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Chapter Text

Prologue ~ Crossroads of Fate ~

A great crossroads of fate. It was the end of winter when it appeared before them.

Right now, only Sylvester, Wilfried, Charles, and the Knight Commander Karstedt are in the lord's office. They rarely talk without their aides.

Feeling the tension in his sons, the lord, Sylvester, tells them the main subject.

"I would like one of you to be engaged to Rozemyne."

"...Huh?"
"Father! I want to be engaged to my sister!!"

While Wilfried looks completely confused, Charles' reply is quick.

The difference in the two's reactions makes Sylvester chuckle wryly.

After saying this vigorously, Charles suddenly comes to his senses and frowns, looking at Sylvester and Wilfried with concern.

"Father... but... is it okay? Don't you actually want to get my brother and sister engaged?"
"If that's the case, then I won't invite you here. You two are the candidates for Rozemyne's fiancé."
Charles blinks his indigo eyes at Sylvester.
Charles' point is correct. But as a father, he can't let that be known.

"Wilfried, what do you think?"
"Charles wants to get engaged, so isn't that fine? And why are we being approached about this engagement in the first place?"

Sylvester's wry smile deepens at Wilfried's words, which show no understanding of the situation.
It is no exaggeration to say that this engagement will determine the future of Ehrenfest; it is an important decision that will shake up the territory.
Charles speaks in place of Sylvester, who has fallen silent.

"My sister was asked to marry me off during the territory competition, but I can't send her to another territory, right?"
"Yeah, that's right. I thought about marrying off Rozemyne, but that's not possible."
"Why don't you want to send Rozemyne to another territory? Rozemyne has been making friends with higher-ranking territories, so I thought she would marry off to another territory."

Sylvester explains the reasons why Rozemyne cannot be sent to another territory, one by one.
Charles looks at his brother Wilfried with concern.
Charles probably understands. The reason he wants Rozemyne to stay in Ehrenfest, the power dynamics among the nobles in the territory, and whoever is engaged to Rozemyne will be closer to becoming the next lord.
Wilfried doesn't understand that Rozemyne will bring great blessings to Ehrenfest.
"What does Rozemyne have to say?"

Sylvester wondered if he should ask.

But then he said.

"Yeah. I heard it on graduation day. Rozemyne seems to prefer Charles to the other two."

"Well, you don't have to ask me then!"

"Really?!"

Charles had a bright, excited look on his face, while Wilfried had a disgruntled look on his face.

He probably felt like he'd been dumped without his knowledge. But there was no way he could move forward with the engagement without Wilfried going through.

"It's the result of treating you both equally."

"Brother, I want to be engaged to you. Are you sure you want me to be engaged to you?"

"Oh, I don't care. I don't want to be engaged to Rozemyne!"

Sylvester was overcome with energy when Wilfried said this with a smile.

"Father, I would like to become engaged to your sister. Would you allow it?"
"Yes, sure. Rozemyne's fiancé is Charles."
I thought it was the first time I had ever seen such an excited expression.
Charles was a quiet and well-behaved child, unlike Wilfried.
Charles stood up and spoke to Karstedt, who was standing behind Sylvester.

"Karstedt, please give me permission to marry Rozemyne."

Everyone there was surprised by his actions: Sylvester, Karstedt, Wilfried, everyone there.
"Charles, why are you talking to Karstedt?"
"Because isn't Karstedt your sister's father?"

But normally you don't talk to your aides.
To Wilfried, his aides were just people by his side, and he wasn't aware that they had families and lives.
Karstedt smiled and said.

"Please take good care of Rozemyne."
"Yes!"

"That's all. We'll announce our engagement at the spring banquet, so prepare for that."
"Yes."
After telling them they could leave, the two sons left happily.

After the door closed, Sylvester and Karstedt changed from lord and knight commander to talking casually.

"I knew it would end up like this."

"That was expected."

"But why is Wilfried so uninterested in Rozemyne?"

Charles had been devoted to Rozemyne since he was rescued from kidnapping.

On the other hand, Wilfried seemed to dislike Rozemyne, probably because he had been pushed around so much at the Noble Academy.

"Ah, Sylvester. Shouldn't you have told him that being engaged to Rozemyne would bring him closer to becoming the next lord?"

Rozemyne was a former commoner's daughter, but she was baptized as the daughter of Karstedt and Elvira, so she is set to be of the Liesegang bloodline. Anyone who marries her will have the backing of the Liesegang.

Sylvester looked bitter.

"I don't want to mix up the engagement talk with factions, politics, or other annoying stuff."
It was a very Sylvester-like answer.

"Wilfried has a bad name because of the White Tower incident. There will be less unrest in the territory if he is engaged to Charles. Above all, the three of us have the same desire. There is nothing better. I don't want to force an engagement that he doesn't want."

Sylvester said as if to convince himself.

The incident that would be talked about for years to come happened that night.

"My sister! Please marry me!"

Before dinner with the lord's family, Charles ran up to Rozemyne as soon as he saw her and proposed to her.

Everyone in the dining room was stunned by what had happened.

"Wha-aat? What? What???"

Rozemyne was the most flustered. It was amusing to see her like that.

"Lord Charles, what is this?"

"I wanted to tell you directly, not through my parents."
Charles's aides suddenly turned their gazes to Sylvester. He indirectly conveyed to everyone around him that it was not his own recklessness but the lord's decision.

Sylvester nodded, intending to let him continue.

Charles continued as the room was silent.

"I heard that the engagement was being arranged within Ehrenfest so that my sister would not be taken by another territory. I adore my sister more than anyone in Ehrenfest. I love my sister because she is beautiful, intelligent, brave, and adorable. My sister, please give me the right to stand next to you."

It was a childish, clumsy pick-up line that did not use any of the aristocratic phrases. However, it seemed to be effective on Rozemyne, who did not understand indirect language.

She was dizzy, feeling like she had had enough. Richarda quietly stood behind her.

"Pray to God!"

And then, with a bang!, a blessing came out.
Golden light danced.

While everyone stared into space in shock, Sylvester laughed.

"Haha! Rozemyne, what god were you praying to?"

"This isn't the Noble Academy, so it's 'OK,' right? No one from other territories will make a fuss about this!"

Rozemyne blurted out something just after making a mistake at her graduation ceremony. It was the worst response for a lady who had just been proposed to.

Sylvester was starting to have fun and asked with a grin.
"So, Rozemyne, does that mean that you were so happy about Charles' proposal that you sent a blessing?"

Charles had been staring blankly at the blessing, but then he suddenly changed his expression.
Rozemyne blushed and fidgeted.
She took Charles' offered hand.

"I may be clumsy, but I hope to get along with you."

In the beautiful light of the blessing, the engagement of the two young people was confirmed.

Chapter Text

Today was the best day ever, I thought.

Now I feel like I can forgive all the unreasonable days that have happened up until now.

As we walked back to the northern annex, I walked beside my sister's mount.

I really wanted to escort her, but my sister is weak, so it can't be helped. I couldn't help but smile when I thought that I would be the one to escort my sister to the upcoming banquet, not my brother.

"My sister, may I invite you to a tea party tomorrow?"

"Yes. I'll prepare some new sweets. They were very popular at the Noble Academy."

"I'm looking forward to it. Please tell me about the Noble Academy."

My sister is busy at the castle, so I don't get to see her often, but now I can tell her without hesitation that I want to see her, and I felt happy.

My sister's expression was so cute that I couldn't help but look into her eyes.

When she sees me, her eyes sparkle and she has a soft expression. As if she was happy to see me.

"You two get along really well. That's unfair, Rozemyne has never shown me any kindness."

"That can't be helped. It's because of your everyday behavior."

"But Charles is cute. Wilfried isn't cute."

"Hm."

We said goodnight on the stairs and parted ways.

You're causing too much trouble for your sister. I definitely deserve to be next to you.

When I returned to my room, I was surrounded by my aides. They told me to give a proper report, their eyes frightening.

"I don't know what's going on... I'm surprised."

"So this is why you were called to the lord?"

"Yes. Father personally spoke to me about the engagement."

I told him about my conversation with Father in the lord's office. In order to prevent the story from being overturned, he made sure to keep his brother a secret, and then proposed marriage to her in a place where the lord's family and their entourage were gathered.

"Lord Wilfried was also called, wasn't he? What did Lord Wilfried say?"
"It seems that your brother doesn't want to get engaged to your sister. He has been helped so much by your sister, so it's strange that he doesn't like her, right?"

My entourage laughed at my words, with a troubled but amused look on their faces. It seems that I said something strange.

"Lord Charles really does favor his sister."
"So does that mean that Charles will be the next lord? Congratulations on your engagement."
"From the looks of things, Lady Rozemyne seems happy about the engagement. It's really a joyful thing."
"Congratulations. I can say that this engagement was the best thing for both of you and for Ehrenfest."

Everyone was celebrating, and I once again thought that today was the best day in the world.
I'll never feel so rewarded again.

"I was happy about my engagement to my sister, but I was also happy that Father gave me a choice, not just my brother."

A solemn atmosphere drifted through the room.

Until Grandma was replaced, everything revolved around my brother. My brother was given everything a lord's child could have, and I had nothing.

Grandma is gone. Things aren't what they used to be. I thought to myself.

"Lord Charles, Lord Wilfried requests permission to enter."

"At this time?"

I'm used to my brother's unexpected visits. Older brothers seem to confuse their younger brothers with their aides or something, and they manipulate them as they please, whenever they please.

While being stopped by the guardian knight, Wilfried shouted at Charles in the room.

"Charles! Come to my room!"

"What is going on?"

The aides gave me a displeased look, but I went outside and found my brother's aides waiting for me.

I was shaken and agitated, unlike the lord's child, and stopped dead. But my brother pushed me from behind.

"Oswald is being noisy. You should tell him too."

"What are you doing...?"

"Charles is saying that he stole Rozemyne from me."

Stealing her?! I couldn't understand why we were talking like that.

"You don't own my sister, do you?"

"That's right. I told my father that I have no desire to be engaged to Rozemyne."

Oswald came swiftly in front of me.

He looked down at us with a smile and said. His eyes were the only ones that weren't smiling.

"But Sir Wilfried, Sir Charles is not yet old enough to have entered the Noble Academy. He is probably not yet able to make wise decisions. The eldest son, Sir Wilfried, is more suitable for Lady Rozemyne, who is renowned as the Saint of Ehrenfest. Don't you think so?"

My feet trembled. I took a step back and bumped into my brother who was standing behind me.

My aides panicked behind me. They were my allies. Oswald was Grandma's subordinate, and my enemy.

Everything that had happened up until now came back to me.
I must never surpass my brother. I must give in. I must not appear before my brother.

"I am the one who is more suitable to be with my sister, not him!"

Oswald's eyes widened at my first rebuttal, as I had always been scrutinizing the expressions of those around me.

Grandma was gone. I would never be poisoned again, and I would never have my father's presents stolen.
Things are different now. Brother and I are equally the lord's children.

My hands and voice were trembling.

"I'm going to marry you! I won't give in to you!"

"Charles, say more."

Brother encouraged me. His palm was warm as it gently rested on my back.

"What?! What should I say?"

"Why not just state here how much you love Rozemyne?"

Why not?!?!?!

... Brother, give me your strength!

When I close my eyes, the image of my brave sister and Lesser comes to mind.

"When I was kidnapped two years ago, my sister flew off into the night sky on her beast mount. Ever since she fell asleep, I've been working hard to take her place. I'm the one who loves her more than anyone else. I'll stand beside her and repay her!"

"You really like Rozemyne, don't you?" My brother said, sounding exasperated. I hope you like my sister a little too! No, I'd be in trouble if you did!! I honestly don't understand why my brother is so indifferent to my sister, even though she's saved me from the threat of being dethroned twice.

"Lord Charles." My aide called out to me, and I remembered the usual warning. My confused head calmed down a little.
That's right. Like the son of a lord, I didn't bow my head, and I smiled confidently. "Both the person involved and the Aube have agreed to this engagement. Don't you think it would be unseemly to try to overturn it after the fact?"

He smiles.
"Isn't it enough now?" Lamprecht says to Oswald.

His brother intervenes.

"Okay, so you understand now? Charles loves Rozemyne. As his brother, I have to support Charles. After all, the woman he is marrying is Rozemyne."

He's saying something I can't stand to hear!

His brother's aides leave one after another, and I am surrounded by my own aides.

I crouch down on the spot, completely exhausted.

"Lord Charles, you have spoken well."
"I really don't like Oswald's methods. I will report this matter to Lady Florencia."

I wonder if he will be alive until the spring celebration after doing something like this.

Too many things have happened today.
I felt like a different person had begun to become.

Chapter Text

Even though it was already time to go to bed, an Ordnance flew into my room.

"Onee-sama, I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Goodnight."

Charles said in his voice and rolled into a magic stone.

I was stunned for a moment.

Oh. This isn't a goodnight message, but a goodnight Ordnance.

"Oh my, my, my, you're really the son of Lord Sylvester."

"Richarda! What should we do?!"

"I think the princess should reply."

"Yes, that's true!"

I slapped the Ordnance and said goodnight.

I remembered the proposal and fell face down on the bed.

No good. I haven't had a boyfriend since my days as Urano, so I'm too old for this, and I have zero romantic experience.

For some reason, Wilfried was also there at the tea party we were invited to, so it turned into a tea party with just the three siblings.

First, we decided who would be responsible for the prayer ceremony. They had worked hard while I was asleep, and I was happy that they were helping out again this year.

After the talk about the prayer ceremony, Charles bowed his head and began.

"Sister, there is something I need to apologize to you for."

I asked, wondering what it meant, and it turned out that when proposing, you should actually use the aristocratic catchphrase, "The Goddess of Light...". Come to think of it, there was a line like that in The Tale of the Knights.

"I'm sorry for this incomplete proposal."

When Charles looked depressed, my desire to protect him grew stronger and stronger.

"That's not true. I didn't know those words either. I wouldn't have been able to respond if you had said them. I was happy to hear Charles' heartfelt words."

She smiled shyly. It hit me right in the heart.

"Once I can get the magic stone, can I formally propose to you again?"

"Of course."

"...Have you two forgotten that I'm here?"

Then, the Goodnight Ordnance arrives again tonight.

Charles is so diligent.

I suddenly realize something.

...I can't let mother know about this! She'll end up writing a book about it!

"Brother Cornelius, what can I do to stop mother from finding out?"

"It's too late now. Rozemyne was so happy that she received a marriage proposal from Charles that she congratulated her? It's already the talk of high society."

What!?

"W-why?"

"Mother apparently heard the details from Florence. And the two of you are central to women's social circles. You can guess the rest, right?"

So you're talking about it at tea parties all the time?! Oh dear.

Ottilie sighs softly.

"Yes. Lady Elvira looked like she was having a great time."

Mother!

When I consulted Charles about what had happened, he tilted his head and said with sad eyes.

"Did you hate the rumors about me, sister?"

Of course not! Already.

"With the guidance of the supreme god who rules over the lofty and towering sky, the husband and wife gods of darkness and light, the threads spun by the goddess of time, Dreffangur, have now come together. I offer my prayers and gratitude for the meeting of my son, Charles, and Rozemyne, and may you grant me your holy protection."

And then the day of the banquet to celebrate spring arrived. Sylvester's sonorous voice echoed throughout the great hall.

Sighs of "Ahh" and cheers of "Wow" were heard. The disappointed sighs of "Ahh" were louder. How rude to announce someone's engagement.

I looked at the nobles from the stage with a hmmm. So that's how they reacted. Boniface, Count Liesegang, and many others had frightening expressions on their faces, as if they had bitten off a bitter pill.
It's sad that this engagement is unwelcome, I thought, feeling lonely and lonely, so I looked at Charles beside me, and he gave me a soft, gentle smile that reassured me. It was an exquisite smile, as if he couldn't help but be happy. I think he must be mentally strong to be able to smile in this atmosphere.

Charles' smile was so happy that I couldn't help but smile too.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Elvira swinging her stap around wildly. She was swinging it with incredible force. The surrounding nobles followed suit and flashed their staps, and belated, scattered applause broke out.
I see. Is that so?

As he gently escorted me, Charles smiled softly and said.

"It'll be fine. Let's have everyone's blessings overflowing by the time of the engagement ceremony."

"Hmm. That's Charles' declaration that 'I will take control of the nobles of the territory in about five years'."

"What? Wait a moment. It's not such a sinister story."

I was just going to brag, but he said something amazing.
No, sorry, I made a mistake in choosing Ferdinand to brag to.

"Isn't that a declaration that he will bring both the Leisegang nobles and the old Veronica faction into his support base?"

What, is that what he's talking about?

According to what I've heard, the nobles who support me as the next lord, also known as the Rozemyne faction, are the strongest right now, followed by the Florence faction who supports Charles, and the old Veronica faction (now on their last legs) who support Wilfried.

Approving my engagement to Charles is equivalent to getting the nobles who support me to acknowledge that Charles is the next lord.
Recently, my brain had been in full pink maiden mode, but it couldn't keep up.

"... Is Charles thinking of such ambitious things?"

"What are you talking about? He's been trained to be a candidate for the next lord and compete with Wilfried."

I don't think Wilfried can win against that at all...

Apparently, the fact that I'm happy about my engagement to Charles is helping to keep the nobles in the territory quiet. It seems that it's easier for Sylvester to convince them by saying "because that's what they want."

I'm shocked. Our proposal talk isn't a fun love story, but is being used to pave the way for factional disputes over the next lord...

"I don't know what you're thinking, but you should concentrate on your printing business and not think about anything else. I'll be returning to the temple after my meeting with the civil servants, so keep that in mind."

That's what I was told.

By staying in the temple, he was showing his submission to the lord and declining the offer. "Yes," I replied.

"Your sister is working in the printing business because she wants to read books herself."

After the meeting about the printing business, Charles said this sincerely, probably because he had heard about the legal deposit system.
It was absolutely true, so I had to laugh it off.

Then Charles was deep in thought.

He walked me to my room (really attentive), and when I invited him for a cup of tea, he smiled happily. He's an angel.

During our small tea party, he asked me lots of detailed questions about the printing business. Both Charles and Wilfried help with the printing business, but Charles is extremely serious about it. He seems to be familiar with the lord and his wife's close associates, as well as the castle's civil servants who are involved with the printing business. It's reassuring to have such connections. I'll leave it to him to coordinate with the castle's nobles. Maybe he can reduce Ferdinand's burden.

After talking for a while and thinking for a while, Charles put his cup down as if he had made a decision.

He had a gentle smile and dignified eyes. His expression was very similar to Florence's.

"Sister, I have a goal. May I superimpose my dream on yours?"

"What do you mean?"

"When I become lord, I will make Ehrenfest a territory filled with books and deliver many to you. Let's become lord couple and build a utopia together."

A huge blessing came out with a whoosh.

Chapter Text

During dinner when the family was gathered, I asked my father for something.

"Father, I want a mount too."

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"I'm jealous that both you and your brother have mounts."

Today was the meeting for the printing business. The printing business is a new business that my sister started. I'm suddenly excited. Because I want to be of more help to my sister than anyone else.

When I heard that my brother was going to the final inspection of the Gibe territory, I was dissatisfied. When I asked him, "Why is your brother going to the final inspection?" he said it was because he has a mount. I didn't enter the noble academy, so I don't have a mount. The one year age difference is annoying.

"Can't you wait until you enter the noble academy? It's easier to use magic after you get a stap."

He unexpectedly said something that was common sense.

I looked down to make it easier to understand.
I thought Father would give me a suitable reply and push the training onto my aide, but I was disappointed.

"Lord Sylvester, you shouldn't discourage children."

"I understand how Charles feels. I also thought it was unfair that Rozemyne had a mount so early on."
Mother and brother came to my aid. But I couldn't stand it when brother called sister unfair. It made me angry.

"Brother, it's unfair that you know about sister that I don't."
"Hmm... But it can't be helped that Rozemyne and I were born before you."
"I see. So Charles wants to catch up with Rozemyne."

Father was grinning for some reason. (I heard from an aide later that "the lord was probably remembering when he was chasing the older Florencia." That must be it.)

And so, somehow, I was given permission to train my beast.

"First, let's transform the magic stone. We pour magic power into the magic stone to change its size."

On the first day, I was exhausted just by making the beast's magic stone bigger. Training to change the shape of the magic stone was also difficult. Although she should have gotten used to handling magical power through magical supply and religious ceremonies, it still wasn't going as she would like.
Her brother, who was usually practicing sword fighting at the same time, seemed to be concerned and kept glancing her way, prompting the knight acting as her teacher to warn her off.

Since my engagement to Onee-sama, my aides have been studying harder and the time I spend studying has increased dramatically, and my own enthusiasm has increased the amount of time I spend working in the printing industry, and on top of that I'm training my mount. It's a big burden.

But I can't give in here.

I'll show you I'm a man worthy of Onee-sama!

"Now let's transform it into the shape of a mount. To create a mount, it's important to have a clear image in your head."

It took time, but I was able to create the shape I wanted, making it long and thin or square. It was finally time to create the mount.

I closed my eyes and controlled my magic. I realized that it was easier to change the shape to the way I wanted if I blocked my field of vision.

The aides were getting restless.

"Lord Charles, that, Grün..."

"Since he's the lord's son, let's make him a lion mount."

I opened my eyes and saw Onee-sama's mount.

"..."
When I was shaken, Lesser disappeared and returned to its spherical shape.
My brother came from afar, riding his mount.

"Charles, are you going to make the same mount as Rozemyne?"
"No, I wanted to make a lion, but it turned out to be Lesser."
"Huh? Why?"
"I don't know..."

Maybe because they realized I was planning to make a lion, everyone around me let out a sigh of relief. Aren't they all sighing too loudly?

"The important thing about creating a mount is that you can visualize it in your head. Rozemyne's mount is probably the closest thing to Charles."

I see. It's true that when I think of mounts, my sister's Lesser is the first thing that comes to mind.

"Hmm. In that case, you should take my mount as a reference. I modeled my mount after my uncle's."

My brother said proudly as a pioneer.
I was very grateful to have a model to follow, but being narrow-minded, I felt a sense of rebellion. I don't like the fact that my brother was born a year earlier and got his mount first, and that he's taking classes in the same classroom as my sister.

"Then let's try again."

If it were my brother and sister, I'd rather take my sister as an example!

Perhaps because I was thinking like that, my mount turned into Lesser-kun again.

I quickly erased it.

I looked back fearfully. I couldn't help but feel embarrassed by the reaction of my aides.

"..."

"Are you really going to ride this mount?"

"No... we were trying to make it into a lion..."

My father asked me a question at the dinner table.

"Charles, is your mount training going well?"

"Father, it seems that Charles will be getting the same mount as Rozemyne."

"Huh?!"

"No!"

"Charles, are you out of your mind?"

"No!"

I shook my head. It's really cruel of my brother to answer on his own!

My aide came to my rescue from behind.

"Aub, it seems that Rozemyne's beast is the most familiar to Charles, so when he tries to make a mount, he unintentionally thinks of it."

"Hmm. It's true that Rozemyne uses her mount even inside the castle. I have the most opportunities to see it."

I'm embarrassed that it's become so obvious how much I admire my sister while she's moving around. Lesser is round and fluffy, and his moving legs and swaying tail are so cute.

"Okay, so let me show you my mount."

Father declared with a grin. Father's actions are always sudden.
Father's aides are shaken. When we get back to the room, this will be talked about as a bad example of how not to do things like that.

Father then took me out to the balcony with my brother.
Father brought out his mount. It was a three-headed lion. I had never seen Father's mount before, so I was fascinated.

"How is it? Doesn't it look cool?"
"Yes."
"Okay, let's go."
"Huh?"

I was lifted up, my feet floating off the floor and thrown onto the lion. I quickly straddled the lion and adjusted my center of gravity.
I heard a flapping sound of wings. Then I rose.

"Eh?"

Why? Father put me on my mount and for some reason jumped out of the balcony. If I was going to be an example, it would be pointless to ride it.

"Wilfried, you follow me."
"Yes!"

My body stiffened as the lion swayed. I grabbed the reins in front of me.
In an instant the scenery was the night sky. The wind was blowing by. I hung on desperately.

"I also imitated my father's mount. It's quite moving to see that you guys have become old enough to make mounts."

Father said this with deep emotion, but I had no time for that.
I've ridden on Father's mount a few times, but Father's mount is much rougher. And it's fast. It doesn't even support my body.

My brother's lion caught up and came to my side. He looked very happy.

"Father! This is the first time I've flown through the sky with you!"

"That's right, Wilfried. How about you keep up with my father's movements!?"

With that, the mount made a sharp turn. It cut through the air and flew around. The scenery flashed by.

"......!"

"Haha! Are you scared?"

My throat was twitching and I couldn't reply.

"That!"

The lion suddenly rose. And the sky was below me and the ground was above me.

Please wait a moment. Please stop. Seriously.

My view was the night sky. My stomach felt light and I was floating. My heart was pounding as I remembered the night I was kidnapped.

"Father! That's amazing! A beast mount can move like that!"

...Brother, stop! Don't make Father get cocky!

My wish was in vain, as it suddenly became cooler behind me, and the next thing I knew, Father was standing on his mount. Why?!

"Ah!"

Father suddenly jumped off his mount.

"Father?!"

"Father!"

Father spun around and landed on the wings of his brother's mount. His movements were brilliant and impressive.

"Father! That's amazing!"

I was relieved that Father didn't fall to the ground.

And then I lost my balance.

It was because I was staring diagonally behind me.

Father's lion ran off, leaving me behind.

"...Huh?"

I had fallen off my mount.

Feeling like I was falling.

My blood ran cold. What if I fall to the ground like this?

Remembering that night, I cried out.

"---Help! Angelica! Cornelius!"

"Lord Charles!"

Pegasus came running and saved me. My guardian knight, Roland, picked me up and I clung on desperately.

"Are you okay?!"

"I'm scared, I'm scared."

I was at a loss for words to describe how scared I was.

"I'm sorry! I didn't think I'd fall!"

"Are you okay?!"

"Sylvester, you're messing around too much!"

In the distance, I could hear Karstedt scolding Father.

"Lord Charles, let's go back now."

I nodded enthusiastically.

I was carried to the balcony and lowered down.

The ground! It was wonderful to feel the ground with my feet on it. It didn't shake, it was the best.

Mother held me in her arms. Although I'm no longer old enough to be hugged by Mother, the loneliness of being thrown into the air makes the embrace very comforting.

There was a chair and a blanket ready for me on the balcony. I leaned my weight on it, even though it was bad manners.
I felt relieved with the hot tea prepared by the attendant. Just holding the warm cup in my hands made me feel at ease.

Father and brother were still playing in the air.
They were standing on their mounts, spinning around, jumping off and getting back on them... It was a thrilling game to watch.
They looked like they were having so much fun.
I don't understand what's so fun about playing like that.

"Father and brother are really alike..."

Those two really are the same.
So it was only natural that Grandma only loved my brother, and that Father cared more about him than me.
Mother smiled and said.

"Let's give Sylvester some retribution later."

Oh, my mother will get really angry later...

Chapter Text

Even after returning to the temple, I receive a good night Ordonanz from Charles every night.

Recently, in addition to greetings, they have begun to exchange diary-like updates. It seems that Charles has been meeting with nobles, learning about the printing industry from Elvira, training in magic, and falling off Sylvester's beast.

...Eh, foster father, what are you doing?!

I can't help but want to reply to the Ordonanz that arrive, and the Ordonanz from Charles arrive right away, so the Ordonanz come and go.

And I end up going to bed late. Fran got angry with me, so I've been banned from using Ordonanz since the seventh bell.

Isn't this just like a love story between middle and high school students? It reminds me of a classmate from my Urano days who was banned from using a terminal at night by her parents. Now I can keep up with that love story! Wow, my girl power is increasing!

Today, I'm going to my workshop to discuss costumes for Schwarz and the others.
I was surprised when Angelica asked Ferdinand if she could embroider a magic circle for me. I was no match for Angelica in terms of femininity.

Ferdinand explained the materials and magic circles.

"You, as the master, must embroider the magic circle."

"What?! I can't do that!"

If I had time to embroider, I'd rather read a book. The magic circle Ferdinand pointed to was complicated and intricate, with more than ten of them.

It was a complete lie that my femininity had increased. I take back what I said!

"True, treat it as your bridal training and do your best."

"Ugh... I can't do that no matter what."

"Hmm. Charles will be disappointed if your embroidery is poor."

"?!"

Charles' face came to mind and my heart shook. I wanted him to say, "You're amazing, big sister," and smile at me.

Seeing my reaction, Ferdinand turned up the corner of his lips. It pisses me off that they think I'll listen to them if they use Charles as a bait.

But I won't give in!

"Charles doesn't mind if my embroidery is bad! My fiance is very generous! So let's dye it."

Ferdinand holds his temples, and Damuel sighs, wondering if he's bragging, and Justus grins.

In the end, we decide to make ink and draw a magic circle. My persistence wins.

"Even so, the princess has a lot of trust in Charles, doesn't she?"

Justus asks with a smile after the discussion in the workshop is over.

They're teasing me!
I wish they'd stop trying to get me to brag in front of Damuel. I feel sorry for him.

"Yes, Justus. I'll change my answer from before. If I were to compare Charles to something, it would be Schwarz and Weiss."

Last time, I answered that Wilfried was a chair without a backrest and Charles was a fluffy cushion, but recently my opinion has changed.

"Schwarz and Weiss?"

"They come up to me when they see me, they help me when I ask them, and above all, they're so cute that I want to stroke their heads."

"I see. It seems like you really like them."

Justus nods with interest.
Yes, Charles is cute. To be honest, I'm glad that Wilfried isn't my fiancé. I can't say such things in front of Sylvester, so this is top secret, though.

"Princess, which do you find more useful, the chaise lounge or the Schwarz?"

What a strange question to ask. There's no comparison.

"If possible, I'd like to read on the couch with Schwarz and Weiss on either side of me. Even if I accidentally fall asleep on the couch, I think that with Schwarz and Weiss there, my body won't hurt all over."

I see, Justus seemed to be pondering something.

One day, Charles came to the temple.

I was called to the high priest's office and there Charles was there.

"Charles! What's the matter?"
"Sister. It's been a while."

He smiled, but somehow he seemed more tense than usual.

Ferdinand told me to sit there, so I did. Lothar served me tea as well. After a little chat, Ferdinand said.

"Rozemyne, Charles wants me to train him in preparation for entering the noble academy. You should help him."

Huh?

I looked at Charles next to me in surprise. Wanting to be trained by Ferdinand is crazy.

"Charles, well, Lord Ferdinand is quite strict, is that okay?"

"If he's not strict, then what's the point? Your uncle trains you too, isn't he? It's embarrassing that you can stand your sister but not me."

"Did something happen?"

Charles's expression suddenly cleared of emotion. He then smiled and became the Charles I knew.

"It's nothing worth telling your sister."

Does that mean something happened?

Ferdinand continued without paying any attention to our exchange.

"Charles, there's something I'd like to ask of you as well. I'd like you to teach Rozemyne the common sense of the nobles."

Ferdinand's words surprised me and I blinked.

I looked at Charles, who was looking at him with serious eyes.

"As you know, Rozemyne has lived in the temple for a long time and is ignorant of noble common sense. Her common sense and thinking are different from ours, and she behaves in unexpected ways. Please watch Rozemyne's actions closely and point out any strange parts. I want you to do your best to help Rozemyne quickly become accustomed to noble society."

Huh? I thought Ferdinand was supposed to do that, but he zippered his mouth. If I'm going to be pointed out for every single thing I do, I'd rather have Charles do it than Ferdinand.

Charles said anxiously.

"Do you think I can handle such an important role?"

"I don't know. To be honest, I don't know what to do either. But I think that between two lord candidates of the same age, he's more observant than I am."

Ferdinand had given up on my noble education!

"I understand. I'll do my best to help you, Onee-sama."

Charles nodded, ready to go. I had mixed feelings.

"Very well. Then you two will teach each other the basics, Rozemyne, and common sense. I'll teach you about magic."

"Am I going to teach the basics?"

"You're good at teaching, right? You can teach Charles the same way I taught you."

I was wondering what was going on when Charles smiled next to me.

"I'd rather learn from you than from you, Uncle."

Yeah. I suppose so.

The conversation came to a close, so we disbanded. I was helped down from my chair.
I thought I'd like to talk more since I'd had the chance to meet him, so I grabbed Charles' arm and said.

"Charles, please come to my room."

"...You're being too obvious in your invitation. Noble women don't invite people like that."

Huh?!

I didn't expect that comment.
Looking around, Justus was holding back his laughter, while Fran was nodding as if to say that he was absolutely right. I remembered how Fran and the others had scolded me so much when I had clung to Lutz a long time ago.
Ferdinand grinned.

"That's very good. Please continue to correct him like that from now on."

Oh...

A few days later, with Ferdinand's permission, I moved to the castle.

I was keeping some of the reference books in the children's room, and I was worried about Charles' condition.

Eckhart had complained, "If you're gone, who will bring Ferdinand out of his secret room?", but I didn't know.

When I arrived at the castle, all of his aides gathered to welcome me.

"Please tell me what happened at the castle."

When I asked Cornelius, Leonore, and Brunhilde, who are Liesegang nobles, they all smiled with ambiguous expressions. Huh, what's with that reaction?

"What happened?"

"During the meeting, Lord Charles showed great respect for Lady Rozemyne."

"So what?"

Brünnhilde and the others looked at each other.

"Since Lord Charles has a position to consider, I think it would be best to ask him himself."

"I would be embarrassed if someone told me the details without my knowledge."

"Are you saying that Charles said something embarrassing?"

My questions were ignored, and I was informed that I had explained and persuaded my relatives that I did not want to be lord, and that my relationship with Charles and the lord and lord couple was good.

"It seems that Lord Charles dislikes being of Lady Veronica's bloodline," Leonore said.

The Liesegang nobles want me to be the next lord and eliminate the Veronica bloodline from the lord's family, so they don't like Charles for appeasing me.
They're finding all sorts of nitpicks about me, like, "Why are you standing next to the Saint without any achievements?" or, "You were the cause of her two-year slumber and now you're holding her back again?"

...What a cruel thing to do to my Charles! Who is that person who would say such a thing?

I'm getting more and more fed up with it.

"That level of slander is only natural. If you marry Lady Rozemyne, you'll have to work hard to stand next to her. You look inferior."

You're the culprit!

Of course, Hartmut didn't say it directly, but there are probably many nobles who would say the same thing.

"So, if Charles works hard, there won't be a problem, right?"

My fighting spirit is roaring.

"Lady Rozemyne?"
"Lady Ferdinand has asked me to teach Charles the classroom."

Huh..., his aides twitch. "Lady Rozemyne, will you be teaching Charles the same way you did the first-years at the Noble Academy?"

"Yes. Next year Charles will pass the classroom exams in the fastest time and with the highest score."

I declared. I had already started putting together a study plan for Charles in my head.

Chapter Text

A Knight Audition from the Text

*Characters not in the original work will appear. Charles's entourage is full of original settings.

I'm Roland. I'm Charles's guardian knight.

A guardian knight, that is. A guardian knight's job is to protect his master from danger.

I've never heard of a guardian knight doing paperwork too!

"I won't give you the job of guarding the door. You'll have to do the paperwork, Roland."

"What?"

When I decided to go to the temple and greeted Angelica, Rozemyne's guardian knight, who happened to be nearby during training, she asked me a mysterious question.

"What do you mean by paperwork? I'm not a civil servant, I'm a guardian knight."

"Even guardian knights are made to do paperwork at the temple."

"Wh, why?"

"The temple is tough."

She says it with a serious expression, but honestly I don't know what she's saying, and I don't get the point even if I ask her a question.

I grabbed Damuel, who was also Lady Rozemyne's guardian knight, and lamented.

"Damuel! What on earth is going on?"

"Yeah, Angelica's that kind of person. You'd better give up."

"I'm not talking about Angelica!"

Damuel laughed and said, "You're certainly helping out Ferdinand. I'm getting paid, so it's a decent income."

"What about guarding Lady Rozemyne?" I asked in surprise, and he said that Ferdinand would protect her if necessary, so there's no problem. Is there no problem?

Apparently, Damuel welcomes civil service work. He probably doesn't mind desk work to begin with. I was also often helped by Damuel's reference books during my time at the Noble Academy.

Come to think of it, Lady Rozemyne's older brother Lamprecht must have been to the temple before. A long time ago, he bragged about how delicious the sweets served at the temple were.
Lamprecht's face turned pale when I asked him about the paperwork at the temple.

"Eh?"
"Is Roland going to the temple too?"
"Oh, yeah."
"I see... Good luck."

Lamprecht looked at me with a solemn expression, as if to say he didn't want to hear any more.

This is hard to hear. It's really hard to hear. What on earth is this!?

When Charles checked with Rozemyne, it seemed that the story that the guard knights would also be doing paperwork was true.

"I can't cause trouble for my uncle and sister. When I go to the temple, I'll take a guard knight who's good at calculations with me!"

And then Charles declared with an unusually dignified look on his face.

Wh, why did that happen...!

Charles is usually a calm and exemplary person, but when it comes to Rozemyne, he shows mysterious quick thinking and action.

And with that, Lord Charles piled up the wooden calculation tablets he had arranged with Professor Moritz.
This reminded me of the other day when Lady Rozemyne piled up reference books in front of Lord Charles, saying she was preparing for the Noble Academy. Come to think of it, Lord Ferdinand had also piled up wooden tablets, saying he needed them for the prayer ceremony, and Lady Elvira had also piled up documents for a new project.
I had admired the lord's son from afar, thinking how tough it must be, but now his criticism was directed at me.

I think it all started with a meeting.
Ever since the engagement of Lord Charles and Lady Rozemyne was announced, Lord Charles had had a series of meetings.
Most of the time, they ended without any incident, but his meeting with a certain lord was full of tension. Whenever the other person made a roundabout remark, Charles would respond with a sarcastic remark with a smile, keeping us on the edge of our seats the whole time. Charles is very eloquent, even though he hasn't yet entered the Noble Academy. I'm impressed that he can handle things like that.

A stray bullet from the battle of sarcasm hit me, his aide, and I was severely hurt. Charles didn't seem depressed, but was simply quietly angry.

At other times, we would spark a battle over "how wonderful Rozemyne is, I know her better than she does," and at other times, we would get excited over "the usual harassment that Veronica does," freezing a corner of the room. The Aub's forced laughter at those times was a sight to behold.

After the visit and returning to our rooms, we comforted our master.

I thought we would all join in on badmouthing our visitor, but that didn't happen. Charles quietly shook his head and said. "Because there is a difference between me and her, it seems like I am using her. I need to work hard to be worthy of her."

While I was thinking about how I should try harder, Charles applied to become an apprentice to Ferdinand, the lord's younger brother and Rozemyne's guardian.

After my shift, I picked up a wooden tablet and a calculator. It had been since the Noble Academy that I had handled a calculator. Ernesta joined me and started practicing. She was faster than me.

"That's impossible," the knight-in-training muttered.

"It's impossible to go to the temple or to the countryside for a prayer ceremony. That's not the job of a knight guarding the lord's family."

"That's why Traugott lost to Angelica."

As I was wondering how to respond, Ernesta chased him away. He left with a sullen look on his face.

Rudolf, another knight-in-training, said something that an apprentice would expect.

"There are many different jobs for an aide, aren't there?"

Once again, I'm at a loss for words.
Honestly, I think this is a very unusual case for an escort knight's job, but I'll keep quiet.

Whether it's normal or not is irrelevant. All that matters is whether or not I can fulfill my master's wishes.

Marvin looks as sour as Traugott.

"I have my own concerns too. As long as the business is successful, I can't say anything, but Lady Rozemyne's methods often ignore convention and are inexplicable."

Marvin is a civil servant who was recently transferred to the printing business. I wonder if something happened in the printing business.

"It's true that Lady Rozemyne is an eccentric and mysterious person. Therefore, we must learn to serve her well."

"That's true. After marriage, we may share aides. We must get used to Lady Rozemyne quickly."

"Lady Rozemyne is unconventional, but she is a very talented and kind person. I can tell that from spending time together at the Noble Academy."

As we all spoke, Marvin, who was probably looking for our agreement, looked surprised to hear something unexpected.

"...Everyone seems to be fond of Lady Rozemyne."

Rudolf said innocently, "Because she is the one Charles loves," while we looked at each other.

The reason we respect Lady Rozemyne is because we owe her a great debt.

"Marvin, we were there when the attack occurred two years ago. Lady Rozemyne saved Lord Charles' life. No one among us has a bad word to say about her."

We were unable to protect Lord Charles when he was kidnapped and fled on his mount.

When Lord Rozemyne fell asleep and broke down in tears saying it was all my fault, I felt despair and thought, "No, it's not Lord Charles' fault. It's my fault because I couldn't do anything even though I was guarding him."

Even now, this incident is used to slander the nobles as an incident in which Lord Charles blamed Lord Rozemyne. If only I had been able to save both Lord Charles and Lord Rozemyne then.

The other day, when Lord Charles fell off his mount, he immediately called out the name of Lord Rozemyne's guardian knight. I wasn't the first to call for help.

I haven't been able to protect anything.
I want to make amends to Lord Charles and Lady Rozemyne.

"It seems like things are getting pretty exciting. I'll get this done soon."

Lord Charles must have gone to bed. His chief attendant, Zalcrecht, arrived.

"What were you talking about?"
"It was about the day of the baptism, when Lady Rozemyne rushed out to help Lord Charles."
"Yeah. I didn't have time to stop her then."

Zalkrecht was also there.

When we talked about that day, the atmosphere became friendly, with bitter smiles mixed in between us aides. We shared our bitter regret and respect for Lady Rozemyne.

"But I can't help but feel that Lady Rozemyne has an ulterior motive."

Marvin seemed still stuck.

Leave it to the civil servants to investigate the nobles. Our job as guardian knights is to protect our master from danger. ...Basically.

"Listen, Charles, if it gets too hard for you, come back to the castle right away."

On the day he was leaving for the temple, Wilfried came all the way to see him off.

Ever since Wilfried heard that Charles was going to be trained by Ferdinand at the temple, he had been constantly telling him to "stop," "reconsider," and "that's not sensible."

Some of his aides have taken a cynical view and thought that Wilfried was trying to get in Charles' way, but I think he probably just doesn't like Ferdinand. The Aube also had a complicated look on his face that made it hard to say he agreed. Ferdinand must be very strict.

Wilfried looked very worried, and even Lamprecht, who was standing behind him, had the same look on his face.

W-what's going on?

"Brother, you're worrying too much."
"You don't know how scary my uncle can be. He's strict when we meet at the castle, but he's even more merciless at the temple."

Lamprecht nodded solemnly behind Wilfried's back as he spoke. Did something happen...?
Feeling a little uneasy, Charles began his intensive training at the temple.

Chapter Text

"Onee-sama, we're off now."

I release magical power from my ring and send the Ordnance flying.

I was told that I could do the mount, magic compression, and Ordnance after I enrolled in the Noble Academy, but I was told to just ignore it.

At first, even making Ordnance was tiring and difficult, but now I'm used to it after interacting with Onee-sama every night.

I ride Roland's mount and head to the temple. I actually wanted to go with my own mount, but I can't fly high yet and I stand out, so it was rejected. Roland's mount flies slowly and smoothly, unlike Father's mount, so it's not scary.

When I arrive at the temple, Onee-sama has come to the entrance to greet me.

I'm amazed at her appearance.

It's the white temple master's outfit with the lion emblem of Ehrenfest on it, the same one I wore on the day of my baptism. Since my uncle had been performing the ceremony after Onee-sama had fallen asleep, it had been a long time since I had seen her in her temple head outfit. Thinking back on the two years that had passed, my heart was somehow filled with emotion.

"Welcome, Charles."

"You're wearing the temple head's uniform today, aren't you? It's very nice."

My sister was a little embarrassed by what I said, and proudly said, "I'm the temple head." When I praised her, she looked happy, which made me feel a little ticklish.

"I'll show you to the temple head's room then."

Fran led the way as we started walking. I've stopped by for prayer ceremonies and harvest festivals, but this was my first time going inside.

I offered my hand to Onee-sama.

Onee-sama tilted her head, then smiled, took my hand, then lowered her hand and started walking. I was drawn in and started walking too.

No. This wasn't escorting, it was holding hands.

What should I do? I didn't know how to do it right. I was lost in thought as I walked, but I was happy at how small and adorable her tightly held hand was, and I began to think that this was fine.

The temple was quiet, spacious, and deserted, with not much color.

My sister's steps were very slow. Fran could see her steps without looking back. I had to learn to walk this fast too.

The atmosphere suddenly changed when I entered the temple master's room. It was a girly room with a red base. It was similar to my sister's room at the castle. I could see statues of gods and holy scriptures displayed on the shelves.

"What a cute room."

"Thank you very much. Father prepared this room for me."

I was immediately treated to sweets and tea.

Both the sweets that my sister had thought up and the tea that Fran had brewed were so delicious that I was entranced.

"Today's sweets were made by Nicola."

"Is she your personal chef?"

"No, she's one of your attendants."

...? ? ?
The orange-haired waitress kneels with her arms crossed. Based on the flow of the conversation, she must be Nicola. I wonder if the attendants make the sweets.

I'm confused, but I've trained myself not to let my emotions show on my face, so I keep smiling.

Onee-sama even thinks up the recipes for her own sweets, so although it's unusual, it might not seem strange to her.

"Onee-sama, could you introduce me to the attendants of the temple once again?"

When I said that, Onee-sama blinked in surprise, then smiled happily.

Gather everyone together.

"Let me introduce myself again. I am my younger brother, Charles. I will be attending the temple from now on, so please take good care of me. Charles, these are my attendants, Fran, Monica, and Nicola."

Fran helped me out at the prayer ceremony, and I have met Monica a few times.

"Nicolas, the sweets were delicious."

"Thank you very much. I like making them. I like eating them even more."

Nicolas showed me a smile that I never saw coming from a nobleman who was taught to suppress his emotions. I was taken aback by his expression and casual tone, but I smiled back in the same way.

My sister also had a smile on her face that she doesn't show at the castle.

"There is another person in the temple master's office, Zam. Zam is currently helping out in the high priest's office. Like Fran, Zam was an attendant to Ferdinand, so he was well-trained."

This also surprised me a little.
I had assumed that Elvira or Karstedt had arranged for attendants to be assigned to her. Children's attendants often become the same attendants as their parents. I'm surprised that that uncle is taking on the role of a parent to my sister more than I thought. That scary, strict uncle... It's an unexpected side to him.

"Also, Wilma is at the orphanage, and Gil and Fritz are at the workshop. I'll show you the orphanage and workshop in the afternoon."
"Do the orphanage and workshop have attendants?"

I'm surprised again. Aren't those in a different role from attendants?

My sister tilts her head quizzically, and I tilt my head in confusion too.

As we tilt our heads at each other, Fran adds an additional explanation.

"Since Lady Rozemyne is both the orphanage director and the workshop director, the attendants have a wide range of work to do."
"...Isn't Onee-sama taking on too much work?"

I think it's too much of a burden. Who can I complain to about this?

"I started this because I liked it. Besides, our attendants are excellent, so it's not that much of a burden on me."

Onee-sama boasted proudly, and Fran and the other attendants smiled with satisfaction.

I've never seen Onee-sama praise the castle's attendants, so I was surprised again.

I was surprised many times just by the introduction of the attendants. This is a very unique environment.

I remembered what my uncle said to me: "I want you to teach me the common sense of the nobles."

I thought for a moment and said.

"Onee-sama, let me introduce my attendants next time."

My environment is probably that of a typical lord's child. I thought it would be better for Onee-sama to see and experience the difference for herself, rather than pointing out that something was "wrong". Even I sometimes think that the lord's family's environment is unusual when I hear the stories of my aides.

"Yes, please."

Onee-sama replied with a cheerful smile, so I felt relieved for the time being.

When the third bell rang, I was to help my uncle in the high priest's office.
I held out my hand to escort him, but he grabbed it tightly again. Ugh.
The calculations were not that difficult, as they only involved addition and multiplication, but with a lot of digits. We finished without any reprimands from Uncle, and Roland and I breathed a soft sigh of relief.
Lunch at the temple was even more delicious than the food served at the castle.

In the afternoon, we toured the workshop and the orphanage.
He held my hand out again, and I thought, this time for sure! I wanted to say that I wanted to escort her, but when Onee-sama smiled, I couldn't say anything, and that's how it's been up to now.

When we entered the workshop, the workers knelt down to welcome us.

Onee-sama introduced us to Gil and Fritz. Gil was a mischievous boy, while Fritz had a calm demeanor similar to Fran.

There were many things I had never seen before in the workshop. It seems that the work is divided into stages. They explained the process of steaming, peeling, boiling the wood, turning it into fibers, and filtering it on a sieve. To be honest, I didn't really understand it when I heard it, but seeing the work being done made me feel like I could understand a little better.

"It's similar to mixing."
"It doesn't use magic, though."

Onee-sama replied to Roland's muttering. It's strange how the shape changes without using magic.

Apparently, they tried and tested different materials and ratios until they created the paper we have today.
………I won't say anything, but I'm sure Onee-sama must have researched paper herself to come up with this statement.

Suddenly, Gil spoke to me with a smile.

"Lord Charles, we've made a failed product. You can touch this one."

As I was shocked at his rudeness, Fritz came forward to protect Gil.

"When Lord Justus came to the workshop, he touched the paper he was working on and tore it. Gil was thoughtful enough to think that Lord Charles would also want to touch the paper."

Onee-sama also interjected to protect Gil and Fritz.

"Well, Lord Justus, too? My foster father also tore up some paper when he visited the workshop."

……Father!!?

What are you doing? I can't believe it. I thought Gil was rude, but Father was even worse.

"Did Father interrupt your work?"

"Well, I was inspecting it! It's important to actually see, touch and experience these things."

My sister started to panic. I regretted that my voice had become sharp.

"Look, this freshly made paper is squishy, and this one has lost its moisture and become thinner and less bulky, right? Seeing things like this helps you get an idea of what magic compression is."

"Rozemyne, are you sure it was okay to hear that?"

"Ah."

While Damuel and my sister were talking, I glared at the paper I was working on.

"Gil, which paper is okay to touch?"

"Ah, yes! This one is here. This one's edge is chipped, so it can't be sold."

The paper that had just been pasted on the board was soft, and when I poked it with my finger, it became bumpy.

"...Is this what you call paper?"

It's really mysterious. The way paper is made is mysterious, and so is my sister, who came up with the idea.
In Irkner, where the papermaking workshop first spread, there were apparently walking and singing demon trees. Big Sister spoke with great enjoyment. Gil, who was listening nearby, also seemed to enjoy it, so I guess Gil probably went to Irkner too. At that time, I had never even left the castle. I'm kind of jealous.

Next came the explanation of the printing press.

"The knight's tales written by Elvira were printed here, right?"

"Yes. Mother worked hard while I was sleeping."

Big Sister said, but her eyes were wandering. I wonder if something happened.
I heard that between the papermaking and printing industries, papermaking is more difficult to spread because it requires more skill. It is especially difficult to make metal type.
Big Sister seems to be more attached to printing presses than papermaking, and her eyes sparkle when she talks about books and libraries, such as the structure of the printing press and how Gutenberg met their unreasonable requests.

"My Gutenberg is amazing."

Between her explanations, she constantly praised Gutenberg. It made my heart ache a little.

...I'm sure that between me and Gutenberg, Gutenberg is more useful to Onee-sama.

I have to be of help to Onee-sama too.

"Gil, Lutz is here. He says he wants to confirm something about Haldenzel's business trip."

Someone called out to Gil, and he ran off to the entrance of the workshop.

I didn't pay her any attention, but Onee-sama looked anxious as she cast her gaze towards the entrance. I wondered if there was a problem.

When I looked at Gil, he was talking to a blonde boy about my age. Judging from his appearance, he didn't seem to be from the temple.

When he noticed us looking, he folded his arms, knelt down and greeted us.

I asked Fritz, not Onee-sama.

"Who could it be?"
"Yes. He's an apprentice at the Printemps Company."

I know the Printemps Company because they come to the castle to sell books. I've never seen him before, probably because minors aren't allowed in the castle. The Printemps Company sells the paper and books made here.

Suddenly I noticed him and asked.

"Did he also go to Ilkner?"
"Yes."

My sister added.

"Lutz is also a member of Gutenberg."

I thought she'd say something like "Lutz is amazing," as she would praise the temple attendants or Gutenberg, but she just looked sad.

The boy made quite an impression on me.

Chapter Text

Life at the temple is very regular.
In the morning, I practice the harspiel until the third bell, and help my uncle until the fourth bell.

The temple has a very skilled musician named Rosina. Her harspiel has a very elegant tone. With Rosina's training, my sister can easily play difficult music scores.

Since there are two of us, we started practicing duets. I practice hard at the castle so that I don't look inferior to my sister.

When it comes to helping my uncle, Roland taught me the "it's better to have someone than not" strategy.
When carrying out missions with new knights, it seems that the most troublesome thing is when the newcomer gets strangely enthusiastic and does unnecessary things. It seems that it's appreciated when the newcomer doesn't do unnecessary things and just steadily does what is asked of them. He is slower at calculations than my sister, but I think he has reached the line of 'it's better to have him than not'.

My uncle is strict and feels that my calculation skills are gradually improving.

This afternoon, I will finally receive guidance from him.

Instead of the usual room where many priests work, we moved to a bleak and slightly smaller room.

My uncle was carrying a wooden box. I had noticed that my uncle does things himself that I would normally leave to my aides.

"When the fifth bell rings, bring that thing."

With that, the temple attendants left, and we were left alone. I had Roland keep watch outside the door.

My heart was pounding with a mixture of tension and excitement.

My uncle touched my neck. It tingled a little.

I was surprised because I had never been touched by anyone other than my family and aides. He was probably measuring my magical power.

"Hmm. Take this first."

My uncle handed me the medicine. When I opened the lid and tried to drink it, I smelled a familiar awful smell.

"Um... Uncle... this is a healing potion."

"Just drink it."

The voice left no room for argument. My magic hasn't run out yet, but... I wondered as I drank the awful tasting healing potion.

In an instant, I realized that the magic in my body had increased. I was in pain because I had more magic than usual. My body was also a little hot.

"Drink this too."

Huh?

Not understanding what he meant, I looked at my uncle, who had an expressionless face and said, "Hurry up." It was not an atmosphere in which I could ask him why.

I obediently did as I was told and took the medicine.

When I had drunk about half of it, something strange happened. I lost consciousness as if my head was cancer, and I almost let go of the medicine and dropped it before I had finished it. I clenched my hand tightly. My eyes were flickering and something was different about my vision.

"There's still some left. Drink it all."

I pretend not to notice anything abnormal in my body and drink the medicine. My body is hot.
The heat from the magic is greater than the outline of my body. My head feels light and my legs become unsteady, I can't stand and I fall to my knees. The pain comes later.
Hot. Painful. I can't control it. It's like my body is no longer my own.

Even though I was on the floor in pain with my hands on my hands, my uncle looked down at me with calm eyes.
I remembered the time when I was training my body to get used to the poison. Even though I was suffering, he only gave me the antidote when my life was truly in danger, saying "this is necessary."

I felt as if the wriggling heat was about to break through my body and come out. It was painful. I wanted my magic power out.
I took out the magical tool that was given to me when I was born and tried to transfer my magic power to it, but my uncle immediately took it away.

"You idiot. That won't be training in magic compression."

Magic compression...?

"You've learned that."

Uncle takes out a cloak from the wooden box and spreads it out.

It's Rozemyne-style magic compression.

I've been taught magic compression, but I don't think I can do anything with that amount of magic.

"Try folding the cloak for real."

"Yes."

My attendant taught me how to fold a cloak. The trick is to line up the ends neatly, but it's hot and my joints hurt, so I can't spread my arms out.

But I can't say I can't do it under Uncle's gaze, so I reluctantly roll up the end of the cloak. I pull it a little to make the circle smaller, then roll it up again.

I compress the magic from the edge of my body, where it's about to overflow, toward the center of my body, as if entangling it.

Roll, roll, roll.

My body is feeling a little more comfortable, so I spread out the next cloak.Fold the ends together, then rub from the creased side to the non-creased side with your hand to wrinkle it. Repeat this process to make it smaller.
The magic in my body subsides and I feel a little better.

"It seems like you've compressed it quite a bit. Now, move on to the third stage."

Uncle hands me a leather bag.

I try to press the cloak into the bag from above, but it's no use. There is a resistance from the magic. If I force it, it will unravel and start to move wildly.

"I can't do this. It hurts."

I whine.

"I see."

Uncle easily lifts me up, carries me, and lays me down on the couch.

"Rest for a while. Let your body get used to the magic."

My head is spinning and my body is gradually aching. I'm grateful to be allowed to rest.

I was tired and wanted a cold drink, but there were no attendants here and it would be no use asking my uncle for such consideration. If I asked, he might call one of the attendants from the temple, but I was too lazy to speak and chose to remain silent.
Then my uncle started working on the paperwork as if I wasn't there.

I endured the headache and steadied my breathing.
As I rested, my body gradually began to feel more comfortable.
The magical power that I had been struggling to suppress began to subside.

It was quiet inside the temple.
There was no one in this room so this was to be expected, but there was no sign of anyone other than my uncle. It was also different from inside the hidden room where the wind still didn't move.
The lord's family is always surrounded by his attendants, so the lack of presence of people felt refreshing.
I'm sure my uncle likes this silence, which is not found in the castle.

The fifth bell rang, and an attendant from the temple came in with something.

"Come here."

Uncle-sama ordered, and I got up from the bench. My body felt much better. I was a little unsteady, but like the lord's child, I walked carefully so as not to let the people around me know that I was unwell.

"Touch this magic stone in the center."

Is this Schzeria's shield?

I've seen it in the karuta and picture books that my sister made.

When I touched the magic stone, the entire shield glowed and a magic circle appeared. Magic power was absorbed. The raging magic power was gone from my body, and my body felt lighter and I felt good.

"Hmm. So that's it."

Uncle-sama muttered as if he understood something.

He touched my neck. I felt a tingling sensation again.

"Don't use magic tools until the next time you come. Compress the magic that has naturally recovered."

"I understand."

I nodded.

Uncle-sama looked at me intently, as if inspecting me.

"What is it?"

"No. You are much quieter than Rozemyne and Wilfried."

"Well... Your brother and sister are lively..."

I indirectly tell him that it's a strange comparison.

"Besides, I'm used to enduring poison training."

I hesitate a little on whether I should say it, but since this isn't the castle and no one is listening, I say it.
After my uncle, I was the next person Grandma targeted for elimination.

My uncle is knowledgeable about the poisons Grandma uses, and when I was feeling unwell and there was nothing he could do, Leberecht called my uncle. When I was little, I didn't know that my uncle was my father's younger brother and thought he was a doctor.

"I see. Then next time, let's increase the load."

!?

"Eh, Uncle... that means... more than before?"

"Yeah. If I don't push myself, I won't be able to catch up with Rozemyne's magical power."

"I'll do it!"

"Hmm."

I feel sad that I answered so quickly.

"I see. Training you seems surprisingly fun."

Uncle smiled a smile I'd never seen before. I wonder why it was a smile that scared me and gave me chills.

Chapter Text

During dinner with my family, I made another request.

"Father, mother, I want a chance to perform my harspiel as well."

"What's this time?"

"My sister was given a harspiel assignment by my uncle and is taking 'surprise tests'."

My sister practices harspiel every day from breakfast until the second bell. My uncle gives her an assignment song for each season, and she practices so that she can perform it even if she is called on unexpectedly.

My brother, who hates practicing harspiel, looks at me with a really displeased look on his face. I was surprised that she practices every day, so I understand how he feels. But I've decided that I'm going to be better at harspiel than my sister. (I'll leave aside the pathetic reason that there's nothing else I can win against)

"Aren't you being poisoned by Ferdinand and Rozemyne?"

"Yes, Charles. You've been pushing yourself too hard lately. You need some time to play, don't you?"

Father and brother say that, but I declare.

"I want to aim for my uncle and sister more than Father and brother."

"I see. That's reliable."

Mother smiles and exclaims in a cheerful voice at my words. Father can't compete with Mother, so he has nothing to say.

"I see. Then you can play after dinner."

"Yes!"

After dinner, Father and brother's entourage will be listening. It's enough to make it impossible to fail.

"And I'll play too."

Father declares with a grin. Father's actions are always sudden. Father's attendants hurriedly began to get ready. When they returned to their room, this would be talked about as a bad example of how not to do things like that.

And so, this was the first time I had heard Father play---.

It was such a wonderful performance that I wondered if it was really Father playing. It was comparable to a musician's. I was very surprised.

Mother was also entranced by the melody. It was the first time I'd seen Father make Mother entranced. I wonder if it will snow tomorrow.

When the performance ended, there was a round of applause. Everyone praised Father. And so did I.

"Father, aren't you better at harspiel than sister?"

Father looked exasperated. "You're always based on Rozemyne's standards. But she's still a child. She’s not as experienced as me. And Ferdinand is better than her."

My brother, who was just as surprised as me, or even more so, asked.

"Didn't you avoid practicing the harspiel, father?"

"Until I entered the noble academy."

He said, and gave my mother a wink. My mother put her hand on her cheek and pretended not to notice. I see, he must have been practicing so that my mother could hear him. I wondered how it would be to show off their friendship in front of her sons.

"Wilfried, you don't have a fiancé, so you should practice your harspiel properly. A man who can't even give a love song is boring."

"Huh?!"

My brother was confused by the sudden topic. I see, let's practice a love song.

It seems that my father wants to play the harspiel for my mother after this. He was chased away as it was a married couple's time, so we children left the room.

"I was surprised to hear that Father is so good at playing the harspiel."

"Yeah, I was surprised too."

"Will you play after dinner, Brother?"

"...Do you really think love songs are necessary, like Father says? I have no desire to sing such embarrassing songs."

"I think it's better to be able to do it than not to. Brother may find a woman he likes in the future."

"I can't imagine it at all."

I tried to imagine it a little. I really want Brother to marry a reliable woman.

We arrived at the northern annex. We split up. My brother and I have rooms far apart for various reasons.

"Charles, you are..."

"Yes."

Brother hesitated to say something.

"No, it's fine."

A few days later, an invitation and sheet music arrived from Elvira via Mother. She said she wanted me to play as entertainment at the tea party.

"I'm really sorry," Mother said repeatedly apologizing for some reason.

"Are these my sister's scores?"

There were some songs on the scores that looked familiar. I can play the songs dedicated to Leidenschaft, the god of fire.

I'm getting to an age where I won't be attending women's tea parties any more, but I'd like to attend Mother and Elvira's gatherings because I learn a lot from them.

After I finished playing the harspiel, I was bombarded with questions.

"I assume Charles practices the harspiel with Rozemyne? I wonder if he ever hears Ferdinand play."

"No. I'm learning from sister's musician."

"Rozemyne's musician is Rosina, right?"

"Oh! Isn't Rosina the arranger of the song dedicated to the winter goddess?!"

Huh? What's with that? Everyone suddenly puts up a lot of pressure.

Then I heard about a "charity concert" I didn't know about. Or rather, I started getting excited about the story.
It seems to be a concert of my uncle's harspiel, planned and held in the same year that my sister was introduced. Apparently my uncle's harspiel was magnificent, and everyone was squealing with excitement.

I was left dumbfounded.

Now that I think about it, my uncle has beautiful features, but his stern and scary impression erases any impression of his facial structure, and he doesn't give the impression of being a beautiful person at all.

I think my sister is far more impressive for holding such an event at baptismal age than my uncle's harspiel... But there's no mention of my sister, which is frustrating.

"Mother... my uncle was so popular..."

"That's true. It's a problem."

Mother gently had my uncle hold a magical device to prevent eavesdropping.

"If we use information from Lord Ferdinand, it will be easy to get them on our side. But you can't give them all the information at once. You need to give it out in small amounts and gain control over it little by little."

I looked up at Mother and blinked repeatedly. I never thought she would say something like that. Mother is not the type of person to think of such tactical things. To think of using my uncle like that would be...

"Is that what Leberecht taught you?"

"Oh my, hehe."

I laughed and brushed it off.

"Sister... what did you do at the charity concert..."

On the day we headed to the temple, I asked my sister.

"I'll show Charles something special. It's a secret, okay? Fran, that thing."

Fran brought out a locked wooden box. It was amazing how Fran could guess what she was talking about with just the words "that thing."

I took out a piece of paper from the locked wooden box.
There was a picture of a man playing a harspiel, with all the wrinkles, fear, and intimidation removed from my uncle, and with a youthful, gentle, and dazzling look.

