Side Story: Two Years in the Temple, Part 1

"My Magic Power won't move," Lady Rozemyne declared, and hurriedly immersed herself in the yuruéve. Now she lay quietly in the pale blue medicinal liquid, her hair still gently swaying beneath the surface.

The Chief Priest wiped his hands clean of the liquid, stood up, handed me the soiled towel, and opened the door. I cannot enter or leave the workshop alone, so I quickly followed the Chief Priest out.

The Chief Priest glanced once at the box where Lady Rozemyne slept, then carefully closed the door.

"With this, no one besides me can enter. Rozemyne is safe."

"Yes."

"Fran, if Rozemyne left any memos or letters, bring them to me. If there was anything Rozemyne planned to do this winter, I want to be aware of it."

"Understood."

I immediately retrieved from Lady Rozemyne's desk the letters addressed to various people, along with memos about plans going forward. Lady Rozemyne, wanting to make sure she wouldn't forget, always wrote her scheduled plans from the writing board onto paper and left them behind, so it was easy to find what she had intended to do.

Though it was only failed paper, I had initially been surprised at the lavish use of expensive paper for memos, but I was used to it now. Lady Rozemyne had said that writing on paper, rather than wooden tablets, felt the most natural.

As I was sorting Lady Rozemyne's letters into those for nobility, Temple affairs, and commoner contacts, an ordfnanz flew in. It conveyed that the culprit had been captured, then reverted to a yellow magic stone. The Chief Priest replied that he would return to the castle now and sent the ordfnanz back.

The Chief Priest immediately took the letters and memos meant for the nobility that I held out, and began walking toward the door.

"There are matters to attend to over there, so I won't return until the Dedication Ceremony. Leave the Temple's affairs to my attendant and the rest of you. Make good use of the blue priests and see that preparations for the Dedication Ceremony are completed."

"Understood."

The Chief Priest left at a brisk pace, and soon after, the other attendants arrived. They were clearly anxious about Lady Rozemyne having entered the workshop so abruptly.

"Fran, what did the Chief Priest say? Is Lady Rozemyne all right?"

Monica looked up at me with a worried expression. Nicola and Gil were also watching intently, waiting for my words.

"He said she will likely sleep for over a year. The poison she took was more burdensome to Lady Rozemyne's body than expected."

"No..."

Everyone looked on the verge of tears, but Lady Rozemyne, having fallen asleep, would not awaken for a very long time.

"I'll explain in detail tomorrow. It's already late tonight, so please go rest."

I sent the apprentices, who still looked unable to accept the situation, back to their respective rooms.

Then, as I was on night watch that day, I tidied up the room and wrote a letter to Lutz, who was in a position to explain things to Lady Rozemyne's commoner family and the Plantan Company.

The next day was spent entirely on explanations. Whether they hadn't been able to sleep from worry, the apprentices had woken early in the morning. I gave them letters with explanations and took a brief rest myself.

When the fourth bell rang and I took my seat for lunch, everyone began asking for explanations at once, but honestly, the Chief Priest had left in such a hurry, and even I didn't know all that much despite being pressed.

"Just as Lady Rozemyne originally said, it's no different from going to the castle and being absent from the Temple. We simply have to go about our lives thinking that the period of absence has just been extended. Please continue living as before, so as not to cause trouble for Lady Rozemyne when she wakes."

After finishing lunch, Zahm and I began the task of gathering Lady Rozemyne's work documents and moving them to the Chief Priest's room. While Lady Rozemyne was away, the Chief Priest would handle her workload.

"At this rate, won't the Chief Priest collapse too?"

Looking at the volume of documents being moved to the Chief Priest's room, I expressed my concern for him. Zahm thought for a moment, then said he would be all right.

"Since he had been incorporating Lady Rozemyne's suggestions and training the other blue priests, it should work out somehow. If nothing had been done, who knows what would have happened... On that one point alone, I can praise Lady Rozemyne. My prayers to the gods!"

Zahm had previously served the same master as Fritz, and he greatly appreciated the Chief Priest's competence and the easy working environment. He had been singing Lady Rozemyne's praises since her days as a gray Shrine Maiden Apprentice, for her ability to assist the Chief Priest.

When it was discussed that someone from among the Chief Priest's attendants should be transferred to Lady Rozemyne, Zahm had volunteered first. He said the food quality was better there, each person was given a larger share of responsibilities, making the work more fulfilling, and if Lady Rozemyne could take on more tasks, the Chief Priest would ultimately be helped as well.

