Headache Report

“Please take these.”

After handing me a pair of sound-blocking magic tools, Oswin activated a lamp magic tool and quietly placed it on the table beside my bed. Once he finished the tasks I had assigned, he gently closed the curtains around our bed and made his exit.

In the subdued glow of the darkened room, the bed became the exclusive spot for my briefings with Eglantine. This secluded space, equipped with sound-blocking tools, was our secure haven for discussing all things related to Ehrenfest and Rozemyne. The sensitive nature of the topics demanded utmost confidentiality.

Eglantine, having readied herself for sleep, exuded a subtle hint of rinsham. With her hair neatly styled for bedtime, I had to fight the impulse to untie the ribbon holding it in place. Instead, I handed her a sound-blocking magic tool.

After she gripped the magic tool, I communicated my father’s decision. He intended for her to take on the role of an instructor for the archduke candidate course at the Royal Academy, with the purpose of investigating Ehrenfest’s activities.

“My apologies for burdening you with this role, Eglantine.”

“Anastasius, I see it as an opportunity to dispel doubts regarding Lady Rozemyne, so I do not think it’s bothersome.”

My gorgeous wife responded to my words with a radiant smile. She had always been stunning, but her beauty had now gained an additional level of refinement.

“Rather than only keeping a watchful eye on her actions, I’ll also support her as an ally. Lady Rozemyne, having been raised in the temple, possesses thought patterns somewhat distinct from regular nobles. To me, that’s part of her charm, but it’s a fact that many may perceive her thoughts as disruptive.”

The Sovereign knight commander, Raublut, argued that Ferdinand of Ehrenfest was a dangerous individual who had elevated Rozemyne as a saint and was scheming to seize the throne. He also claimed that Ferdinand was using Rozemyne’s status as a student to search for the Grutrissheit in the Royal Academy.

“Raublut seems thoroughly convinced, but I cannot shake the feeling that it’s peculiar,” Eglantine said softly.

“Frankly, it appears nonsensical to me as well. The Grutrissheit disappeared around the time of the previous second prince’s death, and despite ongoing efforts by many, including my father, it remains hidden. What could a middle duchy like Ehrenfest achieve, especially when they lack access to the royal palace?”

Eglantine nodded in agreement with my sentiments. We went on to discuss how my father and elder brother had voiced similar skepticism to Raublut, but he insisted that Ehrenfest’s rapid ascent in recent years was due to Ferdinand being a seed of Adalgasia.

“The term ‘seed of Adalgisa’ is used to refer to people born in a certain royal villa,” I explained.

I only learned about the Adalgisa villa when Raublut mentioned it. The villa had been inhabited by a royal princess executed during the post-civil war upheaval and had been closed down before I entered the Royal Academy. There had been no opportunity for me to learn about it until now.

It was about time for Lanzenave to send over a princess, as they did once every few generations, but in Father’s words, “The doors to the Adalgisa villa will never again open, and I have no intention of allowing a princess to shoulder such a pitiful destiny ever again.” To be honest, his words brought me a great deal of relief.

I had never expected for the Sovereignty to house such a place, with a princess under such circumstances, or that Ferdinand was originally a seed of Adalgisa destined for disposal before his baptism.

However, I had no intention of explaining such circumstances to Eglantine. It’s already repulsive enough that such a place existed in our history. There was no need for Eglantine to know about the Adalgisa villa.

Now that the previous Zent and those close to him had ascended to towering heights, hardly anyone seemed aware that Ferdinand was a seed of Adalgisa. Raublut was only privy to Ferdinand’s past because he had once guarded the villa.

Raublut, however, remained steadfast in his belief. He was convinced that Ferdinand, the sole surviving seed of Adalgisa adopted by the previous Aub Ehrenfest, harbored a plot to reclaim royal status by obtaining the Grutrissheit.

I went on to say, ”…It’s truly absurd. Ferdinand not only declined to contest his half-brother for the title of aub but willingly secluded himself in the temple. He even quietly followed the Zent’s directive to marry into another duchy. It’s hard to fathom that a man with such disposition would attempt to seize the throne by hunting for the Grutrissheit.”

“Indeed, that’s my sentiment as well.”

“While Raublut harbors suspicions, as long as Ferdinand isn’t truly aiming for the Grutrissheit, there shouldn’t be any further complications. It appears he has already relocated to Ahrensbach as the fiancée of the next archduchess, Detlinde.”

I had a brief conversation with Ferdinand during the Interduchy Tournament, and I don’t anticipate him causing any issues. If anything were to arise, it might be due to Rozemyne’s unpredictable behavior. Despite my royal status, initiating a conversation with her in the library was met with an expression of sheer reluctance, as if she found me tiresome. That memory remains vivid in my mind.

