Winter in Rozemyne's Absence

About ten days into the start of the new semester at the Royal Academy, a letter from Raimund regarding a joint research project with Ehrenfest reached Lord Ferdinand. It was delivered to the main office, as all letters from the Royal Academy are. Lord Ferdinand opened the envelope, already unsealed and pre-inspected, took out the letter and began to read its contents.

“It appears that Raimund is interested in researching further enhancements to the efficiency of teleportation circles. He is collaborating with an apprentice scholar named Muriella, who also serves as Lady Rozemyne’s retainer. For Muriella, the goal is to expedite the delivery of books printed in different provinces of Ehrenfest to its castle. Raimund, on the other hand, is aiming to develop a teleportation circle that can be easily utilized even by laynobles.”

In order to dispel any potential suspicions among the nearby scholars, Lord Ferdinand articulated the main points mentioned in Raimund’s letter. Given the nature of the research, it was clear that Rozemyne was the driving force behind this initiative.

“To expedite the delivery of books”? Rozemyne, in her usual selfish manner, continues to use those around her for her own objectives.

Remembering my little sister’s relentless book-related rampages, I briefly closed my eyes. The daughter of a poor soldier swayed an influential merchant, reformed the temple, influenced Ehrenfest’s nobility, and stirred up commotion after commotion at the Royal Academy.

Knowing Rozemyne’s past, it’s amusing to see how the scale of her influence continues to grow. At this point, if you told anyone she was originally a commoner, I doubt they would even believe you.

As Lord Ferdinand began writing a response to Raimund’s report and request for advice, lightly tapping his temple throughout, the scholars in the office began to stir. “Hasn’t Raimund already achieved such a teleportation circle? Is there really room for further improvement in its mana efficiency? If the research succeeds, will Ahrensbach receive another award?”

With Lord Ferdinand’s guidance, Raimund received an award alongside Rozemyne last year. Naturally, everyone was quick to expect the same to happen this year. It was a small beacon of hope for Ahrensbach, whose students didn’t have particularly outstanding academic achievements otherwise, despite it being a greater duchy. It’s not that they performed poorly, but they were nowhere near Ehrenfest’s level. Their award-worthy students were so rare that you could count them all on one hand, even when taking all six years combined.

”…I gave Raimund a few suggestions,” Lord Ferdinand said, finishing up the letter. “I cannot say whether he will receive an award, but developing an even more mana-efficient teleportation circle should be possible.”

“Wow… You were able to come up with suggestions so spontaneously? Does this mean you already envisioned ways of improving the circle when you last saw it?”

Lord Ferdinand gave a half-hearted nod to the astounded scholars, handing the letter to one of them to be dispatched to the Royal Academy. After examining its contents, the scholar sealed it and exited the room.

◆

Later that night, after the seventh bell had rung…

”…Milady’s research is special, isn’t it?” Justus murmured to himself as he was preparing Lord Ferdinand’s bed.

“What are you talking about?” Lord Ferdinand asked, furrowing his brow. He was sprawled on his bench, engrossed in re-reading Raimund’s letter. After receiving a private quarters in the west wing and expanding our circle of allies in Ahrensbach, we found ourselves with increasingly more opportunities for these relaxed conversations. We still used magic tools to prevent eavesdropping, of course, but the level of surveillance had unquestionably eased compared to the previous year.

“If it were Raimund’s personal research, I doubt you would have so readily given him specific suggestions. Before this, you only rated the results of his research and gave him assignments, isn’t that right?”

Lord Ferdinand scoffed. “I did it to ensure that Rozemyne continues to send us the ingredients I left behind in Ehrenfest and that she sells us her recipes for a discounted price during the Interduchy Tournament. It is merely an investment.” He attempted to sound as though his logic were flawless, but it only served to show that Justus was correct in his remarks.

Lord Ferdinand still has a soft spot for Rozemyne.

Normally, commoners like Rozemyne are never meant to have any connection with members of archducal families like Lord Ferdinand. It is impossible to fathom just how many twists of fate led to the current situation. At times, I even think the gods themselves were involved in their improbable first encounter.

Lord Ferdinand is fundamentally distrustful of people, harboring a particularly strong aversion towards women. He is excessively cautious even with his own retainers, only trusting those who have offered their names to him. Despite being of a social standing where it’s natural to have people tending to your every need, he still stiffens up whenever anyone attempts to do so. As Justus told me, before he offered his name to Lord Ferdinand, you could cut the tension between them with a knife.

And yet, Rozemyne never had to offer her name to him. Instead, several other reasons contribute to Lord Ferdinand’s trust in her, such as her inability to hide her emotions due to her upbringing as a commoner, or the fact that he was able to obtain clear insight into Rozemyne’s thought process and personality by peering into her memories. In truth, I used to feel somewhat envious of her.

Nowadays, however, that feeling of envy is gone. She and I are simply in different positions. I am a noble and a retainer. Rozemyne, while originally a commoner, is now the adopted daughter of an aub. As an archduke candidate, she stands on equal footing with Lord Ferdinand, and, as the High Bishop of the Ehrenfest temple, she even used to hold a higher rank than he did as the High Priest.

Rozemyne was able to negotiate with the aub to reduce Lord Ferdinand’s workload, and she continually badgered him out of concern for his health. I, on the other hand, could never hope to do those things. Due to our difference in status, I would never have been able to negotiate with the aub, and, as Lord Ferdinand’s name-sworn, I could never pester him in a similar fashion. He simply had to say “enough, do not speak of this anymore,” and I would be forced to comply.

But Rozemyne, free from the constraints of a name-sworn, never paid it any mind when Lord Ferdinand frowned and told her to stop. Even now that he had moved to Ahrensbach, she kept arranging for his meals, exerted pressure on the royal family to secure a hidden room for him—how she was able to bargain with them is beyond me—and made various arrangements to improve his relationship with Lady Letizia. She effortlessly takes actions that any other noble would hesitate to do or even deem impossible. It’s something I am simply incapable of.

