Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 4.02 - Chapter 7

The Start of Life as a Retainer

(An original short story written for this fanbook.)

“Lady Brunhilde, Lady Rozemyne is inquiring as to your interest in serving as her retainer,” Rihyarda said. “I must note, she was raised in the temple and has only recently awoken from a two-year slumber, so she is lacking in ways that are unthinkable for most nobles. Compensating for this will place a considerable burden on all her retainers. Even knowing this, would you be willing to serve as her apprentice attendant?”

Rihyarda served as Lady Rozemyne’s head attendant, and she had come to me with this inquiry the day Lady Rozemyne arrived at the Royal Academy. It honestly came as quite the relief; I had worried that I had come on too strongly when welcoming Lady Rozemyne, especially considering that Lieseleta had felt it necessary to step in.

“I have long awaited Lady Rozemyne’s awakening. My father even said that if I am to serve anyone, it should be her.”

“Oh my. That is very much like Giebe Groschel.”

Due to having been constrained by Lady Veronica in the past, the Leisegang nobles had selected Lady Rozemyne—the daughter of Lord Karstedt and Lady Elvira—as the archduke candidate their faction would support. I had a deep connection with the Leisegangs as the daughter of Giebe Groschel, and my father had explicitly ordered me to support her.

I had also been instructed to discover the aub’s reason for abruptly adopting Lady Rozemyne, as well as why he had assigned Rihyarda, his own retainer, to serve as her head attendant instead of selecting a Leisegang noble or someone from Lord Bonifatius’s family.

I imagine Father and the others are acting with the wisdom I lack, but...

In my opinion, it made far more sense to leave such stealthy intelligence gathering to apprentice scholars such as Hartmut. I wanted only to grow close to Lady Rozemyne and assist her in spreading trends, such as her hairpins and new recipes, throughout the Sovereignty.

I have finally been given permission to begin circulating trends. The last thing I want is to waste what little time I have left in the Royal Academy on such political trivialities.

“I gladly accept, Lady Rihyarda.”

“We shall now be serving the same lady, Brunhilde. You may call me just ‘Rihyarda.’”

The rooms for retainers were located across from those of the archduke candidates, so I was instructed to move to my new accommodation.

“I see these are designed the same as archnoble rooms,” I observed. It seemed that archnobles were so commonly taken as the retainers of archduke candidates that the interiors were fashioned with this in mind. The rooms were unusually large and decorated with furniture that was fancy by mednoble standards, although it was nothing new to me. I looked around, at which point Angelica came to summon me.

“You can leave your belongings to the servants and your own attendants,” she said. “Please go greet Lady Rozemyne.”

“Understood.”

I gave instructions to my attendants and then stepped out into the corridor, where I found Lady Rozemyne’s new retainers all gathered outside her room. Lieseleta, a fourth-year apprentice medattendant popular among other attendants for her careful work and refined demeanor, was busy speaking to Angelica. I had heard that she wished to serve Lady Rozemyne out of gratitude.

Her mother serves as an attendant to Lady Florencia, and her older sister Angelica is Lady Rozemyne’s apprentice guard knight. At least in regard to faction politics, there is no need to be on guard against her.

Standing beside Angelica and enthusiastically listening to her conversation was Judithe, a violet-eyed girl in her second year. She was the daughter of a knight who guarded the country gate in Kirnberger. I had heard she was especially well trained as a knight for someone her age, and that she was aiming to join Lady Rozemyne’s retainers out of admiration for Angelica.

Kirnberger isn’t particularly close to the former Veronica faction, so she should not necessitate too much caution either.

“Philine, you were chosen too? I’m glad we get to work together!” Judithe exclaimed, her excitement clear in her voice.

“You wrote stories for Lady Rozemyne’s sake the entire time she was asleep. I’m happy for you,” Lieseleta added, gesturing Philine over with a kind smile.

Philine hesitantly walked over, fearful due to being a mere first-year layscholar. Back in the playroom, she was said to have not been confirmed as a retainer, but perhaps Lady Rozemyne had forced the matter despite her advisers’ concerns.

