Tea Party with Dunkelfelger — Part One

At Ehrenfest, I was able to lend books to everyone because we could print them, but the others obviously couldn't bring many books out from their territories. We decided to determine a rotation order and lend books back and forth. What came to my hands were books that Solange had retrieved from the closed stacks.

"Lady Rozemyne, you have a great deal of Magic Power, don't you? These are old books that were moved to the closed stacks for preservation purposes, but they contain many rare magic circles. They were written by a professor who long ago researched Schwarz and the like. Won't they be quite educational?"

"I appreciate the offer."

If I copied these and researched them with Ferdinand and Hirschur, I might be able to create Schwarz for my library. I wanted to start reading immediately, but I couldn't just open a book right then and there. Books were items that circulated among the attendants and apprentice scholars I'd brought along — they didn't come directly to me.

"Um, Rozemyne?"

"What is it, Prince Hildebrand?"

Prince Hildebrand approached hesitantly and shifted his gaze to the book in Artur's hands.

"You enjoy reading difficult books too, don't you, Rozemyne?"

"Yes, I love it."

"Before I enroll in the Royal Academy, I need a lot of time to read such difficult books, so it would be best for Rozemyne to read them first."

Prince Hildebrand offered to lend me the book he'd been planning to borrow. I desperately restrained myself from jumping at the offer and looked up at Artur.

"Are you sure about that? For me to borrow the Prince's book..."

"Prince Hildebrand has been enamored with Ehrenfest's books and reads them repeatedly, so it would be better to pass this one along to Lady Rozemyne, who will enjoy reading it."

He also asked that I lend him any new Ehrenfest books that came out, and I nodded without hesitation.

"I am deeply grateful, Prince Hildebrand."

"I'm glad you're pleased, Rozemyne."

...Prince Hildebrand, what a wonderful boy!

And so I was able to borrow the book from the Royal Library that Prince Anastasius had lent me as compensation for becoming the key keeper, Solange's book, and the book from Ortansia that Hildebrand had been planning to borrow. A splendid result.

The Book Lovers' Tea Party, which I'd been anxious about because it was hosted by royalty, turned out to be more enjoyable than expected.

"It was truly enjoyable, wasn't it? Being able to finish the tea party without losing consciousness is a great accomplishment in itself, but milady — don't you have a great deal of reporting to do to the Aub before you can read the books you borrowed?"

"...Indeed, I do."

When I returned to the dormitory and reached for a book right away, Richarda scolded me. If I could, I'd rather only remember the fun parts, but that was out of the question.

"I'll write it in the hidden room."

I sighed and stood up, heading to the hidden room. I'd write my report and a letter to Ferdinand as well. The important points would be being asked to serve as the High Priest for Prince Firstborn and Lady Adolphine's Star-binding ceremony, and the change from library committee activities to key keeper duties.

In the letter to Ferdinand, I wrote the important matters using disappearing ink. At the end, I added: "The books in the locked stacks have to be checked by the Librarian to determine whether they are appropriate before they are allowed to be read. Mwahaha."

Then, while the ink dried, I finished the report to Ehrenfest as well. The content was the same — the only difference was an addition at the end: "Since you told me to obtain the Aub's permission, please do well to curry favor with the royalty."

By then the letter I'd written earlier had dried, so I wrote additional casual topics on top of it in regular ink — things like the sweets arranged at the tea party and the books borrowed. After thinking about it for a while, I decided to avoid the topic of the books I'd lent.

"...There's nothing in here that would make anyone angry, right? Yeah."

I reviewed the letter once more, sealed it, and left the hidden room with the letter and report in hand.

The day after the Book Lovers' Tea Party, a tea party invitation arrived from Dunkelfelger. It seemed the Aub had given permission for the joint research. Brünhilde brought the invitation back with her.

"They would like to hold it the morning of the day after tomorrow. Also, since Lestilaut will be attending, they would be grateful if Lord Wilfried could join as well."

Lestilaut had already been confirmed to attend in order to discuss the hair ornament delivery and joint research, but apparently he'd feel uncomfortable being the only man there. I turned my gaze to Wilfried, who had been listening together in the multi-purpose hall.

"You don't have any lectures that day either, Brother Wilfried, do you? What would you like to do?"

"I know all too well how uncomfortable it is to be the only man at a tea party full of women. Besides, I must also cooperate with the joint research. I'll accompany you."

Back when they were first-year students, Charlotte hadn't been there, and Wilfried had attended a women-only tea party alone in my place after I returned from the dedication ceremony. Thinking back to how uncomfortable he'd been, he seemed sympathetic to Lestilaut's situation.

