When I handed
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I've been living at the Plantan Company since last summer, and Turi's been living at the
"Huh? Oh, right. Turi's a double as well, so..."
When Turi had just turned ten, the Plantan Company and Gilberta Company had only recently split, and between shop relocations and
Once Benno and Mark shifted their living quarters to the second floor of the Plantan Company and Corina and
"On Earthday, they'll both be back, so it'd be best for you to deliver it directly to the house then. Hold on to the letter for now."
"Understood, sir."
After making arrangements to have the letter delivered, I conveyed that I wouldn't be able to see them during winter since I'd be attending the
"
When I extended my hand, Gil's eyes went wide in surprise.
"Lady
"Huh!? Oh... ah, right. Yeah, I guess not."
Seeing Gil turn me down with a thoroughly troubled expression, I withdrew my outstretched hand. I'd been thinking that while his appearance had changed, his inner self probably hadn't—but then I remembered that Gil had been fourteen, right in the thick of adolescence, when I'd last seen him. He wasn't the kind of kid who'd be happy getting his head patted in front of everyone anymore.
...There was no more Gil who'd be delighted to have his head patted. I felt a little lonely about that.
As I reflected that it was only natural—his insides had changed too, not just his outside—Gil suddenly knelt before me and lowered his head.
"A-actually, I just remembered that I did want to be patted. Please, go ahead."
He'd clearly picked up on my slight disappointment and was being considerate to make me feel better.
It would be a waste to let his thoughtfulness go to waste, so I reached out and patted Gil's grown-up head. I was thinking this might be the last time I'd get to do this as I stroked his hair.
"Gil, you've worked so incredibly hard these past two years. When I woke up, there were five books already finished, and I was so happy. Thank you. I'm counting on you going forward too."
"...Yes."
And then, the day to head to the castle arrived.
I prepared a lesser bus and loaded it with
"I'll be returning for the autumn coming-of-age ceremony and the winter
"Understood."
Seeing the Chief Priest delegate tasks to his attendants, I did the same with my own.
"Two years without me here didn't cause any problems, after all. I'm confident it'll be fine for me to be away during winter too. I'll be leaving things in your care."
"We look forward to your swift return."
I boarded the lesser bus, chased after
Upon arriving at the castle,
"Welcome home, Lady Rozemyne."
"It's good to be back, Norbert."
"Norbert, have these crates brought to my workroom."
"Understood, Lord
Norbert shook a bell he'd produced from somewhere, and a flurry of servants appeared, carrying the wooden crates out of the lesser bus.
Without so much as a glance at the commotion, the Chief Priest called out to me.
"Rozemyne, I have documents and books for you to read. Once you've finished changing, come to my workroom."
"Understood. I'll hurry and change."
"No, there's no need to rush. Move with the grace befitting a ten-year-old heading to the Royal Academy."
...I don't understand. What kind of grace is befitting for a ten-year-old?
I decided to let that go for now and went to face Angelica and Cornelius.
Cornelius was now fourteen, and it was immediately obvious that he'd shed his boyishness and grown closer to adulthood. His muscle definition wasn't particularly bulky, but he'd grown to about the same height as I remembered
"I'm delighted to see you in good health, Lady Rozemyne."
"Didn't Cornelius pick up the magic stone I dropped? I've been wanting to properly thank you for that."
"There's no need to thank a knight who failed to protect his master and allowed her to fall into a two-year slumber."
"Oh? But Cornelius, you saved
"You honor me too generously."
I met Cornelius's gaze as he raised his head, and we shared a small smile.
"I've been looking forward to your return, Lady Rozemyne."
Angelica spoke those words. She would be turning fifteen at the end of this winter and celebrating her coming-of-age ceremony. Her light-blue hair, tied in a ponytail, swayed and flowed as she lifted her head. Her eyes, a deep blue like the sea, looked at me. She seemed to have polished her beauty even further. I'd heard from Damuel that she'd been trained by her grandfather, but she didn't really come across as the type.