“My primary concern is Rozemyne. Her unusually strong attachment to the library and books might fuel Raublut’s suspicions.”

“I’ll watch over her at the Royal Academy specifically to avoid such a situation, Anastasius.”

While my villa was connected to the Royal Academy by a doorway—allowing me to see Eglantine every day—I couldn’t stay by her side at all times, and worry naturally crept in.

“Please exercise extreme caution at all times. Given the events of last year, the Royal Academy is by no means a safe place.”

◆

“Anastasius, Lady Rozemyne willingly relinquished her role as the master of the library’s magic tools to Hortensia without any resistance.”

On the first day of the new term at the Royal Academy, Eglantine shared a report with me as we conversed in bed.

I had some concerns that Rozemyne might display rebellious behavior, even in the presence of royalty and their retainers, when asked to give up her position as the master of the library’s magic tools. However, it turned out my worry was unfounded, and I felt a sense of relief upon hearing this news.

“Yet, something caught my attention. It appears Lady Rozemyne lent mana-filled feystones, each the size of an adult’s fist, to Professor Solange. This suggests that maintaining the library’s magic tools requires an enormous amount of mana. I wonder if Hortensia can manage to provide enough mana on her own.”

I knew that originally, it took three archlibrarians or more to keep the magic tools supplied with mana. Rozemyne had founded the library committee, comprised of students to assist in the process, and even they had three people sharing the burden. Despite Hildebrand’s youth, he was still a royal, and the other two were exceptional archduke candidates.

“However, we cannot deploy any more personnel from the Sovereignty. There are numerous magic tools that take precedence over those in the library. If Hortensia’s mana proves insufficient, Raublut will undoubtedly come up with an alternative.”

Raublut had been diligently working to thwart Ehrenfest’s ambitions, even going so far as to send his own wife to the library as an archlibrarian. If it turned out that Hortensia’s mana alone wasn’t enough, he might choose more individuals from his connections to serve as the three archlibrarians. Alternatively, he might abandon the idea upon realizing that Ehrenfest had no objections to the arrangement. In either case, it would only benefit the Royal Academy.

“That’s true… Also, I’m a bit concerned about Prince Hildebrand,” Eglantine remarked.

Hildebrand, being my half-brother, was someone I had met on very few occasions. I recall thinking that he was an obedient and gentle prince, to the extent that it was hard to believe he had Dunkelfelger blood. However, apart from that, he hadn’t left much of an impression.

“Did Hildebrand do something?” I asked.

“It seems he harbors affection for Lady Rozemyne and has been behaving rather spoiled around her. If he’s been making unreasonable demands of her in this manner, I fear his attitude might be one of the reasons for Raublut’s concerns.”

After a small sigh, Eglantine continued to share details about Hildebrand’s conduct in the library, “It appeared to me that Prince Hildebrand hasn’t quite grasped the nuances of behaving like royalty. If he, as a royal, vocalizes a request, Lady Rozemyne would feel compelled to try and fulfill it. Ideally, he should consider her circumstances, but it seems to me that he’s not fully cognizant of his position as a member of the royal family.”

While his request was innocent, for the fragile Rozemyne, incapable of engaging in proper social discourse, it must have seemed like an impossible demand.

“From the beginning, he was raised to be a vassal, and his marriage into Ahrensbach was decided upon his debut. Consequently, his education leaned more towards that of a future archduke rather than as a member of the royal family. It might be challenging to help him grasp the mindset of royalty.”

For now, I decided to inform my father about Hildebrand’s education and the fact that the transfer of the library’s magic tools to a new master had proceeded without any issues.

◆

”…There is no doubt that Lady Rozemyne was responsible for the blessing during our coming-of-age ceremony.”

Despite my guard being down after the resolution of the library’s magic tools matter, the next day, Eglantine reported this to me while putting a hand on her cheek, wearing a troubled smile.

I reluctantly withdrew my hand, which had been about to undo the ribbon holding her hair up, and sighed.

“What did she do?”

“I heard this from the music professors today. They told me that during her afternoon practical lesson, Lady Rozemyne gave a blessing while playing the harspiel for the duration of an entire song.”

“Wh-What?” I asked. She gave a blessing while playing the harspiel? I could not even begin to imagine it.

“Every time she plucked the strings of the harspiel, a yellow light of the divine color of the Goddess of Wind overflowed from her ring. The professors told me that the sight of it was so entrancing that they felt the divine protection of Kunstzeal, the Goddess of Art.”

At the same time, various Ehrenfest students in different classrooms experienced the lights of a blessing raining down upon them, causing quite a commotion. I recalled the moment when the blessing had unexpectedly showered upon us during our coming-of-age ceremony and felt like burying my head in my hands.