"Then, let's finish moving everything. The Chief Priest's attendants will need explanations too."

Zahm and I carried wooden boxes filled with documents from the High Priest's room to the Chief Priest's room.

"Fran, Zahm. I've been waiting. I've cleared off these shelves."

The Chief Priest had apparently issued instructions from here as well, because the space to organize the documents we brought in had already been cleared. Working together, we arranged the documents and exchanged information about the events of the previous night.

The consensus among all the attendants was to reduce the Chief Priest's workload as much as possible, identify work that could be delegated to the blue priests, and push it onto them as quickly as possible.

"Zahm, may I ask you to explain things to Kamil and Friedolt? I'll go to the orphanage and the workshop."

After finishing the document organization, I left the explanation of matters to the blue priests to Zahm and the former-colleague attendants of the Chief Priest, and headed for the orphanage.

"Fran, I heard from Monica that Lady Rozemyne has gone into a long sleep. What will become of the orphanage?"

Wilma approached me with a pale face, asking for details. The people of the orphanage, which had changed dramatically since Lady Rozemyne became its mother superior, feared her absence to an extreme degree. The possibility that their lives would revert to what they had been before was perhaps a natural cause for alarm.

"There's no need to worry. During Lady Rozemyne's sleep, authority will transfer to the Chief Priest, but fundamentally everything will remain as before. I've been told to manage things in her stead. We won't be able to use Lady Rozemyne's guild card for the budget, but the Chief Priest manages the subsidy from the castle to the High Priest and the living expenses budget given to the Lord's children, so I don't think it will be that much of a problem."

I reassured the anxious orphanage children that as long as they continued working at the workshop as before, they would not run out of money.

"Winter preparations are already complete, so we'll get through to spring without issue as long as we don't waste money."

"...Yes."

This wasn't something I told anyone, but there was also the "tansu chokin"—the money Lady Rozemyne kept in a locked document box—so even in the worst case, things shouldn't become desperate.

"Wilma, those in charge must not show too much panic. Be composed. Lady Rozemyne will be fine."

"I'm sorry."

"Then, I'll announce the winter assignments Lady Rozemyne gave to the orphanage."

Last year's assignment from Lady Rozemyne to the orphanage had been "everyone should learn the basic alphabet and single-digit calculations." The children's eyes lit up with focus, their anxiety fading, as they remembered the small hamburgs that had appeared as a reward in their meals when everyone had achieved the goal.

"This year's assignment is for everyone to acquire the basic knowledge of an attendant before the age of ten. I'll be asking the gray priests who have attendant experience to serve as teachers."

"Yes."

Lady Rozemyne had been involved with the buying and selling contracts for leavings at Ilkgner, and she seemed to want to increase the value of gray priests. Those with attendant skills could be sold at higher prices than those sold as manual laborers. And depending on what tasks they could perform, their treatment going forward would change as well.

"Deria, Lady Rozemyne was also concerned about Dirk. If any abnormalities appear, please report it immediately. The Chief Priest is busy too, so responses may be delayed."

"Understood."

After finishing my explanations at the orphanage, I headed to the workshop. As for the workshop, Gil was enthusiastically running the printing presses, saying "if we make lots of books, Lady Rozemyne might want to read them and wake up sooner," so there didn't seem to be any particular problems there.

I simply delivered the letter meant to be passed along to Lutz and his group, and that was that.

The next day, Lady Rozemyne's personal retainers were brought back from the castle. The leaking of recipes by the personal chef was of course a concern, but remaining at the castle without a master to protect them could lead to forced coercion or poaching through political pressure. Lady Rozemyne had especially insisted to the Chief Priest that Rosina and Ella, both young women, must not be left behind.

I informed the returning retainers that Lady Rozemyne would not be returning for over a year, and assigned them their entrusted tasks.

"Ella and Hugo, please continue preparing meals for the attendants and the orphanage as before. Also, Lady Rozemyne said she would like to have Nicola, who enjoys cooking, pursue the culinary arts. Please provide guidance as her assistant. Additionally, she asked you to focus on completing the recipe book, which has been progressing slowly due to busyness. And if there's still capacity, she suggested that you might try creating new recipes yourselves."

"Understood."

Nicola smiled happily and began writing on the writing board everything that needed to be done in the kitchen. Since Ella and Hugo couldn't read, Nicola took on all the writing tasks alone. This was probably one reason the recipe book had been slow to progress.