...Well, appearances have been deceiving with her from the start.
"It's been two years, and I was terribly worried. Have you been properly advancing through your classes?"
"Yes, please rest assured. I've been receiving instruction from my mentor, Damuel, and Cornelius, and I study alongside
"...Managed to... It's good to see you're trying your best in your own way, Angelica."
Both of them had grown considerably more mature. The three of us, plus Damuel, set off toward my room.
"Rozemyne, use your steed."
"Lord Ferdinand? I can walk from here to my room..."
"Your body is still far from fully recovered. The Magical Tools only make it possible for you to move about—normally, even getting up would be difficult. The
"Understood."
I summoned a single-rider steed, mounted it, and headed for my room. Along the way, I paused for just a moment at the corridor where the attack had happened.
"Lady Rozemyne, what's wrong?"
The terror of the ambush came flooding back—or so it seemed. It was only me, though; my three guard knights just blinked with bewildered expressions.
"Sorry. I just remembered the attack."
"I understand. For a while after, both Lord
It wasn't just me, then. I felt a small measure of relief and continued on to my room. There, Richaela and
"Lord Wilfried and Lady Charlotte are in their study time right now. When they heard you'd be returning today, both of them were practically buzzing with excitement."
"Everyone has been eagerly awaiting your return, Lady Rozemyne. Lady
...I'd never interacted with him much, but Grandpa turns out to be quite the playful type.
After changing, I headed to the Chief Priest's workroom with Richaela and my guard knights. Along the way, Richaela told me about the arrangements that had been decided for the Royal Academy.
"I've been selected as the attendant who will accompany you to the Royal Academy."
"Oh, if it's you, Richaela, then I feel much reassured."
She'd been managing Wilfried's studies before, and as my head attendant, she was surely chosen because she could oversee the entire Ehrenfest dormitory.
When I said this, Richaela let out a soft laugh.
"I was chosen by Lord Ferdinand on the basis that I'm the one who can drag the Princess out of the Library when she barricades herself in and refuses to leave."
"Oh, oh my, how embarrassing. I do leave on my own when closing time comes, you know. Hehehe..."
Back in my Urano days, I'd once been locked in the library because I hadn't noticed the closing announcement and had been reading in a blind spot behind the bookshelves, but fundamentally I would leave at closing time. There was no need to worry, yet apparently everyone else didn't see it that way.
"Excuse me."
I entered the Chief Priest's workroom, where he indicated two wooden crates to Richaela.
"Richaela, could you have these brought to Rozemyne's room? They contain documents that Rozemyne should review before leaving for the Royal Academy."
"Understood, Lord Ferdinand."
"Rozemyne, I believe I already gave you an itinerary list. Go through the documents in order of priority according to that list. It includes my own transcriptions and notes from my time at the Academy, as well as the latest materials Damuel compiled. And here is your schedule up to departure. Look it over while you can."
"Yes."
I took the seat the Chief Priest indicated and looked over the schedule as Richaela began giving instructions to the servants. It was packed with study time, but since most of it was reading, it wouldn't be too painful an experience.
"Read and memorize this before dinner today."
"What... is this?"
A wooden tablet covered with a long list of names, written out one after another. I sat in the chair the Chief Priest indicated and tilted my head.
"They're the names of the duchies in the country and their current approximate rankings."
"I mean, I might know my way around Ehrenfest, but when it comes to the whole country, I don't really know the geography..."
"Oh, of course."
The Chief Priest stood up, unlocked a document cabinet, and spread two hand-drawn maps across his desk. From the handwriting, they appeared to be his own creations.
"This is the old map, and this is the new one."
He laid them side by side and explained. Apparently, there had originally been twenty-five duchies, but a major political upheaval in the central territories had led to mergers and abolitions.