"Um... is this our uncle?"
"Yes. This sold like hotcakes."

"Our uncle wouldn't have such a gentle face, would he?"
"But because of my adoptive father, it was found and banned... I actually wanted to print more and sell them like crazy."
"You wouldn't laugh so wildly, would you?"

When I asked him more about it, I found out that the "charity concert" was a concert to raise donations, and that he used the proceeds from the painting to set up a printing workshop.

I felt a sudden wave of energy leave my body.

When I was told to use my uncle's information to socialize, I felt a sense of guilt, or rather a chill behind my back, for using him. But compared to how my sister sold off my uncle's illustrations, me bringing up the topic of my uncle at a tea party was nothing.
Elvira is especially great because she is my sister's mother, a civil servant in charge of the printing industry, and a supporter of my mother's faction. I'm very grateful to Elvira.

It would be no harm to have Elvira happy talking about my uncle.

"Even so, my uncle is quite popular."

"That's true. Our mothers love to talk about Ferdinand."

I wonder why? They tilt their heads to one another.

"Are you planning to do something again, Rozemyne? I'm against doing things that the high priest dislikes."

Fran, who had been listening to us, scolded my sister.

Fran and Zam were former attendants of my uncle. My sister said, "Both Fran and Zam love the high priest," but I think my sister is loved as well. I want to be a master who is loved by his aides like my sister.

"Well, Fran. I want those who are kind to Ferdinand to know about him and like him even more. This is because I want to increase the number of Ferdinand's allies, and it's for Ferdinand's sake too."

It just sounds like my sister's excuses.

But it would be best to jump on the bandwagon here.

"Yes, Fran. This is to support my uncle."

"Really?"

"Yes, it is."

Perhaps because my sister and I tried to persuade him, Fran gave in.

And so, in no time, I was able to gather information on the ladies at the tea party that they would like. Uncle's favorite type of tea, sweets, food, color, favorite incense, bath temperature, pillow height, bedtime habits, and so on... It was a huge harvest.

"Fran, you're an excellent attendant."

"No. It's only natural for an attendant to understand his master."

Fran said with a confident smile. I'll sneakily ask about my sister’s hobbies and interests later.

Chapter Text

Not only are my sister's guardian knights frequenting the temple, but civil servants are also frequenting it.

My sister only has two apprentice civil servants.

I think it would be better to have an adult civil servant as an aide and leave the printing work to them, but both my uncle and my sister want to do the work themselves. It might be easier for talented people that way.

One of my sister's two civil servant apprentices is Hartmut.

Hartmut is Leberecht's son, and he's like a younger, brighter version of Leberecht, and he always seems to be having fun.

Hartmut is much older than me, so I haven't had much chance to talk to him.

He's not often in the temple master's office, and seems to mainly help my uncle with his work. He probably learns a lot from his talented uncle.

The other is Philine.

Philine is a lower-ranking noble who has sworn to dedicate her stories to my sister. While my sister was asleep, she often helped run the children's room. Talking to Philine, I could see what my sister liked about her.
If a low-ranking noble became an aide to a lord candidate, it would invite the jealousy of those around her, so I decided to protect Philine.
Although Philine helps my sister, she sometimes disappears.

"Where does Philine go?"
"To the orphanage. My younger brother, who was saved by Lady Rozemyne, is at the orphanage."

A younger brother at the orphanage?
When I asked Damuel later, he told me that Philine's younger brother was abused by his second wife, and that my sister had taken him into the orphanage. It's a horrible truth.
I was also abused by my grandmother, but I had parents and aides who protected me. I was blessed, and I think I should be grateful.
And I think my sister, who saves underprivileged children, is like a goddess.

This afternoon's schedule is for Onee-sama and Philine to look at the Dunkelfelger manuscript, and for me to train with my uncle on magic.

I've gotten used to being alone with my uncle. After he gives me instructions, he does his own work as if I'm not there, so I just go along with that. I think "You're so quiet" is probably a compliment from my uncle, so I'm keeping quiet.

Thanks to Fran's teachings, I'm gradually getting the hang of finding the right time to talk to him.

"Uncle, I'm only doing magic compression, do I need to learn other things?"

"In the lower grades, as long as you have enough magic, you'll be fine. If you don't have enough magic, it's no use doing anything, so for now, focus on increasing your magic."

I was taught how to use beasts and armor in my knight training, but compared to my uncle's training, I can see that the knight training is lukewarm.
Only my uncle could train me to compress my magic power until I forcefully increased it with healing potions and felt unwell... until the thought "Maybe I'm going to reach a higher level" crossed my mind for a moment. If I told the people in the castle, they would definitely stop me.

I have my uncle's support, but my uncle was performing this dangerous compression of magic power all by himself, so I can't say anything.

"You should quickly surpass Wilfried. Make a complete difference."

My uncle says. I agree with that opinion.
If my brother becomes the next lord, Ehrenfest will be in big trouble. And my father might do that.

"I don't think the old Veronica faction will stay quiet like this, but what's the state of the castle?"

My father and brother's close aides are Veronica factions.

And my uncle is an anti-Veronica extremist. Even if he doesn't think so, that's how those around him perceive it.

"As far as I know, there hasn't been any noticeable change. However, Oswald's education seems to have become stricter, and my brother is fed up with it."
"That's because he has no guts."

I want to protect my brother, but I can't say anything.

"There's no way I could lose to you, brother. Leave it to me."
"You idiot. Even if you win on merit, if you are harmed, that's it."

"...Yes."
"If anything happens to you, Ehrenfest will be shaken."

My uncle isn't training me for my sake. He's doing it for my father, who was Lord Ehrenfest. And he's probably thinking about my sister. I can sense his spirit, like, "I'll find a partner for Rozemyne." Is he a parent?

Some of the lord's family's close associates were wary of my uncle, saying, "He's plotting something using Rozemyne," but I feel like he's just looking after my sister.

"Is it because Uncle trained her that Onee-sama has so much magical power?"
"No. She compressed it all by herself without anyone teaching her."
"...Just like you would expect from Onee-sama."

As for Onee-sama, I've decided to just let whatever happens to her pass. My feelings mean nothing to me.

"I guess Onee-sama is loved by the gods after all."

Monica and Nicola say, "Lady Rozemyne is favored by the gods." The more I hear that, the more I start to feel that way.

But Uncle looks at me coldly, as if to say, "What are you talking about?"

That's terrible.

That day, I finished training with a lot of magical power in my body, so I felt a little unwell when I returned to the temple master's office. I had finished the prayer ceremony and Entwickeln, so it seems I have plenty of magical power even without making offerings to the sacred tools.

I can compress magical power up to the third stage, but I don't really understand the fourth stage. People say that it's better to cherish your own image because different people have different images, but I don't have an image of myself. I just copy my big sister in everything I do.

I know it's presumptuous to try to get close to my big sister who is so special and excellent in everything, but I can't help but sigh at the difference.

"Charles, what's wrong?"

Oh no. Someone heard me sigh. I covered my mouth.

"Has Ferdinand given you any unreasonable assignments? Ferdinand is merciless, so I'm worried. If you're in trouble, please tell me. I'll protest!"

My big sister's golden eyes wavered with worry, then she showed a brave expression.

My big sister has a lot of expressions to begin with. At the temple, she doesn't hide her emotions even more. There's no one around me whose emotions are so clear, so it's a little funny and cute.

"I'm fine. I just got a little magically drunk. I'm doing my best to catch up to my big sister, so please support me."

This time she showed a happy, embarrassed expression. It's funny and cute.

"How did you come up with the Rozemyne-style magic compression technique?"

Onee-sama thought for a moment, then beckoned, "Charles." It seemed like she wanted to whisper in my ear. I thought she could use a magic tool, but I didn't say anything.

Her face was so close that it tickled my ear.

"I was raised in the temple, so I didn't have any magic tools for children. So I compressed my magic power myself."

All my embarrassment disappeared and I looked at Onee-sama.
"It's a secret," Onee-sama said nonchalantly.

"Is that so?"

Onee-sama didn't seem to mind, so I smiled as if nothing had happened.

But inside I was extremely upset.

I tried to cover it up by saying that it was a little embarrassing to whisper in her ear, and Onee-sama laughed, a little embarrassed.

"I'm going to practice Harspiel."

With that, I shut myself in a hidden room. Practicing before bed had become a daily routine.
Her aides say she doesn't need to worry about the sound of my playing, but it's also an excuse to not let people know that I want to be alone.
The hidden room is a noble's personal space.

I slowly plays only the right hand part of a song dedicated to the Goddess of Light, "I Want to Know Your Happiness."

Recalling what happened today makes my emotions unsettled.

Magical tools are given by parents when a child is born.
If there is no magical tool to absorb magical power, it will overflow from the body and the child will suffer. During her intensive training with her uncle, she learned the pain of uncontrollable magical power.
Not being given a magical tool was practically like being abandoned by her parents.
...What could it mean to not be given a magical tool...

I heard that her sister is not Elvira's biological child, but the child of Karstedt's third wife. Perhaps she was abused by her maternal relatives - the executed Joisontak family - like Philine's younger brother, and was hidden in the temple.
I don't know if it's okay to ask my sister about the situation.

"Richarda, are there many children who are not given magical tools? It's about... Philine's younger brother."

I asked Richarda secretly. I didn't want to ask my parents or aides because I thought they might find out. Although I said it was about Philine's younger brother, I was of course asking about my sister.

Richarda said that it's not uncommon for children of low-ranking or mid-ranking nobles with little magical power to not become nobles and become housemaids instead. In those cases, the excess magical power is used to operate the family's magical tools. I'm relieved that there are no children suffering from overflowing magical power.

"Fran, what kind of child was she when she were little?"

I asked Fran while my sister was concentrating on her book. When my sister is reading a book, she doesn't notice any sounds around her.

"It's the same as now. She loves books and would rush off to the library."

"You could read from a young age, right? How did you learn to read?"

I don't know, Fran says.

"When I became Lady Rozemyne's attendant, Lady Rozemyne was already reading books."

"So where are Lady Rozemyne's attendants from her younger days? I'd like to hear their stories."

Fran seems to think deeply for a moment. I don't know, he says.

"Today, it's this way."

During the magic training session with my uncle, instead of the usual small room, I was led to my uncle's secret room in the high priest's office.
I was so, so surprised.
Secret rooms are private places. Usually, strangers aren't allowed in. I've only ever been to Mother's secret room. I wonder if it's alright for me to be invited in. Smaller than my mother's or my secret room, my uncle's personal space is cluttered, and I feel a strange sense of peek into his inner world. My uncle's interest in the secret room outweighs his bad mood.

"Why are you investigating Rozemyne's past?"

He makes me sit on the couch and threatens me.

His cold expression is scary, but my uncle is intelligent so he's not that scary. People who have lost their sense of reason are much scarier.

My uncle is staring straight at me. I don't understand why he's threatening me like that.

"Isn't it natural to want to know about the person you love?"

My uncle looks as if he's been told something he never thought he'd expected.

"Is that so?"

"That's how it is."

My uncle furrows his brow and looks completely confused. I wish he'd understand that a little.

"Hmm... It's fine. The circumstances are unique. You shouldn't pry into it."

That's what my uncle told me. He took me to a secret room. He must have some serious secret. Probably something gruesome that you wouldn't want a child to hear.

But even if he said that, it didn't calm my feelings.

"Uncle, why doesn't my sister have the magical tool that was given to her when she was born? How pitiful."

My uncle looked as if he had said something he hadn't expected.

Even my uncle's facial expression is slightly easier to read in the temple. Especially since we're in a secret room today.

"It's not necessary for Rozemyne. She's all-attribute and has a lot of magical power, so it's difficult to make a magical tool. I've given her a replacement magical tool, so it's not a problem."

"A replacement magical tool?"

"Ask Rozemyne."

And with that, the conversation ended, and my uncle looked at me with a pitying expression, as if he wanted to say something. In the back of my mind, I remembered the lord's son's studies. Those in a position of authority will become increasingly isolated if they do not create an atmosphere where others feel comfortable opening up to them. I thought I had to create an atmosphere where my uncle would feel comfortable talking.

I remained silent and gazed upon my uncle, not saying a word.
I wait for the next leaf.

"...Why do you want to know about Rozemyne's past?"

Uncle muttered this, which was his first question.

I pondered how to answer. Compared to how serious Uncle was, words like "Because I like you" seemed shallow.

"...I'm sorry. I'm not looking into it out of curiosity."

"That's not it."

Uncle sighed and recrossed his long legs.

"So what should I do?" I looked up at Uncle, who was also looking at me with a look of disbelief.

"You should get past Sylvester quickly. Registration is a pain."

"Huh?"

Uncle muttered as we left the hidden room.

When I asked, it seems that Father had messed with Uncle's hidden room, so he had put a magic limit on it so Father couldn't get in. I was at my wits' end.

...I'm so sorry for my Father, I'm always so sorry!!!

"Is it possible to surpass Father's magical power?"

"If you continue compressing my magical power like this, you will catch up with him by the time I reach adulthood. In any case, you will have to surpass Sylvester to be on par with Rozemyne."

Surpass Father…

While my goal of catching up with my sister was extremely vague, the goal of surpassing Father somehow fit my heart perfectly.

"Are these the magical tools you got from Ferdinand? Yes. First, a magical tool for strengthening the body. And an amulet."

She rolled up her sleeves to show me.

I felt a little embarrassed, but I steeled myself, knowing that my sister had no intention of doing so.

"Then there's the ring, the bracelet, the brooch from the hidden room, the beast's magic stone, and the compounding knife..."

My sister counted on her fingers.

Rings are usually given by parents at baptismal ceremonies, so I was taken aback. I wonder if it was actually my parents. Onee-sama couldn't remember everything, so she ended by saying "Well, that's about it."

"That much...?"

She has far superior magical tools than the lord's child.

In other words, Onee-sama is the child who has been given the most magical tools in Ehrenfest.

"Normally, not many magical tools are given."

"Is that so? So Ferdinand is out of the ordinary."

Onee-sama tried to leave it at that.

"Onee-sama, it's true that my uncle's ability to make magical tools is out of the ordinary, but you should be grateful that you has been given so many magical tools."

"Ferdinand is very overprotective, isn't he?"

It doesn't really get through to her.

How can I get across that my uncle is a much more parental figure than my father?

...I'm jealous.

I was starting to feel sad, so I gave up trying to persuade Onee-sama.

Onee-sama was not a child who was deprived of love. She received so much love from my uncle that it was eye-opening.

Chapter Text

The Lamprecht wedding is coming up soon. The wedding will be held at the border gate of the territory, separate from the star-knot ceremony at the castle, and both lords' families and their relatives will participate.

It's a wedding forced by Ahrensbach due to special circumstances.

"High Priest, may I let Charles ride in the Lesser Bus?"
"Why? Charles has a mount, right?"
"Because if we ride in the Lesser Bus together, we can chat on the way."

Ferdinand thought for a moment and said.

"No, since this is a rare opportunity, let him practice flying with his mount."
"I don't think Charles has any problems driving a mount. He's just not good with high places."
"That's why I'm saying he needs to practice flying high places."

Hmm. Ferdinand is right, but I would like Charles to ride in the passenger seat if possible.

When we were in Haldenzel, Wilfried begged me to let him ride his mount, but I thought it would be a shame for the lord's son and Gutenberg to ride with him, so I declined. When Charles looked dejected and said, "I guess Gutenberg is more important to you than me," I thought, "What a cute creature."
So this time, I want to give him a ride. No, I will.

I changed my plan.
On the day, I approached the lord's family. It was early in the morning, so Wilfried looked sleepy.

I tugged on Sylvester's hem like a small child begging his father.
"Foster father, foster father"

"Hmm? What's the matter, Rozemyne?"

"May I take Charles in my Lesser Bus?"

"Why?"

"Because we can chat if he rides in the Lesser Bus."

Mother's eyes, who was a little far away, shone brightly.

Charles approached us nervously, and my foster father smiled.

"I see. Rozemyne, do you want to spend a little longer with Charles? Look at that color."

Sylvester pecks my cheek. Wait.

Florencia says worriedly. "Rozemyne, aren't you worried about Charles riding with you?"

"No. There are a lot of people today, so one or two won't matter. And I'd be happy if Charles rode with us."

After getting permission from the lord and lord, Charles thanked me. "Thank you, big sister." Charles is an angel today too.

Sylvester looks at us with amusement. I thought Elvira liked love stories, but Sylvester is also quite a romantic.

"Do you want to ride my mount today, Florencia?"
"No, it's fine."

...Oh dear, what a shame. You've been rejected, foster father.

After getting Sylvester's permission, Ferdinand reluctantly gave his permission. Charles taught me, "When you want to be selfish, tell Sylvester first." It certainly worked.

And then we had a fun drive date (with lots of company).

The Lesser Bus was in a harmonious mood.

Charles, Laurent, and Angelica go to the temple, so they are on friendly terms with Fran and the other temple members. The temple members are usually quiet because they're on work, but Charles is good at putting people at ease and drawing out conversation. It's a bit embarrassing because it's mostly me talking, but I was happy to see Charles and the temple group getting along well.

Roland always has a smile on his face when he's with Angelica, so I thought he liked her. But when I asked him about it the other day, he said, "I'm happy to have a beautiful woman around me while I'm on duty, but I don't want to talk to Angelica in private (rough translation)." I see, that makes sense. ………Angelica…….
Today they're going to have lunch at Count Liesegang's summer mansion before heading to the border gate.

"Count Liesegang's mansion is nerve-wracking."
"Why?"
"I had just had an argument with Giebe Liesegang."

Huh?
I couldn't believe my ears at his unexpected words.

"Oh, that time was amazing."

"What do you mean... an argument...?"

"It was nothing serious. He said things that were completely off-topic, so I carefully corrected each one."

Charles smiled cheerfully, but am I the only one who feels that his face and what he was saying don't match?

Roland proudly said, "Lord Charles is good at using noble idioms," but is that really something to say in a refreshing way?!

"My father and brother are more worried than me. They won't accept you from their own faction."

Charles said, looking out the window at the forest.

Now that I think about it, Elvira said that they would be staying at Count Liesegang's mansion because the old Veronica faction mansion was no good. Apparently they wouldn't be able to welcome the lord's family that punished Veronica.
I don't really understand the problem of factions within the territory, but seeing Charles's tension, I can't help but feel that way. Factions are essentially friends and enemies, so I think it's quite sad that a family has different factions. That's how I feel when I see Charles.
The Florencian faction was created to oppose the lord's mother. I would like to ask what Florentine was thinking at the time.

"Oh Supreme God, who rules over the lofty and towering sky, hear my prayer and grant your blessing to the birth of this new couple. We offer to you our thoughts, prayers and gratitude, and may you grant us your holy protection."
The ceremony proceeded without incident, and I used a magic stone to pray to the Supreme God and his wife.

Gold and black blessings rained down on the bride and groom, and exclamations of admiration were heard from the Ahrensbach side. I feel relieved that I was able to complete my duties without incident.

"It was a wonderful blessing. The Saint of Ehrenfest." Aub Ahrensbach, who looks like an old man, smiles and talks to me.
However, his gaze is directed at Ferdinand.

"Sister! You were splendid and wonderful. The blessing of the star knot is very beautiful."

...Wow. After the extremely tense ceremony, Charles' smile instantly soothed me. My cheeks relaxed. I see, children are not allowed to participate in the star knot ceremony at the castle, so this is Charles' first time seeing the blessing of the married gods.

I want to hug Charles tightly and rub his head like I did with Lutz, but doing that would be a big problem. In terms of noble common sense. I hate noble common sense!

Two seasons have passed since we were banned from using the secret room with people from the downtown area.
...I was told that it's bad for my reputation to bring a commoner into a secret room, but what about bringing a noble's fiance into a secret room and hugging him? I wonder if he'll think it's indecent?

While I was talking with Charles, we were getting ready to go home.
The atmosphere in the Lesser Bus was once again harmonious. I didn't know this because he doesn't usually say it, but it seems that Fran and the other temple group also think that blessings are beautiful.

"Will Uncle give a blessing at our wedding?"

Our wedding.
A little of my magic leaked out at Charles' sudden words, and the Lesser Bus jumped up.
Cornelius and Leonore, who were on either side of me, looked at me in shock. Ahhh.

Now that I think about it, we're engaged, so we're going to get married, right?? For some reason, Lesser became increasingly agitated and started skipping.

"Um, Onee-sama?"
"Lady Rozemyne! Please drive safely!!"

Fran was pale behind him.

Ferdinand then came flying over and grabbed Charles (how rude!), and Charles returned home on his mount, flying at a rather low altitude, as originally planned.

Chapter Text

The location of my magical training with my uncle has moved.

It's not an empty room near the high priest's room, but a hidden room in the temple head's room.

The hidden room in the temple head's room doubles as a compounding room, and various materials, magical tools, and magical teaching materials are stored there. Normally, such things wouldn't be kept in a personal secret room, but in the temple, where there are many people who cannot use magic, it is probably safer. The temple head's hidden room also serves as a storage room for tools used by nobles.

But it is a hidden room.

It is my sister's secret room.

Normally, strangers are not allowed into a secret room. If they do, it would probably only be someone very close to them, such as a parent or attendant. Even if a married couple is not very close, I don't think they would be allowed in.

Normally, being led into your fiance's secret room for the first time is a kind of proof of trust and connection, and I think it is an event that will become a memory in your life.

I was shocked when my uncle told me to "come in" as if it were his own place. Even if I wanted to say something like, "Um, isn't that your sister's secret room...?", I couldn't.

It's impossible for me to enter the secret room when we've only been engaged for three seasons. And not even when she's there.

I thought that if I were to enter, it would be after the star knot.

My dream of deepening my relationship with my sister and gradually gaining her trust over the years... was shattered.

Why do I have to enter my fiance's secret room with my uncle? Isn't that too much? Isn't it too much?

I think uncle could be a little more considerate!!!!!!!!

"...Why are you suddenly in a bad mood?"

"......"

I sulked. It's terrible to ask for an explanation.

"I'm curious, so tell me."

"But isn't this your sister's secret room?"

"But isn't it?"

He didn't get it at all. When I explained the situation, getting a little emotional, the wrinkles between my uncle's eyebrows got deeper and deeper.

"I don't understand. Why are you so hung up on such things?"

Wh, what are you saying...?!?

"This is the room where Rozemyne was bathing in Jureve. I was healing her, so surely I should be allowed in."

When he says that, it sounds like I'm being selfish.
Uncle is certainly my sister's guardian, and it was he who taught her how to make this secret room.
But, but, I still think he's terrible!

"Can I tell Father? I'm sure he'll agree with me."
"That's bothersome..."

I continued to sound resentful, and Uncle put his fingers to his temples and made a tired face.
He looked unhappy, but I didn't like it either.

"I understand your point. Wait a moment."

Uncle left the room, and after waiting for a while, he returned with my sister.

"Ferdinand, are you sure?"

"I don't mind. As your guardian, I give you permission."

With that, my uncle left the hidden room with a bang.

Yes?! Right now, I'm alone with my sister.

"Sister! Open the door! Leave now!"

"Huh?"

"Uncle!!!!!"

"What, you've already come out?"

I look around the temple master's office. Fran, Monica, Roland, and Damuel.

Justus! If Justus was here, he would have helped me, but there's no one who can compete in this situation. I'm screwed. I want to summon Richarda or Mother here. Elvira is having fun, so that's not good.

I yell in desperation. "I'll tell Father!"

"I don't care. You're the one who'll have a hard time being mocked."

Really! The scene came to my mind vividly and I held my head in my hands.

"High Priest, Lord Charles, if it's something complicated, could you please go back to the secret room?"

Fran said in a cold voice.

The people there froze and looked at us. Realizing that I had lost my cool in front of everyone, I held my head in my hands again.

Well.

Let's start afresh.

I sat at a desk in the secret room of the temple master's office, next to my sister and across from my uncle.

Fran gave me tea and sweets and then left. Fran seemed used to tidying up the secret room. Meanwhile, my uncle had refused to let the guardian knight enter.

"Ummm... what was that all about?"

My sister said after finishing one of the sweets. My uncle was also enjoying the crispy cookie.
What is this situation?

I have to be strong, because uncle is unreliable, I thought to myself, and steeled myself.

"Onee-sama, you shouldn't be alone with a man in the secret room."

Onee-sama was dumbfounded.

Then she started complaining to my uncle.

"See! I knew it wouldn't work! You're always so concerned about reputation!"

"Your reputation is nothing compared to me being complained about."

"Mm, that's terrible!"

...I feel like something is off, but I have no idea how to explain it.

"Uncle, why did you do this?"

"Because you complained."

"Charles?"

"Charles seems unhappy about me going into your secret room with him."

...Saying something like that! In front of him!?

"Huh... why?"

Why?!

Onee-sama's response shocked me.

"I think it might be jealousy."

"Rinki... Are you saying Charles is jealous?"

Onee-sama made such a cute, happy noise that I covered my face and collapsed on the desk.

That's terrible. What should I do?

As I collapsed, Onee-sama started to stroke my head. It made it even harder for me to look up. I'm happy, but I don't want to do this anymore. I'm happy, but. I don't want to be stroked on the head in front of Uncle-sama, and on the other hand, it would be really troublesome if we were left alone, and my emotions are complicated and troublesome.

Uncle-sama explained as if he didn't know anything about it.

"You're making good use of the secret room, but the secret room is actually a place that only the person in it can enter."

"Really? I thought it was a place to have top-secret conversations."

"Well, you're not wrong."

Maybe he wasn't wrong?
Apparently, Onee-sama had entered Uncle's secret room to talk about things she didn't want the former head of the temple - Grandma's younger brother, who was trying to harm Onee-sama - to know.

This was completely different to how I perceived the secret room. It made me feel uneasy.

"Ask your aides about the rest. There aren't many people like me who use a secret room as a workshop."

She recovered as we had a serious talk. Thinking about it, it was useless to expect Uncle's consideration.

It was decided that from now on, the three of us, including Onee-sama, would conduct our magic training in this secret room.

This was not Onee-sama's personal secret room, but a multi-purpose room protected by magical power. I changed my mind.

"Damuel, normally only the person himself can enter the secret room. Has anyone ever entered your secret room?"

"That's right. My parents entered when I was a child, but since I entered the Noble Academy, I'm the only one who has entered."

"My wife has entered my secret room before."

Roland said something that seemed to attack Damuel, so I gave him a cold look. The fact that there are few adult aides and no married people around is probably one of the reasons why Onee-sama has not developed common sense.

"It's not normal for Lady Rozemyne to have secret rooms all over the place. I only have a secret room in my room."

"Is that so? The head of the temple, the head of the orphanage, the castle, the Noble Academy... that's certainly a lot."

"You have one in Hasse too, don't you?"

I've gotten used to the out-of-the-ordinary, so I decided not to be surprised. Onee-sama has too much magical power.

"Does the orphanage director's room have a secret room?"

"I lived there until I was adopted by the lord."

"Is that so?"

...Let's not ask too much!

There are so many things I want to ask, like if she was bullied for using the orphanage director's room as her own room, or if she had enough magical power to create a secret room before her baptism, but I just smiled and brushed them off.

My uncle told me not to look into my sister's past. I will protect her.

"The orphanage director's room was mainly used for business negotiations."

I thought I should not ask too much, but my sister continued the story.

"Business negotiations?"

"The paper and books made in the temple's workshop were top-secret business for the territory."

"...Did they let people from the Printemps Company in...?"

My sister makes a "Damn!" face.

"T-the ladies from the downtown area are in there too. Brigitte's fitting for her dress was also done in the secret room."

...It serves as a changing room!

That's enough. I won't say anything.

My sister is flustered because I can't keep my expression together, but I can't find the energy to calm the situation.

"Was Brigitte's dress made at the temple? That unusual dress was very beautiful. Right, Damuel?"

Roland spoke cheerfully in my place, but my sister pretended not to notice and Damuel slumped his shoulders.

"I want to go into the secret room with Charles, but I guess that's indecent."

...

"Lady Rozemyne, that comment is not dignified, and it's causing trouble for Charles."

Fran is reliable. I'm starting to cry.

I remember what Elvira and the others said, "After all, men are no good as parents."
I have to make sure I protect my sister! I resolved anew.

Chapter Text

Since the summer, Charles has been inviting me to the castle more often.

We go on dates in the castle library, study together about the lord's children, and have tea parties with Florence and Elvira.

Studying about the lord's children is fun because you learn about our world. The teachers are either Florence's aides or Charles' aides. I was told to keep some of what I learned a secret from Wilfried and Ferdinand. It seems that the education I learn here is unique to Froebel-Tark. As expected of a former high-ranking territory.

I learned about the idea of noblesse oblige (the obligations of those in higher positions in society) during Urano's time, and I realized that neither Sylvester nor Ferdinand have this way of thinking - it's an education that doesn't exist in Ehrenfest.

As I'm being taught, I feel the weight of the responsibility of becoming a central figure in Ehrenfest and I feel a little scared. I miss Sylvester's carefreeness and nonchalance.

This year's harvest festival ended without a hitch, with everyone sharing the work. I was in charge of the eastern part of the direct territory and Grechel.

"Once Grechel's printing business gets on track, it might be time to move on to the next stage."

"What is the next stage, sister?"

"Building a library." I declared proudly. "I want to build a library after learning creation magic in the lord candidate course."

Charles straightened up when he heard about the library. As expected of my fiance, he's excellent.
He looked troubled when he heard about my fun library plan.

"Charles, what's the matter?"

"Sister. I think my uncle knows a lot about creation magic and magical tools, so why don't you consult him?"

"No, you can't! If you tell Ferdinand, he'll get angry. You need to make more plans and prepare to persuade him."

I firmly refused. I don't want my dream to be crushed here.
Charles still had a difficult look on his face.

"Then why don't you consult with our mother? She's from a feudal lord's family, so she should know a lot about creation magic."

I see. It's true that I don't know much about creation magic. Florencia isn't that close to Ferdinand, so there's no need to worry about her finding out.

And so, at the next tea party, I spoke eloquently to Florencia about my library plan. I would use creation magic to build a Rozemyne Library like Jungenschmitt 1. Charles would nod along at the right times, making it very easy to talk to him.
Florencia shook her head slowly, smiled, and went quiet. Something was wrong.

"What's the matter, foster mother?"

"Rozemyne has a lot of ideas."

She smiled and lightly patted my head.
...Huh? Aren't they treating me like a total kid?

Florencia gave a wink to her aide, Leberecht, who was standing behind her. Leberecht was a civil servant who taught the lord's children about taxes and policies. He is Hartmut's father, and looks and feels very similar to him. So far, I haven't found anything strange about him like Hartmut.

"Excuse me, but Lady Rozemyne has a misunderstanding about creation magic."

Leberecht explained about creation magic. White buildings cannot grow, and are treated the same as rebuilding them. He said that each time they grow, magical power is required, and since they are a low priority in Ehrenfest, it would be difficult to maintain them.

No way.

My dream library plan was falling apart.

Florencia had a look on her face that said, "It would be a shame to destroy a child's dream." Maybe she had only heard it as a child's fantasy story, on the level of "I want to be an elephant when I grow up." No way.

"Lady Rozemyne, would you like to learn about magical power calculations for creation magic?"
"Yes, please."

It seems that Leberecht was calculating magical power as a civil servant during Entwickeln.

As I was feeling down, Charles called out to me.

"Sister, how about we build an extension on top of the white buildings with wood, like in the downtown area? That way we wouldn't need the effort or magical power to replace the contents every time we renovate."

I blinked at Charles' suggestion.

"Have you ever seen the downtown area, Charles?"

"I've only seen it from above on my mount. I became interested in it during Entwickeln."

Come to think of it, Charles compiled the materials for me during Entwickeln.

"Well, what do you think about remodelling a building that was built with magic?"
"Isn't that reasonable? With creation magic, you can't change the original blueprint. Besides... combining your powerful magic with the skills of the craftsmen of the downtown area is very much like your library."

Charles' words made me happy.
Charles doesn't seem to have any aversion to the downtown area. Some of the civil servants were critical of the idea of expanding the white building without permission. Charles is kind to the priests, Fran and the others, and I think my fiance is wonderful.

"That's right. Let's do that."

If that's the case, I might be able to ask Lutz's parents, Dido and Zasha, to do the work.

After that, I was making plans with Charles about the Rozemyne Library, but Florence is now completely in the mode of a mother watching over her kindergarten children. Is my library plan really that unrealistic?

When I saw Florence petting Charles, I somehow thought, "I'm jealous." I never think of my father when I see Sylvester, but when I see Florencia interacting with her sons, I think of my mother.

……It's okay, I have winter clothes made from fabric dyed by my mother.

"By the way, Rozemyne, have you discussed it with Ferdinand?"

"No. I didn't say anything because I thought he would get angry."

"Oh. You make plans even though you think he'll get angry."

Florencia showed the same uncompromising smile she used when showing Sylvester.

What, am I just as problematic as Sylvester?

"You can give a proper report, right Rozemyne?"

"……Ha, ha."

If I had given a proper report, Ferdinand would have given me a lot of flak. I was so depressed.

The winter social gathering begins.

After I received the winter hair ornament from Tuuli, my head was filled with thoughts of winter clothes. (And fish)

As the temple chief, I will be performing the baptism ceremony in the morning, so I will not be wearing my costume until the afternoon.

The costume I made for the winter social gathering was made from fabric dyed by my mother, and was based on Tuuli's design. The flower in my hair was also dyed into the fabric, and it was obvious at a glance that it was made to match the costume.

I was in a very good mood, dressed in a costume that my mother and Tuuli had made together.

When I went to the dining room, Charles was just like you would expect. He immediately praised me as soon as he saw my new outfit.

"You look lovely, big sister!"

"Right?!"
"Princess."

Oh, I forgot. Act like a young lady. Act like a young lady.

After lunch, we moved to the great hall while talking about the Noble Academy.

There were already many nobles there when we entered the great hall. I exchanged greetings one after another with Chairman Grechel, Chairman Hardentzel, and Chairman Ilkner, who were all involved in the paper and printing industries.

Last year, Charles and Wilfried were looking after me, but this year, I’ve been told to spend as much time with Charles as possible. By the way, Aurelia doesn't miss fish. What a shame.

After the greetings were over, Charles looked around the venue.

"There are so many different types of dyed fabrics that are the new trend. They come in all different colors."

It seems he was observing women's outfits. I wonder if he learned this from Florence. Or maybe there is an item on Froebel-Tag's studies called "How to interact with women."

Charles looked at my outfit with a warm expression, which made me a little nervous.

"I thought the color of this fabric would suit you best. The design also brings out your sister's beauty. The person who made the outfit must know you well."

"...That's right."

"It's very cute."

...Really! This outfit was made by Mom and Tuuli together! This off-the-shoulder dress was based on the outfit I wore for my first baptism, and even after getting input from Double Mother, the basic design remained! I wanted to find the cloth dyed by Mother to give me the title, but I couldn't find it, but when Brunhilde chose it, it was the cloth dyed by Mother.

I wanted to tell Charles all about it, but since it was a secret, I couldn't tell him, so I was making a fuss in my head, and it seems that magic was coming out. The ring glowed. I realized that the blessing was about to come out on its own, and while I was thinking that if I gave it in the great hall, it would cause a fuss like the unveiling, I lost consciousness.

When I came to, I was in bed.

"Huh?"

I see, it seems she had collapsed again.

I rang the bell next to my pillow and Richarda came into the canopy. "Princess, how are you feeling?"

"Um, Richarda, what time is it now?"

"It's the next day at noon. We made it in time for the departure from the Noble Academy."

"It hasn't even been a full day. It's shorter than before. I've grown up."

"I don't think that counts as growing up..."

Today was supposed to be spent in the nursery, but Charles and Wilfried will do something about it.

After I was dressed in my loungewear and finished eating the meal Richard had prepared, Ferdinand came over.

"You look fine."

"F-Ferdinand!? What happened?"

"Princess, please calm down. I called you."

"Now, can you explain why you collapsed this time?"

Oh...

After the examination, I asked for a magic tool, and Ferdinand handed me one to prevent wiretapping.

"Charles complimented my outfit."

"You have to use a magic tool to say that?"

Ferdinand exclaimed in surprise.

Suddenly remembering, I let go of the magic tool and yelled.

"Ah, Richard! Was your outfit safe when you fell?!"

"Don't yell out of nowhere."

"Your outfit is safe. Angelica supported you properly."

I see. With Angelica's reflexes, I'm sure you'll be relieved.

I picked up the magic tool again.

"This outfit was made by my mother and Tuuli together."

Ferdinand made a difficult face at my words.

"Princess, here comes Charles."

"Sister! Are you okay?"

"Don't make a fuss in front of a sick person."

As Ferdinand said this to Charles who had come flying towards me, he straightened his back.

He made a wide circle to avoid Ferdinand and came closer to me. He peers into my face, his blue eyes shaking anxiously.

"Are you really okay?"

"Charles, I'm okay now. It's not uncommon for me to collapse. I'm so sorry for worrying you."

"You don't need to apologize, big sister."

She lightly touches Charles' hands as they touch her cheeks and forehead, and smiles, finally relaxing her expression as if relieved.

It's the first time she's collapsed in front of Charles. I must have scared him.

"Well, I think you two need a lecture."

Charles quietly lowers his eyes and looks away awkwardly.

"Leaving me aside, why are you scolding Charles?"

"It's because I showed such a shameful panic in a place where most of the nobles of Ehrenfest were gathered."

Ahhhh.

Charles looks away, looking even more awkward.

"Um, it's not my fault for collapsing. Isn't it the right thing to do?"
"Of course it's your fault. But what if I can't clean up after you collapse? Rozemyne will collapse again this year at the Noble Academy. When that happens, it will be Charles's job as a lord candidate to clean up after her."

Charles listens with serious eyes, but I want to disagree.

"Don't assume I'll collapse again!"
"Are you sure you won't collapse?" Ferdinand glares at me. Ugh...

"Listen Charles, Rozemyne has collapsed in front of the royal family and at a tea party where all the territories have gathered."

Eeek! I don't think I need to reveal my dark past here.

"Uncle, what can we do to stop my sister from collapsing?"
"Take this with you too."

Ferdinand entrusts the empty magic stone to Charles as well. He actually hits me with the magic stone while teaching Charles the timing. She also explains my other points of caution.

I'm starting to feel sad. As an older sister, I was supposed to help Charles, who is heading to the Noble Academy for the first time. But as his older sister, I'm the one putting the burden on him.

"Am I not fit to be a wonderful older sister?"

"Isn't it too late now?"

"Before you're my older sister, you're my cute fiancée."

Uuh. Charles is so kind.

Is it okay for me to have such a cute fiancée when I didn't do any good in my past life?

The day to leave for the Noble Academy soon arrived.

My parents came to see me off in the room with the teleportation circle. Sylvester told me to "try to spend this year as peacefully as possible." It's a shame.

"Rozemyne, I've left some books with Charles so that you can kill time in the dorms until your aides finish their lectures."

What?! New books!

"Why are you giving it to Charles?"

"If I gave it to you, you would finish reading it immediately and rush off to the library, rendering the book useless. The reason I gave it to Charles is because you can't enter the second floor where the men's rooms are, and Charles needs to hold the reins of you from now on."

Wh-what are you saying...

Looking at Charles next to Ferdinand, he looks full of enthusiasm.

I can't bring myself to tell this Charles to "hand over the book." I'm more depressed about something else than not being able to read the book.

"But isn't Charles a first year? As his big sister, I'm here to support him in his first time at the academy. It's not right to force me to take care of him."

"You just have to behave yourself."

As I was feeling down, Charles gently took my hand.

"Sister, I was looking forward to coming with you to the Noble Academy. It's my first time here, so I'm nervous, and it's very reassuring to have you here."

My heart fills up like water on dried soil.

"It's okay, Charles. You can rely on me!"

"Yes. I'd be happy if you wouldn't get so absorbed in the library, and would keep me company. I feel lonely, like I've lost you to books..."

"It's okay! I'll live a modest library life, and set an example for you, Charles!"

Ferdinand and Sylvester look at me blankly, as if they don't believe me.
...Hmph!

While we were doing this, it seemed the preparations for the transfer were finished.

"Hmm. My son is a good boy. Hey Ferdinand, isn't this year more peaceful than last?"
"Why can't you be so optimistic? When Rozemyne is with Charles, her magic tends to go haywire. You could say that there are more concerns now."
"...I didn't want to hear that."

"I'll be there tomorrow, too, Onee-sama."
"Yes, Charles. I'll be waiting. Well then, everyone. I'm off."

As I said that, the magic circle emitted light, and my vision became distorted.

Next is the Noble Academy.

Chapter Text

Prologue - Departure for the Noble Academy

Swaying his silver-golden hair, Charles stood at the teleportation circle that connected to the dormitory of the Noble Academy.

A sweet fragrance wafted from his hair. His brother Wilfried disliked the sweet-smelling rinsham, saying it was feminine, but Charles didn't mind.

The adult aides sent him off with smiles.

However, his parents, with worried and anxious faces, began to give him warnings one after another. Most of the warnings were not about Charles, but about his siblings.

"Father, mother, aren't you worrying too much about my brother and sister? You should also worry about me, a first-year student."

"No, Rozemyne will definitely cause trouble."

It was a firm statement.

His uncle Ferdinand had also sternly told him to follow up on Rozemyne's words and actions.

Charles still didn't realize that Rozemyne was a problem child. Although she was a little strange in some ways, she was an excellent sister he could be proud of.

"I'll do my best to be of use to you, sister."
"No, Charles. Please keep an eye on Wilfried as well."
"Don't just get along with Rozemyne, but cooperate with the three lord candidates."

Charles lowered his eyebrows.

He could understand his parents' worries. It would be bad for Wilfried, who was raised by Veronica, to be isolated.

But Charles loves his fiancée, Rozemyne, so he isn't sure he can forget about his brother and focus only on his sister. His parents must be aware of that.

"I'll try my best."

Charles said with a firm face, and his parents' expressions of concern did not fade.

Black and gold magical lights intersected. The magic stone in the brooch glowed and the space flickered.

His vision distorted, and just a few seconds later, the teleportation was complete.

"Welcome to the Noble Academy Ehrenfest dormitory, Charles."

It looks similar to his old room, but this is now the dormitory of the Noble Academy.

Leaving the teleportation circle room, he found a waiting room where his aides welcomed him.

"We've been waiting for you, Charles. Let's head to the multipurpose hall."

Outside the hallway, a view similar to the castle spreads before him.

His first life at the Noble Academy is filled with a mixture of expectation and tension.

Two days after moving in, it's the day of the promotion ceremony and social gathering.

This year, Ehrenfest's number is ten. He has improved his ranking from last year, and some people are jealous.

"It'll be fine, Charles. I'll be with you."

"That's right. Since you're with me, I have to be strong..."

The two of them hold hands tightly.

Rozemyne is determined, "I have to be strong and support Charles, as his big sister!!"
Meanwhile, Charles resolved, "As my fiance, I have to stand up and support my sister!!"

They both followed Wilfried with burning determination.

Wilfried thought, "They seem to get along well today too."

"From tenth place Ehrenfest, Lord Wilfried, Lady Rozemyne, and Lord Charles have arrived."

A small, unfamiliar figure sat at the front of the small hall.

It was the third prince.

At that time, Charles and the others never expected. That the little prince would fall in love with Rozemyne and deepen his ties with Ehrenfest.

Chapter Text

"Welcome back, Charles. How was your first social gathering?"

When I returned to my room in the dormitory, my head attendant, Zalkrecht, asked me.

I couldn't help but feel uneasy as I remembered the social gathering.

Seeing my reaction, Zalkrecht's expression clouded over and he asked, "Did something go wrong?" Olivier laughed and denied it.

"She was just upset about her engagement."

Everything was going smoothly from the center to Klassenburg and Dunkelfelger. The problem arose in Drevanhel. My brother and Ortwin were very close and had friendly conversations.

When Adolphine congratulated him on his engagement, Ortwin said casually, "I see. Wilfried is a good match for you in terms of age, but you're engaged to your younger brother, aren't you?" Then, to my surprise, my brother said with a smile, "Yes, Charles really loves Rozemyne."

Who would have thought he'd say something like that at such an important social gathering where representatives from all the territories gathered!

Seeing my face, presumably blushing, Lady Adolphine said with amusement, "Oh, is that so?" in a refined manner, and then my sister elegantly said, "Yes, Charles has proposed to me."

...It's not wrong! It's not wrong, though!!

Even after that, every time Charles was congratulated on his engagement, he would become overwhelmed and gasp for breath.

"I want to lock myself in a secret room."

"Lord Charles, you need to write the report first."

Olivier said casually.

"The engagement attracted attention from other territories, so you'll need to practice not being embarrassed from now on."
"It would have been fine if you hadn't said anything unnecessary, brother and sister..."

Yes, it would have been fine if the topic of engagement had come up in aristocratic formal settings.
Everyone was worried about sister's social interactions, but brother's social interactions were also worrying. I sighed softly as I thought about the future.

The lectures began the day after the social gathering.
I knew that sisters were focusing on improving their academic ability, but I was surprised that everyone started studying in the short time after breakfast.

"This is the first practical class for Charles and the other first-years. Do your best in handling magical power."
"Yes. Sister and brother are both aiming to pass on the first day of classroom lessons, right? I look forward to hearing that everyone passes."

I felt a little lonely when I saw sister and brother off to the lecture hall.

"I wish I was born a year earlier."

"I'll see you again at lunch."

The practical classes are divided by rank, and the lord candidates and high-ranking nobles are in the same classroom.

The way to use magic is to dye the magic stones and remove the magic. I go to get the magic stones and return to my seat, dye them with magic as instructed, and then remove the magic.

"Lord Charles, once you dye it, you must show it to me."

There were fewer people from the higher-ranking territories, so I was sitting near the front, and Professor Hirschur found me.

I put magic power into the magic stones again and went to show them to Professor Hirschur.
"You're fast. Now, remove the magic. ... Ah, yes, well done. You're truly Ferdinand's second disciple."

When Professor Hirschur said that, everyone was paying attention to me, which was a bit off-putting. I was a bit shaken inside, but I smiled for the time being.

"Professor Hirschur, I'm not your uncle's pupil. I've only learnt a little about magic."
"I'm looking forward to the lessons to come."

...You don't have to! I'll look inferior to your sister anyway!

It would probably be better if I interacted with other territories, but it was still the first day and there was no atmosphere of familiarity, and I felt uncomfortable, so I was the first to sneak out of the classroom.

In the afternoon, we had lectures. Arithmetic and Theology.

"Everyone passed, Ehrenfest."

A joyful cry rang out.

The lectures for first-year students weren't difficult, and it wasn't uncommon for all territories to pass. Still, it was good to be happy.

The next morning, we had practical music. In the first lesson, we would perform one of our favourite pieces.

I thought about which piece to choose. I'd practiced a lot, so I was confident in my harspiel playing, and there were plenty of pieces I could play.

When it was my turn, Professor Pauline smiled with expectant eyes.

"Is it a new song from Ehrenfest?"
"Would you like a new song?"
"Oh. Just play your best song."

She said, but it was clear she was expecting a new song. If she'd written a song within the past year, it wouldn't have been played at the Noble House.

I played a song praising the water goddesses and giving thanks for the melting snow.

I play it thinking it's a song of spring joy, but my sister says it's a song wishing for prosperity in business. That wouldn't be beautiful, so I play it while imagining the scenery of Hardenzel with the snow melting. It's a slow song with many long notes. But it's also a difficult song, and if you play a single note carelessly, the elegance is lost all at once.

The chatter stopped abruptly, and everyone listened to the new song.

The feeling of dominating the space is fun.

I started practicing harspiel because I wanted to have a special skill that would surpass my sister's, but now it's purely becoming one of my hobbies. When I play the Harspiel, I forget about everything else, and the only thing in my head is the music, which comforts my heart.

"You were very good. The song is wonderful."
"I'm honored."

I wanted to keep playing, but the song ended.

"When it comes to songs dedicated to the goddess, it has to be Lady Rozemyne's...?"
"Yes. This is a song composed by my sister and her musician."
"Oh!"

Ms. Pauline spoke in a very cheerful voice. I'm glad she was pleased.

"Then we will invite Lady Rozemyne and Lord Charles to this year's tea party."

...Huh?

"My sister, this is a big problem. We've been invited to the tea party by the music teacher."
"Oh, again this year?"

I could tell that Brunhilde was getting pumped up behind my sister.
And it was decided that my sister's attendants and my attendants would have a meeting.
Back at the castle, there are elderly female aides who are skilled at preparing tea parties, but the male apprentices at the Noble Academy are inexperienced with them. I often have to be careful not to be rude to my sister's aides.

Life at the Noble Academy is going well, but I let out a complaint during mealtime.

"I envy you, Onii-sama. I wish we were in the same year. I wanted to take classes with you."

I'm looking forward to the Noble Academy, but we're in different years, so we don't have much time to spend together.

Onii-sama lowers his eyebrows and looks very troubled.

"Charles, if I could take your place, I would. It's pretty tough being in the same year as Rozemyne."
"Well, Wilfried, that's rude."
"Yes, Onii-sama. It's rude."
"Charles still doesn't know how scary Rozemyne is. He'll find out for himself."

I get sulky when my brother says, "I know Rozemyne better."
Everyone says Onee-sama will cause trouble, but apart from frolicking around on the bookshelf, nothing has happened yet. On the contrary, she is finishing her lectures smoothly, like an honour student.

Onee-sama thought for a moment and then said.

"I should have delayed my enrolment by a year."

"Eh?"

"When I woke up from Jureve, there was talk of taking a year off before going to the Noble Academy."

I was shocked.

Onee-sama had been asleep for two years, so her body hadn't grown yet. On top of that, there was the possibility of creating a defect such as a year's delay.

"That's no good. That's no good. If she delays her enrollment by a year, won't she also be a year late in coming of age?"

"But even if she does come of age, she won't be able to marry Charles unless she waits a year. I don't think it will make a difference if she is a year late in coming of age..."

"Onee-sama..."

I was moved by how affectionate Onee-sama is.

I wonder why she treats me so well. She said that even though she had her own flaws, she should have been in the same year as me. I never thought she would say such a thing in response to my pointless complaint about wishing I had been born a year earlier.

I was sad, but also happy.

I started thinking again about what I could give back to my big sister.

When my mind was full of thoughts about my big sister, an unexpected stumble was waiting for me.

The three lower-ranking nobles had failed their geography and history classes. They had completely let their guard down. The lower-ranking nobles apologized.

"...I'm sorry."

"No...I was also full of thoughts about my big sister, and I neglected to check on everyone's studies. I'm sorry..."

When I apologized, the first-years hurriedly spoke up.

"It can't be helped. Charles-sama was looking forward to spending time at the Noble Academy with Lady Rozemyne."

"That's right. Lord Charles-sama, please spend time with Lady Rozemyne instead of helping us with our studies."

...Is that unavoidable...? Isn't it just an excuse to avoid studying...?

And so, the first-years talked it over with each other and decided to work hard this year and aim for a high score, and to try to get everyone to pass on the first day next year. They set a new goal.

Chapter Text

"Onee-sama! I passed the beast riding exam!"

After passing sociology, I was having a meeting with my aides in the dormitory's multipurpose hall when Charles came running up to me with a happy look on his face. My little brother is cute today as well.

"Wow, you passed on the first try. Isn't that amazing?"

"Yes. Onee-sama, you passed, so please ride my beast."

Charles' aides looked at us with fond eyes.

Judging from this reaction, riding a beast with two people is probably a bittersweet situation, like riding a bicycle with two people in Urano's time.

"Yes. Please let me ride."

"Wait a moment. Isn't it too early to ride a beast together?"

"Is it too early... Should I practice more before I do it?"

"Is Charles' driving dangerous?"

Charles and I looked up at Cornelius, who was at a loss for words.
Leonore tapped Cornelius on the shoulder.

And so it was time for a two-man mount.

My apprentice guard knights Cornelius and Judith, Charles' apprentice guard knights Rudolf and Nathalie, and Hartmut, who said it sounded fun, came along too. There were also attendants.

It was a larger group than I expected for a date, but with so many apprentice guard knights there, it would be fine even if we fell off.

Charles brought out his mount.

Charles' mount was a lion, befitting the lord's family. It was very similar to Ferdinand and Wilfried's mounts. However, it had no wings. Because it had no wings it could fly even inside the castle.

The lion lay down to make it easier for me to ride. Everyone was looking on with interest, so it must be rare to see a beast lying down. Charles's consideration was in vain, as I was unable to ride by myself and so Cornelius gave me a ride. I hope to be able to ride on my own someday.

"This mount is soft, isn't it?"
"Yes. My sister's mount is soft, so I thought that was normal." Cornelius said, noticing. Judith and Hartmut wanted to touch it, and Charles gave them permission.
"Wow, it's fluffy!"

"I see. It's influenced by Lady Rozemyne's mount." Charles' lion's mane is fluffy and soft, and feels great. Its body is as soft as Schwarz's. It's different from the other mounts, which are as hard as stone statues. Charles got on behind me, and the lion rose to its feet. It took a few steps, and then floated up. The mounts I'd seen up until now had a powerful blast, but this one had no momentum. It floated forward a little, as if moving through the castle, and then stopped. "Charles, what's wrong?"

"I can't fly."

"What? What do you mean, can't fly?"

"I'm scared I might drop you."

Huh?

"Well, I've already put on my riding clothes, so I'd appreciate it if you could be brave and fly away."

"I understand."

As if he had made up his mind, Charles took the reins with one hand and embraced me with the other. I was shocked.

What, isn't this too close?

When I rode Ferdinand's riding beast and when I rode Damuel's riding beast, I've never been hugged so tightly just by riding a little before.

The altitude slowly increases. We've risen to the height of a slide.

I'm being held tightly and I'm getting nervous.

"Are you okay, sister?"

Eeek!

I can hear his voice from so close to me and I'm getting more and more embarrassed. Charles' mouth is at the back of my head. I can't help but be conscious of it.

"I'm getting off! Please let me off!!"

The beast landed slowly.
Cornelius put me on the ground and I buried my face in the lion's mane, panting.

"Lord Charles. This is the exit, but it's best not to restrain the other person's body when riding a beast."
"It's as Lord Hartmut says. If you lose your freedom of movement, you won't be able to keep your balance in an emergency. It's dangerous."
"I see... I'm sorry, Onee-sama."

Hartmut and Natalie warned Charles. They both sounded like they'd ridden a beast before.

"Are you used to riding with someone, Hartmut?"
"I wouldn't say I'm used to it, but I'm about the same as the average person."

...That's what you're saying!
I glared at Hartmut and said, "I'm still in my final year." I turned to Cornelius, who was also in his final year.

"Brother Cornelius? Can you teach me the tricks?"
"Well, there's nothing I can advise you on."
"Have you never ridden with a woman on a mount?"
"Rozemyne, who doesn't care about me now, does she? You're just like our mother."

The conversation had been diverted.

I took this opportunity to ask Judith and Rudolf as well.

"I haven't either. Oh, I've ridden one before when I was a child!"
"I have. When I became an apprentice guard knight for Charles, I was trained on how to ride a mount. So Cornelius must have ridden one before during training."
"I didn't think that counted."

Cornelius spoke. I see. So Cornelius has never ridden a girl on a mount in private.

I was grinning when he pinched my cheek.

"Wouldn't it be more stable if we switched positions?"

Rudolf suggested that I ride behind Charles. This is what it's like to ride a bicycle with two people.

My field of vision was blocked by Charles' back.

"I'm scared that I can't see you, Big Sister."

Should I insist that there are more of us? I wondered, so I clung to Charles' back. Charles straightened his back.

"It tickles!"
"Rozemyne, you're getting too close."

Cornelius checked me. Yes.

"Okay. So, Charles, don't be conscious that Rozemyne is riding behind you, and fly as you normally do. Yes, keep your posture straight."

Rudolf seems to be good at teaching.

The lion smoothly rose to the surface. It then glided smoothly into the air.

It didn't have the animalistic movements of the other beasts, and it was the smoothest of all the beasts I had ridden so far. Is it because he doesn't have wings? His movements are so gentle that they remind me of Charles.

"Onee-sama, are you holding on tight? Aren't you scared?"
"I'm not scared. I don't hate high places."

As we steadily gained altitude, the whole picture of the Noble Academy came into view. Forest, forest, forest, mountains. White buildings here and there.
The wind was cold in the sky and I shivered. When I clung to Charles' back, he stiffened a little, but continued to control his mount without saying anything.
After a while, the snowy scenery disappeared like a collection site. Then there was greenery, and behind it was a flower field.

"Wow, there's a place like this at the Noble Academy."
"Yes. I wanted to come here with Onee-sama."

On the way back, it was cold, so I rode my mount back and watched the sun set over the Noble Academy.
The sun setting over the Noble Academy, surrounded by the slopes of a deep forest and surrounded by clouds, was mysterious and solemn to watch.

"Father told me that the view here is beautiful."

It was strange to think that Sylvester and Florencia had seen the same view twenty years ago.

I wrote on the wooden plaque for today's report, "Today, Charles and I went to the gazebo on our mounts. The sunset we saw on the way back was very beautiful. It was fun," and received an Ordnance from Charles.

"Sister, do you really need to tell Father and Uncle about this? How many knights and civil servants do you think will see this report before it reaches the Aube's office? Brother and Ignaz have already teased me about it."

Oh. I see. That would be embarrassing.

"Should I put it in an envelope?"

"Lady Rozemyne, do you really need to use paper?"

Philine was surprised.

"Master Charles, this is Rihyarda. I know it's embarrassing, but the people at the castle will be relieved to know that you two are getting along well. I think it's fine to let it be delivered as is."

When Rihyarda sent the Ordnance, another Ordnance arrived from Charles' aide.

"I think so too. Don't worry, I'll deliver it as is."

...Oh dear. You've been betrayed by your aide.

I could imagine Sylvester poking Charles's cheek with a grin. Charles' shyness is cute too.

Chapter Text

There is only one class I can take with Onee-sama. It is the dedication dance.

All the lord candidates from all years gather together to practice the dedication dance. I was looking forward to that one and only time.

Walking hand in hand with Onee-sama.

I was actually planning to escort her, but when I offered my hand to Onee-sama, she would hold it instead of placing her hand on top of mine, so I failed to point it out and it became a regular thing to hold hands. To be honest, I like holding hands more, so I left it as it is.

"Charles seems to be in a good mood."

"Yes. I'm happy to be in class with Onee-sama."

"Well, I'm happy too."

Onee-sama smiled like a flower blooming.

"Charles, not only Rozemyne but I'm here too."

"Of course I'm happy to be with you, too."

Onee-sama interrupted. I wonder if there's any point in letting her say that.

When we arrived at the small hall, there were already many lord candidates there.

When the upperclassmen saw us holding hands, they looked at us with smiles and said things like "Oh," "Hehe," and "How cute." I was embarrassed at first, but I gradually got used to it. My sister looks old enough to have just finished her baptism, and I'm still a first-year. It must be strange to see so many small people lined up.

"Now, let's have the upperclassmen show us how to do it. First- and second-year students, please watch closely."

I couldn't help but look at my cousin, Rüdiger of Frenbeltag.

"I thought the same thing at the social gathering, but Rüdiger is just like your brother."

"You have a kind and gentle aura, so you're more similar to Charles than you are to Wilfried. I was surprised when I first met you too."

Does that mean your brother isn't kind or gentle?

When I tried to call out to him, he had disappeared somewhere without me noticing. It's terrible that he disappeared after making his brother say he was happy to be in the same class.

"Last year, Lady Eglantine came and performed a wonderful dance."

"Really? I wanted to see it."

"Professor Hirschur has a magic tool that records the dance, so you can watch it with that. It's a magic tool made by Lord Ferdinand."

During the break, my brother, Dietrinde, and Rüdiger came over.

I try not to show it, but I'm not very good with Dietrinde, who resembles my grandmother, so I get on my guard.

"Good day. I'm thinking of having a tea party with my cousins again this year. What do you think? To welcome Lord Charles."

"I'm happy because I haven't had a chance to meet my relatives until now."

At the wedding at the border gate, he only spoke to my brother and ignored me and my sister, but today he's only been treating my sister coldly. I stepped forward a little to hide my sister. I wonder if my brother has any thoughts about this. I don't think so.

More than that, I was concerned about the closeness between my brother and Dietrinde. My brother sometimes treats me like one of his aides, but Dietrinde also seems to treat my brother like one of her aides.

I wonder if he has any thoughts about this. I don't think so.

"Rozemyne, Charles, good day."

"Good day, Adolphine."

As if pushing Dietrinde aside, Adolphine from Drewanchel came over. One after another, upperclassmen from the great territory came to greet her. My sister is very sociable.

Adolphine accepted an invitation to a tea party, apparently wanting to find out what's popular in Ehrenfest.

"You two really get along well."

Adolphine giggled, but her smile looked somewhat sad.

O(∩_∩)O

The tea party with the music teacher is coming up soon.
Onee-sama said, "Since we're here, I'd like to perform a duet," so we practiced together. When we started to play, everyone in the dorm stopped what they were doing and listened. It's fun to play the Harspiel in front of people.

This is my first tea party at the Noble Academy.

"Welcome, Lady Rozemyne and Lord Charles."

Professor Pauline welcomes us. Tea and sweets are lined up on the table and the tea party begins.

We immediately perform a duet.

The song they are playing is a song of joy about being able to use magic at the Noble Academy.
The original song was "I'm so happy that this wonderful magical tool can make any wish come true," and the magical tool is modelled after a magical beast like Schwarz and the others, and it seems to give us a tool that can fly freely in the sky. If it can fly, doesn't it have to be a mounted beast? I asked, but it's not a mounted beast. It's difficult to talk about Onee-sama's dreams.

My sister plays the main melody and I play the secondary melody. The bouncy scale allows for a back and forth between the main and secondary melodies, making it a fun song to listen to. I pluck the strings lightly.

"It's wonderful. You two are very skilled, and you're in perfect sync."

I receive words of praise from the teachers.

"You two got engaged in the spring, right? I wonder if you'll start writing love songs in a few years?"

It has the same atmosphere as Elvira's tea party.

What do you think? I smile and dodge. My sister seemed to be thinking about something, so maybe there will be more love songs.

The songs my sister wrote are apparently popular along with the love story between Prince Anastazius and Lady Eglantine.

It was a meaningful tea party, as I was able to hear stories from the central government and the royal family.

The relationship between the princes is similar to our relationship - between my brother, me, and Melchior. With my engagement to my sister, I am close to becoming the next lord, and Melchior, who is a little younger than me, has been raised as a vassal from the beginning.

That's why I find it strange that Prince Anastazius chose the woman of his dreams over the throne.

For example, if I were to get my sister and hand over the position of next lord to my brother, that's impossible. I like my brother, but I don't want to leave Ehrenfest in his hands. I'm confident that Ehrenfest will run more smoothly if I become lord.

Prince Sigiswald is probably the kind of person who would be recognized by his younger brother, Prince Anastazius.

The lecture ended smoothly.

I passed the court etiquette test, which is said to be difficult, on the first try. The teacher sometimes did things that caused trouble for the students, but compared to Grandma's harassment, it was nothing serious and trivial. There are many times when I have avoided worse situations with a smile.
If court etiquette is difficult, then lord candidates in other territories must be raised with great care. It's different from Ehrenfest.

The remaining lecture is on the basics of the Schtappe.

As I was changing the shape of the Schtappe with my classmates, Professor Hirschur called out to me.

"Aren't you going to move on to the next stage, Charles?"

"I see. Then let's move on."

I called out to my classmates and went to the teacher.

I took out a standard, unadorned Schtappe and erased it three times. I had been listening to the lectures and practicing from Big Sister and Brother (Big Brother would interrupt me when I was being taught by Big Sister, as if he wanted to act like an older brother), so this was easy.

Professor Hirschur made an exasperated noise.

"Lord Charles, why didn't you come and show it to me right away?"

"The lectures went surprisingly well, so I didn't have time to socialize with my classmates."

Last year, my brother put a crest on his Schtappe and socialized with other territories. I thought it was more important to socialize than to finish the exam quickly.

"Oh...I see. I was waiting for you to pass the exam on the first try, like Lord Ferdinand and Lady Rozemyne."

"The transformation of the Schtappe isn't stable yet, so I think it would have been difficult to pass on the first day anyway."

Professor Hirschur's purple eyes lit up with amusement.

"Did you hear about the contents of the class from Lady Rozemyne?"

"Both my older brother and older sister are teaching me."

I'm probably the only one in Yurgenschmidt who has siblings close in age who can both teach me the contents of the class.
It's especially common for siblings to compete with each other when it comes to candidates for lordship.

"Lord Charles, you're a normal honor student."

"Normal... huh?"