Moreover, although Lord Ferdinand has never been affected by helping other people, accepting help from others is something he cannot calmly do. It appears to make him feel indebted and vulnerable. As a result, he feels the need to reciprocate whenever Rozemyne does anything for him, often leading to amusing favor-trading competitions of sorts. Before she came along, Lord Ferdinand rarely received compensation that matched his efforts, and I believe that to be why he spoils Rozemyne so much more than anyone else.

Heidemarie would be surprised if she saw this.

“Lord Ferdinand, do you think milady is doing well?” Justus inquired. “I imagine she must be working hard to become first-in-class again this year.”

In response, Lord Ferdinand chuckled and waved the letter he had in his hand side to side. “No, it seems she is bedridden,” he said; Raimund’s letter appeared to report on Rozemyne’s condition. Then, Lord Ferdinand furrowed his brow even deeper than usual, and his tone became somewhat dismayed.

“That fool must have gotten complacent now that the jureve had slightly improved her condition. When will she ever learn some caution? Honestly…”

Hmm. In other words, he’s worried sick.

Reading the not-so-hidden connotations behind Lord Ferdinand’s grumbling, I mentally reached out to Rozemyne in the Royal Academy.

Rozemyne, try not to worry Lord Ferdinand too much.

◆

Another ten days passed, and another letter arrived from Raimund. It detailed the progress of his research, but there was no mention of Rozemyne’s recovery. It didn’t seem like she had visited Professor Hirschur’s laboratory either. The research was reportedly being carried out with Muriella instead.

Lord Ferdinand managed to mask his emotions while we were in the office, surrounded by scholars, but back in his own room, his gaze kept slipping towards the workshop in his hidden room, and the frequency with which he tapped the edge of his desk with his fingertips had noticeably increased too.

“I imagine he wishes he knew milady’s symptoms so that he could make medicine for her,” Justus murmured to himself while observing Lord Ferdinand. I nodded slightly in agreement. In all likelihood, taking a look at his workshop made him realize that materials are getting scarce, which left him agitated.

“What in the world is Hartmut doing?” I groaned in frustration.

Hartmut is the only one among Rozemyne’s scholars who has received special training on how to make and administer her medicine directly from Lord Ferdinand. Yet despite that, she has been bedridden for an extended period, causing concern to Lord Ferdinand. What was he doing?

Justus chuckled softly. “Eckhart, I understand how worried you are about milady, but taking it out on Hartmut seems misplaced. An adult male like him cannot be by her side while she is at the Royal Academy.”

He does have a point.

Demeaning Hartmut like that wasn’t fair. He was, after all, the same man who had figured out that Rozemyne was originally a commoner on his own, and when he came to discuss the matter with Lord Ferdinand, Lord Ferdinand entrusted Rozemyne’s care to Hartmut. Reminding myself of that fact, I calmed down my pathetic frustration. Still, for Lord oFerdinand’s peace of mind, I wished Rozemyne would make a full recovery as soon as possible.

Surely you could at least send her some medicine, Hartmut.

◆

Eventually, the day of the Interduchy Tournament arrived without us having received any news of Rozemyne’s recovery. The days leading up to the tournament were the final stretch for the students’ research, and with everyone paying close attention to the only research project that could hope to earn Ahrensbach an award, asking Raimund about Rozemyne’s condition wasn’t possible either.

Lord Ferdinand is a bit restless today, isn’t he?

I’m able to deduce from the creases between his brows and the number of times he stood up from his chair that he is eager to capitalize on the opportunity to acquire intel regarding Rozemyne’s condition. He needs to constantly remain by the side of that woman, so he must be experiencing considerable mental fatigue. Nevertheless, this is a precious chance to learn valuable information regarding other duchies in person.

Lord Ferdinand, adorned in Ehrenfest’s cloak, awaits the arrival of his fiancée in the common room of Ahrensbach’s dormitory. Entering with great fanfare comes a person with rather questionable taste. She had opted to embellish her hair with numerous hairpins. While each pin individually would suit a casually dressed woman, the cumulative effect creates a rather gaudy appearance.

Her striking resemblance to Lady Veronica undoubtedly makes her beautiful. But for me it brings up memories of Heidemarie, which invokes an indescribable anger and hatred within me. There are times when I want nothing more than to cast aside everything, give in to my impulses, and attack her with every fiber of my being.

I used to tell myself, “Even if they look alike, they are different people.” However, now I can only think, “They are no different since she’s also harmful to Lord Ferdinand.”

As soon as the man from Lanzenave left, her attitude changed completely. To think this shameless and deranged woman who is approaching Lord Ferdinand now is his fiancée…

“Well then, Lord Ferdinand. Let’s go. Please conduct yourself in a manner that won’t embarrass me as your fiancée.”

What did this dim-witted idiot just say?!

The moment my body tensed up, Justus grabbed my shoulder. Were it not for him, this woman would have ascended the towering staircase by now. Fighting the urge to strike her down from behind, I took my place behind Lord Ferdinand.

Someone should remind this fool, whose attempt to hide the dimness of her wit behind the bright mess of flowers on top of her head was anything but successful, of the time she dismissed the knight commander because he prioritized Lord Ferdinand’s words over her own in the defense of the border gate.

“Only those from Lanzenave come through the gate. There’s no reason to be on guard. I cannot have someone who chooses to follow Lord Ferdinand’s words over mine as my guard knight,” she claimed, before appointing a loyalist from old Werkestock, one who would obediently follow all her orders, as the new knight commander. I don’t know how far her mind has been addled due to her romantic escapades, but it’s nothing short of exasperating. She is even more shallow and inconsiderate than Lady Veronica.