Now there were twenty-one duchies: four large, nine medium, and seven small. From the map, Ehrenfest was a medium duchy located in the northeastern border region—so close to being a small duchy that it was practically one.
...To the west would be Frewenbergel, where Duchess Florentia came from, right? And to the south is Duchess
Pointing at the few place names I recognized on the map, I suddenly realized something startling. There was sea to the south of Ahrensbach. Which meant Ahrensbach might actually have delicious seafood.
...There might be kombu and wakame! I might be able to eat sashimi!
Having completely given up on ever getting Japanese Food again, I'd just discovered the possibility that I might get my hands on something similar after all. My eyes lit up. If I made friends from Ahrensbach at the Royal Academy, I might be able to get some seafood!
My chest swelled with anticipation—but the very next instant, I remembered the current political situation and deflated completely.
...At a time like this, it wouldn't just be a scolding I'd get. Tch.
"Ehrenfest's influence is somewhere in the middle," the Chief Priest said, tapping the tablet I was holding.
For a border duchy with no notable specialty products, Ehrenfest's influence had originally been close to the bottom. But because it hadn't been swept up in the central political upheaval, it had risen to a position just below the middle—though the Chief Priest stressed this was only because the other duchies had fallen, not because of any strength of Ehrenfest's own.
However, he said, things had been different these past few years.
"It should rise a little more by next year."
"How so?"
"Because the Academy's performance has been improving year by year."
"Huh?"
"Graduates of the Royal Academy go on to work in the central government or start serving in their home duchies. When a duchy's Academy scores improve year after year, it means they're producing talented people—and within a few years, that often translates into a sudden surge in influence."
"Is that so? I look forward to seeing how things develop."
Whether Ehrenfest rose in prominence—that was fine by me.
As I nodded thoughtfully, the Chief Priest told me more about the current situation at the Academy.
"Angelica, Cornelius, and
"...Even so, you sure know a lot about the Academy, Lord Ferdinand."
I'd assumed that even
Seeing my confusion, the Chief Priest pressed his temple and sighed.
"Weren't you the one who instructed the students to gather information at the Academy? What are you going on about now? Damuel compiled the information they collected, and I simply reviewed it."
So I'd been the information source all along. Come to think of it, I did recall giving that directive.
But I hadn't actually intended to ask the students to conduct espionage. I'd wanted them to find out what kinds of books were in the library and what stories other duchies had. It seemed my explanation had been insufficient, and things had taken a slightly different turn.
On top of that, the Chief Priest had told me that Damuel had already paid a flat fee, and that anyone who brought valuable information would receive additional payment. But I felt there was a huge gap between what I considered valuable information and what the Chief Priest considered valuable. I'd need to have a conversation with him about the value of information at some point.
"For now, thanks to you, Ehrenfest now has items that could become specialty products. The duchy's real ascent begins now. Additionally, while the lord candidates are attending the Academy, student morale tends to stay high. You, Charlotte, and
The Chief Priest's words made me tilt my head. I'd never claimed to be particularly good at motivating people, nor did I think I was.
"No, I wouldn't say I'm particularly good at it. I simply thought that if children could learn to read, more people would read books, and if more people became comfortable with reading, more people would write them."
I'd thought it would be nice if more people wrote books, and that a public library would require a sufficient reading population, but I'd never considered raising the entire duchy's scores and increasing its influence within the country.
"...I was still underestimating the depth of your passion for books. Use that enthusiasm not just for picture books, but to find ways to make everyone interested in reading even difficult specialist texts. I'll be expecting great things from you."
"Leave it to me."
With the ambitious goal of a reading campaign for everyone, today's lesson came to an end.
It was nearly time for dinner, so I needed to change. The Chief Priest told me which documents to have read by tomorrow, and I turned to leave.
"Rozemyne."
The Chief Priest stopped me as if suddenly remembering something.
"Yes?"