"I'm complimenting you. Lady Rozemyne is unaware of her own uniqueness, so your normality will be a relief to her."

My eyes widened. No one had ever said that to me before.

My heart was filled with hope, wondering if even I could help my sister.

"I wish there was a lord candidate like you near Lord Ferdinand..."

I'd thought he was a troublesome dorm supervisor, but at that moment, Professor Hirschur looked very much like a teacher.

Chapter Text

The second-year lectures are finally reaching their climax.

Once today's practical class is over, I can go to the library. I have to pass the exam no matter what.

"Today we will learn how to make magic stones for proposals."

I quickly dye the scrap magic stones and start preparing the compound.

Professor Hirschur looked extremely bored as he looked at the parchment on which I had written the words to be engraved on the magic stone.

"Lady Rozemyne, this is too ordinary. Since you already have a fiance, please think of words of proposal to give to Charles."

"What!?"
What's that!? It's too difficult!!

I know I've said it many times before, but when I was in Urano's day, I had never had a boyfriend and I had no experience in love. In addition, noble metaphors are difficult. I can't determine what the roundabout words mean.

"I think it's wrong to ask a child like me to think up words of courtship."

Hirschur chuckles.

"You don't have to make it so difficult, just think of words that will please Charles."

"Hmm. Maybe 'I'll repeat the year' or something?"

When I said the words I had thought of, Hirschur looked very puzzled.

"What is that?"
"Charles said he would have preferred to be in the same grade as me..."
"Well, well. I get that you get along well, but that doesn't make for a courtship phrase."

Hmm. Hmm. Words that would make Charles happy... words that would make Charles happy...

Then I suddenly realized. I don't know anything about what Charles likes!
"Brother Wilfried..."
"What's the matter, Rozemyne? It's unusual for your hands to stop moving."
"What would make Charles happy?"

"What?"

When I explained my conversation with Hirschur, Wilfried made a displeased face.

"Why are you asking me?"
"Well, you've known Charles longer than me."
"But what good is it to ask me? Besides, I think Charles would be happy no matter what you say."

Certainly, Charles would be considerate and happy no matter what I say. But that's not good enough.
Hannelore, who had been listening to our conversation, chuckled.

"The candidates for lordship of Ehrenfest get along well. I'm looking forward to hearing about it at the tea party."

Oh, is this an invitation to talk about love?! So girly!!

"Lady Hannelore, even if you have such high expectations, I think you will be disappointed when you hear what Rozemyne has to say."
"That's not true. I have a lot to be proud of about Charles."
"Well."

Ortwin's eyes widen as he listens to our conversation.

"What's the matter, Ortwin?"
"No. Rozemyne and Charles are in love, and their engagement is not for political reasons."

Love?! I get excited hearing words I've never heard before.
Ortwin seems to suspect that there is something ulterior motive behind our engagement. In reality, there are circumstances in Ehrenfest that involve not wanting me to be sent to another territory, but there's no need to go out of his way to say it.

"Is there something strange?"
"No. I thought for sure that Charles proposed to Rozemyne to become the next lord."

Clang clang clang clang. The magic stone slipped from my hand and rolled on the desk, making a noise.

"Hey, hey, Ortwin, what are you saying? Charles really does love Rozemyne."

"Lady Rozemyne, it's okay. You shouldn't worry about what Lord Ortwin says."

"Lady Rozemyne, I'm sorry. There are only political marriages in Drevanchel, so I just misunderstood."

Ortwin blinked several times as he watched Wilfried and me react. Even the calm and collected Ortwin seemed a little flustered by the unexpected shock I received.

Then I heard Hirschur's voice from behind me.

"Lady Rozemyne, we're running out of time."

Who are you worrying about?!

Whether to use the opening phrase "To my dark god" or to use words of love that are more like me, I decided to prioritize passing today. It's just a scrap magic stone anyway. If I want to make one, I can just make a higher quality magic stone whenever I think of it.

"Onee-sama, why are you looking so worried? You can go to the library now that lecture is over, right?"

As I returned from class, Charles, who had already finished his lecture, called out to me.

I stared at Charles' face.

Obviously, if I had remained a commoner, I wouldn't have been engaged to Charles. I'm the daughter of Karstedt and the lord's adopted daughter, so I'm a good match for Charles. And I have a complicated background as a branch of the lord's family and a blood relative of Leisegang... Hmm, thinking about it is getting tiresome.

I notice the magic stone I'm holding in my hand.

"Charles, here's something I made in class. Here's what I made."

"Thank you. What did you make?"

I handed the magic stone into Charles' palm.

Charles looked at the magic stone in his palm intently, then froze. Wondering if I'd done something wrong, I looked at her, but she was in a daze, unable to hide her happiness. Oh, that's the first time I'd ever seen that expression.
Holding the proposal magic stone in both hands as if to hide it, she said nothing.

She froze for several seconds before finally moving.
"... Onee-sama. I'll hide this in a secret room!"
"Y-Yes."

When I returned to my room, Brunhilde criticized me.
"Lady Rozemyne, handing over the proposal magic stone in front of everyone in the multipurpose hall..."

"Was it wrong?"
I asked Leonore.
"That's right. It may have been a little lacking in emotion."

I see. It seems the situation was not romantic enough. Even if it was just a practice scrap magic stone, it was still a proposal magic stone. I never thought Charles would be so happy. I should have given it to him more properly. It was a mistake.
"Onee-sama."

I met Charles at dinner. Ah, what... His expression seems to sparkle and he seems cuter than usual... Is this the power of the marriage proposal magic stone...?

"Um, Charles, I'm sorry. Even practice magic stones are not meant to be handed out so casually." Charles thinks for a moment and says.

"Sister, I'll give you the magic stone I made in class next year. How would you like to give it to me next year?" Eh? I hadn't thought about myself at all, so I started to think deeply. In my poor imagination, we would have a toast at a restaurant with a night view, but are there any restaurants with a night view in this world? No, there aren't.

"Can you guys have that kind of conversation when no one else is around?" Wilfried says in disgust. The others give lukewarm, bitter smiles.

"I understand. Sister, let's spend time together after dinner?" Charles has a feminine face similar to Florence's, so I feel like he's a girl in love. What should I do? Isn't he more feminine than me? I can't keep up with his momentum. Even though I'm a girl, I'm completely outshone by Charles.

"That's why I'm telling you to think about how others see you."

"Are you jealous, brother? I hope you find a fiance soon."

Charles smiles and Wilfried glares lightly.

"Even if I get a fiance, I won't be all lovey-dovey in public like you guys."

"Brother Wilfried, is that just a prelude?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Brother, if you find a fiance, I'll give you advice."

"No need!"

And then a report arrives at Ehrenfest stating, "Rozemyne gave Charles the proposal magic stone she made in class. Charles looked very happy (Marianne)."

Chapter Text

Because opposite sex is not allowed in the dormitory room, one of the meeting rooms on the first floor is reserved for lord candidates. Brother's entourage is only male, so they don't go there often. In reality, it's me and my sister who use this room.

"Rozemyne, don't leave the room until the guard knight returns."
"I know."
"Lord Charles, please take good care of Rozemyne."
"Yes, leave it to me!"

After seeing off Cornelius and the other knight apprentices, it's time for me and my sister.
Today, all the knight apprentices will be participating in a practical training session. So, since there is no guard knight, they can't go to the library. Leonore told me that she appreciates my presence to keep her in the dormitory. It's a perk of the job.

"Sister, here's a new book."
"Thank you."

When I handed over the book of two and a half bells that I had received from my uncle, my sister's dissatisfied face suddenly turned into a smile. I was also drawn to a smile.

"Let's try it together, Charles."

"A challenge?"

Uncle's book is about how to make magical tools, and inside is a set of instructions from Uncle telling me to make a magic circle with a specified effect.

...Uncle, isn't this a new book, but a preparation for the civil servant course...?

I'm dizzy as Uncle crams his education into my sister while trying to please her.

But then Onee-sama starts working on the assignment with Philine. I'm surprised.

"Does Philine know about magic circles too?"

"No. I'm currently studying with Lady Rozemyne."

"Onee-sama, please teach me magic circles too."

I also called the civil servant apprentices from the dormitory and started making magic circles.

When Onee-sama starts reading from a book, I can't hear anything, so I didn't think we'd be able to chat like this. I'm very happy.

In the afternoon, I practiced harspiel in the multipurpose hall and prepared for next year and beyond. When I ask Onee-sama about something I don't understand about my studies, she explains it to me accurately and carefully.
Today, I've been spending all day with Onee-sama since this morning.

"Ahh... I'm so happy..."

"You're really weird, saying things like that while studying."

My brother told me this when he joined us halfway through, but happiness is happiness, so it can't be helped.

Today is finally library day. Onee-sama is in a good mood and very cute from the morning.

"Princess, I'm here."

"Princess, would you like to read a book?"

Schwarz and Weiss hop over to me.

Onee-sama talks to Solange-sensei about Schwarz and the others changing clothes, the tea party, and the magical tools in the library.

When I opened the door back to the reading room, there was someone there who wasn't there earlier.

?!

There, surrounded by many aides, was Prince Hildebrand the Third. After a short conversation, my sister quickly heads up to the second floor. Is that okay?!

Not knowing what to do, I escort my sister. My sister also walks up the stairs at a very leisurely pace.

Upstairs, my sister quickly opens her book so no one can hear her.

My sister and her aides exchange quiet glances.

"Um, you've already come into contact with the royal family. Is this normal for you?"

Rihyarda and Leonore sigh softly.

"It's normal... maybe. Last year, you were already in contact with Prince Anastazius without even realizing it..."

I, I see... Zalkrecht and my aides gasp.

"From now on, I just need to be careful not to get too involved with the royal family, right?"

Both my father and uncle have told me to keep an eye on my sister's movements.

My sister's aides replied, but they looked resigned, saying, "It's probably no use being careful..." I didn't want them to give up just yet.
I turned back to my aides.

"Everyone, let's just prepare ourselves mentally."

My aides, Judith, and Philine nodded enthusiastically.

As we were talking, Weiss hopped back up to the stairs.

I heard a voice from the stairs.

"Princess, you're studying."

"Princess, you say?"

"Yes, Princess."

Prince Hildebrand had come up to the second floor! Tension ran through all of us. (Except for my sister, who was engrossed in her book.)

We held our breath and quietly hid behind the bookshelf.

Prince Hildebrand looked around restlessly, as if on an adventure.

When he spotted my sister, he stopped in his tracks. He stares at his sister as if he can't see anything else.

I feel as if I've seen something I shouldn't have.

Prince Hildebrand continued gazing at his sister for a while, until one of his aides called out to him.

Prince Hildebrand and his friends, Schwarz, and Weiss, left.

"What is that princess like?"

"Full of energy. A good princess."
"She loves books. A good princess."

Judith went down the stairs and returned.

"The prince has left the library."

I realized that my breathing had become shallow and I exhaled softly.

"Um... everyone... I think Prince Hildebrand likes you, but... I'm sure it's just my imagination, right?"
"As expected of Lady Rozemyne. The prince has already taken an interest in you."
"Hartmut, what are you trying to do by making Lord Charles feel uneasy?"

Leonore spoke as I was feeling down about what Hartmut said.

"Lady Rozemyne looks to be about the same age as Prince Hildebrand, so he must have been interested in you. If Lady Rozemyne stays away from the library, she probably won't meet the prince..."

Natalie trailed off as she spoke.
Everyone there thought, "That's impossible."

Chapter Text

Today is the day for Schwarz and Weiss to change clothes.

Me and my sister's entourage head to the library.

There are quite a few women among my entourage. My brother prioritized the male nobles as his entourage. Marianne is beaming and Natalie is also somewhat excited. Of course, the happiest person is Lieselotte, who took the initiative to make the costumes.

"Princess, I'm here."

"Today's change of clothes."

It's cute to see Schwarz and Weiss hopping around.

I look around the library.

Don't worry, Prince Hildebrand isn't around.

Prince Hildebrand is clearly looking at my sister with interest.

So, ever since then, I've been telling my sister, "When you go to the library, make sure you take me with you!" I'm the one in charge. Onee-sama happily agreed, saying, "Well, I see that Charles likes the library too."
... Whether he's a prince or not, I won't allow anyone to get close to Onee-sama!

Solange-sensei guided us to the back of the office, and after receiving permission from Onee-sama to touch Schwarz and the others, we all began working in a harmonious atmosphere.
However, the fun atmosphere only lasted halfway through.

"Prince Hildebrand and his entourage will be arriving soon. They would like to see Schwarz and Weiss."

...What?!
The peaceful atmosphere froze in an instant, and everyone knelt on the spot.
Prince Hildebrand entered the office slowly, looking around the room, and when he saw us, he waved lightly and said, "Please continue."
Then he turned towards Onee-sama.
...My bad feeling was right!

"Weiss was so cute that I came to see her today, but I was surprised that she wasn't in the reading room. So that's how they change clothes."
"I just got some new clothes. Schwarz and Weiss are not just cute. They're very talented and hardworking."

Then Onee-sama started talking about how wonderful Schwarz and the others are.

...Onee-sama, you shouldn't just talk about what you want to talk about! Or rather, why do you look like you're having so much fun?!

While I was feeling flustered by the two of them smiling and talking, Brunhilde and Lieselotte started working faster. I see, they should hurry up and finish changing. As expected of Onee-sama's aides. I also made up my mind and walked over to Onee-sama's side.

"Does the royal palace have any materials from when Schwarz and the others were created?"
"Unfortunately, I have never seen any in the royal library."

Onee-sama's eyes lit up and she leaned forward. ...Talking to my sister about the royal library is so cruel! It's cowardly!!

I held my sister's hand tightly. She looked back at me with a puzzled expression, then shut her mouth.

I said something inoffensive like, "Do you like Shumil, Prince Hildebrand?" (Talking about the royal library is offensive!) Prince Hildebrand looked at my sister and my joined hands. I had to show off my privileges as a fiance and younger brother here.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Prince Hildebrand, Lady Rozemyne, and Lord Charles, how are you?"

"Would you like to meet me, Princess?"

"Praise me, Princess."

Brünnhilde arrived with Schwarz and the others.

Both of them were wearing skirts in their previous costumes, but their new costumes were boy and girl outfits. The magic circle, flowers, and leaves are embroidered with an incredible density, and it also has Ehrenfest's flower decorations. It's really beautiful. You can tell at a glance that a lot of effort and love went into it.

"It's really cute. Thanks to everyone at Ehrenfest's hard work, it's a wonderful costume."

"It's really, really wonderful. Onee-sama, please stand between Schwarz and Weiss."

I make Onee-sama, who is blinking her eyes, stand between Schwarz and the others.

Onee-sama and Schwarz, who have their ears perked up, are about the same height. Schwarz, Onee-sama, Weiss. Onee-sama is as adorable as Schmil, so when they stand side by side, she's seriously cute.

"She's cute."

"She's really cute."

My voice overlapped with Prince Hildebrand's as if we were in agreement. I forgot that the other person was royalty and smiled at him as if asking for his approval. Oh, I thought, but Prince Hildebrand returned the smile in the same way. The prince is a good person. If this had been my brother, he would only have looked astonished and agreed.

The tense atmosphere that had been there since Prince Hildebrand entered the room seemed to have softened a little at the cuteness of Onee-sama and Schwarz and the others.
However, the atmosphere soon became frozen again.
Prince Hildebrand tried to touch Weiss, but was repelled by the protection of the magic circle. Only the master and those with the master's permission could touch Schwarz and the others.

"This magical tool is a relic of the royal family. In that case, shouldn't Prince Hildebrand be in charge of it, rather than Lady Rozemyne?"
"Yes. I think it would be better for the royal family to take charge of it."

Onee-sama immediately agreed.
Just when it seemed that Prince Hildebrand would take over, for some reason Onee-sama began to argue that she was a more suitable master than Prince Hildebrand. She gave one example after another: the amount of magical power, how often he would come to the library, the manpower and materials needed to make the costumes, and even the gender.
...Onee-sama, that's so disrespectful...

I was worried about the long list, but Prince Hildebrand looked confused and didn't seem to get angry.

And before I knew it, it had been decided that Onee-sama would be the master and Prince Hildebrand would be the supply partner.

"To be a partner, you need the attributes of darkness and light. Is that okay?"

"Yes!"

Prince Hildebrand answered cheerfully.

I don't have the attribute of darkness.

We all went back to the dormitory exhausted. Onee-sama was the only one who was doing well.

"...I don't really understand what's going on with Onee-sama's social interactions, so there's no chance to stop them."

I thought about what I should have done, but the conversation had progressed without me realizing it, so I had no idea what I should have done. Uncle had asked me to look after Onee-sama, but I couldn't do anything. I felt depressed.

After arriving at the dormitory, I had a meeting room prepared for the lord candidates.

"Onee-sama, let's have a debriefing session. Since we interacted with royalty, we must also prepare a report to Ehrenfest."

As I sat down in the conference room, Onee-sama put her hand to her cheek and tilted her head like Angelica.

"Did I do something wrong?"

I was at a loss for words.
Everyone said that Onee-sama was ignorant of common sense among nobles and was unstable in social interactions. It would be too much for the aides to point this out. It was my job to assist Onee-sama.

"I didn't know that Prince Hildebrand would come to see Schwarz and the others change, so it was unavoidable, right?"

"Um... Onee-sama, why didn't you give up the position of master to Prince Hildebrand?"

"Eh? It would be difficult for Prince Hildebrand to become master, wouldn't it?"

"Even if that were the case, it would be rude for a lord candidate who has barely met a member of the royal family to say, 'You are not fit to be master.'"

Onee-sama blinks.

"But don't you think it's a shame that Prince Hildebrand is called Princess?"

"I get mistaken for a girl too, but I don't mind. I know that Onee-sama thinks I'm cute, but I don't mind it, and I'm actually happy about it."

The atmosphere among the aides became awkward all at once. Lieseleta looked like she thought, "I see, so it's okay to think I'm cute."

The point had shifted.

"Prince Hildebrand was happy to become a collaborator and didn't seem offended, but my sister's words and actions were disrespectful. We listened to their exchange with nervousness, and I think we'll be receiving a lot of follow-up questions from Ehrenfest."
"Ah."

My sister has a nonchalant look on her face, like when she's at the temple.

But still, why is my sister not afraid of the royal family? I thought about it and asked a question.

"My sister. For example, if there was a magical tool managed by the lord and you were to supply it with magical power and operate it without permission, what do you think Father would do?"

"My foster father would be very happy that he was saved. After that, he would be forced to take care of it."

Rihyarda and I slumped our shoulders.

"...I understand. It's your fault, Father."

In that case, the lord would have to reprimand her for exceeding his authority.

As the lord's adopted daughter, the only person above my sister is the lord himself. If the lord has such an attitude, there is no way that my sister will be able to treat those above her.
My sister is involved in a business that is useful to Ehrenfest, so she is closer to Father than I am. That is a good thing, but it is a mystery to me why Father treats his adopted daughter as such an equal. On top of that, he declares that he has no intention of making my sister Aub. It is only natural that the Leisegang nobles would be angry.

"Princess, the lord should do the lord's work."
"Huh? But Ferdinand is also doing the lord's work without permission, isn't he?"

Rihyarda and I both slumped our shoulders again. This is a headache.
I see. My sister's perception was formed from observing the relationship between Father and Uncle.

"...Uncle is also at fault."

"Princess, you should not imitate the bad parts of your guardians."

"Huh? Huh?"

I wrote a report in the conference room, but it ended up being full of criticisms of Father.

"Zalkrecht, do you think it's okay to send this to Father?"

"... How about sending this to Florencia and a simple one to the lord."

"I see, that's cool. Let's do that."

What I wrote in the report was that we should be careful because my sister and Prince Hildebrand are good friends, and I criticized Father for being too easy on my sister with those above her.

My sister is writing cute things like "I want to live in the library" and I have to protect her.

Right now there are not many lords in the family, so there is a surplus in the mansion, and Father has already agreed that I can have one if I can manage it. Until we can build a new building in Entwickeln, we will turn one of the lord's family mansions into a library. We can't lose to the royal library.

The next day, when I went to the library holding hands with my sister, Prince Hildebrand was there, as expected. He looked happy when he saw us.

"Charles, Rozemyne."
"Good day, Prince Hildebrand."

"Thank you for helping us, Rozemyne. I'm very happy that I can now touch Schwarz and the others."

Prince Hildebrand's aide was smiling wryly behind me. It's strange for royalty to express gratitude like this.

As I went up to the second floor to read, Rudolf, who was on guard on the first floor, came to tell me that Prince Hildebrand had left the library. I went down to the first floor and asked Professor Solange.

"Professor Solange, does Prince Hildebrand come to the library every day?"

Schwarz and the others answered for me.

"Hildebrand comes every day."
"Hildebrand is bored."

A day later, Prince Hildebrand was there. He greeted me and my sister with a smile, which left me with mixed feelings.

After Prince Hildebrand left, I asked Schwarz and the others some questions.

"Schwarz, Weiss. Did Prince Hildebrand come to the library yesterday too?"
"Hildebrand comes every day."
"Hildebrand is bored."

Ms. Solange chuckled.

"Lord Charles seems to be Lady Rozemyne's knight. I wonder if he's watching over Lady Rozemyne so that she doesn't misbehave in front of the royal family?"
"...No. I'm just narrow-minded."
"Oh well. I wonder what's wrong with that pathetic look on your face."

Because this is just my jealousy.

For example, if the royal family at the Noble Academy were princesses instead of princes, I would have no hesitation.
I will help my sister and the princess socialize. Unlike my father, I have no intention of stopping my sister's contact with the royal family. I am proud of my sister for having connections with the royal family and higher territories.
However, I don't want my sister to get along with Prince Hildebrand.

As I am from a lord's family, I have a high status in Ehrenfest. And I have been taking it too lightly. Until now, I had never had the slightest worry that someone would take my sister away from me.
I never knew I could feel this anxious.

Chapter Text

Ternisbefallen and the Blessing of Darkness

Today I'm going to deliver an invitation to a book lover's tea party to Solange.

Since Hildebrand appeared at the library, Charles has been feeling very anxious, so this is the first time I've been to the library in a day. I've declared to Charles that I'll live a moderate library life. It can't be helped.

Today, Charles is going to have a Gevinnen with Ortwin and the others, accompanied by Wilfried. Wilfried was excited to introduce his younger brother.

"Princess, I'm here."

"Princess, would you like to read a book?"

When we enter the library, Schwarz and Weiss will greet us.

But unfortunately, Hildebrand is also there. Charles is flustered and then depressed.

By the way, Charles explains to me that "the royal family should be considered the former head of the temple, not Sylvester," which makes me cringe. I see, it's a clear example of an tyrannical and unreasonable authority figure. It seems that Sylvester is special as a higher-ranking person. I can understand that. I don't think Prince Hildebrand has a personality disorder like the former temple chief, but I somehow understand that royal family members are troublesome people to avoid. Also, my attitude towards Anastazius was a complete no-no.

After greeting Hildebrand, I head towards Solange.

"Professor Solange, the plans for the tea party at the library have been decided."

"Well, I'm looking forward to it... in four days."

As we smile at each other, Hildebrand interrupts.

"Is there a tea party in four days? If so, would it be better if I refrain from visiting the library?"

It's true that it's not possible to have a leisurely tea party in the office when royal family members are coming.

... Should I refrain from going here?

I turn my gaze to leave the decision to Solange. Solange places her hand on her cheek as she thinks for a moment, looking down at Hildebrand.

"That's right. Thank you for your consideration, Prince Hildebrand."

"No problem. Solange and Rozemyne, please enjoy your tea party."

Hildebrand smiles softly.

"Rozemyne, you'll be reading again today, right? I'll be with Weiss, so don't worry, you can go upstairs."

Hildebrand seems to know very well that I enjoy reading, and after a short chat, he always encourages me to read. He's a very nice boy.

...Everyone must be worrying too much.

I can't go to the library on Saturdays and Sundays, so I read with Charles in the conference room reserved for lord candidates. It feels like this room and Charles are being used like a daycare center.

...Well, I guess it's fine as long as I can read.

As I was concentrating on my book, suddenly it went dark in front of me. Charles' voice came down.

"Sister, it's a big problem. A monster appeared at the collection site and Roderich was injured."

It took me a while to understand that Charles had covered my eyes with his hands and what he was saying.
I got off the bench with Charles escorting me to the multipurpose hall. There I found the injured Roderich and the armed Wilfried and his friends.

"Roderich"

"Charles, I'm sorry, but I'll be using your aide. The lord's family's escort knight apprentices are the strongest. You guard the dormitory."

"Thank you, brother."

Roderich returned alone to call for help, and Wilfried immediately called everyone and began preparations.
After seeing Wilfried and his friends off, I healed Roderich.

"Excuse me, Lady Rozemyne."

"What on earth happened? Please tell me what kind of monster appeared."

Roderich began to explain in response to my question. The beast that appeared was a large black dog-like beast. Leonore interrupted Roderich as he continued to explain.

"Could it be Ternisbefallen?"

"What is Ternisbefallen? Is it a dangerous beast?"

"It is a beast that grows as it gains magical power. It has similar properties to Trombe, and if you attack it carelessly, it will activate the enemy!"

Everyone there gasped.

"But we can attack with weapons blessed by the dark, so it's okay, right?"

"Where are the weapons blessed by the dark?"

"Where do you mean? Weapons transformed from Schtappes are blessed with a prayer... Don't you know that!?"

When I said that, everyone who remained there answered, "We don't know."

The blood went cold in an instant. It was too dangerous for the knight apprentices to go into battle in that state.

"I'll go."

"Lady Rozemyne?!"

"Big Sister?!"

The moment I stood up, everyone around me started to stop me.

"It's too dangerous, Lady Rozemyne! Leave it to the knight apprentices!"

"I'm the head of the temple. If I don't head to the site and teach everyone the prayer to receive God's blessing, everyone will be in danger."

"No!"

As I turned and tried to run, Charles held me down firmly from behind.

...Ah, what. I can't move. I flail my arms and legs, but I can't move at all.

Cornelius looks pleased to be saved. Only the lord's son can restrain the lord's adopted daughter. His aides can't stop me.

"Teach us the prayer, and Lady Rozemyne, please wait in the dormitory."

"It's not a short prayer that Brother Cornelius can memorize in one go, right?!"

Charles interrupted my argument with Cornelius.

Hartmut was nearby, probably trying to run out with me.

"Marianne, please give us the wooden tablet and pen. Rudolf, please inform Brother of the details of Ternisbefallen in Ordnance. Olivier, please contact the teachers."

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

He gave orders one after another.

"...Hartmut, can you memorize the prayer?"

"If it's an order from Lady Rozemyne."

Does that mean he won't follow Charles' orders?

"Sister, the prayer."

Charles released me from my restraints. But he still had his hands on the belt around my waist. It would be useless to say I'm going.

Feeling frustrated, I ordered everyone to transform their Schtappes into weapons and recite the prayer. Everyone immediately took out their Schtappes and transformed them into their respective weapons.

As the prayer was recited, the voices echoed back.

"Oh supreme god of darkness who rules over the high and towering sky, father of all who created the world, hear my prayer and grant me your holy power. I offer to you all magical powers, and drive away the evil that has fallen from the circle. May you grant me your protection and grant a moment of peace to all life on this earth."

Everyone's weapons flashed, and they gained the power of darkness and turned black. Everyone was staring in amazement.

"I remember it."

"Lord Hartmut, take this. I'm sorry my handwriting is messy."

Marianne handed Hartmut a wooden tablet.

"Lord Charles, please take good care of Lady Rozemyne."
"Everyone, be careful."

Cornelius and the other knight trainees ran off.

Charles sent Ordnance to Wilfried to tell him that Cornelius and the others were on their way, and had Marianne write an urgent message to Ehrenfest.

Charles let go of his belt and held my hand tightly.

"Sister, thank you for reciting the prayer. Now let's trust everyone and wait."

...Ugh, Charles is so reliable.

Everyone was busy doing what they had to do, but it seemed like I was the only one left behind.

Perhaps it was dangerous to leave me alone, Charles held my hand and walked me somewhere. I was thinking that I'd like to use my mount if we were far away when we arrived at the teleportation room. He must have sent the wooden tablet while we were walking. Charles's aides Marianne and Olivier were already there, and a chair was prepared for me to sit in.
As I waited, I realized why Charles had taken me with him. With Cornelius and the others gone, there were fewer knights to escort. The people to be escorted had to be kept together.
Just as they left, two Ordnances arrived.

"Lord Charles, this is Cornelius. Everyone is safe here. Traugott attacked and grew giant-sized, but we've now split into groups and are buying time. Please take care of Lady Rozemyne."
"Lady Rozemyne, this is Cornelius. Everyone is safe here. We're leading Ternisbefallen into the forest so that no damage is done to the collected materials. We're fine, so don't come here."

...The contents are different!
The contents are different for me and for Charles, but I wonder if Cornelius didn't realize that I was listening to both.
Charles sent the Ordnance with the message, "Traugott, please follow everyone's instructions and don't make any arbitrary decisions." Marianne received a reply from Ehrenfest and wrote a reply. Charles then sent the Ordnance to Wilfried.

"Let's return to the multipurpose hall."

Perhaps the communication had come to an end, as Charles called out to his aides.

We returned to the multipurpose hall holding hands.

On the way, Charles gripped my hand tightly and turned to face me.

"Sister, you shouldn't fly into dangerous places. Please think more carefully before you act. Hasn't your uncle told you to do so?"

He said admonishingly. His indigo eyes were moist as he looked at me earnestly. "Even on that day three years ago, Onee-sama recklessly ran away, and ended up sleeping in Yureve for two years, right?"
"...But I don't regret saving Charles."

Charles pursed his lips in regret, and hugged me tightly for just a moment.

We returned to the multipurpose hall.

There was a long wait.

Another Ordnance arrived.

"Charles, it's me. The teachers and the Central Knights have arrived. They said we can leave the rest to the Central Knights. We'll stay here, but the injured knight trainees will be returning to the dormitory, so please take care of them."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at Wilfried's Ordnance.

A little while later, Leonore returned with the knight trainees. Some were exhausted, and some were injured. Those with more serious injuries seemed to have been taken to the medical room.

"The Healing of Lungshmer" I give healing to the knight apprentices. I'm not much use today, so I'd like to do this much.

After a while, I received an Ordnance from Wilfried.

"Charles, Rozemyne, it's me. I defeated Ternisbefallen. He said it was okay to collect some of the materials, so please send five of the knight apprentices who returned here. Also, it seems that Professor Rauffen wants to hear more about the Blessing of Darkness. Hartmut has started talking and won't stop, so please come, Rozemyne."

...Hartmut, what are you doing?!

I could easily imagine Hartmut talking passionately to Rauffen. It's a good match between Rauffen not listening to what Hartmut is saying and Hartmut not listening to what he is saying. Rauffen vs. Hartmut, what on earth will happen?

"What shall we do?"

"I'll go too. Let's all head out together."

Charles consulted with Leonore and gave the command to the knight apprentices accompanying him. It was refreshing to see Wilfried in charge of managing everyone.

I called out to Roderich.

"Roderich will go too. It would be a problem if we ended up in this situation without being able to get any magic stones."

"However..."

Philine gently patted Rozemyne on the arm and smiled.
Roderich nodded with determination.

As I left the back entrance hall to head to the collection site, I saw a group coming towards me.

It was Rauffen and the knight in the black cloak, Cornelius, and Hartmut. Wilfried and the other knight apprentices were not there. They were probably still at the collection site.

"Lady Rozemyne, I'm sorry for asking you this."
"I've seen it before. What on earth is this?"

Rauffen asked without even a greeting.

What Rauffen showed me was a wooden tablet with a prayer omitted here and there. It was probably something Marianne had written and given to Hartmut.

"It's a prayer to obtain the blessing of darkness."

I answered briefly. Rauffen and the black-cloaked knight exchanged looks.

As it seemed like the conversation was going to be long, Charles called out to the knight trainees to go to the collection site. Charles' grip on my hand tightened.

"They say that the reason the knight trainees of Ehrenfest were using black weapons was because Lady Rozemyne recited a prayer. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that's correct. As the head temple priest, I'm good at reciting prayers."
"Professor Rauffen, it's just as I explained it. If you don't know, then this prayer must be unique to the temple of Ehrenfest. Please return the wooden tablet."

Hartmut stepped in front of me. Cornelius joined him, stepping in between us and Rauffen. Charles also hid me diagonally behind his back. Wow. Everyone looks really cool.

Rauffen frowned as if he didn't understand. This time the knight in the black cloak spoke.

"Did you really get a black weapon with this spell?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"This spell is wrong, isn't it?"
"Huh?"
"That's a strange accusation. Are you saying that Lady Rozemyne's blessing is wrong? Even though this blessing actually gave me the dark blessing? Lady Rozemyne's blessing was smooth and beautiful, as if it had a melody. The dark blessing I got was..."

Hartmut's poetic expressions continue.

... Wait, wait, Hartmut.

"Professor Rauffen. If you need to explain, could you please move to another location? It's cold here, so I'm worried that my sister might get sick."

"That's right. Please refrain from doing so as it will harm Lady Rozemyne's health."

After that, I had Rauffen and the members of the Central Knights actually recite the dark blessing, and recreated the weapon with the dark blessing. Seeing is believing. If you don't believe me even after I explain it, there's nothing I can do.
Rauffen and the others tilted their heads in the middle of reciting the blessing, and looked closely at the blessed weapon in surprise.

After that, they continued to ask me a long, tiresome series of questions, such as why I knew the blessing (it's written in the holy scriptures), who in Ehrenfest knew it (probably only Ferdinand and I), how I knew about Ternisbefallen (Leonore is an excellent girl), and how many times I've been involved in the subjugation of Trombe (twice)... After a long, tiresome series of questions, I was finally released.

Chapter Text

The Shield of Schutzaria and the Book of Knights

All students at Ehrenfest were questioned about Ternisbefallen.

They were given stern warnings, such as not using black weapons, not taking part in the extermination without permission, and immediately contacting the dorm supervisor and waiting for the arrival of the central knights.

I thought that Onee-sama might be feeling down after being warned, but she was surprised when she asked, "Why don't they teach me spells?" She was questioning the rules themselves and didn't care about breaking them. Onee-sama sees things from the central government's perspective, not Ehrenfest's.

All of my aides were gathered in the conference room for a debriefing on Ternisbefallen.

The one who was seriously injured in the extermination of Ternisbefallen was my guardian knight apprentice, Traugott. He ignored Matthias' warning and charged in, enlarging Ternisbefallen, and after obtaining the black weapon, he ignored Leonore's orders and charged in, resulting in a counterattack from Ternisbefallen. This is no good.

"Traugott has a lot of magical power and is strong, so please watch the situation around you and cooperate with everyone."
"... Yes."
"Why can't you listen to everyone's instructions?"
"That's... I'm sorry."

I apologize, but I don't think he understands the basics. He'll probably do the same thing again.
Traugott is the grandson of Bonifatius, and a collateral member of the feudal lord's family, making him my second cousin. Is it because of his high status that he can't listen to orders?
I take a breath and declare.

"I'm changing the head guard knight at the Noble House from Traugott to Natalie."
"No way!"

Everyone looks surprised. Normally, it's impossible to break the order of rank.

But I can see some signs of understanding. In the aristocratic house where there are no adults, Natalie and Rudolf are the ones who actually manage the guard knights. Rudolf is a mid-ranking aristocrat with a modest personality, so Natalie, who is serious and has a lot of magical power, would be a good choice to be the head knight.

"Traugott, do you have any complaints?"
"...No. I don't. I'm sorry."

After the meeting ended and Traugott left the room, the others did not leave.
Natalie spoke timidly.

"Lord Charles, are you sure I'm the head knight?"
"Natalie has been serving us well and has the ability to unite everyone. Is there anyone who is against Natalie becoming the head knight?"

Everyone unanimously replied, "I'm in favor," and "I feel safe with Natalie." Natalie smiled.

I knew Natalie was feeling frustrated. It would be a problem if Traugott lowered the morale of the talented people.
Olivier asked, "Is it Lady Rozemyne's influence that has caused the rank order to be disrupted?" and everyone laughed softly. They were partly laughing because I still love my sister too much, and partly out of sympathy that it must be tough for a low-ranking knight like Damuel to be the head guard.

Rudolf said.

"I was having a hard time with Traugott too. Yesterday, he went hunting at the collection site with Wilfried and the others without checking the schedule for the guard mission..."

"Ah, you were really into it, brother."

Ever since participating in the subjugation of Ternisbefallen, brother has been obsessed with hunting.

Both brother and Traugott like to play like boys.

"I think Traugott would be better suited to be your brother's aide."
"You switched sides to Charles because Wilfried was tarnished, right? I'm angry that you have to serve me for that reason."
"Lord Charles, are there any plans to dismiss you?"

It seems that there are other people besides the guardian knights who are dissatisfied with Traugott.

"Currently, Traugott is the only male senior knight apprentice. I also acknowledge his strength. It would be best if he had a change of heart..."

How to build trust with a less loyal aide, and how to lead an incompetent aide are also challenges in life at the Noble Academy.

Due to a request to see the scriptures and an order to return, Onee-sama decided to return to Ehrenfest after the bookworm's tea party was over. It seems that she actually wanted him to return before the questioning.
The bookworm's tea party was fun. I was nervous because Onee-sama was so excited about the book exchange, but I also felt happy because Onee-sama looked like she was having so much fun.

"It'll be lonely going home alone."

"I'll miss you two leaving too."

"Is it still not enough that you two have been together so long?"

As we held hands in the teleportation circle room, Onii-sama said in an exasperated tone. I wish he would stop being so exasperated about it. I want him to accept it and get used to it.

The first thing Onii-sama said when Onee-sama teleported was this.

"Huh. Now that Rozemyne has gone home, we can take it easy."

Huh?

I felt angry at the way Onii-sama said it.

"Onii-sama, that's a harsh thing to say."

"I'm sorry. But isn't it true that Rozemyne causes trouble? You were also worried about coming into contact with royalty at the library, weren't you?"

I kept my mouth shut.

It's true, it's a welcome end to the tense library visits. I feel a little relieved that Onee-sama has returned to the domain. I don't know what Onee-sama will do if I take my eyes off her, and I can't follow her around all the time.

Besides, it's also true that Onee-sama is constantly being pushed around by the commotion she causes, and is being compared to his peers and getting the worse off.

I pull myself together and ask Onii-sama.

"What are you going to do today, Onii-sama?"

"Yes. I'm going to make a cool weapon."

"What kind of weapon is it? I want to see your weapon too."

I followed Onii-sama back to the multipurpose hall.

The first-years use the Schtappes to make knives and pens, but it seems the second-years make weapons.

Onii-sama chants the spell "Schwert" and the Schtappe turns into a sword. Looking closely, I can see that the lion from Ehrenfest's coat of arms is on the handle.

"Brother, it's cool."

"I see. You may copy me, after all. You are the lord's child."

"Thank you."

I don't particularly care about the design of weapons, so it would be easy if I could copy you. It would save me the trouble of thinking about it next year.

Brother says that this is a cool sword, but he can't think of a cool armor.

"What kind of weapon did you make, sister?"

"Rozemyne made a Leidenschaft spear and caused a fuss."

"I wish I was in the same year as you and sister!"

I couldn't say it when my sister was there, because she would be considerate and say things like "I should have delayed my enrollment," so I said it out loud now. Everyone laughs wryly, but I don't care.

"I made a knight's shield to go to the knight course training, but Rozemyne made a Schutzaria shield. Why don't you make a matching shield for Rozemyne next year?"

Brother is considerate. It sounds good to have the same weapon as my sister. The spell for the shield is called "Gettilt."

"Is Wilfried also taking the knight course?"

"Yes. Bonifatius recommended it. Apparently Bonifatius was also taking the lord candidate course while taking his favorite lectures in the knight course."

Traugott asked in surprise, and seemed to want to say something but then fell silent.

I thought of Schutzaria's shield. For some reason, it came to mind clearly.

"Gettilt."

As I chanted the spell, I found Schutzaria's shield, the one I'd offered magic power to at the temple, in my hand.

My brother's eyes widened, and the surrounding area became noisy. Perhaps because he was upset at being the center of attention, Schutzaria's shield suddenly disappeared.

"Can you also make sacred items?"
"I've seen Schutzaria's shield at the temple. Just like Messer, I could make it by picturing it in my head and chanting the spell."
"No, unlike Messer, the shield has a magic circle. It took me a while to memorize the magic circle."

I wonder if that's how it works.

"So can you also make Eviliebe's sword? I want to see it, so make it."

That's impossible!

I closed my eyes and tried to imagine Eviliebe's sword. But I've never seen it up close, so I can't clearly picture it in my head. Even when I chanted the spell, Eviliebe's sword didn't appear.

Sensing his disappointment, I thought of the sword with the lion on my brother's crest and chanted "Schwert." This time it transformed properly. My brother inspected it.

"No, this won't do. There's no magic circle inside."

"Huh? What is a magic circle?"

Older brother took out his sword again and showed it to me. After that, he wrote a magic circle on the wooden tablet. Older brother is surprisingly kind and caring.

After that, I was able to make the same sword as my older brother, and this time I thought about how to make a cool spear. It seems that the lion is a must. I don't really understand his attention to detail, but it was fun spending time with my older brother. It wouldn't be like this in a castle with so many adult aides.

Today was somehow fun.

At night, I sent the Ordnance to her saying, "Good night, sister," and the Ordnance turned around and returned.

"Huh?!"

"Lord Charles, you can't send Ordnance from the Noble Academy to Ehrenfest."

That's right. I sent it out of habit, but Ordnance cannot cross the borders of the territory. It was the same when my older sister went to the Noble Academy a day earlier.
Zalkrecht laughs softly. Feeling embarrassed, I say "Good night" and crawl into bed.

Even when Onee-sama isn't there, somehow we all gather in the conference room reserved for lord candidates.
Although it's advertised as reserved for lord candidates, Onee-sama's entourage is only male and holds meetings in his own room, so they don't come here.

Hartmut has started to join in when writing reports. It feels a bit strange and like I'm being observed, but I guess it's the same for both of us.
I want to be able to work together with Onee-sama's entourage, and I've told them so too.

"Lord Charles, the lord has given us permission to present the book to Prince Hildebrand."

"Is it too late now?"
I frown.
It's the question Onee-sama asked before returning to Ehrenfest. I have to say it's too late.

"It seems the Lord didn't want Lady Rozemyne to come into contact with the royal family."

I understand his intention, but I wonder.

When I received the wooden tablet, it said something along the lines of "Show the royal family the latest trends in Ehrenfest." Is it okay to increase the number of trends even more when there are not enough accommodations for merchants? Father will be the one who will have a hard time later, so this is a case of showing off.

"This is a book made by my sister, so is it okay for me to present it to her? Should I wait until my sister returns?"

It would be like taking away my sister's achievements, so it would be unpopular with my sister's Leisegang aides. I turned my eyes to Hartmut.

Hartmut frowned in confusion and said.

"By the time Lady Rozemyne returns, the number of students will have increased and the prince will not be able to come to the library."

This means that I have asked for permission, so there should be no problem.

I received advice from Brunhilde about dealing with the royal family. Zalcrecht had apparently dealt with the royal family when he was in Frenbeltag, but he had asked for help because he thought it would be better to adapt Ehrenfest's methods.

From every word Brunhilde spoke, it was clear that she was proud of her sister, who had connections with the royal family, and of herself for serving her.

After exchanging letters a few times, it was decided that the book would be handed over at the library. There was a comfortable sense of tension and excitement among the aides.

Marianne smiled and said.

"It seems like a lie to think that Ehrenfest's new industry would be presented to the royal family."
"Lady Rozemyne is great."
"Your sister is incredible."

My voice overlapped with Hartmut's.

I went to the library. It was a little sad that Schwarz and the others wouldn't be there to greet me since my sister wasn't there.

I was going to borrow her office, so, and prepares and waits for the prince.

"Prince Hildebrand, good day."

"Charles, it's been a while. Is Rozemyne not here today?"

"My sister has fallen ill and has returned home temporarily. She is weak and is prone to falling ill when she leaves Ehrenfest."

My sister will never let me leave Ehrenfest! He warns Arthur in a roundabout way.

It's a lie that she's ill, but it's supposed to be that my sister has returned to Ehrenfest to recuperate, so there shouldn't be a problem.

After some back and forth, Olivier presents Arthur with the Ehrenfest Knights' Tale.

"The book you made is written in new words and is easy to read, so I think Prince Hildebrand, who has just finished his baptism, will enjoy it."

"As Charles says, it's a book of just the right difficulty for the prince."

"Thank you. I'll do my best to read it."

Prince Hildebrand flips through the book with amusement. A new readership. I'm sure Onee-sama would have been pleased to see me looking so happy. I feel a little sad.

The prince probably wanted to meet Onee-sama, not me, and giving me the book would be like taking away Onee-sama's achievements. Would I do to Onee-sama what I hated when my brother's aides did to me in the past? I wondered. But I gradually came to terms with it. I don't want Onee-sama and Prince Hildebrand to come into contact with each other more.

As I left the office, Schwarz and the others came over.

"Why won't you pet Schwarz and the others, Charles?"
"I don't have the dark attribute, so I can't be an ally."

I shook my head and the prince looked apologetic.

He's honest, kind, and easy to understand, which is not like royalty. He has no enemies around him, and he probably never thought there might be any. The prince is royalty, and this isn't his territory. When I was around this age, I was more cautious and prepared.

"I actually want Prince Hildebrand to become the master of Schwarz and the others."

"Why?"

"Because it is fitting that a member of the royal family be the master of the royal magical tools. Ehrenfest is a humble territory and cannot become the official master. It would only create unnecessary friction."

The prince looked as if he understood but also didn't.

This was something he said to the prince's aides, hoping they would understand that Ehrenfest did not take over Schwarz and the others unfairly, but that they are reluctantly supplying magical power because there is no librarian from a high-ranking noble family.

"Besides, Onee-sama is not good at socializing, so if she comes into contact with the royal family, she will be scolded by Father...Aub Ehrenfest after returning to the territory."

And these were words to the honest and kind prince who has not yet developed the pride of royalty and likes Onee-sama. Normally, it would be unthinkable to say something like this to a member of the royal family. But Prince Hildebrand would accept my words.

"Will Rozemyne be scolded?"

As expected, Prince Hildebrand looks up at me with wide eyes.

I don't agree with him, but just smile.

"Isn't Prince Hildebrand forbidden to have contact with students?" I say.
The prince looks around at his aides, who look like they're saying, "Well, that's true." Prince Hildebrand is as honest as a child. In the future, there will be territories that will try to trick and take advantage of the young prince, who has no sense of reason. The prince's aides must be more attentive to their surroundings and educate him.

If this reduces the prince's contact with his sister, then father will have peace of mind, I will have peace of mind, and the prince's aides will have peace of mind too. It's all good.
Prince Hildebrand looks so depressed, and it makes my heart ache a little. But I wasn't going to be intimidated.

Olivier muttered when he arrived at the dormitory. "Lord Charles... I think that was a bit cowardly..."

"I don't care what people say. It doesn't matter if it was cowardly, petty, or shameful!"

Olivier thought for a moment and said.

"If you want to keep Prince Hildebrand away from the library, I have an idea."

After that, Olivier and the others spread a rumor among the students that "Prince Hildebrand is appearing in the library." The library became crowded with students, and it seems the prince has not come to the library since then. The increase in students means that it has become harder for Onee-sama to go to the library, but that's okay.

...I can't be picky about the means to protect Onee-sama!

Chapter Text

Rivals are the Royal Library

I'm Philine. I'm a low-ranking civil servant apprentice who serves Lady Rozemyne.

Lady Rozemyne is a lord candidate who loves books. Hartmut has encouraged her by saying that paperwork related to books can be done regardless of social status or magical power, so she works hard every day.

"Philine, are you sure?"

I was stopped by Charles. Charles is the son of a lord and Lady Rozemyne's fiancé.

I was nervous at first, but I gradually got used to being spoken to. Charles is keen to hear about Lady Rozemyne, and is pleased when I tell him about her lectures and how she was in her room.

We gathered in the conference room reserved for lord candidates. Only Lady Rozemyne's aides and Lord Charles's aides are allowed in and out of this room.

The civil servant apprentices were gathered at the desk. Cornelius also stood behind her, interested in what they were talking about.

Charles begins.

"Philine is collecting stories for her sister, right? Let Marianne help her with this."

My job at the library is to arrange assignments with coats of arms. I will introduce manuscripts to people from other territories and buy stories.

I'm happy to have more people collecting stories.

I was about to agree when Hartmut spoke up first.

"Do you mean you want to take work away from Philine?"

"No. Philine should continue to organize. But if we have more people, we'll have different connections, right? I just want to collect more stories."

"Elvira is looking forward to the stories of the aristocratic academy. Philine collects stories at the library, but I want to spread the word about assignments with coats of arms to students who don't go to the library."

Elvira is Rozemyne's mother. She is a civil servant in charge of the printing business and is also a writer who writes love stories. I help Lord Ferdinand at the temple, and Lady Marianne helps Lady Elvira at the castle.
I don't have any connections with high-ranking nobles, so if Lady Marianne could help me, I'm sure we'd get more stories.
Lord Charles continues.

"Currently, we have printing workshops in the temple, Haldentzel, and Greschel, and we plan to add more. We want to collect lots of stories at the Noble Academy, prepare stories to print, and increase the number of books in Ehrenfest. And eventually we will build a Yurgenschmidt library in Ehrenfest that will rival the royal library!"

I was dumbfounded.
The idea of a Yurgenschmidt library seemed like a sudden leap.

"Is it because of the incident with Prince Hildebrand?"

"Yes. ... I'm talking about Onee-sama. It wouldn't be strange if she was lured by the royal library and ended up going to the center before she knew it."

Charles said with a frustrated look on her face, and Hartmut groaned, "I see," while Cornelius groaned, "It's possible."

...I, is that so?!

"I don't think that's likely, but..."

"Me too."

Marianne spoke with a troubled look on her face, so I agreed.

"No. With Rozemyne, it's possible."

"I can't say it's impossible."

"Yes. Onee-sama's passion for books is extraordinary."

Hartmut, Cornelius, and Charles all agreed.

...Is that so?!

Brunhilde asked for permission to speak with a confused look on her face, and Charles gave it.

"If you want to connect with Lady Rozemyne's heart, wouldn't it be better to give her gifts and meet up with her?"

That's a reasonable opinion. The women, including Lady Marianne, nodded in agreement.

But Lord Charles declared.

"No. What would make my sister happiest is books."

Hartmut and Cornelius nodded in agreement.

...Is that really so?

When these three say it, it makes me think "maybe that's true."

"I'll accompany Lady Rozemyne wherever she goes."

Hartmut said. He doesn't mind if Lady Rozemyne goes to the center. But he thinks it would be a shame for Lord Charles.

"I would like to cooperate with Lord Charles and Lady Marianne."

"Thank you."

"Philine, pleased to meet you."

We smile at each other.

"Marianne, Philine is the one who is in charge of collecting stories. Philine was writing stories while her sister was asleep for two years."

Later, I heard from Hartmut that normally, as a high-ranking noble, Marianne would be the one to coordinate. Rozemyne's way of deciding roles is based on the individual's qualities and the length of time they have served, and Charles respects Rozemyne's way of doing things, so there's no need to worry.

Hartmut also mentioned the commission for collecting stories. I earn my own living expenses and tuition fees, so a decrease in my income would be a problem. Marianne and Charles blinked. Perhaps they were unaware of the circumstances under which lower-ranking nobles make money. Charles promised to "make sure Philine is not at a disadvantage."

Hartmut pondered and made a suggestion.

"Lord Charles, may I ask Lady Marianne to teach Philine? I will graduate this year. Starting next year, there will be no senior civil servants who can teach Philine."

I am touched by Hartmut's delicate kindness.
Lord Charles looked at me with a sympathetic expression. It makes me nervous when he looks at me like that.

"That is certainly difficult. I understand. Thank you very much, Marianne."
"Leave it to me. From now on, we will be colleagues, so let's call each other by our first names. Philine, is there anything that is bothering you right now?"

I am touched by the kindness of Lord Charles and Lady Marianne.
It is rude to speak in the middle of a conversation, so I am grateful that you spoke to me.

"Thank you very much. Lady Marianne...Marianne writes quickly, so I would be happy if you could join Lady Rozemyne's tea party. I cannot write down the stories by myself."

It is difficult to write down stories that are spoken verbally. It would be fine if Hartmut was there, but there are tea parties that male aides cannot attend.
Lady Marianne agreed with a smile.
The discussion is over.
It feels like I've really used my brain. Meetings for civil servant trainees contain a lot of information. Charles and Hartmut are particularly smart, so the discussion progresses smoothly.

"... Are you sure Charles wants to build a library?"
"Cornelius, building a library is also Lady Rozemyne's wish."
"That's right. I will make my sister's dream come true."

The three gentlemen were in agreement, but here their opinions differed.

"Isn't Charles spoiling Lady Rozemyne too much?"
"Lady Cornelius, Lady Rozemyne's books will become a new industry in Ehrenfest."

"That's right. Not only will it benefit your sister, but the territory as well. They will collect stories and create new books, collect old books by copying them, and make Ehrenfest a territory full of books."
"Lady Rozemyne not only enjoys the contents, but also the smell and feel of old books."
"...Then let's make money from the printing industry and buy up old books. At the same time, we need to train civil servants who can be sent to the center."

I feel like I've jumped ship again.

"Why is that?"
"Because we need people who can make copies of the books in the royal library. I'm sure there are many books that are forbidden to be taken out, and it would be difficult to make copies. Only talented people would be able to donate the copies to Ehrenfest."
"That's a very long-term plan."
"Yes. I have many plans. I'd like Hartmut to help me plan and cooperate."

Lord Charles declared with a grin.

"I will become lord and turn Ehrenfest into a territory filled with books, and donate many books to my sister."

I was dumbfounded again.
Lord Rozemyne's passion for books is incredible, but now Lord Charles has joined in the mix.
...I'm going to be very busy!

Chapter Text

"Lord Ehrenfest! How much more do you have to mock us before you're satisfied!"

Father's drunken roar echoes, and several bottles of wine roll onto the floor. He's probably venting all the things he couldn't say in the noble district during the winter social period.

Mother heads to her relatives. I think they're also venting their frustrations about Lord Ehrenfest.

Mother has many connections to the old Veronica faction, including relatives, but Father seems to want to break away from the faction. It's nearly impossible. And he drinks alone.

At the spring celebration banquet, the engagement of the lord's second son, Charles, and his adopted daughter, Rozemyne, was announced. Charles is the son of the Florentia faction, raised by Lady Florentia.

This doesn't sit well with his parents, or rather, the old Veronica faction.

Aub Ehrenfest imprisoned his mother, Lady Veronica, adopted Lady Rozemyne, a Reisegang noble, returned his half-brother, who had been oppressed by Lady Veronica, to secular life, and removed Lord Wilfried, who was raised by Lady Veronica, from becoming the next lord. My father said it was insane. Seeing how he cut off his own factions one by one, he said, "The Aub has gone mad."

I don't care about such things.

Spring, summer, and fall passed, and my life at the Noble Academy began. Being away from my parents is a peace of mind. Since Lady Rozemyne enrolled last year, the dormitory has become more comfortable. I almost want to stay at the Noble Academy forever.
Seniors move to the Noble Academy first. First-year students are the last to enter.
The moment Charles arrived at the multipurpose hall, Lady Rozemyne broke into a beaming smile.
……That's quite different from how he treats Sir Wilfried.

I'm taken aback.

The children from the old Veronica faction are sitting at the table farthest from the lord candidates so I can't hear them, but it looks like Lady Rozemyne is trying hard to explain something to them and Sir Charles is scolding her.

The two are siblings, but Lady Rozemyne looks like a child at her baptism, so they look like a caring older brother and a adoring younger sister.

I've been observing the two of them since then, and they seem to get along very well, always acting together. Sir Charles is always concerned about Lady Rozemyne, and will run up to her happily calling her "big sister."

……Isn't it a lie that the marriage was arranged by their parents?

My parents said it was a political engagement to curry favor with the Leisegang nobles as the Aube treated the old Veronica faction coldly. It doesn't look like that at all.

I asked a neutral classmate about the two of them. Apparently her mother was once invited to a tea party hosted by Lady Elvira, so I thought she might know something.

"Lord Charles swore his love to Lady Rozemyne in front of the lord's family, and Lady Rozemyne was so happy that she gave her blessing."

...What is this love story?!

"Lady Rozemyne is Lady Elvira's daughter, isn't she? Wouldn't the way they proposed be considered a love story?"

"Oh? Doesn't Lady Myriella know? Only those who graduated from the aristocratic academy are the subject of love stories. Lady Florencia said that it was because of that."

...The first wife of the Aube? I hope she doesn't do anything unnecessary!

No. I've picked up on Mother's tone. Mother hates the lord and his wife and is always badmouthing them.

"Even so, you know quite a lot."
"Yes. Because my mother likes Elvira's love stories..."

She was vague, but I understood that she had joined the Florentine faction.

Considering the current situation in which the former Veronica faction has lost momentum and the Florentine faction has become the largest faction, this is only natural.

Lady Rozemyne has done something wonderful again this year.

A fine bookshelf has been installed in the multipurpose hall and books are available for free. Books are very expensive. I can't believe it.

...Even I, a former Veronica faction member, can read Elvira's love stories!

Reading in the multipurpose hall has become a daily routine.

It is clear when you are in the multipurpose hall that Lady Rozemyne and Lord Charles are always together.

The two of them study, read, chat, and occasionally practice harspiel together. Not only are their Harspiel skills excellent, but they are so perfectly in tune with each other, as if they were one person performing, and their telepathy is heartbreaking.
When their faces get too close, Cornelius subtly scolds them. He wishes they wouldn't do anything unnecessary. They're fine the way they are.

...After all, the relationship between step-siblings is a good one.
It's a beautiful story, and it's comforting to see siblings who are not related by blood getting along so well. It's impossible for a biological child and an adopted child to get along so well.

One day, there was a commotion in the multipurpose hall.
Listening carefully, he heard that Lady Rozemyne had made contact with the third prince, Prince Hildebrand. It seems the prince has taken a liking to Lady Rozemyne, and Lord Charles is very worried.

...An encounter with the prince!
What should I do? I'm excited about the romance between my stepbrother and the prince, but I'm also excited about a romance with the prince.
I've started to fantasize about a love story in which Rozemyne is caught between her love for her stepbrother and the prince.

...However, the characters overlap a bit.
The roles of stepbrother and prince are fine, but I don't like the idea of them both being cute younger men. If two men are to appear in a love story, it would be better if they were completely different types of men.
I've banished the prince from my fantasy of a love story.

By a different type, I mean someone older. What kind of man would be good?
Wilfried is older, but that's no good. I would love to read a love story in which brothers fight over Rozemyne, but I don't feel any Bluanfa coming in Wilfried and Rozemyne's relationship. It's obvious that Charles will win by a landslide. That wouldn't be fun.

...I wonder if one day a handsome older man will come and kidnap Lady Rozemyne? Either way, it would be wonderful if Charles protects Lady Rozemyne, or if she is kidnapped by a handsome older man!
My fun fantasies continue.

Back then, I never imagined that in the near future, Elvira would appreciate my fantasy love story.

Chapter Text

The last page is an unnecessary addition.
An unnecessary remark!

From this point on, there will be many developments that differ from the original work, so I'll add a note. (Though it has changed quite a bit from the original work so far)

I don't really want to explain what's written in the novel, but it's hard to write "it was like this in the original work, but it changed like this" in the story, and it's hard to understand, so if I were the reader, I thought it would be nice if there was an explanation...

〇Reflection meeting
The encounter with Prince Hildebrand is almost the same. But after that, they hold a reflection meeting.
"Don't think of the royal family as equals" is the same thing that the guardians warned Rozemyne about in the original work.

〇Father's at fault
"It's not Rozemyne's fault, it's the teachings" is the same thing that Florencia told Jill and Fer in the original work. In fact, I also think that it's the guardians who are at fault, not Rozemyne...

In the original work, Shar-chan also disses Jill from time to time, but Shar-kun's dissing is more intense and frequent, so I'm writing this while thinking that it's not funny. (But deep down, I'm sure he loves his father.)

〇 Avoiding tea party with Prince Hildebrand
If Shar-kun was acting flustered in front of Professor Solange, the tea party with Prince Hildebrand was avoided.
I was surprised that it was so easy to avoid, but when I read the original work, Prince Hilde actually said, "Should I refrain?" and Rozemyne-chan thought, "Maybe it's better if he refrains?", so it worked.

Professor Solange invited Prince Hilde to a book-lovers' tea party because she wanted to appeal to the royal family about the lack of staff at the Noble Academy Library. But Shar-kun was acting so flustered that she was considerate. She talked to Prince Hilde about the lack of staff on a different occasion to the tea party.
Rozemyne-chan avoided fainting for the first time.

〇 Avoiding Ternis Beferen's suicide attack

To make a small excuse,

Charle♀ → Younger sister/Told to assist

Charle♂ → Fiance/Told to hold the reins of Rozemyne

But it's not like she couldn't act... Her actions change depending on her position, not her gender.

I left the memorization of the prayer to Hartmut. Marianne wrote the prayer on a wooden tablet and Rozemyne wasn't feeling sick so I was able to ask her about it right away, and it was immediately clear that "black spells and prayers are different."

In the end, the scripture verification meeting was held, but the only topic on the agenda was the dark prayer, and there was no talk of the recovery of sacred items or materials.

Even Professor Gundolf didn't take notice, saying "Ehrenfest was suspicious because there was no damage." (Traugott was a noble sacrifice.)

The interrogation wasn't postponed twice like in the original, and suspicions didn't deepen.

〇Schutzaria's Shield
Since Ferdinand had offered his magic power during magic training, Charles was able to make the Schutzaria Shield. Ferdinand also uses the lord's child. I don't think Ferdinand would use his own time to train just to help Charles... When I wrote the magic training scene, I wondered whether to include Fer's perspective or add an annotation.
The reason I chose Schutzaria's Shield was because it was easy for the temple attendants to carry it.

〇Villefried's choice of knight course
Since Wilfried is taking the knight course, I chose the knight's shield. This is the flag for the commander of the knights. I think Wilfried has the aptitude to be a knight...
Unlike the original, he was quickly removed from the list of candidates for the next lord, so those around him have the time and are concerned about Wil's future. It was Jill who created the time for Bonifatius and Wilfried to interact.

〇Traugott
Traugott became an aide to Charles♂, not Rozemyne.

He makes fun of Rozemyne, a former high-ranking noble, but he doesn't make fun of Wilshal, who is from the lord's family, so for now he serves her properly.

Traugott's dream is to become the commander of the knights, not the guardian knight like Bonifatius, so he may have some trouble with Wilfried in the future, and Wilfried vs Traugott is not really important, so I might skip the scene.

〇 Wilfried is just an older brother

To Charlotte, Vil is a hateful guy who unfairly obtained the position of next lord and his sister, but Charles likes his brother quite a bit.
The battle for the succession is fierce, so if Wilshal gets along with his older sister, the atmosphere around the castle becomes tense.

Even so, Wilfried is peaceful and good because he is neither Rozemyne's fiance nor the next lord... The original is too sad... I wish he was just a supporting older brother... People are annoyed because they think he's the next lord and Rozemyne's fiance, but if he wasn't, I don't think he would be criticized so much.

〇 Rozemyne gets scolded by the parents
This is how she alienated Prince Hildebrand.... How sneaky!
She took advantage of the prince's innocent feelings. Cowardly!
Charle is also angry at the prince's aides. Even though he told them not to interact with students, he allowed them to have contact with Rozemyne.

Prince Hildebrand is a good boy who remembered what Charles said to him, so he didn't carelessly talk to Rozemyne in front of Lord Fer at the scripture verification meeting. He didn't ask, "How far can Rozemyne read (the scriptures)?" Good boy!

〇 Interaction between the aides
In the Vilrose engagement, the aides were at each other's throats, but in the Charlesrose engagement, Charles' side is trying to reach out to Rozemyne's side. They get along quite well.
In the original story, Clarissa wondered, "Why are they relying on me, a man from another territory, instead of Wilfried or Charlotte's apprentice civil servant? Are they not related to me or do they not trust me?", but I think they probably didn't trust me.
Hartmut didn't completely trust the Charles camp, but thought, "I'll use whatever I can." Charles thought, "Of all the aides, Hartmut is probably the most troublesome."