Incidentally, Lord Ferdinand appointed the former knight commander as one of his retainers. Grateful for being given the role of being a guard knight for a member of the archducal family, the former commander held great appreciation for Lord Ferdinand. Though today, he excused himself from duty, citing the reason that ‘if she sees someone she dismissed by your side, it will greatly displease her.’ This also allowed him to stay behind and keep a close eye on the many nobles from old Werkestock who had recently been appointed to positions in the heart of Ahrensbach.

The morning is spent going around for greetings. In Ehrenfest’s section, there are two tables set for entertaining visitors. The archducal couple occupies one, while Lord Wilfried and Lady Charlotte sit at the other, all the while busily attending to the numerous guests as they come and go. Yet in the Ehrenfest’s bustling reception area, there is no sign of Rozemyne.

Don’t tell me she’s still bedridden?

I couldn’t help but exchange glances with Justus. There must be a reason. Lord Ferdinand, appearing to harbor the same curiosity, exchanged pleasantries and engaged in light conversation with the archducal couple. Then, he subtly inquired about Rozemyne’s condition under the guise of asking about recipes.

“I wanted to discuss the recipes for the food that Rozemyne sent, is she—”

“Unfortunately, she is bedridden. Once she recovers, I will have her write you a letter.”

Upon hearing the aub’s words, Lord Ferdinand frowned slightly. I directed my gaze towards my father, who stood behind the aub, but he merely shook his head slightly. It seems that this is not something that can be discussed openly.

She shouldn’t have been bedridden for such a long time, right? What has happened to Rozemyne?

Even if I think so, in this situation, I can’t elicit any answer other than “bedridden.” We have to play our roles as the next Aub Ahrensbach’s fiancé and his retainers while at the Interduchy Tournament.

“Well then, let us wait for Lady Rozemyne’s letter. We must also pay our respects to other duchies. Excuse us, Aub Ehrenfest.”

We had yet to gather any information of note, but when our next aub left her chair in a hurry, we had no choice but to follow.

Ultimately, we ended up with the same information as those from other duchies. The students of Ehrenfest seem occupied attending to visitors, and there is no chance for me to converse with Father, since he is accompanying the aub as his guard. Rihyarda is also not here due to no longer being a retainer of Rozemyne.

Last year, that dim-witted woman had thrown a tantrum and insisted that he come pick her up from the dormitory before he escorted her for her coming of age ceremony, so we had the opportunity to stay at the Ehrenfest dormitory. However, this year, there’s no such chance.

It’s surprising how much more challenging it is to gather information without Rozemyne around.

Last year, Rozemyne had called on her own attendants to act as our hosts, and so Justus and I were able to gather information from her retainers while eating pound cake that had been served to us. And it was also invaluable that Cornelius and Hartmut were also there escorting their graduating fiancées. However, this year, the absence of Rozemyne’s retainers had resulted in a noticeable lack of information we could gather. It also didn’t help that we had little familiarity with her apprentice attendants, who rarely visited the temple.

“Sergius, I leave the rest to you. And Eckhart, be sure not to make any rash moves.”

Justus left me with those words and smoothly disappeared into the crowd. When Rozemyne was a first-year student, he was able to enter the dormitory in the guise of being Traugott’s attendant while dressed up as Gudrun. As a result he was able to provide students advice for the Interduchy Tournament, so there were a few students that he was familiar with.

Looks like I have no choice but to leave the information gathering to Justus.

◆

When Justus returned during lunchtime, he reported to Lord Ferdinand with a tired expression, “It seems like information is being tightly suppressed.” No one from Ehrenfest gave any meaningful response other than repeating that “Lady Rozemyne is bedridden.”

Justus was unable to tell whether this apparent secrecy was because something unspeakable had happened—such as Rozemyne ascending to the towering heights, as Ahrenbach’s dormitory supervisor was happy to speculate—or because the students simply didn’t know anything.

Knowing Rozemyne’s frailty, suggesting that she had ascended the towering heights was not something we could brush off as a joke. Lord Ferdinand certainly didn’t, as was apparent from the fact that he went oddly quiet after shortly commenting on the suggestion’s impossibility.

“Apparently, Lieseleta mentioned that there’s something that milady wanted to give you, and she’ll bring it later.”

”…Is she currently well enough that she can give instructions?”

With a hint of relief, Ferdinand sighed. Letting go of some of the tension in his body.

I too felt relief upon hearing Justus’s words. But once the package arrived, that relief completely vanished.

It was just the feypaper and feystones that Lord Ferdinand asked for…

Lord Ferdinand became noticeably more strained as he inspected the package. And no wonder, usually Rozemyne adds in various items that she prepared for us packed inside the time stopping magic tool. But this time, there was none of Ehrenfest’s cuisine, no rejuvenation potions, no materials for Lord Ferdinand’s brewing, no sweets as rewards for Lady Letizia, and no letters from our families—the truly thoughtful items. The simplicity of the contents clearly indicated that this was not prepared by Rozemyne.

What on earth happened to Rozemyne? If her condition persists, what will become of Lord Ferdinand?

During times when Lord Ferdinand seems to have little appetite, Justus brings out dishes from Ehrenfest that Rozemyne would send. Also, since Lord Ferdinand is unable to easily go ingredient gathering, the materials she would send him would allow him to brew rejuvenation potions as he needed.

Rozemyne’s gifts offered him sustained relief from his challenging daily routine in Ahrensbach. And since she had been sending them all this while like clockwork, we never anticipated that they would cease.

I noticed Justus turning pale. Convincing Lord Ferdinand to eat was no longer going to be simple, and on top of that, he had to disappoint Lady Letizia, who always anticipated letters and sweets from Rozemyne.

“Even though it was at Lord Ferdinand’s request, it must have been quite a task to prepare this much feypaper. Lady Rozemyne has indeed provided exactly what was ordered. Lady Letizia was also worried after hearing that she had not received any response to her letters since Lady Rozemyne was bedridden, but now I feel a little reassured.”