"Lady Rozemyne would like Rosina to teach the orphanage children to play the fechevielle. She said that even if Lady Rozemyne couldn't tell, Rosina might be able to recognize musical talent in the children. If their talent as musicians blossoms, it could change those children's futures."

"So I should teach them the way Christine-sama taught us? Understood. I'll give it a try."

I conveyed Lady Rozemyne's words about wanting to raise the children's value even a little so they could find better-paying workplaces, and Rosina, who had been purchased as a personal musician, softened her expression and nodded gently.

And so, life in the Temple without Lady Rozemyne began.

Nicola started a new routine of serving as an attendant while also assisting with cooking. Gil and Fritz continued their work at the workshop and the orphanage, where the children were in winter seclusion, much as before. Zahm, Monica, and I spent virtually all our time outside of meals and sleep in the Chief Priest's room, working alongside the Chief Priest's attendants.

"The preparations for the ceremony are complete."

"Is the firewood ready as well?"

"Kamil-sama, has the order for the Dedication Ceremony been decided?"

"Friedolt-sama, please inform the other blue priests."

Just as the previous year, we were able to complete the Dedication Ceremony preparations before the Chief Priest returned. It was Kamil's and Friedolt's second year being entrusted with preparations, so they had grown somewhat more skilled. The number of blue priests willing to cooperate had also increased.

"Are the preparations done?"

The Chief Priest returned two days before the Dedication Ceremony and went through an inspection. After confirming that everything was in order, he offered words of appreciation to the blue priests.

"You've worked hard. Then, relax until the day of the Dedication Ceremony."

After dismissing the blue priests, the Chief Priest brought a bag of magic stones from his own workshop and headed to Lady Rozemyne's workshop.

"Fran, come with me."

I entered the workshop with the Chief Priest, and there was Lady Rozemyne, sleeping in exactly the same state as that day.

However, the blue of the medicinal liquid was much more concentrated than before, and the red lines visible on Lady Rozemyne's pale skin seemed to be glowing.

"...I left her alone too long."

The Chief Priest furrowed his brow as he said this, and instructed me to place the magic stones inside. I gradually placed colorless transparent magic stones and black magic stones into the medicinal liquid one after another. As the stones absorbed the Magic Power, I could see the liquid's color slowly fading.

"That Rozemyne, she compressed too much. There aren't nearly enough magic stones. We were fortunate that it coincided with the Dedication Ceremony."

The Chief Priest took Lady Rozemyne's hand and stared intently at the red lines, then let out a sigh. I caught a muttered remark that it would take more time than expected.

While the Chief Priest wrote notes about Lady Rozemyne's progress, I carefully removed the magic stones filled with Lady Rozemyne's Magic Power, wiped them clean, and repacked them into the bag.

"That should be enough for today."

After that, an additional task was added: after the Dedication Ceremony, placing the spent magic stones from the blue priests' use into Lady Rozemyne's medicinal liquid to replenish their Magic Power.

Thanks to Lady Rozemyne's Magic Power, the Dedication Ceremony was concluded without incident.

After the Dedication Ceremony, I continued entering the workshop with the Chief Priest as we gathered Magic Power for the Prayer Ceremony. Seeing Lady Rozemyne's form brought a small measure of relief, but the complete absence of any visible change filled me with a gnawing anxiety.

...Please wake up soon, Lady Rozemyne.

After the Dedication Ceremony ended, the Chief Priest threw himself into the backlog of paperwork. Though his workload had suddenly increased, Eckhart had also been pulled away for knight training, plunging the Chief Priest once again into a life of relying on medicine. The attendants remarked that they had been seeing the Chief Priest reach for the medicine pot more and more often.

On top of his previous duties, the work from the castle, the High Priest responsibilities Lady Rozemyne had been handling, the orphanage, the workshop, and communications with the Plantan Company all weighed upon the Chief Priest.

Although the blue priests were gradually developing, certain tasks could not be entrusted to them—specifically, work related to the Plantan Company and the management of the orphanage.

"During winter, the Plantan Company people rarely come, and the orphanage is basically just in winter seclusion, so there shouldn't be any problems."

"Yes, for the workshop and the orphanage, there are managers in place, so I'd like them to handle things there to a degree."

However, once spring arrived and the accounting for winter handicrafts and papermaking began, money would inevitably change hands, increasing the workload with no way to put it off.

On top of Temple duties, the Chief Priest seemed to be receiving work from the castle as well. Holding a medicine in one hand, he muttered with a bitter expression.

"I'm reluctant, but perhaps I should call him..."