“Why did Rozemyne do something so conspicuous?! What is she thinking, especially when she’s already under so much scrutiny?! Who instructed her to do that?!”

“I heard that she mentioned it had become easier for her blessings to overflow since the divine protections ritual held yesterday afternoon. Maybe controlling her mana has become more challenging for her?”

“She struggles with mana control despite having a schtappe?”

I pondered for a moment. A schtappe is a unique magic tool for each person designed to simplify mana control. Every individual needed to acquire a Divine Will that matched their own mana. I had never come across a situation where someone had difficulty controlling their mana after acquiring a schtappe.

“Perhaps she has acquired so many divine protections that the schtappe she obtained in her first year can no longer handle the task of controlling her mana,” Eglantine remarked.

“Is that even possible?”

“When I discussed the blessing during music class with Professor Hirschur, that was her suggestion. Also, Professor Gundolf mentioned that it appears only students from Ehrenfest obtained an unusually high number of divine protections this year.”

The investigation into the matter of Ehrenfest’s students acquiring more divine protections seemed to be ongoing.

“What could Ehrenfest be planning?”

Ehrenfest was drawing resentment from other duchies for steadily advancing its rank each year. Several duchies were gearing up to tarnish Ehrenfest’s reputation precisely for that reason. Unpleasant rumors circulated about Aub Ehrenfest, and according to Raublut, the Sovereign knight commander, Ferdinand’s situation had put the Sovereign Knight’s Order on high alert.

Given these circumstances, I couldn’t fathom the impression it would leave on other duchies if Ehrenfest students alone received more divine protections, and Rozemyne continued to attract attention with every move. Despite my gratitude to Rozemyne for the advice that helped me win Eglantine’s heart, she was pushing beyond the limits of my ability to cover for her.

“Eglantine, inform Hirschur that if she discovers the means to obtain more divine protections, Ehrenfest should, to some extent, disclose it during the Interduchy Tournament. While I wouldn’t mind Ehrenfest keeping this information confidential if relations with other duchies were better, their current trajectory suggests that relations will get worse. Advise her to use this information as a diplomatic tool to prevent further deterioration.”

Before the civil war, Ehrenfest languished as a middle duchy at the bottom of the rankings, a position it had held for generations. Their decision to remain neutral during the civil war spared them the extensive damage suffered by surrounding duchies, and that neutrality was the sole factor for their rank increase. While recent years had seen improvements in their grades and the establishment of new trends, propelling a sudden surge in rank, their diplomatic behavior still echoed that of a low-ranked duchy, creating a stark contrast with their newfound status.

I had never anticipated that Rozemyne would stir up so much trouble even before her archduke candidate course lessons, where Eglantine would have direct interaction with her.

“Am I expected to report to my father and Raublut that Rozemyne has received so many divine protections that she can no longer control her mana with her schtappe, prompting her to give blessings while playing the harspiel?”

“Lady Rozemyne has committed no wrongdoing. Please give your report in such a way that she doesn’t find herself in an unfavorable situation in the future.”

Given my adorable wife’s plea to resolve the situation, I had no choice but to handle it. Yes, I had no choice, but I certainly reserved the right to express a bit of frustration.

Make sure to hold Rozemyne’s reins properly, Ehrenfest!

◆

The week following my internal screams brought about the day of Eglantine’s first lesson teaching Rozemyne. An afternoon dedication whirl class followed, during which Eglantine mentioned she had been invited by the professors to give a demonstration.

There should not have been any chance of anything happening when she spent the entire day with Rozemyne!

Eglantine returned from the Royal Academy, visibly ecstatic and enraptured. Her soft white cheeks were flushed red, and she gazed into the distance with bright eyes, releasing a soft sigh as if caught up in a cherished memory. While the sight was exceedingly amorous and beautiful, the notion of someone other than me eliciting such a reaction was somewhat irksome.

As soon as Eglantine settled into bed, my first inquiry wasn’t about Rozemyne but what had stirred her emotions.

“You certainly seem to be in a good mood today. What happened?”

“Lady Rozemyne’s dedication whirl was absolutely magnificent.”

Rozemyne! Again?!

Aggravatingly enough, there were several instances where Rozemyne had stolen Eglantine’s heart right in front of me. Had she not looked like a girl who had just completed her baptism, I would have undoubtedly dealt with her. Rozemyne was just that skilled at accurately capturing Eglantine’s heart.

“What sort of whirl did she perform?”

Eglantine loved to whirl, and she earned admiration from everyone who watched her. It was rare for her to praise someone else’s whirling with such an excited expression. When I expressed interest in the topic, she enthusiastically began recounting Rozemyne’s dedication whirl.