"Also, when Hannelore reported on the Book Lovers' Tea Party, Dunkelfelger's knights apparently became very interested in the Ditter stories. They asked if we might be willing to lend them, if possible."

That was no problem at all, since I'd originally planned to show them to Dunkelfelger first. I nodded in agreement.

And so, in the time leading up to the tea party with Dunkelfelger, Brünhilde and Lizelote spent their days discussing the procedures and subtle signals for the tea party — what Wilfried's attendants should do, and what sweets to bring. Meanwhile, I took the apprentice scholars who would be conducting joint research with Drewanchel to Gundolf's research room to introduce them, and visited Hirschur's research room to deliver the next letter to Laimunt and urge a reply.

"Thank you very much for inviting us."

Wilfried and I brought our retainers and headed to Dunkelfelger's tea party room. Since we were discussing joint research, we had a few extra scholars. Muriella, who hadn't yet sworn fealty, was with us as well.

"Lord Wilfried, Lady Rozemyne. We've been expecting you. This way, please."

Hannelore and Lestilaut came to greet us, and we exchanged lengthy greetings before sitting in the seats we were shown. From my seat, I could see Clarissa. When I glanced toward Roderich and gave a slight nod, Roderich handed over Hartmut's letter.

...If it takes this many days even at the Royal Academy, Ferdinand's reply won't come for a very long time.

"Now then, shall we take a look at the hair ornament I ordered?" Lestilaut cleared his throat lightly. Why did he look so irritated? As I silently tilted my head in confusion, Hannelore let out a soft sigh.

"Brother, I understand you can't wait, but couldn't it wait until the tea party has started?"

Hearing Hannelore's words, I realized that Lestilaut's superior-looking and irritated expression was really just him being fidgety, and I nearly laughed. Since I couldn't laugh, I tensed my stomach muscles and addressed Brünhilde.

"Please bring the hair ornament."

Brünhilde quickly handed the box containing the hair ornament to Lestilaut's attendant. The attendant checked the box and its contents before passing it on to Lestilaut. No matter how tedious or troublesome the process seemed, those steps were necessary. I already knew of the danger of assassination by poison.

While the inspection was underway, I had nothing to do, so I observed Lestilaut, who seemed to be fidgeting. His face, which looked irritable and cross, was merely fidgeting — only someone close to him would be able to tell. Lestilaut could put on a proper noble's smile during greetings. That was precisely why his fidgeting looked so extremely displeased.

Finally, the hair ornament reached his hands, and Lestilaut examined it with a stern expression, furrows deeply etched between his brows.

The order had been for flowers matching autumn's noble colors: a dahlia-like flower with a red center that gradually turned yellow toward the edges sat in the middle, surrounded by small flowers and leaves resembling silver osmanthus, and round fruits in various colors that evoked the bounty of autumn.

I believed it had been made according to the illustration I'd provided, but whether it would satisfy Lestilaut, who seemed to have deep artistic sensibilities, was another matter. As I watched intently, the stern-faced Lestilaut suddenly broke into a brief, satisfied smile, his red eyes narrowing.

"Hmph. It's passable."

"When Brother says 'passable,' it means there's absolutely nothing to complain about, Lady Rozemyne."

Even without hearing Hannelore's words, I could tell from Lestilaut's expression that he was satisfied.

"The craftsman told me that the flowers and fruits you specified don't exist in Ehrenfest and were extremely rare, making it a valuable learning experience. He also said Lord Lestilaut's sense of taste was truly remarkable."

"Oh? To be able to reproduce flowers and fruits he's never seen before — we have better craftsmen than I expected."

Judging from the way his red eyes remained fixed on me, he was surely thinking, "Since the craftsman has caught my fancy, send him our way, won't you?" I smiled sweetly.

"I'm afraid I cannot. He is my exclusive craftsman, and I entrust all of my hair ornaments to him."

...No matter how much you want her, Turi is my exclusive, so I won't give her up.

I was met with the usual side-eye glare, and while I knew he thought me insolent, there were things I simply could not concede. Maintaining my smile, I tried to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"Since you seem satisfied with the hair ornament, perhaps we could discuss Dunkelfelger's historical books..."

"Wait a moment, Rozemyne. If you start talking about books, it'll go on forever. We should handle the important joint research discussion first."

Just as I was about to shift to the book topic, I was stopped. When I looked at Wilfried, he'd been about to set down his cup. It seemed Hannelore had prompted him while I was exchanging words with Lestilaut. Wilfried and Hannelore were already enjoying tea together.

"But Brother Wilfried, we're talking about Dunkelfelger's historical books — that's an important matter too."