First Damuel, now Philine. Lady Rozemyne certainly seems to take whomever she pleases as her retainers, regardless of status.

Lady Rozemyne was naturally free to choose anyone she pleased, but there were many who wished to be the retainer of an archducal family member; more than a few students were no doubt displeased with a laynoble being chosen in their place. If we fellow retainers did not protect her with great care, Philine would certainly be crushed. She was simply too young and of too low a status to protect herself.

That said... is Lady Rozemyne not meant to be a beacon of hope for the Leisegang faction?

I saw no Leisegang faces among her new retainers. That was not to say she lacked other Leisegang retainers entirely, considering that her brother Cornelius was among her guard knights, but still. Was it overthinking things to view this selection as an attempt to somewhat distance herself from the Leisegangs?

“Oh my. Am I late?” came a voice from behind. I turned and saw Leonore, a fourth-year knight, striding over. I sighed in relief. She was a Leisegang noble, much like myself, meaning I had an ally after all.

“I see you have been chosen as well, Leonore.”

“Indeed. I hope we can use this opportunity to grow even closer,” she replied. We had spent much time together due to being of similar ages and our parents often visiting each other, so I was positively overjoyed that she was here as an apprentice guard knight.

“Lady Rozemyne, may I allow your retainers in?” Angelica asked, standing by the door. I heard Rozemyne reply “You certainly may” from somewhere inside, so we lined up in order of status and followed Angelica into the room.

Goodness! What a massive room!

It was my first time entering the personal room of an archducal family member, and the sheer size absolutely stunned me. It was hard to imagine this was all for a single person.

Chairs of identical design were lined up to the left of the entryway, likely used to accommodate additional guests during tea parties. The right wall was decorated with art and embroidered tapestries, pieces presumably made by Lady Rozemyne herself. She had already proven her musical talent during her debut, but it seemed she was an expert in even more regards. I let out a satisfied sigh as I recalled the music she had played and the spectacular blessing it had produced.

Just how much would she have grown had the sleep not taken those years from her? Truly a shame.

Lady Rozemyne was seated at the far end of a round table located directly in front of the door. She looked much too young to be attending the Royal Academy, and I instantly recalled when I had greeted her during her first winter playroom. She had hardly aged a day since then.

She was sitting on a cushion to put her at a reasonable height above the table, and the floor was but a distant dream for her feet. She looked so young and innocent that I was struck with the urge to give whomever had attacked her a firm telling off. She would struggle here with her youthful form, but we attendants would have quite a time ahead of us as well, since we needed to ensure she experienced no inconveniences while living here.

Though, naturally, I will accomplish that with aplomb.

With resolve in my heart, I knelt before Lady Rozemyne with all the beauty expected of a daughter of Giebe Groschel. “Lady Rozemyne, I am ever so delighted that you selected me. You may count on me to make your trends fashionable.”

“Indeed. I intend to rely on you quite heavily when it comes to social matters, Brunhilde.”

She not only praised my achievements when it came to researching trends, but also entrusted me with matters of socializing with other duchies. I was so happy to have been given the job I wanted and to have been recognized for my efforts that I struggled to contain a grin.

My mind wandered to potential ways I could spread Ehrenfest trends throughout the Academy, and the next thing I knew, Lieseleta had finished her greetings as well.

“Milady, I will teach the two apprentice attendants about the work that needs to be done here,” Rihyarda said, briskly walking deeper into the room. We followed.

“Now then, I will explain Lady Rozemyne’s room and what you will be doing as apprentice attendants. It is structured the same as her room in the castle, though the furniture is a mishmash of what belonged to former candidates, so each part is a little different.”

It seemed most of the furniture being passed down was true for our rooms as well. A closer look revealed how seasoned many of the pieces were.

On the left wall of the main room was a furnace, and against the right were a bookshelf and a study desk. There was also a chair for practicing harspiel, a bench for lounging, and some shelves for decoration, as well as plants and a screen that seemed to hide a more private space. At the back was a bed large enough to fit Lady Rozemyne several times over. I couldn’t help but wonder just how many copies of her it could accommodate.