“It was a performance that vividly conveyed Lady Rozemyne’s mindset towards the dedication whirl. Her golden eyes reflected her unwavering determination, and she remained entirely focused on her whirl, completely oblivious to her surroundings. Every inch of her body, down to her fingertips, exuded tension throughout.”

Reportedly, her stability was impeccable, maintaining her axis even at high speeds, almost appearing motionless at times, like a kreisel.

“I witnessed the very essence of what makes whirling beautiful. And while her whirl alone was stunning, she began to radiate midway through her performance.”

“Forgive me, Eglantine, but I’m not quite following…”

“She must have attempted to perform a blessing, much like she did in her music class. The feystones on her charms gradually lit up one by one, emitting a flickering light in their respective divine colors.”

My wife then described how Rozemyne’s ring emitted a gentle blue glow, leaving a soft trail with every movement of her fingers through the air. And how her multicolored charms adorned her wrists, and as she raised or lowered her arms, it appeared as if light were pouring from the sleeves of her predominantly black attire.

“Lady Rozemyne wore a necklace adorned with large feystones that hung elegantly at her chest, while the rainbow feystones of her hair ornament shimmered in various hues, resembling stars dancing in tandem with her night-sky-like hair. With each graceful spin, she left behind trails of light that adorned her surroundings, as if she was adorned in the blessings of the gods. It would have been even more breathtaking to witness her whirl in a dimly lit setting, much like where we are now.”

Eglantine spoke nothing but admiration for Rozemyne’s dedication whirl.

As the whirl concluded, Rozemyne, perhaps too absorbed in her performance, lost her balance and had to be escorted out of the small hall by another archduke candidate from Ehrenfest.

“Lady Charlotte mentioned that Lady Rozemyne attempted to perform a blessing even during her dedication whirl.”

Attempting a blessing to the point of exhaustion? How reckless.

Regardless of her temple upbringing and devout faith, Rozemyne should have been mindful of her limitations while performing a blessing, especially considering how it might appear to others.

Perhaps I should caution her against actions that might draw undue attention as a saint.

After a resigned shake of my head, I refocused on Eglantine and said, “I understand Rozemyne’s whirl was impressive, but let’s move on. How did her archduke candidate lesson go?”

Eglantine blinked in surprise at my question, her expression tightening.

“Lady Rozemyne completed her tasks with remarkable speed. Since these lessons require practical models, preparation isn’t feasible, correct? Yet, she worked so swiftly it seemed as if she was already accustomed to it. Despite already ranking first in class for two years, I expect her to maintain that position this year as well.”

With a smile, Eglantine elaborated on her lecture. Rozemyne effortlessly dyed her model’s foundation, channeled mana into her practice duchy at an astounding rate, and effortlessly produced the required gold dust for further lessons.

“Third-year lessons may be simpler with a large mana capacity, but that was too swift.”

“And not once did she reach for a rejuvenation potion. Her mana capacity is so substantial, I almost wish she were part of the royal family.”

I widened my eyes at Eglantine’s words.

“You wish for her to join the royal family? Withdraw the engagement approval already granted by Father and make a temple-raised archduke candidate from a backwater duchy, who lacks common sense, the third wife to my elder brother? Impossible.”

“I understand it’s impractical. I merely felt she’d be invaluable to the royal family given our severe mana shortage.”

After considering Eglantine’s remarks about the royal family’s mana shortage, I contemplated the idea of adding Rozemyne to the royal family.

No way. It would be far too dangerous.

“At this juncture, if Ehrenfest sends a bride for the next king, it will only draw further criticism from other duchies.”

While Rozemyne’s inclusion might alleviate our mana shortage, it would expose her to grave danger, and the repercussions for Ehrenfest would be dire. As I lightly shook my head and rejected the idea, Eglantine brought her hand up to her mouth and fell into thought.

“What if instead of marrying Prince Sigiswald, she becomes your second wife, Anastasius? If she weds someone distanced from the throne, maybe even Lady Rozemyne—”

“Eglantine.”

Interrupting her, I reached for the ribbon securing her hair. As it unraveled, her gorgeous golden locks cascaded around her shoulders. Ignoring her puzzled expression, I retrieved the sound-blocking magic tool from her hand.

“Um, Anastasius…”

I gently grasped her wrist, placing the tool on the bedside table and extinguishing the lamp, enveloping us in darkness beneath the bed canopy. Sensing her resistance, I held her wrist firmly, pulling her towards me as if to embrace her and guiding her down onto the bed.

“I do not ever want to hear you ask me to marry another woman, even if in jest.”