Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 5.12 - Chapter 17

The Morning of the Inauguration Ceremony

My first course of action at the Ehrenfest Dormitory was to circle around and greet the Leisegangs. Ottilie had made me a list of the faction’s most important nobles and the scholars whom I would do well to get along with.

“Let us first go to the common room,” I said.

At this time of year, the common room functioned as a meeting spot where the duchy’s nobles could chat about the Archduke Conference. I moved to join them, and all eyes fell on me; some of the people gathered clearly wanted to speak with me, while others were upset just to see my face. The air was sharp and uncomfortable.

Before I could go any farther, a scholar stepped in front of me. “My apologies, Lady Rozemyne, but we are using this room to discuss the Archduke Conference. As someone leaving for another duchy, you cannot be allowed to enter.”

“I do not intend to stay,” I said. “There are some here who are displeased about my new retainers visiting the tea party room, correct? I wish only to apologize to them.”

The scholar raised a surprised eyebrow at me, then stepped aside.

“Neither Ferdinand nor I took anyone who participated in the invasion of Ehrenfest into our retinue,” I declared. “That said, I understand that many of you cannot stand even the sight of a violet cape. Failing to anticipate that was an unfortunate mistake on my part. I have forbidden them from entering Ehrenfest’s tea party room, so you will not need to worry about seeing them in this dormitory.”

Having apologized to the nobles, I explained that we had taken our retainers from among those who had worked with us in Gerlach.

“Sending them to fight on the front line ran the risk of friendly fire, so they mostly captured foes on the ground and invaded their hidden bases,” I said. “So secretive was their work that most Ehrenfest nobles never even knew they were there. In this vein, I must ask you to appreciate that not everyone from Old Ahrensbach is your enemy. We cannot judge an entire duchy by the color of their cape; otherwise, we might as well say the Leisegangs and those of the former Veronica faction are all the same.”

And with that, there was only one more thing for me to address.

“Brunhilde and Charlotte have informed me of the Leisegangs’ assistance during and since the Battle of Ehrenfest. As it stands, I can give them no more than my thanks, but I promise not to leave this debt unpaid. My main priority is reaching the end of this conference without issue; once it is over, I shall work with Ehrenfest on a more appropriate display of my appreciation.”

I didn’t forget to mention that the Gutenbergs would soon be passing through Leisegang and that I didn’t want any funny business.

Well, the atmosphere seems calmer now, at least.

I exhaled upon completing my long explanation; no longer were Ehrenfest’s nobles watching me with uptight, blatantly dissatisfied expressions. Some of them were probably still thinking less-than-positive thoughts, but as Charlotte had advised me, none of them would make their displeasure public if I promised them wealth from Alexandria.

Forbidden from entering the common room, I spent most of my time in my chambers, leaving only during meals to greet the nobles in the dining hall. In the privacy of my room, I reviewed the steps of the inauguration ceremony and meticulously memorized everything I needed to know about Alexandria.

On the morning of the Archduke Conference, I awoke much earlier than usual. The inauguration ceremony was first on the agenda, with the Starbind Ceremony due to follow. I was expected to be in the waiting room on the early side, so I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and went to bathe.

Bertilde and Ottilie scrubbed me down, then dressed me in my underclothes and sat me in front of a mirror. They had draped a gown over my shoulders to keep me from getting cold. Bertilde got straight to work brushing my hair, a most serious look in her eyes. She had said that doing hair was her specialty and stressed that this was her last opportunity to touch mine.

“Lady Rozemyne, have these while you can.”

Ottilie soon presented me with fruit juice and a light breakfast. Tea party rooms and waiting rooms were usually supplied with fruit and various bite-size snacks, so I wouldn’t need anything else before lunch. I started eating while taking care not to move my head too much.

“I shall do your makeup when you are done,” Ottilie said. “A young lady about to stand in front of such a large crowd should pay extra attention to her appearance.” She helped with doing my hair at first, then took away my empty cup and plate and started applying my makeup.

“Lady Rozemyne, we have returned.”

At second bell, several of my retainers showed up from the Alexandria Dormitory—Leonore, Angelica, Lieseleta, and Clarissa. Now that they had all moved, there was no longer a place for them in the Ehrenfest Dormitory. They had lost access at the same time as my departure.

“Your male retainers will fetch you from the tea party room when it is time to go,” Clarissa informed me. “The scholars are spending the time until then in a meeting with Lord Ferdinand, while I am here to burn the sight of your preparation into my mind.”

I wish you’d gone with them...