The Chief Priest sent off an ordfnanz, and a short while later, a riding beast was visible hurtling toward the Temple at high speed.

"I have come in response to Ferdinand-sama's summons. If it's workshop management and dealings with merchants, leave it to me."

Justus, who had less aversion to the commoner district and was familiar with Lady Rozemyne's circumstances, knelt before the Chief Priest with eyes gleaming.

"Fritz, guide Justus to the workshop and explain our financial dealings with the Plantan Company. Justus, I'm busy, so don't cause any trouble."

"Understood. Come, let me show you the way. Fritz."

"Fritz, if anything comes up, report it immediately. I'll throw him out without hesitation."

Justus left the room dragging Fritz along, making no effort to hide his elation. I was incredibly anxious. Was this really going to be all right?

"...Chief Priest."

"There's no need to worry, Fran. Justus merely enjoys gathering information—he's not the type to blab to just anyone. Besides, despite appearances, he's an outstanding civil official."

True to the Chief Priest's words, Justus seemed to have settled into the workshop quickly. Perhaps it helped that he wasn't the type to adopt a condescending attitude. Fritz had also said he was remarkably skilled at inserting himself between people.

After Justus had been visiting the workshop for some time, he mentioned wanting to understand the workshop's established workflow. While I was retrieving documents for him in the High Priest's office, I casually asked him for his impressions of the workshop.

"Justus-sama, how is the workshop?"

"It's a very fresh experience. Fascinating. As expected of Lady Rozemyne—she cultivates remarkable confidants. The first time I visited the workshop, I was allowed to try making paper..."

Nobles never use their own bodies for labor. I could picture the workshop staff looking bewildered. Fritz, who had escorted him, must have had a difficult time as well.

No sooner had I begun sympathizing with Fritz than unbelievable words tumbled from Justus's mouth.

"The moment I touched the paper that had just been freshly pressed onto the board, Lutz, one of the Plantan Company's Dupras, screamed at me, 'What do you think you're doing, you idiot!'"

...Lutz, what on earth were you doing!? Fritz, what were you doing!?

My blood ran cold, but Justus cheerfully continued the story.

Right after the shouting, Lutz seemed to realize the gravity of the situation, and a heavy silence fell over the workshop. Then Fritz stepped forward to defend Lutz, and Justus received a thorough scolding.

With a cold smile just like Ferdinand's, they had said things like, "I was not expecting an incompetent person who couldn't understand the time and process required for papermaking, nor grasp the loss of time and profits, to be introduced to me. Has the Chief Priest's vision clouded with overwork, I wonder?" and "A manager who would ruin merchandise cannot replace Lady Rozemyne. I will report this to the Chief Priest immediately and have you dismissed. Those who cannot understand the importance of this place are not needed," all with a pleasant smile, Justus explained.

"...Th-then what did you do, Justus-sama?"

"Well, having been summoned by Ferdinand-sama, who is already overwhelmed with work, it would be extremely problematic to increase Ferdinand-sama's workload only to be fired on the spot, so I agreed to cover the losses financially, and the matter was settled. My, that was a close one. Now I'm restoring my reputation by demonstrating my competence. I was impressed that Lady Rozemyne's confidant, who without regard for background or station scolds Ferdinand-sama that taking too much medicine is bad for one's health, truly lives up to the title."

...I supposed an ordinary noble would not typically reach such a conclusion, but I said nothing. If the person himself believed the matter was settled, then so be it. It was in the past.

There was no need to cause further disturbance to the Chief Priest's peace of mind, so like Fritz, I too kept quiet about the incident at the workshop.

Justus was apparently busy as well, and didn't come to the Temple all that often. But true to the Chief Priest's assessment, he was undoubtedly an outstanding civil official—whenever he did arrive, he would clear several days' worth of accumulated work.

Then, combining the workshop duties with additional tasks entrusted to him by the Chief Priest, he would submit his reports, receive new assignments, and return to the Noble District. Between the lines, it seemed he was gathering evidence against the culprit who had harmed Lady Rozemyne.

As mid-spring approached, preparations for the Prayer Ceremony began. This year's Prayer Ceremony would have the Lord's children carry magic stones and tour the provinces in Lady Rozemyne's stead. Just like Lady Rozemyne and the Chief Priest, they would be dispatched from the Lord to the Temple, splitting the provinces among the three of them to shorten the Chief Priest's travel itinerary. When I considered that the Chief Priest had to make do with whatever resources were available, I nearly felt tears welling up at the sheer volume of his work.