〇The rival is the royal library
The love rival was not the prince, but the library. (Title recovery)

There's a part where Charles thinks that if he builds a library like Yurgenschmidt 1, Rozemyne will come to him. He's probably right, but it's not right... He has to woo her... No, he has to woo her before he can build a library...
Charles' aides think, "I don't know what you're thinking, but it's good to develop the printing industry, so it's fine."
Cornelius thinks, "I don't want you to spoil Rozemyne!"
Brunhilde and Marianne are thinking, "Huh?"

〇Printing and Elvira
The printing industry is in the Florentia faction, or rather, Charles and Elvira are becoming the ones with authority.

This is difficult to explain, but

Vilrose engagement/Vil is the next lord → Elvira is in charge of the lord's business and Vilfried helps out little by little as it is the lord's family's business (El is in a supporting role, while Gil and Vil are in the forefront)

Charles engagement/Charles is the next lord → Charles intends to take full authority over the printing industry by the time he comes of age, and Elvira is also moving to take full authority over the printing industry from Sylvester (running at full speed as Charles's backer)

That's how it is.

〇Muriella's story
Since it became Charles engagement instead of Vilrose engagement, the Veronica faction has a weaker position within the territory and is very dissatisfied with the lord. The Florentia faction is the largest faction.
Muriella is in great shape. I hope she joins the entourage soon. She has a long way to go...

That was an unnecessary addition.
Next up is the "Cousin's Tea Party."

Chapter Text

My uncle came to the Noble Academy with my sister and the scriptures.

The atmosphere was tense because adults do not intervene in the Noble Academy, but when my uncle explained that we needed to talk to the Central Knights about the matter of Ternisbefallen, everyone looked convinced.

My sister and uncle went to investigate, and it turned out that the knight trainees of Ehrenfest were not punished for using black weapons. It seems that the people of the Central Temple will perform a healing ritual at the collection site.

After giving instructions to the civil servant trainees regarding the territory competition, my uncle gathered the lord candidates and their attendants.

"Uncle, my empty magic stones are full. What should we do with these magic stones?"

When I gave instructions to Rihyarda and showed her the magic stone for when my sister gets excited, my uncle made a disgusted face.

"Rozemyne, how excited were you?"

"Ah... I was having so much fun at the tea party that I ended up..."

My sister has become smaller. It's fun to see her expression change when she's with my uncle compared to when she's at the academy.

"I'll lend this magical power to Professor Solange. We won't be able to supply magical power to the magical tools in the library until next winter."

I see, so the magical power that my sister got excited about at the tea party in the library will return to the library.

I suddenly thought that Prince Hildebrand could supply magical power while we're not at the academy, but I thought it would be too disrespectful and I wouldn't say it. I'm sure he would do it if I asked him, but asking a member of the royal family would make my father go crazy.

"Wear this when you go to the tea party."

My uncle presented her with a necklace made of several large empty magic stones.

Wait a moment.

"Wow, thank you very much. This will make things easier for Rihyarda."

It is Rihyarda's job to gently hand over the magic stone to her sister when she gets excited at the tea party.

"Uncle, why a necklace? Wouldn't another accessory be fine?"
"The breath net is too small, and it's hard to see how the magic stone changes color. This way, it will be easier for the attendants to see how excited Rozemyne is."

That's true, but that's not it!

A necklace is special among accessories, isn't it? I know that this necklace is something that absorbs overflowing magical power and is different from the engagement necklace, but why did Uncle give it to my sister before me? I know it's a tea party measure, but it makes me feel endlessly uneasy. I know it's useless to ask Uncle for such consideration, though!

After explaining several points of caution, Uncle and the others returned to Ehrenfest. After returning to my room, I asked my aides.

"What do you think of that necklace? Don't you think it's cruel to give it to your sister before me?"
"I think Charles is worrying too much."

Olivier told me bluntly.

"What do you think of Zalkrecht?"
"I'm glad that Charles has reached the age where he is concerned about such things."

He smiled brightly.

"What about Rudolf?"
"Um, well... I think it's a magical tool that Rozemyne needs."

No good, no one agrees with me!

Brünnhilde is the one who knows the most about accessories, so I asked her secretly, and she told me in a roundabout way that "I thought Charles wanted to give Rozemyne a book, not an accessory." I'd completely lost face. Maybe I should give her an accessory instead.
However, Natalie told me, "I think it's too early for Charles to go hunting for magic stones."

Marianne also expressed her disapproval. If you make an ornament filled with magic while your magical powers are still developing, when you become an adult, the magic won't match and you won't be able to wear it. That would be a problem.

Just as I was feeling hopeless and depressed, Rudolf called out to me.

"Why don't you give Charles a necklace?"

"But it's too early for me..."

"Wouldn't a metal pendant that doesn't use magic or magic stones work? Charles could design it and have a craftsman make it. I'm sure Rozemyne would be pleased."

It felt like a world had opened up before my eyes.

"I see, so I can just ask Gutenberg!"

I'm sure Benno and the rest of Gutenberg would know my sister's preferences very well!

I wrote a letter right away. 。 English: Letters about magical tools are delivered even to commoners who have no magical powers.
In the letter, I wrote that I wanted to make a pendant, that I would think of a design by the end of winter and would make a request again at that time, and that I would give it to my sister as a present and asked her to keep it a secret absolutely.
My sister told me not to rush the craftsman's work, but if I contact her in advance like this, she should be able to prepare herself mentally. It shouldn't be a problem...I hope.
Since it wouldn't arrive from the Noble Academy, I also wrote a request to send the letter to the civil servant in Ehrenfest. Since it's a request to a craftsman, it should be sent without Father checking the contents...I hope. Well, it can't be helped if he sees it.

After I sent the letter to the Printemps Company, I no longer minded my sister wearing the necklace.
The magic stone changed color during the tea party with Hannelore, so I thanked my uncle for needing the necklace.

It's finally time for the tea party with Adolphine. Lady Adolphine must be a talented girl, being able to socialize at this time despite being in her final year. I gathered Onee-sama and her entourage for a preliminary meeting.
The tea room at Drevanchel was a lovely room decorated with many plants.
Ortwin was also at the tea party, so it became a brother-sister tea party. It seemed Adolphine had made it easy for me to talk.

"What kind of outfit will Lady Adolphine be wearing to the graduation ceremony?"

Lady Adolphine was to place an order for a hair accessory.
Onee-sama asked questions and Brunhilde wrote them down. Brunhilde also asked questions to Adolphine. They got excited talking about favorite flowers, favorite colors, and outfits. It was my first time to be present at an order for a hair accessory, so it was fun.
I would also like to have a custom-made hair accessory made when I escort my sister to a graduation ceremony someday.

"Haven't you thought about the time when you will give it to Lady Rozemyne, Charles?"
"Yes?"

I let out a strange voice when I guessed right. Lady Adolphine chuckled, and my sister was smiling. I felt my face turning red.
Lady Adolphine put her hand to her cheek and asked.

"So Lady Charles proposed to Lady Rozemyne? How long have you been fond of her? What made you decide?"

...Eh, why would you ask such a thing?!

I had thought they would find out about the trends in Ehrenfest, so I prepared in advance, but this question was completely unexpected and I couldn't find any words. My face was probably red. What a terrible way to behave as a lord candidate.
Ortwin looked at me with amusement.

When I couldn't answer, Lady Adolphine turned her attention to my sister.

"What about Lady Rozemyne? You said that Lord Charles proposed to you, right? Please tell me what kind of confession of love he made to you."

My sister's mouth twitched.

"It's a secret, Lady Rozemyne. You mustn't tell anyone."

I made a pathetic noise, and Lady Rozemyne nodded vigorously.

"Oh. Should I ask Lady Rozemyne again at the tea party when Lord Charles isn't here?"
"No! I'll be there for all of Lady Rozemyne's tea parties."
"Charles, that's just too much," Ortwin said.

I thought to myself, "Damn." My uncle had told me to accompany Lady Rozemyne to all her social gatherings, but maybe I sounded too worried.

Lady Adolphine laughed as if she'd found a new toy, and I continued to be teased about my relationship with Lady Rozemyne. We ended up talking about all the things we liked about each other, and the tea party ended. I probably should have stopped her, but Onee-sama was talking about what she liked about me. There was no way I could stop her.

……The precautions I had in case she found out about the paper and rinsham! They were completely pointless!!

「It was a really worthwhile tea party」
「Yeah. I had a great time」
「I had a great time too」

I was the only one holding my head in my hands.

「Charles... I'm sorry... I'm sorry. You're troublesome, Sister. Be careful」

「What should I be careful of...?」

「Let's invite Wilfried to the next tea party. Wilfried and I are having Gevinnen, so Charles and the others should keep Sister company」

……Ortwin! Or rather, is there a next one!!

According to the attendants at the debriefing meeting, they had received an order for hair ornaments from the royal family, Lady Adolphine had enjoyed herself, she seemed to like us, no information about the trends at Ehrenfest was leaked, and overall they all thought it was a good tea party.

...Not good!

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.

Chapter Text

"Lord Charles, if you have time after this, would you like to have a Gevinnen?"

After a series of sighs in the hallway of the tea party room, Lord Rüdiger said with a smile.

I could tell that Gevinnen was just an excuse to talk about the tea party.

"Yes. That's right. Let's have a debriefing session."

Lord Rüdiger narrowed his blue eyes and chuckled.

The concept of a "debriefing session after a tea party" that my brother didn't understand was conveyed to Lord Rüdiger. He felt a sense of closeness to me.

"Thank you."

"What will you do, brother?"

"The number of three people won't add up, right? I'll have to decline. Invite me another time."

My brother left. Perhaps Lord Rüdiger wanted to talk alone and used the Gevinnen as an excuse.

We moved to the Frenbeltag tea party room. The tea party was already being prepared, probably because he had intended to invite me.

"Zalkrecht, you can talk. I'll ask Olivier to serve."

Zalkrecht is a nobleman who was sent to Ehrenfest from Froebel-Tag during the coup. He is a relative and former colleague of Rüdiger's chief attendant. Rüdiger also dismisses his attendant, and the two begin exchanging information.

After drinking tea, Rüdiger and I share a sigh and laugh together.

"That must have been hard."

"Yes. It was hard. Umm... Was the cousin's tea party like that last year?"

"Yeah, it was."

Rüdiger says with a sudden smile. I feel a sense of familiarity with the way he laughs.

Rüdiger's face is just like his brother's. However, his eyes are different. They're indigo, not green. I feel relieved that they're the same color as mine and my mother.

I wonder if his brother will feel the same relief with Dietlinde, who has the same eye color.

"Wilfried-sama is amazing for answering questions that are impossible to answer. Is that natural?"
"I think so. He probably doesn't think about it at all. But it's interesting how accurate he is."
"Last year, Charles-sama wasn't there, so I was worried whether the conversation between the two of them was strange or whether I was strange. This year, Charles-sama was there, so it was reassuring."
"No. I didn't do anything. I was reassured that Rüdiger-sama was supporting my brother. Thank you."

Unlike the previous tea party where I was at a loss for words, my mouth flows smoothly. The feeling of our conversation understanding each other and meshing is very comfortable.

"Wilfried-sama and Charles-sama are brothers from the same mother, but they don't look alike. Wilfried-sama is easygoing, and Charles-sama is delicate."
"People often say that my brother looks like my father and I look like my mother."

I was a little at a loss for words here.
Mother doesn't want to worry her hometown at a time of trouble due to the political upheaval, so she hasn't told her family about Grandma's treatment. She won't mention the difference in my upbringing because it could be a weakness for Ehrenfest. ...It wouldn't be strange if she knew the information through her aides.

"It seems that Ahrensbach wants Wilfried to marry Dietlinde."

"Ehrenfest has no intention of letting my brother marry Ahrensbach. He turned it down last year too."

I shook my head.

"Lord Rüdiger may also be approached by Ahrensbach about marrying him."

"No. Frenbeltag is a lower-ranking territory, so they don't seem to care about us at all. Also, it's a good opportunity to connect with a large territory, but Frenbeltag is in need of magic, so it would be a big problem if I were to disappear."

"I see..."

"That's why Frenbeltag is very grateful to Ehrenfest."

I was thanked on behalf of the territory. I can't help but feel a barrier between us.
I can tell that he is being careful around me, just like when he is with Dietrinde. It hurts a little to be treated the same as someone I have to be wary of... But maybe if I spend more time with him I'll open up to him a little more?
His blue eyes stare at me as if searching for something. His gaze is not unpleasant.

"I wonder if Rozemyne is avoiding me?"

"Eh...? The reason you weren't attending this time is because Dietrinde's lecture ended late."

I explain that I only spend a few days at the Noble Academy, and that I am prioritizing a tea party for the ladies of the higher territories. I don't understand why Rüdiger is asking me such a question.
Rüdiger looks straight at me again, searching for something.

"Last year, Frenbeltag asked Lady Rozemyne to marry him. I wonder if Charles and Lady Rozemyne were upset about that?"
"Your sister received marriage offers from many territories. From lower territories and from higher territories. I think it's natural that they would want to marry your sister, so I don't mind. Your engagement to me has already been decided, so I don't think your sister is bothered by it either."

Lord Rüdiger blinks. He may not have thought that your sister was desired by the higher territories.

"Um, did something happen between Frenbeltag and your sister?"

I ask boldly.

Somehow, Lord Rüdiger is being too considerate of us... or rather, it feels like he fears us. It's not like we're just getting along because we're neighbors. I feel something that can't be explained by the gap in the rankings.

"Didn't Lord Charles know?"

Lord Rüdiger explains.
After the coup d'état, the number of nobles drastically decreased and the Frenbeltag family fell into poverty, so they used the friendship between their siblings to ask Ehrenfest for magical aid. That's not surprising. Father and Mother would want to help.
However, three years ago, the aid was suddenly cut off. The reason given was that "the Saint of Ehrenfest has fallen asleep, so Ehrenfest has no magical power to spare." So wasn't it my fault?
I felt magical power coursing through my body. It was compressing from the edges.
I clearly hated Father.
Why did he bring up my sister's name as the reason for cutting off the aid?

And so last year, the Saint of Ehrenfest - my sister - woke up and enrolled in the Noble Academy.
Sir Rüdiger tried to interact with my sister, but was unable to do so.

And what I heard from my older sister through my older brother was, "Since I perform rituals and pour my magical power into them, even Frobel-Tark should perform their own rituals and do something about it."

"My older sister wouldn't say that."

Rüdiger's eyebrows twitched at what I said.

He let his eyes wander a bit and smiled. I've made him feel embarrassed.

...It's my older brother! I'm sure my older brother didn't convey his message well. That's for sure.

"My older sister is a fair and kind person. She wouldn't use words that would reject someone like that."

"But we at Frobel-Tark are grateful for that advice. It was much more valuable than receiving magical aid. In fact, the harvest in our territory has increased. The number of people dying of starvation has decreased."

I remember Haldenzel. Elvira's hometown of Haldenzel was once on the verge of starvation, but was saved by her sister's magic and the printing industry. My sister saved both Haldenzel and Frenbeltag.

And last year, Lord Rüdiger, who had been trying to interact with her brother and sister, was now socializing with the burden of his territory in order to get Ehrenfest to resume aid. How much pressure must that have been? It's a far cry from her brother, who only socializes for his own enjoyment.

The emotions he threw away when he got engaged to his sister -- his brother is the son of the same lord, but he's playing and taking it easy, and the feeling of why he's doing this rises up inside him.

"Lord Charles?"
When he was called out to, he realized he had been silent and had a grim expression on his face.

No good. He hastily puts on a social smile.
Rüdiger offers me another cup of tea, compliments the sweets, and gives me a little time to rest.

"I feel a little relieved. Charles also performs religious rites, doesn't he?"
"Yes. Since the year I was baptized, I have also participated in the prayer ceremony and harvest festival. What do you mean by relieved?"
"It seemed to me that only Rozemyne was being forced to perform the religious rites."
"...Does it seem that way?"

I don't know how much I can reveal about the inner workings of Ehrenfest, so that's all I can say.
The reason Onee-sama returned home temporarily for the dedication ceremony is also because she wants to hide her lack of social skills. And the reason Onee-sama's social skills are lacking is because she slept in Jureve for two years. In other words, it's my fault.
Magical power flows through my body. It compresses and hides.
I may have needed Uncle's necklace too.

"It's a pity I can't meet you, Lady Rozemyne. I wanted to talk to you at length."

Hearing this, I thought I must have a tea party. Since Lord Rüdiger is a senior student, it will be difficult to meet him once he graduates.

"Um, Lord Rüdiger, since you like books, let's exchange books. Do you have any books on mythology or history at Frenbeltag? I can also lend you some books from Ehrenfest, and if you tell me what you think of them, I'm sure you'll be very happy."
"Books, you say? Lady Rozemyne is quite intelligent."

I feel like my sister is misunderstood.

My sister is certainly beautiful, intelligent, brave, excellent, and flawless, but when you talk to her, she is also very funny and cute. She also has many dangerous sides. I want everyone to help her, not worship her.

Maybe if they meet and talk to her once, her false image as the saint of Ehrenfest will crumble. This is even more so if I prepare some books for her.
I made a promise to have another tea party and then parted ways with Rüdiger.

"Charles, what's wrong? You seem depressed."

During dinner, my brother said to me.

I haven't been able to cheer myself up since my cousin's tea party, but my brother pointed out that I'm not in high spirits. This won't do.

"No. I'm just a little tired from the tea party."

"Did something happen between you and Rüdiger? If you're in trouble, talk to my brother."

I had decided to ask my sister about the Frenbeltag issue first, and then ask my brother. It wasn't urgent, and it would be less complicated to examine the information from the top.

"It's not Rüdiger. I'm angry at Dietrinde, who is very demanding."

"Hmm? Is that so? But women are selfish, aren't they?"

My brother doesn't seem to mind Dietrinde's actions. And I'm worried about his image of women. Isn't it warped?

"You don't smile unless Rozemyne is around, so you seem clever."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean. I was hoping Rozemyne would come back soon."

I glared at him and my brother tried to cover it up. It was true.

From here, Ordnance wouldn't reach my sister.

I wanted to meet her.

Chapter Text

It seems that there will be no problem if I leave the preparations for the dedication ceremony to Kanfel and Frittak.

After returning to the temple, I read the documents I borrowed from Solange and the book I borrowed from Hannelore. It was a blissful time.

After returning to Ehrenfest, I felt strange that I hadn't received Charles' goodnight ordnance. I felt like the end of the day was unsatisfying.

Ferdinand, who had returned from the castle, handed me several pieces of paper.

"I received a letter and a questionnaire from Charles. Your answers are needed for the questionnaire."

The letter was written like a diary of the exchanges made during the goodnight ordnance. It seems that Charles is busy socializing at the aristocratic academy. Wilfried seems to drag him around in male social situations and force him to socialize with women.

I also looked through the questionnaire. Not only Luzinde but Adolphine also wanted to read the book from Ehrenfest. Apparently love stories are all the rage at the academy right now.

"Rozemyne, are you allowed to lend out books? Is it about such agonizing stuff?"

"Uh, while I was away, Charles was having a tea party with the girls."

"Didn't you leave the social stuff to Charles? He's a lot more reliable than Wilfried."

"But Charles is a boy, isn't he? Attending a tea party to talk about love stories--"

Huh? That suits him? Doesn't it feel strange?!

I tried to imagine Charles having a tea party with the girls. Oh my goodness. It makes sense. Charles has more feminine charm than me, and he's been trained by his mother twice. He'll do it better than me.

But somehow, I'm not satisfied.

"Even I've been invited to women's tea parties at the academy."

Ferdinand says coolly. Come to think of it, the princess liked him and invited him. I'm sure the other female students were also squealing over the fact that he was invited to a tea party. Charles isn't the type to be squealed over, but rather to be doted on by the older ladies. I'm also doted on and told "You're so small," but I think it's better when it's the opposite sex, the doting is much more intense.
Huh? As an older sister, shouldn't I be protecting Charles here?!
Suddenly I'm worried about Charles at the Noble Academy.

"I want to return to the Noble Academy soon!"
"But aren't you going to have a meeting with the Gilberta Company?"
"That's right!"

That's right. I want to see Tuuli again after a long time. Tuuli is more important to me than Charles, who I can see whenever I want. Besides, now that his aides are at the Noble Academy, maybe it's okay to relax my attitude a bit. I grinned and Ferdinand gave a complicated smile.
The Gilberta Company can't come to the temple until the blizzard subsides. Days pass by as I peer out the window.

After my meeting with the Gilberta Company, I was overjoyed.

Turi told me about Mother's fabric with her facial expression, and it seems she's already thought up some hair accessory designs in preparation for an order.

...My Turi is a real angel. She's so reliable! And she's now my mother's exclusive agent. Yay!

Even so, I want to be a reliable older sister like Turi, but lately I'm far from being a great older sister.

I asked Ferdinand at lunch, which was set up with us as attendants.

"How can I become a great older sister? What do you think I should do for Charles?"

"You're not a sister, you're going to be the lord's wife, so rely on the next lord instead of pampering him."

I blinked at Ferdinand's words. I'd never thought of that.

"Rely on me, huh? What should I do?"

"You're too dangerous, so it's best to leave everything to Charles."

"Wait! That's way too much!"

When I protested, Ferdinand gave me a torrent of explanations.

The thing I'm lacking the most is social skills, so I should gain as much social experience as I can at the Noble Academy, I should only attend tea parties where Charles can be present, as he can look after me, when I have an idea, I should consult Charles first instead of going around on my own, I should try to stay away from the royal family as much as possible, I should write reports properly, etc.

...Halfway through, he started scolding me, regardless of whether I was the lord's wife or not!

"No, I want Charles to rely on me! Aren't there certain tasks that only the lord's wife can do?"

"Ask Florencia about such things, not me."

Ferdinand looked like he was having trouble, so I decided to ask Florencia.

"Is that your job as a lord's wife?"

"Yes. Please tell me for future reference."

"The most important job of a lord's wife is to get the lord to work."

I was dumbfounded.

...Wh, what...?

I imagined the frontier of getting the reluctant Sylvester to work. It certainly requires skill. I didn't want to know that that was the lord's wife's job.

"Foster mother, isn't that only for the foster father? Charles doesn't run away from work."

Florencia puts her hand on her cheek and tilts her head.

"Foster mother, what other work do you do?"

"Socializing."

"Socializing?"
"You'll make lots of friends at the Noble Academy. Good friends are an irreplaceable treasure. Even in the Lords' Conference, just having someone you've interacted with can make a big difference."

"Will making lots of friends help Charles?"

Yes, of course. Florencia smiled.

"Charles can only attend ladies' tea parties when he is still in the early years and looks young. By then, Rozemyne must be able to attend tea parties alone."

Apparently, it becomes harder to attend tea parties with the opposite sex as you get older. I see, so I need to gain more social experience and be able to take over soon.

The day to return to the Noble Academy has arrived.

I get on the teleportation circle. When the torrent of black and gold light disappears and the shaking in my vision stops, I have arrived at the Noble Academy.

"Big sister! Welcome back."

"Welcome back, Lady Rozemyne."

Charles and his aides welcome me with smiles.

I tell the aides that I've just returned, and then I firmly plead with Charles.

"It's not fair that only Charles attends the book lovers' tea parties! From now on, I'll be attending all the women's tea parties!"

She wasn't particularly angry, but she thought that if she said that, Charles would give up the tea party to me.
Charles suddenly laughed softly.
...You look so relaxed!

"Sister. There's something I'd like to show you."

She held out her hand gracefully. When I tried to hold her hand like usual, she corrected it and we were in an escort position. We went straight to the multipurpose hall. I only escort her at banquets and other gatherings, so it felt refreshing.
There were people studying or copying in the multipurpose hall.
She arrived at the table for the lord candidates at the very back, and her eyes were drawn to what was lined up there.

"W-what are these...!"

There were three books lined up there.
Charles explained.

"From the left, this is Froebel-Tag's book, Drevanhel's book, and Gillessenmeyer's book. I borrowed them for the tea party."
"Wow, how wonderful...!"

Rihyarda and Charles quickly held up the empty magic stone over me. The color of the magic stone immediately changed.
Charles laughed in a troubled voice.

"Onee-sama, please give me your blessing."
"Thank God! Pray to God!"

The blessings overflowed.
Happiness spread all over me, and the book seemed to shine to my eyes. As a result, even Charles seemed to shine with it. It felt like he had a halo around him.
...Thank you to Liebeskhilfe, the goddess of matchmaking, for granting me this encounter! And pray!

"I love Charles!"

"Wah!"

"Rozemyne!"

"Princess, please calm down."

"You shouldn't hug me in front of everyone, sister."

"Yes."

After a bit of fuss, I calmed down and was scolded by Charles.

But it's impossible to contain my excitement with all these books lined up.

"But what happened just now was Charles' fault, wasn't it? It's weird to gather all these books and not get excited about me, isn't it?"

Everyone around me gasped. Only Charles was smiling.

"I'm glad you're happy."

"I can read all of these, right...?"

All three books have different bindings.

Just like the Dunkelfelger books were hot and stuffy, each territory probably has its own unique features. I can't wait to read them.

"Lady Rozemyne, Marianne and I have collected many love stories. We have also received some stories from apprentice civil servants in other territories. Lady Rozemyne must read and evaluate them."
"That's wonderful, Philine."

Looking at the wooden box Philine pointed to, there was a pile of papers inside.

"That's all!?"
"Marianne and I worked together."

Philine smiled.
This is bad. My tension was rising rapidly.

"Umm, big sister, are you okay?"
"Maybe not. I can feel my magical power overflowing."
"Princess, let's be on the safe side and return to our rooms."

When Rihyarda said that, Charles looked like an abandoned puppy. He must have thought that we would be able to spend time together after this. I have to live up to Charles' expectations. As a big sister!

"Today I'm going to read with Charles!"

With that announcement, it was time for reading in the usual meeting room reserved for lord candidates.
As I sat on the couch and began to read, Charles sat down next to me.

From then on, we didn't just read, we chatted. We updated each other, exchanged information, coordinated future plans, and had casual conversations. We had so much to talk about that we ended up talking for a long time.

That night, Charles' Goodnight Ordinance arrived, and I felt relieved, as it finally felt like I was returning to my daily life.

Chapter Text

※I don't know what Luzinde's personality is like, but I'm writing this to make it easier to write

My name is Luzinde.

I am a candidate for the lordship of Gillessenmeyer, which is ranked 4th in the territory rankings.

I was invited by Lady Hannelore of Dunkelferger to a "tea party to share our thoughts on love stories".

The collection of love stories from the aristocratic academy is a book from Ehrenfest that I borrowed from Lord Charles, and Lady Hannelore recommended it very enthusiastically. I was completely captivated by the stories, which were all heart-fluttering.

"I'm looking forward to the sweets at Ehrenfest because they're delicious"

"It's a great help to have Lady Luzinde, a candidate for the lordship, here this year"

My aides all say this.

I'm also looking forward to the tea party with Ehrenfest.

Ehrenfest has delicious sweets, a hair styling product called rinshan that makes hair shiny, and beautiful hair accessories. These trends attracted attention from all over the territory, and they were in high demand for tea parties.
In Gillessenmeyer, they didn't get much information last year, so everyone is excited for this year. It was fortunate that Charles was in the same year.

"Good day, Lady Luzinde."

"Lady Hannelore, thank you for inviting me."

Charles was at his seat. It seems Lady Rozemyne hasn't returned from Ehrenfest yet. We exchanged greetings.

"Good day, Lady Adolphine."

Charles stood a little tense.
Lady Adolphine loves to tease Charles, so he doesn't like her very much.

The tea party began with eating the sweets that everyone had brought.
Lady Hannelore's cheeks were flushed with excitement as she shared her thoughts on the book. Lady Hannelore is usually a gentle and reserved person, but when she talks about love stories, you can see her adorable side like this.

"Do you have any stories that everyone already knows? Your sister would be happy, and maybe it will become the next book."

That's how Lord Charles is collecting stories for Lady Rozemyne.
The civil servant trainees of Ehrenfest put their pens to work. Lord Charles and Lady Rozemyne are close to each other, so much so that it's hard to tell who is who.
Lord Charles always says "My sister" or "My sister is."
I was worried that if the lord's biological son was so fond of her, it would be difficult for Lady Rozemyne, who is an adopted daughter, to refuse him, but it seems that Lady Rozemyne also likes Lord Charles, which is a relief.
It's nice to see the two of them getting along, and I'm a little envious.

"Did Rozemyne and Charles meet in a wonderful way, just like in a love story?"

Lady Adolphine asked with a smile.

Charles smiled back, not wanting to be outdone.

"I'll leave that to your imagination."

It seems like a lie that before, he used to get embarrassed and flustered every time Adolphine teased him.

"Well, you've gotten really good at answering. It's boring."

"Thanks to Lady Adolphine training me."

He must have gotten used to it because Adolphine teased him so many times.

It's great that even when Charles teases him so many times, he doesn't reply with "How is Lady Adolphine?" Prince Sigiswald is a distant relative, so I know that he's not very considerate. Charles probably doesn't know, but he probably feels something about it.

However, when Lady Adolphine persisted in asking, Lord Charles finally spoke.

...So he ended up speaking!

I can understand why Lady Adolphine wanted to tease him.

"The first time I met you was shortly before the baptism, when we were arranging your room in the northern annex."

The lord's children do not meet anyone other than their own siblings until the baptismal ceremony is over. This means that the first person Lord Charles met other than his family and aides was Lady Rozemyne. It feels like fate.

"Have you liked Lady Rozemyne since the first time you met, Lord Charles?"

This time it's Lady Hannelore who speaks up.

Lord Charles blushes a little and smiles. He seems to be getting into the groove.

"No, at the time I wasn't sure what kind of person my new big sister was. I had heard about her from my brother, but his explanations were hard to understand..."

Charles' brother is Wilfried.
Wilfried is famous in Gillessenmeyer for not being able to explain the trends in Ehrenfest at all. I see, he's really bad at explaining things.

"So you have a wonderful story about how you started to love Rozemyne?"

Adolphine cuts further.
Charles smiles with a troubled look on his face and says.

"It's a secret."
"Oh. You don't really want to talk about it?"
"...No. It involves the affairs of the territory, so I can't tell you."
"Well, that's a pity."

Adolphine quickly changes the topic. She must have realized that it was a topic that shouldn't be touched upon. Even when I was nervous and thought, "Maybe I shouldn't be asking so persistently?!", Charles would blurt it out in the end. Adolphine's judgment is impressive. I should learn from her.

"...Hey, Luzinde."
"I wonder, Hannelore."
"Wouldn't you like to hear how Charles and Rozemyne met?"
"I would like to hear! But is it okay to force myself to ask?"
"I think, if Adolphine isn't there at the tea party, she might tell me in secret!"

Hannelore, who is usually demure but suddenly becomes proactive when it comes to love stories, says.
Is it okay?
But I would like to know too!

The tea party was held under the pretext of a small group of people wanting to talk leisurely about love stories.

Only myself, Hannelore, and Charles, the three lower grades, were there.

"Can you keep this a secret?"

...He said he would tell me!
Lord Charles wanted to talk about Lady Rozemyne after all.

"That was about my baptism. As the head priest, my sister bestowed her blessing upon me."

Lady Rozemyne is one year older than Lord Charles. Does that mean she was in the position of head priest even before entering the Noble Academy, and was able to give her blessing? Is that normal in Ehrenfest?

I was surprised, but Lady Hannelore listened without any hesitation. She is friends with Lady Rozemyne, so she may already know.

"After the seven bells rang, we returned to the northern annex. On the way, men dressed in black and armed with weapons broke in. I tried to escape to the northern annex by myself, but I was kidnapped from the window."
"Well..."

Suddenly it was a scary story.
Gillessenmeyer is a victorious territory, so the security is good. However, I hear that there are many territories where this is not the case.

"At that moment, my sister flew out into the night sky on her mount to save me."

......!?

"That's when I fell in love with my sister."

......!???

"What a wonderful story!"

Charles' eyes were moist as he told the story, and Hannelore's eyes also moistened and sparkled as she listened.
I just couldn't keep up.
If Charles was kidnapped and a wonderful knight rescued him, I could understand. If Rozemyne was kidnapped and Charles rescued her, that would be unexpected, but I could imagine it. Stories like this, where a delicate gentleman is actually strong, are very appealing.

But Charles was kidnapped and Rozemyne went to rescue him?

"Oh, um, Lady Rozemyne?"

"Yeah. You can't believe it, can you? I couldn't believe it either. I never thought that my sister would risk her life to come and save me."

No one would think that.

"I know. Lady Rozemyne is a very talented candidate for lordship, and she is praised in Dunkelfelger for her strong Ditter skills."

Lady Hannelore says.
Ditter is a competition played by knight trainees. It doesn't seem to fit in with the small and gentle Lady Rozemyne. But last year, Lady Rozemyne participated in Ditter and won at Dunkelfelger. I can't believe it.

"That small and cute Lady Rozemyne...?"

Lord Charles shook his head.

"You're cute, but at the same time, you're very brave, affectionate, and cool."

"Oh, my, that's wonderful!"

"......"

"I want to become a strong woman who can help the man I love someday."

Hannelore said with sparkling eyes.

Are you aiming for the wrong place?!

When I returned to the dormitory, my aides all spoke up.

"I've heard rumors that Rozemyne's beast attacked Professor Fraulerm. Rozemyne's beast must be very strong."

"I've heard that even when threatened by Lestilaut of Dunkelfelger, she didn't back down. Since it's you who say that, Hannelore. It must be true."

I no longer understand the person called Rozemyne.

"Everyone, Charles told me this out of friendship as we are in the same year. Please don't tell anyone."

At the end of the tea party, Charles said, "It would be a disgrace to have been saved by a woman, so I don't want it to be known." As his friend, I must protect this story to the last.

Or so I thought, but at the tea party that followed, Charles told the same story to Adolphine. Even though it was the second time she had heard it, Hannelore was trembling with emotion.

...I don't know if Adolphine was impressive, or if Charles was being too lenient!

Chapter Text

When I returned from the men's social gathering that day, the multipurpose hall was noisy. Hartmut was talking enthusiastically about something.

Judith came running over to see me.

"Lord Charles, something bad has happened. Lady Rozemyne has collapsed."
"What?! Why?! How is she?!"
"She has a fever and is currently resting in bed."
"I'll go visit her right away--"
"Lord Charles, men are not allowed on the third floor of the dormitory."

That's right.

While I was panicking, Cornelius came and told me the situation.

The people of the Central Temple regenerated the land that had been damaged by Ternisbefallen, but it did not fully recover and they were unable to obtain better materials than before. After hearing this, her sister performed a healing ritual, which apparently made her feel sick from using too much magic.

The healing ritual was so mysterious that Hartmut is still excited about it.

Hartmut is annoying.

"Hartmut, please be quiet. You're bothering everyone."

When I scold Hartmut, the people around me look relieved.

"Why does Hartmut boast about my sister's achievements as if they own the place? Only my brother and I have the right to boast about my sister."

The people around me look like they're saying, "No, that's not it," but I have to say it. It's been bothering me for a long time.

"Isn't it natural to praise the Saint of Ehrenfest?"
"My sister is not the Saint of Ehrenfest. She's my goddess!"

Hartmut flinches.

The smile deepens the pressure and I continue.

"Your sister tried too hard to heal the collection site. She didn't perform the healing ritual to please Hartmut. Shouldn't an aide stop your sister from falling into bed, instead of praising her?"

Hartmut flinched even more and apologized.

...That's fine.

Leonore came to the usual meeting room.

"Leonore, how is your sister?"

"She's asleep now."

Leonore explained that she didn't suddenly faint, but was carried to the bed when she started to look pale, so her symptoms were milder than usual.

But I'm still worried. Unlike the castle, I'm not allowed to enter the room, which is frustrating.

"I'd like to send you a condolence gift, but can I read a book?"

Leonore tilts her head in confusion and Cornelius makes a displeased face. It seems that books are difficult.

"Lord Charles, how about sending a message card?"

Following Marianne's suggestion, I wrote a get well card using a new floral watermark card from the Printemps Company.
Judith said she would deliver it to his bedside right away. She cheerfully left the room.
Leonore looked gloomy and apologized, "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?"
"Lady Rozemyne was already in pain during the ritual. Despite that, she still used a healing potion. I should have stopped her."
"Leonore is not to blame."
"No. Lady Rozemyne is neglecting herself in order to help those around her. Her aides should admonish her."

I understood Leonore's feelings very well. My sister is kind, so she prioritizes those around her over herself.
However, it will be difficult for Leonore to stop her sister's actions.
My sister does unexpected things, she doesn't understand her own lack of physical strength, and she often acts on her own, probably because she's not used to having aides by her side.

...Ah, but that's something uncle can't teach her.

My uncle often acts alone and doesn't have much of a sense of working with aides. And my father also tends to ignore his aides when he acts.

...Maybe my sister doesn't have a role model?

My head hurts.

To be honest, I'm really worried about my father, uncle, and Karstedt educating my sister. They're all very worrying people. My uncle is very talented, but there are many things I can point out. And my father is just as good. I'll have to talk to mother and Elvira when I get home.

"I'll be careful so I can stop my sister."

Perhaps because the atmosphere had become tense, Cornelius said in a cheerful tone.

"I'm grateful that Charles stopped Hartmut."

"Cornelius could have stopped Hartmut, right?"

Cornelius is a branch of the lord's family, so he has a higher status than Hartmut.

He looked away.

( *^-^)ρ(^0^* )

Adolphine's hair ornament was to be presented at a tea party hosted by Adolphine.

I was suddenly invited to a tea party only for the higher-ranking territories, but I and half of my sister have been to tea parties together before, so it should be fine.

"It's strange that Charles is a man and is invited so naturally..." My sister makes a very cute remark.

"My sister, could you get through the tea party on your own without me?"

"No. I feel reassured that Charles is here. Ferdinand told me to rely on Charles. Hahaha."

My sister's sudden change of heart is also cute.

"Thank you for inviting me."
"Well, Lady Rozemyne and Lord Charles, I'm glad you came."
The tea party started without a hitch.

Looking at my sister's expression, I was relieved to see that she didn't seem too nervous and was enjoying the sweets and conversation. Today's tea party is mainly for the higher territories, so I'm relieved that there will be no teasing from Lady Adolphine.
"Prince Sigiswald placed an order to celebrate Lady Adolphine's coming of age."
The topic turned to fashion in Ehrenfest, and I presented her with a hair ornament.

Everyone sighed in envy at my sister's words. I can feel that the value of hair ornaments in Ehrenfest has increased. There will be a lot of pressure to expand the trading quota at this year's lord's conference. I hope Father does his best.

I was a little troubled when my sister suggested that I wear a hair ornament.
Tying my hair like at the coming-of-age ceremony means combing it beforehand. It would be bad to see Lady Adolphine with her hair down before Prince Sigiswald does.

"Shall I leave my seat?"

"I don't mind. Your fiancée, Lady Rozemyne, is sitting next to you. You won't look at me with nasty eyes, right?"

My escape route was blocked.

Just as I was in a difficult position, my sister suddenly spoke, and for some reason with a boastful tone.

"In that case, should I blindfold you?"

Huh?

Everyone was dumbfounded.

"If I get so engrossed in a book that I don't notice the time, Charles will blindfold me."

"Well, a blindfold, huh...?"

Lady Hannelore stuck to it!

I need to show the other territories how close I am with my sister, but I want to do it in front of the men, not the women. It's really embarrassing to be teased by older women.

"Well, it's indecent of Lady Rozemyne to allow a man to touch her like that."

"Is that so? I think it's endearing and cute."

Dietlinde finds fault with her and Luzinde defends her.

While they were arguing, Adolphine's hair was already done before they knew it. Lady Adolphine's attendants are excellent. My hair takes much longer to prepare.

"I wonder?"
"It suits you very well, and you're beautiful."
"Prince Sigiswald is a wonderful man to be given such a perfectly fitting hair accessory."

The hair accessory was made by Lady Adolphine herself, Brünnhilde, and the hair accessory craftsman Turi, and Prince Sigiswald had nothing to do with it. Lady Adolphine was probably worried about marrying Prince Sigiswald, so she said this, and her older sister offered words of encouragement. Her older sister is kind.
As I was feeling warm and happy watching the two of them smile at each other, someone spoke up without reading the atmosphere.

"I would also like to wear a hair accessory at next year's graduation ceremony. What kind of flowers would suit me?"

It was Dietlinde. She was persistent.
She also said she wanted a hair accessory at her cousin's tea party.

"It would be great if we could start a business with Ahrensbach at this year's lord's conference."

She smiled and left the matter to Father.
She kept asking, but I couldn't accept it here. I repeatedly gave her roundabout refusal.

"Well, maybe I should ask Wilfried instead of Rozemyne or Charles?"

Dietlinde's mouth curved in an unpleasant smile. She couldn't help but remember Grandma and shuddered.

"Oh? Is Wilfried the one Dietlinde is escorting?"

"No. There is no such talk. I'm sure she said that because she thought that my brother was the kindest and easiest to handle."

She deepened her smile and declared. I'd be in trouble if she pressured me after I finally turned her down last year.

"That's right. Wilfried is kind, but Charles and Rozemyne are cold-hearted."

Dietlinde said with a sulky look. I thought, "Wow," when I saw her sulking, but if my brother was a simple man, he would think, "I have to do something about it." I don't like Dietlinde.

"Is Wilfried kind?"

My sister said, confused.

...My sister! That's the worst way to bring up the topic!

I know you're curious. My brother isn't very kind to me. I get it, but this is a tea party where the higher-ranking territories are gathered.
While I was wondering how to cover up what my sister had said, Dietrinde made a problematic statement from a different angle.

"Yeah. I even got some rinsham from Wilfried as a special favor."

...Brother! What are you doing?!

I yelled in my mind.

It's a problem to give preferential treatment to a territory that isn't our trading partner, it's a problem if people think that Ehrenfest and Ahrensbach are on good terms, it's a problem if people think that my brother has a special relationship with Dietrinde, it's just a problem. What are you doing, seriously?

"Ah, Wilfried..."

My sister spoke in a dazed voice.

What are we going to do?!

"Didn't Dietrinde ask Ehrenfest for something too much? It's embarrassing to ask a younger man."

...Adolphine!

Thank goodness! If Ortwin had been there, she would have muttered, "Sister, how dare you say that?" but she was saved.

"Oh, no. I didn't force you to do it, Wilfried sent it."

Everyone in the room was in a cold mood, thinking, "Dietlinde asked for too much." In reality, it's possible that my brother carelessly sent the rinsham as he asked, but what was important was how he felt, rather than the facts.

My sister spoke in a bright voice, trying to mediate. "We can give everyone a small amount of samples like last year. We don't have any ready today, so we'll have to wait a while."

Everyone turned to my sister with shining eyes.

Then the topic of rinsham came up. The focus of the conversation shifted from Dietlinde to my sister. Impressive.

"Lady Dietlinde received it from Lord Wilfried, so you don't need it, right?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

Lady Adolphine said, glancing at Lady Dietlinde. Lady Dietlinde was quick to respond.

And so it was decided that Rinsham would be presented to the high-ranking territories that had excluded Lady Dietlinde.

"You're amazing, big sister!"

When I praised her, big sister narrowed her golden eyes and looked very happy. Seeing her happy made me happy too. So I praised her some more.

"Thanks to the trend you started, many high-ranking territories have been awarded Rinsham. We were able to build a friendship with them."
"It was because Charles had good social skills."
"No, it's all thanks to Onee-sama."

As the two of us complimented each other, the aides chuckled. I hope I can continue to cooperate with Onee-sama like this.
Afterwards, we went to the meeting room reserved for lord candidates to carry out various post-tea party tasks. Last year, everyone was given the same rinsham, but this year, together with Brunhilde, we will choose rinshams that suit everyone.
Onee-sama was a little sulky and asked, "How can Charles choose rinshams?" so I patted her on the head. We also prepared a report to send to Ehrenfest.

"This is perfect."
"Yes. All that's left now is to punish my brother for giving rinsham to Dietlinde without her permission!"

I made a smile and declared.

Chapter Text

I called my brother into the meeting room and confronted him.

"Brother, I heard that you gave Dietlinde some rinsham. What does that mean? I was told that it's forbidden to spread Ehrenfest's trends to other territories, right?"

"Hmm, hmm..."

My force makes my brother flinch.

My sister looks at me with eyes that show she is curious. I can be forceful with my brother sometimes.

"I thought it would be okay if it was just a little. Rozemyne also gave me some rinsham at the tea party last year, right?"

I was shocked.

"Brother, there's a big difference in meaning between giving gifts to multiple people of the same sex and giving gifts to one person of the opposite sex. Giving a personal gift to a member of the opposite sex is an act of courtship, isn't it? It's not surprising that others would misunderstand that."

"Nuu..."

My sister interrupts.

"Charles, didn't Wilfried give Dietlinde the rinsham because he likes her? I feel bad for interrogating him about that."
"What!?"
"Rozemyne, what are you talking about?"

I'm shocked.
I hadn't even considered the possibility that someone could fall in love with Dietlinde. But it's easier to understand if he gave a gift to a woman he liked, than to think that he mindlessly sold a fashionable item to enemy territory.
I'm getting more and more agitated.

"Brother, did you have feelings for Dietlinde? If so, you should have said so sooner..."
"No, I just couldn't refuse."
"...Isn't that right? You don't like Dietlinde, do you?"
"No, of course I do! Otherwise, Wilfried wouldn't give gifts to women!"
"Oh, brother!?"
"I'm telling you that's not it! You two really do like love stories."

My brother says that, but I can't stop worrying.
I'm sure he wouldn't bring up marriage talk that would be detrimental to the territory, but it's him. In the first place, he might not even be thinking about the power balance with other territories.
I said forcefully.

"Brother, if you find someone you like, please let me know. Since the territory is involved, I'm not uninvolved."
"I refuse."
"Why not?!"
"I don't want to tell you guys, because it will spread quickly."

I glance at my sister. My sister could do it. She's just like Elvira in that way.

"If you want to hide it so much, does that mean you already have a girl you like, Brother Wilfried?"

When my sister said this, my brother was at a loss for words.

"Is there someone?"
"Yes, there is!!"

The words overlap.
My sister's eyes sparkle. She really is just like Elvira.

"Who is it? Is it someone I know?"
"Brother, which territory is she from? Please tell me!"
"No!"

...Sounds like a lie!
My sister doesn't back down even when my brother denies it.

"So, Wilfried, which type of beauty do you prefer? A gentle beauty like Eglantine, a sharp beauty like Adolphine, or a flashy beauty like Dietlinde?"
"Of those options, Eglantine is the most beautiful, right?"
"No. I'm not asking in general; I want to know what Wilfried likes."
"I don't understand."
"Brother. Sister. That's rude of a question."

I've never met Eglantine, so I don't know what she looks like, but I'm relieved that Dietlinde isn't the best.

Ignaz is grinning next to me, so I poke him.

"Ignaz, do you know something?"
"Yes! Wilfried likes cute types like Hannelore."
"Really?!"

That's useful information.

"Ignaz, don't talk nonsense!"

"Ahhh."

"What shall we do? Lady Hannelore is so cute. Will Wilfried join the tea party?"

"Brother, aren't you asking too much of yourself, saying that Lady Hannelore is your favorite?"

"I've told you that's not true! You're being arrogant just because you're engaged!"

And so, my brother got annoyed and we broke up.

"Lady Hannelore!"

My sister said happily.

"I'd be happy if Lady Hannelore came to Ehrenfest as a bride. We could have tea parties even after graduating from the aristocratic academy. If Wilfried and Lady Hannelore get married, then Lady Hannelore would be my sister, right? I'd really like Lady Hannelore to come to Ehrenfest."

My sister seems happy, but to be honest, I can't agree with a princess from a large territory.

"Sister, please calm down. Lady Hannelore's favorite type is a reliable gentleman."

My sister was completely silent.

"I don't know if you really love Lady Hannelore, and first of all, Lady Hannelore is the princess of a large territory. I don't think you'd be allowed to marry her unless she was the lord's first wife."

My sister blinked and muttered, "I see..."

"So, how about having her come to Ehrenfest as Charles' first wife?"
"Yes?"

I felt like the ideal image of a lord and his wife that I was aiming for had been crushed with a bang. It turned into sand. It was pulverized into pieces.

"Um, sister?"

"I think we can work together with Lady Hannelore. We can hold lots of tea parties for book lovers. Lady Hannelore likes love stories, so I think she'll get along well with Mother."

Lady Hannelore continues talking about how happy she would be if Lady Hannelore came to Ehrenfest. But I don't understand even half of what she's saying.

Stupidly, I arrive at my room and ask my aide.

"Can I cry?"
"Then I'll prepare the secret room."

Olivier also prepared the harspiel.
I lock myself in the secret room and play the harspiel's tragic love song one after another. I keep playing the harspiel until dinner time. I feel a little better.

"Um, Charles. I'm sorry. I like Charles's best."

When I get to the dining room, I receive an apology. She looks depressed, as if she's been scolded by someone. Brunhilde and Marianne were standing behind Onee-sama. I immediately knew who had told her. Onee-sama's words themselves were not strange for a lord's wife, so she must have understood my feelings.

"Onee-sama. You are the most important to me, and that will never change. I don't want to marry anyone other than you."

When I gently took her hand and said this, Onee-sama blushed. Her eyes were wavering and fidgety.
She seemed unsure of what to do, so I poked her cheek with my index finger, and she blushed.

"Your words today made me sad."

"Ah... I'm sorry. I was just thinking of something. Charles is also my number one."

"Books are your number one, right?"

"Please don't be so mean. Books are a separate category."

"...You two, the waiters are having trouble. Please take a seat quickly."

"Yes."

After dinner, I had a long chat with my sister and recovered. My father didn't marry anyone other than my mother. I'll try to get away with it too.

On that day, just before bed, Olivier spoke to me.

"Charles, do you have a few minutes of your time?"

"Yes. What's the matter?"

I offered Olivier a chair. He spoke to me solemnly, so I knew it was something important. Zalkrecht made tea for me. The other apprentices had already gone home, so there were only three of us left.

After a bit of small talk, Olivier spoke solemnly.

"Keep an eye on Wilfried's movements. Last year, Oswald was plotting to bring Dietlinde to Ehrenfest as Wilfried's first wife."

"Huh?!"

I couldn't help but raise my voice.

That would be the worst. It must never happen. It sent chills down my spine.

The nobles of Ehrenfest detest the Ahrensbach bloodline and the intervention of the great fiefdom because of past disputes. If Dietlinde were to marry my brother, there would be a plot to eliminate him. Not only with my sister's backing, but also with my backing.

"But Dietlinde has to stay in Ahrensbach, so she can't marry, right?"

"Yes. That seems to have caused the plan to fall through."

I exhaled softly.

It was a good thing that Ahrensbach had few lords and Dietlinde wanted to become a son-in-law.

"Father has forbidden you from interacting with Ahrensbach, right? Was Oswald planning to go against the lord's wishes?"

"Many of Wilfried's aides hate the lord who replaced Veronica. He probably planned to make Wilfried the next lord with Ahrensbach's backing and quickly change the position."

I frown.

"I will not let my brother become the next lord."

I declare.
The revival of the Veronica faction must be avoided at all costs. That is a decision made by Ehrenfest.

"Yes, of course."

Olivier and Zalkrecht nod in response.

"We are in control of the women's social interactions, but we need to be vigilant. Now that his relationship with Dietlinde has disappeared, there is a high possibility that he will plan to marry off the princess of another large territory."

That's what Oswald would think. Oswald doesn't train my brother, but instead works in a different direction, denigrating others and taking away their achievements.

"My brother... Even if you don't intend to back me up through marriage, if your aides tempt you, you'll easily fall in love with the princess of a large territory."

It may also be Oswald who has casually mentioned Hannelore's name. I don't think Hannelore would do anything for my brother, so I'm relieved, but if I praise Hannelore in front of my brother many times, he will eventually fall in love with her. My brother is really simple-minded.

I was raised to be the next lord in opposition to my brother. I know I'm competing with him for the lordship. But that's in terms of grades and magical power. I never thought about backing him up through marriage.

But when I think about it, I was closer to the position of next lord through my engagement to my sister. It might be cowardly for me to say that I want to fight fairly.

"As Lady Rozemyne says, why don't you take a first wife from a large territory?"
"Absolutely not."

I said it reflexively and looked up.
Olivier suddenly smiled. It was as if he knew my answer.

"Yes. That's why we must at least be careful who Wilfried's partner is. The lord will value Wilfried's wishes more than the peace of Ehrenfest."
"...That's right. Father will prioritize his son's feelings over politics."

That's why I was able to get engaged to my sister. If Father was an ordinary lord, he wouldn't have allowed a marriage that disregarded his backing.
I'm grateful to Father.
However, it's very likely that he will give permission for your brother's engagement in the same way, ignoring politics. If your brother says, "I've fallen in love with someone," he will easily give permission without properly investigating the other person. That's the kind of person Father is.

I wonder what kind of woman my brother will choose as his partner.
More specifically, what are my brother and Oswald doing leaving all the social interactions with women to me? They're missing the chance to outwit me.

My brother and the older female lord candidates are mostly participants in the Love Story Tea Party. All of them have a deeper bond with me and my sister than my brother. If something were to happen, it would be easy to block their romance. I wonder if my brother is willing to do it? Knowing him, he probably doesn't have any thoughts about it.

As I was thinking about it, Ordonnanz slipped in.

"Charles, I'm sorry about today. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Good night."

"Eh?!"

When I realized it, it seemed like it was past the time to send off the Ordonnanz as usual.

"Oh. It's already this time. We've been talking for a while."

"W-what should I do! I'm sorry I've made you worry."

I always send Ordonnanz before going to bed.

My sister's voice sounded anxious. Maybe she thinks I'm still angry.

"Wouldn't it be better for Charles to send Ordonnanz back quickly?"
"That's right. Well, you two can go now. May you have a good night's sleep with Schlattraum's blessing."
"Thank you."

I've been being selfish and telling my aides that "I like to hear your voice at the end of the day," and asking them not to talk to Ordonnanz after he leaves.

I climb onto the bed and, hiding, tap my ring on Ordonnanz.

"Sister, I'm sorry I was late in sending Ordonnanz back. We got so caught up in talking that I fell asleep late. Goodnight. I love you."

Ordonnanz flies off. Will this put my sister at ease?

I wait impatiently. It feels like he's taking longer than usual to return.

Ordonnanz flies over and I guide him into my futon. It's easier to concentrate and listen inside the futon without any noise.

"Good night, Charles. I love you too."
"!"

Ordonnanz repeats the message three times. I close my eyes and stroke him, careful not to miss the remaining two.
All the unpleasant feelings I had been pondering melt away and disappear.

My big sister is amazing.
She's my goddess.

Chapter Text

"Charles, Rozemyne, this is bad!"

While watching the preparations for the territory competition with Charles in the multipurpose hall, Wilfried spoke to me, which was unusual.

"Brother Wilfried, what's wrong?"
"Lady Dietlinde asked me for a hair accessory."
"Huh?"
"You refused at Lady Adolphine's tea party, didn't you? You were being nasty to me!"

I'm fed up with Wilfried's complaints.
"Even if you say that, it can't be helped, since we're not doing business with Ahrensbach."

Charles also gets angry from a different angle.

"Brother, did you meet with Lady Dietlinde again?"
"Hmm, hmm..."

Charles approaches Wilfried. He's like a jealous lover.
...I'm his fiancée after all.
It's not funny.
Charles has been very concerned about Wilfried since the tea party with the higher territories. Even though they are brothers, I think he is meddling a bit too much. Wilfried has never told us what to do. I'm amazed at how close they are. Charles seems to be interfering too much.

"You should say something, sister."

I tilt my head.
To be honest, I don't care who Wilfried dates.

"We can't make deals between territories, but wouldn't it be fine if Wilfried personally sent him a hair ornament?"

"Huh?"

"That would be a relief, Rozemyne."

Charles looks at me with a "betrayed" look on his face.

"Big Sister!"

"Well, no matter how many times Charles tried to stop him, it seems like Wilfried and Dietlinde are having rendezvous. Isn't it okay for Wilfried to go to the territory he likes?"

"You're stupid, Big Sister!"

Charles pinched my cheek.
!?
For a moment I didn't know what had happened.
I felt like he called me an idiot. He called me an idiot, right?!
The words "My lovely big sister" crumbled above my head with a rattle. They cracked and fell into pieces.

"I'm not stupid~~"

It was the first time Charles had ever scolded me or pinched me on the cheek. Tears started to flow like a dam had burst.

"Charles! Rozemyne started crying!"
"But it was your fault that she did that."
"Eeek."

The multipurpose hall became noisy as they saw us.

"Everyone is fine. It was just a brother-sister quarrel."
"Sorry for the fuss."
"Eek, eeeek."

We were taken to a meeting room reserved for lord candidates, and I was led away clinging to Charles' arm.

"Sorry for pinching you, sister."

As we moved to the meeting room, Charles wiped my tears away with a handkerchief.

But the shock of being pinched on the cheek and called an idiot was so great that the tears started to fall.

...I want to be a great big sister, but I'm not good enough.

I'm aiming to be a big sister like Tuuli. And yet I have to be both a great fiance and a great lord's wife. Honestly, it's beyond my capacity.

"Sorry, I don't know what Charles is angry about. Please explain."
"Why don't you understand?"

Charles must be glaring at Wilfried.

"You're too close with Dietlinde. Ahrensbach is trying to get you to marry him. The children of the old Veronica faction are so wary of Dietlinde, so why are they so wary of her? Do you want to marry Dietlinde?"
"That's a different story. I have no intention of leaving Ehrenfest."
"In that case, please change your attitude."

Charles turned to me.

"You should not make careless remarks in a place like that. In some cases, the nobles may plausibly say that you want to drive your brother out of Ehrenfest."
"I have no intention of doing that."

I shook my head and said this, and Charles' anger seemed to ease a little. He gently strokes the cheek he pinched earlier.

"Then why did you say 'I can give her a hair ornament personally'? Are you okay with Dietlinde taking your brother? I don't want my brother to go to Ahrensbach."

Come to think of it, Ahrensbach was a place to be wary of. I remember Florence asking me to be careful.

"But Charles, Wilfried likes Dietlinde. Please let me give her a gift."

It's a common story that marriages are opposed and couples are escorted away to graduation ceremonies. It's a topic of conversation at tea parties, and there are many stories of lovers who don't end up together in the love stories of the aristocratic academy. Wilfried should also be the subject of a tragic love story. Elvira would be happy.

"No, wait, Rozemyne. Why are you talking like that? I don't like Dietlinde."

Wilfried's guardian knight trainees looked at Wilfried with a look of "Are you serious?" I feel the same way.

"Eh? You don't like her, but you accepted her request?"
"I just couldn't refuse a request from a large territory."
"Brother Wilfried, that's misunderstood."
"You're right, sister. Giving her a hair ornament is the same as asking her to escort you to your graduation ceremony."
"Is that how it is?"

Wilfried tilted his head, and Wilfried's attendant trainee held his head in his hands. He acts like it's none of his business, but teaching such things is the attendant's job, and he is dereliction of duty. Just as I am being taught by Brunhilde and the others, shouldn't Wilfried be properly taught as well?

I was getting more and more angry as I put my own affairs aside.
Generally speaking, it's because Wilfried doesn't properly refuse Dietlinde's selfishness. That's why Charles worries about Wilfried, and I get pinched by Charles.

What's the solution to this situation?

"I've decided. I'll find a wife for Wilfried!!"

"Sister?"

"Huh?! What are you talking about, Rozemyne?!"

Everyone is agitated, but I think it's a good idea.

"Well, if I'm not careful, Wilfried will get caught by a pushy woman like Dietlinde. I'll do my best! I'll find a woman who is beneficial to Ehrenfest and perfect for Wilfried!"

"Rozemyne, stop it. Nothing good will come of you getting too excited."

Wilfried says something rude.

Charles put his hand to his chin and thought about something.

"Charles, stop Rozemyne."

"I understand. I'll help find a partner for my brother!"

Wilfried's deep green eyes widen. I'm surprised too.

"What are you doing...?"

"I'm worried about my brother."

"Princess, young master, that's a good idea. Please help young master Wilfried."

Rihyarda also smiles and agrees. It's unusual for her to not intervene in our conversations.

If Charles and Rihyarda are on our side, then we're on good terms. I'm often scolded when I blurt out my ideas, so I'm feeling happy.

"Yes, Rihyarda. We'll do our best."

"Please wait. Even though we're brothers, this is going too far. Lord Wilfried will find a partner on his own."

"That's right. I have no intention of relying on you."

Oswald called a halt. Charles stops him with a smile.

"But you don't have any connections, do you? We are friends with the female lord candidates at the women's tea party. When you find someone you are interested in, we can first arrange a tea party with you. Since we hold love story tea parties, we are well aware of the type of men you like."

Oh! I see, it's a double date plan. I've heard about a boyfriend and girlfriend double date with two people you want to get together when I was in Urano. I've only heard about it, though.

"Besides, Wilfried's wife will be our sister. It's okay to have a little say! I'm going to find my future sister!"

"That's right. Mother said that whether or not you have friends from your time at the noble academy in the territory you are marrying into will affect your sense of security when you marry into the territory."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!"

And so the "Team to Find a Bride for Wilfried" was formed.

In the meeting room, we make a list of female lord candidates. It's easy because we only need to use the marriage information from the tea party report.

"Do you like older women, Wilfried?"

"I want you to marry a reliable woman, so an older woman would be good."

"I see, Wilfried is similar to his adoptive father. A woman who is gentle like his adoptive mother but can also take the reins would be good."

"You guys, please stop..."

"Brother, if you don't give us your opinion, we'll just make a decision on our own."

"There are many women in Ehrenfest who want to marry, so I'm sure Wilfried is very popular."

Wilfried has his head in his hands, but it's a fun time for me.

After dinner, when I went back to my room, I was told something unexpected.

"Today, Rozemyne looked lovely as a lord's wife."

"Yes. Really."

"Huh?"

I was stunned. I don't understand what you're talking about.

"Is it appropriate for a lord's wife to look for a wife for Wilfried?"

"Lady Rozemyne, you want Wilfried's spouse to join the Florentine faction, right?"

I blink at Brunhilde's words.

I hadn't thought about factions at all.

But that's right. Florentine and Elvira both increased the number of their factions through female socialization and fashion. Talking about Ferdinand and love stories together is very important for strengthening faction unity. To me, it just looks like Elvira is having fun.

“Lord Wilfried is in a difficult position. Please cooperate with Prince Charles and protect him."

"Wilfried's position?"

I don't understand Rihyarda's words either.

"You should hear from Charles. I'll ask him about tomorrow's plans."

Lieselotta said. My date with Charles is often decided without me even realizing it, in cooperation with my aides and Charles's aides. Like a capable secretary, she’s good at scheduling.

I'm not sure if she wants me to keep in touch with Charles, or if she's just left the explanation to Charles.

An Ordonnanz arrived from Charles.

"Sister, would you like to go to the gazebo tomorrow?"

"I'll go!"

It was an invitation for a date. We exchanged goodnights and quickly went to bed.

The next day. It was cold outside, so I got on my mount and headed out.

When we got to the gazebo, Charles laid a handkerchief on a chair, took my hand and helped me sit down. Such a gentleman.

After some casual conversation, Charles handed me a magic tool to prevent eavesdropping. This is how lord candidates who can't get rid of their aides keep secrets. I read that in a love story.

Feeling excited, I picked up the magic tool.

"Do you want to send your brother away to another territory?"
"Yes?"

It was a sudden and surprising question.

Charles said with a serious expression, but why did he come all the way to the gazebo to be asked about Wilfried?
Is it wrong? Is he still angry? Brother Wilfried, you idiot, idiot!

"No... I haven't thought of anything in particular. I think it's fine if Brother Wilfried does what he likes."

"Really?"

Charles's worried blue eyes look into mine.

If there was no sound, this would probably look like a love scene. In reality, it's about Brother Wilfried!

"I want him to stay in Ehrenfest... But there are people among my aides, and among my sister's aides, who are plotting to send him to another territory in order to completely shut down the old Veronica faction."

"Huh?"

"You didn't notice."

She laughed sadly.

If I act like I want to get rid of Wilfried, my aides will secretly work for me, Charles said. I wonder. Is that true? There are many Leisegang aristocrats among my aides, so that may be the case. Hartmut and the others will likely be working behind the scenes.

This is something that requires the use of magical tools in the gazebo.

I thought that the part about not being overheard by anyone was referring to the students in the multipurpose hall. I didn't think it was a word from an aide.

"If I don't firmly establish my foothold as the next lord, brother's position will be compromised."

If the Florentine faction grows in power and succeeds in completely sealing off the old Veronica faction, it seems that neither the Leisegang nobles nor the Florentine nobles will care about Wilfried.

On the other hand, if it becomes unclear which of the two will become lord, it seems that forces will move to eliminate Wilfried and Charles.

