The Dress Debut and Rewards

Life at the castle is comfortable.

When I wake up in the morning, I read until breakfast time.

Unlike the Temple, mornings here are relaxed, so I can make decent headway in my reading. The early bird catches the worm, after all.

After breakfast, I join Wilfried and the knights' training. To build up my stamina, I move my body just enough not to collapse. Under Eckhart's watchful eye, we start with radio calisthenics, and by the time those are done, I'm already quite exhausted.

"That's all you're doing, Rozemine?"

"...When I do it seriously, it's incredibly tiring, 'radio calisthenics' is."

Unfazed by the astonished stares around me, I then walk around the training ground until practice is over. Even if he says it's "just this," I'm already completely spent.

When the third bell rings, training ends. I move to Wilfried's room, and we attend the morning lessons together. Wilfried has gotten somewhat proficient at reading, writing, and arithmetic, so geography and history have quietly been added to the curriculum without me noticing.

"That's not fair, Brother Wilfried! I want to read new books too, but you're finishing them before me!"

Wilfried had been ahead in geography and history, but I caught up in two days, and now it was Wilfried who sulked.

"How does Rozemine remember everything so easily!? I struggled so much!"

"That's because I've been running all over the territory during the Harvest Festival and the Dedication Ritual. The tax collectors told me all about the various local specialties during tax collection, so I already knew."

"Hmph!" and "Grr!" — the two of us grumble at each other while we study.

In history, we're currently studying the period from when Sylvester and Wilfried's ancestors became lords. This is quite enjoyable. Our family has been the lords of Ehrenfest for seven generations with Sylvester. Apparently, the history spans over two hundred years.

After finishing the morning studies, it's lunchtime. I eat with Wilfried.

In the afternoon, there's Fespill practice, after which Wilfried studies while I do sewing. I'm made to do embroidery and lace knitting. Apparently, I need to start making my own bridal trousseau now.

"Rihyarda, if I'm not getting married, I won't need these, will I?"

"Your Ladyship! What are you saying!? Of course you'll be getting married!"

"...Right."

I'd merely grumbled out of boredom with sewing and embroidery, but Rihyarda thoroughly scolded me.

After a few days, I gave up even grumbling and started diligently knitting lace. I whispered to myself that I wished I had Turi's or my mother's skill.

When the fifth bell rings, it's free time.

Wilfried apparently got permission from his parents before they went out, and he often goes to see his younger siblings. I've been invited to come along by Wilfried before, but according to Rihyarda, since I'm not a full-blood sibling, I wouldn't get permission.

"I'll be going to the Library, so Brother Wilfried, why don't you read picture books to your siblings?"

I told Wilfried that and hurried off to the Library. I spend blissful hours among the vast collection of books there. But the blissful time is always short. It passes in the blink of an eye.

When the sixth bell rings, Rihyarda pries me away from my books and it's time for dinner.

After dinner, Wilfried and I head off to supply Magic Power. Apparently, it's better after the civil officials have left.

Bonifatius is waiting in the lord's office, and we perform the Magic Power supply. However, only Wilfried and I actually supply it. Bonifatius only assists with Wilfried's Magic Power supply.

He said that someone needs to conserve Magic Power as acting lord.

After the Magic Power supply, I bathe, then read until Rihyarda scolds me with "It's time for bed, Your Ladyship!"

That is my weekday routine.

On Earthdays, there are no studies, no training, and nothing else. Apparently, I can do whatever I like. Quite different from the Temple, where life goes on as usual.

However, that doesn't mean I can just read.

On Earthdays, Angelica returns from the Noble Academy, and I borrow one of the rooms in the main building to hold a study session, checking on her progress.

"Angelica, how's the remedial course going?"

"I passed about eighty percent. Just a little more."

She seems to be studying hard every day and steadily increasing her passing scores. Angelica has gained a bit of confidence too, her smile brighter than before.

"Thanks to you, Lady Rozemine, I feel like I might actually graduate."

Apparently, Angelica had been on the verge of expulsion because she was terrible at classroom instruction.

My guard knight had been in even more danger than I'd imagined.