Surprised by Sergius’ calm words, the three of us quickly put on smiles.

“It’s not uncommon for Rozemyne to be bedridden. There were many times when she seemed to have recovered, only for her to develop a fever again.”

“That must have been tough for you Lord Ferdinand, since you were the one brewing medicines for her… Ah, the afternoon competition is about to begin. Shall we go?”

◆

At the entrance of the dormitory, the Ahrensbach dormitory supervisor was encouraging the apprentice knights by saying, “An Ehrenfest without Lady Rozemyne is no match for us! Starting this year, Ahrensbach will reign victorious!” As he heard those words, the emotions in Lord Ferdinand’s eyes faded away.

What’s this? A challenge directed at us?!

Her shrill voice, and the words “An Ehrenfest without Lady Rozemyne!” were unbearably unpleasant. How did Lord Ferdinand feel when he heard those words? And what an uncouth thing to say in front of us, who are donned in Ehrenfest cloaks? The moment I leaned forward slightly, I felt a strong grip onto my shoulder.

“I understand how you feel, but calm down.”

“Justus… I am calm.”

“I hope that’s true…”

Ahrensbach doesn’t stand a chance. Is the dormitory supervisor really incapable of realizing that much?

As the morning progressed, we had witnessed the lower-ranking duchies’ ditter matches. We observed that some duchies performed the ritual shown by Dunkelfeger last year. Since Ehrenfest had participated in the joint research, surely Ahrensbach would attempt to perform the ritual as well. But that was not the case, due to them not taking blessings seriously, they had a much tougher time.

And sure enough, Ahrensbach found itself at the bottom among the greater duchies, even slipping behind a few mid-ranking duchies that seemed to have grasped the art of acquiring blessings. If they don’t start taking it seriously from now on, their grades are likely to decline rapidly. The students made it clear with the frustrated look on their faces that they understood that the disparity between themselves and the other duchies is growing, but the dormitory supervisor reacted to the situation by screeching without offering a shred of anything constructive. Her loud shrilling voice was as obnoxiously annoying as it was useless.

Once Ahrensbach’s ditter match, which had been conducted first thing in the afternoon, reached its conclusion, we had to entertain our guests from lower-ranking duchies who came to offer their greetings. Apart from those who came just to casually offer their greetings, the majority of Ahrensbach’s visitors were interested in Raimund’s research. And given Lord Ferdinand’s role as his mentor, naturally many were eager to socialize with him.

Yes, come on! Talk to us about the research! Keep it going!

Whether it was due to Ahrensbach being in the spotlight—even though the achievement belonged to Lord Ferdinad and Raimund—or maybe because she was too stupid to understand the contents of the research and hence wanted to leave the matter of hosting the visitors entirely to Lord Ferdinand, this was the one time that his foolish and troublesome fiancée kept her distance. As such, I wholeheartedly welcome anyone who keeps her away for longer.

“Greetings Lady Detlinde and Lord Ferdinand.”

“Oh, greetings Professor Hirschur.”

Professor Hirschur quickly finished the greeting and smiled. Her eyes gleamed with a thirst for research, reminiscent of the time when Lord Ferdinand was assisting her during his time at the Royal Academy.

Now, I wonder what manner of research she is struggling with this time.

It occurred even to me that she must be looking for assistance, and I am merely Lord Ferdinand’s follower. Naturally, Lord Ferdinand must have noticed it too. However, his current situation prevented him from acting on his own, and Professor Hirschur was well aware of that.

“Lady Detlinde, I am planning to conduct a brewing session to reproduce an ancient and important magic tool. I would like to request Lord Ferdinand’s assistance in the brewing process from the day after graduation until the day you return to Ahrensbach. Can you allow for this?”

Only Professor Hirschur would think to request brewing assistance from an archduke candidate who graduated over ten years ago and has moved to another duchy. As unconventional as this was, if it allowed Lord Ferdinand to take a break, then I could ask for nothing more.

Of course, I find it hard to believe that she would allow such a thing.

As expected, the incompetent woman, who showed no willingness to be flexible in matters other than ones involving herself, frowned, making her displeasure known as she said, “Isn’t that a bit too unreasonable?”

However, this is Professor Hirschur she was dealing with. As Lord Ferdinand’s mentor and someone with a reputation for working her disciples hard for the sake of her research, she had already discarded all semblances of common sense. Even when told she was being unreasonable, she paid it no mind and continued to push despite the initial refusal.

“If this brew proves successful, it can be used as Raimund’s research for next year, ensuring that Ahrensbach continues to garner attention.”

While stating the benefits for Ahrensbach, Professor Hirschur narrowed her amethyst eyes with a sly grin, reveling in the pleasure of hinting at the other party’s vulnerability.

“Lady Detlinde, have you already forgotten? You promised that you would heed my requests. But if the next aub were to break such a promise, I might be so surprised that I may forget my own commitments.”

”…Understood. I shall allow him to assist you. Lord Ferdinand, work with Professor Hirschur and ensure that we achieve significant results for Ahrensbach.”

While the arrogant tone in her words irritated me to no end, the fact that Lord Ferdinand obtained permission for both an outing and brewing made him grin ever so slightly in a satisfied manner.

That’s the Professor Hirschur I’ve come to know. This pleases me as well.

“Lady Detlinde, in that case, I will need to discuss the details of the research with Professor Hirschur.”

“I must attend to the guests here. Please enjoy your little discussion between mentor and disiciple.”

We were shooed away in an exceedingly haughty manner, and with Professor Hirschur, we walked towards the area where the research assignments were being exhibited. Perhaps because she was pressed for time, Professor Hirschur rapidly started to discuss the brewing as she was walking. It seems that although she has the ingredients that were provided by Ehrenfest, she is unable to perform the brewing on her own.

“To think that you can’t brew it if you don’t have enough elements… Truly, it is such an inscrutable magic tool.”