That's why it seems that Wilfried's bride should be a lord candidate from a lower territory or a high-ranking noble.

And it seems that it's my job as the next lord's wife to prevent Wilfried from gaining backing and to bring Wilfried's spouse into the Florentine faction.

"I don't want to be enemies with my brother. I want peace in Ehrenfest. I ask for your cooperation, sister."

The next lord asks for your help.

Socializing is a battle between nobles!

Chapter Text

The day of the territory competition came around the corner.

When I went to the dormitory's meeting room, I found Sylvester, Florencia, Ferdinand, Wilfried, and Charles. It seems that all the lord candidates have to socialize together. This year, it is expected that there will be more guests from higher-ranking territories than last year.

This year, Wilfried will receive many marriage proposals! I said, but everyone gave me a lukewarm response.

"I'm thinking of splitting the seats for the lord candidates between Charles and Rozemyne, and Wilfried and Ferdinand, so that there will be more people who can handle them."

"With my uncle, you say?"

Ignoring Wilfried's dissatisfied voice, Florencia continued speaking.

"Since they are engaged, it would be best to pair up Charles and Rozemyne for the sake of introducing them to each other, but are you confident that Charles can handle social interactions with Rozemyne?"
"Leave it to me, mother. Sister, are you sure?"

Charles replied confidently, and I nodded. The social interactions between students were fine. It should be fine even if a higher-ranking territory comes.
I looked up at Ferdinand and asked.

"I just need to be quiet (to respect Charles, the next lord) and leave the basics to Charles, right?"
"That's right. (To avoid making a fool of yourself) leave the social interactions to Charles and try not to give selfish answers."
"I understand."

For some reason, the people around me were smiling bitterly. Why? "Sister, don't get too excited when the topic of books comes up."

"Well, Charles. It's okay. Please trust me."

Sylvester and Ferdinand look as if they want to say something, but I ignore them.

I have to show them that I can now socialize (with Charles' help)! I'm not the same person I was last year.

The territory competition began at the same time as the start of the Ditter was announced.

While I was busy guiding the customers who came for the sweets, a large, rugged man stood in front of me.

"Are you sure you are the lord candidate, Lady Rozemyne, who asked Hannelore to translate the history book of Dunkelfelger into modern language and make it into a book?"

...Huge!

As I was staring blankly, Charles suddenly appeared in front of me.

"Aub Dunkelfelger, it is an honour to meet you. Please allow me to pray for your blessing on this rare encounter, one that has been rigorously selected by the god of life, Evilive."

I greet him with the gracefulness of an aristocrat, and I quickly kneel down to greet him.

"I forgive you."

...So this is Aub Dunkelfelger.

He is large and looks very strong, and at a glance he seems worthy of leading the knights of Dunkelfelger. Behind Aub Dunkelfelger is a group of people in blue cloaks, including Hannelore. I wonder why they have come in such a large group.

"So, about the history book of Dunkelfelger."

"Would you allow me to make it into a book?"

"If you win, I will allow it. If we win, I will take the manuscript and make it into a book at Dunkelfelger."

"...Yes?"

"I challenge you to a battle of Ditter!"

The manuscript is placed on the table with a bang, and the knights of Dunkelfelger let out a roar.

Why Ditter?!

Charles and I look at each other at the sudden offer. Of course, we don't know what to do.

"Father, does Mother know about the offer? I'll check."

Hannelore is crying as she takes out the Ordonnanz.

...What should I do? Both Charles and Hannelore are in trouble! We have to do something!

I rack my brains desperately, trying to figure out what to do about this situation. I straightened my back and smiled at Hannelore.

"Hannelore, I'm sure the matter regarding the manuscript of the history book was to be discussed between the Aubs, right?"

"That's right, Father! If you suddenly spoke to Rozemyne, she would be surprised."

Charles closed his eyes tightly.

"No. It would be better for such important matters to be discussed between the Aub couple themselves. What do you think, Hannelore?"

Charles said with emphasis on the word "couple." It seems that Charles can't rely on Sylvester.
Hannelore nodded enthusiastically at Charles' words, with a look of relief on her face.
It seems that not only Charles but also Hannelore is uneasy about the discussion between the Aubs alone. Hmm, is that okay for the Aubs?
Charles' aides ran gracefully to Sylvester, and Hannelore's Ordonnanz took off. The attendants set up the meeting.

Soon after, Hannelore's mother, the First Lady of Aub Dunkelfelger, arrived. She has an intimidating presence and looks very reliable.

Charles, Hannelore, and I sipped tea and watched the situation unfold.

"Don't worry, sister. Leberecht, who is well versed in the printing industry, is with them today. I'm sure nothing bad will happen," Charles said with a reassuring smile.

Leberecht is a Florentine civil servant. Because I gave Sylvester's civil servants the wrong impression, many Florentine nobles are now involved in the printing industry. Elvira and Charles have also worked hard.

"Don't worry, Lady Hannelore. You'll be safe because Mother is here."
"Thank you, Lady Charles. I'm sorry about Father. But now that Mother is here, everything's fine. She'll stop Father's Ditter."

Charles and Hannelore seem to understand each other. If you're going to brag about Mother, I'll tell you about Elvira too, so let me join in.
I look over at where the lords and wives are seated.

Hannelore's mother and Florencia are both smiling brightly, but there's something menacing about their smiles. I can't bring that kind of menacingness out of me. It seems that both Aub Dunkelfelger and Aub Ehrenfest are the type of lords who are dominated by their wives.
I didn't understand this at all until now, but I feel like I'm beginning to understand the role expected of a lord's wife. A lord's wife must stop the lord from going out of control.

"I see. As the first wife of the lord, I too have to become strong like that."
"Sister, I think it's me who has to become stronger..."

As I was pumping myself up, Charles slumped his head and Hannelore gave a polite smile. It's true, between me and Charles, I'm the one who goes wild and it's Charles who has to stop me.
...That's a lot of work.

When I casually looked over at Ferdinand and Wilfried's seats, Ferdinand had a bright smile on his face for some reason.
...?!
I instinctively gripped Charles' hand tightly.

"Sister, what's wrong?"
"Look at Lord Ferdinand."

When Charles looked at me, he also flinched. He must have noticed something was wrong with Ferdinand.

"A purple cloak... is that Aub Ahrensbach? It seems that Lady Georgine isn't here."

Yes, the person Ferdinand was talking to was Aub Ahrensbach, whom he had met at the wedding at the border gate.

"What are they talking about..."

Ferdinand's sparkling smile was scary.

After that, guests from higher territories, such as the Lord and Lady of Klassenburg and the candidate for Lord of Drevanchel, continued to arrive. I was surprised that so many people came to sit here instead of the Lord and Lady. They said things like, "We weren't able to see you last year." I felt like a rare Pokemon or a panda.

I was smiling next to Charles.

Just as I was getting tired of socializing, the crowds somehow disappeared and the road became clear. I blinked, wondering what it was, when the Goddess of Light walked down the road that had been made by the people retreating.

"Lady Eglantine! I'm honored that you've come all the way here."

"Rozemyne, I'm here too."

"Isn't this Prince Anastacius? The threads of the goddess of time, Dreffangua, have intersected, and I'm delighted that we've been able to meet like this."

Anastacius interrupted me, as I could only see Eglantine.

I looked next to him and saw that Charles had frozen.

I see, this is Charles' first time meeting Eglantine and Anastacius. It's only natural that he would be surprised if a member of the royal family suddenly showed up.

"Lady Eglantine, Prince Anastacius, this is my younger brother and fiancé, Charles. He's a kind and reliable fiancé I'm proud of."

It's said that you shouldn't brag about your feelings, but with Anastacius, it's no problem to do so.

Charles greeted me on our first meeting. He had looked surprised just a moment ago, but now he was smiling gracefully. As expected.

I immediately treat him to cookies and cart curls.

"So you are Rozemyne's fiance? You proposed marriage to her, but are you sane? Is this an order from Lord Ehrenfest?"

Anastacius is suddenly rude. Charles replies that he proposed marriage to her, not an order from Lord Ehrenfest. He could have said more, but he's probably nervous in front of the royal family. Usually he starts boasting about his big sister.

"I'm happy to meet you, Lady Eglantine."
"I'm happy too. I was looking forward to hearing that Lady Rozemyne has a very close fiance."

It seems that even Eglantine, who has graduated, has heard about the good relationship between me and Charles. I wonder what kind of rumors they're spreading. I'm nervous because I never fell prey to love stories during my time at Urano.

The two of them talked about sweets and books before leaving.

"...You must be good friends with Prince Anastacius to be able to have that kind of exchange with him."

"Really? We're not that close, are we?"

He didn't sound jealous, but rather surprised that I was close to the royal family. She was deep in thought.

"Eglantine is beautiful, isn't she?"

"My sister is cuter."

What! I didn't need that kind of lip service, but it didn't feel bad to hear it said with a straight face.

"No. Charles is cuter."

"That's not true. My sister is much cuter."

And so the two of them had a mysterious conversation. Without Wilfried to stop them, there would be no punch line.

I asked Ferdinand at lunch, but he wouldn't tell me the content of the conversation with Aub Ahrensbach.
In the afternoon, I was busy watching Ditter, socializing with the lord and wife of Froebel-Tark, and Hartmut coming to introduce Clarissa.

Then, during the award ceremony, an incident occurred.

Chapter Text

It was the first time I saw someone explode.

The attack happened at the award ceremony.

Even though I had won the same top prize as my sister, all I could think of were knights being eaten by Ternisbefallen and exploding bodies. I forcibly erased those images by recalling the words Zent had given me and the proud feeling I had.

When I returned to the dormitory, my sister, who was absent from the award ceremony, praised me for winning the top prize. My energy quickly recovered.

While I was talking about the award ceremony with my sister, mother, and Elvira, my uncle, who was having a meeting with my father, came in and said, "Rozemyne, if you attend tomorrow's graduation ceremony, you will be in the guardian's seat."

Since there are not many guardian knights, Lamprecht and Angelica will be coming as relatives and I will be attending as Cornelius' younger sister.

I understand the necessity of this, but I was disappointed because I had expected to be able to watch the graduation ceremony from the seat next to me. "Charles, let's watch the graduation ceremony together next year," my sister said, but I couldn't get it out of my head. I finished dinner feeling a bit dazed.

"Charles, you seem tired, so let's go to bed early today."

Zalkrecht said. He certainly looked tired.

"A lot has happened today, and it's been tough."

"Once again, congratulations on winning the top prize."

I felt both embarrassed and happy when my aides said that to me.

"Thank you."

At that moment, my brother suddenly opened the door and strode into the room. The aides were on guard, and I was shocked at his rudeness.

"Charles, let's gather in my father's room!"

"Huh?"

Saying that, he took my hand and ran off.

If there had been an adult aide, they would have definitely subdued my brother, but the apprentices were not very wary of him, so they just dragged him along. I waved to the aides to tell them I was okay.

"Um, brother, I'm tired today."

"I don't care!"

... I don't care!

Karstedt was guarding in front of the lord's room.

The door slammed open again.

"Father! I've brought Charles!"

"Here we go, Charles. You did well!"

"Wah!"

Father suddenly grabbed me by the torso and lifted me up, lifting me into the air. Father's face was under me.

... Why!

Then suddenly I was thrown upwards, grabbed by the arm and spun around by centrifugal force.

"You!"

"Huh, wah, wah"

I was dizzy. Just as I was starting to feel dizzy and uncomfortable, he let go of my hand. I was thrown towards the wall and landed on one knee and both hands.

"Oh, what a great landing."

"Father, next! I'm next!"

...I don't understand!

Next, my brother is being spun around by my father. My brother is laughing and looking like he's having a great time, and my father, who is spinning him around, seems to be having fun too. I wonder if he gets tired. My brother is thrown into the air.

"Wilfried, think of a cooler landing pose!"

"Yes, father!"

They look like they're having fun.

To be honest, I can't keep up with their energy so I retreat to the couch. My brother is watching the assault, but he's cheerful as if nothing happened. A lord may need this kind of mental toughness. It's a quality I don't have.

I watched the two of them play for a while, but after a while of playing he came over to me, satisfied.

"You did a great job, you two are great. You two are my pride!"

Saying this, he spun my head with his right hand and mine with his left. I was happy to be praised, but I was dizzy. After a round of spinning, Father said, "Report what happened at the Noble Academy."

"Especially Wilfried. Your reports are all about Rozemyne, so I don't know what she's been up to."

"Father, Rozemyne always does things that require a report."

My brother's story started with my sister's complaint, but even though we'd been together at the Noble Academy for a long time, there were many things I'd never heard before. Apparently, my brother wanted to defeat Ternisbefallen with just the students. What an absurd thing to say.

It was strange to see Father listening with a smile and a calm expression. Father's attitude and expression are different when he is acting as a lord in front of everyone and when he is in the main building of the castle. However, he also has a different, unpretentious expression when he is having dinner with his family. It's probably because his aides are not there. It's the first time I've seen his expression as a father.

"What about Charles?"
"Um..."
"Huh?"

I've told him everything he needs to know about the territory in my reports. I can't think of anything else to say to him right away. It's not what a lord candidate would say to his lord, but I can't think of anything a son would say to his father.

"Father, when I ask Charles, all he says is about Rozemyne."
"You two look like you're having so much fun."

He pecks my cheek.

"To be honest, I'm jealous. I'm in two different grades than Florence, and we're in different territories. I didn't get to spend as much time together as you two."

It's refreshing to hear Father talk about his time at the Noble Academy.
I imagined my sister living in another territory and only being able to see her at tea parties. I absolutely don't want that to happen. I thank God that I was born in the same territory as my sister.

"Please tell me the story of my father and mother. How did you meet my mother?"

My brother asked, and my father looked a little troubled.

"That's enough about me. Anyway, what about Wilfried? Has he found a woman he wants to marry?"

My father's gaze is gentle. He probably wants my brother to marry a woman he loves, just like he and me. I can tell. I know that when my uncle told me to "find a fiance for Wilfried quickly," my father rebuffed him, saying, "I want to let him do what he wants."

My brother blinked and said.

"I don't have one."

"I see. Is there anyone you think is cute?"

My brother tilted his head and said.

"There are a lot of pretty girls."

Father and I look at my brother with lukewarm eyes. It seems like it will be a while before he finds a girl he likes.

"My sister is excited to find a fiance for my brother."

"Yeah, I know."

"Yes, father, let's invite Rozemyne too. It would be a shame for her to be the only one left out."

"Rozemyne, huh? I was thinking of having a men's get-together tonight."

I heard that last year, my brother and father arranged for something like this.

"I would be happy if my sister was here too."

"I see. But it's getting late. We can't talk for long."

We're already talking by ourselves.
Father sent Ordonnanz to my mother and sister.

"It will be hard for Florence and the others to enter the men's floor. I'll come and get them."

After Father left, I was left alone with my brother.

It was tense without my aides.
After Grandma was imprisoned, they stopped nagging me, but I grew up being told by my aides not to be alone with my brother.

When I was a child, my brother took my hand and said it was an adventure, and we escaped, but I was seriously injured. I think it was an accident because I couldn't keep up with my brother's physical abilities, but my aides think it was an incident that Grandma's aides orchestrated in order to get rid of me. Come to think of it, there was also the time when poison was put into the Ahrensbach sweets that my brother gave to his aides in secret.

"Charles"
"Yes, yes"
"I've decided to take a class on the knight course next year."
"Yes, I heard."
"Well, I want to become a strong member of a lord's family, like Bonifatius and my uncle, who can protect the lord when he's away."

I blinked at my brother, surprised at what he said.

"Eh...?"

"Both you and Rozemyne are weak. I have to make up for you as your brother."

My brother said, looking a little embarrassed.

I tried to look at the reactions of the adult aides behind me out of habit, and tried to see the faces of the aides who Grandma had helped behind my brother.

But right now, there were only two of us here.

"What do you look so surprised about?"

I took a chance and asked.

"Don’t you want to become a lord?"

While we were together at the Noble Academy, I often wondered if he wanted to become a lord. But my brother was raised to become a lord.

My brother said with a slightly complicated look on his face.

"Father said that it would be difficult because I have the stain of having entered the White Tower. Besides, it seems he doesn't want the brothers to fight over lordship."

It seems that Father was working behind the scenes.

"Is that okay with you, brother? You've worked hard to become the lord, haven't you? Will you accept me as the next lord?"

If it were me, I would never accept it, even if the lord said it directly to me.

"Honestly, I don't really understand. But I think you're working hard. And even if there is something you lack, you can rest assured that Melchior and I will make up for it."

...Ah.
I see, I thought.
My brother's tone was that of a full brother.
I had always thought of my brother as an enemy with a different backing, but he sees me as a full brother who cooperates with him.

It felt foolish and embarrassing to have been wary of my brother until now.
Grandma and her aides had been trying to get rid of me, but my brother was just inconsiderate and had never shown me any ill will. My eyes were clouded and I didn't notice. I didn't want to notice. It was easier to hate my brother.

When I was a child, everything revolved around my brother. Everything that was given to the lord's child was given to my brother, and there was nothing given to me.
But Grandma is no longer here.

"I'll support you two. You can count on me."

My brother spoke in a somewhat arrogant manner, which was somehow funny, and made me want to cry or laugh.
My heart felt lighter.

"Yes, brother. I look forward to working with you in the future."

My father returned with my older sister and mother.
Me, my older sister, my brother, my father and mother.
It was a tender time filled with happiness.

Chapter Text

I slept well last night.

Suddenly, Sylvester called me, and when I went to the lord's room with Florencia, Charles and Wilfried were there, and I was visiting the lord's family's family gathering.

I remembered last year. Last year, the lord and his wife, Ferdinand, and I were in the lord's room, but it was a meeting, not a family gathering.

Last night, I was asked about what happened at the Noble Academy, Sylvester praised me, Florencia praised me for socializing, and everyone praised me for winning the top prize, and I was very happy.

I had always wanted someone to praise me.

Today is the graduation ceremony.

After breakfast, the students started to gather in the multipurpose hall, and it was time for the parents of the graduates to arrive by teleportation.

Hartmut's parents, Leberecht and Ottilie, stopped by the multipurpose hall to say hello. I know they're a married couple, but I always see them apart so it feels strange to see them together.
Cornelius has a large family. Karstedt, Elvira, Lamprecht, and Angelica came to visit. Karstedt's escort knights are off today so he'll be escorting me.

Ferdinand arrived after seeing the first to fifth years off to the auditorium.
Ferdinand looked sleep-deprived. He seemed to be sacrificing his sleep by preparing the amulets that had been lost during the assault.
I wish Ferdinand had been here yesterday. I want to talk to Ferdinand about what happened yesterday, but I don't know what to say.

Ferdinand put a new amulet on me, and then put a necklace with empty magic stones around my neck.

"Listen, Rozemyne. Even if you see Cornelius and Leonore standing side by side, don't give your blessing."
"Yes!"

He doesn't seem very trustworthy. He's wary of Eglantine because he gave her his blessing last year.

Karstedt calls out. "Why don't you get used to seeing Cornelius escorting her?"

"I see. That's a good idea. Now, Brother Cornelius, escort Leonore. Come on."

"Rozemyne, please spare me."

"I want to see it up close too. It's too far in the auditorium."

"Even Mother! Stop it."

Leonore was petrified by Elvira and me and our bad jokes. I'm sorry, honestly.

"Now it's time for the adults to enter the academy, who have received the blessing of the gods."

The names of the graduates are called one after the other, and we applaud in the auditorium.

But it's long.

"My hands are starting to hurt."

"Only applaud for Cornelius and Hartmut."

Graduates will be entering in order of their territorial ranking. I don't think I'll be able to hold my hands until Ehrenfest's turn. Angelica says, "I'll applaud for Lady Rozemyne," so I leave it to her.
Cornelius and Hartmut's names are called. But I can't see them because of my head.
After a while, they come up onto the stage, so I can see them.
...Leonore, you're so beautiful.

Even though I'm not graduating myself, I'm engrossed in the atmosphere and overwhelmed with emotion.
Elvira says that it's normal to not be able to see friends from other territories after the graduation ceremony at the Noble Academy. Ferdinand adds that it was different before the coup, but now it's difficult to travel between territories.
Please stop saying things like that. I'm easily moved to tears right now.
I hadn't been aware of it until now, but the feeling that I was spending my precious student years was getting stronger.

"Onee-sama, are you feeling okay?"

After the graduation ceremony, I was resting absentmindedly near the fireplace in the multipurpose hall when the lord's family returned.

I'm fine, I replied. Today was a day separate from Charles.

"Hmm. At this rate, Charles is so attached to Rozemyne."

"Foster father, he didn't give me a blessing this year, and he was quiet."

"It's not something to brag about. It's normal."

When I reported this to Sylvester, Ferdinand remarked from the side.

"Father, mother, I want to brag about the conference room reserved for lord candidates."

Charles said, guiding me around.

I wasn't sure what he wanted to brag about, but it seems that normally all the conference rooms have the same furniture and structure, and they don't prepare new interiors. The conference room we use exclusively is definitely special.

"Oh, this is nice."

Sylvester looks around the conference room. It's clearly more luxurious than the other conference rooms. It's more of a reception room than a conference room.

He seems to particularly like the long bench behind the screen. There's also a bookshelf for reading.

"You can concentrate on reading a book if you sit here."
"No, this isn't really for reading..."

I tilt my head. Sylvester looks at Charles in amazement, while Charles smiles. It's a mystery.

"You're doing whatever you want."
"I didn't order anything new, I just had unused furniture brought from the castle. It's not extravagant."

Florencia seems worried for some reason.

"Charles, you shouldn't take Rozemyne around too much. She has her own student life to attend."
"Yes..."
"Foster mother, Charles isn't bothering me. He's helping me with my life at the Noble Academy."

Even so, Florencia still seemed worried, and whispered, "Rozemyne, if you're having trouble with Charles stalking you, please come talk to me." In other words, did Florencia find Sylvester stalking her bothersome?

Since there were too many guards and the conference room was too small, they spent the night in the multipurpose hall.

After the territory competition and the graduation ceremony, all that was left was to return home. Everyone was relieved and relaxed.

"Onee-sama, are you feeling a bit spacey? Are you okay?"
"Yes. I was just remembering last year's graduation ceremony."

Last year, an error occurred and a blessing was sent to Eglantine at the graduation ceremony, causing a commotion, and Sylvester called me to the lord's room. There, I was told that my engagement needed to be arranged.

"The topic of engagement came up exactly one year ago today."

Another year has passed.

Last year, I replied to Sylvester, "I don't care who I marry as long as I can do what I want with the castle and the temple library," and "If it was between Wilfried and Charles, I would choose Charles."

But now, I think, "Charles is definitely the right fiance."

Charles comes to the temple a lot, gives me books as presents, and supports me socially. He is a kind and reliable fiance that I am proud of.

Above all, Charles, who runs up to me with a smile and calls me "Onee-sama," is the cutest in the world.

I smiled.

"It's been a fun year. I'm glad I got to be engaged to Charles."
"..."

Charles slumped down on the table, unbecoming of an aristocrat. Afterwards, he took a breath, holding his face in his hands. It was rare for him to behave badly.

"I wonder if it's okay for me to be this happy. I want to go back and teach my younger self how to do it."

...That's so exaggerated.
But when he looked at me with those moist blue eyes, I could tell that he really did mean it.
I don't know why he adores me so much, but I'm genuinely happy. I've suddenly become an aristocrat, but I think I can make it. I feel like I've found my place.

"Charles, I hope you'll continue to look after me."

"I hope you'll look after me, too."

The two of them promise to continue to get along. They made a pinkie promise that they couldn't make.

Chapter Text

It's a snowstorm outside again today.

As Benno was working, the nobleman's bird flew over.

"You idiot."

Currently, there is someone at the Printemps Company who must keep information about Rozemyne secret. They can't just casually send letters to her. Luckily, Karin is out at the store.

The bird turned into a letter on the desk and fluttered down. Mark called out.

"Is it from Rozemyne?"

"No, it's Charles."

The sender was not who he expected. Benno opened the letter.

The letter was a request. It said that he wanted to secretly order a pendant from Rozemyne at the end of winter. It was to be a gift for Rozemyne.

Benno headed to the second floor of the Gilberta Company. His sister and her husband and their child lived there.

"Hey Benno."

"It's been a while, Benno."

"Hey, this is a business opportunity."

After a brief greeting, Benno grins.

"Has Lady Rozemyne come up with another idea?"

The Gilberta Company has been busy with a dyeing competition until recently.

Besides, there is only one reason for Benno to look so happy.

"This time, it's a gift from the lord's son to the lord's adopted daughter. He wants to custom-make a pendant."

"What? It's not that, it's Myne-chan. Lady Rozemyne is really popular."

Otto repeats himself after being glared at by Corinna. Otto doesn't have many opportunities to interact with Rozemyne, so she still has a strong image of her as "assistant Myne-chan."

"Corinna, please let me borrow Tuuli. Tuuli knows Lady Rozemyne's tastes better than anyone else."

"You're being ridiculous. Designing a hair accessory and a pendant are two different things."

Corinna complains, but Benno is sure that if he leaves it to Tuuli, she'll make something that will please Lady Rozemyne.

Tuuli has been making hair accessories for the prince to give to the princess for the last year and this year. She has good skills and taste, and she knows Lady Rozemyne's tastes inside and out.

"The Gilberta Company will be selling the pendants, but until they get on track, I can take care of them, right?"

"As always, you want to sell Lady Rozemyne's products yourself, Benno."

Corinna chuckles.

Originally, rinsham and other products are Gilberta Company's products, but Benno takes orders for them in bulk during meetings related to the printing industry.

Benno tries to monopolize all the new ideas that Lady Rozemyne suggests. Meanwhile, Corinna sold her dyeing techniques to the Dyeing Association. They're siblings, but their strategies are different.

"Until we get on track?"

"You idiot, think about what you've done so far. Have you ever gotten an order for hair accessories, dyed goods, or rinsham all in one order?"

Benno looks at the two of them, grins, and declares.

"It'll definitely be a hit."

"Yeah, we're going to be busy again."

"Ahh."

Otto and the others look like they're having a hard time, but unlike Rozemyne, Charles has properly set aside time for preparation. There shouldn't be a problem.

Benno becomes excited about the possibility of a new product.

During the winter, Tuuli and Gutenberg were contacted.

At the end of winter, an invitation came from the castle.

It would be easier to head to the temple, but this request comes with an order to keep it a secret from Rozemyne. He changes into aristocratic clothes and leaves the carriage.

In the carriage, Benno thinks. Both the paper and printing industries are booming. And now they have the backing of not only the lord's adopted daughter, but also the lord's son. That's reassuring.

Charles is ushered into a fine room and appears. Benno thinks that he still looks like a beautiful young girl.

"May the snow melt. May the goddess of spring bring great blessings."

After the noble's greeting, Charles smiles with elegance and places his right fist on the palm of his left hand in front of his chest, giving the merchant's greeting. Ordinary nobles don't greet merchants. He must have learned that from Rozemyne. Benno and the others return the merchant's greeting.

Apart from the merchant's greeting, it's a typical exchange between nobles of high rank. After a lengthy chat, they finally get to the point. Charles's attendant hands them a piece of paper.

"The design for the pendant has been decided. I'd like you to make this."

Benno and the others are stunned by the paper Charles hands them.

"Can I ask Gutenberg? Gutenberg and the others have seen the real thing, right?"
"Yes. As you wish."

After that, he asks to hear about Rozemyne's time at the temple.
Benno tells Charles how talented Rozemyne is at product development and how proactive she is, mixing in words of praise. He only needs to tell the truth, but he needs to be careful not to reveal his true identity. More settings he needs to share with Ferdinand.

Charles listens to Rozemyne's story with sparkling eyes.
Charles thinks that the reason Charles called Benno was to hear Rozemyne's story, and that the business talk was just a bonus.
"Welcome back, sir."
"What kind of pendant was it?"

Lutz, Tuuli, Johann, and Zack were waiting for him at the Plantin Company. Benno ruffled his hair, which he had styled for a nobleman.
Mark smiled as he unfolded the paper he had received from Charles.
Everyone peered at the paper. They made confused faces.

"Is this Lady Rozemyne's flying vehicle?"

"Why did they make something like this into a pendant?"

"What? This thing flies in the sky?"

Charles had asked for a pendant for Rozemyne's beast, Lesser.

"Johann and Zack saw this when they went to Haldenzel and Greschel, right? Gutenberg, who knows the real thing, would like it made."

"Hey Johann, let me make this."

"...The curves are important, so Zack is better suited to it."

All right! Zack pumped his fist in excitement. The craftsman had been decided.

"They said they wanted us to make not only a pendant but also an ornament with the same design."

"An ornament? Why? Why don't they make matching ones?"

"They're going to put it in the secret room."

Tuuli and the others looked at each other.

"Does that mean you don't want to wear it yourself?"
"Isn't Charles a bit strange to request such a strange pendant?"
"No, it's not Charles who's strange, it's Rozemyne."
"Maybe Charles is kind, since he gave it as a gift even though it's not his taste."

Marc comforts Charles.

Tuuli and Zack were excited, saying that it would be cuter if they made the outline more rounded like a stuffed animal, rather than making the pendant a copy of Charles's, and that they should add a ribbon. Johan looks relieved, thinking that it's no longer his concern.

Lutz checks with Benno just to be sure.

"Sir, I was thinking about how to distribute the pendant if it became popular, but..."

Benno replies.

"Is something like this going to become popular?!"

I agree, Lutz nodded.

To be continued!

Chapter Text

An unnecessary remark!

This page explains the parts that have changed from the original.

〇 Social pairings for the territory competition
In the original, there is a description that they stopped pairing Vilrose because they were worried about it, but for Charrose, I think they will keep pairing her as is. Char can socialize while supporting Rozemyne!

〇 Avoidance of the Ditter by the Lady S
Char's quick thinking allowed them to summon the Lady Sieglinde and Florencia, and thwart the Ditter.
I like Sieglinde.
I feel like the role of the Lady is probably not to hold the reins of the lord...?

〇 Topic about the printing industry
I called the Lady S right away, so Syl and Rozemyne didn't say anything unnecessary.
Aub Dunkelfelger doesn't know that Rozemyne is super rich, and doesn't know that she is deeply involved in the printing business or that she is good at negotiating. It doesn't even come across in the replies.

Elvira and Charles (Florencia faction) have a firm grip on the printing business.

Leberecht explained the royalties. I think he should focus on the printing business instead of making unnecessary political strategies. (Personal opinion)

〇 Ferdinand and Aub Ahrensbach's social life

In the short story in volume 20, there is a line that says, "Dunkelfelger kidnapped Ferdinand for Ditter in front of Aub Ahrensbach, who was about to talk to him directly during the territory competition."

So if Ditter is stopped, Aub Ahrensbach and Ferdinand will meet here.

〇 Rozemyne returns Anastasius' love affair
I want to write more.
By the way, in the original work, he came early in the story because he had something to talk about, but he doesn't have anything to do here so he appears later.

〇 Assault
Since he stopped Ditter, Ferdinand has not lost any magical tools, is not injured, and is in top form, so he is able to defeat Ternisbefallen more easily and safely than in the original work.
I love the illustration of Rozemyne and Charlotte being protected by Ferdinand's sleeves during the assault, but Char is a boy so he wasn't protected.

〇 Best
Charles got the best!
The reasons are
①There are no candidates for the lord of the great territory in the same year
②He is excited because he is the next lord and Rozemyne's fiance
③His magical power has increased due to Ferdinand's intensive training
④He is learning the contents of the lecture from Rozemyne and Wilfried
⑤He was almost killed by Veronica so he has a different courage
⑥He is starting to believe in the existence of God because he goes to the temple
etc. Even though I'm a big fan of Char, I don't think it's easy for her to catch up with the extraordinary Rozemyne.

Rozemyne >>>>>>> Ortwin > Char > Vil is my impression

〇Excellent
There was a back story that Brunhilde was chosen as the outstanding one because Rozemyne never fell and was social, but she didn't make it.

〇Room allocation
I imagined Vil and Char's rooms to be far apart in the castle and next to each other at the noble academy, but in the comic book adaptation, a floor plan of the dormitory was released, and even at the noble academy they were almost at the ends...! It was an I-shape, not an H-shape, with the lord's family rooms grouped together at the back!
So it doesn't really matter, but Vil runs from one end of the dormitory hallway to the other to call Char. Originally, it was just an image of taking him out of the next room. Oh well.

〇Energetic Syl and Vil parent and child
Char is sensitive and has suffered mental damage from the attack, but these guys are... I like how silly Syl and Vil are.

〇 Wilfried's career path
He doesn't aim to become a lord. I don't think Vil has ever wanted to become a lord himself.
This "I'll protect you" is so condescending and cute. In reality, Vil is the one who needs Charles to protect him from the malice of the nobles.
There is a hierarchy of next lord > lord's wife > lord's assistant, and in the original Vilrose engagement, the hierarchy is Vil (Vero faction) > Rozemyne (Liese) > Charles (Flo faction), so it gradually fell apart, but in the CharRose engagement, the hierarchy is Charles (Flo faction) > Rozemyne (Liese) > Vil (Vero faction), so I think this will work better. In terms of faction and ability. I think Vil will be safe if he is firmly under Charles's control...

〇 Conversation on the night of the award ceremony
I think in the original, Syl probably calls only Vil and praises him.
Last year, Syl only called Vil. But since Char was there, I called him, and then I called Rozemyne and Flo as well.
I wanted Lord Fer to be there too, but unfortunately he had already left.

〇The lord's family's family get-together

I was surprised to read in the first short story collection from Char's point of view that "Rozemyne and Vil are close relatives, but one step removed from the idea of family," but it's because of the unique worldview of "half-brothers are not family, but relatives," "adopted daughters and half-brothers are treated alike," "mother = backing of faction," and "same mother = same faction = family" (in other words, in this world, different factions are different families), and Vero kidnapped Vil, so it's complicated.

Vil - Vero (closest family member) > Syl Flo, Rose, Char (family) > Fer and Boni (relative)

Rozemyne - Fer (like family) > Syl Flo, Vil, Char (adoptive family) > Bony (relative)

Char – Flo, Mel (same litter) > Gilles (father) > Vilrose (close relative) > Ferbony (relative)

Flo - Gilles (husband) > Char (real son and child of same faction) > Vil (real son but child who failed to become Flo's side) > Fer, Roze, Bony (relative)

Syl - Fro (beloved wife) > Vil (child of same faction) > Fer, Roze, Char (family) > Bony (relative)

Fer - Syl and previous generation (family) > Rozemyne (protected) > others

I think it's interesting that everyone is so different. This family has a surprisingly warped view of family, and it's a topic I want to write about in the future.

In the Vilrose engagement, this distortion leads to Rozemyne and Vil being separated from the lord's family due to faction relations, but in the Charrose engagement, I think that by concentrating on the Flo faction, they will somehow be able to have a good relationship.

〇 Encounter with Laobrut
Since Char prevents Rozemyne and Prince Hilde from contacting each other, Rozemyne does not talk to Prince Hilde about the Ordonnanz or the archives that only royals can open.
Therefore, there is no encounter with Laobrut in the library after the graduation ceremony, and Rozemyne does not hear the words "Fruit of Adalgisa".
If it were a scenario game, it would be a missed still. (Does it make sense?)

〇 Benno's epilogue
Thank you for your hard work, Benno (lol)
Lesser probably won't be popular.

That was an unnecessary addition.
Yay! A year has finally passed in the story!
This marks the end of the timeline of volume 19! We started from the prologue of volume 16, so we've progressed four volumes! There's still a long way to go!
Next up we'll be in the timeline of volume 20.

Chapter Text

It has become customary for Bonifatius and Ferdinand to join us for dinner on the day we return to Ehrenfest. We talk about the territory competition and graduation ceremony, and discuss future plans.

Following Haldenzel and Greschel, this year Leisegang will start a printing business.

While I was quickly deciding on plans with Sylvester, Charles spoke to Ferdinand.

"Uncle, many stories have been collected at the Noble Academy. How should we handle them?"

"Eh? Why are you asking Lord Ferdinand? All the stories are mine, aren't they?"

Ferdinand said, tapping his temple lightly.

"No, since the contract has been changed and the printing business is now led by the lord, collecting stories from all over the country and publishing them in books has become a territory business. It is not something that can be done solely with Rozemyne's budget. The stories collected are not Rozemyne's, but Ehrenfest's."

I was shocked. The budget doesn't matter, but the stories collected are mine.

"Furthermore, Charles will be the one to take the lead in selling the information on the Noble Academy."

"Why?"
"When you first started, you said that it was your hobby to collect stories from all over the country, right? It was probably a miscalculation that other information was collected. However, various information is now valued and eagerly awaited by each department. Selling information to each department should not be done without Charles, who will become the next lord."

I see. That's certainly true.

"Then Charles. I'll leave the work of selling information to Charles, so please leave all the stories to me."
"What were you listening to? I told you that collecting stories is also Ehrenfest's business."
"So then, I'll take the lead and manage it, and leave it to my sister, right?"
"Leave it to me."
"That's not true! What are you even talking about?"

Ferdinand rejected Charles's excellent idea.

Sylvester intervened.

"Ferdinand, don't get so angry. It was originally a business started by Rozemyne, you know?"
"You're being naive, Sylvester. Give Rozemyne all the stories. She'll be stuck for a few days."

It seems he wasn't trying to make a contract or anything, but to interrupt my reading!

I exchange glances with Charles. In fact, some of the stories have already been delivered to my room.

"You're being too naive with children. You've been so focused on Rozemyne up until now, but Wilfried's social skills are terrible too. Hasn't he grown at all since the Georgine incident? Educate Wilfried before he makes a fatal mistake."

Suddenly, the focus of the conversation turned to Wilfried.

Then Ferdinand scolded Sylvester. Wilfried hung his head and Sylvester ignored him. It was a rare sight.

During the territory competition, Wilfried was paired with Ferdinand to socialize. I wonder if Wilfried made some kind of mistake in front of Ferdinand.

I wondered what had happened, so I tried to talk to Charles, but he was chatting cheerfully with Bonifatius about a different topic. Hey!

After dinner, the three children returned to the northern annex.

"By the way, Wilfried, did something happen during the social gathering for the territory competition?"

"Hmm..."

He didn't seem to want to tell me.

I parted ways with Wilfried at the top of the stairs. Charles walked me to my room on the third floor.

"I'm glad I wasn't able to walk you to your sister's room at the Noble Academy."

Charles said with a smile. Is he an angel?

I'm reluctant to leave, so I invite him into my room. Rihyarda says, "It's time for men not to enter," but today is special because I wasn't able to invite him into my room at the Noble Academy.

I asked Rihyarda to make me some tea, and I continued with my previous story.

"Is Wilfried's social skills terrible?"

Charles tilts his head and thinks.

"I don't know. I didn't think he was that bad, but maybe he doesn't meet Uncle's standards."

Charles says that there are many types of social skills, and Wilfried's ability to ease people's guard and build friendships is high. However, he has a low ability to obtain information through social interactions... and he doesn't seem to be trying to gather information. He doesn't seem to be interested in promoting the trends of Ehrenfest.

"Anyway, what is this thing about Georgine?"

When I explained what happened when I was eight years old, Charles rolled his eyes and said, "That's impossible." Apparently, it's natural for a lord's child to finish learning how to greet before their baptism. Wilfried was really no good at that time. It was worth hitting him with the paper fan.

"What on earth did I do to be told that I haven't grown since then? I think I must have done something disrespectful to the higher territories, to make Ferdinand angry."
"Sister, if you're so worried, why don't you ask my uncle directly?"
"No, I don't want that. I don't want that.

"Brother Wilfried doesn't matter. Let's talk now! We have to be careful not to let Ferdinand take it away from us... Charles, do you have any good ideas?"

Charles widens his eyes, looking a little awkward.

"What's wrong?"
"Sister, Rihyarda is listening."
"Huh?"

I turn around and Rihyarda is smiling. "Master Ferdinand said so too. I can't give the whole story to the princess."

...Nooooo!!!!

In the end, Elvira was chosen to be in charge of the story. Or rather, it seems that it's Elvira's responsibility as she's the head of the printing industry.

It seems that it's too much for me to try to manage everything, and that I end up taking on more work than necessary and working too hard, so it worries her.

...Compared to Lord Ferdinand, I don't think that's a big deal, do you?

Marvin, Charles' aide, kneels down and meets my gaze.

"Lady Rozemyne, you're underage and not a person in charge to begin with. You should rely on more adults."

Marvin is a civil servant teacher who teaches the lord's children how to write business plans and organizational structures at the castle - what kind of civil servants are in which departments and what kind of groundwork is needed - when they study.

Charles and Florence's aides say common sense. And he treats me like a child. Sylvester and Ferdinand don't treat me like a child, so it's somehow refreshing. It's a little unsettling, too.

Since he said that, I decided to give more work to Marvin and the other civil servants of Charles. I got Charles's approval, so there's no problem. Most of the civil servants in printing are low-ranking so they can speak to commoners. A high-ranking civil servant is needed to oversee them. Status is also important when negotiating with civil servants from other territories at the lord's conference.

...We've got some talent for the printing industry!

At the editing meeting, Marianne was very enthusiastic, probably because she had an attachment to the love story.

Today, there was another printing industry gathering, and I also visited the children's room.

Charles' adult entourage was gathered there at the time, so I decided to talk to them about the thing Ferdinand had warned me about the other day.

"I was told that I don't have many adult aides, but how do lords find them?"
"...We are originally Florencia's aides. Usually, aides of their parents are transferred, but since Rozemyne is an adopted daughter, it may be a little unusual."

Marvin and Zalcrecht are frozen in place, and Charles has an unspeakable expression.
When asked about the adult aides currently in place, Rihyarda explains that Sylvester assigned them to her, Ottilie to Elvira, and Angelica to Karstedt. Damuel became an aide as a punishment, so he is a special case.

"Since uncle himself doesn't need an aide, he may not have thought about the fact that his sister has few aides."
"But Ferdinand tells me to increase the number of aides."

I tell him that I was scolded for trying to make Theodore a temporary aide. Apparently, the lord's wife needs more aides.

"We could be the ones to introduce them, but... should I consult with Lord Ferdinand? Lady Elvira? Or Lord Sylvester?"

Zalkrecht's gaze wanders from place to place as he asks me, and finally turns to Rihyarda. I don't really understand, so I tilt my head and look at Rihyarda.

"You should first consult with Young Master Ferdinand. He will consult with Lord Sylvester or Lady Elvira if necessary."
"... The problem with Lady Rozemyne is that she doesn't have any adult civil servants. What have you been doing up until now?"

As I was answering his questions, I discovered a shocking truth.
Actually, it's the job of the chief civil servant to prepare the materials needed for lectures and help with compounding. Come to think of it, I think Hartmut said something similar. Apparently, it's the job of an aide to educate the lord's children.
In other words, I'm using Ferdinand like an aide!!
...I didn't know that!! !! I can't sleep with my feet facing the high priest's office! Thank you, Lord Ferdinand!! !! !! It seems that Ferdinand has been very kind to me. I'll have to check which direction my bed is when I get back.

"Even so, Lady Rozemyne is backed by the Leisegang nobles, so why don't you appoint an aide from the Leisegang nobles?"

Otilie is also a Leisegang noble, but her husband is Leberecht, a close aide to Florence, and she is on good terms with Elvira, so she belongs to the Florence faction.

Elvira glanced at everyone as if to confirm who was there.

"It's to avoid raising unnecessary expectations among our relatives. Neither my family nor the lord and lord couple want Rozemyne to be the next lord."

Charles' adult aides looked on in confusion.

"Only distant relatives want Lady Rozemyne to be the next lord."

( *^-^)ρ(^0^* )

Today I have a meeting with the Printemps Company and the governor.

I head out with Charles and the civil servants. After a long exchange of aristocratic greetings, I'm surprised to see Charles and Benno chatting casually. It seems that Charles has become a regular customer of the Printemps Company without me realizing.

We discuss the commission fee for selling the books made by Haldentzel and Greschel, and the contract is successfully concluded.

"This concludes the discussion, so both Governor and Charles may leave the room."

When I say this, Charles gives off an "Ah..." vibe.

"Charles, what's the matter?"
"No, there was something else I wanted to talk to you about with the Printemps Company."

I look at Benno. Benno is ignoring me. He doesn't seem to want to let me know. I'm a little annoyed.

"Would you be embarrassed if I asked you that? Does Benno know something?"
"We have a confidentiality agreement."
"You must not embarrass Benno, Sis."

I felt irritated. I've known Benno since I was a commoner. And yet, the fact that Charles and Benno knew each other without telling me, and that they were hiding things from me, made me feel very uneasy.

My uneasiness made the atmosphere in the room suddenly unpleasant.
Everyone looked awkward.
Charles hurriedly tried to mediate.

"Benno, that's the thing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I was wondering whether to ask Onee-san about it. It's fine."

It seems he's going to show us something he's been keeping secret.

What Benno has prepared is a shiny gold Lesser. There are several of them in different poses.

"Is this...?"

"Is it Lady Rozemyne's mount...?"

Everyone looks confused. Especially Grebe Greschel.

"I wanted to give you a Lesser pendant as a present, so I asked for it."

"Yes. But it's an unprecedented design, so we weren't sure which one would be best."

You can hear Benno's voiceover saying, "Don't make me make something so strange, you idiot."

But I don't know that. Charles chose the Lesser for me. The Lesser boys probably aren't very popular with the nobles. But Charles understood. It was touching.

"This one! This one is the cutest!"

I pointed to one of the golden Lesser boys.

The Lesser boy's charm point is his tail, which is pointing up slightly.

"Benno, please make this into a pendant."

"Understood."

The golden Lesser boys were put away. I was sad to see them go.

"Sister, please look forward to the finished product."

"Yes!"

Gibe Haldentzel smiled and said that the two of them would make a good lordly couple who cared for each other. I was embarrassed.

Gibe Greschel, on the other hand, kept smiling but looked "incomprehensible" until the very end.

Chapter Text

My name is Marianne. I am an apprentice civil servant and an aide to Charles.

I was trained under Elvira, who is in charge of the printing and papermaking industries, and at the Noble Academy, I worked hard to collect stories together with Philine, who is an aide to Rozemyne.

Some people say that printing is a man's job, but that's not true. At the very least, collecting stories is the domain of women's socializing. I wonder how many love stories we collected at the tea parties at the Noble Academy... The love story tea parties were very fun and fulfilling.

It is also a mistake to think that writing love stories is the job of low-ranking civil servants who need to earn money. Elvira also writes. Beautiful sentences, expressions, and stories can only be spun by a highly educated person.

Ehrenfest love stories are at the forefront of fashion, and even the people of the higher territories are crazy about them.

I am very proud to be involved in Ehrenfest's printing industry.

Today, Lady Elvira and Lady Rozemyne are having an editorial meeting. It's a very important meeting to decide which stories will be published as a book.

Right now, there are more stories than there are printing workshops, and we can't print all of them.

As I was preparing for the meeting, I said.

"I'm nervous. Will my 'oshi' story become a book?"

"I hope it will be a book."

"Excuse me, but what is an oshi story?"

Philine smiled brightly, and Marvin was sceptical.

"It's used for a favorite that you especially like, someone you support and want others to like too. I learned it from Lady Rozemyne."

Marvin sighed, "Lady Rozemyne, huh..."

Marvin is a civil servant instructor and is about the same age as my father, but he often complains that he struggles to keep up with Lady Rozemyne because she is so innovative.
Since I haven't mastered the traditional way of doing things yet, I don't find Rozemyne's way of doing things strange. It's a new business, after all. It's natural that many things are new.

"Even so, you've broken it down into quite a lot of detail."

At the Noble Academy, I was working on attaching simple summaries and plot summaries to the stories, and on making a list of stories. It's a secret that this task was unexpectedly fun, and I ended up with more detail than I had planned.

"Yes. I mean, there will be more love stories in the future."

"But that doesn't mean you pushed yourself too hard with this many stories... did you?"

"Not really. I heard from Hartmut that the workload at the temple is even more."

It's a secret that I pushed myself too hard because I wanted to take on more work in the printing industry. It was fun, so that's fine. I'm glad Hartmut wasn't interested in love stories.

Philine agreed, "That's true. The temple is busy, so it's good to be trained," and Marvin groaned, "The temple, huh...?" Lady Rozemyne is very knowledgeable, and she taught me the concepts of "genre" and "tag".

A genre is a type of story -- a knight's tale, a love story, a historical story, a myth, etc. -- and a tag is a characteristic of the story -- a graduation ceremony, an age difference, a tragic love, a love with royalty, etc.

A book that compiles stories of the same nature is called an "anthology".

I'm fired up.

"I really need to get my 'favorite', 'happy ending', and 'tear-jerking' love story included in the 'anthology' to be printed this year!"

Philine said with a smile, "Let's do our best," and Marvin sighed, "I don't understand."

"Then let's begin the editorial meeting."

The meeting began with a word from Lady Rozemyne. Despite being a minor, she has started a new business and is coordinating the meeting. Lady Rozemyne is an incredible person.

"First of all, thank you for collecting so many stories. Philine and Marianne, you did a great job."
"I'm honored." We all smiled when Rozemyne praised us. Charles, who was sitting next to her, also seemed pleased. Charles had originally ordered me to collect the stories for Rozemyne.

Currently, the printing workshops in Ehrenfest are Rozemyne's workshop in the temple, Haldentzel's workshop, and Greschel's workshop. This year, they will be opening a workshop in Leisegang. The printing industry is expanding with priority given to Rozemyne's relatives.

"What kind of stories will Haldenzel print?"
"There are so many stories. It's hard to choose." Haldenzel is Elvira's family home, so love stories written by Elvira will be printed first. Elvira and her friends will edit the stories we have written down and turn them into poetic tales.

They will be holding love story tea parties in the territory, and the stories that are popular will be printed.
I will be participating as a member of the Florentine faction along with Mother. We must spread the word about our favorite stories!

"Brunhilde, what do you plan to do about Greschel's workshop?" Rozemyne asks.
Brunhilde was raised to be the next Guardian of Greschel, and apparently played an active role in attracting a printing workshop to Greschel.
As an aide to Rozemyne, she should have a say.
I will be paying attention to Brunhilde.

"In Greschel, we would like to print knight tales and Ditter tales from other territories."

...No way!
I was disappointed, but of course I didn't show it on my face. I tilted my head and asked.

"Brunhilde, why aren't there love stories? May I ask why?"
"Yes. Love stories are certainly popular. But to increase Ehrenfest's influence in the future, we need stories for men as well as stories for women."
"That's right. It would be better to have a variety of books." Lady Rozemyne nods.
...If you're told such a reasonable reason, it's hard to argue!

I was a little dissatisfied with the lack of love stories, but I quickly came to understand that Lady Rozemyne's idea that "it would be better to have a variety of books" was correct, as the book sale that followed quickly convinced me.
To my surprise, the nobles of the old Veronica faction, who had been so hostile towards the book because it was a Leisegang book, eagerly purchased Lady Rozemyne's book!

I was stunned. I was really surprised.
The book the nobles of the old Veronica faction purchased was a tale of a knight who defeats a sea monster. I had never heard a story like this before.

"Philine, where did you collect these knight tales?" I asked while tallying up the sales.

"This is a story I heard from Lady Aurelia at a tea party."
"Lady Aurelia?"

Lady Aurelia is the woman who came from Ahrensbach to marry Lamprecht. I remember now. We were talking about this during the dyeing competition. I was engrossed in finding fabric for winter costumes.

Elvira joined in the conversation.

"Ahrensbach has the sea, after all. It seems like a common story there. It's really impressive that you've expanded your customer base to include the old Veronica faction, Rozemyne..."

There are many nobles in the old Veronica faction who have ties to Ahrensbach.

If it were me, I would have thought, "The story of Ahrensbach..." and never considered making it into a book. I can picture Lady Rozemyne interacting with everyone regardless of faction or status at the Noble Academy.

Marvin asked Lady Elvira.

"Is Lady Rozemyne planning to include the former Veronica faction in the printing process?"
"...The Florencia faction will not refuse anyone from the former Veronica faction to the Love Story Tea Party. Priority will be given to those from their own faction and those who have purchased the most of my or Rozemyne's books, though."

It's the same as the Harspiel concert, says Lady Elvira.

"I see. Ahrensbach's Knight's Tale was a stepping stone to forming factions. Once someone has purchased Ahrensbach's Knight's Tale, they will feel less averse to purchasing Lady Rozemyne's books."

Marvin groaned, and Lady Elvira smiled silently.

That's wonderful.
Lady Rozemyne has taken her first steps as the next Lady of the Manor.

"Life at the Noble Academy is comfortable because you can act regardless of faction. Lady Rozemyne is trying to spread that atmosphere to adults as well as children."

I can imagine a future for Ehrenfest with Charles and Lady Rozemyne at the center, without the infighting caused by factions. That would be a wonderful future.
Lady Elvira looked at me with interest.

"Marianne, could you tell me about how Rozemyne is doing at the Noble Academy?"
"Leave it to me."

The adult civil servants present also listened to what I had to say with interest.
Lady Elvira is Lady Rozemyne's mother. Lady Rozemyne is an excellent person, but she is also very special and has a dangerous side. There must be many things to worry about.
I will talk about Lady Rozemyne's situation at the Noble Academy, but as I am Lord Charles's aide, I inevitably end up talking a lot about him. At that, Lady Elvira even took out a writing tablet and asked for details.

I hope that one day the love story of Lord Charles and Lady Rozemyne will be published in a book.
It is truly adorable to see Lord Charles struggling for Lord Rozemyne's sake and for Lord Charles' sake.
I would love to share this cuteness with everyone.
I will be the narrator.
My favorite story is the love story of Lord Charles and Lady Rozemyne, which has not yet taken shape in this world.

Chapter Text

When I returned from the Noble Academy, my younger brother Melchior's room was prepared. Melchior was born in the spring, so we're holding a baptism ceremony at the same time as the banquet to celebrate spring.

Melchior has been saying that he's wanted to move to the northern annex ever since I moved there. I'm also happy that Melchior will be baptized.

"Brother Charles, I want to have a tea party with Sister Rozemyne too."

She asked when I went to play in the children's room.

"Then let's have a tea party."
"Yes! Thank you."

Melchior said with a smile.

And so it was decided that the tea party would be held for the four siblings. I remember how happy I was to be able to talk with my sister before the baptism.

...But then, my brother suddenly barged in and the tea party ended halfway through.

I shook my head to shake off the unpleasant memories.
When I was a child, I was very jealous of my older brother, who was treated so well and given preferential treatment. However, recently I've been thinking that it was good that I was born second and wasn't taken away by my grandmother. I'm glad I was raised by my mother.

"I'm Melchior, son of Aub Ehrenfest. Please allow me to pray for your blessing on this rare encounter, which was the result of the strict selection of the god of life, Evilive."
"I forgive you."
"May the god of life, Evilive, bless you, Rozemyne. I look forward to working with you in the future."

Having successfully greeted her older sister, her tense face turned into a satisfied smile.
Everyone praised Melchior. Her older sister was also smiling.
The tea party started elegantly when her older sister brought new sweets, but things started to look ominous when Melchior said, "I love books."

Her older sister was so moved that her magical powers were almost overflowing. ...Are you more impressed than when you first met me...?

"I wonder what kind of stories you like, Melchior? Perhaps tales of knights? There are plenty of stories from other territories now."
"My favorite is stories about gods."
"I understand. If Melchior likes stories about gods, then I'll do my best to satisfy him."
"..."

All I can do is watch in shock.

He seems much happier than when I praised him, saying, "You're cute." His smile fades away.

"Hey, Rozemyne. Charles is sulking."
"Huh?"

...Huh?

I'm flustered that my brother is suddenly saying that to my sister.

"I'm not sulking."

"You're sulking, aren't you? Rozemyne, you're Charles's fiancée, so you have to be nicer to Charles than to Melchior."

"Brother, today is the time to introduce Melchior, so it's fine."

I stop my brother. It's not cool to be jealous of your younger brother.

My sister and Melchior both look at me blankly. Their gazes hurt!

"Is Charles sulking?"

"I'm not sulking!"

"Listen, Melchior. If you get too close to Rozemyne, Charles will say something mean to you later, so be careful. Charles will get angry at me just for taking the same class."

"I'm not angry! Brother, what are you saying to Melchior?"

I try desperately to stop my brother.

"I've never seen you this flustered, Charles."

"Both Charles and Melchior are my adorable little brothers. But Charles is not only cute, he's also reliable and handsome. He's my proud fiancé."

......!! ? ? ? ? ?

I felt my face heat up.

Thank you... I could only say in a thin voice.

My brother said with some satisfaction.

"Yes. This settles the matter."

"I've never seen you blush like this, Charles."

"That's enough about me, so please continue with the story of God!"

( *^-^)ρ(^0^* )

"The pure flow of the water goddess Flutrane swept away the god of life, Evilive, and rescued the earth goddess, Geduldh. Blessings to the thaw!"

The day of the banquet to celebrate spring had arrived.

"First, we will announce this year's outstanding students. Fourteen students achieved excellent results."

Cries of surprise and admiration erupt, followed by applause. Last year there were five students, which was still more than usual, so you can see how unusual this year is.

We go up on stage and receive our commemorative magic stones. It's the first time we've received one.

Once everyone has received them, Father says in a dignified voice.

"Congratulations to this year's outstanding students, especially the two top students!"

The great hall is suddenly enveloped in the light of the Schtappe, and my back feels fluffy. It's so beautiful. I'll never forget this view. This was a performance that wasn't there last year.

The older sister next to me speaks up.

"It turned out just as Charles said."
"Eh?"
"Last year, you said, 'Let's make it overflow with everyone's blessings, didn't you?"
"There's a difference between an engagement and an outstanding student."
"But it's good that you're happy."

My older sister smiles softly, and my cheeks naturally relax. It certainly is a joy.
Our engagement was announced at the spring celebration banquet last year. It has been a year since I was engaged to Onee-sama.
As Onee-sama and I smiled at each other, the lights of the Schtappes of the Florentines -- especially those around Elvira -- became especially bright. I smiled and waved at Elvira, and this time a huge round of applause broke out. I returned to my seat amid the applause. I will never forget this scene.

"Welcome the new child of Ehrenfest."

After the spring celebration banquet, it was time for Melchior's baptism.
The musicians began to play music accompanied by my uncle's firm voice as Melchior entered.
Just as I had advised, Melchior looked straight at Onee-sama and walked with dignity. It was a fitting appearance for the son of a lord. I also fondly recall how moved I was to see Onee-sama in her temple high-class outfit.

"Now that Melchior has been recognized by God and everyone as my son, I will present him with a ring. Congratulations, Melchior."
"Thank you, father."
"May Melchior be blessed by Frutrane, the goddess of water."

...Ah.
The blessings that Onee-sama gave to Melchior were clearly more than usual at baptisms. Even more than at my baptism. Onee-sama had an expression of regret. Onee-sama's blessings are influenced by her emotions.

Melchior returned the blessing.
My brother glanced at me and said. "Charles, don't be sulky."
"I'm not sulking!"

Chapter Text

This year, Charles is the first to leave for the prayer ceremony.
As soon as the ceremony is over, he has to head to Leisegang to make final checks on the printing, so he's busy. Last year, Wilfried did the final checks, but this year, he's excited to go himself since he got his mount. His fear of heights seems to have improved a lot.

"Sister, please accept this."

While having tea with Charles at the temple, he receives a present. The pendant is finally finished. He opens the wooden box.

"It's cute! It's Lesser-kun!!"

"I'm glad you like it."

Monica agrees, saying it's cute. I'm so happy.

"Sister, please understand. You must not let other nobles see this. Please wear it secretly under your clothes. You can show it to the temple people, but you must hide it at all times in the castle and the lord's mansion."
“I understand, I'll keep it a secret." Charles said with a serious expression and a strange emphasis. Is he embarrassed to have given such a present? His shyness is cute.

After the prayer ceremony, the day came to depart for Leisegang. Today's Lesser Bass was large. We loaded the temple attendants, Gutenberg, and many of our work tools onto it and headed for the castle, where we were to meet. At the castle, those who had finished their preparations were waiting for us to arrive.

As soon as he saw me, Charles came over. My fiance was cute today as well. With him was Sylvester, who was not cute at all. "Sister, please let me ride your mount."

"Rozemyne, can you let me ride? It seems that Charles feels most secure when he's with Rozemyne."
Charles has been feeling a bit tense since the morning, or rather, he seems to be feeling a bit down.

Ferdinand calls Charles and talks to him seriously. "Leisegang is a land where you can't let your guard down, but I'm sure you two will be fine."
"Charles is good at socializing, after all. I'm worried that I can be of any use to you."

He's been told to take the brunt of the attack, but Charles has already met with Gybe Leisegang several times.

Sylvester suddenly shows a gentle face.
"It'll be fine. All you have to do is be by my side. That alone will give Charles strength. That's how it is. When Georgine came to Ehrenfest, Florencia--"

From there, Sylvester begins to boast about Florencia.
...Ah, no, I didn't hear that.

Even when I turned my back on her, she continued to talk about her love for him. She even made me hold a magic device to prevent eavesdropping.

Apparently, before meeting Georgine, Sylvester had Florence give him a kiss on the cheek. What?

"Should I also kiss Charles on the cheek?"

"Yes, if necessary."

Sylvester said with a lordly, serious look on his face. Since we were using a magic device to prevent eavesdropping, it would look like we were having a serious, top-secret discussion.

The lord's wife's important job was to cheer up the lord as he headed off to a stressful job. I learned something.

...But wait a second.

Ferdinand considered it shameless for a romance novel to only involve touching hands. Surely a kiss on the cheek would be pretty shameless.

While I was lost in thought, Wilfried spoke up.

"Rozemyne, thank you for today."

"Brother Wilfried is also going to Leisegang, isn't he?"

"Yeah. I'm also participating in the printing business. Father said I didn't have to go if I had to, but Charles asked me to come along. I can't refuse my brother's request."

Wilfried showed a proud smile.

I see, Wilfried is also working hard to become a great big brother.

Charles, Laurent and Angelica boarded the Lesser Bass. They were the same group as the Starknot Ceremony some time ago.

"Charles asked Brother Wilfried to accompany him, wasn't he?"

"Yes. If you come, the attention of the people of Leisegang will be directed towards you, not me."

Charles said with a bright smile.

...Is he treating me like a lightning rod, not a reliable big brother?!

We arrived in Leisegang.
After receiving the Lesser Holy Grail and inspecting the downtown area, Gybe Leisegang and Elvira made the final confirmation regarding the printing business and concluded the contract.

"It's a shame that we're only operating a small part of the printing workshop after going to all the effort to set up," Charles said.

That's true. There are a lot of jobs we want to print now, so it's a shame. I'm also a little concerned about the low profits.

Gybe Leisegang spoke calmly.

"Agriculture is Leisegang's top priority."

After Benno and the others left and only the nobles were left, Gybe Leisegang had the tea replaced and turned to look at us.

"Lord Charles, Lady Rozemyne, first of all, congratulations on winning the top prize."

"Thank you."

"I appreciate it."

He said congratulations, but reluctantly, like he'd admitted defeat.
While I was wondering, Charles smiled like an aristocrat and explained.

Apparently, a year ago, at their meeting, Charles had declared to Lord Leisegang, "I will definitely catch up with you, sister!" This was around the time of the announcement of the engagement, when he suddenly came to the temple after a series of meetings.

...Charles, you're amazing! Ah, that's right, you're going to make Charles proud and assert that you have no intention of becoming the next lord, right? Isn't this the time to say it?

"Lord Leisegang, as you can see, Charles is a hardworking, excellent, reliable brother who does what he says. I'm really glad that Charles became my fiance."

Charles said with a big smile and blushed, Elvira and Karstedt smiled, and Lord Leisegang looked a little troubled.

"I'm sure Charles will become a fine lord."

...Okay, you said it! I was satisfied with having cleared my quota, but Gybe Leisegang sighed slowly as if he was not satisfied.

"Opportunities like this are rare. Rather than hearing from others, I would like to hear from you, Lady Rozemyne. Is that okay?"
"I'll ask."
"Excuse me. ... I believe there is no Eviliebe who would not reach out to get Gedullihi even if she was in a position to do so. What do you think, Lady Rozemyne?"

I rack my brains trying to decipher it.
In this case, Gedullihi is probably Ehrenfest.
No matter what anyone says, it would be troublesome to be lumped together with the god of imprisonment and rape.

"I am not an Eviliebe who seeks Gedullihi. I wish to become the goddess of light for Charles, the god of darkness."