So the farther back one goes, the more personal the room becomes.

In which case, the circular table with chairs where Lady Rozemyne was currently sitting was not for lounging at, but was rather within the most public and formal area of the room. I turned around a bit.

“Rihyarda, I am aware the Royal Academy has rooms for tea parties, since those from other duchies cannot enter other dorms... but are tea parties ever held in the rooms of archduke candidates?” I asked.

“When Lady Charlotte begins attending the Academy next year, I imagine she and Lady Rozemyne will want to have tea parties together here. They are fairly close.”

I had been told that Lady Rozemyne was attacked on the night of Lady Charlotte’s baptism ceremony, and she hadn’t awoken until two years later at the end of autumn. When exactly had they had the opportunity to develop any sort of bond? Lady Rozemyne had hardly attended this year’s winter playroom, so I had almost never seen them together.

“Here in the Royal Academy, the circular table is also used for Lady Rozemyne’s retainers to give their reports, help her with classwork, and discuss preparations for any tea parties she is due to hold. Discussions which require male retainers are held in a meeting room on the first floor.”

“Since you specified ‘here in the Royal Academy,’ does that mean the table has a different purpose in the castle?” I asked.

“We can discuss that when we return there.”

It was true that we didn’t need to know immediately. It was a matter that could wait. When I taught others, I often taught in order of immediate importance as well. As I nodded to myself, I noticed Lieseleta tilt her head.

“Is something the matter, Lieseleta?”

“Erm... I see the book boxes are by the bench, but is that not incorrect? I believe they are normally positioned closer to the studying desks,” she said.

On closer examination, I also noticed the two book boxes placed between the bed and the bench. They were blunt, crude boxes that stood out amid the colorful red and pink of the lounge area.

Rihyarda glanced over at Lady Rozemyne and shook her head. “They are where they need to be,” she said with a sigh. “It seems that milady cannot properly relax without a book in her hands. She spends almost all of her free time reading, but also completely loses sight of her surroundings in the process, so I manage the keys to the boxes and to her bookshelf. It is important to lock them after seventh bell, for she will never sleep otherwise.”

I had heard of archduke candidates being encouraged to read, but this was my first time hearing of one who needed to have their reading time limited. Judging from what Lady Rihyarda had said, I could guess that Lady Rozemyne’s love for books was intense enough to negatively impact her life.

Speaking of which... I do recall her flipping through outrageously thick books in the children’s playroom. At the time, I had assumed this was to show she was learning alongside the others despite having already finished her studies, but it turned out she just loved to read.

“Behind the bed is the door to her hidden room. We will enter it only when we are invited inside to clean.”

I nodded, looking up at the bed. It was fairly old with thick curtains around it, and the bedding was covered in beautiful embroidery. It took only a glance to know it was of a much higher quality than what archnobles used.

“This is the changing room, where she will wash her hands, and there you see a door leading to the bath. The green feystone pitcher you see by the washbasin is connected to the basement’s water container. You will pour water into the bath with this, then warm it with the blue feystone. These are magic tools for exclusive use in the bath.”

“I have learned about these in class, but Brunhilde is a third-year, so she has not yet...”

“It is fine, Lieseleta. I have similar tools in my home and am familiar with their usage.”

While there was a notable difference in size, the changing room and such functioned just as they did in my estate. Lieseleta would most likely struggle with this more than I would, considering how her family shared their bath, washbasin, and the like.

“The necessary tools for bathing are all contained within this box,” Rihyarda said. “Be sure to return them when the hot water has been prepared.”

I was aware Lady Rozemyne had invented rinsham, and I was pleasantly surprised to see a jar of it carrying a scent I was unfamiliar with. The recipe had most likely been prepared specially for her. As my heart thumped with joy at being in the presence of such a cutting-edge product, I confirmed the locations of the laundry baskets and massage oils.

“Please put the laundry into this basket with the blue tag. When she has finished changing in the morning, send her used clothes down to the basement via the dumbwaiter so that the servants below may clean them. Her changes of clothes are in the clothing room.”

