Having set her sights on the fourth stage of magic compression,
"Lady
The one stuck keeping up with Angelica, who charges straight ahead once she finds a goal, is my brother
My brother Cornelius had already finished all his own classroom studies so he could accompany me on my library visits, and now only occasionally attended practical lectures. On top of escorting me to the library, he had taken on the role of teacher for Angelica and the knight apprentices, who studied in the multipurpose hall after breakfast and dinner.
"Cornelius, teaching Angelica must be tough, right? Are you holding up okay?"
"If it weren't for Lady Rozemyne's library visits, it would be a lot easier. Could you limit library trips to once every two days?"
He flashed me a smile and made that outrageous proposal. I flashed him a smile right back, shook my head, and decided to give my brother Cornelius as much encouragement as I could.
"After all, there are less than three weeks left before I return to Ehrenfest. I believe that if anyone can do it, Cornelius can. Please do your best."
"So you have no intention of moderating yourself, then?"
Brother Cornelius gave a helpless little shrug. His expression said he already knew anything he said would be wasted.
Upon hearing the word "moderate," I placed a hand on my cheek and tilted my head with a puzzled look.
"...Moderate? I vaguely seem to recall throwing that away quite a long time ago."
"Moderation is not the sort of thing you throw away! Please pick it back up."
At my brother Cornelius's immediate retort, I was reminded of
...Oh right, I need to get in touch with Benno and let him know that we'll probably need large quantities of Simple-chan Rinshan and Plant Paper. We'll also need to discuss whether we're going to sell the manufacturing methods.
While I was thinking I'd tell him as soon as I returned for the Dedication Ritual, my brother Cornelius cupped both my cheeks in his hands and squished them together.
"Lady Rozemyne, please don't suddenly zone out in the middle of a conversation and get lost in your thoughts. Listen to what people are saying until the end."
"Leathe me alone!"
I grabbed my brother Cornelius's wrists, but I couldn't pry free from the hands of someone training as a knight. If this kept up, my cute face would be completely squished.
As I struggled desperately to pull his hands away, my brother Cornelius's eyes gradually shifted from anger to amusement.
"Cornelius and Lady Rozemyne really do get along well as siblings, don't you?"
"This kind of exchange with Lady Rozemyne only started after we came to the
"Being able to have these little interactions with Cornelius is one of the nice things about the Royal Academy."
At the castle, we would have been reprimanded by those around us if we hadn't maintained stricter distance. The only reason we, who had interacted solely as a guard knight and the lord's adopted daughter, were able to close that gap was because we came to the Royal Academy. Even so, we still couldn't be said to have a fully sibling-like relationship.
As Leonore peered at us with great interest, I decided to casually steer the conversation toward romance for my brother Cornelius.
"Come to think of it, you need an escort for the Royal Academy graduation ceremony, right? I heard that if a woman doesn't have a partner, a relative attends on her behalf, but what about men? Cornelius, would your mother be your escort?"
As I said this while glancing toward Angelica, about whom there were marriage rumors involving my brothers, Leonore's indigo eyes lit up.
Brother Cornelius blinked at the sudden topic change, but dutifully gave me an answer.
"...That's right. You escort someone who is obviously not a candidate, like a mother or an aunt. If you ask a close-aged sister, people might mistake it for having a partner, which could affect marriage prospects."
"So asking a relative is the same for both men and women. Then, Cornelius, who will you be escorting?"
"Wha?! What are you suddenly going on about?!"
Brother Cornelius looked around and was visibly flustered.
"Could it be that you still don't have anyone? Will you find someone within the year? I heard Cornelius is quite popular, so shall I find someone and set things up for you?"
"There is no need for Lady Rozemyne to worry! I'll make my own arrangements."
...So he does have someone in mind.
As I nodded with an "oh ho," Leonore, beside me, lowered her eyes anxiously.
A few days after dragging my busy brother Cornelius along on my library visits, an invitation to a tea party arrived from
"The afternoon three days from now? Understood."
Since the invitation came from the large dominion of
Since the tea party was among women, Leonore and Eudith were assigned as my guards. Angelica, it turned out, would be studying to increase her magic power. Her ability to focus without looking sideways once she had made up her mind was refreshing.
Filine, too, her young-leaf-like eyes sparkling, declared, "I'll go gather information about the large dominion of Klassenberg," and dashed out of the dormitory.
Among all my overly eager retainers, Brunhilde's enthusiasm was by far the greatest, as she specialized in trendsetting.
"Lady Rozemyne, shall I portion out the Simple-chan Rinshan into smaller containers to bring? You made that arrangement with Lady Eglantine at the tea party with the music instructors, didn't you?"