Everything seemed to get louder and busier the moment Clarissa arrived. I made eye contact with Leonore through the mirror while going over phrases of praise laden with divine allegory.

“Laurenz, Roderick, and Gretia are staying in the castle because of their age, correct?” I asked. “How are they? Has the status of the castle changed to any extent?” Many of the nobles who had supported Detlinde were there, so I worried about the minors we hadn’t been able to bring with us.

“Gretia is stationed in the dormitory. She cannot be here—we would rather not risk her being seen by nobles of another duchy—but you have so few retainers, and we thought you would feel more at ease with those you know.”

“That much is true. I appreciate your consideration. Does that mean Laurenz and Roderick are the only ones in the castle?”

“Laurenz is a knight,” Leonore said with a smile. “You need not worry about him.”

I recognize that look... It means I really shouldn’t dig any deeper.

Laurenz must have been entrusted with a special duty of some kind. I elected to keep my mouth firmly shut.

“Do not frown, Lady Rozemyne,” Ottilie cautioned me. “Part your lips a tad.”

“I shall insert your hair ornaments,” Bertilde added.

Together, the pair worked to prepare me for the inauguration ceremony. This was their final time serving me, so today and today alone, my head attendant, Lieseleta, had taken a step back. She put away my used cosmetics and nightwear, then brought a box out from the clothing room.

“Now to dress you,” Ottilie said. “Put your arms through this, if you will.”

My attendants reached into the box and took out a long-sleeved shirt, a pannier, and more. They were busy helping me put them on when Lieseleta brought out my aqua-and-navy-blue dress.

“Oh my...” Clarissa cooed, her eyes sparkling with interest. “The rumors were true...”

“My adoptive mother ordered this dress for me,” I said. “I saw her clothes on the day I received mine, but I cannot wait to see Brunhilde. The three of us have coordinated our outfits.”

Clarissa blinked at me a few times, then let out a small “Huh.” It wasn’t quite the response I’d expected. Was there something wrong with three gals of the Ehrenfest archducal family wearing matching clothes?

“Um, Clarissa... You mentioned rumors... Have people in Alexandria been discussing my dress?”

“Its lighter hue matches Lord Ferdinand’s hair, so many believe you chose to be enveloped in a color reminiscent of your beloved.” Being the focus of the first-ever inauguration of an underage aub was bound to be stressful, so people thought I’d swapped out my seasonal color for something that would provide a little more comfort.

“That’s just a coincidence!” I cried. “It wasn’t intentional in the slightest!”

“Still, did you not go out of your way to ask him to wear matching clothes? I am told that his outfit is based on the color of your hair. Among noblewomen, this is being treated as the stuff of romantic legend. The same was true of your engagement ceremony.”

Hold on. I don’t know who’s spreading these lies, but Alexandria’s turned into a real mess in my absence!

“Did you know about these rumors, Lieseleta?” I assumed so, since she’d visited Alexandria to prepare my chambers, but she hadn’t mentioned them in any of her reports.

“I did, but I never suspected they were untrue. I was preparing for my move when you made the request, and when the letter arrived, I thought only that your motivation was heartwarming.” She had overheard the rumors but hadn’t considered them notable enough to mention.

Ngh... Being split up like this sucks.

“It is too late to change, and there is nothing wrong with appearing on good terms with Lord Ferdinand,” Ottilie interjected, speaking dryly as she continued to dress me. “The nobles of other duchies will not know about Alexandria’s rumors, so try to emphasize your closeness with Ehrenfest. Do that, and there should not be any issues.”

That much was true. There wouldn’t be any issues... except my overwhelming embarrassment.

And that’s the worst one!

“I suspect this is all part of a plot,” Ottilie remarked. “It feels very much like something that Hartmut or Lord Ferdinand would devise.”

My head started to cool. Now that she mentioned it, this was clearly a scheme of some kind. I didn’t have time to waste being embarrassed; if we didn’t prepare ourselves, I would get wrapped up in something beyond my understanding.

By the time we were ready to go, I was completely calm.

“Philine, Clarissa, inform the others that Lady Rozemyne is ready.”

In response to Ottilie’s instruction, Philine and Clarissa sent ordonnanzes to the Ehrenfest archducal family and to Ferdinand’s group in the Alexandria Dormitory. I spoke to my remaining Ehrenfest retainers in the meantime.

“Ottilie, you became my attendant at my mother’s request, did you not? Your burden must have grown immensely when Rihyarda left. I thank you for your service throughout so many trials and tribulations. You have my heartfelt gratitude.”

