must skillfully deflect or sidestep interference from the adults, while carefully safeguarding everything you gave us. Maintaining Ehrenfest as a territory that your birth family can be proud of once you become the King's adopted daughter—I believe that is the best way I can repay you."

The lord's family would reduce the nobility's aversion to the Temple by entering and leaving it, perform religious services, and increase their divine protections. By proving the effects of this, I would be able to hold my head high about having been raised in the Temple. I would develop the printing industry and send books to myself. I would carefully nurture the Italian restaurant chefs and make Ehrenfest a territory overflowing with delicious food. I would continue the children's room education and the Academic Improvement Committee so that classroom performance wouldn't slip. We would preserve everything I had accomplished while gradually shifting awareness.

Charlotte smiled and said, "That is what I can do." Hearing that she wanted to carefully protect what I had built, I felt warmth spreading through my chest, and I softened into a helpless smile.

"Sister, my abilities are better suited to support work. Unfortunately, I'm not well-suited to making bold decisions for the territory's development or introducing new things. I'm much better at smoothing things over and gradually implementing plans within frameworks set by others."

I thought Charlotte's self-assessment showed a remarkable ability to see herself objectively. She was the type who supported from behind the scenes, and she truly excelled at mediating with those around her.

"However, if the goal is to maintain and preserve the system you've built until now, I believe I'm the best fit to be Aub of Ehrenfest as it stands. Melchior or the baby who will be born soon may become an Aub who excels at development. In the meantime, I want to fill the role of a transitional figure until they're grown, and afterward, I'd like to remain in a supporting position. Will you support me, Sister?"

Seeing Charlotte's clear-eyed understanding of her own strengths and weaknesses and her wish to maintain the Ehrenfest I had transformed, I nodded firmly.

"The voices among Ehrenfest's adults resistant to change were so loud that I couldn't take confidence in what I had done. But hearing you say you want to maintain it makes me happy. I'll support your choice, Charlotte. ...Though, couldn't you serve as the First Wife of an upper-ranked territory? Are you sure you want to remain in Ehrenfest?"

Aiming to be the transitional figure until the next Aub capable of driving growth was born was no easy task. There would be mountains of headaches—having to take a husband, the hostility from the Laisgang-line nobles—enough to make anyone want to throw in the towel. If Wilfried could be removed as next Aub, perhaps she would hold out until Brunhilde's child was born.

"For the next five years, I won't be able to marry anyone from outside the territory unless they come to us, so there will be an influx of people from other territories. By incorporating the customs and perspectives of multiple other territories, I want to build a foundation from which we can push back against the Laisgang-line nobles and tell them that your assertions are wrong."

With the former Veronica faction gone, the Laisgang-line voices were loudest right now, but Charlotte apparently wanted to gradually suppress them and shift Ehrenfest's thinking. For that purpose, having Charlotte—the lord candidate—take a husband from another territory would benefit the next generation.

"Besides, when I contracted for magic compression lessons, I agreed not to oppose you, Sister. That's why I think marrying and staying in Ehrenfest is the best option. If you become the King's adopted daughter, Ehrenfest will have royal backing, so there should be no cause for conflict. But if I married into another territory, who knows what that territory's position might be. The political upheaval that we can barely even imagine—it hasn't even been twenty years since then."

I hadn't expected the magic compression contract to come into play like this. A chill ran through me. I never intended to chain Charlotte to Ehrenfest. While I was fretting over my own short-sightedness, Charlotte gazed at me gently with a slightly troubled smile.

"I wanted to undergo magic compression even at the cost of a contract in order to increase my magic power. That was my choice, and it's nothing you need to trouble yourself over, Sister. Even if you dissolve your adoption with Father, even if the worst happens, please just believe that I am on your side. That's all that matters."

Charlotte's words brought me close to tears with happiness. Wilfried, who had been silently listening to Charlotte's speech, nodded as well.

"Ehrenfest has given you a great deal. Yet there is not much Ehrenfest can give you now that you're heading to the Central District. As backing from the royal family, it would be hopelessly meager. ...So at the very least, take with you the peace of mind of having an unconditional ally."