Then Daimuel and Brother Cornelius show Angelica what she needs to learn next and break it down into easy-to-understand pieces.

"Daimuel, you're quite good at teaching."

"It's only classroom work I can do. Besides, it's thanks to having this much material."

Daimuel points to the materials Brother Cornelius brought. They were lecture-related materials that Brother Cornelius had borrowed from Brother Eckhart.

Daimuel had been teaching Angelica and Brother Cornelius using notes jotted down from memory and on wooden tablets. However, the other day, when Daimuel and Brother Cornelius were studying military strategy while doing gießen in the knights' dormitory, Brother Eckhart happened to pass by and provided them with materials from his Noble Academy days.

"It's remarkable that the family had the financial resources to preserve this much material."

Daimuel slumped his shoulders, saying that parchment was too precious to use for lecture notes, so he couldn't buy any. Apparently, Daimuel would carve important points into wooden tablets, then sand them down and rewrite new ones after each test.

Because of this, almost no materials from his Noble Academy days remained.

"Angelica, let's do our best."

"Yes! I will absolutely receive Lady Rozemine's Magic Power!"

One day during this routine, an orductor flew in from Mother. She had contacted the Gilberta Company, and a date for the fitting had apparently been decided.

That day, I would host a tea party under my own name, gathering noblewomen from Mother's faction to debut the new dress ahead of time. With my adoptive mother absent, it was apparently expected that I take the initiative in hosting tea parties at the castle.

I've been preparing for the tea party while consulting Rihyarda and Mother, but my reading time has been steadily decreasing.

Shoulders slumping, I wrote invitations, checked that nothing was missing for the tea party, consulted with Ella and Hugo about sweets, and acquired the essential noble lady skill of hosting a tea party. ...I'd rather have books.

My sacrifice of reading time paid off, and the day of the tea party-cum-fitting debut arrived.

That morning, guided by Norbert, Corina along with several tailors, Benno, and Otto arrived. The room next to the tea party room — from which the spring garden is visible at a glance — was set up as the fitting room for the day.

"Lady Rozemine, the members of the Gilberta Company have arrived."

"Please let them in."

Brigitte, my mother, and I stand in a row, with Rihyarda behind us. In front of them, the members of the Gilberta Company lined up and knelt. At the front was Benno, followed by Otto and Corina, with the tailors behind them.

"Lady Rozemine, Lady Elvira, we are deeply grateful for the invitation to the castle."

After Benno's greeting as representative, he turned to Otto, saying, "Allow me to introduce the next shopkeeper."

Otto, who had been standing behind Benno, moved to kneel beside Benno. His movements reminded me of Fran, making it clear just how strictly he'd been trained in my absence.

"May the blessing of pure flowing waters from the Water Goddess Flutrene guide our meeting. ...It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Otto, who will be shouldering the future of the Gilberta Company. I look forward to working with you."

...Ah, right. From Rozemine's perspective, this is our first meeting.

"Let me give you my heartfelt blessing. May the blessing of the Water Goddess Flutrene be upon the Gilberta Company."

I infused my ring with Magic Power and gave my blessing. A soft green light spread outward.

Perhaps it was his first time receiving a blessing from a noble, or perhaps he didn't truly believe I could give one, but Otto looked at me with a faintly surprised expression.

I explained the day's plan to Benno and Corina. First, when the tea party begins, Brigitte will stand beside me wearing last year's dress as I give my greeting. Then I'll announce that a new dress is being made and lead her to the fitting room.

There, Corina and the others will change Brigitte into the new dress, and she'll reappear wearing the fitting-stage garment. The difference should be quite obvious.

"So, we should wait in this room, correct?"

"Yes, please prepare so she can be changed quickly, and wait here. Benno and Otto, once Brigitte comes in, please come to the tea party room. You can pitch your products then."

In the wooden boxes Benno and Otto had brought, I could see not only hair ornaments but also Rishan vases. They could pitch their wares during Brigitte's outfit change.

"Perhaps we should also announce at the tea party that the Gilberta Company and the Plantan Company have separated."

"I would appreciate that."

Noblewomen had gathered for the tea party, and several female knights closely associated with Mother's faction were also present. I stood alongside Mother and Brigitte, welcoming our guests.

