Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 4.3 - Chapter 10

Meeting with the Prince

Fifth bell rang. It was time for us to meet with Anastasius, and so we picked up the various gifts that Rihyarda had prepared and started on our way. Of course, it was my attendants who were doing the actual carrying—my job was to put my all into my walking. I focused on making sure each step I took exuded the utmost grace, all while spreading out my stamina so that I wouldn’t start feeling sick. Walking around in the Royal Academy was something that I struggled with.

“Gudrun, did Ferdinand also receive invitations from royalty when he was a student?” I asked.

“Indeed. Many times. Though he received invitations from both a prince and a princess, as they would summon him to play harspiel.” Gudrun went on to explain how Ferdinand had been invited to a tea party with the music professors, during which he had earned the favor of a princess. Had he not been an archduke candidate, she would have apparently wanted to make him her personal musician.

“I see everyone goes through the same things here.”

“Milady, allow me to correct what seems to be a misunderstanding: not everyone experiences being invited to the private room of royalty.” There was exasperation in Gudrun’s voice, but surely it wasn’t that rare—both Ferdinand and I had been invited, and judging by what Anastasius had said, Eglantine was invited all the time too.

“I think I will use this opportunity to ask Prince Anastasius about the forbidden archive. If he is familiar with its location, perhaps he will open it for me,” I mused aloud, having had the genius idea to ask royalty to open the room that could only be opened by royalty. Gudrun, however, stopped me with a stunned expression.

“Please do not make such a request, milady.”

“Why not?” I asked, tilting my head to one side. “Is that not the fastest solution, considering that only royalty can open the room?”

Gudrun faltered, at a momentary loss for words, and then let out a heavy sigh. “Lady Rozemyne, the forbidden archive is a mystery of the Royal Academy. It is a rumor of uncertain veracity or origin and thus unsuited for the ears of royalty.”

“So it’s one of the seven mysteries of the Academy?”

“Seven? What are the other six, in your opinion?”

Back in Japan, it was traditionally said that every school had seven mysteries. I didn’t know why that was or what the other mysteries might be in this case.

“I wouldn’t know, but you must have some ideas, Gudrun.”

“I can recall perhaps twenty mysteries related to the Royal Academy.”

“Twenty... That sure is a lot.”

“The mysteries develop over time as students introduce new ones for amusement, similar ones become fused together, and existing ones quickly morph into something else entirely. There is the goddess statue that dances on the night of the graduation ceremony, the gazebo where the Goddess of Time plays tricks, the gewinnen pieces that begin playing games of ditter... Have you all not heard of these?” Gudrun asked, counting them off on his fingers.

Cornelius and the others exchanged glances before shaking their heads. If not even the older students were familiar with these mysteries, they must not have been topics that came up all too frequently.

Gudrun widened his eyes at that; then he muttered, “Perhaps the impacts of the civil war are being felt here as well...”

“Welcome, Lady Rozemyne. I see you are looking well today,” said Anastasius’s head attendant, Oswin. He gave a relieved smile upon seeing my face, which reminded me—I hadn’t seen him since my collapse, and my response to their well-wishes had noted only that I was returning to Ehrenfest. The reason for my sudden departure was a summons, but from an outside perspective, it would seem that I had returned due to my poor health after my meeting with the prince. Oswin must have been concerned about me this entire time.

“I am fine now. My apologies for having worried you all.”

Oswin guided me to the guest parlor where Anastasius was waiting. The prince was already seated, and he immediately gestured for me to sit down as well.

Wait, what? Is it just me, or is the prince all shiny now?

Anastasius’s blond hair had always been luxurious, but now it looked especially silky; I couldn’t help but wonder whether Eglantine had allowed him to use some of her rinsham. His attitude had also changed completely—rather than seeming uneasily impatient, he sat calmly in place, positively brimming with confidence. It was such a stark contrast that, for a second, I thought he was a different person with the same face.

“Took you long enough,” the prince said. “I’ve been waiting.”

“My apologies. I must say, however, that your wait has been worth it; the hairpin for Eglantine is our finest one yet.” I had thought he would demand to see it at once, but his gray eyes instead crinkled in a pleased smile. He glanced at our attendants as they went through the gift-giving process. “Did something happen while I was away?” I asked.