Among Lady Rozemyne's attendants, I was the most knowledgeable about ceremonies, so I would accompany Charlotte as her instructor. While preparing the necessary items, the Chief Priest spoke.

"Fran, create a new Saint legend. Lady Rozemyne shielded them and fell asleep from poison, and so the Lord's child, whom the Saint protected, offered to present the blessing in her place—spread this story among the people as an inspiring tale of the children. If Charlotte is praised and acknowledged for being just as compassionate and noble-hearted as Rozemyne, we'll be able to use those two again next year."

The Chief Priest said this while preparing a large quantity of the fatigue-recovery medicine—the improved version of what he gave Lady Rozemyne.

"If Wilfried and Charlotte don't complete the Prayer Ceremony in good spirits, and if they don't bring back the offerings that will substitute for what Rozemyne would have presented at the Harvest Festival, we'll have trouble with the orphanage's winter preparations."

Pointed out by the Chief Priest like that, I agreed to craft the legend of Saint Charlotte.

Over these past few years, I had come to understand—beyond just what was on paper—the importance of the money that supported daily life. To sustain the Temple and the orphanage, this Prayer Ceremony absolutely had to succeed.

Since there were only ceremonial outfits in Lady Rozemyne's possession that fit the children, Charlotte would wear a white garment that required no alterations, while Wilfried, who was slightly taller than Lady Rozemyne and needed length adjustments, would wear a blue one.

The Gilberta Company's Corina had made them with room to spare so that they could still be worn even as the children grew, so the alterations didn't take much time and were completed quickly.

I arranged to have a carriage dispatched from the Plantan Company as usual, so that Ahmes and Egon, spending the winter at the Hase estate, could be picked up. Additionally, at the Chief Priest's request, soldiers were assigned as guards. This time, due to concerns about noble attacks, twice the usual number of escort knights accompanied us.

Charlotte had not yet entered the Royal Academy and did not own a riding beast, so this became a carriage journey in a long while.

Charlotte clearly adored Lady Rozemyne, and upon hearing about conditions at the Temple, she was overjoyed. I too was able to hear about Lady Rozemyne's state in the castle, which was very meaningful.

Richt had initially mistaken Charlotte's arrival for a sign that his plea had been rejected, but when I told him the inspiring tale of Saint Charlotte, who was bravely stepping in to deliver blessings in her sister's stead, he welled up with tears of emotion and welcomed Charlotte warmly.

Though Charlotte was visibly nervous for her first ceremony, she performed the rites splendidly, holding a magic stone brimming with Lady Rozemyne's Magic Power.

Then, we retrieved Ahmes and Egon, headed to the small Temple to confirm that living conditions there were satisfactory, and had Charlotte distribute reward money to the soldiers who would be returning to Ehrenfest.

"Fran, how is the High Priest?"

Gunther, having received the money, looked at me with a deeply conflicted expression.

"There's been no change. The burden on her body since childhood appears to have been greater than the Chief Priest anticipated, and it seems her sleep will be a prolonged one."

"I see..."

During this journey, Charlotte used far fewer medicines than Lady Rozemyne, and most of what we had brought went unused when the Prayer Ceremony concluded.

I couldn't stop a sigh from escaping at the frailty of Lady Rozemyne, who needed most of her supply just to get by.

Upon returning from the Prayer Ceremony, I received a consultation from Gil. He wanted to know what to do about the printing going forward.

Last year, Lady Rozemyne had been collecting stories from the children at the castle, I believed. After consulting with the Chief Priest, I was given the stories collected during the winter children's room sessions. I handed them to Gil, but he sighed and shook his head.

"This won't work for printing. They're written in children's conversational language, so they need to be rewritten into proper literary form... Is there anyone who can do that?"

"There really isn't anyone with that kind of bandwidth right now."

...Still, Lady Rozemyne had been helping the Chief Priest, memorizing countless ceremonies, going to the castle to fulfill her duties as a noble lady, and composing manuscripts all in between?

I was struck once again by Lady Rozemyne's dedication—or perhaps love—for creating books.

A few days later, through Gil, Turi submitted a request to learn etiquette on Earthday. The tuition fee was a story collection Lady Rozemyne had written for her family. Since the text was already complete as a reading material, Gil said he wanted to print it after the knight story collection was finished.

Turi was Lady Rozemyne's biological sister and had been of great help at the orphanage for a long time, so permission was granted on the grounds that teaching her etiquette would be a way to repay the favor. Wilma and Rosina, trained as attendants under Christine, were the most suitable teachers, so I asked them. Lutz would be practicing alongside them as well.

