Chapter Text
The social season has arrived.
After attending several tea parties, my sister returned to the throne for the dedication ceremony. She said she will be coming back soon this year to gain more social experience. I hope she comes back soon.
There are many invitations to tea parties in Ehrenfest.
My brother and I will be attending the invitations for lord candidates.
My brother leaves the explanation of Rinsham, sweets, and hair accessories to me, which is a bit surprising. In the first place, my brother himself doesn't use Rinsham. Even though it makes your hair so beautiful. It's a mystery.
After the social gathering, there is a reflection meeting. My brother says, "Do you do that?" but I thought, "You don't even do that?"
"Ah, women's tea parties are tiring."
"Really? I use my brain and magic, so Gevinnen is more tiring."
"Really? I can do it as much as I want."
I was about to say that it's because I'm not using my brain... but I stopped. Brother is quite strong, considering he doesn't make any plans.
First of all, Gevinnen is a game to show off one's strength. It exposes one's personality and way of thinking, so it is very nerve-wracking. In addition, men's social interactions are very tense, as they actively seek out information about the territory.
"Isn't it easier to talk about sweets, fashion, and love stories than to have someone try to find out about the inner workings of Ehrenfest?"
I simply thought so, but not only Brother, but all his aides were speechless. Why?
"Aren't rinsham and hair accessories the domain of women? I have no interest in them."
"Even if you're not interested, aren't they Ehrenfest specialties that are attracting attention from other territories? The topic of trade comes up at the lord's meeting."
I think Brother doesn't have much awareness of himself as a representative of the territory. Please take a little interest and remember. ...But I stopped short. My sister and I can explain the trends in Ehrenfest, but my brother can't. This situation works to my advantage. I noticed when Ortwin asked me, but my brother doesn't seem to have received any lord education.
"Yes. In that case, you can leave the ladies' tea party to Charles this year!"
My brother said with a big smile.
My brother hates women's socializing, but connections with other territories are important. He has given up about half of those opportunities to me, but does he understand that? Does he have no intention of becoming the next lord at all? Knowing my brother, he probably hasn't thought about it at all.
"I don't mind you leaving all the women's socializing to me, but I would like to attend men's socializing as well."
"Yes, that's right. You're a man. Eigidor, please send out all the invitations that have arrived so far."
My brother will let me attend as many invitations as possible, not only for lord candidates but also for him personally. And then she proudly introduces him as "my younger brother" and looks happy.
Oswald hates it.
Originally, my brother should have considered the exchanges with the higher territories his own achievements and not given them to me. I wonder what he's thinking. He probably isn't thinking anything at all.
It's strange for me to worry, but honestly, I'm worried about my brother.
"It's a lot easier this year with Charles."
"I'm glad I could be of help."
"Also, can't you do something about your sudden talkativeness when it comes to Rozemyne?"
"I'll be careful."
And finally, the day of the cousin's tea party has arrived.
Since it's not until this time of year that she can socialize, Dietlinde must be bad at studying. She doesn't arrange any prior meetings with her brother when attending social events. She wants to see how he deals with other territories.
"... I feel heavy-hearted."
"It's a bit heavy-hearted to think about socializing with Ahrensbach's lord candidates, but Lady Dietrinde is a friendly person, so there's nothing to be worried about."
...Huh? A friendly person??
I blinked and looked at my brother. I was worried even before arriving at the tea party room.
"Thank you for inviting me, Lady Dietrinde."
"Welcome, Wilfried and Charles. Please be friendly today."
Lord Rüdiger was already at the tea party.
Lord Rüdiger had been with me several times in Gevinnen, and he had been kind to me because of our cousin relationship. He is a senior student and will teach me all about the Noble Academy. His features are very similar to my brother's, but unlike him, he is thoughtful, kind, and reliable.
The Ahrensbach tea party room was a tasteful room with warm colors overall, thin fabrics and decorations hanging in curves, and unusual lighting. It was fun to look at the tea party rooms of other territories.
The tea party began with testing the sweets for poison.
"What is this?"
"These are sweets called cookies."
I was shocked when Dietlinde took a bite of a cookie at almost the same time as my brother took a bite. Perhaps she trusted Ehrenfest a lot, or perhaps she couldn't wait for the new sweets. If I gave my brother the poisoned sweets, he might be able to poison Dietlinde to death.
Seeing my shock, Rüdiger laughed, so I smiled back. No good. I need to hide my emotions better.
"Ehrenfest's sweets are as delicious as ever."
"I'm honored."
"This is the first time I've seen these cookies. I wonder if Ehrenfest has any other rare sweets?"
