Brunhilde's Circumstances

“Leonore, you mentioned having something serious to discuss. What might that be?”

Once I had entered Brunhilde’s room, I offered her a sound-blocking magic tool. Since we are both archnobles, we always have our attendants present, so we use these without fail when we have something personal to discuss.

“Did Giebe Groschel say something about your future engagement? Your response earlier was awfully evasive and you also appeared to be rather pale, so I am a little concerned…”

When Judithe developed mana-sensing, all of Lady Rozemyne’s female retainers gathered for a meeting. As the other girls had tried asking Judithe about what she’s looking for in a husband, she ran off after receiving an ordonnanz from Cornelius. As a result, our meeting prematurely came to an end. However, Brunhilde’s behavior during that meeting lingered in my mind. Normally she would proclaim that she would find a man suitable to be the husband of a future giebe, so it was rather strange to see her give a vague response like she did.

“In a situation like this, you are supposed to pretend that you did not notice anything.”

Because we were in private, Brunhilde allowed her archnoble facade to slip, and frowned slightly in annoyance as she sighed softly. This was only the case because we are family and of the same sex and near the same age.

”…So the baby was a boy?”

“Indeed.”

Giebe Groschel’s second wife was expecting a child. I learned about this from Brunhilde’s mother, the giebe’s first wife. Unable to have a son herself, she was keenly aware that if the second wife gave birth to a boy, there was a significant chance of him becoming the next giebe, causing her considerable concern.

“Of course my father is very pleased. But my mother, on the other hand, is quite distressed. We will now need to reconsider my list of potential suitors.”

Brunhilde said under her breath that she would no longer be looking for a man who would marry into her family, but instead, she would need to marry into someone else’s house instead.

“Has your father already decided against naming you as his successor?”

”…There has been no word from Father as of yet. However, by taking on Lady Rozemyne’s printing business, Groschel is poised to undergo great changes. In these tumultuous times, rather than rush to find me a husband and name me the next giebe, Father must be waiting for the situation to settle down a little more before making a decision. It seems he wishes for me to remain as Lady Rozemyne’s attendant until the very last possible moment…”

The province of Groschel came to be after the man who was destined to become the next aub was suddenly demoted to giebe. Due to that, they were likely highly averse to anything that might change the status quo. It appeared to me that, by avoiding naming his successor right away, Giebe Groschel was taking into account the coming of age of Bertilde and the newborn baby, as well as Brunhilde’s future children before making his decision.

“Even if I am no longer set to become the next giebe, I still aim to do what is in the best interest for Groschel. And considering how Groschel’s future is unfolding, it would be ideal for me to find a husband from one of the greater duchies that have started trading with Ehrenfest, or perhaps even a man from the Sovereignty. But that would be going against my mother’s wishes since she wants me to find a suitor within Ehrenfest.”

Brunhilde gave a troubled smile. I immediately understood the implications of what she was saying. Even if she wanted to respect her mother’s wishes, some things are just not possible.

“I’m sure that would be rather difficult.”

“Indeed, such an individual would need to align with the appropriate faction, possess Lady Rozemyne’s mana compression method, and have the requisite level of social standing. Alas, there exists no one who fulfills all these criteria.”

“Just over the past year, I too have noticed the number of people in Ehrenfest whose mana I am able to sense decrease. Trying to find someone within Ehrenfest would be quite the challenge. Even Lord Wilfried’s retainers are not suitable, correct?”

Since the two of us had learned Lady Rozemyne’s mana compression method, we had a great deal of mana capacity, even by archnoble standards in Ehrenfest. We were slowly but steadily leaving the older generation behind. Despite our limited options, we were prohibited to marry any nobles from the former Veronica faction. I was lucky enough to manage an engagement to Cornelius, but had he not been available for marriage, I would have been in a great deal of trouble myself.

“My mother is pushing for me to marry Hartmut, but I am personally very much against it… and besides, doesn’t he already have Lady Clarissa?”

“I would be against a union with Hartmut as well. When I think about how he would continue to sing Lady Rozemyne’s praises even outside of work, I cannot see myself having any time to rest. Is it not true that Lady Clarissa proposed to Hartmut out of the desire to become Lady Rozemyne’s retainer herself? I am inclined to believe they are well-suited for one another.”

I gave a brief laugh after remembering the apprentice scholar from Dunkelfelger who Hartmut introduced to us the other day. Lady Clarissa had fervently spoken of how eager she was to serve Lady Rozemyne, while Hartmut nodded deeply at the brilliance of Lady Rozemyne in her tales. Letting them talk to each other would be best to allow those around them to have some measure of peace.

“I heard that Lady Clarissa will be gathering intelligence for us from other duchies in place of Roderick and Philine. She also would be assisting them with their training, since it would be impossible for the two of us to guide apprentice scholars. It’s rather helpful considering the fact that Lady Rozemyne will lack any apprentice archscholar after next year. I believe their union will be a benefit for Ehrenfest as well.”

Brunhilde is the apprentice attendant who single-handedly managed interactions with greater duchies. As Lady Rozemyne continues to pull Ehrenfest to greater heights, Brunhilde is the one aware of all the areas where we are lacking. Without a doubt, she will be indispensable in continuing to develop our duchy. She is much too talented to retire from being a retainer for the archducal family and move to some rural estate of one of our family’s giebes after marriage.

“Say, Brunhilde. If your parents press you to marry someone within the duchy, how about making it clear that your only option would be to become Aub Ehrenfest’s second wife? Don’t you think that would make them give up and allow you to search for a partner from a different duchy?”

In response to my jest, Brunhilde gave me a disheartened smile.

“Haahaa… I do wonder if that would be enough to make them give up… Right now, I would have my pick choosing a partner from the Sovereignty, Klassenberg, or Dunkelfelger.”

Brunhilde, who was the single point of contact for other duchies who wanted to participate in Lady Rozemyne’s tea parties, was apparently even more popular than I had imagined. It would be a shame to relegate her to some rural estate in Ehrenfest, but it would be equally undesirable to lose her to another duchy.

“Brunhilde, be sure to find a husband who will marry into your house. Having you marry away would be a great loss to both Ehrenfest and Lady Rozemyne…”

“Oh my. It makes me happy to hear that you have such high expectations of me, especially when I consider how you are usually so strict in your appraisals of others, Leonore.”

As Brunhilde giggled, I could see the strength return to her amber eyes. The person one marries will have a significant impact on the remainder of their life. May she find someone suitable for her. I could not help but pray thus for her sake, now that she was no longer going to become the next giebe.