"Not just Charlotte—Brother Wilfried, will you be on my side too?"

I tilted my head as if to confirm, and Wilfried let out a soft laugh.

"Look at how I treated our uncle when he went to another territory. You, having gone to the Central District, would never do anything cruel to Ehrenfest. ...Though I suspect troubles will be pushed onto you."

"Oh my, Brother Wilfried. Please don't say such rude things. I am fully aware that I'm taking care of Ferdinand, who went off to Ahrensbach, but I have never caused you any trouble."

I was working hard to be useful, and this was how he spoke about me. I protested firmly. Wilfried shrugged with a weary "Good grief," then pointed straight at me.

"You're the only one who thinks that. I'm sure of it."

"It's you who's wrong, Brother Wilfried. I work hard not to cause Ferdinand any trouble."

"In precisely the wrong direction, no?"

Charlotte and Melchior burst out laughing, but nobody denied Wilfried's words.

...Grrgh. I-I'm doing fine, thank you very much.

"Speaking of misguided efforts—was there actually any need to keep your trip to the Central District a secret?"

"What do you mean?"

"Rumors of your going to the Central District are spreading everywhere."

"Wha!?"

During the lord's conference, it came to light that other territories had pushed for appointing me as High Priest of the Central Temple. The royal family had summoned the Aub couple and made a proposal. I declined, but a follow-up meeting had been held without retainers present. Then, after returning to Ehrenfest, a meeting was held with only the lord's family remaining. The Temple had begun expedited handovers.

From all of this, people had apparently deduced that a royal decree must have been issued to make me High Priest of the Central Temple.

"It wasn't in the lord's conference report, so I was surprised when I first heard about it. At the same time, a certain concern came to mind, and I wanted to confirm it with you. ...You're not going to be made High Priest of the Central Temple after you become the King's adopted daughter, are you? I've heard stories about temples in other territories at tea parties and such, and they seem vastly different from Ehrenfest's Temple."

Wilfried spoke with a worried look on his face, and I shook my head.

"I may tour the facility, but I don't think I'll be entering the Temple as High Priest. I already told Prince Sigiswald upfront that if they're going to make me High Priest, they should do the same for all the other royals."

Wilfried and Charlotte exchanged a glance, then looked at me hesitantly.

"Y-you... Even though you haven't even officially become the King's adopted daughter yet, you made a demand like that of Prince Sigiswald?"

When I nodded, Wilfried groaned, "This is exactly why I hate being around Rozemyne," and Charlotte searched for words for a long moment before smiling gently and saying, "Well, it would be best if you became the King's adopted daughter soon, Sister, so you don't get into trouble for disrespect."

"That disrespectful? In Ehrenfest, the Aub and the lord's family go in and out of the Temple to perform religious services, so I thought it was only natural to expect the same of the royal family. I even suggested that it would be better for a healthy royal—rather than a frail me—to become High Priest and carry out the rites. Was that really that bad?"

"No ordinary noble would ever say such a thing!"

"Prince Sigiswald certainly was surprised. He had no idea what I was thinking until I told him, so I don't regret saying it at all."

Wilfried slumped his shoulders and said, "I sympathize wholeheartedly with Prince Sigiswald, who is engaged to you," but I had no idea what he meant by that. When I glared at him, Wilfried turned to Melchior and began lecturing him.

"When it comes to religious rites and studying, you may use Rozemyne as a role model. But for social conduct and common sense, you must never use her as your standard. Even our uncle couldn't keep up with her. There's no way we could handle it. People have their strengths and weaknesses. You should emulate the good qualities of others. Understood?"

Melchior listened to Wilfried's words with a serious expression, nodding.

"Sister Rozemyne is amazing at everything, but she does have her weak points too. I was feeling down because I kept failing at the same things she could do. I feel a little relieved now."

"Melchior, Rozemyne is good as a goal to aim for. If you think you have to do exactly the same things she does, it'll only suffocate you and destroy your confidence."

"I couldn't do the same things as Sister either, and I lost confidence as a lord candidate for a time. It's a path all of us siblings go through at least once."