“Rozemyne should have been able to perform this brewing,” Lord Ferdinand chuckled softly in response to her frustrated complaints.

“Now then, Professor Hirschur. Assisting you with the brewing is not out of the question, but how will it benefit not only Ahrensbach, but also my interests?”

“If you mean in terms of money, I can’t offer you that.” Professor Hirschur shrugged her shoulders. “You should know that we could only wish to receive some financial assistance ourselves. Rather, I was hoping you would do it for your dear disciple. But if you really are intent on profiting from this, then you can charge it directly to Lady Rozemyne. Since all the materials are hers and the intended owner is, of course, also her.” She knew full well that, if not for Rozemyne, Lord Ferdinand wouldn’t be helping Raimund as much as he did.

She then gazed at Lord Ferdinand with a confident grin that showed she was convinced he would not refuse, and then stated, “However, I suppose it is rude to not give you an incentive. Perhaps you would be interested in Anhaltung’s grace?”

Lord Ferdinand paused for a moment as he thought, then nodded with a somewhat resigned expression and said, “I will visit the research lab after third bell.”

Anhaltung, the Goddess of Advice, is renowned for offering wisdom to those who have strayed from the path. In mythology, she is often known to illuminate the way for those seeking something that was hidden away by Verbergen, the God of Concealment. It appears that, in exchange for Lord Ferdinand’s aid in the brewing process, she intends to give us information about Rozemyne that Ehrenfest has gone to great lengths to conceal.

As always, she is skilled in dangling the correct bait to hook Lord Ferdinand.

I have always been impressed with Professor Hirschur’s skill at subtly enticing Lord Ferdinand into helping. The fact that she understands what he wants shows the extent to which she pays attention to him. It makes me happy to know that there is someone who understands his inscrutable ways.

◆

“It seems Ehrenfest is up next.”

Ehrenfest’s apprentice knights’ capes flapped in the air as they began to circle the arena atop their highbeasts. We moved upfront to get a better view of the arena. Similar to last year, their coordination was perfectly executed. In Ehrenfest’s viewing area stood the archducal couple and the archduke candidates in front row, overseeing the events below.

”…Hm? Is that Angelica?”

I thought I saw Angelica in Ehrenfest’s viewing area. After enhancing my vision, I confirmed that she was indeed present. Justus, who was squinting hard, asked, “Oh, you can see Angelica?” Seems like he’s unable to see her as he cannot use physical enhancement magic.

“Why is Angelica, a graduate, present here for the Interduchy Tournament?”

“I heard from Lieseleta that Angelica was asked to be here in order to confirm whether Traugott has grown into a suitable match for her.”

I know that Angelica is determined to marry a husband stronger than herself, but that would likely be impossible for Traugott. I recall Angelica’s strength when she was my fiancée and we trained together, and I’ve also witnessed Traugott’s skills in the knight’s order.

Traugott has improved a bit, but Angelica’s pursuit of strength is almost obsessive. Her determination is on a different level.

Despite being born into a lineage that produces excellent attendants, Angelica had no aptitude for the role. Even her scores in the Royal Academy were truly absurd, but thanks to Lady Rozemyne’s support she was able to shine. It was the first time someone other than her family acknowledged her. That’s why she vowed to become stronger for Lady Rozemyne’s sake.

Without complaint, Angelica endured my grandfather’s rigorous training, never allowing an opportunity to grow strong slip past her, not even once. While there exists differences between being a guard knight and an attendant, I sense that the bloodline of a family that has dedicated themselves to single-mindedly honing their skills for the sake of their master undoubtedly flowed through Angelica.

“Will Angelica acknowledge Traugott after this ditter match?” Justus wondered aloud.

“No, in all likelihood he will be incapable of impressing Angelica.”

Ferdinand nodded in agreement at my words and said, “With those two, their attitude is completely different. Traugott lacks the mindset and determination to serve. If you were to ask me…”

Ferdinand glanced at me for a moment and said, “I believe Angelica has a similar way of life as yours, Eckhart.”

“You’re right. I felt that I could empathize with her.”

Back when I brought the topic of canceling our engagement to Angelica, I recalled one of the things she told me, “I wouldn’t know how to live apart from Lady Rozemyne, so I can’t go with you.” Her words that day really resonated with me.

The two of us felt the same way about putting our master above all else, furthermore she showed no resentment over my enduring love for Heidemarie. And finally she did not hold unrealistic expectations of what a marriage should be—Angelica was not a bad match for me.

“Indeed. I did not think that there would be another woman whom Eckhart would match well with, so the dissolution of the engagement might have been a little regrettable.”

“No, I think it would have been difficult for us to tread the same path as both of us place our respective masters above ourselves. The only way it would work is if we both served the same master… or if our masters were aligned to walk on the same path together.”

Upon hearing my response, Lord Ferdinand, with a serious expression, muttered, “Indeed, that would be difficult,” and briefly directed his gaze at the woman adorned with flowers on her head who was laughing irritatingly loud.

Even once the Starbinding Ceremony is concluded, I can’t imagine Lord Ferdinand degrading himself to the point of being able to walk side by side with that shameless, dim-witted harlot.

Before such a thing happens, I hope Lady Letizia will come of age. If that were to happen, it would be possible to discreetly erase the harmful evil in his life that he could currently do nothing about.

As I was contemplating several ways on how to deal with her once her position as interim aub was finished and she was no longer needed, my thoughts were interrupted by the annoying voice of the Ahrensbach dormitory supervisor.

Ehrenfest’s knights had defeated their feybeast much faster than Ahrensbach, but it appeared that the dormitory supervisor was unable to accept such an outcome. Fraularm turned red-faced and shouted repeatedly, “I can’t believe this!” Her voice was so annoying that I found myself wanting to gag her, wrap her tightly in a bunch of cloth, and toss her somewhere far away.