“By which you mean...?”

“Oh, you just seem to be carrying yourself quite differently, so I couldn’t help but wonder if your relationship with Lady Eglantine has progressed,” I said. I couldn’t help but think of the old saying that if you didn’t see a man for three days, you’d come back to find an entirely different person.

The moment I said that, Anastasius’s self-assured attitude fell apart into something more casual. “What, you’re curious? I see even the youngest-looking of girls are still fond of romance. Hm... It was thanks to your advice that the situation changed so suddenly, so perhaps I can tell you a bit of what happened.”

No thanks. I feel like you’re gearing up for a boring ramble...

That was what I wanted to say, but I held my tongue; Anastasius’s gray eyes were sparkling as he silently pressured me to ask for more details. Gudrun was likewise signaling for me to request more information. I had no choice but to read the mood.

“I am ever so curious. Ohohoho...”

“Then I will tell you. However, I can disclose only a portion of the full story; there is much which must be kept private,” Anastasius said with a proud grin. Despite his words, however, it was clear on his face that he desperately wanted to tell me every little detail. “I spoke with Eglantine alone after our meeting. I took heed of your advice and spoke frankly, so that she could understand my true wish and I could understand hers.”

Upon hearing her wish, Anastasius had used the following Earthdays and all the spare time he had from his finished classes to rush between the royal castle and Klassenberg. He was dead set on making her dream come true.

“I cannot say much as the information is not yet public, but Eglantine rejoiced. It was my first time seeing such a smile, and its beauty made her truly indistinguishable from the Goddess of Light,” Anastasius said, breaking into a smile himself. There was a particular kindness to his expression that I had never seen from him before. I could feel his love for Eglantine radiating from his every pore, and, to be honest, I couldn’t stand it. I didn’t want to hear any more of this lovey-dovey garbage from him.

“So your efforts bore fruit,” I summarized, “and you secured the right to escort Lady Eglantine with aplomb?”

“Correct. The hardest part was convincing the previous Aub Klassenberg—I needed to visit him with Eglantine countless times, and... Ah, apologies. I cannot give the details.”

And I don’t want to hear them.

Anastasius clearly, desperately wanted to tell someone else his story, but I was fine just knowing he was going to escort Eglantine. The hairpin was going to see use, and assuming their relationship ended up a success, Ehrenfest would surely benefit to some degree.

“Now then, please behold the hairpin made for Lady Eglantine. My personal hairpin craftswoman put her all into making this our best one yet,” I said, forcibly changing the subject and gesturing to Gudrun with my eyes. He placed a box on the table without a word, which I delicately opened and turned so that Anastasius could see the hairpin inside. “This is the koralie hairpin. I believe it will suit Lady Eglantine perfectly, but does it meet your expectations?”

The hairpin was made in the image of a koralie, a flower Eglantine liked, which was similar in appearance to a lily. The large petals were adorned with tiny white flowers and green plants to symbolize the coming of spring. Decorative lace made the ornament appear even fancier and more elaborate, and the colors chosen were intended to complement the Geduldh-red dress that I had been told Eglantine was going to wear to her graduation. The center of the flower was an orangish shade of red, with the petals gradually becoming redder the further out you went.

Anastasius plucked the hairpin from the box and carefully began to look it over. There was a deadly seriousness in his narrowed eyes as he examined the ornament from every angle. Had Tuuli managed to meet the standards of royalty? I swallowed hard as I nervously awaited his judgment.

“This is much more extravagant than your hairpin,” he observed.

“My hairpins are for daily use—their style differs from those meant to be worn with formal attire at celebratory events such as the graduation ceremony where one comes of age. Furthermore, a hairpin such as this would not suit me; koralies are so extravagant that I would be outshone. This is a hairpin designed only for Lady Eglantine. Have you deemed it worthy?”

“Yes. This hairpin will do a splendid job at drawing out her beauty,” Anastasius said with a satisfied nod. I couldn’t help but give a broad smile knowing that such praise had come from royalty.

Yes! Tuuli, the prince thinks your work is splendid! That’s my angel for you. Aah, I wanna brag to everyone!