"Welcome, everyone."

I greeted everyone, offered sweets, and drank tea. As the host, I had to drink first before anyone else would feel comfortable picking up a cup.

Ella's sweets were well-known, and many noblewomen had apparently been looking forward to today's tea party.

"Your Ladyship's cook is truly skilled. Everything is a kind of sweet I've never had before."

"Oh my, these are the sweets I had at Lady Elvira's tea party."

"Mother and my adoptive mother were given the recipes as a special courtesy."

"Ho ho ho," "fufufu" — the tea party began on a warm note.

"Why, isn't this quatre-quarts? I love them and eat them often."

"When I was still at the Temple, Gustav and his granddaughter Frieda helped me, so I gave them the recipe as thanks. Gustav's cook is incredibly talented and creates many new flavors. I myself look forward to receiving Gustav's quatre-quarts."

"Oh my! Is that so?"

Moving from table to table, I tried to speak with everyone as equally as possible. After making my rounds, it was time for the main event.

"Today, I have a dress I would like everyone to see."

I called Brigitte to stand beside me. Then I announced that the current fashion didn't suit her, so a new dress was being made.

"Today, we'll be doing a fitting of the new dress. I'd like all of you to think about what would make her look even more beautiful."

Then I led Brigitte to the fitting room next door. I confirmed that everything was ready for an immediate change and gave a nod.

"Corina, I'll leave the rest to you. Ottilie, please let me know when Brigitte is ready. Benno, Otto, let's go."

"Understood."

Taking Benno and Otto, who carried their goods out of the fitting room, I told everyone that the Gilberta Company was originally a shop dealing in clothing, and that the Plantan Company had been established as an independent business focusing mainly on textbooks and books.

"I sponsored them and gave them the Plantan name. I intend to continue having them produce textbooks and books."

Having steered the conversation that way, discussions about studying began at the tea party. Apparently, young children were quickly learning letters and arithmetic with Rozemine-brand teaching materials, and their older brothers and sisters were studying out of competitive spirit.

"Those cards taught him to read so quickly that the tutor was thoroughly amazed."

"Oh, at your house too? Could it be Lady Rozemine's influence after all?"

"Everyone enjoyed it and competed with each other, so perhaps that motivated them. I'm making new picture books, so if you're interested, I'd be delighted if you'd purchase them around the time of the Star Binding ceremony or at the next winter social season."

Smiling pleasantly, I pitched the Plantan Company and Gilberta Company while making my rounds among the tables.

"Oh yes, Cornelius has been quite studious lately. That boy who used to say he just needed to scrape by with the minimum for a higher noble was earnestly reading and summarizing military strategy books. He's been doing gießen with Lord Karstedt and asking Eckhart about what they learn at the Noble Academy."

Mother glanced at me and said, "I wonder why he suddenly became so studious."

"I think having a good rival makes people try harder because they don't want to lose. It seemed especially strong among men."

Smiling, I offered that as a general observation.

I couldn't very well say that my guard knights had banded together as the "Angelica Grade-Raising Squad" and were taking on remedial course prep as a unified effort.

Nor could I say that Daimuel, who's stationed at the Temple with me, had no time to prepare for Earthdays when Angelica returns, so the task had fallen heavily on Brother Cornelius at the castle.

And I certainly couldn't say that I'd promised to give them one unpublished recipe if they could get Angelica to pass by summer, which was why they were so fired up.

I just smiled and deflected.

"Oh my, that hair ornament is the same one Lady Rozemine is wearing."

"Yes, I always order my hair ornaments from the Gilberta Company. They can be used not only in hair but also as dress decorations."

As I said, "If you're interested, please feel free to place an order," and left Benno and Otto there, I hurried to the fitting room.

"Corina, do we have extra hair ornaments?"

I called out to Corina, who was near Brigitte — almost finished dressing — and adjusting the back of the outfit.

"Of course I prepared extras, but what do you need?"

"I'd like you to remove the flower parts and attach several to Brigitte's dress as decorations. ...Here, on this gathered part of the waist fabric, like this."