I went to observe briefly, and it brought back nostalgic memories of Lady Rozemyne's early days at the Temple, when she would get her long sleeves caught on everything and make mistakes.

According to Wilma, Turi had also consulted on child-rearing matters regarding Dirk. With the gray priestesses who had given birth having left, no one in the orphanage now had experience raising very young children. Lady Rozemyne offered some advice, but since Wilma and Deria were still feeling their way through everything, Turi's input—having a younger brother of her own age—was extremely valuable.

At the end of spring, Nicola came of age. A small celebration was held, similar to Rosina's, but Nicola lamented, "I was hoping to learn new recipes from Lady Rozemyne." Though she called it lamenting, when Ella offered her pastries, her smile returned immediately—it was that level of disappointment.

Around the same time as Nicola's coming-of-age ceremony, an inquiry about new recipes arrived from the Italian restaurant.

Since Lady Rozemyne would not awaken for about another year, we told them to come up with their own. The result was that Hugo and Ilse began exchanging information about their original creations. The kitchen staff, staking their pride as chefs, were fired up—they would create dishes worthy of being served by Lady Rozemyne's personal chef.

Then, in the middle of summer, some time after the Star Binding Ceremony, Brigitte, who had served as Lady Rozemyne's escort knight, announced she would be returning to her homeland. Apparently it was to prepare for her wedding.

Damuel was extremely dejected, so it seemed things hadn't worked out between the two. The Chief Priest had said, "Considering their ranks and circumstances, it would be difficult," so I supposed it couldn't be helped.

I didn't really understand the concept of marriage, but I would pray to the gods that Damuel, who was walking around in a daze, wouldn't fail at work in addition to his romantic troubles.

Passing by the gloomy Damuel, Hugo and Ella arrived today, saying they had something important to discuss.

"What is this important matter?"

When I asked, the two exchanged a glance and smiled. Then they turned to me with beaming, blissful faces and spoke.

"Both of our fathers have given their permission. We're getting married."

In the corner of my vision, I saw Damuel covering his ears. It was apparently not a topic he wanted to hear right now.

"And so, we wanted to consult with you about what happens after the wedding..."

"I appreciate you asking, but this is so sudden I can't handle it on my own. I'll need to consult with the Chief Priest, so please wait a moment."

...What was one supposed to do in this situation?

The word "marriage" never even came up in the Temple, so I could only feel bewildered when asked for advice. When I consulted the Chief Priest, he made a thoroughly exasperated expression and waved his hands dismissively.

"They are Rozemyne's personal retainers. I cannot arbitrarily grant permission or move them about. No marriage can be approved until Rozemyne wakes. Tell them to train a successor for Ella, who plans to leave after the wedding, and wait."

When I relayed the Chief Priest's words to the two, Ella shouted at me, "I have absolutely no intention of quitting even after getting married!"

"Hm? You're not quitting? But you won't be able to work once you have children, right?"

"I'll rest for a bit around the time of birth and after, but if I quit right after getting married, how would we survive!?"

"...Is that how it works in the commoner district? The Chief Priest said that women quit their jobs, and priests are forbidden from marrying, so honestly, I don't really understand."

The married life Ella described was quite different from what the Chief Priest had told me about marriage. It seemed the Chief Priest didn't fully understand commoner circumstances either.

"Things are different for nobles and commoners. I intend to keep working after marriage myself, but since there's no precedent, it really does seem like nothing can be done until Lady Rozemyne wakes. Let's just wait."

Ella accepted the waiting game with relative equanimity, but Hugo seemed unable to adjust his mindset so quickly.

"Wait a minute, Ella! Don't give up so easily!"

"What? I haven't given up. I'm just saying we have no choice but to wait."

"Waiting means—I won't be the star at the next Star Festival either, right!?"

"Well, that depends entirely on Lady Rozemyne."

At my words, Hugo shot me a sharp glare.

"Ugh! Even with a lover, am I destined to never get married!? What do you think, Fran!?"

I was grabbed by the shoulders and vigorously shaken by the lamenting Hugo, but how was I supposed to know anything about that?

Because the Temple involves both nobles and commoners, this chapter has grown quite long.

After Rozemyne fell asleep, everyone at the Temple worked hard to support the busy Chief Priest.

And at last, spring came for Hugo.

Next is Part 2. There are various changes at the Temple as well.