Idle conversation persisted until the end of all the ditter matches. The Interduchy Tournament was nearing its conclusion, and up next would be the award ceremony.

Ehrenfest’s apprentice knights achieved excellence by securing third place in speed ditter, and it seemed that they handled their joint research with Frenbeltag, Klassenberg, and Ahrensbach quite well. Their research with Frenbeltag and Ahrensbach even received an award.

And now, the individual awards are being presented. Names are being called starting from those in their final year. Students from Ehrenfest, like last year, had many award recipients. Ahrensbach, on the other hand, had a noticeable decrease in award recipients.

The air-headed fool, remarked with a face that was too certain of herself, “It looks like it makes a difference when an archduke candidate is not present,” and she continued to explain how she led the Ahrensbach students. However, the reason for the decline had much less to do with the lack of an archduke candidate and more to do with their reluctance to participate in religious ceremonies. While other students are working hard to enrich their duchy, Ahrensbach will continue to decline relative to the others so long as they have an aversion towards religious ceremonies.

Enjoy your lackadaisical attitudes while you can. The Starbinding Ceremony will change everything. Once Lord Ferdinand takes on the role of the aub’s spouse, he will tighten the reins over the entirety of Ahrensbach.

Since he’s just a guest of Ahrensbach until then, he can’t intervene in anything other than Lady Letizia’s education. However, once the starbinding is complete, we will be able to join forces with Lady Letizia’s retainers to create a proper education plan for all the knights, scholars and attendants.

Once there are more people who need to be educated, the burden on Lady Letizia, who is currently drowning under an immense pile of assignments, should also lessen. Justus proposed the idea of nurturing those who are in her inner circle so that they can better support her in adulthood when she becomes aub. And of course her retainers were receptive to the idea.

“The first-in-class for the fourth year students is, Ortwin, the archduke candidate of Drewanchel.”

The archduke candidate from Drewanchel was assigned first-in-class for the archduke candidate course as well as the fourth-years overall.

“Lady Rozemyne’s name is not even among the honor students??”

“Even if she is bedridden, is this not too strange?”

“I heard she served as the High Bishop for the dedication ritual for the archduke candidates and archnobles.”

The murmurs from the audience grew overwhelmingly loud. It’s no surprise. It’s odd that Rozemyne, who managed to handle all of Lord Ferdinand’s challenges with ease despite her complaints, hasn’t been mentioned even once. It looks like many others are thinking the same thing.

“She’s been bedridden for far too long. Could it be that Ehrenfest is hiding something?”

With a sound amplifying magic tool in hand, Fraularm started berating the Ehrenfest students receiving an award, her voice obnoxiously loud, and her face overly satisfied. The students queuing up for their awards were displeased at the ceremony being interrupted, and there were many people who were annoyed at the obnoxiously loud voice coming from the sound amplifying tool. Whether she was oblivious or simply didn’t care, she persisted in raising her voice even louder.

“Well now, what are you hiding? Be honest with us.”

“Rozemyne is simply bedridden.”

Among the honor students lining up to receive their awards was Lord Wilfried, who refuted her statement. However, that was a futile argument against the dormitory supervisor, a person who is completely deaf to reason. The other professors tried to stop her, but their attempts were completely ineffective.

“Her being absent for the entirety of the school semester is far too long. Perhaps you’re hiding the fact that she has already ascended the towering staircase, aren’t you? ”

“What?!”

“Oh my! Lord Wilfried, why are you getting so flustered? Is it because I am correct?”

The magic tool even echoed her excited, heavy breathing. Lord Ferdinand fixed a stern glare at the screeching woman, his expression revealing no hint of emotion.

Enough already, you absurdly idiotic cretin.

In the next moment, Professor Rauffen’s voice thundered, “Fraularm!” Also using a sound amplifying tool, his voice reverberates throughout the arena, causing many noblewomen in the viewing area to raise their voice due to being startled.

Just as I imagined doing to that senseless buffoon myself, she was bound in bands of light using a schtappe and before she could protest she was then muzzled and carried off by Professor Rauffen and the other professors from the knight’s course.

Once the noisy disturbance had been dealt with, the award ceremony went on as if nothing happened. Professor Primevere continued to call forward the remaining honor students, who stepped forward as their names were called.

“Even without Rozemyne in the forefront, Ehrenfest continues to operate as usual.”

Lord Ferdinand, with a displeased expression, slowly surveyed the area where Ehrenfest was located.

Those from Ehrenfest might have simply been putting on a noble facade. By now, it has become common to see the aubs of several duchies make their way towards Ehrenfest’s space during the Interduchy Tournament, and Lord Wilfried and Lady Charlotte were able to handle socializing with ease. Even in Rozemyne’s absence, there were still plenty of honor roll students.

“She educated them to function even in her absence. I believe that this is her real achievement.”

”…Eckhart, you’re surprisingly fond of your little sister, aren’t you?”

Hearing Lord Ferdinand’s slightly surprised tone, I affirmed what he said as I put on a bittersweet smile.

Of course, Lord Ferdinand dotes on her just as much as her guardian.

I thought so in my heart, but I kept that to myself because if I were to say that aloud, chances are he would take his frustration out on Rozemyne when they meet again.

Rozemyne, you should express your gratitude to me by presenting your cheeks to Lord Ferdinand.

◆

The coming of age ceremony and graduation ceremony held on the day after the Interduchy Tournament were quite shocking. Aub Ehrenfest, who had been devoted to Lady Florencia, was escorting Brunhilde. It seems he had decided to make the daughter of Giebe Groschel his second wife. Without Lord Ferdinand’s support, Aub Ehrenfest was apparently unable to persist in doing things his own way. Considering the circumstances, it seems like an inevitable turn of events, but I just couldn’t get used to seeing him escort a woman other than Lady Florencia.