“It was an honor,” she replied. “I am less melancholic about our parting and more worried about your future. Please chastise Hartmut if ever his behavior becomes too much. It is precisely because he is so prodigious that we must not allow him to get carried away.”

Seeing the serious, motherly look in Ottilie’s eyes made me worry as well. She had always kept Hartmut under some degree of control; how was I supposed to manage without her?

I guess I need to try. Though I’d rather not know what he’s been up to in my absence...

“Hartmut aside, what are your plans for the future?” I asked.

“I expect to join Lady Brunhilde’s service,” she replied, shooting a wry smile at Bertilde, who was grinning from ear to ear.

“Eheheh... I secured Judithe and Ottilie,” Bertilde rejoiced. “In the words of my elder sister, ‘Together, we shall preserve Lady Rozemyne’s accomplishments long into the future. She improved our fair duchy with aplomb, but many of her changes have yet to take root. It is best for those of us who served under her to unite and ensure their preservation.’”

She had attempted to do an impression of Brunhilde—and managed it quite well, honestly.

“I have spent the least amount of time in your service, Lady Rozemyne, but I will do my best alongside my sister and the rest of your retainers who are staying behind,” Bertilde declared, her amber eyes sparkling brightly. She was so cute that I reached out to stroke her rose-pink hair.

“I expect great things from you and your sister. Do tell me about Ehrenfest when we next meet at the Academy. However, be careful not to let your emotions control you or force those beneath you to act against their wishes.” I turned my attention to my next retainer. “Judithe, what do you wish to do?”

I was pretty sure she had mentioned wanting to move to Alexandria after coming of age. Serving as Brunhilde’s retainer would thwart those plans, which made me suspect that Bertilde, an archnoble, had been a little too pushy for a mednoble to refuse.

Judithe squeezed the feystone emblazoned with the Rozemyne Workshop’s crest. “I want to reunite with you when I come of age. I really do. But I think I might just be getting emotional. I’ve been worried ever since Ottilie told me to think carefully about my future, and now... I just don’t know anymore.” She could imagine a future in Kirnberger or the city of Ehrenfest but not getting married and raising children in Alexandria.

“I understand your concern. Though I will try my best to protect my retainers, I can only do so much. If you gather more intelligence and think things over, I am sure you will come to a reasonable conclusion.”

“R-Right.” Judithe frowned with unease, maybe feeling that I was pushing her away.

Philine averted her eyes and said, “We must not demand too much from Lady Rozemyne,” most likely remembering the discussion about Konrad. “Looking after someone means overseeing their life, to an extent. How would you feel about leaving work to get married and start a family, only for me and the other retainers to bombard you with ordonnanzes requesting updates and weighing in with our thoughts? Take a moment to imagine it.”

Judithe paused, and a smile appeared on her face. “I would find that kind of treatment annoying even from my own parents.” It didn’t matter if the ordonnanzes were being sent out of concern and consideration—too much contact would seem both frustrating and overbearing.

“In my honest opinion,” I said, “being able to depend on one’s family when getting married and raising children is a great privilege. It will cease to be an option for those who come with me to Alexandria and is already out of the question for anyone who lost their family to execution or had to flee from their abuse.”

Not everyone was on good enough terms with their parents and extended family to count on their support. Judithe let out a small exclamation of surprise when she realized that.

“There is no need to rush this decision,” I said. “You will always be known as one of my retainers, whether you come with me or not. Think carefully and make whatever choice you are least likely to regret.”

“Right!” Judithe replied, now brimming with her usual enthusiasm.

I nodded at her, then indicated that we should depart for the tea party room. I gave my room one last look before taking my leave.

“Philine,” I said as we headed down the corridor, “I shall entrust the temple’s orphanage to you. I suspect that losing both Fran and Zahm will severely impact the temple.”

“It will,” she replied. “The handover was performed under the assumption they would remain in Ehrenfest for quite a while longer. As we speak, they are doing their best to give Monika and Nicola the education they need to take over.”

Together with Ferdinand, Hartmut had moved to poach Fran and Zahm immediately after the Defense of Ehrenfest. Everyone in the temple must have panicked when they heard the news. I was truly sorry about that, but Fran and Zahm would play essential roles in revolutionizing Alexandria’s temple.

“Ferdinand and I need gray priests who understand what Hartmut wishes to accomplish,” I explained. “I apologize, but please do your best with the remaining attendants.”

“I shall.”

It was then that we reached the staircase. I gazed down and met eyes with Damuel, who was waiting at the bottom.

“Oh, and if you encounter anything that you don’t understand, rely on Damuel as much as you need to.”