I clenched my fists beneath the table as I tried to contain my swelling excitement, but it seemed that my attempt wasn’t quite enough—Anastasius fixed me with a glare and said, “Contain your emotions.” I frantically placed my hands over my cheeks, but my smile continued to grow nonetheless.

Oswin returned the hairpin to its box, delicately closed the lid, and then carried it away. Gudrun then stepped forward as if to replace him and set down the sheet music. He gestured with his eyes for me to control myself, and that finally calmed my excitement.

“What shall you do with the song dedicated to the Goddess of Light?” I asked. “I do believe it would be wiser for you to present it to her yourself, rather than through me, but the choice is yours.”

“I would agree. As initially planned, I shall buy it. Oswin.”

Oswin stepped forward again and began the purchase with Gudrun, while Anastasius looked over the sheets and nodded. Ferdinand and Rosina had arranged the song into something truly beautiful, so I expected that it would sell without issue.

Once the transaction was complete, we went on to discuss Eglantine’s cuteness and some trivial affairs related to the Royal Academy. Thinking that was it, I moved to bring the meeting to a close... only for Gudrun to interrupt me with a cough.

Am I forgetting something...?

With his hand hidden partially behind his skirt, Gudrun extended two fingers as if making a peace sign and then curled them to resemble flopping ears.

Schwartz and Weiss!

It was only then that I remembered—I had been asked to consult the prince about whether it would be acceptable to publish research on the library magic tools at the Interduchy Tournament. The request had completely slipped my mind.

“Erm, Prince Anastasius... If you don’t mind, I have one last question. Ehrenfest’s scholars would like to publish research on Schwartz and Weiss during this year’s Interduchy Tournament. Would that be acceptable, considering that they are the heirlooms of royalty?”

“Ah, of course. That should be fine. Were any discoveries made?”

Heck if I know.

I opened my mouth, about to say just that, but then I shut it again and slowly shook my head. “I’m afraid you will need to ask Professor Hirschur for details. I have only just returned from Ehrenfest and have not yet seen all the documents myself.”

“Hirschur again, hm? Ehrenfest would do well to have its students participate in the tournament too, not just its dorm supervisor,” he said with clear exasperation, and he was totally right. I had no rebuttal.

“I will strive to ensure that our students have stunning research to publish next year.”

“...I shall wait and see, though my expectations are not high.”

And with that, our meeting came to an end.

“I must say, milady, that meeting alone was enough for me to understand the many woes you bring to Lord Ferdinand,” Gudrun said, rubbing his temples as soon as we returned to the dorm. “I could feel my stomach turn as I waited to hear what you would say to the prince. Not only were you completely unpredictable, you even forgot many of the things we discussed moments prior to leaving the dormitory. Now I truly empathize with why Lord Ferdinand said you should be kept isolated from the other duchies and your socializing kept to a minimum.” His relief was so unmistakable that it honestly freaked me out.

“Gudrun... Am I truly that bad at socializing?”

“Your largest problem is that you seem competent at first glance. The majority of your answers and questions are quite fine, but you attempted to ask royalty about the forbidden archive and managed to forget advice you had received just moments prior. I feel that your mistakes are always severe and fatal; there is no middle ground, and thus your retainers must be exceedingly careful. I will be writing a report to Ehrenfest as Mother attends to you, and I will propose that Lord Ferdinand personally train your retainers.”

Bonifatius had already agreed to train the apprentice knights, and now there was a chance that Ferdinand was going to train all of my retainers. They recoiled at the thought and stiffened; they knew all too well the legends that followed the current High Priest.

“Milady, the responses to your tea party invitations have arrived,” Rihyarda said, holding a great bundle of letters in her hands. A discussion room had already been set aside for us, so we moved there at once to begin checking the replies.

It seemed that we were going to hold a tea party with every single duchy in attendance. Given space constraints, we were limiting attendance to one representative per duchy, but since each representative would need to bring with them attendants and guard knights, there was still going to be quite an enormous crowd.

“Can we actually handle this many people?” Cornelius asked, worried.

