"Shall we be heading out soon, Lady
I left the room with
"Is something wrong, Lady Rozemyne?"
Yudette looked at me curiously, and I told her that the battles and the people dying before my eyes came flooding back, and that I was afraid of the magic stones. Yudette's eyes went wide, while Damuel's face turned bitter.
"Lieselleta was quite worried about the Ordinance's magic stone being dropped, but if the situation is like that, you should inform the attendants. It's miserable to see
"Damuel, isn't that something we haven't told Lady Rozemyne yet? She should rest for a night, recover from her fatigue, and then..."
"But the mindset of comforting a lord who has grown tired from fighting in distant lands is entirely different from the mindset of looking after a lord who is experiencing special discomfort caused by battle. If the lord wishes to be informed, shouldn't we inform her?"
Damuel and Yudette went back and forth. It seemed to be something they would report to me later, but based on Damuel's reaction, I figured it would be better to hear it now.
"Damuel, please tell me."
If I was too afraid of magic stones to summon my riding beast, then I had no choice but to walk to the conservatory. As it happened, that meant I would arrive at a leisurely pace after all. While walking toward the conservatory, I listened to what Damuel had to say.
"Lady Rozemyne, while it was prompted by Lord
...I was not.
I'd done it to calm my grandfather's rampage, which saved those around me, but normally the report to the Aub should have taken priority. Grandfather and my attendants, through a desperate measure, had my adoptive father join as a participant to gloss over the matter of who should report first.
"Lord Bonifatius was in high spirits and talking away, and even the tight-lipped Aub began telling the story of his own battles. From the outside, it appeared to be proceeding smoothly. But then, Lady Rozemyne abruptly interrupted the Aub's story, stood up from your seat, and insisted that the fitting schedule had to be decided right then."
I had rushed away because I was driven by fear of the magic stones, but those around me couldn't have known that. Without any signal to the attendants, without even a farewell to the others at the table, I stood up with a clatter of my chair, cutting the Aub's story off mid-sentence, and then began complaining to the attendants about the fitting schedule. At least, that was how it apparently looked to everyone else.
...Oh no. How incredibly rude.
"Lord Ferdinand's words made me realize there might be factors beyond mere fatigue, but it was too late. If I had at least been informed beforehand that I would feel unwell upon seeing the magic stones, Lord Ferdinand would not have maneuvered Lord Bonifatius into sharing battle stories, and Lieseleta could have taken different measures. But since I had experienced Ditter trials multiple times at the Noble Academy and had even lured
If I had simply fainted, they could have carried me out, but instead I used the excuse of needing a costume fitting and headed to my adoptive mother and
"Lady Rozemyne has become so skilled at putting on a good front that this sudden departure appeared to the Aub and Lord Bonifatius's retainers as an extremely rude, eccentric act."
After I left, Lieseleta, who had stayed behind to manage Grandfather and his retainers, was apparently told that "Lady Rozemyne was feeling anxious and believed the attendants had made such poor arrangements that her outfit still wasn't ready, to the point where she felt compelled to bring it up to the Aub at a banquet."
...Lieselleta was told that kind of thing?
"Since Lord Ferdinand was worried enough about your condition to voice concern, the Aub and Lord
I had been so focused on escaping my fear of magic stones that I hadn't given a single thought to how my adoptive father and grandfather were doing after I left. I hadn't considered how much trouble it would cause the attendants left behind. I was unfit to be a lord.
"I must apologize to Lieseleta."
"Lady Rozemyne. If you could, please praise her instead. While I was arranging the conservatory, Lieseleta was apparently negotiating with Lord Ferdinand to see if the fitting could be done at the Library instead, since it couldn't be done at the castle, and contacting the
Yudette told me this while saying, "This was supposed to be reported after morning..." It seemed Lieseleta had been running around trying to fulfill my wishes.
"She also pointed out that it wouldn't be appropriate for Lady Rozemyne to go to Lord Ferdinand's lodgings alone, so she was considering inviting Lady Hannalore and Lady Heissitz as well, to see if she could present hair ornaments as a thank-you gift."
Given the current situation where I would likely end up marrying into royalty, I had to be mindful of appearances, or it would cause serious trouble later.
"But Lady Rozemyne, while we failed to notice the signs too,
Yudette pouted with dissatisfaction, and that was when the conservatory came into view.
