Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 5.12 - Chapter 11

Aurelia’s Situation

As my reward for sending Eglantine everything she needed, I was allowed to go through the new textbooks brought in from Alexandria. They had previously belonged to Letizia and covered so many important aspects of the duchy—its terrain, industries, flora, fauna, and most important annual events. It was all pretty standard knowledge as far as Old Ahrensbach’s nobles were concerned, but that didn’t stop me from pouncing on the books as soon as Rihyarda brought them out.

“I’ve been told to memorize as much of this information as I can before the Archduke Conference,” I said. “Philine, will you study with me?”

“Yes, my lady.”

Philine was on a mad quest to learn as much as she could about Alexandria, not wanting to be left in the dust by those who were moving before her. To that end, Letizia’s textbooks were well worth going through. They even contained some documents written by Ferdinand.

“Excellent,” I said. “You may borrow them when I am done. Study them closely before your move.”

“Understood,” she replied, looking up from the books with a broad smile on her face. “Damuel will appreciate having them as well.”

Their relationship really has progressed in my absence.

“Incidentally... when did Damuel pop the question? Or did you propose to him? He mentioned your plans to move to Alexandria together but told me to speak with you when I requested more details. I guess that was partly because we didn’t have much time, but still—it was like he didn’t want to tell me.”

“Th-Then I won’t either!” Philine exclaimed, blushing furiously and shaking her head. As much as I wanted to dig deeper, it almost felt like I was bullying her.

“Something happened during Spring Prayer,” Judithe whispered over my shoulder. “She won’t tell me what, though.”

Philine lowered her head and muttered, “Not you too, Judithe... Leave me be...”

“She’s been like this ever since. I’m starting to suspect Damuel backed her into a corner and forced her to agree. Or maybe he did something too awful to mention...”

“Damuel would never! He isn’t that kind of person!”

“No, I suppose not...”

We might not have known the details, but Philine’s outburst made one thing clear: their engagement was the result of a chivalrous discussion, not some forceful act of passion.

“Lady Rozemyne, Judithe,” Leonore interjected, “please stop teasing Philine and get ready to leave. We must visit Lady Elvira.”

“Have you finished clearing out your room in the knight dormitory?” I asked.

“Yes, my lady. My belongings were just moved to Alexandria. I shall greet Lady Elvira today and then go to Leisegang tomorrow. Matthias and Laurenz have departed, so Cornelius should return soon.”

Cornelius arrived with Roderick in tow. The workload in Alexandria must have been intense because they both looked absolutely exhausted.

“Lord Ferdinand has summoned Philine and Damuel,” he said. “He needs scholars proficient in math to help him gather more proof of embezzlement. Laurenz is awaiting them in Ehrenfest’s tea party room.”

Damuel hung his head and muttered, “But I’m not a scholar...” He wasn’t going to protest, of course, so he and Philine started getting together everything they would need.

“No matter what happens, make it clear that you are my retainers,” I told them. “Damuel, though you might sometimes be mistaken for a scholar, that does not make you any less of a knight. Keep a close eye on Philine and make sure she stays safe.”

“Understood!”

“Philine, I received word from Melchior and intend to visit him in the temple tomorrow afternoon. Please inform Ferdinand that I will need you with me—though you can spend the rest of your time in Alexandria uninterrupted.”

“Very well. If you will excuse us.”

I watched the pair go and told Roderick to rest and prepare for the move. Then I turned to Judithe and Angelica.

“Spend the rest of the day as you please; Leonore and Cornelius are going to take me home for a family catch-up. I plan to spend the night there, so come fetch me tomorrow after lunch. You can guard me when I visit the temple.”

They both smiled, nodded, and took their leave. Leonore intended to return to Leisegang, Cornelius had to prioritize his move, and Damuel was busy as a scholar, so there was a good chance Judithe and Angelica would need to guard me until the Archduke Conference without taking any breaks.