"I understand that, but the book topic is easy to veer off on. It would be best to leave it for later."

I couldn't argue with Wilfried, who was speaking from hard experience, so I decided to begin the joint research discussion. But first, I wanted tea and sweets. Hannelore urged me on, and I tried Dunkelfelger's sweets — a galette filled with cream and Laure soaked in alcohol. The rustic flavor was irresistible.

"At the tea party before, didn't you mention, Lady Rozemyne, that you'd like to eat Laure prepared this way?"

It seemed Hannelore had made good use of the tidbit I'd let slip — that if only we had Laure, we could make such sweets.

"It took some time to figure out how to make a galette without buckwheat flour, so it ended up being a regular galette, but it's my current favorite."

"...So it's true that you really do prefer those kinds of sweets." Lestilaut had apparently protested that they weren't the kind of sweets suitable for a tea party at the Royal Academy. Hannelore had pushed through with, "I'm simply preparing Lady Rozemyne's preferred sweets."

"I love the Dunkelfelger tea parties, filled as they are with Hannelore's thoughtfulness."

"Indeed. I also prefer Dunkelfelger's sweets to the Central ones hardened with sugar."

"I'm so glad you enjoy them, Lady Rozemyne, Lord Wilfried."

Hannelore beamed with a bright smile, while Lestilaut snorted and said, "Dunkelfelger's sweets are simply made with better ingredients."

"So — how do you intend to proceed with the joint research? Dunkelfelger's apprentice knights do frequently receive Angriff's blessing, but it's not as though every single one of them has received it."

"We already have a hypothesis, and I'd like to ask the apprentice scholars of Dunkelfelger and the apprentice knights about their experiences to prove it. For example, is there a difference between those who received the blessing after repeatedly praying to the gods during practical training because they struggled with coursework, and those who received it quickly because they excelled at their studies? Is there a difference between high-ranking nobles who can pour enough Magic Power to fully fill the magic circle during the ceremony, and low-ranking nobles whose Magic Power isn't sufficient? I'd like to ask questions about what kinds of ceremonies Dunkelfelger holds and at what frequency."

At my words, Lestilaut called over his scholar, who handed him something.

"Father has given permission to show the ceremonies before and after Ditter. However, there are two conditions. The first is that you must participate in Ditter seriously."

"Huh?"

I blinked, unable to comprehend what I'd just heard.

"If you're not even going to engage in Ditter, there's no need for the ceremony. Since you're praying to the gods for victory in Ditter, there's no opting out of the Ditter match itself."

"The ceremonies performed by Dunkelfelger's lord candidates take place after the match, so they cannot simply offer Magic Power without doing anything."

Lestilaut was looking at me with concern, but Hannelore also seemed to consider Ditter a prerequisite for the ceremony.

...This is unexpected! Joint research that requires Ditter!

I supposed I was being naive for not anticipating this, given that it was joint research with Dunkelfelger in the first place, but I truly hadn't expected Ditter to be a requirement for research.

"We proposed this joint research ourselves. We have no choice but to accept."

At Wilfried's words, the faces of Dunkelfelger's apprentice knights in the tea party room brightened, and I wanted to hang my head.

"Of course, the apprentice knights have lectures, and the apprentice scholars involved in the joint research need to finish their coursework to a certain degree before the Ditter match can be held. It would be best to spend some time asking questions and advancing the research first."

"This joint research has Professor Luyen very excited. He's offered to grant access to the knights' building and answer questions as long as we contact him via Ordinance."

At their words, I nodded and then asked, "What is the second condition?" I couldn't imagine a condition worse than Ditter. I was ready for whatever came.

After clearing his throat once, Lestilaut said, "Father says you should also show your ceremonies."

"My ceremonies?"

"Yes. You're in the Temple and perform ceremonies to receive blessings, so you must be conducting ceremonies as well. As the Holy Saint of Ehrenfest, who has received the blessings of many gods, he wants you to include your ceremonies in the research and actually perform them before me and Hannelore."

Since Dunkelfelger was sharing its historical ceremonies, the demand was that Ehrenfest show its own as well.

"When you say ceremonies performed at the Temple, there are many kinds — Baptism Ceremonies, coming-of-age ceremonies, Star-binding ceremonies, and so on. Which kind would be best? Milestone ceremonies require another person, and the rest would be prayers for bountiful harvests directed at rural villages. They wouldn't be suitable for the Royal Academy."

"...Rural villages? No, it doesn't have to be that elaborate. Anything that shows how you pray to the gods will do."

...Ceremonies that can be performed at the Royal Academy. Honestly, the first thing that comes to mind is the restoration of the gathering spot, but that's really not something suitable to demonstrate. Hmm, this is quite difficult.