The conservatory was a truly fantastical space. Large windows lined the walls, arranged to let in as much light as possible. The surprisingly bright moonlight poured down gently, and the white building itself seemed to emit a faint glow. Here and there, magical tools resembling small lit lamps were placed about, and flowers of every color bloomed in their radiance.
"It's beautiful..."
"This way, please, Lady Rozemyne."
Gretia, who had been preparing ahead of time, guided me to a table. True to its reputation as a space frequently used for women's gatherings during the winter social season, the conservatory had quite a generous amount of room for tables and chairs.
"Lady Hannalore has also left her room. Her guest quarters are in the main building, so she should be arriving shortly."
Gretia explained the tea she had prepared and went over the arrangements for when Hannalore arrived. Just as we were finishing our discussion, Hannalore appeared.
"Good evening, Lady Hannalore."
"Thank you so much for inviting me, Lady Rozemyne. I couldn't really fall asleep, so this makes me very happy. ...This conservatory is a truly lovely place."
Hannalore gazed around at the conservatory bathed in faint light, her eyes narrowing softly. She looked a bit haggard. Following the plan I'd discussed with Gretia, I invited Hannalore for a brief stroll through the conservatory. Meanwhile, Gretia would ask Hannalore's attendants which of the prepared teas she preferred and have it ready for her.
Click, clack—walking at a leisurely pace, I looked at the flowers and took deep breaths, inhaling their scent. The guard knights followed at a slight distance.
"This conservatory... actually, this is my first time inside. It's apparently used quite frequently during the winter social season, but I spend my winters in the nursery and at the Noble Academy, so I've never had occasion to come. With snow stretching endlessly beyond the windows, the flowers blooming in every color must be truly beautiful."
"Just imagining it is enough to make one swoon. What a shame I can't see them."
Looking at the flowers cultivated for ornamental purposes, Hannalore said, "There are quite a few flowers here that I don't see in Dunkelfelger." Dunkelfelger had a very different climate from Ehrenfest.
"Did you enjoy the banquet?"
"Yes. I was so surprised to learn that the person who writes those romance novels at the Noble Academy is your mother, Lady Rozemyne. I received a new book as well, and we had all sorts of wonderful conversations, so I truly had a lovely time."
Hannalore happily told me what she and my mother had talked about. Caught by her smile, I couldn't help but smile myself.
"What I spoke of will be made into a book next. A romance story modeled after you and Lord Ferdinand."
"I really don't think that's necessary. We should ask Mother not to write it..."
When I waved my hands in protest, Hannalore's shoulders drooped slightly and she murmured, "...Lady
"The fierce emotions that arise when faced with a reality that won't bend can all be sublimated into story. What a strong mother."
...Ah, I think I might have said something like that myself. When it was decided that Ferdinand would go to
Gretia and Hannalore's attendants called out to say the tea was ready, and by then we had been strolling slowly through the conservatory, having just that kind of conversation.
"The night air is still quite cold, so please, have some. It will warm you up."
I drank the tea Gretia had brewed. It was an herbal tea designed to help with sleep, with a little honey added to make it more palatable. When I took a sip, I could feel the warm liquid sliding from my mouth down to my stomach. I seemed to be colder than I had realized.
"Lady Hannalore, please take this..."
I handed Hannalore the magical tool to prevent eavesdropping. I didn't really want the retainers to hear what came next. Once I confirmed that Hannalore had gripped the tool in her hand, I opened my mouth.
"I am truly sorry about all of this."
"Lady Rozemyne?"
When I apologized, Hannalore blinked in confusion.
"I told the Aub of Dunkelfelger that it would be two bell-rings' worth of time. But it has already been three days. Besides, the original plan was simply to rescue Lord Ferdinand. We never intended for Dunkelfelger's volunteers to participate in the sweep of Lanzanave or in today's fierce battle. And on top of that, I ended up causing you to lose sleep with worry. I am so truly sorry."
"Um, but Lady Rozemyne, it was Lord Ferdinand who rallied the knights, and it was I who decided we should stay because the knights were dissatisfied, saying there was absolutely no resistance even though these were real Ditter trials. There is no need for you to blame yourself."
Hannalore said this while looking at me with a worried expression.
"You cooperated out of goodwill, and we achieved victory. In a public setting, I can express gratitude for Dunkelfelger's cooperation, but I should not offer apologies there. That is why, at least in a private setting, I wanted to express my apologies."
Hannalore had fought alongside Dunkelfelger's knights to defend Ehrenfest's foundation. If she was spending sleepless nights over it, then I owed her an apology.