“Welcome, Cornelius, Rozemyne,” Elvira said as we alighted our highbeasts. “Leonore, it is lovely to see you again. How are your preparations coming along?”

As we made our way to the parlor, Elvira gestured to Leonore and Cornelius, drawing them into a discussion about the upcoming move and the steps before their Starbind Ceremony. Muriella was called over to chat with me in the meantime.

“Welcome, welcome, Lady Rozemyne!”

Muriella had come of age during my disappearance from the Royal Academy. I couldn’t help thinking that she looked so mature with her hair up. She spent her days gathering manuscripts in Elvira’s service and inspecting the printing workshops, which were slowly increasing in number.

“Philine has her own room here now, in case you didn’t know,” she said. “She uses it during winter socializing and whenever there is a lull in her temple duties.”

Staying in the temple all the time would isolate a noble from important information, which was why Philine had been told to stay in the Noble’s Quarter when she could. One of Muriella’s many duties was to keep her in the know.

“Um, Muriella... Has your standing not worsened since the war with Ahrensbach?”

“Not mine, no. I am fortunate to have many considerate people looking out for me.”

Those who had given their names to escape the purge had needed to be imprisoned in the castle during the Defense of Ehrenfest. Muriella had earned the favor of not just the guards but also Florencia’s retainers for being so well-mannered and obedient, whereas Barthold earned their ire for being a general nuisance.

“Barthold might be punished to some degree,” Muriella said. “I can only hope his sisters are not dragged down with him.”

“Is that still up in the air?”

“Yes, and it should remain that way until after the conference. The archducal family has faced so many unexpected developments that no one has time to even spare him a thought.”

Meeting with royalty, attending the transference ceremony, my engagement—Ehrenfest’s archducal family had been bounced from one excursion to the next. Getting through the upcoming Archduke Conference was their top priority, so internal matters related to the Defense of Ehrenfest were being kept on hold for the time being.

“I am glad to see you safe, Muriella.”

“I am living my best life in Lady Elvira’s service. Truly, I cannot thank you and Aub Ehrenfest enough for permitting it.”

Seeing her so content brought a smile to my face as well.

“I should one day like to visit this new duchy of yours, Lady Rozemyne. Lady Elvira tells me you hope to make it into a library city. It sounds delightful.”

“You understand my dream?!”

I can’t believe this! The retainer I gave up is the one who gets me the most!

Before I could come up with a way to seduce her back to my side, she gave an emphatic nod and said, “Yes, I understand it well. I can think of nothing better than an entire city filled with love stories.”

Muriella’s dreamy expression brought me back to my senses, spurring me to retract my silent invitation. We had very different ideas of the perfect library city. She would have a much better time with Elvira, the queen of romance, than with someone who couldn’t even follow along with romantic metaphors.

“It might be time to summon Aurelia,” Elvira said aloud.

Muriella excused herself while Leonore and Cornelius moved to stand behind me as guard knights. Thinking about the conversation to come, I couldn’t help but sigh; these were truly depressing circumstances.

This isn’t going to be pleasant, by any means.

Aurelia entered the parlor—wearing a veil, as always—and called out in surprise upon seeing me. She took the seat Elvira indicated, such that they were both sitting across from me.

“It has been too long,” I said. “You must be shocked to see how much I’ve grown.”

“Indeed, I am. Lady Elvira and everyone else told me your appearance had changed, but this is more than I could ever have expected. You look stunning.”

“Many nobles have yet to see Rozemyne’s growth,” Elvira noted, “so you can imagine their concern when they found out about her engagement to Lord Ferdinand. Of course, they are picturing Rozemyne as she was before; I doubt anyone will complain when they see how much she has matured.”

We kept the conversation light while the attendants poured our tea. Once they were done and we had cleared the room, Elvira turned to look at me.

“Go on, Rozemyne. You have something important to discuss with Aurelia, do you not?”

“Yes, Mother. It pains me greatly to say this, Aurelia, but the nobles of your former house have been punished. Martina, Detlinde’s apprentice attendant, was punished severely.”