The clothing room had rows of shelves stretching all the way to the back wall. There were underclothes, overclothes, shoes, accessories, and extra cloth for repairing any tears.

“Her Royal Academy clothes are stored here, as are class-specific clothes like her riding outfit,” Rihyarda said, beginning to gesture to particular shelves. “Her normal clothes are here. Special outfits for socializing are here as well, just in case. Bedding is over here. Sewing tools and irons are on this shelf. Please wear these aprons when preparing the bath and working with water.”

It seemed our work tools were kept in the clothing room as well. Lady Rozemyne’s things were kept separate from our attendant things, so we would not struggle to distinguish them.

“This is the area for tools,” Rihyarda explained as she entered a space connected to the clothing room. The first thing I saw inside was a sizable table. “It is nearly identical to the one in the castle so as to make my work easier. Please return any tools you use to the exact place you find them.”

“This is the retainers’ room,” she continued. “It is where we discuss matters among ourselves, do work that we do not wish for our lady to see, and generally keep in contact. The shelves store not just dishes, but also sweets and tea for our lady. You may use this table for a bit of mending or rest when necessary.” She then opened a cabinet to show us the tea-making tools, going on to describe which tea Lady Rozemyne preferred.

I see. She prefers a two-to-one ratio of teegabt to ergey, with a sizable quantity of grauvache milk.

“The cart used to carry the tea is here. This here is the dumbwaiter I mentioned earlier, which is used to exchange goods with the servants in the basement. Once the laundry has been placed in the blue-tagged basket, pour mana into this to send it down. It will return with clean laundry by sixth bell. When you want water heated, send it down with this tag. It will return once heated, and then you can use this blue feystone pitcher to pour the tea. Use this tag when you need sweets.”

After explaining all the different tag colors and shapes so that we could use the dumbwaiter properly, Rihyarda unlocked a particular cabinet with a key.

“This is where milady’s potions are stored. My boy Ferdinand has entrusted me with managing these, so speak to me whenever milady looks ill. This is a list of warnings I was given when I first began serving her. Look over it later when you have the time.”

“Understood.”

I quickly skimmed the wooden board of warnings and discovered it was filled to the brim with arcane instructions regarding limiting her reading time and enforcing ideal exercise. The details were so precise I found myself at a loss for words, whereas Lieseleta peered over at the board with a small smile on her face.

“You may read it first, Brunhilde. My sister has spoken a bit of Lady Rozemyne’s ill health. She has restrictions even for tea parties.”

“I see I have much to learn before socializing with the other duchies begins...”

The box of potions was considerably large. It likely contained more than they expected to use, but still, there was an impressive amount inside. I recalled the potions I had prepared for myself prior to leaving and truly came to understand just how poor Lady Rozemyne’s health was.

“Apprentice attendants wake up at first bell and dress themselves. Breakfast is held at second bell, so we must prepare milady for the day before then. Begin by cleaning her room lightly with magic tools. By the time you are finished, her guard knights will have gathered themselves in the retainers’ room, and you may confirm among yourselves which classes you each need to attend and who is going to be guarding her that day. Once that is done, you will wake her up.”

Lady Rozemyne had been strictly instructed not to leave her bed before being summoned by her attendants. Because of this, when she had a book she strongly wanted to read, she would hide it in a desk drawer or under her pillow in advance, or even start reading it early in the morning.

Just how much does she love books...? I wondered. All of the work-related concerns Rihyarda had discussed seemed to be related to Lady Rozemyne’s ill health and obsession with reading.

“You all should know the flow of morning preparations, as all noblewomen share the same general process. Once those have been completed, it is time for breakfast. While we would wait for her to finish eating and then have her leftovers in the castle, here in the Royal Academy, we eat alongside her in the dining hall. When I say to clean up the baskets, you must swiftly go from the changing room, through the clothing room, and into the retainers’ room to do just that. You must then return to her main room and gather in front of the door, where your attendants will be.”