“Lady Rozemyne! Please stop!” Philine exclaimed, her cheeks turning crimson. She glanced sheepishly between Damuel and me.

“I must ask you not to tease her too much,” Damuel said. Even from a distance, he had gathered what I was up to. “The others have done it so regularly that she is especially sensitive right now.”

“As far as I was concerned, we were having a normal conversation...” I replied.

Damuel eyed me critically and asked, “About what?”

“About the hole that will remain when Fran and Zahm take their leave. I told Philine she can depend on you as much as she needs to. You have spent more time working in the temple than any of my other retainers, which makes you something of an expert when it comes to its business.” A less observant eye might assume that he simply helped with basic math in the High Priest’s chambers, but he had watched me work while serving as a guard and assisted with making everything run smoothly.

I returned my attention to Philine. “Damuel seldom has need to mention it, but he has a baseline understanding of everything there is to know about the temple. He should prove crucial to you all once Fran and Zahm are gone. Nicola cares far more about cooking and does not have much of an affinity for paperwork, so I doubt she is anywhere near as informed.”

“I might be better than her in some regards, but I still pale in comparison to Monika,” Damuel noted. “At the very least, I know where documents are stored and what purposes they serve, so I can assist with looking up whatever one needs to know.” It was a matter of course for us, but a normal guard knight wouldn’t be that familiar with paperwork. Philine looked surprised as well.

“Not to mention, he has a history of standing his ground whenever Hartmut tried to develop the temple from an ill-suited noble perspective. Melchior and Kazmiar are bound to make the same mistakes, and in those cases, Damuel should provide more than adequate pushback.”

No matter how good their intentions might be, Ehrenfest’s new High Priest and High Bishop would cause all sorts of problems if they attempted to run the temple in a way that only made sense to nobles. I needed a stopper of sorts to prevent that from happening.

Damuel couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Lady Rozemyne, isn’t it a bit much to ask me to speak out against the archducal family and their retainers?!”

“Not at all. You will remain an archducal retainer for as long as you work under my grandfather. I trust that you will use your status to protect what is precious to me.”

“As you wish...” he eventually conceded, looking troubled nonetheless.

“That includes you, Philine.”

“Lady Rozemyne!” they both cried out in unison. “So you were teasing us!”

I was still chuckling by the time we reached the tea party room. Now we just needed to wait for Ferdinand to arrive from the Alexandria Dormitory.

Norbert, who was stationed in the room, handed me some tea and sweets. “Lady Rozemyne, might I assume you had only a light breakfast? Partake in these, if you so wish. Just take care not to smudge your lipstick.”

I consumed a few bite-size snacks, eating only as much as would stop my stomach from groaning during the ceremony. It was around then that Brunhilde, the archducal couple, and their retainers entered.

“We came to see you off,” Sylvester explained.

Florencia lined up next to him, while Brunhilde stood next to her, indicating that she was less Sylvester’s fiancée and more an aide to his first wife. Her clothes were also dark green and seemed to match what Florencia was wearing.

“Brunhilde—you wanted to speak with Rozemyne, right?” Sylvester asked.

She took a step forward at his prompting and said, “Lady Rozemyne, I am ever so grateful that you spoke to the Leisegang nobles.” Her demeanor had changed completely from when she was my attendant; now she acted more like an archducal family member than an archnoble. I was glad to see the fruits of her labor.

“Do you regret entering the archducal family?” I asked. She had told me she would marry Sylvester to compensate for my lack of social skills. I worried that she wished she hadn’t now that I was moving to another duchy.

Brunhilde looked me in the eye and, true to her nature, shot me a victorious smile. “Fear not. I am proud to be here as I am now.”

Seeing my ex-attendant, I couldn’t help but notice how much she had grown from the days when Groschel neglected to communicate with its commoners and almost allowed its printing industry to collapse. She had displayed excellent skill in acquiring food from Leisegang during the Defense of Ehrenfest and working with Charlotte to keep its nobles under control. I could trust her with meeting merchants in the temple and expected her to be considerate of my retainers.

“I can leave Ehrenfest with the comfort of knowing that everyone is in safe hands,” I said. “I trust you to work well with Charlotte, my adoptive mother, and everyone else, to meet with the duchy’s merchants, and to look out for my retainers who are staying behind.”

“Your trust is well placed. Henceforth, I shall attend the Archduke Conference as Lady Florencia’s assistant. We can expect to have many more chances to see each other, so this need not be a farewell. It would not suit us. Instead, I shall say this—live prosperously!”

Our eyes met, and we both smiled. I was glad this wasn’t our final meeting and that we were still close enough to look forward to reuniting.