Martina was Aurelia’s younger sister who had gone with Detlinde to the Adalgisa villa. Mestionora’s order had prevented her execution, but she had still paid the price for her crimes.

“Her medal was destroyed, erasing her schtappe and reducing her to the status of a commoner,” I said. “She will spend the rest of her days having her mana drained, though I cannot say where. It will need to be decided during the Archduke Conference.”

I’d destroyed the medals of the criminals we’d given to the Sovereignty during Eglantine’s trip to Alexandria. Martina, Detlinde, and many others had been commoners ever since.

Aurelia placed a hand over her mouth. “Will my father receive the same punishment?”

“He was attacked during the Purge of Lanzenave. My sincerest apologies, but... he did not survive.”

Aurelia’s father had conspired with Georgine and then died before he could be punished. His estate was marked, meaning the Lanzenavians shouldn’t have targeted him, and his wife had testified to them eating breakfast together, but he had still succumbed to an attack outside his estate. We thought it might have happened when Lanzenave-allied nobles were being dragged out of their homes and murdered in retaliation.

“His first wife and their children were imprisoned and will receive strict punishment, but his second wife’s fate has yet to be decided. She is inconsolable from having lost both her children at once.”

Aurelia’s father had split his progeny between the duchy’s two prominent factions. His first wife’s children had worked in the castle and cooperated with Detlinde and Georgine, resulting in his first wife’s immediate imprisonment. His second wife’s children had served as Letizia’s retainers. Both had succumbed to Leonzio’s instant-death poison while attending to their lady in the aub’s office.

According to Ferdinand, the second wife clearly hadn’t known about Lanzenave’s plot, so the jury was still out on how harshly she deserved to be punished.

“I see...” Aurelia replied, her voice devoid of emotion. “As cruel as this might sound, I am somewhat glad to hear that my father has passed.”

I simply stared at her, unsure what to say. The embroidered veil covering her face meant I couldn’t even try to read her expression.

“My father was the younger brother of the previous archduke,” she explained. “He had many supporters and would surely have marred your reign with chaos. I, too, might have been exploited to that end. It can only be a good thing that he died amid the fighting.”

She was speaking out of consideration for me and my new duchy. I understood that, but still, it made me uneasy not being able to see her properly.

“Aurelia, it scares me a little that I cannot see your face or tell what you are thinking. My apologies, but... could you remove your veil?”

She choked out a strained “Huh...?” and turned to Elvira for help. She must never have expected me to make such a request.

“It is normal to be surprised when someone says she is both relieved and glad to hear about her father’s death,” Elvira noted. “Especially for Lady Rozemyne, who is on good terms even with her adoptive family.”

“I suppose...”

“Please remove your veil,” Elvira said, her tone a little more forceful. “Leonore is engaged to Cornelius, meaning everyone here is your family. We will support Siegrecht as he grows.”

Though she seemed reluctant, Aurelia did as instructed. Her dark-green eyes were sharp and almond-shaped, giving her a somewhat strict appearance. Otherwise, she was a regular beauty. She played uneasily with her veil while awaiting our response.

Leonore was the only one of us who reacted. She took in a sharp breath and muttered, “It’s Lady Gabriele...!”

“I see that neither Lady Rozemyne nor Lord Cornelius is particularly disturbed...”

“Well, I don’t really know how Lady Gabriele looks,” Cornelius said.

“Neither do I” was my response. “Leonore, how do you know?”

Gabriele was Veronica’s mother. I understood that she had assertively married from Ahrensbach into Ehrenfest and thus became the source of all the Leisegangs’ misfortunes, but her appearance was a mystery to me.

“My great-grandfather installed a large picture of her in the primary Leisegang estate so our house would never forget our hatred for her,” Leonore explained. “I am reasonably certain Cornelius has seen it before.”