Rihyarda would check Lady Rozemyne in the mirror, and we would prepare to leave for the dining hall until they were ready. We would then briefly commune with our attendants to ensure maximum grace.

“Following breakfast, we prepare for classes and move to the common room. This is when milady begins to read, and taking her to classes becomes quite the challenge. Please take care to ensure she can socialize with other students in the common room. Given that milady has such poor health and has spent two years asleep, she has overwhelmingly fewer connections than others.”

“It is true that she will need to socialize with other Ehrenfest students before she can begin thinking about socializing with other duchies,” I replied. She had spent a full winter with the first-, second-, and third-years in the playroom, but no more than ten days with the older students before they departed for the Royal Academy.

“Brunhilde, is it not first necessary for Lady Rozemyne to grow familiar with her retainers?” Lieseleta asked. “We are almost all new faces to her. I am sure she will struggle to relax in her room before she properly comes to know us.”

I nodded empathetically. I also struggled to relax in my room following a change of attendants; much time would pass with us searching each other out, not quite being on the same page and experiencing minor emotional disturbances. I would go into my hidden room when necessary to calm myself, but I would not have been able to grow used to them had I remained locked away forever.

On top of that, Lady Rozemyne had more retainers than I did, so she would take even longer to adjust than I normally would. Out of all her retainers, only Rihyarda, Cornelius, and Angelica had served her prior to her coming to the Royal Academy.

“She will likely grow accustomed to you faster than she will me, Lieseleta, for you look quite like Angelica,” I said. “Perhaps you and Rihyarda can handle duties which require touching her, while I focus on cleaning and preparing tea, among other minor duties?”

“Very well,” Lieseleta replied. “You have been entrusted with matters of socialization, Brunhilde, so please focus your efforts on that. An archnoble will accomplish much more there than a mednoble such as myself ever could.”

As Lieseleta and I decided our respective shares of the work, Rihyarda clapped her hands together. “I am glad to see you working together as good friends, but my explanation comes first. Do not forget to change into your attendant work clothes after returning from your classes. From there, Lady Rozemyne will change into her lounging clothes. You will then have free time until dinner.”

While she described it as free time, there would not be all that long between us finishing our classes and dinner starting.

“Following dinner you will prepare the bath. Some will then help her bathe while others prepare the bed. Oh yes, and do not forget to ask her which massage oils she wishes to use before she enters the bath; her preferences vary based on her mood. Once she exits the bath, one attendant will massage her, while another cleans the bath and prepares tea. Apprentices may leave once Lady Rozemyne has finished bathing.”

After her bath, Lady Rozemyne would drink tea, read, and then study for the next day’s classes until it was time for bed.

“You both have experience as attendants, so I will not be too strict with how you spend your free time or when you sleep,” Rihyarda concluded. “Just ensure you rest enough that it does not interfere with your work the next day.”

“Understood.”

“That is how Rihyarda explained Lady Rozemyne’s daily schedule to us when we first arrived, but...” I trailed off, picking up my cup and looking at Lieseleta. She took a leftover cookie and gave a refined laugh.

“Few things go according to plan, do they? Perhaps the castle is different.”

“It must be. There is no library there, so there is no need for her to pull out all the stops.”

Due to the Better Grades Committee and a few careless words from Lord Wilfried, Lady Rozemyne had woken up earlier than her attendants to begin writing out worksheets, among other things. In addition to that, a tea party with the music professors had been scheduled before we could even finish carefully reading the instructions Lord Ferdinand had given us. Everything was an enormous mess to say the least, and I was being dragged around so much that I could feel my skill as an attendant climbing dramatically by the day.

“Lady Rozemyne is about to finish her classes soon, yes? I cannot believe she has such incredible focus.”

“Indeed. She needs retainers to accompany her to the library, so we are being quite rushed ourselves.”

Lieseleta and I exchanged a chuckle, sipping tea and sharing a break in the retainers’ room while Lady Rozemyne and Philine dedicated themselves to making study resources at the circular table. Her stay at the Royal Academy had only just begun.