"Tonight's dinner is a celebration of your recovery. The
In my memory, I'd been shaken up, spun around, sent flying in high-speed lateral rotations, and honestly, it felt more like I'd nearly been killed. But it was true that without Grandpa coming to find me, things could have been very dangerous—especially given how close he'd come to delivering the finishing blow. When put that way, I should probably offer a proper thank-you.
"Understood. I'll write my gratitude note before dinner."
"If you're writing a note, include your thanks for the training he gave your guard knights as well. He threw himself into bolstering the combat readiness of the entire knight order—particularly the lord family's guard knights—so that you wouldn't face danger in the future."
So Grandpa had spent the past two years working to strengthen Ehrenfest's military capabilities.
"Oh, and when you deliver the note, ask him for tips on physical enhancement. Lord Bonifatius uses physical enhancement as easily as breathing. He should have been teaching your guard knights as well."
...Grandpa and Angelica, huh. Some part of me felt those two muscle-brains would get along great.
Wondering whether that was terrifying or heartwarming—I couldn't quite decide—I made my way back to my room.
After seeing me to my door, Cornelius knelt before me.
"Lady Rozemyne, I need to prepare for dinner as well, so I'd like to conclude today's guard duty here and take my leave."
"Of course, Cornelius. I look forward to dining with you later."
Since we'd been invited to dine by the lord and his wife, we couldn't attend in knight uniforms. To put it simply, we had to change into formal noble attire with billowing sleeves.
Damuel waited outside the door, and Angelica and I went into the room.
"...It feels a little empty without
Brigitte, who had served as my guard in the Temple as well, had been someone I was quite familiar with. Her absence was a bit lonely. Considering her age, there was nothing to be done about it, and marriage itself was a joyous thing, but having familiar faces around me disappear still felt lonely. In the Temple, only Damuel had been parted from Brigitte, so I'd hesitated to voice such complaints there.
"Brigitte is a relative of Guildmaster Ilgner," Ottilie gently explained, picking up on my murmur.
The Ilgner district had undergone a leadership change a few years ago, and after Brigitte's broken engagement, her former fiancé had harassed her. The lower-ranking nobles who had served Ilgner had been poached, and now there were almost no nobles left to support the district.
The whole family had banded together to protect Ilgner.
"Brigitte has taken on the burden of helping hold Ilgner together as it changes, using Lady Rozemyne's backing as her foundation."
"And since Lady Elvira has been searching for a good match, ensuring a continued connection with the Princess going forward, things should work out well," Richaela added.
That reminded me—Mother had mentioned finding Brigitte a partner. She loved romantic matters and was far more socially adept than I was, so she'd surely found a good match for the Ilgner family.
"As long as Brigitte is walking the path she's chosen, I'm happy for her. ...Oh, by the way, have they decided on a new guard knight yet?"
"Last time, there were few volunteers since you were still a relatively unknown adopted daughter of the lord, and you had Temple duties on top of that. But now, many knights wish to serve as your guard. Please choose someone you feel you can trust with your life."
Richaela said a certain level of selection had already been done.
"We'll need at least one female apprentice knight who can accompany us at the Academy. Angelica graduates this year, after all."
"Wouldn't it be better to bring in a higher or middle-ranking noble with high Magic Power? Among your ladyship's guard knights, now that Brigitte has left, only the lower-ranking knights are adults."
Richaela had a point, but I was comfortable with the current situation and didn't want to change it too much. Damuel was a lower-ranking knight, true, but as someone who leaned toward the scholarly side, he was excellent at teaching the two apprentices, soliciting their opinions, and coordinating between them.
Cornelius and Angelica, both higher and middle-ranking nobles respectively, recognized Damuel's strengths and divided the work accordingly. That was why our guard knight team got along so well. I wanted someone who could fit in with everyone.
"I'll discuss it with the guard knights and decide together. I don't want anyone—no matter how high-ranking or strong—to disrupt the harmonious working relationship we have now."
...I hated having the atmosphere around me become tense. I wanted an environment where I could immerse myself in books without worrying about the mood.