"That's right, I suppose taking about one dose would be fine? Could you divide it into small bottles?"
"Certainly."
Starting with selecting the small bottles, Brunhilde carefully chose which of the three types of Simple-chan Rinshan to bring—something that wouldn't clash with the fragrance Eglantine wore—and packed it with great care. I couldn't remember at all what fragrance Eglantine had been wearing, though I did recall that it smelled nice.
"For the gift, shall we go with the honey-flavored quatre-quarts after all?"
At Lieselerte's question, I paused to think. The tea party with the instructors, Prince
"Wouldn't it seem unoriginal to bring the same gift every time? Or would it be better to bring the same thing and say 'This is Ehrenfest's top recommendation' for trendsetting purposes? What do people in the Central District think?"
At my words, Brunhilde also thought for a moment before raising her face with a look of realization.
"How about preparing both the honey-flavored one and the one with Ferijine flavor? If there's a standard that Lady Eglantine already likes and something a little different, I don't think she'd get the impression that it's always the same."
If we brought a flavor that was neither the plain one I gave to
For someone like me who can't gauge a person's preferences from their tea and fragrance choices, this was beyond my expertise. I could only marvel at Brunhilde's abilities and nod my approval.
When I nodded, Lieselerte smiled sweetly and said, "Then I'll make the arrangements."
After seeing Lieselerte off toward the kitchen, Brunhilde turned her gaze to
"Rosina, is the song for the
"I would like to take a little more time. Since we are presenting it as a gift, I would like it to be as good as possible. Perhaps it would be wise to consult once more with Prince Anastasius, who was the one who commissioned it?"
I had told her in the heat of the moment to dedicate it to Eglantine, but Prince Anastasius was the one who had originally commissioned it. It would probably be wise to consult him once. However, it was a dilemma whether to ask Prince Anastasius if he wanted to write the lyrics himself or to write them for him, since his love seemed likely to run out of control.
And so, the day of the tea party arrived, and I headed to the room where the large dominion of Klassenberg's tea party was being held.
The room for the tea party appeared to have several tables and matching chairs prepared, but since only one table would be used today, most had been moved to the back, and the space was partitioned off with folding screens bearing large paintings.
Ehrenfest's buildings typically left white sections exposed while decorating with cloths like tapestries, and most of the furniture was made of wood.
Klassenberg's interiors, however, were covered wall-to-wall with cloth embroidered with complex patterns, hung like wallpaper, and paintings were displayed everywhere as symbols of wealth. Much of the furniture was made of stone with marble-like patterns, and I could see how each dominion had its own distinct culture.
"We have been waiting for you, Lady Rozemyne."
Eglantine greeted me, her bright orange eyes softened with a gentle smile.
Today, Eglantine had her undulating golden hair—worthy of being compared to the Goddess of Light—styled in an elaborate half-updo and adorned with delicate lace. It was a trendy, intricately woven lace.
This lace for decorating hair had originally been created as part of bridal training, starting when a girl wore it to show off her skills to someone she liked. When that girl's romance bore fruit, the style spread through the Royal Academy like wildfire.
...Unlike me, Eglantine is truly impressive. She's on par with Turi, a professional.
For reference, my hair ornaments are all left to Turi. I used to make them myself in the beginning, but our skill levels are so far apart now that I can't bring myself to wear my own creations.
"Thank you for inviting me, Lady Eglantine."
"Ideally, I would invite my friends as well and introduce you, but today I have something I need to discuss with you in private. I'll arrange for friend introductions another time."
"What a kind sentiment."
Expanding one's social circle is the purpose of tea parties at the Royal Academy, but I'm more comfortable in smaller groups, so it wasn't an issue.
Brunhilde handed the gift to Eglantine's attendant, and two types of quatre-quarts were arranged on the table.
Eglantine and I drank the tea each of us had prepared, ate sweets, and offered them to each other.
"Lady Rozemyne, do these quatre-quarts come in many different flavors? The quatre-quarts I received from Prince Anastasius the other day had yet another flavor..."
Prince Anastasius had apparently been diligent about sharing with Eglantine. I wondered if that earned him at least a few points.
"That one is a quatre-quarts with Rumtopf, and this one contains Ferijine. Lady Eglantine, do you prefer the honey-flavored one after all?"
"I do like the honey-flavored one, but I also love the one with Ferijine. The refreshing, spreading flavor in the mouth is wonderful."
The Ferijine-flavored quatre-quarts also seemed to be well received by Lady Eglantine. I caught a glimpse of Brunhilde happily raising the corner of her lips just slightly at having chosen the Ferijine-flavored one.