Brunhilde’s amber eyes shone with a fierce light. “Let us consider this a prologue to the Interduchy Tournament. There will be no limit to the number of people then, and we are also bound to encounter the archducal couples and adult nobles from other duchies. I do believe Lord Justus was correct when he said that no amount of preparation will be enough.”

“But is there not a limit to how much our kitchen can produce? What shall we do about that?” Lieseleta asked.

I pondered her questions for a moment. “Let us send a letter to Ehrenfest requesting access to the castle’s kitchens the day before the Interduchy Tournament and placing orders with the pound cake-selling Othmar Company. We can have the food delivered as luggage.”

We would need to send this letter to Sylvester and the others sooner rather than later—there was no getting around the fact that the resources currently being sent to the Royal Academy weren’t enough to meet our upcoming needs. I decided to leave decisions on the number of orders and the budgeting for them to my attendants, instead thinking about how we would handle the people once they actually arrived.

While we were preparing for the large-scale tea party, I received a summons from Eglantine. She wanted me to teach her how to put on the hairpin that Anastasius had gifted her, so there was no way for me to refuse.

Because Anastasius had his eye on Eglantine, men were forbidden from attending her tea parties. This meant that Hartmut and Cornelius would need to stay behind, while Justus would be accompanying me as Gudrun. Upon hearing this, Hartmut began to deeply contemplate something.

Please, O gods... Steer Hartmut away from the dark side...

“I do apologize for inviting you during such busy times; it was just essential that I ask before the graduation ceremony,” Eglantine said, welcoming me with a radiant smile. At the risk of sounding like Anastasius, she truly was beautiful enough to be mistaken for the Goddess of Light. She had always been a sight to behold, but now she was invincible, propelled forward by the blissful confidence unique to girls who were in love and who were receiving love in turn. “I was truly overjoyed to receive such a splendid hairpin, though I must say—I am concerned that Prince Anastasius has forced unreasonable demands on you once again.”

It seemed that Eglantine, in all her kindness, was worried about royalty dragging me around. I smiled and rejected the idea; this was something I had suggested on my own to cheer him up, not something he had forced on me.

“I advised him to order the hairpin. It was clear to me how well one would suit you, Lady Eglantine.”

“Oh my. Might I ask you to teach me how it should be worn, then?”

Eglantine had put on the dress she planned to wear at her graduation, no doubt wanting to see for herself whether the colors matched.

“How do I look?” she asked.

“Stunning. I speak with all seriousness when I say that you could steal the heart of not just Prince Anastasius, but all men who gaze upon you.”

Her bountiful golden hair was bound up like that of an adult woman, revealing the pale skin of her neck that so nicely brought out the red in her dress. Her long and gorgeously embroidered sleeves shook ever so slightly as she experimentally touched her nape; she wasn’t used to not feeling her hair brushing against it.

“Is that the Klassenberg crest?” I asked, looking at the embroidery.

“Indeed. My grandfather—or rather, my adoptive father—was quite fussy about the design.”

“I can imagine. You are his granddaughter and adoptive daughter, and this is the dress for your coming-of-age ceremony—it is only natural that he is invested in every detail. And rest assured, your own stunning beauty is not overshadowed by the beauty of your outfit. It suits you perfectly.”

As we spoke, my attendants taught Eglantine’s how to put in the hairpin. It was like the large red flower was blooming from her glossy, rinsham-cleaned hair, with the lively greens reminding one of spring. All the colors made Eglantine’s golden hair look even more gorgeous.

“Oh my, how splendid!”

“It looks wonderful on you, my lady.”

The attendants gave enthusiastic approval as well. Considering how impressed they sounded, it was easy to guess that Eglantine would draw a lot of attention at her graduation ceremony.

Eglantine joyfully expressed her thanks for the praise; she then turned back to look at me while touching the hairpin. “Lady Rozemyne, is this hairpin safe to wear while whirling?”

“I would suggest experimenting. If you find it interferes with your whirling then you will need to adjust its positioning or change how your hair is braided. I usually insert my hairpins from above so that they remain in place even during dedication whirl practice; there is a risk it might fall out if stuck in from the side.”

