Reporting to Mother

“I have returned, Mother.”

“Welcome home, Cornelius.”

Having returned from the Noble Academy to the territory with Rozemyne, I finished my guard duties at the sixth bell and, for the first time in a while, headed home to be greeted by my mother. While I felt relieved to be welcomed home by my mother, I let out a small sigh as I remembered that Ottilie had instructed me to align the information my mother possessed with what I had before my return. Even though I was home, my duties as a retainer were not yet over.

“Go and change. You have many things to report, don’t you? Has Ottilie mentioned anything to you?”

As always, the coordination between my mother and Ottilie was not to be underestimated. I could already foresee receiving some critical remarks about information gathering. Sensing that the conversation might be a long one, I glanced at the attendant standing behind my mother.

“I’ll get changed first. I’d like to have dinner before the reports.”

Seeing the attendants nod slightly and move to prepare, I headed to my room.

Conversations during dinner were limited to topics that could be overheard by the serving attendants without issue. Mother insisted that it was important to practice being mindful of any attendants’ presence and to choose conversation topics carefully even within the family. Trusted attendants, while reliable, were ever-present and could easily fade into the background, treated like part of the furniture or decorations. However, Mother emphasized the need to remain conscious of their presence and to be cautious about the information spoken aloud.

“Cornelius, what are Rozemyne’s plans for tomorrow and beyond?”

“Tomorrow, she will move to the temple and stay there until the dedication ritual is over. She likely won’t have the time to visit our home this winter.”

Rozemyne, as the High Bishop, is extremely busy. Honestly, given that her body is still weak after two years of slumber, I think she should delegate her temple duties to Lord Ferdinand until she fully recovers. After all, the temple functioned without any issues during her absence.

However, Rozemyne refuses to do so. She insists on personally inspecting the orphanage and the workshop, and she firmly believes that participating in the dedication ritual is her duty.

“The mana offered during the dedication ritual seems to have a significant impact on the duchy, and considering that the Aub adopted Rozemyne with her abundant mana in mind, it’s only natural for her to prioritize religious duties in her position. Moreover, if Rozemyne were to stay at the castle, relatives would likely seek meetings with her, and it’s best to avoid unnecessary interactions with the noble factions or those of Leisegangs in places where the influence of the archducal family does not reach. Therefore, I believe there is no need for her to visit home,” Mother remarked.

Mother was extremely cautious about Rozemyne having contact with her own relatives. She firmly believed that the balance of the factions must not be significantly tipped due to Rozemyne becoming the adopted daughter of the Aub. It seemed necessary to keep Hartmut, who was scheming to push aside Lady Florencia’s children and make Rozemyne the next Aub, firmly in check.

“Does this mean you have no duties as Rozemyne’s guard while she is at the temple?”

“During that time, I plan to focus on learning about coordination among the knights. This is the period when preparations and plans for the Lord of Winter hunt are being made, so I intend to ask Father to allow me to observe the knights’ training and the planning for the hunt.”

“Not gathering intelligence on the nobles at the castle?” Mother asked, her gaze sharp.

”…I can’t afford to fall behind Rozemyne when it comes to devising strategies for ditter or leading the knights,” I admitted reluctantly.

It’s hard not to let a slightly bitter tone slip into my voice, but I hope it can be forgiven. I was raised in an extremely privileged environment as the son of the Knight Commander, with brothers who are also knights, and being a branch member of the archducal family with a significant amount of mana.

And yet, Rozemyne, who grew up in the temple and was tasked with ceremonial duties, had more firsthand experience observing actual battles fought by knights and understood how to apply classroom knowledge of the knight course into practical scenarios better than I did. The critiques Rozemyne gave during the treasure-stealing ditter against Dunkelfelger were nothing short of a shock to me.

“Mother, aren’t you the one gathering intelligence on the nobles? I was asked by Ottilie to coordinate information with you. I believe it’s best to leave intelligence gathering to those who excel at it,” I said, steering the conversation.