"Thanks to Dunkelfelger's knights being there, we won the Battle of
"Lady Rozemyne, I've said it many times, but this was the choice we of Dunkelfelger made. Please stop indulging in that kind of regret. There is no knight who participates in a Ditter trial without resolve. If anything, I was the one who wanted to apologize to you and to the people of Ehrenfest."
Hannalore's face looked like she was about to cry as she said this, and then she slowly exhaled. I couldn't think of anything that warranted an apology from Hannalore, so I blinked just as she had moments ago.
"During the Battle of Gerlach, I must have been a terrible burden to everyone, didn't I? What I intended as a surprise attack actually ended up powering up the enemy... As a result, several Ehrenfest knights were killed. I was allowed to participate to redeem the honor of Ditter, but I was of no use. That weighs so heavily on my conscience... I feel so terrible toward the knights who died..."
I didn't know about it because I had infiltrated the Count's estate with
"The Dunkelfelger knights were fortunate. Right after they broke through the center and linked up with the Ehrenfest knights, Lady Rozemyne performed a large-scale healing. They had injuries, but since they no longer needed to take recovery medicine, they didn't have to remove the cloths from their mouths."
The priority had been recovering the Giebe knight order, which was already in tatters. Dunkelfelger's knights' recovery was put off, and since Lengschleme's healing alone couldn't restore their depleted magic power, the Giebe knights had pulled back to begin recovering. That was exactly why so many of the Giebe knights who had been taking the recovery medicine died from the instant-death poison.
"Normally, the ones who should be protected by Lady Rozemyne, an Ehrenfest archduke candidate, are the Ehrenfest knights. But instead, every Dunkelfelger knight came out unscathed, while only the Ehrenfest people suffered casualties. I feel so terrible..."
At Hannalore's words, I shook my head. No deaths at all would have been ideal, but of course, that was impossible. If that was the case, then I was glad that the Dunkelfelger knights—who originally had no need to fight—had suffered fewer casualties.
"Without Dunkelfelger's knights, neither the battle against Lanzanave nor the Battle of Gerlach would have been easily won. Lady Hannalore, please do not blame yourself. You helped both me and Ehrenfest tremendously. We are sincerely grateful."
As Hannalore folded her fingers on the table and quietly shed tears in a prayerful manner, I placed my hand over hers.
"Lady Hannalore, let us mourn the dead together. Please join me in offering a prayer to those who ascend to the lofty realm of the Supreme God with the coming of dawn."
Hannalore looked up at me in surprise.
"Pray together...? I was raised to believe that the death of a knight is nothing to grieve. They fell in battle to protect the land, to protect their lord, to protect their families and friends, to protect their convictions—it is the family's role to grieve for them, not the archduke candidate's. The role of the lord's family is to convey their bravery and nobility to the surviving bereaved, to praise them, and to provide generous compensation. ...And yet, is it truly alright for me to offer a prayer, when I am neither family nor acquaintance?"
"I don't know how things are in Dunkelfelger, but this is Ehrenfest. If you have the feeling to mourn the dead, that is enough."
I asked the guard knights to take us to the balcony on the second floor of the main building. In the cold air before dawn, which was beginning to turn slightly pale, I summoned my Stab and taught Hannalore the benediction for sending off the dead.
"O Supreme God who governs the vast and towering heavens, divine couple of darkness and light—"
Hannalore, along with her retainers who had accompanied us, summoned their Stabs and began to pray as well.
"Hear our prayers. Grant your blessings to those who journey toward the lofty realm. What we offer is a song of mourning. Grant your greatest protection to those who will not return."
From my Stab, light and darkness flew forth and rose toward the sky. From Hannalore's Stab, and from the retainers' Stabs as well, light of blessing soared upward.
"Lady Rozemyne, do you think my prayer reached the fields of Gerlach?"
"I believe it did."
"...Even though I prayed for them, it feels as though I am the one who received the blessing."
Hannalore smiled with a face that looked refreshed, as though the fog in her heart had cleared. Clang, clang—the first bell of Ehrenfest rang out across the land.
Damuel pointed out that I hadn't said enough to my retainers, and we made our way back to the conservatory.
Hannalore, too, had been tormented by thoughts of the battle and unable to sleep.
Together, we mourned the dead and took one step forward.
Nothing would really change, but it was something we needed in order to find peace of mind.
Next was the fitting at the Library.