“Maybe during family gatherings, but I scarcely remember. I was too focused on all the trouble Lady Veronica was causing us to look at a painting of a dead woman.” Despite his lack of response to Aurelia’s appearance, Cornelius clearly despised both Veronica and Gabriele.

“That picture is why the Leisegangs all remember Lady Gabriele’s face and Aurelia cannot go outside without her veil,” Elvira said, knitting her brow in vexation. I could understand why she was so frustrated with Leonore’s house, considering how insanely hard she had worked to keep the former Veronica faction from contacting Aurelia.

“It sounds terribly foolish,” I said. “An innocent young lady should not have to live in shame because of a woman who died ages ago.”

“Quite. Aurelia has kept her distance from all nobles associated with Ahrensbach since she married into Ehrenfest, and she interacts favorably with all of my friends. During the fighting, she donned her armor and took up her weapon in defense of this estate. I would rather that not be discounted purely because of her appearance.”

“Lady Gabriele and Great-Grandfather are no longer with us, and the legacy carried on by Georgine ended with the war,” I said. “Leonore, I would advise the prompt removal of that painting. I can understand having a shrine in honor of someone, but no good can come from one based on hate.” I wasn’t going to tell people to simply forget about Gabriele’s and Veronica’s misdeeds, but it was unfair to discriminate against Aurelia because of something she couldn’t control.

“I must agree,” Leonore said. “I shall tell Mother and Uncle when I return. But for now, please continue your conversation with Lady Aurelia.”

Leonore apologized for her overreaction, then took a step back and stood up straight. Aurelia let out a slow breath before folding her veil and placing it neatly on her lap.

“I consider it only natural that my father and sister were punished so severely for aiding a rebellion. My father was a man who resorted to any means necessary to preserve his status, no matter who was in power. He never listened to his wives or children.”

Aurelia sounded calm, but her eyebrows were drawn in a look of moderate sorrow. She was worried and in pain despite her stoic noble facade.

“And what of me?” she asked.

“Come again...?”

“After the civil war, siblings and children of the same mother were deemed guilty by association, even those who had married into other duchies. How am I to be punished, then? Are Lamprecht and Siegrecht doomed to the same fate?”

I shook my head. “A response that severe is completely unnecessary. You refused to meet with your younger sister when she visited with Georgine and refrained from associating with Ahrensbach or the former Veronica faction.”

As far as I was concerned, only those who had actively cooperated with Lanzenave deserved to be punished. It seemed pointless to reduce our archnoble population even further, and if we weren’t going to hold the royals accountable, then we certainly weren’t going to thrust the blame on the innocent.

“So I will not be punished despite being direct family to a convicted criminal...?”

“That is correct. I shall not repeat the mistakes of the grand purge.”

“I was racked with fear that my husband and son might be punished—or at least troubled—because of my family’s machinations...”

Aurelia’s father had taken complete control of her life prior to her marrying into Ehrenfest. She was finally at peace here, so Detlinde and Georgine’s visit had put her on edge. In her eyes, her Old Ahrensbach family was nothing but a source of anxiety.

“I am so, so grateful,” she said, her face streaked with tears. “I wish only to live peacefully here in Ehrenfest.”

Elvira gave us both a relieved smile, having listened to our conversation in silence. “In the worst-case scenario, I was prepared to take Siegrecht as my own son. I am glad it will not come to that.”

“Siegrecht? Isn’t he Lamprecht and Aurelia’s son?” I asked, remembering the baby born around the time of the purge. Though I’d given him a blessing through Lamprecht, I’d yet to actually meet him; we hadn’t wanted to risk someone taking advantage or revealing his existence to the general public.

“My, what perfect timing,” Elvira said. “Would you care to meet him?”

“Can I? Truly?”

“You decided to become Aub Alexandria just as we thought the situation with Georgine had died down; if we let this chance slip through our fingers, another might not arise for quite some time. So what do you think? Siegrecht would love to meet his Auntie Rozemyne.”

I exchanged a look with Aurelia. We both chuckled and responded in unison.

“That sounds wonderful.”