At the Royal Academy, Hartmut, who has eagerly taken on the role of Rozemyne’s apprentice scholar, excels at information gathering, while Ottilie and Mother are well-positioned at the castle. Their information is both faster and more reliable than anything I could gather. Hearing my reasoning, Mother chuckled softly.

“Oh my, oh my. Relying on those who excel at something is fine, but as a retainer to the archducal family, you mustn’t blindly trust information gathered by others. It’s crucial to avoid being swayed by rumors, to verify information yourself, and to collect information from multiple sources while paying attention to discrepancies. With Rihyarda among Rozemyne’s attendants, you must also learn to obtain information from non-Leisegang nobles,” Mother advised.

Mother cautioned me against leaving information gathering entirely to others, and I nodded obediently. While Rozemyne had been asleep, I had focused primarily on honing my skills as a guard knight, neglecting the training necessary to gather information as a retainer for my lady.

…It seems I must also learn the art of information gathering.

After finishing dinner and moving to another room, only tea was prepared for us, and the attendants were dismissed. As we sipped tea alone for a short while, Mother brought out a magic tool for preventing eavesdropping. It was clear this precaution was for important discussions about Rozemyne. I picked up the magic tool, preparing for what was to come.

“Now then, Cornelius. Karstedt has mentioned that Rozemyne seems to be doing well, but how does she appear to you, someone who interacts with her directly?”

The wooden boards and letters sent from the dormitory at the Royal Academy to the duchy are inspected by knights stationed at the teleportation hall. As a result, we are instructed to write only content that would not pose any issue if read by others. While I could report on Rozemyne’s progress in completing her classes, I avoided detailing the condition of her health. This is likely why Mother, prioritizing Rozemyne’s image as the adopted daughter of the archduke, is deeply concerned about her health—especially considering the strain she placed on herself to absorb knowledge and attend the Royal Academy.

“Her condition doesn’t seem to have improved much. …According to the reports from her attendants, it only appears that she moves normally because she’s using magic tools. I’ve heard that the moment she removes them, such as in the bath, she becomes completely unable to move,” I explained.

When I shared this fact, which was known among her closest retainers but kept from the public, Mother furrowed her brows in concern.

“She still hasn’t recovered from the weakening effects of the jureve, has she?”

“Additionally, the number of times she takes medicine is concerning. Rihyarda says she administers only the amount determined by Lord Ferdinand, but even during the apprentice knights’ training, we never use that many recovery potions.”

To be honest, I think she’s pushing herself too hard. In the Royal Academy, once she leaves the dormitory, she can’t use her highbeast. I often feel that the strain of walking through the vast building takes a significant toll on her.

“Even in such a condition, did Rozemyne manage to complete her classes?”

“Yes. Her performance was truly outstanding. Rozemyne not only excelled herself but also ensured that all the first-year students passed their initial exams. It’s hard to believe she spent two years submerged in the jureve. As her brother, I felt proud, but it also gave me quite a headache.”

“A headache? Why is that?”

Not knowing how much my mother had been informed, I began to recount the events at the Royal Academy.

“Her success in academics was accompanied by issues elsewhere… Professor Hirschur stormed into the dormitory after something Rozemyne did with her mana compression, and during her attempt to acquire her schtappe, she collapsed in the Farthest Hall, prompting the professors to organize a search party.”

“What did you say!?!?!”

When Rozemyne, the only first-year student who failed to return from the Furthest Hall where the “Divine Will” the raw material for your schtappe, is acquired, the amount of worry I endured was immeasurable. Together with Rihyarda, We had to convince the professors to organize a search for her.

“Despite that, Rozemyne insists on visiting the library daily.”

“Don’t her attendants tell her to stay in her room and rest until she can move on her own?”

“I wish I could say that. But when she says things like she worked hard at studying just to go to the library, or that Lord Ferdinand promised she could go after finishing her classes, or even that she came to the Royal Academy solely for the library, well…”

“It’s impossible to trample over Rozemyne’s efforts, especially when she’s worked so hard to meet the conditions despite her poor health. Above all, saying the wrong thing at the wrong time to her could lead to a repeat of Lord Wilfried’s mistakes.