Unlike me, who could only sense the changes on a surface level, Lord Ferdinand, with a terribly bitter expression, muttered softly, “Did he not use that…” It was an expression he wore all too often now, it was the same face he made when he reminisced about Ehrenfest and Rozemyne.

The Interduchy Tournament and the graduation ceremony came to an end without us gathering any valuable information, no replenishment of food from Ehrenfest, the inability to purchase Rozemyne’s recipes, and no restocking of the sweets or replies to her letters that Lady Letizia had been eagerly anticipating.

Meanwhile, the dormitory supervisor who displayed no sense of propriety was relieved of her teaching role. A committee of professors unanimously decided that she was deemed no longer necessary in the Sovereignty, that she should be immediately sent back to Ahrensbach, and that a replacement dormitory supervisor should be sent. The former dormitory supervisor was transported back to Ahrensbach while still tied up. “How dare the dormitory supervisor disgrace Ahrensbach like that?” commented the least graceful woman in all of Yurgenschmidt that I know.

I’m as happy as anyone to see a source of constant headaches removed from the dormitory and the Royal Academy, but if it is a sin to disgrace Ahrensbach, shouldn’t you be the first to receive punishment?

◆

From the next day onward, we’d be frequenting Hirschur’s lab until our return to Ahrensbach. Lunches were arranged for both Raimund and Professor Hirschur. After everything was set, Lord Ferdinand ordered Raimund to deliver the meals, adding, “Raimund, make sure you both eat and that the brewing equipment is cleaned and ready. I’d like to start brewing the moment I arrive.”

Raimund listened to Lord Ferdinand’s instructions with a nervous expression. Although Raimund is among Lord Ferdinand’s retainers, he spends most of his time even outside of winter in Professor Hirschur’s lab in order to hone his talents. As a result, the two have few opportunities to meet each other face to face, and have been corresponding primarily by letter.

It seems Lord Ferdinand felt that his own research-filled days at the Royal Academy were exceedingly enjoyable and precious, and so he was granting Raimund the opportunity to immerse himself in his research. It was an environment that would have made Rozemyne strongly rebuke Raimund to fix his slovenly ways were she to find out, but Raimund himself was very lively much as Lord Ferdinand was back in the day.

“Lord Ferdinand, what do you intend to do before then?”

“After I finish giving some instructions here, I intend to obtain several documents from the library before I head to the laboratory. Please convey this to Professor Hirschur.”

“Understood.”

Raimund, excited by the prospect of witnessing Lord Ferdinand’s brewing, swiftly left the room. Lord Ferdinand then ordered Justus to fetch his brewing attire, followed by instructing Sergius to take care of the preparations for returning to Ahrensbach.

“Sergius, please stay here and prepare for our return… In addition, please keep an eye on Lady Detlinde’s behavior. I believe you are more well suited for this role than Justus. Can I count on you?”

“Please leave it to me.”

The three of us left the Ahrensbach dormitory and headed for the library, leaving the rest up to Sergius to manage.

“Lord Ferdinand, what manner of documents are you seeking?”

With a distant look in his eyes, he answered Justus’s question in a cryptic manner, “Old, valuable documents that can only be found in this library. They are going to be instrumental for what I am making… though, I can’t say I am looking forward to this.”

Without truly understanding what Ferdinand had meant by this, Justus and I continued to follow along. It’s not uncommon for Lord Ferdinand to keep us in the dark. Unless he deems it as necessary for us to know something, he tends to keep his thoughts to himself, leaving us trying to piece together what he means through his words and actions.

We walked through the corridor, opened the front door, and entered the reading room. However, neither the librarian nor the library’s magical tools were anywhere in sight. Perhaps there were other visitors or they were busy cleaning. After looking around the reading room for a moment, Lord Ferdinand mumbled, “I suppose I can ask Professor Solange on the way back,” and ascended the staircase on the left. Considering Rozemyne’s strong attachment to the library, there is a good chance that the librarian knows something.

“I did not expect I would ever come back here.”

Lord Ferdinand said that with a hint of annoyance, but there was no hesitation in his steps as he walked towards the back of the second floor reading room. I frequently came to the library during my days in the Royal Academy, but I never expected to return after graduating either. Being here made me reminisce of times when Heidemarie would peer over Lord Ferdinand’s shoulder as he read in order to deduce what book he would ask for next, or her desperately focusing on transcribing a manuscript that Lord Ferdinand had asked for.

If only she was here with us.

The three of us felt as if we were the same as back then, and the library felt ever unchanging. However Heidemarie, who could always be found here, was absent.

“Eckhart, if this place brings back too many memories, you can wait outside.”

“Lord Ferdinand, I’m your guard knight. If I dared leave your side, Heidemarie would scold me to no end.”

“Ahem… ‘It’s up to us scholars to help around the library! You focus on your guard duties!’ Or something along those lines, right?”

Justus chucked a bit in nostalgia as he imitated Heidemarie’s manner of speaking.

“Lord Ferdinand, let us finish our business quickly, we would not want to incur Heidemarie’s wrath. ‘Please, as an archduke candidate, you must refrain from acting on your own,’ as she used to say.”

Lord Ferdinand replied, “How nostalgic” as he began to approach the statue of the goddess between the bookshelf. Then, for some unknown reason, he began examining the statue by touching it. I recall him approaching this statue before when he was still studying at the Royal Academy. Perhaps there is something he hadn’t finished investigating.

After a brief pause, Ferdinand muttered to himself, “I have been denied? What do I do about this? I would rather avoid my previous method.”

I had no idea what Lord Ferdinand was talking about, but he simply pushed his bangs up in an irritated manner, before suddenly turning around. There was a sound as the door to the reading room was opened.

“Who would come here at this time of year?” Ferdinand wondered aloud.

“Perhaps it’s a student returning an overdue book? Ever since you sent those ordonnanz filled with threats to every dormitory, Lord Ferdinand, it seems that the students have begun returning their borrowed books without fail…”

Justus smirked teasingly at Lord Ferdinand, who scowled and said, “Don’t remind me.”