Once I'd finished changing, I wrote the thank-you note to Grandpa, just as the Chief Priest had instructed.
The paper, made from the leaves of the Regulus tree—similar to red clover—was my own personal stationery, procured through Mother's negotiations with Benno.
Relying on my memories from my Urano days, I cut the paper into a square, wrote my thanks inside, and folded it the way I used to in my student days.
...Yep, I remembered it perfectly. The heart shape resembled a Regulus leaf, which made it extra cute.
After writing "To Grandpa" on the heart-shaped thank-you note and finishing it off, I mounted my steed and headed to the large dining hall where the dinner party was being held. Today, it wasn't just the lord's family—my father and mother would be joining us as well.
"What a lovely mood, Princess."
"Yes, Richaela. When I've dined at the castle before, my father and brothers were always serving as guard knights in the same hall, but we never actually ate together, did we? Even during ceremonies and banquets, they participated as guards. Being able to share a meal together like this is something I've been looking forward to."
Today in particular, they were going to serve Hugo's new dish and Ella's new dessert. I could hardly contain my excitement.
"Lady Rozemyne has arrived."
The dining hall doors opened to reveal the lord and his wife, the Knight Commander's family, Grandpa, and the Chief Priest—all assembled.
"Rozemyne!"
"Sister!"
Wilfried rushed over to me, and his growth was striking. Compared to the mischievous boy I remembered, he looked far more mature. Naturally, he'd grown in height over the two years as well.
Before, when I'd been held back a year at seven and he'd been slightly larger while I'd been slightly smaller, we'd looked about the same age. But now there was a height gap like that between a typical fourth or fifth grader and a first grader.
...We definitely don't look the same age anymore.
"Hmm? Was Rozemyne always this small?"
"I-I-I'll grow bigger soon!"
The magic power clump inside me had dissolved about seventy to eighty percent, and from now on I could exercise without suddenly collapsing. My body should finally be capable of normal growth.
"I worked hard these two years thinking that this time, I'd protect you. I think I've caught up to Rozemyne quite a bit," Wilfried said with a proud grin.
I wanted to say I wouldn't lose, but I couldn't make bold claims without first seeing how much Wilfried had actually grown. I still wasn't prepared enough for the Academy.
"Even if you don't grow bigger, Sister, you're perfectly adorable just as you are."
As I'd expected, Charlotte had surpassed me in height. The beautiful little girl was becoming a beautiful young girl. Standing next to each other, I'd absolutely be mistaken for the younger sister. With zero dignity as the elder sister, I wanted to cry.
"I've been working hard not to fall behind Brother, too, because I want to protect you someday, Sister," Charlotte added.
"No! I'm the one who protects Charlotte! I'm the big sister!"
Declaring that I would be the one protecting my younger sister, not the other way around, Charlotte let out a bright "Oh my!" and looked down at me with sparkling indigo eyes.
I knew exactly what she was thinking. How adorable. She was looking at me like I was a little kid trying her best.
...This was devastating. I was supposed to be the big sister.
As my shoulders drooped, the Chief Priest placed a hand lightly on my shoulder.
"Rozemyne, at least accept their enthusiasm. These two still can't surpass you. Before you leave for the Academy, show them the dignity of an elder sister."
Show them you're in a different league, the Chief Priest urged, and I lifted my head with a start.
...That's right. I'd study as hard as I could before leaving for the Academy and show them the dignity of a big sister. I'd quickly learn the two years' worth of knowledge the kids had acquired, and earn Charlotte's respect once more.
I clenched my fist with renewed determination—and caught sight of Grandpa, who'd been clearing his throat loudly several times at the edge of my vision.
And so my life at the castle begins.
I'll reclaim my siblings' respect through the intensive course.
I'll work hard to hear them say, "As expected, Rozemyne can't be beaten," and "Sister, you're amazing."
Next up: the dinner party and the intensive course.