…Not even Lord Ferdinand can seem to handle her when it comes to books or the library.

“I see. That certainly sounds like a headache.”

Mother chuckled helplessly, as if she had no choice, and I shrugged my shoulders with a small laugh.

“It’s truly troubling. Whether it’s because she relies on magic tools and has little awareness of her condition, or because she’s pressured to appear normal to those around her, Rozemyne doesn’t seem to understand her own limits.”

“When did she push past her limits? Didn’t her attendants warn her?”

Mother gave me a stern look, and I let out a small sigh.

“It happened when she was forced to walk a long distance to obtain her schtappe or when the second prince pressured her to visit his detached palace. It seems that as soon as she reached a point where even the magic tools couldn’t compensate, her condition deteriorated rapidly, and she lost consciousness. But her attendants had no way to prevent it.”

Her attendants couldn’t accompany her to obtain her schtappe, and when the second prince commanded, “Come,” Ehrenfest couldn’t refuse. Moreover, the second prince preferred to speak with her without any attendants present.

“Many things happened during Rozemyne’s time at the Royal Academy…”

I recounted the various incidents as they came to mind: the accusation of creating a feybeast shaped highbeast and attacking a professor, the story of spreading blessings in the library and becoming the master of the library’s magic tools, which led to a ditter match with Dunkelfelger, the time she attended a tea party hosted by the music professors only to find the second prince present, establishing a connection with him, and how, in the final three days of preparing for her departure, the prince arranged for Lady Eglantine to receive a hair ornament.

“As a result of all this, the Aub issued a return order. After the dedication ritual, we’ll be returning to the Royal Academy during the socializing season… I can already feel a headache coming on.”

”…If she caused that much trouble, just claim she’s bedridden and don’t send Rozemyne back to the Royal Academy,” Mother said in an exasperated tone. However, traditionally, there needs to be a significant reason for a student to return to their duchy midway through the academic term. With the Aub aiming to spread trends originating from Ehrenfest, it is unthinkable for an archduke candidate to be absent during the socializing season.

“Is it even possible to keep her from returning to the Academy?”

“Didn’t she come into contact with the royal family again during those mere three days allocated for the return order? Even if I don’t need to voice my concerns, the Aub himself might decide not to send her back. After all, Lord Wilfried is still there at the Royal Academy. He can manage as the representative of our duchy.”

Given the circumstances, it might be unavoidable, but the thought of Lord Wilfried taking full credit for spreading the trends created by Rozemyne honestly leaves me dissatisfied.

“Rozemyne’s social activities can wait for later. Considering she spent two years asleep and still managed to complete her first-year lessons successfully, that’s more than enough for now.”

Mother had been most concerned about Rozemyne falling a year behind as a noble due to her time in the jureve. Society’s gaze is harsh toward those who lag behind, and there are plenty of nobles quick to wag their tongues. While there might initially be sympathy, as time passes, the number of those unaware of the circumstances would grow, and public sentiment could shift in an instant. Now that Rozemyne has awakened, it is best for her to have as few blemishes as possible as the archduke’s adopted daughter.

…Indeed, despite all the troubles, she managed to complete all her first-year lessons. That is more than enough.

Rozemyne worked hard. There was no doubt about that. As I nodded in agreement, Mother set the anti-eavesdropping magic tool on the table and instead picked up her now-cooling teacup.

“With this, we can say that the biggest concern regarding Rozemyne has been resolved for the time being. Cornelius, now turn your attention to your own matters. Have you decided on an escort partner? You’ve been postponing it with the excuse of ‘until Rozemyne wakes up’…”

Urged indirectly to quickly choose from the list of candidates, I gasped, “Ugh…” Mother’s eyes sparkled brightly with determination.

…I refuse to become fodder for a love story!

“That matter can also wait for now… Excuse me.”

Half-relieved that Mother’s worried expression regarding Rozemyne had disappeared, and half-annoyed that her bothersome attention was now directed toward me, I hastily tossed the anti-eavesdropping magic tool onto the table and promptly left my seat.