Melchior listened to Wilfried's advice and Charlotte's personal account with a look of relief, as if thinking, "So it wasn't just me." I felt a little jealous that the three of them understood each other so well.

"Please don't leave me out."

"Leave you out? ...You have a teacher who is wildly outside the bounds of common sense and beyond all convention. What would you know about the hardship and setbacks of having such an abnormal sibling?"

"I do have a teacher who's wildly outside the bounds of common sense! I've had my hardships too!"

I pleaded to be let into the group, and Wilfried and Charlotte exchanged looks.

"Uncle and you are both so far outside the bounds of convention that I'd say you're cut from the same cloth."

"Did Sister really experience any setbacks when she could keep up with Uncle's brutal lectures with a straight face?"

"Since Uncle and Sister Rozemyne are fellow rule-breakers, you're not being left out."

...Don't group me with him! I want to be part of the siblings' circle!

As I was lamenting with a dramatic groan, an ordanz flew in. Everyone stuck their arms outside the table to keep it from landing on the tea and sweets. The ordanz alighted on my arm.

"It's Hartmut. The elder nobles of the Laisgang faction have stormed the castle, demanding to know what it means to send Lady Rozemyne to the Central District. They may have been lying in wait for the Aub's absence. Florentia will be meeting them alone shortly, but... you were caught off guard? It doesn't seem good."

I glared at the ordanz as it repeated Hartmut's words three times and reverted to a yellow magic stone. Wilfried growled, "Lying in wait for Father's absence to come protest to Mother..." Since the Adoptive Fathers had stopped in Laisgang on their way to Ahrensbach, the elders had come knowing full well they would be absent.

I took out my staff, tapped the yellow magic stone lightly, and chanted, "Ordanz."

"Hartmut, please investigate who informed the Laisgang-line nobles about the lord's conference. Someone must be stirring up the Laisgang faction's behavior."

With a flick of my staff, the white bird flew off toward Hartmut. Wilfried, who had been glaring at the ordanz as it vanished into the wall, rose to his feet in fury.

"I'm going to Mother's side."

"Yes, Brother Wilfried. Let us handle this instead. The Laisgang-line nobles are bad for the baby in any case."

I too slid off my chair. Wilfried nodded, then turned his gaze to Charlotte and Melchior, who were flustered and uncertain about what to do.

"Charlotte and Melchior, take Mother to a separate room and keep her away from the Laisgang. I will drive them off with Rozemyne."

"...Are you sure, Brother? You must have endured so many unpleasant things from them before. And considering how we'll need to deal with the Laisgang-line nobles going forward..."

Wilfried lightly patted the shoulder of Charlotte, who was voicing her worries with an anxious expression.

"Charlotte, I am no longer the next Aub. I have no need to win their cooperation, and there's no reason to endure their abuse. I will stand in the line of fire, so use this as an opportunity to think about how to protest to Giebe Laisgang and win their cooperation. That's more your forte, isn't it?"

"Brother..."

While Wilfried was explaining the division of roles to Charlotte and Melchior, I deactivated the eavesdropping-prevention magical tool and called for my retainers. When they came in, asking what the matter was, I informed them of the visit from the Laisgang-line elders.

"Leonore, please inform Mother, Giebe Laisgang, and Grandfather. And Angelica—assemble every guard knight assigned to the lord candidates."

"Yes!"

The retainers and guard knights who had been waiting in the separate room and in their own quarters began gathering in a flurry. I told the wide-eyed Melchior and Charlotte to follow along, and Wilfried extended his hand to me.

"Let's go, Rozemyne. I won't let them run amok while Father is away."

"Yes, Brother Wilfried. Even though the purges have eliminated their political enemies, they've gotten a bit too full of themselves and arrogant. For the sake of the future, let's take this opportunity to put them firmly in their place."

I grinned and took Wilfried's hand.

"They need to learn that the Laisgang princess they propped up is the scariest one of all."

"What do you mean!?"

Charlotte's declaration of resolve.

Wilfried, letting the tension leave his shoulders.

Melchior, a little anxious about the handover.

And Rozemyne, raring to bring down the hammer on the Laisgang.

Next up: the Laisgang elders.