When I said this, the surroundings became noisy.
... Huh, did I make a mistake?! I glance around. Elvira and Marianne's eyes are shining, and Marianne has even begun to write something on her writing board. Ah, is that so...! Charles is embarrassed, and Wilfried has a look on his face that says, "Here we go again." Karstedt's gaze hurts the most. ...No! I didn't mean to brag!

She's panicked inside, but her face is an elegant ladylike smile. Gybe Leisegang didn't flinch at my intense boasting. "But Lady Rozemyne has started a new business in the printing industry, and as the head of the temple she has devoted herself to Ehrenfest, and even worries about orphans to protect the people. Many of the Leisegangs, who are her blood relatives, think that Lady Rozemyne is the one fit to be the lord." I was annoyed when he indirectly told me that Charles was just riding on the coattails of the printing business I started. It's true that I'm in charge of the downtown area, but Charles is in charge of the nobility, and he's working hard on a lot of things.

"Gebe Leisegang. I think you've misunderstood something. I don't want to make books. I want to read books."

"What do you mean?"

"Making cheaper paper and setting up a printing workshop are all for the purpose of increasing the number of books I can read. For now, if you look at the results alone, it has been beneficial for the territory, but I did all of this for myself, not for the territory. In the future, I plan to leave the papermaking and printing industries to Charles, and spend my days surrounded by the books he gives me. Ah, what wonderful days they will be."

"Sister."

"Of course, I will do my job as a lord's wife, such as socializing."

Gebe Leisegang shook her head.

"The job of a lord's spouse is to assist the lord. Surely Charles would be better suited to that role than Lady Rozemyne."

...You seem to have done a lot of research, don't you think?

Charles certainly has the personality to be an assistant.

"If Lady Rozemyne becomes lord, her spouse cannot take any wife other than Lady Rozemyne. What do you think?"

Charles' head shook at the words of Gybe Leisegang, not mine. It seemed that, like Sylvester, Charles did not want to take a second wife.

Everyone's eyes were on Charles, so he sat up.

I pulled myself together and continued.

"I think Charles is more suitable to be lord, so the opposite will not happen."

"Is that so..."

"Unlike me, Charles has been educated since childhood and is working hard to become the next lord. I was raised in the temple, so I do my best just to appear a noble, and Charles supports me to a large extent. Charles works hard and puts in effort, and he is kind and considerate, and on top of that, he is very cute."

"Rozemyne, cuteness has nothing to do with the qualities of a lord."

Wilfried retorts.
Charles, who had been silently watching the developments up until now, now speaks up.

"Gibe Leisegang. Your sister is certainly talented, has a lot of magical power, and has a great backing. But being a lord is not all easy. I don't want you to have to go through any more unnecessary hardships."

Charles says, in a roundabout way, implying that he wants to make your sister work harder in order to produce a lord from the Leisegang bloodline. It's quite a confrontational statement.

"You're right."

Gibe Leisegang exhales slowly.

He asks his attendant to replace the tea and takes a moment.

"Lady Veronica has been treated coldly for too long. In order for Leisegang to cooperate, we must change Grandfather's hardline stance..."

Gibe Leisegang talks about the history of Leisegang's rise and fall in a rambling voice.
For generations, the Leisegang family has cultivated the land with magic, expanded the farmland, and protected its vast food supply through obedience and marriage, even as the lords changed. However, the marriage of Ahrensbach's princess marked the beginning of Leisegang's decline. It seems that my great-grandfather is hardened by hatred.

"Your grandfather's hatred towards Ahrensbach, knowing his fall from the top and his long history of neglect, is immense. Can Charles and Rozemyne get rid of that hatred?"

Gibe Leisegang looks at Charles as if to test him. Charles meets his gaze and says, "That's impossible. I can't forgive Grandma Veronica's actions either."

...Huh?

Both Wilfried and I look at Charles in shock.

"My hatred for my great-grandmother and great-grandfather will never disappear. Of course, that's all I've done. But I'm a different person than them. I don't intend to repeat the same mistakes. If I become the lord, I will leave Ehrenfest.
"I promise to remove the influence of the evil Veronica faction and cooperate with the Leisegang nobles. The Leisegang are your sister's relatives. We will never treat them with disdain."

Charles said with a face I had never seen before.
Silvester also made a strict distinction between his public and private lives, but I thought this was the public side of Charles. I had only seen his private side until now.
He's doing a great job as the next lord..., I thought.
Charles turned to Wilfried and said.

"You have no objections to removing the influence of the old Veronica faction, do you?"
"Yes. The old Veronica faction is the faction that framed me and harmed Rozemyne."

Gibe Leisegang's eyes widened in disbelief at Wilfried's words.
The room was silent.
...Is this why he brought Wilfried? Although it was common in the Noble House for Wilfried to be harsh towards the old Veronica faction despite being raised by Veronica, it seemed unbelievable to the adults in the territory.

I remembered Charles saying that he didn't want to be against Wilfried, but rather bring him under his control.

After that, Charles asked if he could introduce him to an adult, high-ranking noble civil servant who could work in the printing industry, and Elvira joined in to discuss the matter.

Gibe Leisegang seemed quite proud.

I heard later that the Veronica faction had monopolized all the important positions in the castle, so it was a great pleasure for Leisegang to be involved in Ehrenfest's major project. It seemed to prove that Charles' words about cooperating with Leisegang were true.

The meeting must have been a great success.

After saying our farewells, Gibe Leisegang continued to kneel until we were out of sight.

Chapter Text

"Lady Rozemyne, it's time to visit great-grandfather."

Today, I'm visiting my great-grandfather, who is said to be frozen with anger and hatred.

As I walk down the corridor of the Lesser Bass, I see Charles and Wilfried waiting for me.

"Charles, brother Wilfried. Sorry to have kept you waiting. What were you two talking about?"

"Yes. I thought that the meeting with former lord Leisegang would go more smoothly without me, who was raised by Grandmother. But Charles said that he needed me."

"Yes. I need you."

"If my brother says that, I have no choice but to accompany him."

I don't know why Wilfried is needed, but I'm sure Charles has some idea.

"Oh, oh, Lady Rozemyne. Welcome to Leisegang. It must be by the gods' will that we be able to meet again like this."

Great-grandfather welcomes him with great fanfare. Is it just my imagination that he looks healthier than last year?

"Former Governor Leisegang. Good day. How are you feeling?"

Charles says with a smile.
It's kind of like, "It's like. It's like a politician making a rounds in the provinces. Or like a visit to a nursing home."
Great-grandfather responds to Charles somehow, but Wilfried completely ignores him. Hmm, this worries me.

First, let's have a tea party.
Great-grandfather says that kartkarl is soft and easy to eat, and his favorite is it.
After a light chat and the atmosphere becomes relaxed, Charles speaks up.

"Former Governor Leisegang. I've come to talk to you today."
"......"
"Great-grandfather, Charles wants to hear about your great-grandfather."

As I help him out so he doesn't ignore me, my great-grandfather looks at Charles.

"What is it?"
"Yes. I'd really like to hear about what Grandma Veronica did to the Leisegang nobles."

......?!
We look at Charles in shock. Everyone else is the same.
My great-grandfather's face, which had been smiling with wrinkles on it, suddenly disappears as if the smile had disappeared. Even though he is expressionless, or rather, because he is expressionless, the hatred of having survived the deepest pain and humiliation is conveyed.
I can tell that Wilfried has held his breath. Charles remains unfazed.

"Since this happened before we were born, I don't know the details."

She smiles elegantly. He's elegant but also menacing. He doesn't seem like the Charles I know.

"Are you prepared to hear what he has to say?"

"Yes."

Charles looks at me, Wilfried, and all of his aides, then nods.

"It's something we need to know."

Then the long, long story of my great-grandfather began.

The story begins when my great-grandfather's beloved daughter is noticed by a candidate for lordship. They get engaged, get married, live in the main building of the castle, have children, and are promised the position of the next lord and lord couple. It seems they were very happy. My great-grandfather says that those were the happiest times.

However, their happiness was shattered when a princess from Ahrensbach - Gabrielle, Wilfried's great-grandmother - was forced to marry him. My great-grandfather's daughter became the second wife, was removed from the position of next lord, and was sealed away in Greschel.

"Wait a minute. I'm not sure what you're talking about. Is this second wife your grandmother?"

Wilfried said, wondering why he would interrupt such a serious conversation.
Great-grandfather continued speaking without paying any attention.

"Great-grandfather, great-grandfather."
"Yes. What is it, Lady Rozemyne?"
"Can I clarify a bit?"
"Yes... I don't mind."

It's a problem because Wilfried can hear me but can't hear me.
I turned to Wilfried.

"Brother Wilfried, the daughter of my great-grandfather who became the second wife of the first Lord Grechel was the mother of my mother's mother, Elvira's mother, which means she is my great-grandmother."
"Huh, huh..."
"Olivier"

Charles called out, and his aide Olivier quickly spread out the family tree on the table. Both the family tree is centered on Elvira and the family tree is centered on Karstedt. It's well prepared.
Charles explains to Wilfried, pointing at the family tree. Great-grandfather looks at it without moving.

As he spreads out the family tree, he resumes his great-grandfather's story.
To ease his great-grandfather's dissatisfaction at his great-grandfather's daughter being demoted to high-ranking nobility, the fourth lord, Charles' great-great-grandfather, married Bonifatius to the daughter of Leisegang. However, Bonifatius quickly handed the lordship over to his younger brother.

"Is that daughter your other great-grandmother?" Wilfried asks me, ignoring my great-grandfather. This is a difficult situation.

"Great-grandfather, please wait a moment."

"..."
"Brother Wilfried, the lady you're talking about is not your great-grandmother, but your grandmother. She is Father Karsted's mother, Lord Bonifatius's first wife."

"Hmm, hmm..."
"Brother, please take a look at this family tree."

Charles and I will explain to Brother Wilfried.
When I first heard about it from Elvira, the characters were so confusing that I got all mixed up.

"I don't really get it..."

Charles glared at Wilfried in response to his muttering.

"Brother, this is an important matter that concerns the territory. Don't be careless and take it seriously."

Charles scolded Wilfried. Charles is so cool.
Wilfried was also drawn in and spoke with a firm feeling.

"I understand, former Governor Leisegang. I'm very sorry for not understanding you enough. Please let me know the rest of your story."

I'm not sure if Wilfried heard him, but my great-grandfather continued his story. About the many things Veronica had done to him.

Resentment, jealousy, pain.

The three of us listened seriously.

...How cruel.

I'm getting drunk on his malice and feeling sick.

Veronica's treatment of me is terrible, but I'm also scared of my great-grandfather's grudges.

...Why do I keep thinking about such things that make me feel sick? I should live my life with more fun things in mind. Wasn't my great-grandfather happy to have many grandchildren and great-grandchildren and a family? As the former Governor Leisegang, hadn't he protected this fertile land? Wasn't there any pride or happiness in that?

"Sister, are you okay?"

Charles noticed that my complexion was getting worse.

Even though Charles and I were talking, he couldn't stop talking about my great-grandfather. I think it's a lie that he wishes me happiness. It's not about me, it's about my bloodline that's important.

Even without saying anything, his hatred was oozing out, and it was scary to even be near him, but what he was saying was also scary. Listening to him was very mentally draining.

Everyone advised me to leave.

Both my great-grandfather and Wilfried were so serious about what they were saying that they didn't even glance at me.

Perhaps because I was looking away when I stood up, I tripped and fell on the carpet, losing consciousness.

"Lady Rozemyne, are you okay?"

When I woke up, it was the next day. Charles had come and was very worried about me.

The three of us had lunch in the dining hall. The atmosphere was heavy. My head still hurts. Even though they were talking about my great-grandfather until dinner time yesterday, they still hadn't finished, and it seems they're going to listen to him again today.

Wilfried's expression is stiff. I've never seen Wilfried look like this, as he always has such a carefree demeanor.

If I'm feeling sick just listening to him, then it must be even tougher for Wilfried to have to listen to his grandmother Veronica's evil deeds. He's feeling the direct effects of his great-grandfather's hatred.

"I'll also come to listen to my great-grandfather's story."

"No, sister, please rest."

"Rozemyne, it's okay. We'll listen to you on your behalf, so don't worry."

"But..."

Wouldn't it be a tougher meeting without me? Well, even though I collapsed yesterday.

"Sis."

Charles stands right next to me, peering into my face with his blue eyes. He gently strokes my hair.

"It's fine, please rest, Onee-sama. It's none of your business."

"It's not none of your business, is it?"

Charles tilts his head and smiles.

As if to say it's none of your business.

"You can rest in bed today, Onee-sama. You can read a book if you want."

Charles' hand strokes my hair, then brushes my bangs aside and kisses my forehead.

...? ? ? ? ? ! ... Charles and Hartmut selected the aides who would accompany me. It seems that all of the Leisegang aide trainees want to hear about great-grandfather.

Roderich is a forced member of the group, by the way. A civil servant is necessary, and they'll show me the minutes later. It will probably be less of a shock than hearing from great-grandfather directly.

"Otilie, Angelica, and Philine, please take good care of Onee-sama. Onee-sama, please get plenty of rest."

Saying this, he patted her head gently, then kissed the back of her head again.

...? ? ? ! ! ! Charles and the others left the room and the door closed.

"O-Otilie, just now! Just now!"

"That's good. I have to tell Lady Elvira."

"No! If I tell Mother, it will spread in an instant! No!"

Even after I was changed into my loungewear and thrown into bed, my excitement had not yet subsided.

I rolled around in bed remembering what had happened earlier.

"Ah, ah~~~"

"I'm glad Lady Rozemyne is feeling better."

Angelica called out.

After a while, Marianne brought me some stories I hadn't read yet. Isn't my fiancé's aftercare the best?!

And so, Leisegang's visit ended while I was rolling around in bed.

Wilfried's eyes looked like a dead fish, so it seemed like they had talked quite in-depth. It was rare to see Wilfried with dead eyes.

"Did you get anything?"
"Years of resentment won't melt away with one visit."

Charles said calmly. He said that regular visits build trust.

Charles won't ride with us on the way back because it would be a disaster if Lesser Bass skipped. It's a shame, but Fran pleaded with me so desperately that it can't be helped.

Although my visit to Leisegang was fruitful, I was thinking about something else.

When I tried to kiss her on the cheek, she kissed me on the forehead instead. This means that the day when I take her to the secret room and give her a hug is approaching!

Chapter Text

After the memorial service, I'm busy with the meetings for the Lord's Conference.
In the downtown area, I talked with the Plantin Company and the guild leaders. Benno says that Charles is a strong bulwark for me and Sylvester. Excuse me.
Elvira, Leberecht, and Marvin have become quite knowledgeable about printing-related matters. They are reliable. Marvin secretly told me that Leberecht is wickedly strong when it comes to negotiating between nobles.

I share with Sylvester what has been decided in the downtown area and in the printing team.
In the meeting with Sylvester, in addition to the printing business, we discussed restrictions on business partners, a proposal to sell the formula for rinsham, chefs and recipes, and more. Ehrenfest's current challenge is that it cannot accept merchants and therefore cannot increase its business partners.

"There may be a lot of marriage proposals for Wilfried this year."

"I would like to respect Wilfried's wishes if possible. But it seems he hasn't found a woman he likes yet. Isn't that strange?"

"It seems more fun for men to just hang out with each other."

Basically, Wilfried only talks about cool weapons and Gevinnen. He's an elementary school student inside. That's to be expected considering his age. He has three children, so he's better than an elementary school student inside.

"Charles proposed to her before he entered the academy, so I'm worried. When I was at the academy--"

And then I heard about the time when he was aggressively attacking Florencia.

... I wonder if this gene of devotion to love didn't pass on to Wilfried?

When everyone moved to the lord's meeting, Ferdinand began preparing for the lord candidate course. Melchior was also there to observe with Charles and Wilfried. The old Ferdinand would have rejected it. I think he has become a much more mellow person.

"First, let's start by separating the magical attributes. If you can't do this, you can't move on to the practical training for lord candidates."

It seems to be a common task for third-year students.

We are told to prepare magic stones of each attribute, touch them, understand the feeling of only that attribute's magical power being pulled, and create magic stones that do not mix with the magical power of other attributes as much as possible.

As we touch the magic stones, we separate the attributes from our own magical power.

"They're mixed together. Let's start again."

All three of us are forced to try again many times.

Halfway through, Wilfried said he was feeling sick and took a break.

Charles is now able to separate only the earth attribute. When Charles dyes a magic stone, it turns red. He was born in winter, so the earth attribute is probably the strongest.

Wilfried is competitive, and frustrated that his younger brother completed the task before him, so he tries again, and with perseverance, he is able to separate the water attribute. As expected, it seems that the attributes of one's birth season are easy to use.

I learned how to separate different magical attributes into each finger by waving my hand, but I felt bad saying "I can now separate all attributes!" while the two men were exhausted, so I took a break. Ferdinand, who is always nagging me to "appoint the next lord," seemed to have noticed.

The next day was Entwickeln practice. We were all made to practice drawing blueprints.

Charles asked Ferdinand a question.

"Uncle, is it okay if I design the library?"
"I don't mind, but aren't you quite poisoned by Rozemyne?"

Ferdinand said in a pitying tone.

"I'll design a library too!"

"I'll do it with you and my older brother."

"I'm not going to make it a library."

"Brother, wouldn't you like an armory?"

"Yes. That's good too. Let's make it a cool armory."

It's a 3/4 library. Everyone starts designing it with excitement.

However, when I was thinking about my ideal library, I remembered the library in my home when I was in Urano, surrounded by a huge amount of books, and I even imagined a book falling on me and dying, which made me feel a little awkward.

Wondering what kind of library I should have, I suddenly looked at Charles's blueprint and asked him.

"Charles, that's not a library, is it?"

The room Charles drew has more space for relaxing with a bench and a round table than bookshelves. There's also a fireplace. It's more of an entertainment room with a lot of bookshelves than a library.

"No, this is a library. You start reading in front of the bookshelves, don't you? You need a place to read near the bookshelves."

...That's not it.

What I want is a space surrounded by a huge number of books... like a used bookstore in a used bookstore district, with its rows of books lined up everywhere.

Charles' library is like a stylish bookstore with a cafe attached. I don't think it's a bookstore. The smell of coffee is stronger than the smell of books, and the interior is more important than the books, so it's a bit unorthodox.

When I told Charles that the number of books is more important than the scenery, he began to present his design, saying, "You can read while looking at the many bookshelves." It's certainly great to be able to read while looking at the bookshelves. Plus, this way you won't die from books falling on you while you're reading.

As I was groaning, Wilfried called out.

"Aren't all libraries the same?"
"Completely not!"
"Ha. Whatever it is, just finish the blueprint by tomorrow."
"Brother Charles and sister seem to work well together."

When the fourth bell rang, we all went to the dining room to have lunch. Bonifatius, who was working alone, looked like he was having a hard time.

As I was thinking about the ideal library, the door to the dining room opened.

"There has been an emergency summons to the Lords' Conference. Lord Ferdinand, please head to the House of Lords immediately."

Ferdinand's expression suddenly became stern upon hearing the emergency summons.

Since Ferdinand had gone to the House of Lords, I spent the afternoon having tea with Charles and Melchior.

Chapter Text

"Eckhart, Justus. I have to suddenly attend a meeting with Ahrensbach. I'm sorry, but I need you to get ready right away."
"Understood."

Even though he was supposed to stay at home during the lord's conference, Ferdinand was called to the Noble Academy.

Ferdinand took Eckhart and Justus into the teleportation circle and arrived at the Noble Academy dormitory. As they left the teleportation circle, Karstedt and Sylvester's entourage were waiting for them.

"I have come here on the orders of Lord Ehrenfest. What is going on, Karstedt?"
"This has become a hassle. Ahrensbach has said that he wants either you or Wilfried as his son-in-law."
"Either...?"
"Sylvester has refused, but he is not giving in at all."

Ferdinand recalls the territory competition.
At that time, Ferdinand was the only one he said he wanted as a son-in-law. Ferdinand flatly refused Lord Ahrensbach, saying, "My Geduldh is Ehrenfest."

...Is this Georgine's strategy?
If asked to give either Ferdinand or Wilfried, Sylvester would refuse without hesitation. It's annoying that he has to make a choice between the two.

Ferdinand hurried off to the tea party room.
Sylvester, Florencia, Aub Ahrensbach, and Georgine are in the tea room.

Ferdinand gives the noble greeting and sits down.

...How should he respond?

If it was just Ferdinand's request, he would have simply refused. But this time Wilfried is also involved.

"Aub Ahrensbach, I'm afraid neither Ferdinand nor Wilfried are suitable to be Lady Dietlinde's husband."

It seems that Sylvester has a policy of not taking either of them seriously. Ferdinand follows suit.

"My answer will remain the same as it was during the lord competition."

Ferdinand then goes on to explain why he cannot leave Ehrenfest, including the fact that there are few adult lord candidates in Ehrenfest and that he is Rozemyne's guardian.

"Ferdinand, are you sure?"

Isn't Sylvester forcing you to do troublesome work? Even if I serve Sylvester, there will be no reward, right?
If I stay with Sylvester, I will only be exploited, right?
In that case, I should become the lord of a large territory.

Georgine, with the easy-going nature of a sister, criticizes Sylvester in a roundabout way in an aristocratic manner.
Ferdinand is serving Ehrenfest voluntarily, not being exploited.
Behind the thin veil, Georgine's red lips form a smile.

The meeting ends, and Sylvester expresses his anger. Now they are alone in the lord's room. "I will not give either you or Wilfried to Ahrensbach as a husband!"

That is typical of Sylvester.
Ferdinand knows. Sylvester is the type who tries to choose both and ends up with neither.

"I understand your intentions. However, if you cannot refuse, send me to Ahrensbach as a son-in-law, not Wilfried."

"What are you talking about!?"

Ferdinand continues, ignoring Sylvester's cries. "I will get information about Ahrensbach and stop Georgine's actions."

"Don't say stupid things. Why are you trying to take on the trouble?"

"So what will you do? Send Wilfried to enemy territory? Your son, who can't even lie properly?"

Sylvester frowned.
Wilfried's education is behind. He is also obedient and easily deceived.

If he becomes a son-in-law to Ahrensbach, he will easily become Georgine's pawn. This will be Sylvester's greatest weakness. It's obvious as day.

"Order me to go to Ahrensbach and take control of Ahrensbach."
"Don't be ridiculous! I don't want you to suffer any more!" Sylvester shouts.

"So what will you do?"
"I refuse both marriage proposals. Of course."
"I'll say it again, if you can't refuse...choose me."
"Not possible. Before I'm Lord Ehrenfest, I'm your brother."

And that's the end of it.
The marriage of a candidate for lord is basically decided by the lord.

Ferdinand thinks about Georgine's plan. The two brides who came from Ahrensbach last year were probably a setup to get a husband from Ehrenfest.

Will Sylvester be able to refuse this offer to marry?

Ferdinand's mind is filled with memories of the past.

--Ferdinand, you take control of the temple.
Sylvester laughed and encouraged Ferdinand to enter the temple. Becoming a priest would mean giving up one's noble status. Both were important, Sylvester said. But it was clear that Ferdinand had chosen his mother over his half-brother.

He predicted the worst.

--Ferdinand, you take control of Ahrensbach.

He thought that's what he would say. He laughed as he imagined it. He would surely choose his son over his half-brother.

That might be a good thing. Taking control of Ahrensbach from the inside would be to Ehrenfest's advantage.

Sylvester could use Ferdinand as a pawn to Ehrenfest's advantage.

--I leave Ehrenfest and Sylvester to you, guided by the Goddess of Time.

Suddenly, his father's final words came back to him.

Ferdinand looked up at the sky. The sky there was the same as it had been when he attended the Aristocratic Academy.

Chapter Text

Another social invitation from Ahrensbach.

Unlike in the past, Ehrenfest receives many invitations from large territories. Prioritize social interactions with other territories and put Ahrensbach's social interactions on hold. Then, just get through this lords' conference period.

It's no joke to say that Wilfried or Ferdinand will be your son-in-law.

"I don't like the way you say it doesn't matter. If you're going to bring up the topic of marriage, shouldn't you be in love with him and insist on it?"

Sylvester asks Karstedt, who is standing behind him, for his consent.

"Normally, a marriage partner is decided by the conditions of those around you. Don't put me in the same category as you."

As Karstedt said, Sylvester wanting Florencia was unusual.

Ahrensbach's condition is "a candidate for lordship who can become a son-in-law." Ferdinand and Wilfried, who have a taint on their records, seem to be just right. It would be terrible if he took away his brother and son just for the sake of convenience.

But Ahrensbach was persistent. This time he wanted to hear Wilfried's answer directly. He said that would be the end of it. Sylvester accepted.

Sylvester called Wilfried to the House of Lords. Normally, minors do not attend the lords' conference. This time is special.

In the lord's room, he explains that he has been requested to become Ahrensbach's son-in-law.

"Wilfried, are you okay? I refuse to become your son-in-law. I want to hear from you directly, but you must absolutely refuse. I will not accept any other answer."

"I understand, father."

Sylvester exhales.

Wilfried had said that he wanted to become the commander of the knights and defeat the Lord of Winter. He surely would not want to go to Ahrensbach. Wilfried will be of marriageable age by next year. He will surely find a woman he likes. Sylvester intends to support this as a father and lord. All they need to do is get through this meeting this year.

It'll be fine. Ferdinand is too pessimistic.

The time for the meeting with Ahrensbach has come. He enters the room accompanied by Wilfried.

"Wilfried, it's been a long time."

"It's been a long time, Aub Ahrensbach."

...?

Aub Ahrensbach and Wilfried's greeting was strange to Sylvester. They are the lord of a large territory and a candidate for the lord of a medium territory, but they have a casual atmosphere like relatives.

"Excuse me. Have you met Wilfried?"

"Yes. Wilfried helped me out during the territory competition."

Aub Ahrensbach stroked his beard with satisfaction.

...I have a bad feeling about this.

"Well, what did you talk about? Please tell me."

Georgine asked Aub Ahrensbach curiously. It seemed that Georgine also did not know the contents of the conversation.

"What? They said that we don't spend enough time with Dietrinde. We should spend more time together as a family. It was refreshing to hear someone say something so frank."

It was a completely disrespectful statement.

...Vi, Wilfried!! What are you doing!!

I thought that Rozemyne was the only one who had not learned how to behave towards superiors, but I was wrong. Rozemyne had been so messed up that I did not pay attention to Wilfried's words and actions.

Now that I think about it, Ferdinand seemed to have said something about Wilfried's social life. Sylvester had not remembered what he had said because he had not heard Ferdinand's nagging.

Sylvester hurriedly apologized. "I'm sorry that my son was rude."

"No. It's fine. I'm sure he doesn't have many opportunities to interact with your youngest daughter. You have a kind son. He must be worried about Dietrinde."

Aub Ahrensbach praises Wilfried.

Wilfried looks embarrassed.

... Stop it. You're currently being pursued as a potential husband.

"I wish Dietrinde had a boy who can be so considerate."

"No, such words are a waste... You're overestimating my son." Sylvester’s stomach started to hurt.

"Wilfried seems to be very close with Dietrinde at the Noble Academy. I'm sure they're close enough to discuss family problems."

"Yes. We were close at the Noble Academy because we were cousins."

...Okay, that was good, Wilfried. He emphasizes that they are only cousins and relatives.

"I heard you promised to give my daughter a hair ornament for her graduation ceremony."

"Yes. Lady Dietrinde asked me to."

"?!"

... Wilfried! My father didn't hear him!

Florencia blinks. It seems she didn't hear him either.

He had heard that Dietrinde wanted the Ehrenfest hair ornament, but he must have refused. Didn't he refuse?!

"I see. I'll look forward to escorting her to the graduation ceremony."

Sylvester's stomach is in horrible pain.

"Please wait. It's too early for my son to choose a fiance."

"That's right, Lord Giselfried. Wilfried is not yet old enough to feel magical powers. He is too young to be Dietrinde's partner."

"That's right. Wilfried is three years younger than Lady Dietrinde."

Georgine chimed in after Sylvester said that. A sense of unity and cooperation was born naturally. Cooperating with my sister would be a once-in-a-lifetime miracle.

"But I heard that Lord Ehrenfest is also two years younger than Lady Florencia."

"No, that's..."

She hit a sore spot.

Sylvester was flustered.

"Hmm. I heard that the difference in territory ranking and age difference was merely a test for Glücklität..."

...Why did she say that? Ah, a collection of love stories! I'll hate you, Charles! Rozemyne!! It was one of the lines that Sylvester used when wooing Florencia, included in the Ehrenfest collection of love stories. Sylvester had accepted the collection of love stories written by Elvira. Actually, he had secretly read his own lines and grinned, thinking they sounded like love stories. It was as if the ladies at a love story tea party had commented, "That's lovely. I want to be thought of like that." It made him grin.

...I wanted to hit myself for grinning!

"Wilfried isn't seducing my daughter, is he?" Aub Ahrensbach asked Wilfried with a sharp look in his eyes.

"No, my son would never do such a thing..."

"I am not deceiving Lady Dietrinde."

"I see. Then come to Ahrensbach."

"Aub Ahrensbach"

"Lord Gieselfried"

Siblings Sylvester and Georgine stop him.

However, due to Aub Ahrensbach's insistence and Wilfried's honest and straightforward remarks, Dietrinde and Wilfried's engagement was decided.

Chapter Text

Charles and Rozemyne dislike tea parties with their cousin Dietrinde, but Wilfried doesn't mind.

Dietrinde is selfish and self-centered, but the women Wilfried is closest to are Veronica and Rozemyne, and he thinks all women are like that. He thinks the other women he meets at tea parties are only quiet because they are far away, and that they will all show their selfish sides if they get closer to them. Even Rozemyne is called a saint in other places.

And Dietrinde's behavior is similar to my grandmother Veronica, so it brings back memories. He feels a twinge of unease as he remembers those days.

"Wilfried, what's wrong?"

"No. The way Dietrinde spoke just now was just like your grandmother."

Dietrinde blinked her deep green eyes and said.

"By grandmother, are you referring to Aub Ehrenfest's mother? What is she like? I've never met her. If she resembles me, she must be a wonderful person."

Wilfried is at a loss for words.

"...Can I talk about grandmother?"

"Yes. I'd like to hear about it. She's my grandmother too, isn't she?"

Wilfried is at a loss for words again.

...Is it okay to talk about it?

It is forbidden to talk about Veronica in Ehrenfest. But this is the aristocratic academy, the Ahrensbach tea party room. Ferdinand, Charles, and Rozemyne, who were all bullied by Veronica, are not here.

...I see, it's okay to talk about it here.

"...Grandmother," Wilfried begins to speak.
It was a comfortable space to talk to a woman who resembled his grandmother about childhood memories that were forbidden on the territory.

Chapter Text

...Wilfried has talent!
Martina is convinced.

What talent? It's the talent to handle Dietrinde. He can calm down Dietrinde, who is selfish, moody, and hysterical. Wilfried is amazing. Just being able to calmly respond to Dietrinde's many comments is amazing. Martina seriously respects Wilfried.

Martina serves Dietrinde as an attendant, and is always troubled by her. The attendant's job is to stop Dietrinde from causing trouble and to calm her down when she gets in a bad mood.

After the tea party with Wilfried, Dietrinde is in a good mood for a while. She even hums a song and becomes a little kinder to her attendants.

"Wouldn't Lord Wilfried be willing to become Lady Dietrinde's son-in-law?"
"Really. If Lord Wilfried came to Ahrensbach, it would make things a lot easier."

Wilfried is highly regarded among Dietrinde's aides. It's no exaggeration to say that he is very popular.

"Last year, he turned down the offer to marry, right? But I heard from the trainee civil servant in Ehrenfest that the next lord is almost certain to be Lord Charles. Wouldn't it be fine for Lord Wilfried to come to Ahrensbach?"

The conditions for Dietrinde to marry are difficult. She has to take a son-in-law from another lord's family so that he can serve as a temporary lord in case of emergency. There aren't many men from a lord's family who would accept a marriage with a woman who is not the next lord. Plus, Dietrinde has that personality.

But maybe Wilfried from the rural territory of Ehrenfest could do it.

"But I feel sorry for Wilfried having to be with Dietrinde..."

Martina immediately denied what one of the aides had said.

"No. I went to be Wilfried's attendant last year. I heard that Wilfried is fond of Dietrinde. In fact, the two of them look very close at the tea party."

Everyone agreed.
Wilfried was unfazed by Dietrinde's selfishness. It didn't even seem like he was forcing a smile. He didn't seem to feel anything for Dietrinde's actions. Wonderful.

"Esidor." After the lecture, Martina called out to Wilfried's aide, Esidor.
It was convenient that Wilfried's aide was in the same year as her in the attendant course.

"Here's an invitation from Dietrinde to Wilfried for a tea party."

"Thank you."

Esidor smiles elegantly.

"Ummm...Esidor. I wonder what Wilfried thinks about Dietrinde's invitation? Well...we've only sent out invitations, and Wilfried hasn't sent any invitations."

Martina told Wilfried in noble terms that he should invite Dietrinde too.

"It seems like he's enjoying the tea party with Dietrinde. But Wilfried doesn't care much about women, probably because he hasn't yet developed his magical sense."

Martina thinks that this isn't just a convenient excuse to turn her down, but is simply the truth. Normally, nobles choose their spouses after their magical sense is developed. To Martina and the others, Wilfried is still a child.

But even so, Wilfried was an ideal husband candidate.
Wilfried is friendly and good-looking, so it won't be hard to find a partner. I'm sure they'll find one in no time. I want to secure him as Dietlinde's husband before that happens.

A few days later, I received a reply from Esidor saying he would participate.

"Lady Dietlinde, this is a tea party with Lord Wilfried."

Ahh! A cheer went up, not just from Dietlinde, but from her aides.

"Oh. Everyone, how vulgar." Dietlinde didn't seem completely opposed to it.

"Lady Dietlinde, let's prepare some foreign sweets. Ahrensbach is the only territory with an open border gate, after all."

Ahrensbach's sweets are very high-class. But they're worth serving to Wilfried. Wilfried needs to experience the goodness of Ahrensbach.

Martina and the other aides work together to prepare to welcome Wilfried.

"Lady Dietrinde, let's ask for a hair ornament for the graduation ceremony. Lord Wilfried is a kind man, so I'm sure he will grant your wish."

Wilfried seems to be weak to pressure. Let's push him hard and fill the moat.

"But what about asking me? It doesn't seem like I'm in love with Wilfried."

"It's okay. Men are waiting for a pretty woman to ask them."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

Later, at a tea party, Wilfried blushes as if he is embarrassed. "This is the first time I've been welcomed so warmly."

...It makes a good impression!
The hearts of the delighted aides are united again.

If we push, we can get it. Let's keep pushing until the Noble Academy is over. Let's explain Wilfried's good points to Aub Ahrensbach.

And so Dietlinde's aides were busy working on the ``Team to bring Lady Dietlinde and Lord Wilfried together''...

Chapter Text

Lord Wilfried was out hunting with his knight apprentices.

Taking the invitation Martina had given him, Esidor went down to his room by himself. Looking at the invitation, which he had placed on his desk along with his reference books, Esidor sighed.

What on earth should he do?

The social season had begun, and Dietlinde had begun to send out more invitations.

It seems that she wants Wilfried as a son-in-law.

If Wilfried were to marry Ahrensbach, Esidor, who is a senior attendant and close in age to him, would likely follow him. Esidor had never even considered the possibility of going to another territory.

If I were to go to Ahrensbach, my parents would be heartbroken.

Esidor became Wilfried's aide at Veronica's command. He decided to become an aide because he wanted to protect his parents from Veronica. After Veronica's downfall, he considered quitting his position as an aide, but he waited and saw how things would turn out, and that's how he ended up here. It's an honour to be an aide to the lord's family, and he has no particular complaints about his master, Wilfried, so he feels comfortable there.

Esidor was troubled, and decided to consult with his colleague Alexis. Oswald is unreliable, and Ignaz is a bit unreliable.

He called Alexis into his room and showed him the invitation.

"It seems that Lady Dietrinde likes Lady Wilfried. She wants Ahrensbach to become her son-in-law. What do you think?"
"Hmm, I can't leave Lord Wilfried out of the picture either."

Esidor was disappointed. His reaction was weak. "Is there no other choice?"
"Isn't Dietlinde older than Wilfried? Surely there is someone else who is a better fit for Wilfried?"
"Ahrensbach is a large territory, so if he likes her, that's it."
"In that case, shouldn't we decline the tea party?"

It's a very unfocused conversation.
Wilfried, Alexis, and Ignaz are all carefree, and I don't dislike that.

"What exactly are you worried about?"
"...Alexis, Wilfried, do you think he'll be happier if he stays in Ehrenfest or marries into Ahrensbach?" I'm worried because I think it would be better for Wilfried to marry Ahrensbach.

The next lord of Ehrenfest will definitely be Charles.
Wilfried has an innocent personality, but Charles has a cunning side. Charles quickly gained Rozemyne, the princess of Leisegang, as his ally. Wilfried could not compete with him in terms of political skill.

To be honest, Esidor himself would feel more comfortable living with Charles ruling Ehrenfest than with Wilfried. If Wilfried became the next lord, the old Veronica faction would once again have power. I don't want that to happen.
Many people bear a grudge against the old Veronica faction due to Veronica's tyranny in the past. And some nobles are taking out their resentment on Wilfried. It is unclear whether Wilfried will be able to live peacefully in Ehrenfest.

If that's the case, wouldn't it be better for him to marry into a large territory? Fortunately, Wilfried is well-liked by Dietrinde and her entourage. The treatment in Ahrensbach shouldn't be bad either.
"I don't know which is better. I have to ask him." Alexis said bluntly.

"That's true, but... I'm worried about Wilfried."

Will Wilfried be able to make the choice for himself? From Esidor's point of view, I didn't think Wilfried properly understood the power relationships between the nobles in the territory, nor the power relationships within the territory.

"...What do you think about going to Ahrensbach, Alexis?"
"Huh? I don't intend to go with you."
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
"Huh? ...The lord's family's entourage will accompany him."
"Is that so? Only a few entourage members can be taken to other territories, right? If we recruit applicants, the quota will be filled up quickly, won't it?"

Esidor was stunned and thought. "...That's true."

Many of the former Veronica faction have connections with Ahrensbach. Furthermore, if Wilfried marries Ahrensbach and Dietlinde becomes the Lord of the Houses, Wilfried will become the Lord of the Houses. The husband of Lord Ahrensbach will be in a higher position than the Lord and Lady of Ehrenfest. Wilfried himself will not be concerned about being ranked higher than his siblings, but there will be many among the former Veronica faction's aides who want to outwit Charles and Rozemyne.

"Besides, Lord Wilfried will not force those who want to remain in his territory."
"...That's true."

Wilfried is Veronica's grandson, but he is a good person. As Alexis said, he will not ignore the person's wishes.

Besides... I thought that if he really wanted to, I would go with him. I was surprised to realize my feelings. It seemed that loyalty had begun to grow within me.

"I don't know what Esidor is worried about, but isn't it all up to Wilfried? There's not much we can do."
"That's right... It's true."

When he realized that it was unlikely that he would go to Ahrensbach, all of a sudden, all of his worries vanished.

He realized that he was worried about his own future, not his master's.

Then a thought came to his mind.
...Wilfried might be happier if he left Ehrenfest.

"Alexis, I'm glad I asked you for advice."
"That's good." As expected, Wilfried's aide was not uncomfortable.

After handing the invitation to Wilfried, Wilfried replied that he would not refuse an invitation from a large territory. He decided not to tell Wilfried that Martina had also asked him to invite her. If Wilfried himself wanted to invite Dietlinde, he would do so himself. And so, Esidor was able to sort out his feelings.

In the end, the decision would be made by Wilfried himself and the Aub.

At the next lecture for the attendants, Esidor handed Martina her reply to the invitation.

Chapter Text

Lord Rozemyne is reading with Charles at the dormitory. This year, thanks to Charles, Rozemyne has been going to the library less frequently, and Leonore is grateful to Charles.

Leaving Judith to guard her, Leonore was riding Cornelius's mount towards the gazebo when she saw a familiar mount.

"Cornelius, isn't that Wilfried's mount?"

Flying above the gazebo while pretending to look for it, she flew above it at a natural level.
Lion and dolphin mounts lined up at the gazebo. There was no doubt that Wilfried and Dietrinde were there.

"I have to go back to the dormitory and tell Rozemyne and Charles..."

Leonore said, but the mount had already arrived at an empty gazebo.

"Cornelius?"
"Now that we've finally gotten to be alone, can we please forget about all this for now?"

Cornelius embraces Leonore and wraps her in his cloak to hide her.
...I don't think it's all that important... Ah, I can't think of anything else!

Leonore is swept away.

After dinner, when the lords have retired to their rooms, Leonore decides to consult with her colleagues. The marriage of a lord candidate is a major event for the territory.

When she grabs Hartmut and heads to the conference room, she finds Brunhilde and Olivier making plans for a tea party. There have been a lot of tea parties recently, so it's been a lot of work to prepare. It would be just right for the sake of appearances.

Leonore tells them what happened in the gazebo.

"Yeah, I've seen them a few times. I think Wilfried and Dietrinde will get engaged soon."

Hartmut says. Leonore was surprised.
Ahrensbach was a target of caution. Leonore couldn't understand why Cornelius and Hartmut were indifferent.
"Why is Hartmut so calm?"

"Indeed, if Wilfried was to marry into another territory, I thought it would be better to marry into a territory farther away from Ehrenfest and with less influence. But it's not for us to say anything, is it?"

Leonore was a little hesitant and asked a question. "Is he definitely going to marry into the territory?"
"Yes. Ahrensbach has few candidates for lord. Dietrinde is looking for a candidate to become a lord so that she can aim to become a lord. But in reality, she doesn't have enough ability to become a lord."

Leonore felt a little relieved to hear that.
It's not acceptable for Dietrinde to marry into Ehrenfest, but it's fine if Wilfried leaves Ehrenfest. And if he's not a lord, his influence on Ehrenfest will be less.

"Hartmut has done a good job of investigating."

"They wanted information about Ehrenfest, too. They were very happy to find out that Wilfried was not the next lord."

...Isn't that indirectly helping Wilfried marry Ahrensbach?

As Leonore was dumbfounded, Olivier, who had been listening to the conversation, asked a question.

"Is that story true?"

"Yeah. I spoke with Ahrensbach's civil servant trainees the other day. Dietlinde seems to like Wilfried very much. And it seems Wilfried can't refuse an invitation to a large territory. He'll go to tea parties and Ahrensbach if invited."

"Wow. I wish Wilfried would leave Ehrenfest."

Olivier said with an expression that lacked any joy, anger, sadness, or happiness. There is a different kind of fear in this case compared to Hartmut, who doesn't hide his dislike for Wilfried.
Olivier's parents were aides who came from Frenbeltag when Florence married him. I don't know the details, but I heard that the whole family was persecuted by Veronica.

"I'm not sure how to put it, but... I think it would be better for Wilfried to marry into another territory. Rozemyne and Charles have already established a strong regime, so there's no need for any extra sparks."

Brunhilde agreed.

Brunhilde is the daughter of Groschel, who was in the most conflict with Veronica. All of the Leisegang nobles have suffered harm from Veronica to a greater or lesser extent.

Leonore voiced her concerns.

"I also think it would be better for Wilfried to marry into another territory. But where is this place? I'm worried that he might use his blood ties to put pressure on Ehrenfest and make unreasonable demands..."

Veronica wielded power largely because she had Ahrensbach's backing. Leisegang knows her methods well.

"Do you think Rozemyne would lose to Dietrinde and Wilfried in a negotiation?"
"...I'm worried that she might use her brotherly feelings. Both Charles and Rozemyne are kind people."
"Charles is the kind of person who will choose reason over emotion."

Olivier, Charles's aide, declared with a stern face.

Everyone's eyes were on Olivier.

"... Charles has been brought up since he was a child to give in to Wilfried in many ways. Otherwise he would be harmed by Veronica. I want them to break this bad relationship. I can't stand to see Charles always being so considerate of Wilfried. If Wilfried goes to enemy territory, I would be more than happy to give up on him."

Olivier adds that if he goes to enemy territory, the Aub will not treat Wilfried with favour forever. The Frenbeltag nobles seem to have a different kind of feud than the Leisegang nobles.

"... I'm worried that Rozemyne and Charles will be hurt."

That was all Leonore could say.

"But they've already been meeting at the pavilion, haven't they? It's not something we can do anything about. The Aub will do something about it."
"That's right. It's the Aub's job to decide marriages within the lord's family."

No one was very interested in Wilfried.

They decided to leave it to the Aub and that was the end of it.

Later, Rozemyne became excited and said, "I'll find a wife for Brother Wilfried," to Leonore's relief.

Marianne was engrossed in the tea party about the love story with the great territory, Hartmut deliberately omitted information about Wilfried, and Ignaz respected Wilfried's wishes that he was embarrassed, so Wilfried and Dietrinde's rendezvous was not reported to Ehrenfest.

Chapter Text

...Isn't that a black weapon?! I was amazed at the black weapons carried by Wilfried and his men. Students are not allowed to use black weapons.

After receiving word that Ternisbefallen had appeared, we teachers and the Central Knights headed to the collection site in Ehrenfest. The collection site was decaying with black sludge. The students of Ehrenfest were in a forest a short distance from the collection site.

"Students, evacuate! Leave the rest to the Central Knights!"

"Everyone, reinforcements have arrived!"

The Central Knights head out to defeat Ternisbefallen. There are injured people, so the teachers who can heal them head to the evacuation site.

I hear about the situation from Wilfried, a candidate for lord of Ehrenfest.

It seems they were taking turns guiding Ternisbefallen to buy time. That's excellent for a student. They can make decisions and lead in an emergency. As expected, this is the territory that defeated Dunkelfelger in the Treasure Ditter.

"Lord Wilfried, what is that weapon?"
"It's the effect of Rozemyne's blessing."
"Blessing... is it?"

Hartmut, Rozemyne's aide, who said he could explain blessings, gave a long and incomprehensible explanation. Since we weren't getting anywhere, we decided to go and ask Rozemyne herself about the situation.

I quietly looked back.

The damage to Ehrenfest was extensive, with the ransacked collection site and injured students.

An investigation into the cause of the Ternisbefallen that appeared at the Noble Academy has begun.

Since Ahrensbach manages the old Berkestock, some people are saying that Ahrensbach is suspicious. The suspected Fraurelm is really making a lot of noise.

It has also been decided that an exploration of the old Berkestock will be carried out.

"Next, regarding the case of the Ehrenfest student using black spells without permission--"

I questioned Rozemyne immediately after the subjugation.

She said she saw the black spell weapon when she accompanied the subjugation of Trombe. Ferdinand, the high priest at the temple of Ehrenfest, will also be joining the battle. Rozemyne will likely join the battle someday as well. She is a promising lord candidate.

The prayer that Rozemyne chanted to obtain the dark blessing was different from the black spell used among the knights. She said she was unaware that the use of black spells was prohibited, and simply recited the words written in the holy book.

"It's true that Lady Rozemyne's blessing was different from the black spell."

"I heard that the blessing was written in the scriptures, but I couldn't get the Central Temple to confirm it."

"So you heard it nearby when you defeated Trombe and remembered it?"
"Can you remember it after hearing it just once?"
"That must mean Lady Rozemyne is talented."

Various opinions are expressed.

When I inquired at the Central Temple along with the request for a healing ritual, it turned out that the blessing to obtain the dark blessing was not in the scriptures.

Only Fraurelm was rambling in a shrill voice that Lady Rozemyne was suspicious, but everyone else ignored her. Ehrenfest was the victim. Ahrensbach was suspected, so they were desperately trying to change the subject.

"Let's pay close attention to the knights of Ehrenfest."
Ehrenfest is a territory that has permission to use black weapons because Trombe appears. The meeting ended with the conclusion that the spell may have leaked to Lady Rozemyne from somewhere.

Since it was an emergency situation and Lady Rozemyne herself showed no signs of rebellion, the punishment for the Ehrenfest students using black weapons should have been minimal.
However, Ehrenfest's dorm supervisor, Hirschur, protested against the decision. Ehrenfest also protested, stating that "the Knights are following the king's rules."

With Hirschur's support, it was decided to hold a meeting to verify the Holy Scriptures.

Lord Ferdinand arrived from Ehrenfest with the Holy Scriptures.
Present were myself, Rauffen, Ehrenfest's dorm supervisor, Lady Royalitate, vice-commander of the Central Knights, Prince Hildebrand, and his aide, Lady Arthur.

For some reason, Prince Hildebrand straightened up as soon as he saw Lady Ferdinand. Lady Rozemyne, on the other hand, looked tense. It must be because her parents were there.

"Since the Dark God's Prayer has a similar effect to the Black Weapon, it is not a good idea to inform unauthorized people of it."
Only myself, Loyalitate, and Prince Hildebrand of the royal family, who know the Black Spell, were given permission to view it. Hirschur complained to Ferdinand, but Ferdinand ignored him.

"The words are old and I can't read them."
"... I can't read them either."

The Dark God's Prayer was written in an ancient language.
Dunkelfelger has a long history. When I was a student (before the coup d'état began), I studied ancient languages because I wanted to read the heroic tales of Langeltus and Garshout, but this was an even older language than that.

Ferdinand said, "I'll take on the verification," and handed over an anti-eavesdropping magic tool and read it out loud. It was the same words that Rozemyne had taught me. Rozemyne was convinced.
Rozemyne's doubts were cleared. It was proven that Ehrenfest had not broken the king's rules.

"Ah, I see. I suppose those in the Central Temple could not read the ancient language, right?" Loyalitate spoke. That certainly makes sense, but I wonder if that's really the case. Ferdinand concluded, "The Central Temple is of no concern." That's certainly true.

The meeting ended with Prince Hildebrand's approval.

"I'll be right back, Rozemyne." Ferdinand, holding the scriptures, was about to leave, so I hurriedly stopped him.

"Please wait a moment. I have a request regarding Rozemyne's enrollment in the knight course..."
"Rejected."
"But Ditter..."
"I heard that Wilfried will be enrolling in the knight course next year. You'll have to be patient."

Ferdinand threw me something, so I took it. It was a magic tool to prevent wiretapping. It seems that Lady Rozemyne cannot go about her daily life without auxiliary magical tools.

I am surprised at how strict and overprotective Lord Ferdinand is. He even went out of his way to carry the Holy Scriptures this time, and seems to care about Lady Rozemyne very much. This is unthinkable for Ferdinand when he was a student.

There is no other way. I will train Lord Wilfried instead.

Chapter Text

"I see that Lord Gieselfried likes Wilfried. If that's the case, you should have said so..."

Georgine said this to her husband Gieselfried, Lord Ahrensbach.

She didn't think that Gieselfried would push for Wilfried to become his son-in-law.

Georgine's plan was to welcome Ferdinand to Ahrensbach as a son-in-law. Gieselfried was also keen until halfway through.

"Ferdinand turned us down. And besides, he's too talented. It's better for the interim Lord's spouse to be a fool."

Indeed, Wilfried was perfect.

It's difficult to choose a husband for Dietrinde. With Letizia already set to be the next lord, it would be troublesome if he were to stir up trouble within the territory. The condition was that the candidate had to be one who didn't want Dietrinde to be the next lord.

"But there are still years until Wilfried becomes his son-in-law. If something happens in that time--"
"You expect something to happen to me in that short time?"
"No way. It's just in case."

Georgine returned to Ahrensbach before Gieselfried. She ordered the aide to whom she dedicated her name to deactivate the poison.

The plan went awry.
Now that there are no adult members of Ahrensbach's lord family, Georgine will be the one to act as lord's representative if Gieselfried rises to a higher position. If that happens, she will no longer be able to move freely. That's why Gieselfried must stay alive.

The plan was to summon Ferdinand, who is in the way of the plan, to Ahrensbach as soon as possible and assassinate Gieselfried to stop him from acting. However, it would be meaningless if Wilfried, who is still in his second year at the Noble Academy, is engaged.
The plan must be completely revised.

Georgine felt her own hatred well up inside her.
...Wilfried really was a lot like Sylvester when he was a child.
With that innocent face, he was trampling on Georgine's plan. The humiliation of her time in Ehrenfest came back to her.

Georgine wanted to hurt Sylvester.
To start with, she wanted to see Sylvester's face as he agonized over whether to sacrifice his brother or his son. Sylvester was especially vulnerable to attacks on things more important than himself. She wanted to enjoy seeing him suffer.

...She had played around a bit too much. She should have prioritized her plan instead of hurting him.

It's a shame that her plan has gone awry, but she still had a way. To start with, she would use her engagement as an excuse to go to Ehrenfest. If she was going to carry out her plan, it would be better to do so in the Governor's territory than in the highly guarded noble district.
There are many in Ehrenfest who have sworn loyalty to Georgine. Georgine thinks of their faces softly.

Those who became close aides to Sylvester when they left Ehrenfest.

Grausam and Royer of the Gerlach couple and their sons. Graust Wiltl and his wife and Bettina, a former Ahrensbach noblewoman who married his son Freuden. Glorie, the current first wife of Georgine Dahldorf.

...Those who will become my vassals if I become Lord Ehrenfest.

I have many pawns at my disposal.

It might be interesting to appease Wilfried. I'm sure I could inflict a lot of pain on Sylvester.

...Ehrenfest is mine.

Georgine's red lips curved.

Chapter Text

An unnecessary explanation.

〇Wilfried
Wilfried had feelings for Dietlinde.
In the original, during the Irritating Tea Party, when I read that Wilfried was worried about Dietlinde instead of Ferdinand, I thought, "You should go to Ahrensbach...!"

〇Martina
Martina was a big fan of Wilfried.
The fact that Wilfried doesn't feel anything in particular about Dietrinde's words and actions is from the Q&A in Fanbook 5.

〇Esidor
Esidor is apparently a neutral person who became Wilfried's aide at Veronica's command. 4-2 Comical adaptation information.
At first, I wrote it in the old Veronica camp, "I'll make Wilfried Ahrensbach's lord and make Charrose kneel," but after reading the comic adaptation I rewrote it.
"He's a good guy, but he doesn't think of his destiny as being in the same boat as his master" is a common trait among Vil's aides... or something like that.

〇Rozemyne and Char's aides
Everyone from the Leise and Flo factions dislike Wilfried...
They don't particularly try to belittle him, but they don't try to help him either, they just keep their distance.
Since Vilrose isn't engaged, the criticism is less... I think.

〇Staff meeting
In the original, Rozemyne was suspected of being involved in bringing in Ternisbefallen, and Professor Gundolph suggested calling in one of the king's aides (the head civil servant or the commander of the central knights), but that didn't happen. The scripture verification meeting was held with a small number of people.

〇Royalty
There was no royal order.

〇Heisshitz
In the original story, Aub Ahrensbach asks Aub Dunkelfelger to act as an intermediary to talk to Ferdinand, and the guard Heisshitz hears him, but that doesn't happen in this story.
First of all, he didn't do a ditter in the territory competition and didn't meet Lord Fer.
That's why he didn't ‘rescue’ Lord Fer from the temple.

〇Aub Ahrensbach
In the original story, he couldn't talk to Lord Fer without any obstacles, but by avoiding the ditter, he was able to talk to Lord Fer and Vil directly in the territory competition. And he ended up liking Vil instead of Lord Fer.
He thought, "If I take Ferdinand as my son-in-law, Ahrensbach will be taken over." That concern was correct.
If he had taken Ferdinand as his son-in-law, he would have been assassinated by Georgine just like in the original story, so he escaped death.

〇Georgine
Lady Georgine wanted to hurt Sylvester. Sylvester is also a natural and has ruined Georgine's plans, so he has a lot of hatred for Wilfried the Mini-Syl.
With Dietrinde's husband now being Wilfried instead of Ferdinand, Georgine's plans have become harder than in the original. Wilfried will continue to interfere with her plans.

□About the route branching

To tell the truth, I was wondering whether to make Dietrinde's husband Ferdinand as in the original, or Wilfried.
To tell the truth, I had both scenarios written up! (laughs)

Both scenarios are interesting... There are a ton of episodes I want to write for both... I'm an inefficient writer who just writes down the scenes I want to write, so... I just wrote down the scenes that were fun to write, and I couldn't publish them because the story didn't connect. (lol)

If Charlotte were a boy, she would push Wilfried aside and get engaged to Rozemyne, and Wilfried would be taken by Dietrinde... Ah, then Ferdinand wouldn't have to go to Ahrensbach. That was the first thing I thought about with the Charlotte-male IF.

After that, I had a lot of thoughts and I started to wonder, "Wouldn't it be better to let Ferdinand go to Ahrensbach like in the original?"
However, if Ferdinand goes to Ahrensbach, there would be too many painful developments.

Also, if I were to predict how things would turn out without any bias, I thought that if Charlotte was engaged, Dietrinde's partner would be Wilfried after all... That seems more likely. Also, it's more likely that Rozemyne would have been taken in her first year, not her second year.

I also thought it would be more interesting if the developments were different from the original.

There is also a true ending route for the birth of Alexandria, which follows the same storyline as in the original.

To get there, you must collect the stills of "The Prince's Urge Ordonnanz," "Defeat of Ternisbefallen," "Fruit of Adalgisa," and "Streittkolben," activate the royal command, and go to the route where Fer becomes a son-in-law to Arlen.

Since I missed out on getting the stills this time, I ended up on the route where Wilfried gets engaged to Dietlinde.

That's the backstory. I like scenario games with multiple endings (otome games and not), so... Ferdinand is definitely the final hidden route.

The story will change drastically from here on out because Dietrinde's partner has changed, so I'm looking forward to writing it.

With Fer in Ehrenfest, Vil being good at handling Dietlinde, and Char eliminating the trouble flags, it's a pretty easy route. There aren't many difficult developments from here on out.

Chapter Text

...The high priest's face is scary!

Ferdinand was called to the Lords' Conference, but for some reason he returned with a fake, bright smile.

Even during his lectures, he would flash his bright smile, making Charles and I tremble. Seeing us like that, Melchior tilted his head.

"Why are you scared, Sister and Brother?"

I kept my distance from Ferdinand and explained furtively.

"Melchior, that's a very sulky face. Ferdinand hides his slight emotional fluctuations with a blank look, but when he's really angry or in pain, he smiles to hide his feelings from those around him."

"You're in a rare good mood, Uncle. Was it a good idea to call you to the Lords' Conference?"

...Brother Wilfried!! Even though I was taking the time to explain things to Melchior, Wilfried was recklessly talking to Ferdinand. Ferdinand's sparkling smile deepened, and the lecture that day was being squeezed even for us. Brother Wilfried, you idiot, idiot, idiot!

During lunch, Bonifatius asked, "Ferdinand, what was the matter at the Lords' Conference?" but he did not reveal the details, saying, "The Aub is currently handling it. It will become clear at the Lords' Conference report meeting." It seems that he cannot reveal the details yet.
The next day, Ferdinand's sparkling smile disappeared, and we were relieved.
A few days later, for some reason Wilfried stopped attending the lecture.

"I wonder what happened to Brother Wilfried?"

Ferdinand furrowed his brow and made a difficult face.

...Ah, a difficult face suits the high priest after all. A smile is scary!

The lord's conference seems to have ended after a series of advance lectures from the aristocratic academy, embroidery, tea parties, and helping Bonifatius. Everyone heads to the teleportation room to greet them.

"Father, mother!"

Melchior's cheerful voice rises. The lord and his wife have returned.

...Huh?

Florencia is smiling as usual, but there is a shadow somewhere, and Sylvester is almost expressionless, with almost no smile on his face.

After exchanging greetings, I approach Sylvester.

"Did something happen?"

"...I'll tell you at the debriefing."

When I spoke to him, Sylvester smiled at his children.

...Even the adoptive father is smiling!?

The debriefing will be held the day after everyone returns from the lord's conference.

After everyone is ready, the lord and his wife come in and the debriefing begins.

"There have been many big changes this year, so there are many things to communicate. There have been many important decisions, so be careful not to miss anything."

After Sylvester’s greeting, the announcement of the rankings (apparently eighth place), a report on the business, a report on the printing industry, Hildebrand's unveiling, and the story of Anastacius and Eglantine's star knot ceremony continued.

"The hair ornament used in the ceremony is an Ehrenfest hair ornament. It attracted a lot of attention, so I think there will be orders from large territories and royal families in the future."

If the Gilberta Company's hair ornament attracted attention, there will be orders again this year. I thought of the faces of the next graduating lord candidates--Lestilaut and Dietlinde.

What will Dietlinde do?

She wanted a hair ornament so badly. I feel heavy-hearted at the thought of being asked to do something unreasonable at the aristocratic academy again.

As I was thinking about this, my adoptive father said, "Finally, there is an important announcement for Ehrenfest." His voice had dropped slightly, and his expression had disappeared as if he was suppressing his emotions.

"At Ahrensbach's request, it has been decided that Wilfried will marry Dietlinde, Ahrensbach's candidate for lordship."

There was a murmur in the conference hall.

Wow!

I was so surprised that I turned to Wilfried.

"Brother Wilfried, congratulations on your engagement."
"Yes."

The surrounding nobles also offered their congratulations one after another, and Wilfried responded with an embarrassed look on his face.

It seems that Brother Wilfried liked Dietlinde. They lived happily ever after.

I thought so nonchalantly, but suddenly I noticed that Charles next to me had a scary look on his face. When he met my eyes, he quickly looked away.

Well, this is bad! Charles didn't want Brother Wilfried to marry him! The relationship between Ahrensbach and Ehrenfest is currently difficult. With Wilfried marrying into the family, it will surely become even more difficult. This was no time to be complacent and happy.
While I was secretly panicking, Charles' smile returned and he offered his congratulations. What a remarkable change of expression.
Looking around, the lord and lord's expressions were also tense. Even Ferdinand was smiling forcefully.

...Well, this is bad! Perhaps this is the time for the lord's family to be disappointed?! Ah, but maybe he should put on a fake smile so that they don't realize that he is disappointed?! No, no, Melchior is happy too, so it's okay?!!
It was really difficult to react.

The report was over.
With the exception of a few people, everyone who had heard the news of the celebration left the room with bright expressions. Ferdinand also stood up and left the room with a brisk walk. He was quick.
When the crowd thinned out, Charles grabbed Wilfried's arm and walked towards Sylvester. "Father, there's something I need to tell you."

Sylvester said to Charles with a sullen look on his face. "Okay. Come to the lord's conference room together."

Charles and the others left the room without even looking at me. I was left behind.

Last year, Ferdinand and I were called by Sylvester after the report session of the lord's conference. The pretext was to talk about the Starknot Ceremony at the Border, but it was actually an internal discussion between the lords. I thought there would be a similar personal report this year. I was a little confused by the different turn of events.

Well, I'm an adopted daughter, so it's only natural to tell my biological child about important matters related to the territory. If anything, it's been strange up until now.

However, I felt lonely not being called by Sylvester.

I wonder if Wilfried had the same feelings last year.

Chapter Text

"Charles, I won't run away, so stop grabbing my arm."

As I was moving to the lord's office, I realized that my brother had scolded me and that I had been holding his arm the whole time. As I entered and left the lord's office, my father ordered, "Everyone's gone. Get out," and the aides left the room.

My father, my brother, and I were in the lord's office.

I remember that a little over a year ago, my brother and I were called in and asked about my engagement to my sister. Now it's not about my sister, but my brother's engagement.

After everyone was dismissed, I started.

"Father, what on earth is going on, that your brother and Dietlinde are engaged?!"

My father sat lazily in his chair. It was an attitude he wouldn't show in front of everyone.

"Tell that to Wilfried. I was planning to reject him. It was Wilfried who accepted at the lords' conference."

I look at my brother in disbelief. He has an embarrassed look on his face.

"So you really did like Dietlinde, didn't you...!"

That's the only thing I can think of.

I couldn't believe it, but my sister's hunch turned out to be correct. Women are more knowledgeable about love stories after all.

"That's not the case."

"But you met Dietlinde at the gazebo many times, gave her rinsham, and promised to give her a hair ornament for her graduation, right?"

Father sounds tired and tells me about the contents of the discussion with Aub Ahrensbach at the lords' conference.

... Brother!

That's no good. That's too bad. All my interference at the noble academy to stop my brother from being taken was for nothing. That's terrible. That's too much.

"Father! What were you thinking, sending my brother to the lord's conference?"

My anger was aimed at my father.

"Yeah. I didn't think about it enough."

Father answered with a tired look on his face.

Father must have ignored the advice from his uncle to "do something about Wilfried's social life." Father was just too optimistic.

"Charles, are you really that angry?"

"I am! I am! You said you had no intention of leaving Ehrenfest, didn't you? Why did you agree to the engagement with Dietlinde?"

"Um, well..."

I pressed my brother.