"I'll think about which ceremony to show you."

"Yes. I'd like to see something befitting of a Saint."

"Brother."

Being glared at by Hannelore, Lestilaut turned away, muttering, "I wasn't saying anything unnecessary."

"By the way, for this joint research, I'd like to request the cooperation of Dunkelfelger's apprentice scholars as well. Would it be all right if I selected Clarissa as one of them?"

I could see Clarissa nodding, but when Lestilaut caught a glimpse of it, he asked, "What's the reason?"

"The biggest reason is that she is the fiancée of my attendant Hartmut and has deep ties to Ehrenfest. And I'm confident she will earnestly participate in the research to improve the Temple's image. ...Hartmut is now serving as Chief Priest."

"What!? He entered the Temple!? What did that man do!?"

Entering the Temple was indeed a tremendous stain on one's reputation as a noble. I hadn't expected "What did he do!?" to be the very first response.

"Hartmut didn't do anything — it was because Ferdinand left."

At my words, Lestilaut twisted his face in confusion, clearly not understanding. I sighed lightly.

"Until now, Ferdinand, as my guardian, supported me as High Priest in the practical aspects. However, as you know, Ferdinand married into Ahrensbach. With the Chief Priest gone, my loyal attendant Hartmut took on the role of the new Chief Priest and entered the Temple."

At my explanation, Lestilaut and the surrounding students murmured, "So someone with no fault at all truly enters the Temple as Chief Priest in Ehrenfest?"

"I don't know what the Temple of a great territory like Dunkelfelger is like, but to our shame, Ehrenfest's Temple has very few blue Priests."

Wilfried said this while looking at Lestilaut.

"Because we don't have enough people to fill the small Holy Cups, lord candidates with great Magic Power, like Rozemyne and myself, take on the roles of High Priest and Chief Priest and conduct ceremonies. We also help during the prayers of blessing and Harvest Festivals for the direct territories."

I informed them that the Temple was a place lord candidates frequented, and Lestilaut murmured, "I see."

"If this research succeeds in showing that the frequency, content, and earnestness of one's prayers can make it easier to receive blessings from the gods, I hope it will change how people view the Temple, even if only slightly. So, if you don't dissolve Clarissa's engagement because she entered the Temple, I would very much like her help."

"What will you do, Clarissa? A man who enters the Temple while having a fiancée from another territory — if I say that, dissolving the engagement would be easy."

At Lestilaut's words, Clarissa immediately shook her head. The braid on her back swayed along with the movement.

"I am proud of Hartmut for entering the Temple without hesitation for his lord's sake. I would never look down on him for it. If I had been in Ehrenfest, I would have tried to do the same and ended up competing with Hartmut for the position of Chief Priest."

Clarissa's smile as she beamed bore a striking resemblance to Hartmut's, and I blinked several times.

"Lady Rozemyne, please let me handle the joint research!"

Clarissa's blue eyes sparkled as she clenched her fist tightly. In her hand was a letter from Hartmut, crumpled and crinkled.

"There's no need for such apologetic words. No matter what my relatives say, I will forge ahead on my own path and marry into Ehrenfest. ...And I shall behold the Holy Saint of Ehrenfest, who performs sacred rites, with my own eyes!"

"Huh?"

...Clarissa was sounding an awful lot like Hartmut, but was I hearing things?

I stared blankly at Clarissa, then turned my gaze to the others from Dunkelfelger. Apparently this was Clarissa's normal behavior, because no one seemed surprised. Lestilaut was looking at her with an expression as though regarding something deeply troublesome.

"Make sure you keep a firm grip on Clarissa's reins in Ehrenfest. I can't manage her affairs here."

"Wait a moment. Clarissa is Dunkelfelger's daughter, isn't she!?"

I told him not to make such an abandoning statement, and Clarissa, for some reason, blushed and smiled bashfully.

"My affiliation is still Dunkelfelger, but my heart is entirely that of Lady Rozemyne's loyal servant."

Clarissa cupped her cheeks with both hands, her expression resembling that of a girl confessing her love, and I had no idea how to respond.

I turned my gaze to Brünhilde and Leonore for help. "It would be like having two Hartmuts, wouldn't it?" Brünhilde murmured with a forced smile.

No sooner had the Book Lovers' Tea Party ended than the tea party with Dunkelfelger arrived.

This time, it concluded with just the hair ornament and joint research discussions.

The book exchange was postponed by Wilfried.

Perhaps they're getting a bit more accustomed to dealing with Rozemyne now.

Next time, Part Two.