I picked up two hair ornaments and held them against Brigitte's dress. After blinking several times, Corina quickly nodded.

"Understood. I'll get started right away."

"...Corina, I'm sorry for making such a rushed demand."

When I said that I must have pushed her quite hard, Corina smiled softly and shook her head.

"I expected something like this — my brother told me it might happen, so I was prepared. The one who really had it tough was Otto, who was told to pass Fran's training by today."

Apparently, when Benno had hinted to Mother that I was making a new dress, he'd been bracing himself for exactly this kind of rush.

"Lady Rozemine, this is for you. My brother asked me to pass it along."

I read the letter from Benno that Corina handed me. Though he used the polite expressions appropriate for addressing a noble, the gist was: "When incorporating something new, groundwork is essential, you idiot." ...Thank you. That was a great help.

While I read the letter, Corina removed the flowers from the comb and sewed them onto the dress.

"Lady Rozemine, how does this look?"

"It's lovely. Corina, everyone, thank you for your hard work. Ottilie, is the tea ready?"

"Yes, Your Ladyship."

I had Corina and the others rest for a while, and Brigitte and I returned to the tea party room.

"Thank you all for waiting. Here is the new dress. Don't you think she looks quite different from before?"

I led Brigitte around to each table just as before. A murmur of surprise rose from the guests. The female knights were leaning forward slightly, clearly very curious about Brigitte.

"Oh my, oh my, oh my, Lady Rozemine was right — the change is remarkable! Compared to her previous outfit, she looks so much more feminine."

With Mother's astonished voice leading the way, everyone began praising Brigitte's transformation in a chorus.

Unlike the current fashion that gave an awkward impression, the new dress with its clean lines down to the waist looked wonderfully feminine. All of that was thanks to the toned body from training and the beautiful curves of her ample figure.

"Brigitte has a tall, solid build, so I kept the upper body sleek and used plenty of fabric below."

I also explained that, as an additional consideration, I'd used lighter fabric for ease of movement as a knight and made the sleeves detachable so she could move her shoulders freely.

"Perhaps the sleeves should be attached a bit higher?"

"Yes, the sides could probably be taken in a bit more as well."

I received opinions suggesting that the sleeves should start from around the upper arm rather than above the elbow, and that the sides near the underarm area should be taken in more to conceal the undergarment section made of magic stones.

I answered that I would incorporate these suggestions into the final sewing as we went around to other tables for more input.

"Brigitte, it suits you wonderfully. I wonder if I should have a similar dress made next year?"

A female knight who seemed to be Brigitte's colleague examined the dress with keen interest. She apparently had a similar build to Brigitte's and was just as fed up with the current fashion that didn't suit her.

"Wouldn't it be better not to over-embellish the upper body? If you showed an unadorned neckline, gentlemen might gift you magic stones. Fufu."

"Oh, stop teasing me like that."

Brigitte pouted her lips. She seemed to be a senior female knight of Brigitte's. Seeing Brigitte like this was quite rare.

As I watched intently, the female knight caught herself and composed her expression.

"Lady Rozemine, thank you for this beautiful dress. Surely some gentleman will now be captivated by Brigitte."

"One already has been. Though I'm told he doesn't count as a prospect for Brigitte."

Remembering Daimuel, whom I had been captivated by, I said that, and she raised the corner of her lips with an amused grin.

"Lady Rozemine, shall we move on?"

Prompted by Brigitte, we headed to the next table, where a young lady let out a delighted voice upon seeing the flower ornaments on Brigitte's dress.

"So these flowers aren't just for hair — they can be used to decorate dresses like this too! How lovely."

I'd heard that up until now, embroidery was the standard for decoration, and three-dimensional ornaments were limited to fresh flowers.

"Do you accept orders for just the ornaments?"

"Of course, we do. Benno, Otto, she'd like to use hair ornament flowers as dress decorations like this — please hear her out."

"Understood."

Benno immediately came over with a gentle smile to take the order.

The young lady next to her gazed at Brigitte's dress with envy and sighed.

"Oh, I want a new dress now too. Lady Rozemine, could you introduce me as well?"