Father and brother must have already had a long and bitter exchange. Father didn't say anything, as if the matter was over. Even so, I couldn't accept that my brother had chosen an engagement that would bring no benefit to Ehrenfest, and in fact would bring it disadvantage. My brother shouldn't be that stupid.

But when I heard my brother's words, I gasped.

"Aub Ahrensbach requested that either I or your uncle become the son-in-law."

The questioning stopped.

"That's..."

...In that case, it would be better for my brother to become the son-in-law.

I thought that immediately.

My uncle and my brother. Who would be more beneficial to stay in Ehrenfest, and who would be a blow if they left Ehrenfest? That's a simple thing that anyone could see.

Ehrenfest wouldn't be able to function without my uncle.

Many nobles would be happy if my brother was gone.

...Did my brother realize that?

The memory of Leisegang's visit came back to me. I was the one who took my brother to Leisegang.
There were several purposes in having my brother accompany me. To direct Leisegang's malice towards you and not me, to show Leisegang that I can control my brother, to make my brother understand Leisegang's resentment, and to show the Veronica faction members who remained in my brother's entourage the reality of Ehrenfest...

My socializing with the former Governor Leisegang was more rewarding than I expected. The former Governor Leisegang told my brother in detail about Grandmother's treatment of Leisegang and her resentment.

Only my brother can be the leader of the Veronica faction. Ehrenfest will run more peacefully without my brother.
I tried to make my brother know that.

...I wonder if my brother has realized that it would be better for him not to be in Ehrenfest.

My palms are sweaty and I grip them tightly. My heart is pounding. I wonder what I've done and regret comes over me.

"Brother... that's..."

"That's why I thought it would be better for me to become his son-in-law. I would feel sorry for Dietlinde if she were to marry my uncle."

"Huh?"

"Yes?"

Huh?

What did he just say?
I looked at my brother in shock.

The words he replied were completely unexpected.

"Let's keep this a secret from my uncle."

I think about it over and over.

It takes a while for my brain to process the words.

...Feel sorry for Dietlinde?

"Do you think Dietlinde... would dislike you, Uncle? Well... I guess... she might dislike it..."

I had been thinking about Ehrenfest the whole time, and Dietlinde's feelings hadn't even crossed my mind.
But my brother was thinking about Dietlinde more than Ehrenfest.
Why?

"You're very scary, Uncle. I'm going to treat Dietlinde kindly."
"I see..."

My head suddenly cooled down. I suddenly realized that no matter what I said, it wouldn't get through to him. My brother wasn't thinking what I was thinking, and I wasn't thinking what he was thinking.
We were strangers.

"I'm sorry I upset you. Congratulations on your engagement."

When I sent him my congratulations, my brother smiled brightly.
Father had a very bitter look on his face.

After that, he became busy with visits.
My brother's marriage to his wife has been decided, and I have been officially selected as the next lord. I am receiving requests to meet with neutral people who had been undecided up until now.

When I meet with the nobles, everyone is happy. Both the Florentine faction and the Leisegang nobles are happy that my brother is leaving Ehrenfest. My aides are also happy, though they don't say it out loud. They are overflowing with words of congratulations.
I feel a strange sensation, as if my stomach has turned upside down.

A smile is the basis of social interaction. I was bullied by my grandmothers from a young age, so I was good at putting on a fake smile.

"...I'll lock myself in a secret room."
As soon as I returned to my room, I stopped smiling and said. I also declined the tea preparations. I wanted to be alone as soon as possible.

"I'm tired."
I muttered once I was alone.
It feels strange.

I'm upset about my brother's marriage to his wife, but there's no one who can share my feelings. I was raised by Grandmother to be the next lord, rivalling my older brother. Everyone around me is rooting for me to become the next lord. That's why I'm happy that my older brother is gone.

Even so, I can't completely rejoice. My heart is unsettled.
I don't know why I feel this way. Maybe I'm the one who's strange.

"I'm tired," I said again. Those words, unheard by anyone, quietly disappeared into the hidden room.

Chapter Text

"Are you okay, foster mother?"

"Yeah... I've sorted out my feelings a little, but..."

After the Lords' Conference report, Florencia invited me to a tea party. She said she wanted to hear about Wilfried's engagement.

After a cup of tea and some small talk, like an aristocrat, Florencia got down to business. "Can you tell me about Dietlinde?"

I told her about Dietlinde and Wilfried's behavior at the Noble Academy. Florencia's expression grew increasingly grave. It seemed she had no idea the two were so close.

"Wilfried didn't just follow her unwillingly, did he?"
"Hmmmm. I think Wilfried felt close to Dietlinde. He also wanted to give her a hair ornament."
"The hair ornament was also a problem. Since Aub Ahrensbach had promised to give her a hair ornament, he said it was only natural for her to escort him to the graduation ceremony."

...Ahh.
Florencia sighed softly and said, "I hope that at least becoming a husband is what he wants..." She couldn't help but worry about her son. I can see that she is a loving mother.
I understand, but I get bored when she is called out and all she talks about is Wilfried.

"You're so unfair, foster mother, you're only worried about Wilfried! Please worry about us too."

Florencia was confused, then lightly stroked my head and said. "Charles is a reliable man. I'm not worried about Charles and Rozemyne at all."

...Well, that's true!

"Hey Rozemyne, can you casually ask Wilfried how he feels?"

"What? Me?"

"Information from Wilfried's aides is distorted. You get along well with Wilfried, don't you?"

"They're not on bad terms, but siblings don't usually talk about love."

"Oh. I've heard a lot of tales about Sister-in-law Constanze from my brother."

Florencia said with a bright smile.

Florencia’s brother is Aub Frenbeltag, and his wife Constanze is Sylvester's sister. Apparently Sylvester and Florencia met when their brother and sister were lovers.
It's fine that they're close siblings, but I can't imagine Wilfried and I talking about our love lives.

"Would you like to tell me about your love life, Wilfried?"

"Rozemyne, I'll be counting on you."

Oh dear, I've been asked to spy on Wilfried.

Charles is busy with meetings, so I don't get to see him very often. To be precise, I do see him, but the time we can talk freely is short.

When we meet with nobles, Charles smiles with the perfect expression of a future lord. He's not as blatant as Sylvester, but Charles also has a "public" and a "private" side. It can't be helped because there are other nobles, but I miss the kind of interactions we have at the temple or the aristocratic academy. I want Charles to run up to me with a smile and say, "Big sister!"

"Ugh... I'm not satisfied with Charles."

"Oh my."

Rihyarda nods happily. It's not oh my.
Just as I was counting down the days until the Saturday when we wouldn't have a meeting, the Lieserator came. The Lieserator keeps in close contact with Charles' attendants. It's also the one who arranges the dates.

"Lady Rozemyne, Charles’ attendants would like you to come to his room."
"Charles' attendants? Not Charles?"
"It seems that Charles has holed himself up in a secret room and won't come out."

Huh? What are you doing?

Ferdinand's refusal to come out of his secret room seems like someone who's been engrossed in his research. However, I now know that normal nobles don't make concoctions in secret rooms. Normal nobles use secret rooms to regulate their emotions.

He was probably tired from constantly socializing. Charles is a very considerate person. Does this mean I have to spoil him?!

"I understand. I'm a dependable older sister!"

Everyone around me smiled when I said enthusiastically.

When I arrived at Charles' room, his aides welcomed me. Charles' aides said that Charles had mixed feelings about Wilfried marrying into his family and couldn't sort them out. They asked me to listen to him.

...If someone relies on me, I'll get excited, won't I?

This is my chance to show my skills as an older sister and the next lord's wife. It is the lord's wife's job to take care of the lord's mental health. Florence taught me that.

I walked to the back. Usually I only go as far as the round table and bench, so this was my first time going to the hidden room.

Vanessa quietly handed me a magical tool for communication.

"Charles, it's Rozemyne."

"Oh, big sister?! Why?!"

There was a clatter and Charles came out of the secret room right away.

He's quick. I'm surprised.

He's completely different from Ferdinand, who always whines and won't come out of the secret room. Ferdinand should learn from Charles.

"We invited him. Lord Charles cheers up as soon as Lady Rozemyne is here."

Charles looked around and glared at his aides. "I wanted to see you, Charles," I said, and his smile quickly returned.

"I'm sorry for worrying you. I'm fine."

I feel annoyed. I'm not fine. If I was fine, I wouldn't be hiding in the secret room.

I point to the secret room and say. "Charles. Let's talk in the secret room today."

"Eh?!"

Charles blinks in surprise.

"Is it okay to express your feelings in the secret room? I will listen to your worries, Charles."

"But..."

Charles started to get flustered by what I said. Did I say something wrong?

"You just need to have your aide present, so that you are not alone, right?"

"Yes. And it needs to be the princess's aide, not the young master's."

Rihyarda was not very clear-spoken, and Charles was still fidgety. Then he looked up at my aide as if he had made up his mind.

"Cornelius, is it okay to invite your sister into the secret room?"

I asked Cornelius for some reason. Cornelius was also taken aback.

"Lord Charles, why are you asking me?"

"Because Cornelius is her real brother, and he is the strictest. If Cornelius does not object, no one else will."

Is that how it is? Looking around, everyone is smiling bitterly or nodding. No, that seems to be the case. Cornelius clears his throat.

"Then let me accompany you."
"..."

Charles makes a displeased face. It seems he doesn't want Cornelius to enter the secret room.
...I wonder if he doesn't want his brother to come along on a date?

From the looks of it, even if they go into the secret room, they won't be able to get any sensitive information out of Charles.

Just when they're in a difficult position, Roland speaks up.

"Lord Charles, Lady Rozemyne, wouldn't it be best to have Angelica accompany you?"

"That's right. Angelica would be good...Well, even if we have to talk about difficult things, she'll be able to keep it a secret."

I see. You don't understand difficult things!

Rihyarda agrees, saying, "A female guardian knight is the right person for the job," and it's decided that Angelica will accompany you. I don't really understand why, but Cornelius is making a lot of requests of Angelica.

And so I entered Charles' secret room.

...Huh?

For some reason, it felt nostalgic. The atmosphere was similar to Osamu's room. This was a boy's room. Of all the rooms I'd seen since coming to this world, it somehow had the most original atmosphere.

Nobles' rooms are generally spacious, with no everyday items lying around. But this was a private space. It was a bit cramped and cluttered.

The harspiel was left out. I wonder if he was going to practice here?

The biggest difference was that there was a slightly smaller bed. Because of that, it looked more like a Japanese boy's room.

"Do normal nobles put beds in their secret rooms?"

"No. I'm special. I got one when I was preparing the northern annex."

...So you can't sleep well outside?

There seemed to be some reason for this, but I decided not to ask too much.

As I was looking around the room, I noticed something displayed on the shelf.

"There's Lesser! It matches mine!"

I was wearing it around my neck, but Charles was displaying Lesser's necklace. The chain was arranged in a triangular shape, so Lesser would sway back and forth in the air. So cute.

Vanessa, who was preparing the tea, smiled and said, "It would be best if you didn't tell Cornelius about the interior design of the hidden room." Charles said in a panic, "Angelica, don't tell anyone," and I followed suit, saying, "It's a secret." It seemed like he really didn't want anyone to know that he was displaying Lesser.

The tea was ready. Vanessa waited behind me as a waiter. It seemed that Angelica alone was not enough to accompany us.

I thought the usual tea party was about to begin, but for some reason Charles seemed nervous.

"Charles, what's the matter?"
"It's the first time I've invited you into my secret room, so I feel a little embarrassed."
"We've had tea parties in my room before, haven't we?"
"It's not a hidden room."
"Is that so?"
"It's completely different!"

...Is that so?
I tilt my head.
First, I tell him about Harspiel and Lesser's pendant, but Charles seems a little nervous and unsettled. It's cute to see Charles fidgety, but seeing him fidgety makes me fidgety too.
Is this perhaps an exciting situation where a girl I like has come to visit my room?
Then I suddenly realize I was mistaken.

...Huh? If I ask for a hug here, won't that make me a naughty older sister?!

The hidden room is a secret space that the other nobles can't see. So if I were to enter Charles' secret room, I wanted to hug him tightly and rub my head like I did with Lutz, or sit on his lap and chat. But if I did that, wouldn't Charles scream and blush to death?!
Inside I was flustered.

What a shame. I had thought that if I had a fiancée I could hug him as much as I wanted, but I couldn't do something so shameless to Charles, who was writing a shoujo manga by himself. I didn't want this to turn into a slightly erotic romantic comedy where a man is pressured by an older sister who is not related to him by blood.
I shook my head vigorously.

...No, I must remember my original intentions!

I hadn't entered the secret room with the intention of hugging Charles whenever I got the chance, I was holding a tea party in the secret room to listen to Charles' troubles.
I have to become a reliable older sister, not a naughty Onee-sama!

I spoke quickly. "I was asked to cheer up Charles, who is feeling down!"

"When you came, I forgot about it." Charles said with a bright smile.

I felt relaxed. Cute. "Then I'll come and see Charles more. I was lonely not being able to talk to you."

"I was lonely too. Let's have lots of tea parties after we've finished visiting."

And so, the story of Wilfried ended.
Without talking about it, we had a great time as usual.

Chapter Text

My sister came and we had a tea party in the secret room. I can't help but smile when I remember that time.

My aides didn't miss my smile and smiled. I feel a little embarrassed that they know everything about me. But I'm grateful that they invited my sister. I need to get better quickly for the sake of my aides.

"We'll have a joint meeting with this person, this person, and this person."

I said as I organized the invitations.

"That's because... These people are of similar rank and will want to have individual connections with Charles."

"That's why we'll meet together. They'll be trying to keep each other in check and won't ask for anything troublesome."

"Is that so..."

To be honest, there have been too many meetings and I'm getting tired.

"Then please send a letter to your uncle. I'm going to go for special training for the first time in a while."

My training had stopped ever since I went to the Noble Academy. It's not like I'm making an excuse to see my sister when she returns to the temple.

The day of intensive training at the temple has arrived.

It's been a while since I've flown on my mount. The spring weather feels nice.

"Leaving the castle is a nice change of pace."

"Lord Charles, you say things just like Lord Sylvester."

I close my mouth. It seems my words and actions overlap with Father's. It's a shame.

When I arrived at the temple and was ushered into the high priest's office, my sister was there too. As soon as she saw me, she beamed with joy and called out my name, "Charles." I was so happy that I couldn't help but smile too.

My uncle glanced at me and said, "Ah, you're here," and for some reason headed towards the bed.

"Today we'll be here."

This is Uncle's secret room.

I flinched. The last time I was taken to my uncle's secret room was when he told me not to look into the secret of my sister's birth.

Being taken to a secret room was quite an event. I was scared, not knowing what she was going to say. By the way, my sister called my uncle's secret room the "lecture room".

"Um, but I think I can't enter because of the magical power limit..."

As I was wasting time, my uncle casually picked me up. I was surprised, but like a noble, I didn't make a sound.

I entered the secret room as it was. I was able to enter too. Huh? I was surprised.

My uncle put me down and said. "Hmm. You really got in."

"See, it was just like I said, right?" My sister was following behind me and said proudly.

"If you lift someone up or hold their hand, even those who aren't registered can enter. They do that in the commerce guild too."

...Oh, sister! I'm scared of the way Uncle looks at me!

Normally, a noble's child wouldn't go to a downtown merchant guild, much less hold hands with a commoner. That's not appropriate behavior for a lord's adopted daughter, and should be kept secret.

Uncle told me not to look into my sister's past, but she keeps dropping hints. I always pretend not to notice. I'd like you to make careless remarks when Uncle isn't around.

"I see. That's the first time I've heard that word used." I smiled and let the conversation go. In fact, nobles don't use it that way.

Uncle gave me a look that seemed to say something, but I ignored him. I didn't notice anything.

"Rozemyne, you do the paperwork outside."

"Okay."

My sister left the room, and I was left alone with Uncle. I was exhausted even before the conversation had begun. First, I was given a recovery potion without explanation. It was intensive training to get my body used to the high concentration of magical power. Usually, my uncle would leave me while I compressed my magical power and go do something else, but today was different.

"Report the results of the meeting."

Perhaps I was taken to a secret room to have a private discussion. I was relieved that he didn't seem to be preaching to me.

I reported to my uncle about the state of the nobles in the castle.

The castle has been a bit noisy since it was decided that my brother would marry into his family. The reason why there is a celebratory atmosphere is not because my brother's marriage is a happy occasion, but because the Veronica faction—the faction of my grandmother and her subordinates—has lost its leader. The Florencia and Leisegang nobles who had been oppressed by the Veronica faction are happy, and the former Veronica faction members who had been watching the situation and were close to being neutral have also switched sides to the Florencia faction.

It's safe to say that with this happy event, I have almost taken control of the nobles of Ehrenfest.
At night, when I'm alone in bed, I sometimes get sentimental, wondering if this is my brother's final gift to me after all the trouble he's caused me. But I'm sure my brother isn't thinking anything of it.

"Who didn't request a meeting with you?"

I will tell my uncle the following: those who have requested a meeting with me, those who have requested a meeting with both me and your sister, those who have only requested a meeting with your sister, and those who have requested a meeting with neither. Elvira is the one who selects the meetings with your sister and shares the information with her.
The answer to my uncle's question is the nobles of the Gibe territory to the south of the territory. There are many supporters of Veronica in that area.

My uncle seems to be having a great time as I list off the nobles. He really does look like he's having fun. Scary, but also reliable.

"Any other concerns?"
"Since the Veronica faction collapsed, the Leisegang faction has grown more arrogant."

I frowned, remembering the tea party I had with the Leisegang nobles the other day. It made me feel bad. Maybe it was because this was a secret room, or because I was talking to my uncle, but my emotions were showing on my face.

"Did Rozemyne tell me to hand over the lordship to her again?"
"No. I'm more proactive than your sister in eliminating the Veronica faction and promoting the Leisegang nobles, so the voices calling for you to become the next lord have weakened."

The main goal of the Leisegang family is the prosperity of the family.

Pushing your sister up to lordship is a means, not an end. And because your sister has no interest in relatives or factions, the Leisegang nobles who initially asked you for connections are now fawning over me instead of your sister.

The reason I pushed the Veronica faction away was because my life was in danger. Our common enemy means that our interests and the Leisegang share a common goal.
The Leisegang are a family that have lived in this land since before my ancestor, the first Aub Ehrenfest, rose to power. If I were to become lord and rule the land of Ehrenfest, they were an indispensable presence that I would need to incorporate.
However, that doesn't mean I don't get angry when people say things to me in social situations.

"So what did they say?"
When asked by my uncle, I hesitated.
Nobles are creatures that hide their true feelings. This is especially true for members of the lord's family. I don't even tell my aides how I feel.

However, I felt that I could vent my frustrations to my uncle, who is the lord's younger brother and a parent to my sister.
"I was told not to think of my brother as my brother. If he marries into Ahrensbach, I'll become his enemy, not his brother... I'll have to be firm and not be swayed by emotion."

I understand Leisegang's concerns. Ehrenfest has a history of being misled by pressure from Ahrensbach.
But my brother is my brother. He's the only brother I have.

I'm also troubled by the praise that my sister and I received for getting rid of him. That's not true. Nobles see things the way they want to see them. They don't care about how we really feel.

"Not my brother, but my enemy?" My uncle exhales.
I had considered the possibility that he might say, "So what?" or "Don't be so spoiled," but no such words came out.

My uncle spoke as if he was looking into the distance. "I was also told by Leisegang not to think of Sylvester as my brother."

I looked up at my uncle without thinking.

My uncle was expressionless, and I couldn't read any emotion from him.

"They said to bury Veronica along with Sylvester and become the lord. That brings back memories." My uncle's mouth smiled sarcastically.

I wonder if that was before the death of my grandfather, the previous lord.

I thought about half of my uncle's life. He was oppressed by his grandmother, had no backing, and stayed in the temple at the mercy of his brother, my father.

Why didn't my uncle get rid of my grandmother?

It must be because he loved his brother and father--my father and grandfather. Even if they only bring him disadvantages, my brother and father are like a part of me. It's not easy to cut them off. I felt like I could understand how my uncle felt.

I wanted to take my uncle's hand like my sister and mother did to comfort me, but I thought he would dislike contact with strangers.

"I'm sorry about what I did to you." After a moment of silence, my uncle said. My uncle's golden eyes looked at me with concern.

I couldn't think of anything to apologize for.

"I should have gone to Ahrensbach. It's my fault that your brother ended up marrying into a family. I'm sorry."

"..." I was so shocked that I couldn't continue.

He said something I couldn't believe.

I tried my best to move my twitching head and mouth. "Um, uncle, are you serious about that?"
I could only think of it as a bad joke.

"You really think it would have been better for my uncle to marry instead of my brother? That's what I want?"
"You care about your brother too, don't you?"

...I'm being serious.

I jumped to my feet. I was about to call for help from the door when I was hit by a bang.

"What are you doing? You can't do that with your magical power."

There was a communication magic tool where a normal door would have a bell, so I picked it up.

"Sister! Come to the secret room right away!!"

"Give it back."

The magic tool was taken away.

"Why did you call Rozemyne?"

"Oh, my uncle is an idiot! Both my brother and uncle are idiots!!"

I couldn't sympathize with anything they were saying, like Dietlinde was pitiful or that I should have married her instead. It didn't make sense.

The nobles who came to visit also said whatever they wanted.
Everyone was selfish.

"Charles, what's wrong?" My sister came into the secret room.

Chapter Text

I plead with my sister.

"Listen, sister! My uncle says that he should have married Dietlinde instead of our brother!!"

"What!?"

My sister yelled in shock at my plea. I was relieved to have someone who could understand me. It was now two against one.

"High Priest, what are you talking about? Do you want to marry anyone?"

"That's not true."

My uncle made a very displeased face. I hid behind my sister.

He glared at me as if to say, "Why did you call someone so troublesome?" but I ignored him. Because my uncle was wrong.

"This is a perfect opportunity to invade enemy territory. I thought I was more suitable than Wilfried."

"Please don't get in the way of Wilfried's love for that reason. Wilfried adores Dietlinde."

Uncle looks taken aback.

"What? A candidate for lordship of Ahrensbach in this situation? Is he stupid?"
"Brother Wilfried has been an idiot since the beginning?"

That's true, but both of them said it in a terrible way.

"My brother said, 'I feel sorry for Dietlinde that you are marrying my uncle.'"

My uncle opened his eyes wide and stopped. He was completely frozen.

My sister nodded and said, "Well, I understand how he feels." I let it go for now, saying, "That's not important."

"Uncle, why do you say you should have gone to Ahrensbach? I don't want you to leave Ehrenfest. I want you to stay in Ehrenfest."
"I don't want the high priest to become a husband either! I absolutely don't want that!"

"We're not the only ones. Father, Karstedt, Elvira, Eckhart, Justus, and Rihyarda all want you to stay in Ehrenfest."
"If the high priest becomes a husband, I'll cry, and Mother will hold a lamenting tea party every day! I'll be the one who has to put up with it!"

"Father will be a drunk, too!"
"Father and foster mother will have to put up with the foster father's complaints! Poor thing!"

The two of us denounced uncle. I don't have the courage to complain to the uncle alone.

Uncle looks very displeased. It was written on his face that it's a pain to deal with two noisy children. But I couldn't back down.

"Uncle, you've done more for the lordship than Father, you're my sister's guardian, and you're our master. Why do you still think you're unnecessary in Ehrenfest? We need you!"

As I said that, I thought, "Ah, that's not right."
Uncle wasn't talking about whether someone is useful or not. He was talking about more fundamental feelings. Whether someone is useful or not has nothing to do with whether someone wants someone by your side or not.

Uncle looked down at me suspiciously and said.

"But Wilfried is your brother, isn't he? Putting Rozemyne aside, doesn't Charles want his brother by his side?"

He said something I couldn't believe my ears.

I looked up at my uncle, mouth agape.

...Uncle, you're serious...!!!!!

I couldn't believe it, but Uncle was serious.
Only my uncle would say such things.

All the nobles only speak of my brother as an enemy. As a nuisance to Ehrenfest. I always found that unpleasant during social interactions.

As my uncle said, I am genuinely worried about my brother. But that is just my personal feelings. It is different from the feelings I have as a lord's family.

Suddenly, my tears began to loosen.

I searched for the words to say to my uncle. He wouldn't understand unless I told him. But I didn't know what to say.

"...He’s a nuisance, brother." Finally, I could just blurt that out.

"Isn't that right? He's a nuisance, isn't he?"

I was surprised when my sister responded.

"But even though Charles is so cute and hardworking, both my adoptive father and adoptive mother only favour Wilfried."

"..."
I looked away from my sister and down at my feet.

"So it was perfect that Wilfried would become a husband."

"My sister, I..." I tried to deny her words, but stopped.
I didn't know what to say.

...What on earth was the right thing to think?

When I was little, I was always jealous of my brother. At that time, we had our grandmother, and everything revolved around my brother. Everything took priority over my brother. I often thought, "If only my brother wasn't here." Thinking such things would only make me disappear, so I was made to train hard to hide my emotions. I became very good at hiding my emotions.

Suddenly, my vision became distorted.

"Charles?!"

I lost my sense of balance and grabbed my sister's shoulders. She couldn't support me and we both sat down on the floor.

My body felt strange.

"The high priest! Charles!"

"You idiot, you're suffering from magic drunkenness. What are you going to do by getting emotional while compressing your magic?"

...Isn't it my uncle who made me emotional?!

That's terrible.

Come to think of it, I'd forgotten that I was in the middle of compressing my magic.

My uncle placed an empty magic stone on my forehead and sucked my magic. Even though it was being sucked out, magic overflowed from within me.

"Because my uncle said that you should go to Ahrensbach instead of my brother. It's my uncle's fault. It's my uncle's fault."

"Isn't that just taking out your anger on me?"

That's terrible.

"What kind of words should you say to a fallen person! Just like Charles said, it's the high priest's fault for saying things that don't make sense!"

...Ah. My sister's eyes shone with rainbow colours.

"Hold it back! What are you going to do if your magic goes out of control?!"

Uncle took the empty magic stone he had been using on me and now it's on my sister's forehead. It looks like it hurts. Uncle is just too rough.

Even though the magic stone is stained, my sister's anger continues. "What do you mean you should just go to Ahrensbach? No one has asked you to do that, right? I have no idea why you've come up with such an idea. Please stop with your self-sacrifice."

My sister confronts my uncle.

My sister says she doesn't understand, but I think I do. It's because of Grandma.

No one would think it's okay for them to be here when their life is in danger. When your family hates you deeply, you think, "Maybe it's better if I'm not here." I'm sure my uncle thought the same thing in the past. I grabbed my uncle's sleeve and said.

"You're much more important to me than my brother!! You can’t just go anywhere you want!!"

As I shouted, the magic spun around me, my vision spun around and I collapsed to the floor. I was completely drunk from magic.

"I feel sick..."

"Charles has collapsed! You idiot, idiot, high priest!"

My sister was also swirling her magic around.

My uncle looked troubled by something unusual. "How troublesome..."

My uncle lifted me onto his left shoulder and carried my sister in his right arm. We went out of the hidden room. Everyone was surprised to see my sister and I being carried by my uncle.

"High Priest?!"

"Lady Rozemyne?!"

"Lord Charles?!"

My uncle gave some instructions to Lothar, and he left the high priest's office with us on his back, walking briskly down the corridor with his long legs. He was so fast. Will I be this tall when I grow up?

The fluctuating magical power on my uncle's shoulders was compressed and folded up.

We arrived at the room where the sacred objects were enshrined.

"You should make an offering while you're here. You probably have some magical power to spare, right?"

"I don't have any magical power to spare!"

My sister complained, but I was grateful that he gave me permission to release the compressed magical power since I had already reached my limit. If it were the usual uncle, he would have just said, "Be patient."

"Uncle, now that I can make the Schutzaria Shield, I want to try the Flutrane Staff next."

"You seem surprisingly relaxed, don't you?" He said reluctantly, but it was just a sign of wanting to do something.

Lothar prepared the Flutrane Staff for me. My sister and I offered our magical power to the Flutrane Staff. The feeling of the magical power leaving my body felt good. I finally felt at ease.

"Lady Rozemyne, what happened?"

Fran asked worriedly.

I decided to rebel against my uncle. My uncle should take responsibility for what he said.

"Fran, listen to me. My uncle said that he should leave Ehrenfest himself!"

Everyone was in an uproar when I said this. Roland and Damuel looked confused. Fran, Lothar, and the other blue priests turned pale.

"Will the high priest leave Ehrenfest?"

"There are no plans to do so. I was just making an analogy."

"Even in an analogy, there are things that are good and bad to say!"

Uncle frowned and looked even more displeased, while my sister bravely protested to my uncle. With everyone here now, my uncle is at a great disadvantage. We must not miss this opportunity and make good use of it.

I ordered.

"Fran, Lothar, tell him how much we need him and how much we respect and admire him."

"No. But what we priests say..."

Fran and the others are too humble. It's true that nobles don't listen to the words of commoners, but my uncle is different.

I threatened, "If we don't tell him, he'll think he's not needed and go somewhere!"

"The high priest won't know unless we tell him. No, even if we tell him, he might not understand!"
My sister also started to explain. I think it's safe to leave this to my sister.

My sister and Fran surrounded my uncle tightly and began to express their affection for him. They weren't using the roundabout language of the nobles, but rather the rather direct language used by those of low rank. Justus, who was having fun, also joined in. Justus is good at imitating commoners. When I ordered Eckhart to join in, he declared, "I'll follow wherever Ferdinand goes." It was a bit of a different direction.
My sister was angry, Fran and the others looked sad, Justus looked happy, and my uncle had his brows furrowed.

The other nobles looked as if they were wondering what was going on. Yes, that was a normal reaction. No matter who you ask, my uncle leaving would be a blow. Why was he the only one who didn't understand?
As I watched my uncle react weakly surrounded by my sister and Fran, a determination welled up in my heart.

We must eradicate the Veronica faction.

My uncle's low self-esteem is probably because he has been oppressed by Grandma and her friends for so long. He remembers his childhood.

It is unacceptable to spend your life feeling in danger.

When my uncle comes to the castle, he calls my father "Aub" and speaks to him respectfully and politely. That's because all of Father's aides are on Veronica's side. For my uncle, the castle is not a place where he can let his guard down and feel safe.

My uncle and I are not the only ones who have been oppressed by Grandma. I remember the story of Elvira, Giebe, and the others at Leisegang. Grandma built her own power by attacking enemy forces.

I can't forgive her. I've always thought it was "unavoidable," but it's not. I must not forgive her.

...I will definitely eliminate Grandma's influence from my territory.
A strong feeling wells up inside me that I can't believe is my own.

My mission as the next lord is to create an environment where everyone in Ehrenfest can live in peace, to make it such a territory, and to change the bad habits of the past.

Chapter Text

My name is Torsten. I am a senior civil servant and an aide to Wilfried.

I am single.

There is a simple reason why I am unmarried despite being an aide to the lord's family. When I was about to become an adult, Veronica was deposed, and my engagement fell through.

After that, Wilfried's lack of education was revealed, the White Tower incident led to an attempted disinheritance, and the engagement of Charles and Rozemyne weakened the old Veronica faction, and my chances of getting married gradually faded.

When Veronica was in her prime, Wilfried was set to be the next lord. Those were good times. There's no point in thinking about it, but if Veronica's reign had continued, my future would have been secure. I would have been married and had children, and I might have taken a second wife by now. But now the old Veronica faction is on the decline, and I am single with no prospect of marriage. How sad.

But then a turning point came for me too.
My colleague, an attendant who had gone to the lord's conference, returned looking excited.

By the way, attendants from the old Veronica faction are sometimes called upon to attend the lord's conference, but civil servants from the old Veronica faction almost never attend, except for the Aub's close associates. This is because Ehrenfest's business is monopolized by the Leisegang and Frenbeltag nobles. The old Veronica faction is really on the decline. How sad.

My colleague said excitedly, throwing a magic device to prevent eavesdropping.

"Torsten, Wilfried is engaged!"

I was surprised. It's too early for an engagement to be decided.

"Hmm. Even Wilfried, a second-year student at the Noble Academy, is engaged, but what about me..."

"That's not true. You'll be shocked to hear that. The bride is the princess of Ahrensbach, and she will become Wilfried's son-in-law. If all goes well, we can move to Ahrensbach! We can leave Ehrenfest!"
"Ah, becoming a son-in-law to Ahrensbach?!"

I was even more surprised.
Ehrenfest is still a humble territory, even though it has been rising in the ranks recently, and Ahrensbach is a large territory that silences crying children. Becoming a son-in-law to Ahrensbach is an extraordinary promotion. I'm shaken.

"I can't believe... I can make a connection with Ahrensbach. How did that happen? Aub is wary of Ahrensbach, right? No, Oswald was planning to welcome the princess of Ahrensbach. Was it true that Wilfried and Dietlinde were good friends? I thought the apprentices were just exaggerating."

Oswald was planning to welcome the princess of Ahrensbach to Ehrenfest and push Wilfried to the next lord with the backing of the great territory of Ahrensbach. I looked at it with a cold eye, thinking, "Can it really go that well?", but it seems that it was successful up to the point of forming a friendship.

"I don't know the details, but it's a happy occasion. My grandmother and wife are from Ahrensbach. I have a lot of relatives there. I definitely want to accompany Wilfried and get out of Ehrenfest. If I accompany you to Ahrensbach, you might be able to find a bride there?"

"!!!" Those words really struck a chord with me.
A dazzling light spreads in my heart, as if the god of darkness, who had been alone in the darkness for a long time, has finally met the goddess of light.

That's certainly true. When a lord's family marries or marries into a new family, unmarried aides travel with them, solidifying their factions through marriages between aides. If I can accompany him to Ahrensbach, I'm sure I'll find a spouse right away. Above all, I want to get out of Ehrenfest too. I don't think I have a bright future if I stay in Ehrenfest like this. "But it's rare for a civil servant to be allowed to accompany a noble."

"Just because it's rare doesn't mean it's unprecedented. Do your best."

I'll do my best.

I dreamed of going to Ahrensbach.

...I'll definitely be chosen to accompany Wilfried as an aide!!!

Wilfried was asked to marry, and a behind-the-scenes battle began. I wonder when was the last time there was such tension.

However, surprisingly, there were few applicants for the apprenticeship. It's good that the competition rate is lower, but it's strange. It is generally said that masters and servants who spend time together at the noble academy are close in age and bond closely. While the adults are vying to be chosen as accompaniment members, Ahrensbach does not seem to be an attractive place for the apprentices.

"Why don't the apprentices want to come along?"
"Maybe it's because Wilfried joined the entourage after he was removed from his position as the next lord? There aren't many people who are on Veronica's side either."

Recently, I've been talking a lot with my attendants and guardian knights. I can't let my guard down because fellow civil servants will inevitably be competing for positions.

My biggest rival will be Kieran. Kieran is better than me, so if he wants to accompany him, there's a good chance he will. Ignaz, an apprentice civil servant, was apparently opposed to his parents' decision to accompany him. He himself said that he doesn't have the courage to leave Ehrenfest.

I've been treating Wilfried more politely than ever and trying to curry his favour with him... no, I've been working hard.

Wilfried was staring blankly out the window.

"Lord Wilfried, what's wrong?"
"Well, when an engagement is decided, the people around me changed so much. To be honest, I'm surprised."
"Yeah. It must have been hard having so many meetings. You did well."

Flirting... No, concentrating on taking care of your lord.

Lord Wilfried has had a lot of social events lately. Requests for meetings from former Veronica faction members, including our close aides, have flooded in to Wilfried. They're looking for a connection with Ahrensbach.

"Do you think that my engagement with Dietlinde is a happy occasion?"
"Yes! Of course."
"But some people are sad about me marrying into their family."

Since the incident at the White Tower, my colleagues and I had given up on Wilfried becoming the next lord.

However, many of the former Veronica faction nobles living in the Giebe territory are sad that Wilfried has lost his chance of becoming the next lord. They're probably not in the castle, so they're not aware of the world. Or perhaps they cannot help but cling to even a faint hope.

As long as I can move to Ahrensbach, I don't care about what happens to Ehrenfest, but it will be difficult for those left behind. I'm glad I continued as Wilfried's aide. To be honest, I have thought about quitting my job several times, but... I'm really glad I continued.

"It's different for everyone, but I'm very happy. I think that Ahrensbach is where Wilfried will shine, not Ehrenfest."

"I see. If it makes you happy, who has been by my side for so many years, then I'm happy too." Wilfried said shyly.

His smile warmed my heart. Unlike Veronica, Wilfried is not selfish or emotional, and he doesn't manipulate his aides. He is an ideal master who is honest, kind, and easy to serve.

I kneel.
...This is the turning point of my life.

"Lord Wilfried, I have worked for you up until now. Master and servant are one and the same. I have served you since before your baptism, so please continue to keep me by your side."

"...It's embarrassing to be loved like this. I understand. I'll ask my father if it's okay to bring along a civil servant."

Lord Wilfried said with a happy smile. His smile puts me at ease.

Please, do your best to negotiate.

...For the sake of my marriage!

Chapter Text

After Wilfried and Dietlinde's engagement ceremony and welcoming party, Florencia finally returned to her room.

Once she sat down in her chair, she couldn't find the energy to get up.

When she saw Dietlinde, Florencia was amazed. That's because Dietlinde was the spitting image of Veronica. Even if she was told that it was Veronica who had been rejuvenated by some mysterious power, Florencia would believe it. They were that similar.

And when she saw Wilfried smiling with a face that looked exactly like Sylvester's from his days at the Noble Academy, her skin couldn't stop bubbling.

...I'm going to lose my son to that face again.

"Lady Florencia, Lord Sylvester wishes to see you."

"...I'll be busy from tomorrow when socializing begins, right? Tell him I'm getting ready for bed."

"Understood."

I have to be on guard against Georgine and the old Veronica faction. That's why I need to get some rest. Florencia was right. But that wasn't all.

...It's probably best not to see Lord Sylvester now.

I'm feeling depressed. Florencia wasn't sure she would be able to stop scolding her husband if she met him now.

There's no doubt that Wilfried's fondness for Dietlinde is because she resembles Veronica. And it was Sylvester who decided to leave Wilfried in Veronica's care.

After her first child was taken by her mother-in-law, Florencia asked her husband for help. Florencia married Sylvester because he doted on her and desired her. Back then, Florencia naively believed that Sylvester would help his beloved wife.

But disappointment awaited her.

No matter what Florencia said, Sylvester would not listen. She could not believe it.

She could not stop remembering the past.

When Wilfried was taken from her shortly after birth, Sylvester comforted her in bed and said, "We can just have a second child." When she became pregnant with Charles, the sense of loss was filled, but Charles was Charles, not Wilfried. There was no one to replace Wilfried.

Florencia would lose Wilfried again.

"Lady Florencia, you look pale. Please take the day off."

"That's right. Please rest assured that we will not be passing the Aub today."

"Well. That's something to be trusted." I couldn't help but laugh at the servants' jokes.

The ones here have been serving me since before my marriage. They have seen how Florencia was treated at Ehrenfest after my marriage.

Florencia also makes a joke. "If I lament that I will be lonely without Wilfried, will Lord Sylvester tell me to have another child?"

The servants' smiles tighten. It seems that the joke was a bit harsh.

I am really tired today.

"Lady Florencia, please hide your feelings from the Aub so that this does not happen."

I am good at that. It was one thing when I was a young girl, but now I have been disappointed by Sylvester so many times.

A smile is important. A wife gains nothing from having a strained relationship with her husband.
Florencia’s mother had taught her that the best way to protect herself was to conceal her own feelings, defer to her husband, and maintain a good relationship with him.

Even after she got into bed, Florencia remembered Dietlinde's smile, and then Veronica's. She couldn't stop it.
Leaving Wilfried in Veronica's care was a complete mistake. Looking at Wilfried now, it's clear. Wilfried is still young. His lack of education is obvious, probably because Veronica spoiled him too much.

When asked about Wilfried's marriage to his husband, Ferdinand said, "Wilfried doesn't know how to socialize." Charles said, "Your brother doesn't understand his position," and Rozemyne said, "Love burns brighter the more obstacles there are."

It seemed to Florencia that Wilfried was "just looking for a resemblance to his grandmother." Deep down, Wilfried doesn't seem to accept Veronica's imprisonment. I don't think he understands it properly. For Wilfried, it's just that he suddenly lost his family.

Florencia is extremely saddened that her son wants to see his grandmother and not his mother.

Chapter Text

This cruel verdict was made after dinner with the lord's family.

Since I became the lord's adopted daughter, I have never felt more despair.

"Since Wilfried's marriage has been decided, Charles must take the lead and bring everyone together. In order not to rely too much on his siblings, it is forbidden to call them brother and sister from now on. Charles, please call Wilfried and Rozemyne by their first names."

...What?!

I was shocked to the core.

"M-Mother, that's cruel."

If calling her Big Sister is forbidden, it means that Charles will no longer call me Big Sister. There's no way that's true. That's cruel. That's cruel. Maybe Florencia has no blood in her veins.

Florencia was unfazed by my rejection.

"Rozemyne, this is important. I've received reports that Charles has been noticeably relying on his older siblings at the Noble Academy. It can't be helped since he's only a first-year, but from now on Charles must take the lead. Rozemyne is smart, so she must know that this is Charles's assignment, right?"

Charles nodded seriously at Florencia's words as she admonished me.
N-No way.
I want Charles to rely on me!

"But, but, I'm Charles' older sister..."
"Rozemyne slept in Jureve for two years, right? In terms of real age, Charles is the older brother."

What?!!

Florencia added insult to injury as I was already crying. She was cold-hearted.
According to Florencia's calculations, Charles was ten years old and I was eleven years old minus two years, which makes me nine years old. I couldn't accept this at all!! Height-wise, I was about that size, but I secretly repeated a year, and in fact, I was an adult by the time of Urano.

……I, I am Charles's big sister!!

"Rozemyne. From now on, please think of me as your big brother and rely on me."

Charles said with a motivated face.

………………………….

I was speechless, my mouth agape in despair.

This isn't right. It's too much. It's cruel. It's too tragic.

My feelings as a big sister were being shattered into pieces.

Perhaps because I looked so distressed, Melchior spoke from the side.

"Do you want to be called 'Big Sister', Rozemyne?"

"Yes..."

Melchior spoke brightly, as if he had just come up with a good idea.

"Then from now on, I'll call you 'Big Sister'."

"Well!"

That's right. Charles isn't my only cute little brother. Melchior was there too.

"No!"

Just as my sisterly feelings were about to be revived, an unexpected stop came.

"No, I don't want that, I won't allow that! I'm the only one who can call you "sister"! You are my only sister!"

Charles suddenly said that, and we were all dumbfounded.

"...I'll keep calling you 'sister' as before."
"No way!"

Melchior immediately changed his mind in response to his brother's tyranny. Charles had a look on his face that said, "I can't give in on this." I couldn't understand why people were fighting over Sister, and I felt a little happy and lonely at the same time.

Wilfried looked at us in amazement, Florence held her head, and Sylvester leaned forward with a look of amusement.

"Well, well, why don't we try calling him by his name for now? Maybe Rozemyne will change her mind if she calls him by his first name?"

Charles and I look at each other.

"... Rozemyne"
"!"

... Uhh.

I feel a bit nervous. I'm not used to being called that, and it's itchy. It's a new feeling of joy and embarrassment.

"Rozemyne, Rozemyne, Rozemyne"
"!!"

... Hya, yaaa.

I'm not used to it. My bottom feels tingly.

Charles calls my name shyly, and I get embarrassed when someone calls me by my name.

"Foster mother..."

I look up at Florencia weakly. Charles looks at her as if asking for help.

Florencia holds her head and offers a compromise.

"...In the northern annex, you can continue to call me by my name as before."

It's not okay to call her "sister" in the main building or the dormitory of the aristocratic academy, but it's okay to call her "Onee-sama" in the northern annex or when only the aides are around. It's the same as not calling Cornelius "brother" in public. That's still within the acceptable range. It's better than being completely banned. In other words, it would be better if they were alone as soon as possible.

"...Do you mind if I call you by your name, Onee-sama?"

Charles muttered in a small voice. That's not fair! That's so cute!

"I-I don't mind. But honestly, I'm still not used to it."

Wilfried spoke up in exasperation.

"I don't understand. You two are brother and sister, but you're also engaged, so wouldn't it be better for you to call each other by your first names, as it would be more fitting for engaged couples?"
"Brother Wilfried doesn't understand the complicated feelings of an older sister."
"This is our problem, so please keep quiet, brother."
"Nuu..."

Melchior looks up at our exchange curiously.

"Anyway, Charles, please call Brother Wilfried by his first name as well. It's unfair to change the way you call me."
"No. I'm Charles' brother. Unlike Rozemyne, I'm not sleeping in Jureve."

...What do you mean? That's cheating! How cruel, you traitor!!

I send a message to Charles to call me by my name. Charles hesitates a little, then says as if he has made up his mind.

"Wilfried!"
"Huh?"
"...Brother"

...Charles has given in!!!

"No, no. That's not fair. Please call me Wilfried by my name as well."

Since I was making a fuss, Charles tried again.

"Wilfried...Brother..."

...He backed down after all!!

Apparently, a younger brother can't resist his older brother's tyranny.

"Hmm. I was raised differently from you."

"Well, Wilfried, please wait until you've grown up properly, not just in height but also on the inside."

"Huh? I've grown up a lot."

While yelling and shouting, we returned to the northern annex.

After parting ways with Wilfried and Melchior at the bottom of the stairs, I arrived at my room with Charles. The gentlemanly Charles walked me to my room.

"I still can't get used to it! Charles, please call me Big Sister."

"Big Sister."

...Ahhh! The sound of "Onee-sama" is something special after all. I plead with my eyes for more.

"Onee-sama, Onee-sama, Onee-sama"

"Charles, Charles, Charles"

We take each other's hands and call out to each other.

Meanwhile, Rihyarda and the others are preparing tea.

The small tea party begins, and we take a break, drinking the hot tea.

"Ah... I feel more comfortable calling you Onee-sama."

"That's true. I'm still not used to calling you Rozemyne."

"Charles, you can call me Onee-sama in the northern annex. Please call me Onee-sama."

"Onee-sama."

"Yes! I'm Charles's big sister!"

... Ufufu. Calling me Onee-sama is good after all.

I was about to go to bed satisfied when Charles came flying in with his usual goodnight Ordonnanz.

"Rozemyne, good night."

"?!"

Ordonnanz repeats three times.

"Ahhhh!"

...I said Onee-sama would be more comfortable!

I rolled around on my futon when he suddenly called my name.

"No, no, Charles, please call me Onee-sama!!"

Ordonnanz went and came back.

"Onee-sama, good night."

And so I raised my pillow and was able to sleep soundly.

Chapter Text

With the decision to marry Wilfried into Ahrensbach, many changes have taken place around me.

I am now being treated as the next lord of Ehrenfest. I feel a sense of responsibility.

I have been informed that the Veronica faction of nobles, who had been exerting their influence in the castle, have become much more subdued. On the other hand, Wilfried's aides, who have been accompanying him to Ahrensbach, seem to be growing more arrogant. Ahrensbach is a large territory and is of a higher rank than Ehrenfest.

I am warned to be careful in the four years remaining until Wilfried's marriage.

My mother invites me to a tea party.

She praises me for bringing my sister, who tends to stay in the temple, to the castle, and the topic of Wilfried finally comes up.

"Charles, you must treasure your bond with your mother."

I nod seriously at my mother's words. Mother is the one who is most worried about Wilfried's marriage. While few people are concerned about Wilfried, talking to my mother is a relief.

"I'm sure Wilfried will stop Ahrensbach's tyranny from the inside."

...I wonder about that.

All I can think of is forcing myself to do something to please Dietlinde. I think Wilfried would do that much. But I hesitated to say it because I thought it would make my mother sad. It's true that we need to deepen the bond between mothers.

After a while, Uncle Ferdinand also called me to his office.

He instructed me to bring along a trusted aide who was socializing at the Noble House. My sister and her aides were also called, and we both entered my uncle's office.

"I want to use Wilfried as a pawn to get information about Ahrensbach. Please tell me how trustworthy Wilfried is in your opinion."

He said the same thing as he did with Raimund. The aides around him nodded vigorously. ……………….
Uncle had been saying until the other day that he should have married Ahrensbach himself, but now he has gone in the direction of using Wilfried. He is quick to change his mind.

"Ahrensbach seems to like Wilfried very much."
"Wilfried is a loose tongue, so it will be easy for him to extract information from Dietlinde."
"I think it would be best to not give him any information about Ehrenfest and let him go."

His aides all give their opinions.
I knew it, but everyone--Hartmut, Brunhilde, Cornelius, Olivier, and Marianne--has a harsh opinion of Wilfried. I knew it! I knew it!

Big sister is also listening to everyone's opinions with no hesitation.

...Big sister has no interest in Wilfried! I knew it! I knew it! Couldn't she be a little more worried about her brother who is heading to enemy territory?
No, it's fine. If Onee-sama showed any signs of worrying about Wilfried, I would get so jealous that I would have a hard time. So this is fine. That's what I tell myself.

Elvira is in top form.

"Lord Charles, why don't you and Rozemyne play a harspiel at the tea party?"
"A harspiel?"

"Lord Charles and Rozemyne's duet is perfect, isn't it? Now is the perfect opportunity to solidify the Florentine faction's base. Let's show off our friendship to Ehrenfest."
She seems to want to strengthen the Florentine faction.

I'm practicing the harspiel because I want to be able to beat Onee-sama in at least one thing. It's a pathetic process of elimination because I don't think I can beat her in studies or work, and Onee-sama doesn't really like practicing harspiel that much. But thanks to the results, I've improved to the point where I can rival Onee-sama.
Until now, he had thought that he didn't want to put his sister, who was not used to socializing, in front of the nobles too much, but from now on, he said that he should take my sister to more social occasions.

I decided to leave the social interactions to Elvira.

Father also called me, using Gevinnen as an excuse.
I lined up the pieces and activated the magic device to prevent eavesdropping. Just when I thought he would talk about Wilfried, my father said something different.

"Charles, how is Florencia doing?"

"Yes?"

"Ever since it was decided that Wilfried would marry her, Florencia has been depressed... She seems to be feeling unwell and goes to bed early."

...Mother's faking illness!

"Yes. She didn't seem to be feeling well."

I answered with a straight face.

Since then, Father has only spoken about Mother, not Wilfried or Ehrenfest. Is that okay, Aub Ehrenfest?

"Um, father, aren't you worried about Wilfried?"

Father said with a laugh.

"Yeah, I'm sure we'll manage that somehow. It seems like Aube Ahrensbach and Dietlinde like him."

...Father is unreliable! He should be a bit more, like...worried about his son going to enemy territory...like...

I've been thinking this for a while, but isn't Father too optimistic?

I'm having a hard time deciding whether I should learn from his relaxed attitude. I get too worked up and tend to make mistakes because I get nervous. Maybe I should learn from him. Maybe, maybe...

Maybe because I'm feeling unstable, a tea party with my sister is being held.

I'm happy, but I think it's immature that my aides can see through me, and I need to stop relying on my sister.

When my sister and I are having a tea party, Melchior wants to join in, so that day the three of us had a tea party. When the three of us arrived at the dining room at dinner time, Wilfried was there first. Melchior called out to me.

"Brother Wilfried, what were you doing today?"

"Ha, look. Charles, I'm going to borrow Rozemyne for a bit."

Wilfried held out his hand to my sister. Unlike his usual movements, his movements were smooth and refined. Wilfried escorted her to her seat and pulled out a chair for her to sit down. Her movements were so graceful that Melchior and I were dumbfounded.

"Well, I was practicing escorting today."

Wilfried laughed proudly.

"Wow, that's amazing. Brother Wilfried looked like a different person."

"Brother Wilfried, you're amazing! You looked great!"

"Hmm. I guess so."

Seeing this, I was left wondering again, "Why Wilfried???" ……Why is Wilfried so carefree when my mother and I are so seriously worried about him? Is it because he's like my father?

The feeling that "it's pointless to worry" spreads. I feel bad.

Wilfried calls out to me in a bossy manner. "Charles, how was it?"

"Wilfried is an idiot."

"Huh!?"

I can't stop muttering one word, so I say more. "Wilfried is an idiot, an idiot, an idiot!"

"Wh... What are you angry about?"

Wilfried is flustered. Melchior comes to his rescue.

"Brother Wilfried, it's Brother Charles' job to escort my sister, so you shouldn't take him away."

"Mmmm..."

"Charles, let's try again."

...No, I don't want to try again! But I do!!

During the meal, Wilfried reports to the lord and lord that he has been practicing escorting. Mother praises him, and Father talks about his youth. Melchior is jealous and laughs, saying it's too early.

...Even me! I'll practice escorting!

My aides are probably planning my rituals right now, taking my wishes into account. My aides are kind and excellent.

"That's right, Rozemyne. May I ask your personal attendant for a hair accessory? I'm thinking of ordering a cool hair accessory."

...What is a cool hair accessory?! A hair accessory is a woman's accessory. No one wants to look cool.

"Brother Wilfried, what do you think is a cool hair accessory?"

Melchior tilts his head and asks. I'm glad you asked.

"Huh? A cool hair accessory is a cool hair accessory, isn't it?"

"Brother Wilfried, that's a bit too difficult to understand. Please draw it like Dunkelfelger ordered."

"Yes. That's right. I'll think of a luxurious hair accessory that would suit Lady Dietlinde."

Wilfried looks like he's having fun. Seeing that made me feel frustrated.

I don't think I can think of a hair accessory that would suit my sister better than Tuuli. Tuuli, who is my sister's personal hair accessory craftsman, has known my sister longer than I have and knows her preferences well. Even if I were to design a hair accessory, I'm sure my sister would choose Tuuli's design over mine.

"Wilfried seems to be having fun since his engagement was decided, isn't he?"

When I said something sarcastic, Wilfried retorted.

"What are you saying? You were more excited about your engagement to Rozemyne than I was. You were really excited. Don't you realize it?"

...Huh?!

"Melchior, I can tell you straight out. Who was more excited, me or Charles?"
"Brother Charles."

...Melchior!
The people around him quietly lowered their faces, trying to hold back their laughter.
...Don't laugh and look away!!!

"Charles, when you speak of others, you should first look back at your own actions"

Wilfried spoke arrogantly.
...No! My engagement to my sister was a very good match for uniting the territory, but I'm worried about Wilfried's engagement to Ahrensbach because I'm full of anxiety! The situation is completely different from mine!!!??????

I screamed in my head, but there was no way I could say it in a place like this.
Unable to say anything in rebuttal, I just glared at Wilfried resentfully.

...Wilfried, you idiot, idiot, idiot!!

Chapter Text

Today is the usual tea party for Florencia and Elvira at the castle.

Elvira's eyes sparkle as she says at the gorgeous tea party. "Rozemyne, do you have any wonderful love stories about Wilfried and Dietlinde?"

She's really pushing her.

Right now, Elvira is engrossed in gossip about Wilfried and Dietlinde. It's apparently a hot love story.

"Oh. There must be a lot of criticism among the nobles of the old Veronica faction, wondering if Wilfried is going to be sent to another territory. We need to make the love story of Wilfried and Dietlinde popular here to dilute the criticism of the Lord. Right, Florencia?"

Florencia sips her tea in silence. She seems unable to keep up with Elvira's momentum. It must be tough.
I learned that Elvira's love stories and gossip are social skills necessary for managing the women of Ehrenfest. But I can't help but think that Elvira is just having fun.

... Mother is amazing, turning a hobby into a practical tool.

"Lady Elvira, I've heard a lot of information from Lord Ignaz about Lord Wilfried's love life."

Marianne spoke with a bright expression.

And then, information about the Vil x Dietlinde love affair at the Noble Academy that I didn't know about started coming out one after another. It seems that Wilfried was quite doting on Dietlinde.

I later heard from Olivier that Ignaz was spilling stories about Wilfried to get Marianne's attention. Marianne seemed to think of Ignaz as just a source of information, though. My condolences.

Hearing the information about her son's doting behavior, Florence's mood darkened. Well, it must have been quite a shock.
Elvira and the others seem not to notice Florencia's dejected state, as they are continuing to talk about love. At this rate, it's only a matter of time before Wilfried becomes a book. It looks like it will be a happy ending story, not a tragic love story where they are escorted to the graduation ceremony. That's good, good.

( *^-^)ρ(^0^* )

Today, I am working on my physical strength in the corner of the training ground, while Charles and Wilfried are practicing sword fighting.

Charles has been joining in with the knights' training lately. Apparently, a lord must be strong in battle as well. Sylvester is also well-built like a knight, and has the athletic ability to perform acrobatic spinning landings from his mounted beast. Charles is quite slender, so I am a little worried about whether he will be able to keep up with the knights' training. I'm sure Charles would rather escort me to my fast walking training than join the knights' training.

As I was thinking about this and doing some light exercise, I received an Ordnance from Wilfried asking me to come over. Apparently, they had discussed how to make Charles stronger and came to the conclusion that "Maybe we should call Rozemyne."

I hurriedly headed to the back of the training ground.

"Even so, aren't these countermeasures a bit too sloppy?"

"If Rozemyne is here, Charles will be all excited. I'd love to have my fiancée cheer me on too."

Damuel hung his head.

It seems that finding a marriage partner for Damuel will be difficult. I remember Elvira telling me last year that we would have to wait until the situation in the territory calmed down or a lower-ranking noble with a matching magical power was born.

...Huh? But now Mother and Foster Mother's faction have a firm grip on Ehrenfest, right?

With our engagement and Wilfried's marriage, the power of the old Veronica faction has weakened. It wouldn't be strange if there were some mid-ranking nobles who would welcome my aide as a son-in-law. I don't know much about noble common sense, so I can't say for sure, but I feel like there's a possibility.

"The faction movements have calmed down, so let's ask Mother again this year."
"Please, Lady Rozemyne!"

"Lady Rozemyne, this way."

Charles' guardian knight, Roland, calls me.
In the training grounds, Charles and Wilfried are fighting with swords, with Lamprecht acting as judge.

...Ah. No good.

As soon as I saw it, I knew it. Charles is weak.

While Wilfried was swinging his sword at Charles with vigour, Charles was somewhat hesitant and passive. He didn't attack of his own accord, and was at Wilfried's mercy. He seemed a bit hesitant, or perhaps intimidated. He probably doesn't like fighting.

In the end, Wilfried swatted Charles' sword away, and the winner was decided.

The two of them came back towards me.

"I've seen you in an uncool way." Charles lowers his eyebrows and laughs. That smile alone is worth a billion points.

"Charles, you need to fight back more. You're only on the defensive."

"Yes..."

Charles' guards became a little annoyed at Wilfried's criticism.

"Lord Charles is good at sword dancing, but..."

"That's true. I also think your sword dancing is very beautiful."

Natalie said with a frustrated look on her face, and Angelica agreed. It would be better to change the subject to sword dancing.

"Well, that's true. I've never seen Charles' sword dancing."

Charles fidgeted. Roland slapped him on the back, and Lamprecht said.

"Well, let's practice sword dancing next."

Charles's expression, which had been gloomy until now, changed.

Charles nominates Angelica to perform the sword dance.

After lightly touching the tips of their swords, the two of them stand upright as they face each other. With that as a signal, the sword whizzes through the air and the two begin to move.

...Beautiful. And beautiful.

Angelica's sword dance is very beautiful, coupled with her deceptive beauty. Charles is no less impressive. Charles is still short and looks like a real girl. The two beautiful girls are dancing gracefully. This is a spectacle that could be worth money.

When the two finish their sword dance, there is a round of applause.

"It was magnificent..."

Charles' guardian knights look pleased and say that.

Charles returns with a broad smile.

I praise Charles.

"Charles, you were very cool."

"But it's pointless if you can't fight in real combat," Wilfried says. He's saying unnecessary things. Charles's guard knights are getting tense again. This is no good.

I think deeply. The sword dance is beautiful, but the mock battle is timid. Could it be that he has an aversion to fighting?

"Doesn't Charles not want to fight Wilfried?"

When I say that, the atmosphere becomes awkward. I continue by advising him that he should fight someone who is easy to fight.

"An easy opponent, you say?"
"Yes. Choose someone you don't mind hurting."

Charles thinks about it, and then says as if he's come up with something.

"...Call Traugott."

The surrounding knights cheer with glee. It's a mystery why they're cheering.

Traugott is Charles' guard knight apprentice. He has only a bad impression, ignoring the team in Ditter and charging into Dunkelfelger's camp, and charging into Ternisbefallen and getting seriously injured. Traugott has arrived. He is about twice as big as Charles and has a physique that makes him look like a knight. He looks much stronger than Charles. I'm worried.

"Is Traugott strong?"
"No. I think he's weak for the grandson of Sir Bonifatius. He boasts of his great magical power, but he still has a long way to go in battle. He has never been able to beat Sir Wilfried, Cornelius, or Angelica. Of course, I have never lost to Traugott either."

Roland's points are interesting. He must be quite strong, considering that Cornelius and Roland are among the people he has lost to, but it seems that Traugott is disliked.

The two of them face each other in the training ground and take their stances. The match between Charles and Traugott has begun.

Charles suddenly launches a pre-emptive attack from the front.

...Oh?!

It's completely different from the timid attitude he showed in his fight against Wilfried. A sharp sword attack was unleashed. Charles used his small body to get into Traugott's arms. Traugott stepped back at the diagonal attack from below. It was a completely different movement from before.

...Traugott isn't weak, Charles is strong!

Traugott takes out his mount and escapes into the sky, but Charles doesn't let him get away.

Charles' mount is a wingless lion. Ordinary mounts fly by moving their wings, but Charles' mount flies freely through the air. It has a wider range of motion and is faster than winged mounts that can't suddenly fly backwards or straight up. It moves like a magic carpet with no forward, backward, left or right movements.

Even in the air, Charles was strong. He not only used his sword, but also fired some kind of magical power to confuse Traugott.

"Why is Charles so strong against Traugott?"

Everyone chuckled as I said this while looking up at the battle. I wonder if this reaction has something to do with me.

"Oh... did Traugott say something bad about me?"

"... he said that Lady Rozemyne is frail and eccentric, charging into the library."

That much is true, so he might have said something even worse.

"Even Lord Charles, who adores Lady Rozemyne, said she was eccentric."

... Oh.

"Traugott says that Lord Charles is as weak as a woman."

"He said that even the guards at the tea party were boring and uninteresting."

"He was spreading the word that it's impossible for a man to be obsessed with romance and love stories."

"Speaking bad about Lord Charles is unforgivable."

Yeah. Charles's aides are scary. They all love Charles.

Traugott fell onto his back and stabbed him with his sword. No, I slammed my sword into the ground near Traugott's neck. Charles kicked Traugott's chest with all his might, and the victory was decided. The referee, Lamprecht, called out.

"The winner is Charles!"

The training hall erupted in cheers. It was a splendid victory.

When Charles removed the armour from his head, his cute face appeared. He shook his head as if to shake off the sweat. He saw me and called out.

"Rozemyne, I won!"

"Yes, I watched! That's amazing! Charles, you did a great job!" I ran over to Charles and we both took his hand in joy.

From behind, Traugott howled like a loser.

"Not yet, one more fight! I won't lose next time!"

"Traugott, it's unseemly to refuse to admit defeat."

When Wilfried said this, Traugott looked frustrated. Charles smiled coolly like Ferdinand. It was the first time I'd seen him like that.

"I don't mind. Let's have one more match."

...Oh, he's angry!

They fought again and Charles won again.

"Charles, you're amazing! You look great!"

"Hehe...Thank you."

They exchanged such things, but in the match between Charles and Wilfried, Charles was back to being timid. Wilfried, who had won, said unnecessarily, trying to look cool.

"Ha. You're not there yet. It's too early for you to beat me."

"..."

...But do your best, Charles!

Although he was strong against Traugott, Charles was weak against Cornelius. Even against Rudolf and Leonore, they were both reserved with each other, and the battle was lukewarm. When he was against Judith, he approached her like a game of tag and took her slingshot with his stalwart's belt. It's a fight that doesn't feel like a fight at all.

On the other hand, Wilfried is strong. Maybe it's because he's a lord candidate that everyone is being reserved, but he is strong, swift and powerful. It's no wonder he's planning to take a class on knighthood.

"Lord Charles, you must be stronger than Lord Wilfried before you graduate," Roland says. I was surprised because I thought he would say something like "Even if Lord Charles is weak, I'll protect him." It seems he doesn't like to pamper his master.

After much hesitation, Charles replied, "Yes. I will beat Wilfried." He had the eyes of a boy.

"Ahh... Charles is not only cute, but also cool."

"Lady Rozemyne, could you please refrain from bragging about your fiance in front of me?!" Damuel said with tears in his eyes.