"Also, this is the Simple-chan Rinshan for adding luster to your hair. My attendant Lieselerte will explain how to use it."
When I presented the small bottle to Eglantine, she opened the lid and slowly savored the fragrance. "What a lovely scent," she said, narrowing her eyes contentedly, and handed the bottle to her own attendant.
Lieselerte left the room to instruct Eglantine's attendant on how to use it. Eglantine, who had been watching with a smile, turned to face me.
"Lady Rozemyne, you competed in a
Prince Anastasius seemed to be using me as conversational fodder with Eglantine at every opportunity. Eglantine already knew almost everything about
"The magical tool matter happened through circumstance, and the ditter match was decided by a trick—it wasn't a matter of real skill. Honestly, I couldn't have beaten Dunkelfelger. Their knight apprentices were truly magnificent."
"My, Instructor Lueven was also full of praise for Lady Rozemyne's performance. He said he wants a rematch."
...I think I'll avoid Instructor Lueven.
"Lady Rozemyne, your Dedication Dance was also quite wonderful."
"It might just be an illusion because I'm small. If I truly did dance well, it's because I had watched Lady Eglantine's practice up close. I wanted to dance like Lady Eglantine, and so I did."
"...I'm truly glad Lady Rozemyne isn't a man. If someone stared at me during practice with such intensely devoted eyes and then paid me such compliments, I fear my heart would be easily swayed."
Eglantine said this as though embarrassed. Being told "You dance well" wasn't unusual, but apparently being told "I want to dance just like you" was a first.
...Should I tell Prince Anastasius about that? But then he'd probably get angry again about why it's always "the other one."
"Also, Lady Rozemyne, you've already finished all your lectures, haven't you? I heard about it when I consulted your attendant about the tea party schedule, and I was truly amazed."
"I've heard from my guardian that many students finish the lower-grade lectures early since they aren't that difficult."
...But even if he had heard that many finish early, the High Priest probably never expected me to finish everything in the first two weeks and be free to visit the library.
Thinking that, I remembered that the Dedication Ritual was approaching. My wonderful life of holing myself up in the library all day was coming to an end. How depressing.
"I had to rush to finish my lectures because I have business that requires me to return to Ehrenfest midway through."
"That's because Lady Rozemyne is the High Priestess of Ehrenfest's
"Yes, that's right. There is the Dedication Ritual."
While nobles who associated with the Temple tended to be looked down upon, there was no hint of disgust in Eglantine's orange eyes. If anything, she seemed interested. Was I imagining it, or was her gaze a little too serious for mere curiosity?
"What exactly do you do at the Dedication Ritual? Is it a Dedication Dance?"
"It's not a dance. It's a ceremony in which I fill the Small Holy Cup with magic power so that the lands of the territory can be saturated with it in the spring. Without this magic power, there would be a significant difference in the territory's harvest. It's an important ceremony for filling the territory with as much magic power as possible."
"So Ehrenfest has been continuously inheriting this ancient method, using the lord's child as High Priestess to fill the land with magic power. I'm truly impressed."
I had expected her to ask whether the magic shortage was so severe that the lord's child had to serve as High Priestess, so I blinked in surprise at her unexpected words. Eglantine lowered her gaze for a moment.
"I believe I mentioned that I had something to discuss with you, Lady Rozemyne. Would you mind if I used this?"
"Of course, I don't mind."
What Eglantine produced was a magical tool for preventing eavesdropping. I picked up the one placed in front of me.
"What I have to say is rather sensitive, and I'd rather my attendants didn't hear too much of it."
Eglantine's expression as she said this with a small smile seemed to me to be one of deep distress. Given how she had seized upon the topic of Temple events, Eglantine must have invited me to this tea party because she wanted to discuss matters related to the Temple.
"Lady Rozemyne, what kind of work do you do at the Temple?"
"To compensate for the magic shortage, I was ordered by the Aub Ehrenfest to enter the Temple, so performing ceremonies is my primary duty. Honestly, all other work is handled by others."
There was no need to bluntly mention that I also served as the orphanage director and workshop head. As I replied while thinking this, Eglantine listened with nods, and then her orange eyes brightened.
"To make up for the shortage of magic power... In that case, could I also enter the Temple?"
"Lady Eglantine wants to enter the Temple?!"
The Temple was avoided among the nobility—it was where children were dumped when a family couldn't afford to prepare magical tools, when it was determined that their family's magic power was insufficient, or when they wanted to isolate someone from noble society.
It might be strange coming from me, as the High Priestess, but wanting to enter the Temple was not normal behavior—especially not for someone like Eglantine.
"Why would you want to enter the Temple? Are you even aware of what kind of place it is?"