“Encountering students could be troublesome. Perhaps we should wait here until they leave?”

Just as we were discussing what to do, we heard multiple footsteps approaching from the staircase. It’s unusual for there to be so many people coming up to the second floor at once. I turned around and lightly tapped my foot in order to signal I was at the ready and prepared myself to draw my weapon. Lord Ferdinand then turned around.

“Prince Sigiswald…?”

I immediately lowered my attack stance and stood behind Ferdinand. Why would a member of the Royal Family come to the library at this time of year? I carefully observed Prince Sigiswald’s demeanor, being mindful to not show any suspicion.

“Worried about Rozemyne, I presume? It certainly has been a long time.”

While it is true that we were worried about her, I don’t understand why Prince Sigiswald is expressing his concern. She has a closer relationship with Prince Anastasius than with him.

“Truly… Might I ask what brings you here?”

“The same as you, I would imagine—I came to inspect the magic tool Rozemyne was supplying at the time. I could not come before when there were so many students around.”

The magic tool Rozemyne was supplying at the time? What does he mean?

Prince Sigiswald’s words implied that Rozemyne was not simply bedridden. I couldn’t quite grasp the meaning behind those words, but I could tell Lord Ferdinand seemed to understand what he was talking about by the faintly cold smile he put on.

What did you do, Rozemyne?!

Prince Sigswald asked Lord Ferdinand about the magic tools that were present on the second floor, and Lord Ferdinand started pointing them out. While being surprised at the unexpected number of magic tools that were present in the library, I listened to Lord Ferdinand’s explanation along with Prince Sigiswald.

Once he had finished listening, the prince said, “Thank you for that thorough explanation. Well then, I must go…”, then turned to leave. The forced smile on Lord Ferdinand’s face disappeared, replaced by furrowing brows. Now his face showed a mixture of fatigue, bewilderment, and shock, he glared at the statue of the goddess, while muttering, “That fool.”

“Rozemyne, you always find a way to ruin my plans…”

Lord Ferdinand, who was visibly upset at having to redo his plans, exited the library shortly after Prince Sigiswald.

“Were you not going to speak with Professor Solange?”

“That’s no longer necessary.”

Despite the apparent concern earlier, Lord Ferdinand declared that he no longer needed information about Rozemyne.

Seriously, what on earth have you done, Rozemyne?!

◆

Justus and I did not learn about Rozemyne’s situation from Lord Ferdinand, but rather, Professor Hirschur. It seems Rozemyne vanished immediately after finishing the first dedication ritual.

“She vanished?”

“Indeed. I obtained this information in the Ehrenfest Dormitory when it was overtaken by chaos, so there is no mistake. It seems she disappeared all of a sudden.”

“Suddenly?! In front of her retainers?!”

Unlike Justus and I, who couldn’t help but to raise our voices in shock, Lord Ferdinand carried on with his brewing as if he had known all along, showing no signs of agitation.

Professor Hirschur went on to explain, “I have no idea where she is, or when she will return. However, judging from the fact that her name-sworn retainers are unharmed and they mentioned that they can still feel her mana, we can assume that she is safe.”

Lord Ferdinand continued to brew while ignoring Professor Hirschur, but I could detect the anger in his bearing. He was silently furious. Most likely, Rozemyne had gone against some instruction he had given her and done something unnecessary.

Hurry back Rozemyne. Don’t cause any more trouble for Lord Ferdinand!

Over the course of the next two days, the magic tool Rozemyne had requested for her library was brewed. Lord Ferdinand, wore a thoroughly displeased expression as he examined the magic tool, noting possible points for improvement and what to watch out for during the brewing process while confirming that the tools were working as intended.

The mood in here is unbearable. Someone do something!

As I silently pleaded, Sergius burst in, exclaiming, “Bad news, Lord Ferdinand!” He must have come here in a great hurry, as he was breathing heavily as he held out a sound-blocking magic tool. It must be a sensitive matter that could not even be discussed over ordonnanz.

Justus prepared some tea for Sergius to help him catch his breath, and then we all grabbed a sound-blocking magic tool.

“Sergius, what’s the matter?”

Lord Ferdinand, who was no longer showing any of the anger he felt toward Rozemyne, urged Sergius to report. Sergius struggled to catch his breath as he began his report.

“It seems that ships from Lanzenave have arrived. In order to open the border gate, Lady Detlinde hurried back to Ahrensbach.”

What?! What on earth is that dim-witted idiot doing?!

“Their visit was originally scheduled for after the archduke conference. So why are they here already?!”

“Why not just send them away? There is no need to open the border gate! Did no one try to stop her?!”

In response to the angry comments from Justus and myself, Sergius dropped his shoulders and said, “There is no point saying that to me…”

Now that she has dyed the foundation and her appointment as the next aub has been guaranteed, the other nobles have stopped admonishing her out of fear of punishment. There is no point in saying anything to that shallow-minded, obtuse woman who acts solely upon her emotions, and a misplaced remark runs the risk of earning someone a dismissal or punishment, so in a way, this is understandable.

“There is no point in discussing this here. Let us return at once.” After saying that, Lord Ferdinand returned the sound-blocking magic tool to Sergius. He then handed over the magic tool and a recipe for the brew with a number of improvements to Professor Hirschur.

“Professor Hirschur, we need to hurry back. Please deliver these to Ehrenfest.”

Leaving behind the newly crafted magic tool in Hirschur’s laboratory, Lord Ferdinand turned on his heel and we followed suit.

One problem after another keeps cropping up. And it’s not just that moron, but you too, Rozemyne!

◆

By the time we returned, the ships from Lanzenave had already entered Ahrensbach’s port. We were right on the verge of the change of seasons, and the upcoming spring promised to be anything but ordinary.