Eglantine gracefully raised her hands and started to whirl, humming a quiet rhythm to herself. Her billowing sleeves filled with air as she spun, fluttering through the air as though they had minds of their own. The loose strands of hair dangling on either side of her face gleamed as they caught the light, and the subtle smile that crept onto her face showed just how much she loved to whirl.

“It seems that things will be just fine,” she eventually concluded with a contented smile. I was likewise satisfied, having been able to watch Eglantine whirl free of charge. I was a big fan of her dedication whirls.

Once we had finished celebrating the hairpin together, I stealthily sold Eglantine the jar of rinsham I had brought, thereby completing everything I had planned to do during this meeting. I victoriously balled up my fist, having remembered to do everything that I had been told to do this time, only for her to bring out two sound-blocking magic tools.

“May we speak a bit more with these?” she asked.

“Of course,” I replied, my heart pounding in my chest as I gripped the tool. Who knew what she was going to say?

“It is thanks to you, Lady Rozemyne, that I can allow Prince Anastasius to escort me.”

“I am told that he put forth great effort to make it a reality.”

“There is no doubting that; he truly did pour his all into this. He spoke with the king, Prince Sigiswald, and even my grandfather countless times, traveling between them with no rest to speak of. This determination won my affections more than any sweet nothings.”

You’re really going to use sound-blocking magic tools just to make me listen to you brag about your boyfriend...?

It seemed that the sight of Anastasius passionately working to convince the former Aub Klassenberg had won Eglantine’s heart more than anything. Her cheeks flushed and her eyes watered slightly as she spoke, the overflowing aura of a young girl in love making her even more lovely and attractive. However, perhaps due to my lack of imagination, I could only imagine Anastasius, like... arguing with a stubborn old man. It was certainly disappointing.

Nooo... Here we have basically the most handsome man and the most beautiful woman possible, but it barely feels like a fairy-tale romance at all. My heart is dead.

Still, Eglantine’s smile was radiating happiness, and that was enough for me. She looked much more wonderful now than when she had been agonizing over whether she would become the catalyst for another war.

“I cannot say much more, as our future will be announced during the upcoming Archduke Conference, but you are undoubtedly the reason that things are going so well. Lady Rozemyne, I am truly grateful for all that you have done,” Eglantine said.

“I am just glad to see you happy,” I replied with a smile, only for Eglantine’s own smile to cloud over a little.

“Lady Rozemyne... Would you still celebrate our union knowing that it might distance us from the throne?” she asked. I recalled my guardians yelling at me about how dangerous problems with the throne were—in which case, this distancing could mean only good things for me.

“Of course,” I replied, my chest confidently puffed out. “I have chosen to be your ally, Lady Eglantine. You being distanced from the throne changes nothing.”

Eglantine fell silent, so shocked that she was truly at a loss for words.

“Lady Eglantine...? Is something the matter?”

“Oh, no. I just never expected you to give such a reply. Will your aub not scold you for speaking from your heart? Do the powers of Ehrenfest not wish to establish connections to the throne?”

“Ehrenfest is a neutral duchy that did not side with either faction to begin with, so in truth, I was scolded simply for getting involved with matters of succession at all.”

“Oh my!” Eglantine exclaimed with a giggle. Her expression was no longer clouded over; rather, her peaceful smile from before had now returned. “You truly are the Saint of Ehrenfest, Rozemyne. I feel as though you have saved me.”

“If my actions have helped in the least bit, I am honored to have been of service,” I replied on instinct.

Huh? I mean, wait... Did I actually do anything?

I kept my confusion to myself, allowing Eglantine to continue extolling her boyfriend’s many virtues until our tea party eventually came to an end.

“You cannot be allowed to socialize any further—it is simply too dangerous,” Justus said as soon as we returned to the dorm. He knew how to lip-read, and what he had seen had apparently put him through agony again. He muttered under his breath that he would need to write yet another report to Ferdinand.

“Have I done something wrong?” I asked.

“Lack of education, misunderstandings... The problem is more to do with your surroundings than you yourself. The most terrifying part is your own lack of awareness over what a dangerous bridge you are crossing. Something must be done at once,” Justus said, looking entirely exhausted. My other retainers, none of whom knew how to lip-read, watched with confused expressions.

Well, I don’t know what I’ve done, but... sorry anyway.