"I am, of course, well aware of how the Temple is regarded among nobles."
Saying this, Eglantine clasped her fingers tightly together in front of her chest.
"Lady Rozemyne, you must know... about my circumstances..."
"I only know what the music instructors told me—the broad strokes."
"I lost my family as a result of the power struggle. And yet, now Prince
I had heard that Eglantine was the daughter of the third prince during the political upheaval. According to the history lectures I received from the High Priest, the third prince had initially prevailed, but was killed by assassins dispatched by the first prince.
And then the large dominion of Klassenberg, which had been related to the third prince by marriage, was furious. They threw their support behind the fifth prince, and those who had backed the first prince aligned with the fourth, causing the political upheaval to escalate.
Having been in the eye of that political storm, I could understand all too painfully why Eglantine wanted to avoid any further upheaval.
"I completely understand your inability to choose either side, Lady Eglantine, given your desire to avoid the power struggle. But does the
"...I did inform him. But he dismissed it out of hand, saying it was out of the question for a noble to enter the Temple."
That was exactly why she wanted to hear from me, the High Priestess. She apparently hoped I might have some persuasive argument for entering the Temple. Unfortunately, I had nothing of the sort to offer her.
"It's only natural for the Aub Klassenberg to object. I'm well aware of how the Temple is scorned by nobles. Besides, wanting to enter the Temple now means you want to avoid marriage itself, doesn't it?"
I had entered the Temple to address the current dire magic shortage. My circumstances were completely different from those of the large dominion of Klassenberg, which had been the winner of the power struggle. Moreover, I was supposed to leave the Temple once I came of age so that I could marry. This was the exact opposite of what Eglantine wanted—entering the Temple to avoid marriage.
With the number of nobles declining, I couldn't imagine them ever approving Eglantine's entry into the Temple—someone with high magic power who had a strong likelihood of bearing magically gifted children.
"I'm also supposed to resign as High Priestess and marry once I come of age. I'm afraid I'm not a useful reference for you."
"...Is that so. I thought it was a wonderful solution—being able to use one's magic power for the territory while also escaping the power struggle."
Eglantine lowered her eyes sadly and let out a soft sigh.
"Apart from entering the Temple, is there really no other position where one cannot be married off to royalty?"
I tilted my head. Eglantine didn't necessarily want to enter the Temple—she just wanted to avoid becoming a catalyst for conflict. In that case, I thought she should look for alternatives beyond the Temple.
"If I could become the Aub Klassenberg, I could avoid it, but my cousin... rather, by relation, my nephew is already set to inherit."
She had also considered marrying into another dominion, but rejecting offers from royalty to marry elsewhere would create a bad impression with the royal family and cause trouble for the Aub Klassenberg.
"My grandfather—no, my adoptive father—seems to somewhat regret having taken me in as an adopted daughter to protect me. He feels he took away my position as a member of the royal family. That's why he hopes I will marry into royalty and regain my former status."
"I want peace and quiet more than that," Eglantine murmured.
"Then, Lady Eglantine, will you be asking a relative to be your escort for the graduation ceremony? In your current situation, you can't choose either side, can you?"
"...That's right. Unless I receive a direct order from the king or the Aub Klassenberg, I plan to ask a relative."
Eglantine smiled sadly as she said this.
...Ouch. Looks like it's not looking good for Prince Anastasius.
"Lady Rozemyne, my desire to enter the Temple is a secret, you know."
"Even if you told someone, I don't think anyone would believe it."
The idea that a Klassenberg candidate would try to persuade her family to let her enter the Temple was something even I wouldn't believe. Prince Anastasius would probably get angry, thinking, "Are you trying to defame Eglantine that way?"
After the serious discussion was over, we talked about Ehrenfest's trends. In addition to music, Eglantine was very interested in the Simple-chan Rinshan and hair ornaments, and she expressed a desire to adopt them in Klassenberg as well.
"I'll report it to the Aub Ehrenfest when I return for the Dedication Ritual. Shall I bring some Simple-chan Rinshan along discreetly then? ...It will be a product, so there will be a charge, though."
"Oh my, Lady Rozemyne. If Prince Anastasius hears about this, he'll sulk again."
Saying this with a cheerful laugh, Eglantine raised her index finger with a pop.
"...If it's discreet, then I have just one request. Please continue being friends with me, Lady Rozemyne."
My heartwarming time with brother Cornelius is my healing.
Eglantine knows that Rozemyne is acting under the prince's secret orders. It's mainly because she keeps getting asked the same questions. (lol) Next time: The report goes to the prince whose defeat is looking increasingly inevitable.