“Indeed,” I said. “Let us meet again.”

Brunhilde returned to Florencia’s side. Sylvester asked my adoptive mother if she wanted to exchange a few words with me too, but she shook her head.

“We have no need for a dramatic farewell. I spoke to Rozemyne just the other day, and we are sure to meet throughout the conference.” She pinched up her skirt to reveal cloth of a pattern identical to my own, though it wasn’t the same color. I copied the gesture in response.

“So, what do you think, O adoptive father of mine?” I slotted myself right between Brunhilde and Florencia. “Our cloth and sashes are patterned the same. Do we match when lined up?”

He grinned and clapped his hands together. “Yep. Looks good to me.”

We continued to chat among ourselves until, at last, Ferdinand arrived with his retinue. My male retainers were with them.

“It is rather busy in here,” Ferdinand remarked.

“Behold,” I said to him, taking a step forward and twirling in place. “Notice something about Brunhilde, my adoptive mother, and me?”

Florencia watched with a smile, then moved to stand beside me. “Rozemyne proposed that we all wear matching outfits. Her intention to demonstrate her continued closeness with Ehrenfest warmed my heart. I am certain that, even as an aub, she will manage to take the path in life she desires. You have been doing these things for years, Lord Ferdinand, but I will say this nonetheless—support, discipline, and guide Rozemyne where you can.”

“I shall,” Ferdinand replied with a nod, his expression softening.

Sylvester approached us as well. “To be honest, Rozemyne, I couldn’t be more relieved that you took over Ahrensbach. You removed a major threat from our border, and your new duchy is guaranteed to be better than what came before it. Let’s be good to each other. And on that note, make sure to go easy on us during this conference.”

“You will need to ask Ferdinand first,” I said. “He might scold me for showing favoritism.”

“Of course he would. That’s why I want you to sneak in a sweet deal or two while he isn’t looking.”

Sylvester was saying all this blatantly within earshot of the man he was telling me to defy—though I supposed that was no surprise. Ferdinand shot him a glare but changed the subject without saying whether he would allow favoritism.

“Have you finished all of your preparations?” he asked meaningfully.

“Not quite yet...” Sylvester replied at length. He waved a hand, and a scholar brought over a small box. “I’ll give you the medals, so hand me back the registration brooches. You needed them to deal with that Lanzenave business while Rozemyne wasn’t an aub, but they won’t be necessary once you’re all proper Alexandrians.”

We accepted the medals of all those coming with us—Lasfam, Matthias, Lieseleta, Angelica, Hartmut, Leonore, and Cornelius—before returning our registration brooches. No longer could we enter the Ehrenfest Dormitory.

“Rozemyne, what will you do with the medals of the minors in the castle?” Sylvester asked.

“I took their registration brooches ahead of time,” Ferdinand answered in my stead. “As for their medals, Rozemyne will keep them as their lady.”

On cue, I took Laurenz’s, Gretia’s, and Roderick’s medals and put them with my own.

“Eckhart. Justus,” Ferdinand called. They stood on either side of him, and the three of them held out their borrowed registration brooches. “Aub Ehrenfest, I express my sincerest gratitude for your aid.”

A scholar held out a box, which Sylvester lazily dropped the brooches into. There was a light clatter as they struck the bottom. That concluded our business with Ehrenfest, so the conversation quickly died out. We spent several seconds just exchanging silent glances.

Sylvester gave his shoulders a small shrug. It must have brought the rest of us back to our senses because we all moved as if on cue. Ehrenfest’s group approached the door to their dormitory before turning back to Ferdinand and me. We stood with our backs to the room’s other exit, while our retainers waited in formation behind us.

“I await the day that Dregarnuhr the Goddess of Time weaves our threads together again. I pray that you live well with the divine protection of the gods until then.”

Sylvester and I exchanged farewells as the representatives of our groups. Ferdinand then gave me his hand, and together we walked past my retainers staying in Ehrenfest. Only when we reached the wide-open door did we stop and turn around.

I gazed upon Ottilie, Bertilde, Philine, Judithe, and Damuel. They all wore the same somber expression as Rihyarda when we exchanged our farewells in the castle. I needed to march forward, no matter how much it hurt.

My retainers knelt as one.

“Lady Rozemyne, the time has come for you to tread a new path. May we pray for Jugereise the Goddess of Separation to bless your road ahead and the start of your journey?”

“You may.”

“O Jugereise the Goddess of Separation, please protect our lady on her departure.”

Blessings rose from each of their rings. Ferdinand and I passed through the doorway as the light rained down upon me.