"...I could, but I think the current fashion actually suits you. This dress was designed for someone the current fashion doesn't suit. Since the current trend suits you, I'm not sure this dress would work for you."

She was a petite, slender young lady. A dress with American sleeves would honestly make her look rather plain. She'd need quite a bit of padding, especially in the chest area.

"You become attractive by concealing your flaws and emphasizing your strengths. It's not about something being new — what matters is whether it suits you."

"...Lady Rozemine, would you design a dress that suits me too?"

A slightly plump young lady murmured while quietly pressing on her stomach.

"Everyone needs a dress tailored to their body type. Perhaps you could discuss with a tailor how to best conceal your flaws and have one made."

As a preliminary suggestion, I proposed an off-shoulder design to show off a beautiful neckline, with different colors and materials for the bodice and skirt portions. Using a dark color for the upper body and lighter tones for the lower half to add volume would make the waist appear slimmer by comparison.

"You're too kind. I'll discuss it with my personal tailor."

Brigitte's dress had been largely well-received.

Emphasizing that no matter how trendy something is, you shouldn't force yourself to wear what doesn't suit you, I led Brigitte back to the fitting room.

Then I relayed the suggestions that had been raised to Corina, who made the adjustments.

And so, the debut intended to win acceptance of the new dress was successfully completed.

When the end of spring was approaching, a letter of profound gratitude arrived from Angelica's parents announcing that "she will resume her duties as a guard knight starting tomorrow," letting me know that Angelica had passed all her lectures and returned from the Noble Academy.

"That's wonderful."

"Her hard work has finally paid off."

When I told them that Angelica had passed her remedial courses and returned, Daimuel and Brother Cornelius clenched their fists, trembling with emotion.

Having worked desperately with the slow-to-learn Angelica, their sense of relief must have been all the greater. It was like a homeroom teacher watching their student reach graduation.

Brigitte already had a dress being made, so I decided to reward Daimuel and Brother Cornelius.

For Daimuel, I gave him one small gold coin as promised.

"Thank you, Lady Rozemine. With this, I can pay back my brother."

Daimuel clenched his fist in delight. I felt a cold sweat trickle down my back.

...That debt — it was for the Shrine Maiden outfit made for my ceremony, wasn't it?

Because I'd become High Priest so quickly, the dress I'd had made ended up almost never being worn. What a waste — I think I'll have it remade into a different dress someday.

...Maybe I should give Daimuel something else too? He worked so hard just to pay off a debt. That's too pitiful.

Even thinking that, nothing immediately came to mind.

Sighing, I handed Brother Cornelius a piece of paper with a recipe written on it.

"Brother Cornelius, this recipe is for you."

"...Mont Blanc? What's this?"

"It's a sweet made with tannier nut cream."

I knew Brother Cornelius liked tannier, a nut similar to chestnuts, so I thought he'd be pleased to learn how to make chestnut cream.

"Tannier cream? Wouldn't that be delicious inside a crepe?"

"Yes, I think so. Putting both whipped cream and tannier cream inside would make it even more delicious."

When I nodded, Brother Cornelius's face broke into a wide grin, and he immediately clutched the recipe, saying he'd give it to the head cook right away.

"You can't do that right away. Tannier only comes in autumn, doesn't it?"

"I can't wait until autumn! What should I do, Rozemine!?"

Brother Cornelius's passionate question left me speechless. Even if he said he couldn't wait, tannier simply wasn't available this time of year.

"Um, well..."

"How cruel! Leaving me hanging like this!"

He stared at me with tears in his eyes, and I racked my brain.

"W-Well, even if tannier cream isn't possible this season, couldn't you adapt it and use another flavor of cream? A cream using a spring flavor that Brother Cornelius likes..."

"That's it!"

Brother Cornelius clutched the recipe with delight. Tonight, he planned to hand it to the head cook and have something made immediately.

"Tomorrow, let's also pour Magic Power into Angelica's as a reward."

"I'm looking forward to seeing how the magic sword changes too."

Brigitte smiled warmly.

That was the debut of the fitting. It turned out longer than I expected.

And Angelica has successfully passed. She'll finish her remedial courses and return.

Next time: Angelica's magic sword.