"Yes, we've added new flavors to the Quatre-quarts."
I avoided her roundabout plea for more and explained the sweets to Dietlinde, who looked displeased.
"Wilfried, you didn't explain this to me last year."
"I'm sorry. But last year was a tough year because Rozemyne suddenly returned."
I swallowed the words, "That's not my sister's fault!"
"Isn't Rozemyne back at the temple again this year for the ceremony? It must be tough."
She sounded sympathetic, but it sounded like she was insulting the temple and my sister. I remembered the way my grandmother spoke and felt bad.
I was about to say something nasty, but Rüdiger spoke first.
"Even in Frenbeltag, the lord candidates performed the temple ritual, and the harvest increased."
"Even in Frenbeltag?"
"Hmm. I see. You said the same thing at the social gathering. That's good."
"Yes. I'm grateful for the advice from Rozemyne and Wilfried."
"Thank you more than enough. What do you think? The ritual is hard, but it's worth it, isn't it?"
Rüdiger and his brother started to get excited talking about the prayer ceremony.
Dietlinde, who couldn't join in the conversation, got increasingly angry.
"Well, it's tough in the countryside. In a large territory, it's unthinkable for a lord candidate to set foot in a temple."
"That's true. I envy the big territories that are winning."
"Yes. I envy Ahrensbach."
Dietlinde immediately smiled and cheered up when the two flattered her. I wonder why Dietrinde's expressions, which change so easily and so clearly that it's impossible for a noble, seem so cute to me when I see her older sister, but so creepy and frightening when I see her.
"Yes, of course. Ahrensbach is wonderful, isn't it? Hey, Wilfried. Don't you want to live in Ahrensbach rather than a rural territory like Ehrenfest?"
...That's so blatant!
My father and mother had told me to be careful because Ahrensbach was aiming to make my brother a husband. But I didn't expect him to invite me so clearly.
Rüdiger quickly looked away and took a sip of tea. I also ate my sweets in silence.
"I like Ehrenfest, so I have no intention of leaving."
...Strong.
I would have been very worried about how to respond and how to decorate my words, but my brother spoke frankly.
"Well, there must be a lot of inconveniences in a middle territory, right?"
"I've never been to other territories, so I don't know if Ehrenfest is inconvenient. But I think the place where I was born and raised is the best."
"I know. I've had my share of struggles in losing territories, too, but Frenbeltag is the best."
With Rüdiger's help, things have settled down with a safe conversation.
If it were me, I'd have said something nasty, but I'm impressed by how quiet my brother is.
"Well, I suppose so. By the way, has Wilfried had no talk of an engagement?"
...That's a very straightforward way of speaking!
The way he speaks makes me stare. I wonder if Dietlinde doesn't have a tutor.
"Yes. According to my father, the territorial rankings are unstable, so it's not clear which territories to form ties with. It seems that a decision will be made in a few years."
"Ehrenfest has made great strides."
...I wonder if my brother is good at socializing?
I feel that way after listening to his response to Dietlinde. Is it more effective to honestly tell the truth to a troublesome person like Dietlinde?
"But Charles and Rozemyne were engaged right away... Was there something that made you rush into deciding the engagement?"
The target of the criticism has come to me.
"That's right. I wanted to get engaged to my sister as soon as possible."
She smiles as she answers without adding any information. This way of answering without adding any information is modeled after my brother's way of socializing. It's quite easy to use and convenient.
"Charles likes Rozemyne."
"Well, I don't really get it. What on earth did Charles like about Rozemyne?"
Huh?
It was so rude that I was speechless for a moment. I know I get emotional when it comes to my sister. I can't go crazy and talk about all the things I like about her like I did at Adolphine's tea party. I try to find the most concise words possible.
"Everything."
Everyone was silent. Rüdiger didn't come to my aid. Was that a bad thing?
"You're the same as always."
"The same as always?"
"Charles likes Rozemyne and is with her all the time at the dorm. To be honest, I don't know what it is about Rozemyne that's so good."
"You don't have to understand, brother."
It's cruel to say the same things as Dietlinde.
Afterwards, when my brother was indirectly asked, "Ehrenfest's hair ornament is splendid, isn't it?" he replied with pride about his younger sister, "Rozemyne has it made exclusively for her. Isn't Rozemyne amazing?", and when she indirectly asked, "I want some rinsham," he gave a nonsensical reply, "Women really do care about their appearance, don't they? Lady Dietrinde is beautiful, after all." It was amazing.
The very tiring tea party somehow ended without incident.
As soon as we closed the door to Ahrensbach's tea party room, Rüdiger and I shared a bitter sigh and exchanged bitter smiles.