Chapter Text

Tired from training as a knight, I almost fell asleep in the bath.

My sister comforted me, but I couldn't resist the urge to sleep.

When I got out of the bath and tried to practice my Harspiel, which is a habit I have before going to bed, my aides stopped me.

"Lord Charles, please go to bed now."

"But I haven't touched the Harspiel today."

"Please practice tomorrow morning. I'll wake you up half an hour earlier."

"But..."

"Lord Charles, I'll play a new song for you. Listen to it and memorize it."

I offered a compromise.

"Okay, but no singing."

"Okay, okay. You want to hear Lady Rozemyne's voice at the end of the day, right?"

...Stop teasing me!

I held back the urge to get a little angry and said.

"That's right. That's all that matters."

Everyone smiled.
After my sister and I exchanged goodnight Ordnances, I fell asleep immediately. My sister said that listening to music while asleep was "sleep learning."
***
I've been really busy since the lords' conference.

In addition to my original printing work, Florentine socializing, preparation for the Noble Academy, and magical training, I've been training as a knight and educating the next lord. I haven't trained as a knight much, so I'm quite weaker than Wilfried. I'd like to train as a knight more, but it would prevent me from making other plans, so it's a difficult decision.

I had a lot to do.

First of all, I had to poach Wilfried's aides.

"Lamprecht. Would you like to stay in Ehrenfest and become my aide?"

Lamprecht looked surprised. Elvira was drinking tea elegantly and wearing a smile like an aristocrat.

Today, Elvira had prepared a venue for me, so I'm in the reception room of the Karstedt house.
Lamprecht is Wilfried's chief guardian knight. He is the son of Karstedt and Elvira, and is also my sister's older brother. Eckhart is my uncle's aide, and Cornelius is my sister's aide. I think it would be good for Lamprecht to be with me too.

"I hear Lamprecht is wondering whether to follow Wilfried to Ahrensbach? I would really like Lamprecht, Rozemyne's older brother and Elvira's son, to become my aide. What do you think?"

The reason why Lamprecht, a Leisegang nobleman, is an aide to Wilfried is because he was threatened by Veronica. Elvira tried to stop him, but it seems Lamprecht decided to become an aide to Wilfried to protect his mother. Elvira was very worried about her son falling into Veronica's hands. I can understand her feelings of worry.

Lamprecht closed his eyes tightly and said with a troubled look on his face. "I'm sorry. I'm very grateful, but please let me think about it."

It seems he is torn between loyalty and love of his hometown.

Elvira sighs, as if to say of her indecisive son.

"Yes. He won't be able to decide right away. There is plenty of time until Wilfried becomes his son-in-law. Please discuss it with Aurelia."

This is information from Elvira, but it seems that Aurelia did not get along well with her family. She probably won't want to return to Ahrensbach.

...I will definitely poach Lamprecht.

In his room, he discusses with his aides about poaching him. There are not many high-ranking male aristocrats in his entourage, so he wants to use this opportunity to recruit more.

"I'd like to recruit Gregor to join us. A male senior knight of a similar age is valuable."

"His parents are neutral, so there's a good chance he'll stay in Ehrenfest."

"Lord Ercart apparently wanted to accompany him to Ahrensbach. He's a nobleman from the old Veronica faction."

"Lord Alexis will serve Wilfried until he graduates, then return to Kirnberger and join the Giebe Knights."

We sort out the information.

Many of the adult aides have been influenced by Veronica's ideas and have harassed me, but many of the aides who were summoned by Wilfried after Veronica's downfall have no problems with their ideology. This is also thanks to Onee-sama removing the barriers between factions.

"Now that I think about it, what will Rozemyne do? Cornelius graduated this year, so I'm sure there aren't enough guardian knights."

When I said this, my aides laughed, worried.

"Lord Charles, please think about yourself, not Lady Rozemyne."

"I understand."

After the consultation, Natalie said she had something to discuss.

"Well, that would be very helpful!"

"Yes. Natalie's participation is very encouraging."

Natalie's consultation was about being transferred to become an aide to Onee-sama.

My sister and Leonore readily agreed with a smile.

Natalie is a female senior guard knight who was chosen to become an aide when I was being raised under a false gender. She has served me for a long time, but it's about time she left given her age. I brought Natalie to the ladies' tea party, but Lady Luzinde mistook her for Onee-sama's aide.

To become Onee-sama's aide, there is a strict screening process by Elvira and Rihyarda. Natalie is from the same faction, and she has been working with Leonore and the others at the Noble House. I'm happy to see that she will fit in without any problems. My aides will be recognized by my sisters.

As I was walking down the hallway, Wilfried called out to me.

"Charles, I heard that you gave your aides to Rozemyne."

"Yes. Nathalie is being transferred."

"You recruited Lamprecht, didn't you? Do you have enough aides? Or not?"

Wilfried looked dissatisfied. If there weren't enough aides, it was inevitable to poach them, but if not, he didn't want to. I explained the reason.

"I don't have enough male aides."

"Yeah, that's true..."

Wilfried was deep in thought.

"Charles, I have a favour to ask of you. Could you take the aides remaining in Ehrenfest? It seems that it makes a big difference whether they are aides of the lord's family or not."

"Yes. You're welcome. It would be a great help to me."

Wilfried's side gave me permission to poach them. Thank you.
However, this is not something to talk about in the hallway.

"I see. Come then."

......? ?

Roland and the others became wary as they were suddenly pulled by the arm.

We were invited into Wilfried's own room. If there was something to do, I wish he would have issued a formal invitation.

"Everyone, gather together."

Wilfried gathered his aides.

"Those who remain in Ehrenfest should transfer to Charles' aides. Your title as aides to the lord's family will remain unchanged."

......??!!!!

Everyone was surprised by his sudden words, myself, my aides, and Wilfried's aides.

It is not easy to transfer an aide.

First of all, my life was being threatened by the minions of Veronica, Wilfried's aide. A barrier had been put up around the northern annex, but the aides of the lord candidate could come and go freely. There was no way that a relationship of master and servant could exist between them.

"Lord Wilfried, what are you doing all of a sudden..."

Wilfried's aides were flustered.

"I can't take everyone to Ahrensbach. I'm worried about the ones who are left behind."

Yes, Wilfried is basically a kind person. His sudden remark was probably because he was worried about the future of his aides. It was off. It was way off, no, quite off.

I took a step forward and spoke.

"I am short of male aides in the Noble House, so I would welcome an apprentice."

It was a warning. I have no intention of promoting adult aides.

Some of Wilfried's aides looked relieved at my declaration.

While everyone around me was waiting to see what would happen, Ignaz timidly raised his hand. Ignaz was a neutral, senior civil servant apprentice two years older than me. Perhaps it's because master and servant are similar, but he has an easy-going personality like Wilfried.

"Um... it seems like the civil servants can't keep up with the marriage, so I want to stay in Ehrenfest. But I want to be Lord Wilfried's aide until the very end."
"Yes. Why don't you be my aide until I graduate and then transfer?"

...But won't that mean I won't have more aides at the Noble House?!!

She smiles without saying a word.

Ignaz is a high-ranking noble who has won an award for excellence, and is a nobleman who has no connection to the Veronica faction that Lamprecht scouted. There's no harm in making him an aide.

For better or worse, no one other than Ignaz volunteered at the time.

"Ah. I was scared. What on earth is Lord Wilfried thinking?"

"I'm sure he's not thinking about anything."

Later on, requests for meetings came in one by one from some of Wilfried's aides.

Even those who were not planned to be aides were interviewed to confirm their thoughts. They are traitors of the old Veronica faction who would dare to defect to me. If I were to make a list of Veronica faction traitors and show it to my uncle, he would surely laugh out loud.

Someone suggested that I make them my aides temporarily to find out information about the Veronica faction, and then dismiss them when the time is right. I only want to keep people I can trust by my side, and this plan would put a lot of strain on my aides, so I put it on hold.

"What kind of person is Kierant?"

I found someone with a mysterious background. Kierant is a senior civil servant and a close aide to Wilfried.

According to Marvin's research, his parents were originally Leisegang nobles, but they defected during the heyday of Veronica. Since I couldn't read his thoughts about the faction at all, I decided to interview him carefully. During the meeting, Kierant said something unexpected to me.

"Could you put in a good word for me to move to the center?"

Huh?

I thought he was talking about a transfer, so I was taken aback.

"Um... it's the Aube's job to introduce you to the central government."

"Yes. But I'd like to ask Charles to put in a good word for you to Professor Hirschur."

I would later find out that Professor Hirschur despised my father. In the end, Kierand's groundwork was correct.

"I'm happy to recommend you, but there is a condition. After you become a central government noble, you must provide me with information about the central government. If you can meet that condition, I will recommend you."

"Understood."

"If I'm being greedy, I'd like you to get involved with the central library."

Then I'll copy the books in the central library and give them to my sister.

"Hmm... I'll do my best."

And so I asked my father and Hirschur to put in a good word for me.
It'll be a long time before Kierand's central government information will be useful to Ehrenfest.

Chapter Text

Charles' training to become the next lord has begun, and so have I, too, to become the next lord's wife.

That's what I was supposed to do, but since I was sleeping in Jureve, my social studies have stopped. I've started practicing normal social skills as a lord's child under Florencia's guidance.

Last winter, Elvira dragged me to socialize with people related to the printing industry, but this year I took it easy, and first had a tea party with Florencia and Charles's close relatives, accompanied by Florencia, as a practice dummy.

...The tea party with the close relatives reminds me of Angelica's parents apologizing profusely. I wonder how Damuel and Brigitte's brothers are doing.

Unlike back then when I was forced to memorize the names of nobles, I feel at ease because this is a tea party with nobles I have connections with. I had a relaxed tea party with Marianne's parents and Roland's parents.

After the tea party, it was time for a debriefing. Usually, the children of lords have a tea party and a debriefing together to learn about social interactions, so they were worried about me, who was holed up in the temple and not socializing with nobles.

"Rozemyne, you tend to only talk about things that interest you."

During the social debriefing, Florencia reprimands me.

At this tea party, I should have asked questions to understand the background of the people I was socializing with, instead of boasting about Charles, and at the tea party with Aurelia, I should have talked about clothes and Ahrensbach's fashions rather than books and fish.

...Wow, I'm getting a bad response from a year ago?!

"Since Rozemyne is a lord, everyone will listen to her. But that's not good."

I was depressed. I remembered that I was given a similar warning at the tea party with Professor Solange.

"Now now, Lady Florencia. This time was just a social gathering to deepen friendship, right? I think the princess did a good job."

Florencia's grandmother's attendant supported me. She is about the same age as Rihyarda and has known Florencia since she was a baby. Florencia also has a slightly childish expression in front of the grandmother's attendant. It's somehow refreshing.

"I wonder if Rozemyne needs to socialize with people of higher rank to learn how to socialize..."
"When you say someone of higher rank to the princess, you mean Lord Bonifatius?"

...What?! Socializing with your grandfather?!

I'm shocked.

"Um, will that be a social gathering?"
"Yes. That would be good. Rozemyne, let's socialize with Lord Bonifatius."

...It's been decided that you'll socialize with your grandfather!!! Why?!

"Rozemyne, let's start by gathering information. We'll start by finding out what Bonifatius likes."

...Why does my foster mother seem so excited?! Why?! Did she want to socialize with my grandfather?!

I don't understand.

Elvira explained the situation to me later.

The lord's wife is supposed to keep the lord's family together, but it seems that Florencia isn't doing a good job of that.

Ever since she married into the family from Froebel-Tark, Florencia has been bullied by Veronica. Bonifatius had declined the lordship and had a wife from Leisegang, so it would have been dangerous for him to get close to Florencia, who was being bullied by Veronica. It seems that Bonifatius has been acting coldly towards Florencia. How terrible.
Incidentally, she also wants to deepen her friendship with Ferdinand, but Florencia has always been cold towards her. Well, Ferdinand can't be helped... I agree.

"Rozemyne must act as a bridge between Lady Florencia and Lord Bonifatius."

Elvira gives me a mission.
...A very difficult task!

After that, I began preparing for the tea party while consulting with Rihyarda. Rihyarda knew a lot about Bonifatius, who was the same generation as her. This was very helpful.

Brunhilde tried to gather information about Bonifatius from relatives, but Elvira stopped her. I wondered why, but it seems it would be bad if the Leisegang relatives found out about Bonifatius and me getting along. Brunhilde tightened her muscles after hearing Elvira's warning, but I didn't really understand.

Anyway, after much discussion, the tea party with Bonifatius was held.
Today's sweets were new sweets with a strong alcoholic flavour, made for Bonifatius.

"I see, so Rozemyne is working hard as an assistant to the lord's wife under Florencia." Bonifatius said with a smile. He looked very satisfied.
"Yes. Rozemyne is working very hard." Florencia praised me with a more reserved look on her face.

Come to think of it, Florencia has been acting a bit more casually when she meets me recently. It seems she has let her guard down a bit.

"More importantly, Charles. Can you really protect Rozemyne with those frail arms?"
Florencia's expression froze. She was feeling depressed inside. I was beginning to understand Florencia's expression better.
I followed Charles. "Grandpa, Charles is fine. He even beat Traugott the other day."

"Traugott? He can't be proud of beating him."
Ugh, Grandpa's points for Traugott are painful!

"The lord must be stronger."

"Well, I can't believe he's the one who forced the lordship on the sickly Adelbert."

"Rihyarda!"

Apparently, Charles' grandfather, the previous lord - Ferdinand and Sylvester's father - was sickly. This was the first time I'd heard that story.

Then we talked about old times.

Neither Florencia nor I knew anything about Ehrenfest in the past. Bonifatius's stories were full of things I'd never heard before, and they were very interesting. After the tea party, Florencia and her aides praised me, and it was a very enjoyable tea party.

Then, at the next tea party with Grandpa, for some reason, Sylvester appeared.
……Why!
I remember when Anastasius suddenly joined the tea party with the music teacher and Eglantine. Come to think of it, Sylvester also suddenly barged into a concert at Harspiel.
The sudden appearance of the lord makes the attendants tense.

"Sylvester, why are you here?"

"Hmm. That's right. It's a surprise training for Rozemyne. It seems that Rozemyne sometimes has tea parties with the royal family. She must be able to handle the sudden appearance of the lord."

Sylvester says something that sounds very plausible.

"You just followed Florencia, didn't you?"

"You didn't just want to have a tea party with your foster mother?"

"Lord Sylvester, you didn't run away from your duties, did you?"

Three members of the lord's family questioned him, but Sylvester stayed at the tea party. Thick-skinned.
That day, the tea party was abuzz with stories of Sylvester's childhood clumsiness. When Bonifatius revealed stories about Sylvester's past and Sylvester tried to excuse himself, Rihyarda even came from behind to cover for him.

"Ugh. Bonifatius and Rihyarda, stop it."
"Oh, Lord Sylvester. I'd like to hear more about Lord Sylvester's childhood."
"Florencia also said the same."
"Grrr."

Florencia was beaming at the debriefing session after the tea party. It was great to have found some of Sylvester's weaknesses. She was also praised by Florencia and her aides.

She had often been scolded for causing trouble, so she was very happy to be praised and to be useful. It seemed that the friendship between the lord's family had deepened, and I was able to fulfill one of my duties as the next lord's wife.

Chapter Text

We decided to perform a harspiel duet as entertainment at the tea party.

The two of us exchanged glances as we played music.

This new song is dedicated to Cuococalura, the god of cooking. It's a fitting song for Ehrenfest, which is spreading new trends such as kartkarl. According to Onee-sama, it was originally a song about making croquettes, but Rosina revised the lyrics. It's a mystery why she would write lyrics and compose a song about making croquettes, but Onee-sama's eccentricities are also cute.

Onee-sama's main melody is powerful and beautiful. I play the secondary melody to match Onee-sama's main melody.

Everyone listens to the song in awe.

"My, you're so in sync, it's adorable."

"That was a wonderful performance."

"It's like you're symbolizing the harmony of Ehrenfest in the future."

Everyone praises us after the performance.

Following my sister's example, I started practicing the harspiel at the second bell, and I also practice the harspiel in a secret room before going to bed. Today's performance was excellent, so I'm glad I was able to entertain everyone. The tea party was a success.

But...

During practice time, the castle musician says.

"Your performance at the tea party the other day was splendid. Now, let's switch the main and secondary melodies today."

My sister and I look at each other.

I'll play the main melody, and my sister will play the secondary melody. We start playing, but the tone is awkward. It's obviously clumsy compared to the performance the other day.

"Since Charles is playing the main melody, you should play more confidently so that you don't get overwhelmed by Rozemyne's sound. Rozemyne, please stay back and play in a way that brings out the main melody."

The castle musician says this easily, but it's difficult.

"The secondary melody is difficult..."

"The main melody is difficult..."

After the practice, they both muttered.

They looked at each other.

"Is that so? The main melody is easier to remember and requires fewer hands, isn't it?"

"There are more hands, but the secondary melody has a lot of repetition. The main melody, which requires you to step forward, is more difficult."

"Rozemyne is good at rushing ahead, while Charles is good at adapting to others."

"Damuel."

"No, nothing."

It's just as Damuel said. My sister is good at leading the sound, and I'm good at supporting from behind. Personality is also reflected in the performance.

I've always acted in accordance with others. I always observed the situation around me before deciding what to do. I think that's what my personality is showing.

That's not good.

As part of my training as the next lord, I started helping the lord with his work. I feel nervous when I enter the lord's office.

For some reason, Wilfried is with me.

"Why Wilfried too?"

"Yes. It seems that it would be better if I could assist the lord as well."

"There's no harm in learning. If I can assist the lord, I'll be valued in Ahrensbach."

Father explains.

It was easy to see that his goal was not to give me an early education, but to make sure Wilfried wouldn't get into trouble when he went to Ahrensbach.

Oswald looked at me with a triumphant expression. We both felt bitter.

"Besides, I thought it would be better for me to have someone to compete with. That's what Rozemyne suggested."

"Rozemyne?"

Father brought up my sister to shut me up. I feel indescribable. It's strange that Father is asking my adopted sister to advise us on our education, and that my sister is treating me and Wilfried fairly without favouring her fiance.

However, my sister's suggestion was correct, and I worked hard at my work, so that I would not lose to Wilfried, and Wilfried worked hard at my work, so that he would not lose to me. My uncle even said to my father, "Aren't your sons better than you?" I couldn't lose to either my father or Wilfried.

One day, my uncle came to the lord's office and my father ordered all of his aides to leave the room.

When it was just my father, uncle, Wilfried, and I, my uncle handed me a piece of paper.

"You two must memorize this."

"What is this?"

My father grinned with amusement.

"It's a code book. When we were in the aristocratic academy, Ferdinand and I used to communicate in code."

"My father and uncle?"

My father spoke of the code in a fun way, as a "brother's secret," but for my uncle it was a way to protect himself from Veronica. Without a doubt.

Wilfried looks at the code list with a sparkling expression. "Uncle, I don't think you'll be able to remember it right away. May I have the civil servants keep it aside?"

"You idiot. He won't even tell your aides. If you marry into the family, you'll have Ahrensbach's aides."

...And the Veronica faction is the same. I mutter to myself.

"Wilfried, show me you can at least remember one code. We use other codes too."

"You remember several codes?!"

We're surprised.

"You should remember this code so that we can communicate in secret."

My father learned it. I'm sure I can remember it too.

We practice the code together and exchange simple sentences with each other. This code is a type of code that changes the angle of the letters to include different words in the sentence. First, we have to write a normal letter. I've never exchanged letters with Wilfried before, so this is kind of fun.

"Wilfried's handwriting is more idiosyncratic, so it's easier to create a code."
"Should I write a bit more poorly?"
"...Yeah. The letters that are the code stand out. Change the way you write the other letters as well."

Uncle corrects it.
I'm honestly happy that it's a code that only Wilfried, my father, and my uncle know, and not even Wilfried's aides - Veronica's subordinates.
I ask, thinking of something. "Uncle, can I write a letter to you with this?"

Uncle looks surprised. Father interrupts. "Charles, why are you writing to Ferdinand and not to your father? Isn't that strange?"

"Eh?"
Do you ever write a letter to your father?

"Hmmph. I'm looking after Charles."

Uncle makes a triumphant face in front of my father, and my father and uncle start arguing lightly. I'm dumbfounded. I've seen them interacting in a friendly manner before, but this is the first time I've seen them get along this well.
Wilfried doesn't seem to mind their interaction at all and is absorbed in the code.

"I did it, Charles!" Seeing Wilfried's triumphant look on his face makes me feel very sad that he's going to Ahrensbach.

"Now we can keep secrets even after Wilfried becomes a husband."

I smiled at him to shake off the loneliness, and Wilfried made a slightly unpleasant face.

"Are you that worried about me?"
"I'm sorry to say this, but is there anything about me that makes you feel at ease?"
"Hmm. You're a worrier."

I'm just worried.

After practicing the code, my uncle handed me a box of magical tools. We each registered our magical powers.

"Keep it in this box and never take it out of the secret room. Got it?"
"Okay. Consider this a secret of Ehrenfest."

My brothers and I answered my uncle and father's words in unison, "Yes!"

I had something I wanted to talk to my uncle about, so I asked him to make time for me.

My uncle's office is at the end of the main building. He does the lord's work, so he should have a room in a more accessible place, but knowing my uncle, he'd probably feel more comfortable in a less crowded place.

I use a magic tool to prevent eavesdropping because there are his aides.

"Uncle, when would you use that code?"
"Why not have Wilfried find out what Ahrensbach is up to?"

My uncle says it as if it were obvious, but I can't imagine Wilfried leaking information to me.

I can already see who Wilfried will prioritize, Dietrinde or me. If it were between my sister and Wilfried, I would prioritize my sister without hesitation. Mother tells me to treasure the bond between siblings, but I don't believe in the bond between Wilfried and me.

When I complained like this, my uncle said.

"You idiot. There are still more than three years until Wilfried graduates. You can train Wilfried until then."

"Me, train Wilfried?"

I had never thought about such a thing.

My role was to stay quiet so as not to get in Wilfried's way or upset him. I had never thought about influencing Wilfried in any way.

Imprinting is a scary thing. I still unconsciously act in a way that I should not stand in front of Wilfried.

I have no confidence.

"...May I consult with you, sister?"

"You are the next lord, so don't rely too much on Rozemyne."

"Huh? But father, the lord, also rely on your sister, right?"

My uncle taps his temple.

"Don't imitate him."

He calls the lord that.

"I think Charles is a better match for Wilfried than Rozemyne."

"Huh?"

"As the next lord, your skill will be shown in how you gain Wilfried's trust, who is going to Ahrensbach, and how you can bring him in to benefit your territory. A good lord is someone who has the power to attract people. I think Sylvester has that quality, and I think you have inherited his qualities."

I was dumbfounded. My uncle praised my father.

But my uncle's words were persuasive. Uncle truly trusts Father. It's not like Mother told him to get along. I need to work on Wilfried so that he doesn't betray Ehrenfest and so that he puts us before Dietrinde.
I've always been at Wilfried's mercy. But that's not good. I need to be the one to lead Wilfried.

I've been thinking about what my uncle said ever since.

Chapter Text

"Mother, I will escort you."

Wilfried escorts Florencia. It's been a while since we've seen this at dinner.

Perhaps because Charles gets jealous when he escorts me, Florencia has become Wilfried's practice partner for escorting. Even Sylvester doesn't complain when it's his son. Watching him escort Florencia seems to be sad to say goodbye to her son, and it makes me tear up.

...I wish I had more time to prepare before saying goodbye to my family.

Wilfried is apparently training in other areas besides escorting so that he can treat women with care. He's also correcting the insensitive remarks he sometimes makes so as not to offend the nobles of Ahrensbach. Good job, do more.

"That's right, Rozemyne, I've designed a cool hair accessory!"

Wilfried says with a big smile.
Florencia assigned him this task, but as the next lord's wife, it seems that supervising Wilfried's hair accessory is also my task. I feel like I've been forced to do something troublesome.

"Wilfried, can you show me?"

"Brother, I want to see it too!"

Charles said this with concern, and Melchior wanted to join in.

"Ha. I see. Everyone is interested in my cool designs. Very well. I'll give you a special show."

A tea party was being held for the four siblings in Wilfried's room.

"I heard from Dietlinde in a letter that she likes flashy, eye-catching hair accessories."

It seems that Wilfried is exchanging letters with Dietlinde of Ahrensbach. They're exchanging letters. They're really in love.

"Rozemyne. This is the kind of hair accessory I came up with."

Wilfried spreads out many sketches.

...Ah, yes. This is what Wilfried likes.

This reminds me of Wilfried, who was particular about getting a cool schtappe at the Noble Academy. For some reason, the hair ornaments Wilfried designed were modelled after magical beasts. There were many hair ornament designs with strong magical beast motifs. He looked like an elementary school boy playing with beetles stuck in his hair.

Charles said with wide eyes.

"Wilfried, are you really going to use a magical beast as a hair ornament?"

"Yes. It's eye-catching and cool, isn't it?"

"Brother Wilfried, it's cool!"

I was just worried.

But then I discovered a design that caught my eye.

"Brother Wilfried, isn't this Schmetterling hair ornament cute?"

"Hmm? Really? Coolness is important, but cuteness is important too."

Schmetterling is a beautiful magical insect with butterfly-like wings. Even in my time in Urano, I often saw butterfly-themed accessories. This is stylish and looks good on Dietlinde, so I think it's fine.
However, I'm the only one who thinks it's acceptable, and the others look at me with expressions of disbelief. Apparently it's against the nobles' aesthetic sense.
I turn my back on them and express my opposition.

"Brother Wilfried, are you really going to give me such a strange hair accessory? It calls into question the aesthetic sense of Ehrenfest."
"To hear you say that, you're riding a strange beast."

"Really? Unlike Brother Wilfried's Schmetterling, my Lesser is cute."
"No, I think Schmetterling is cooler than that round Grün."

I glared at Wilfried. Charles and Melchior stepped in to mediate.

"Rozemyne, Wilfried, don't fight."
"Your sister's mount is cute, and your brother's design is cool."

...What, my Lesser is on the same level as this hair accessory?! So it's cute, right?

What a new discovery.

With my input, it was decided to make a hair accessory for the magical insect Schmetterling. I received the design drawing and received the order. Wilfried wants to surprise Dietlinde by keeping the hair accessory a secret. It's difficult to surprise someone if you don't know their preferences well, but Wilfried is so confident that it will be okay. Probably.

We move to Charles' and my room for a strategy meeting.

"Please give us your honest opinions. Do you think Schmetterlin's hair accessory will be accepted?"

Everyone looks confused. The butterfly hair accessory seems unusual.

"I see. I think the feathers are pretty. Ahrensbach is a large territory, so if Dietlinde can wear it well, I wonder if it will become popular?"

Trends are made by the top. I'm not giving up on the chance.

However, everyone's reaction is not good.

"Will Charles not stop it?"

"Yes. If it fails, it will only embarrass Wilfried and Dietlinde."

...Charles?!

"That's right. Even if it ends up being a failure, it will be Wilfried's personal failure, not Ehrenfest's. It's a great opportunity to see how well a unique hair accessory is received, so I think it's okay to try it."

...Brunhilde?!

"Even if it's not accepted by everyone, I think it will be possible to make a beautiful story of Wilfried granting Dietlinde's unique wish."

...Marianne?!

That's a lie. If this is the case, then it would mean that only Wilfried and I, who think butterfly hair accessories are cool, have a strange sense of fashion. I don't understand.

I was fired up to make this butterfly hair accessory popular no matter what.

Philine asked timidly.

"Umm, Lady Rozemyne, is it possible to make Schmetterling into a hair accessory? I think magic insects are more complicated and difficult than flowers."

"I think my personal craftsman could do it."

Even pointed leaves can be made with thread. It should be as easy as a butterfly.

...I trust Tuuli, after all!

Charles said in a low voice, with a serious look on his face.

"Onee-sama, don't you think we need to have a secret strategy meeting with the Gilberta Company?"

...A secret strategy meeting!!?

Now then. Today, we're not heading to the conference room in the noble section, but to the orphanage director's room.

We are about to discuss with the Gilberta Company about the hair ornament that Ehrenfest will give to Ahrensbach. Charles has explained the situation to Ferdinand and even gotten permission to meet with people from the downtown area!

If I look happy, my connection to the downtown area will be revealed, so I put on a poker face and head to the orphanage.

To be honest, I'm very happy that I will have more opportunities to meet Tuuli.

"Today, we have an important, secret strategy meeting."

I tell Otto, Corinna, and Tuuli. They all look a little worried.

...Everyone, you need to keep a better poker face!

When I told them about Wilfried marrying into his family and showed them the sketch, I noticed that they all flinched. It seems that this is not acceptable not only to the nobles but also to commoners.

Tuuli's eyes say, "Are you really going to make something like this?" Her expression is similar to when I ordered the armband. "Do all lords' children have strange taste?" I heard a voiceover say.

"It may seem a little unusual, but this is going to be the latest trend."

"So, will Lady Rozemyne be wearing this too?"

Corinna's question made me giddy.

"No, this is a gift for Lady Dietlinde of Ahrensbach, so I cannot wear a similar hair accessory."

Tuuli looked relieved.

I was more and more eager to make this hair accessory popular. If the magic insect Schmetterling is well received, then maybe Lesser-kun will also become popular. There must be many other noblewomen who think she is cute, just a little difficult to say like Brigitte. This is her chance to show off her skills as the next lord's wife.

After several meetings with the Gilberta Company, the butterfly hair accessory was quickly completed. It has been decided that Dietlinde and Georgine will come to Ehrenfest in the summer.

Chapter Text

It's just a pointless remark.

〇 Calling her Big Sister
No, I really thought she had to be called Big Sister.
The Rozemyne in my heart is going wild. I know it's unnatural...!
But I can't stand it if she's not called Big Sister.

By the way, I set all of Char's growth to be seven seasons behind Vil's (because he was born seven seasons later) (which means it's too much trouble to think about), so Char's magical sense will be six months after the end of the original story (the autumn after Char's third year and Rozemyne's fourth year), and Char's height now is less than 150cm. Surely it would still be okay to call her Big Sister...!?? I think, but if you think about it normally, it's wrong from the start. But I can't stand it.

Please just say that my translation of Jurgen to Japanese is weird. It's the same feeling as not being able to forgive Professor Snape in Harry Potter for using "I" as his first-person pronoun. (Probably not)

〇 Wilfried
I really love Wilfried's stupidity... I understand the opinion that stupidity is bad...

I like Jill's carelessness too...

A thorny path with no supporters...

〇 Traugott
Since Char is a boy, he became Char's aide and was taught how to compress magic power right away. But he couldn't beat Cornelius and Angelica. His catchphrase is "I can win if I'm taught how to compress magic power," but I honestly think "No, even if I know how to compress magic power, I can't win..."

In the previous 4th part comic, Traugott said "I want to be chosen by the sword dance," but I wonder if he was chosen?! It happened when Rozemyne was with Grandpa, so I don't know! (lol) His awkward timing is typical of him

Traugott could be dismissed at any time, but these kinds of useless characters are convenient for the story, so they will appear from time to time.

〇Damuel
Eh?! If Wilfried's marriage is decided, then Damuel's marriage will be brought forward...?! I was surprised when I realized this while I was writing. Philine!! Good luck!!

〇Ignatz
Katsuki-sensei's words "loser civil servant" just make him more and more loser.

〇Kirant
Wilfried's civil servant Kirant immediately gave up on Ehrenfest and transferred to the center. Kirant is that kind of guy! (Well, I don't know anything about it)
The Vero faction that betrayed Reise is really dark... Someone please dig deeper.
Ercart and Kirant are comic book characters. Their profiles are listed in 4-2.

〇Lamprecht
I wonder what will happen to him in the original work. The afterword of volume 25, "This was the happiest time for him," is too ominous.
He's lucky to be picked up by the next lord, Char-kun, in this world...

〇 Transfers and cooperation of aides
This might sound weird, but I like the way Wilfried's and Rozemyne's aides are at odds in the original... Why do I like it? Wil's aides look down on Rozemyne's aides and make fun of her. Rozemyne's aides are extremely angry at Wil.
On the other hand, Char’s and Rozemyne's aides cooperate with each other, and in the Noble House where Rozemyne is absent, Rozemyne's, Char's, and Melhi's aides cooperate with Brunhilde. I really like it... Personally, I feel a little sad that Brunhilde is more senior than Char as a lord's family member... (She's the next lord, so in this Char male IF, Char is better)
I think that in Yurgenschmidt, people of the same faction cooperate with each other. I also like how Hannelore relies a lot on Lestilaut's aides, Kentrips and Razantarc.

〇Rozemyne's social life begins

With the engagement to Charl and Rose, Charl is the next lord and the faction problems are small, so Rozemyne's social life restrictions are relaxed, which is good... Charl visits the Kal-El family occasionally, and Rozemyne can visit her parents' house from time to time. I think it's really peaceful.

〇The lord's wife must unite the lord's family

I'm quite sympathetic to Flo. Flo was brought to a place where she had nothing to do with it, not through a political marriage, but because of Jill's selfishness... Regardless of whether it was right or wrong, if Jill had married a woman from Ahrensbach as Vero had intended, the lord's family would have been united without a hitch...

In the original, Fer asked Rihyarda and Elvira to organize the gifts for Ahrensbach, but I was saddened to find out that it was actually Flo, a member of the lord's family, who should have done it. I'm sure Fer doesn't mean any harm, but... And Flo doesn't understand Feru and says silly things... The rift will only deepen...

If Charlrose is engaged, I think the lord's family will come together smoothly with Rozemyne at the center.

〇Charl's personality is suited to being an assistant

Rozemyne will probably always be the main melody (lol)

〇The brothers' code

It's fun because I can write two sets of siblings.

It's also fun to write about the four siblings, Vil, Rozemyne, Charl, and Melhi.

〇Ferdinand's serious bias towards Sylvester

But it resonated with Charl's little brother heart!

〇Cool hair accessory

Butterfly is apparently Schmetterling in German. That's why I named the magic insect Schmetterling, but I'll change it if a magic insect similar to a butterfly appears in the future.

A magical fusion of Rozemyne's otherworldly sense, Wilfried's elementary school boy sense, and Dietlinde's flashy sense will occur.

It's getting fun...

Next time, Lady Georgine and Lady Dietlinde will be coming.

Chapter Text

Georgine and Dietlinde's entourage arrived at Ehrenfest. One after another, carriages arrived, and their respective aides exited. I watched them slowly climb out of the window.

I hope this visit ends peacefully.

Georgine's previous visit seemed to end peacefully. However, after that, the White Tower incident in Wilfried was caused by the old Veronica faction, and Charles and I were attacked. Carelessness is the enemy. As we were guests from Ahrensbach, the escorting knights were looking very tense.

The welcoming banquet begins at the sixth bell.

When we arrived at the venue, Ferdinand and Bonifatius were there, and we were told to wait there. Ferdinand was apparently wandering around the venue to gather information. Charles, Melchior, and I were told to stay together as much as possible. When Bonifatius said, "I'll protect you all," Charles, Angelica, and Cornelius quickly changed positions.

"Today we are welcoming a more important guest than Ahrensbach."

The banquet began with Sylvester's words, and the doors slid open. Georgine and Dietlinde entered with their companions.

Georgine still walked with the graceful steps and posture of a dignified queen, while Dietlinde walked slowly behind her, smiling fondly at the nobles around her. It was a little different from the confident smile she showed at the aristocratic academy. Dietlinde may have practiced smiling like Wilfried.

"Looking at her like this, that girl really is the spitting image of Veronica when she was young," Bonifatius muttered.

Charles gripped my hand tightly. Perhaps he was remembering Veronica. To cheer Charles up, I gently hugged him and stroked his palm.
I looked up at Sylvester and the others on the stage.

I wonder if my adoptive mother gave my adoptive father a kiss on the cheek today?

When Georgine visited four years ago, Florencia apparently kissed Sylvester on the cheek to cheer him up. Sylvester was bragging about it. Ever since I heard that, I've been trying to get ahold of Charles on the cheek, but unfortunately the height difference makes it difficult. I've still not done it.

...Ahh. Brother Wilfried is making a big fuss over Dietlinde.

On the stage, Wilfried and Dietlinde are smiling at each other and exchanging words. The young couple looks like they're having fun.

"Hmm. It's like seeing Adelbert and Veronica when they were young."

Bonifatius muttered, and his aides agreed.

Adelbert was the father of the previous lord, Ferdinand and Sylvester, and the grandfather of Charles. Apparently the previous lord was also smitten with Veronica. It's a story that makes you feel bitter.

After the greetings, Georgine, the representative of Ahrensbach, began to talk about Wilfried and Dietlinde's marriage.

...Huh?! Is that right!??

I read somewhere that in the wedding speech during the Urano era, a group date was changed to a "dinner with acquaintances" and picking up a girl was changed to a "fateful encounter." Apparently, in Georgine's hands, Ahrensbach's forced engagement became "good fortune given by Glücklität, the god of trials." It seems that Wilfried was the one who wanted to get engaged. I can already see myself being dragged around in the future, but is that okay? I worry about what Florencia is thinking as she smiles as always.

The next step is color matching.

The board is a magical tool that checks whether the magical powers of both partners are balanced and whether there are any problems in having descendants. Sylvester intended to refuse the engagement if the magical powers were not balanced by this color matching, but unfortunately, it seems that their magical powers are balanced.

When Sylvester holds up the color matching magic tool, everyone lights up their schtappes and congratulates them.

"Hmm, that's wonderful. Even though he's still in the early grades, he has a magical power that is balanced with the princess of a large territory. When he becomes an adult, Wilfried will have more magical power than her."

"Brother Wilfried has been working hard on compressing his magical powers."

Charles looks at the results of the color matching with a stern expression. He is probably still not convinced about Wilfried and Dietlinde's engagement and has some thoughts about it.

"Now, let's exchange the magic stones."

Wilfried kneels slowly in front of Dietlinde. Perhaps because of the intensive training with Oswald and the others, Wilfried's movements are refined. Oswald, who stands behind him, also looks satisfied.

"With the guidance of the husband and wife gods who reside in the highest position in the heavens, this marriage has been decided."

Dietlinde recites a string of praises to the gods and hands over the magic stone. "Let's walk together from now on," is the usual template.

"My goddess of light."

Next, Wilfried presents the magic stone with a princely smile that he has practiced over and over, and recites a poetic proposal of marriage. That Wilfried looks pretty cool now.

...Brother Wilfried has grown up well.

I can't see his mischievous side.

For some reason, I was reminded of a miniature Wilfried from when we first met. All those useless memories flash back to me like a slideshow: being dragged to the baptism, being accused of being "unfair" as soon as they met, not being able to read or write even though the unveiling was coming up soon, making a blunder while seeing Georgine off, being interrupted at my first tea party with Charles.

And now he’s engaged.
...I've gotten so old, to think that Wilfried has grown so big. I feel like an old lady watching over a relative's child. It's really moving.

Wilfried's words of proposal were typical of Wilfried, who seeks knightly coolness, saying something like "I will protect you from any enemy." I wonder who Dietlinde's enemy is. I can't really imagine it.
Applause breaks out in celebration, and the Stabs light up.
Wilfried and Dietlinde are being congratulated. If they're both quiet, they're both good-looking, so they look like a beautiful couple. I wish he'd stay quiet forever.

"Ugh, I'm starting to feel overwhelmed."
"Brother, you looked great!"

The people around me laughed politely, "Eh?", but I didn't care.

We weren't the only ones overwhelmed with emotion. Bonifatius let out a deep sigh. For some reason, the older people around Bonifatius, including his aides, looked more sentimental.

"Grandpa, what's wrong?"
"No. Aren't Wilfried's proposal words the same as Adelbert's?"

Bonifatius looked at his aides.

"Yes. It was similar. I'm sure it was quoted from Lord Adelbert's engagement ceremony."
"Do you remember that long ago?"
"Because there aren't many engagement ceremonies for lords' families. Besides, Lord Adelbert's words were so memorable that they caused a stir at the time."

Melchior asked, "Is it because your grandfather was good-looking?" Bonifatius's aide replied with a suggestive "Well, I guess."
I was told later that Adelbert's proposal sounded like an oath to "protect you from the Leisegang nobles."

Georgine is surrounded by the old Veronica faction. Dietlinde and Wilfried will also be making the rounds to greet each other, and Wilfried is also surrounded by the old Veronica faction. This is something that Charles, who is a boy with his older brother, will start to worry about later.

As soon as the socializing began, Charles quickly switched to his public and private face. But I know. Charles would behave well in public, but the moment he returned to his room he would become nervous and fidgety.

...As his fiancé, I would support him!

The welcoming banquet ended without any major incidents.

Chapter Text

Georgine and Dietlinde from Ahrensbach came to visit, and the socializing began.

There are many things we need to find out, such as how the old Veronica faction operates, who is the central figure Georgine trusts the most, and what her purpose in returning to Ehrenfest is.

My uncle, mother, and Elvira are working energetically, but we minors have been told to stay put.

Wilfried has been invited to tea parties and dinners by the old Veronica faction along with Dietlinde. There is only anxiety and worry.

Maybe because I'm feeling unstable, another tea party with my sister is being held.

My sister is enthusiastic, saying, "It's the job of a lord's wife to cheer up the lord!" I think that's a little different from the job of a lord's wife, but it seems she's following in the footsteps of my father and mother. I find her enthusiastic appearance adorable, so I won't spoil it for you.

A tea party between cousins was to be held.

I don't like Dietlinde. I feel depressed. When I see Dietlinde, I always remember her harsh grandmother.

Before we left, my older sister was walking around me, stretching her legs.

"What's wrong, older sister?"

"Charles, please crouch down."

"Are you telling me a secret?"

As I got down on one knee, my older sister took some distance. She bumped her forehead against the top of my ear.

"Da."

"Huh? Are you okay?"

I stroked my older sister's forehead.

I didn't know what she wanted to do, but she was cute today, so I'll let it slide.

The cousins' tea party was held in the tea party room of the main building.

"Well, Charles, Rozemyne."

... Dietlinde was in a good mood!! Her features are beautiful to begin with, but today she looks even more beautiful and glamorous. It is said that members of a lord's family must wear fine clothing and behave beautifully. Perhaps I should follow Dietlinde's example a little.

After the greetings, the tea party begins. Today's sweets are honey quatre-quarts, Dietlinde's favorite.

"Oh, these are better than the sweets made by Wilfried's chef."

"Mm, sorry. The recipe for these quatre-quarts was originally taught to my father's chef by Rozemyne's chef."

"Well, that's true. Hey, Rozemyne, how about we swap chefs for Wilfried?"

...Huh?!

I'm speechless at Dietlinde's sudden tyranny. I was prepared for an unreasonable request, but it was too soon.

"I decline."

...Eh?! Oh, Onee-sama, you could have said it a little better in the way you declined...
I'm surprised by both Dietlinde's and my sister's words.

...For now, I'm smiling!

I smile and say the obvious thing.

"Dietlinde. Wilfried's chef belongs to Wilfried, and Rozemyne's chef belongs to Rozemyne."

"But...Hey Wilfried, please ask Wilfried for something too."

Dietlinde looks up at Wilfried and starts begging.

"Do you want me to become an uncool guy who takes away my sister's property?"

"I'm not saying that anymore."

The atmosphere is somehow sweet.

"I understand. I'll have Wilfried's chef trained before he becomes Wilfried's son-in-law."

"Yes, Rozemyne, that will be a great help."

"That's right. Please do your best."

...Did it all come together?! For now, I'm smiling!!

I watch the exchange with a smile on my face.

"Even so, Lady Dietlinde looks very happy."

... What a way to say it, Onee-sama!

However, Lady Dietlinde doesn't seem to mind.

"Yes. I'm about to graduate, right? It's embarrassing to say that I didn't have a fiancé until my final year. I'm relieved to be able to welcome Wilfried into my family. I heard there were even worse prospects..."

Lady Dietlinde gently lowered her eyes, and Wilfried took her hand to encourage her, and the two smiled at each other.

... What am I being shown?

I'm happy to see the two of them getting along so well, but my anxiety is stronger.

"Wilfried is younger, but having a younger fiancé is a good thing."

"Yes. Younger fiancées are cute, aren't they?"

My sister nodded vigorously. I reflexively felt happy.

"That's right. If you fall in love, it doesn't matter if the person is older or younger."

"Dietlinde is concerned about age, but her father and mother are also younger than her. It's not that unusual."

It's actually rare, but there are three exceptions to the rule in Ehrenfest.

Dietlinde's aides look relieved to see her seem convinced. Dietlinde, like any other woman of her age, probably has a lot of worries.

"Looking at Dietlinde and Wilfried like this, it doesn't seem like a marriage arranged by her parents. I wonder if Dietlinde has always liked Wilfried?"

"Yes, there's something I want to discuss with you about that, Rozemyne."

Dietlinde leans forward.

...Ask?

My sister and I look at each other. "If I were asked that question at a tea party at the Noble Academy, how do you think I should answer? What answer would attract the most attention from other territories?"
"Huh?"
"Eh?"

I didn't quite understand the intention of the question. I looked at Wilfried, but he shook his head.

"Um, why don't you just answer as it is?"

My sister nodded. It felt like that was the only option.

However, Lady Dietlinde spoke more forcefully, as if indignant.

"Well, aren't there all sorts of fabricated stories about Charles and Rozemyne, like 'They were kidnapped and rescued and fell in love,' 'They proposed to her in front of the lord's family and she gave them their blessing,' or 'They praised her for her new outfit and she fainted?' You know, you know! We want a love story that will become the talk of the town!!"

...Huh?!!!!!! My sister looked confused.

"Well, I wonder why Lady Dietlinde knows about such things?"
"Please don't deny it. It was you ladies who were bragging at the tea party at the Noble Academy, right?"

...I-it was me!!

Oh dear. I have a good idea.

After being pestered by Lady Adolphine and Lady Hannelore, I ended up blurting out how I met my sister at the Noble Academy. If it had reached Lady Dietlinde's ears, perhaps my bragging stories had reached the entire territory. What a shame.

"Um, Lady Dietlinde. It wasn't Rozemyne who was bragging, it was me."

The gazes of the aides who weren't at the Noble Academy hurt. Wilfried's gaze also hurt. My sister smiled and said, "Heehee. I'm so happy."

Seeing this, Lady Dietlinde became angry.

"Wilfried, we can't lose either. Wilfried, please tell me your love stories at the Noble House."
"What?! I-Okay. I'll try my best."

...You're trying your best!
It seems like it would be hard to tell Dietlinde's love stories, but Wilfried might be able to come up with them surprisingly easily. Let's invite her to a love story tea party and help her out.

"So please help me create a love story that will attract everyone's attention."

Lady Dietlinde says firmly.
My sister and I look at each other again.

"Um, it's not a made-up story, it's all true, you know?"
"You won't be fooled by those words. There's no way such a lie-like story is true. Ehrenfest has a love story writer, so there must be someone who came up with a made-up story."

I was told it sounded like a lie.

"Sorry, Charles, Rozemyne. Can you help Dietlinde?"

...Wilfried! Please stop making unreasonable requests!

"Is it a wonderful love story between Brother Wilfried and Lady Dietlinde?... Hey Charles, should I ask your mother?"
"Eh, Elvira?!"

Surprisingly, my sister is keen on it.

"You mean Elvira?"
"My mother. She's the one who writes the love stories of the nobles."

The atmosphere of the female aides standing behind Lady Dietlinde suddenly brightened. Elvira's love story seems to be popular in Ahrensbach.

"That's a great idea. Let's have a tea party with Elvira right away."

...I-Is that okay!?
Elvira will surely be keen on it if we make up a love story. I can see her getting all excited.
Besides, Elvira and her friends are currently engaged in espionage activities. Dietlinde was socializing with the nobles of the old Veronica faction and had no opportunity to get close to her. Perhaps she could find something by talking to Dietlinde directly.

Brunhilde, who was setting up a tea party for Marianne, who was training under Elvira, and the higher territories, began to consult with Dietlinde's aides.

"Dietlinde. If Dietlinde is kidnapped by a villain, I will definitely rescue her."

"Oh Wilfried. How delightful. I wonder if a villain will appear soon to kidnap me?"

"I hope he does."

...If he does appear, that would be bad!

"That's right, Rozemyne. That's the thing. I have a gift for Dietlinde."

The thing in question was a hair ornament made of the magical insect Schmetterling, designed by Wilfried. Schmetterling was a magical insect with beautiful wings, and when I saw the finished hair ornament, it was certainly beautiful. However, using magic insects as a hair accessory is something unheard of, so it's unclear whether Lady Dietlinde will like it.

Lady Dietlinde's attendant opens the wooden box.
We watch with bated breath to see Lady Dietlinde's reaction.

"Wow! It's wonderful! I've never seen a hair accessory like this."
...It passed!

Lady Dietlinde was delighted with the magic insect hair accessory.
Lady Dietlinde's aides froze, but after seeing Lady Dietlinde's delight, they belatedly began to praise the accessory.
Both Onee-sama and Wilfried were smiling broadly.

"Dietlinde. This is a design that Wilfried came up with for you."
"Wilfried?"
"Yes. He came up with a cool hair accessory. And Dietlinde said that an eye-catching hair accessory would be good, right?"

"Well, you granted my wish."
"It's sure to attract attention at the graduation ceremony."

It will certainly attract attention, but is that okay?... It must be okay because she's happy.

Dietlinde puts on the hair accessory while showing her how to wear it.

"Dietlinde, it's very beautiful."

Wilfried was the first to praise it, and we followed suit.

It looked unusual, but looking at it like this, it strangely matches Dietlinde's blonde hair.

Wilfried came up with many designs, but it was Onee-sama who chose Schmetterling from among them. Just like you'd expect from Onee-sama.

"Looking at it like this, it really suits you, Dietlinde."

"Yes. It's very nice. This butterfly, Schmetterling hair accessory, is the first time Dietlinde has worn it. They say trends flow from above. Please make it a hit."

"It's a hair accessory that I wear, so it's bound to be a hit."

"Yes. The design I made is going to become a hit."

Everyone is smiling. I wonder if it'll be a hit...

"Ehrenfest puts flower decorations on their costumes, right? I want some decorations for my costume too."

"Oh... I see. I didn't notice that.”
"I see. Rozemyne. Is it difficult to add decorations to the costume?"

"There's still six months until the Noble Academy, so if we start preparing now, I think we'll be able to make it in time. Shall we order?"
"Hey, Wilfried."
"Yes. Let's order."

After that, we got excited talking about Dietlinde's graduation outfit. We all thought about what decorations to add to the outfit Dietlinde will wear. I actually like talking about women's outfits. The tea party for my cousin, which I was worried about, ended without any problems. I actually enjoyed it more than I expected. I wasn't as tired as before. Maybe it was because Dietlinde was in a good mood.

"I'm glad that both Dietlinde and Wilfried are happy." My sister is also in a good mood. When I took the matter to Elvira, the "Team to Popularize Dietlinde and Wilfried's Love Story" was formed. As expected, Elvira is very enthusiastic. I was worried, so I wanted to join the tea party too, but I was not allowed to attend because "Lord Charles gets loose when it comes to love talk." There was no room for argument.

"I'm worried..."
"Just leave it to your mother and you'll be fine. An incredible love story may be born!"

I'm worried...

They had planned to stay longer, but urgent news arrived from Ahrensbach, and Georgine and Dietlinde had to return home in a hurry.

"May you live in good health, with the protection of the gods, until the day when the threads spun by the goddess of time, Dregarnuhr, overlap again."

"Yes. I pray for the smooth spinning of threads by the goddess of time, Dregarnuhr."

In response to Ehrenfest's farewell greeting, Georgine smiled happily, turning up the corners of her red lips.

"Wilfried, I'm going to miss you. Let's meet again at the Noble House."
"Yes. I'm looking forward to winter."

...Wh, next to the formal greeting! Later!

I decided that it was just my imagination that my uncle was giving Wilfried and the others a cold look.

Dietlinde seemed reluctant to leave for a long time.

Chapter Text

The carriage passes through the downtown area of Ehrenfest and heads south to Ahrensbach. Only four people are in the carriage: Dietlinde, Martina, Georgine and Zeltier.

"It's a pity we have to go back now..."

It was fun being in Ehrenfest.

Everyone respected Dietlinde, Wilfried prepared a hair accessory she'd never seen before, and a popular writer from Ehrenfest was going to write a love story with Dietlinde as the main character. It was a dreamlike time.

If I go back to Ahrensbach, I'll be forced to work and study. It won't be like being in Ehrenfest.

"I wanted to marry into Ehrenfest, not into Ahrensbach."
"Well, Lady Dietlinde doesn't suit a rural estate like Ehrenfest."
"That's true."
"Lord Wilfried is so kind. Soon all the trends in Ehrenfest will become trends in Ahrensbach."

Even as Dietlinde and her mother Georgine listened to their conversation, she just looked out the window and said nothing.
It seems that Georgine wanted Ferdinand, not Wilfried, to be Dietlinde's husband.

...I'm not kidding.

It was Georgine who ordered Dietlinde to deepen her friendship with Wilfried the year he enrolled. If a woman becomes a lord, her husband must be a lord candidate. She was in trouble because there were no men of the right age who wanted to become her husband and had the right magical power.

Wilfried is three years younger and just barely old enough to marry, but he is Dietlinde's cousin and not bad looking, and when Dietlinde speaks to him, he blushes and looks happy, a little embarrassed.

On the other hand, Ferdinand is much older than Wilfried, frequents the temple, and despite being a member of the lord's family, he is motherless. Considering his lineage and circumstances, he is an incredibly terrible match for her. According to Wilfried, he is also a very scary and strict person. She didn't think so when they met at the banquet, but if his nephew Wilfried says so, it must be true.

There is no need to compare whether the legitimate son of the current lord is better than the illegitimate child of the previous lord who entered the temple at an older age.

Dietlinde couldn't understand why her mother was trying to match her daughter with such a terrible man. It seems Ferdinand is competent and capable of handling the duties of the lord's representative, but that should be left to Georgine, the lord's wife. Could it be that Georgine's avoidance of the duties of the lord's representative is more important to her than her daughter's happiness?
A sharp pain in her heart.

It would take several days to return by carriage from Ehrenfest to Ahrensbach.
They had planned to use their mounts to return the next day. However, for some reason Dietlinde had been feeling unwell since the morning. The cheap country lodgings must not have suited her.

When her illness was discovered, she had to quickly rest at a noble's mansion in Ehrenfest. Dietlinde was touched that Georgine, who usually showed little interest in her, had immediately changed her plans. It's good to feel unwell once in a while.
The mansion they arrived at seemed to be the family home of Georgine's attendant Zeltier.

"Welcome, Lady Georgine. We have been waiting for you."

...Huh?
The man's face looked familiar.

"Thank you for taking care of us, Graozam. I'm glad we had the opportunity to renew our friendship."
"It is a great pleasure to be able to welcome Lady Georgine without any intruders."

Finally arriving at the noble's mansion, Dietlinde, who was feeling unwell, fell asleep immediately. When she woke up, it was dark outside.

"Lady Dietlinde, will you be able to have a meal?"

Martina looked after her diligently. Noble mansions are great after all. The beds, food, and baths are on a whole different level. I couldn't understand why she decided to stay at a cheap inn in the countryside when there was a nobleman's mansion that she was on friendly terms with.
...I never understood mother.

Ordonnanz came in through the window. "Dietlinde, good night. With the blessing of Schlattraum, may you have a good night's sleep."

It was Wilfried's voice. While they were in Ehrenfest, Wilfried, her fiancé, sent her a good night Ordonnanz every night.

Martina said, "As expected of Wilfried. Dietlinde is loved," and Dietlinde returned the Ordonnanz with a positive feeling. Then, another Ordonnanz was returned.

"I was surprised to receive the Ordonnanz. Dietlinde was still in Ehrenfest."

Ordonnanz cannot be delivered unless you are within the territory. Wilfried's opinion of her rises again by sending the Ordonnanz, which she is not sure will arrive.

Dietlinde explains that she is in poor health and is staying in Ehrenfest. Wilfried is a kind person, so he should be concerned about Dietlinde's health. Dietlinde received the Ordonnanz with kind words as she had expected, and a message asking for the location of the noble's mansion to thank him.

"Wilfried is really kind."

"Of course, since he is my fiancé. By the way, Martina, where are we?"

"He said it was Gerlach. This is Giebe's mansion."

Dietlinde used the Ordonnanz to inform Wilfried that she was at Giebe Gerlach's mansion. Georgine, who usually doesn't pay attention to her daughter's movements, doesn't notice the exchange between the two Ordonnanzes.

On the other hand, Georgine's younger brother, Sylvester, is a man who also talks about love with his son.

The information that Georgine and her friends had stopped by Gerlach's mansion was later shared with the lords of Ehrenfest.

To be continued! ＞

Chapter Text

This is an unnecessary page.
I feel like it would be cooler without any afterword or additional information, but I've been thinking that it might be better to have additional information...? I've been thinking about this more and more, so I'll add an additional information.

〇It's like seeing Adelbert and Veronica when they were young.
I just wrote this randomly, but if Adelbert and Wilfried were similar... that would be bad... It's not impossible... Wilfried and Adelbert both seem to have personalities that are "kind but inconsiderate." I don't know if that's actually the case, but that's the image I have.

〇Color matching
Details about the color matching magic tools are in Fanbook 5.
It seems that they omitted Fel D because it was the king's order and it would be troublesome if it was revealed that their magical powers didn't match (author's Twitter), but I thought that Vil D would be a good match, so I might do it.
I think the final magical power is D-sama < Vil. (Prediction)

〇Satisfied Oswald
Oswald did his best in his training as Wilfried's groom! It seems that Oswald and the other Vero faction members have accumulated a lot of know-how on flattering Veronica, and I think that know-how on flattering Dietlinde will also work well on Dietlinde.

There is a backstory where Oswald is trying really hard to make Wilfried like Dietlinde (lol)

〇 "I will protect you from any enemy"

Vil also engraved the same words on the magic stone.

Who is the enemy that Wilfried must defeat, who appears dashingly to exploit Dietlinde...?!

I want to get that far soon. It's so far away. 7 volumes away...!

In Fanbook 5, Adelbert thought of Veronica as "a wife who was oppressed by Leisegang and who needed to be protected". The marriage proposal words are my own fan fiction.

〇 It is the lord's wife's job to cheer up the lord

I think it's probably wrong! I feel like it's only SylFlo who thinks so!! Rozemyne is quick to imitate the bad parts of adults.
In Volume 11, from Flo's perspective (Web Chapter 253), I was like, "?!" when I read that before the tea party with Geo, SylFlo kisses him on the cheek, and even during the tea party, they hold hands and touch each other's fingers. This is what Rozemyne is aiming for. But I don't think it's the job of a lord's wife!

〇 Cousin's tea party
Dietlinde: Joker
Wilfried: Joker
Rozemyne: Joker
Charles: Straight man
It was fun to write and I'm looking forward to the next noble academy.

〇 Charlrose love rumors
The princesses of the great territory (Adolphine and Hannelore) spread it. It was fun to write about Charl being teased by Adolphine...!
Vill's social life: A piece of cake
Rozemyne's social life: A piece of cake
Charle's social life: A piece of cake when Rozemyne is involved
Everyone's a piece of cake!

〇The Love Story of Dietlinde and Wilfried is Popular

Since Fer won't marry, the "Fernestine Story" won't be born, so this is a replacement story, but I don't think it will be popular at all. But I'm sure that Professor Elvira will be able to do something about it!

I'm sure that at the tea party, Dietlinde spilled all the secrets of Ahrensbach thanks to Elvira's skill.

By the way, the reason Elvira and the others are happy about Wilfried marrying is because the old Veronica faction will lose its leader and completely collapse. They can't openly be happy that a nuisance is gone, so they are just happy about the "happy marriage proposal".

〇Wilfried or Ferdinand

For Dietlinde (or rather, for the general noble women of Yurgenschmidt), Wilfried is a better match. Dietlinde is happy about Wilfried marrying.

Gieselfried decided on Wilfried as his son-in-law under the guideline that "the son-in-law of the interim lord should be a fool and easy to handle."

For Georgine, it would be better for her to have Fer come to Arlen, as it would reduce Jill's handful of pawns and make other convenient arrangements, so she planned to take Fer as her son-in-law as in the original. When Vil became the son-in-law, things went awry. If she killed the lord, she would have to act as the lord's representative, so she postponed the poisoning of the lord. (Not cancelled, but postponed) She hasn't killed him yet this time.

〇Georgine and Wilfried

In volume 29, Lord Geo said that Ferdinand is easy to understand because he thinks like a lord's family, but Dietlinde, Sylvester, and Bonifatius, who act on intuition, are difficult to understand, which made me laugh. He must be unable to read Wil's actions! (laughs)

If Arhen vs. Ehren is a battle card, I think it would be a bad move to pit Fer against Lord D, and the battle situation would be better if he pitted Vil against Lord D. (It can't be helped since it's the king's order)

Geo thinks Vil D is extremely annoying.

〇 Staying at Giebe Gerlach's mansion
The part where he probably poisoned Dietlinde and suddenly stayed in Gerlach is the epilogue of volume 20.
Vil heard about sending Ordonnanz goodnight from Rozemyne and imitated it.
Vil doesn't realize he's espionage. He's just being nice to his fiance. He accidentally got hold of information about Georgine. Wow, Geo thinks that Seriously Vil is annoying.

〇 Reason for defeat
This is a spoiler for the future, but it will proceed according to the original story, but I think that the bad guy should lose to the light attribute...or rather, he should lose.
I want Georgine, who has no love for her children, to lose to Sylvester, who has love for them. That said, Sylvester who talks about love with his son is annoying. It seems like Sylvester would win for a stupid reason, but it pisses me off when he wins for a stupid reason. No. Conflicting feelings.

〇Information at the Noble Academy
Matthias's information will be a little lighter.
Matthias: "Lady Georgine stopped by our house too."
Vil & Rozemyne: "We knew."
Sorry, Matthias...

Next time, "Poisoned."

Chapter Text

"I just wanted to burn into my eyes the sight of Lady Rozemyne performing the baptism, coming-of-age ceremony, and star-knot rituals for the commoners in the countryside all at once. I want to see the glow of blessings when I saw Groschel last year, the expressions of amazement on the commoners' faces, and the time we all praised Lady Rozemyne again..."

Hartmut's passionate words are getting more and more tiresome.

"Hartmut learned how to collect taxes so that he could accompany me to the harvest festival, so I'm glad he can now go."

Philine's innocent smile is dazzling.

Hartmut will be accompanying me as a tax collector at this year's harvest festival. He learned how to collect taxes so he could see my ritual, and appealed to Sylvester to get the right to accompany me. What enthusiasm.

Hartmut's excitement rises, and Cornelius's wariness increases proportionately. But unfortunately, Cornelius is staying home.

As usual, Charles and Wilfried are helping me out, so the area I can travel is quite limited. This year, after touring the direct territories, I headed to Leisegang to retrieve Gutenberg and the others.

After the harvest festival, we decided to go to an Italian restaurant in the downtown area again this year.

Last year, it was just me and Ferdinand, but this year I thought it would be okay to take Charles with us. When Charles came to the temple for magical training, I suggested it, but Ferdinand stopped me.

"Wait a moment, minors need parental permission to go into the downtown area. Who do you think Charles' parents are?"

The face of Sylvester suddenly pops into my mind. If Charles is going, he'll definitely want to come along.

Charles said with a serious look on his face. "I will ask for permission from mother."

"That will be fine."

I think the merchants would be much more motivated if the lord himself called out to them, but it seems Ferdinand wants to prevent Sylvester from coming again this year. Well, I have no objections.

"Charles, should I lend Cornelius to the guardian knight?"

The guardian knights explain that they will take turns eating.

Last year, Ferdinand's guardian knights were Eckhart and, for some reason, Justus, and I took Damuel and Angelica as guardian knights. Charles always brings only one guardian knight to the temple, Roland, so it would be unfair to choose another one.

"No, there is no need to borrow an aide from my sister."

Charles shook his head.

And then, on the day.

An unexpected person came to the temple with Charles and Roland. It was Lamprecht.

"Brother Lamprecht, have you been transferred to Charles's aide?"

Lamprecht is Wilfried's guardian knight. I heard he was undecided whether to follow Wilfried, who had decided to marry Ahrensbach, or to remain in Ehrenfest and become Charles' guardian knight.

"No, I'm still Wilfried's aide..."

"I got Wilfried's permission."

Charles said with a bright smile.

Apparently, Lamprecht was attracted by the delicious food.

"Brother Lamprecht, you're currently in the stage of receiving an invitation from Charles, aren't you? It will be difficult to refuse?"

"That's true, but..."

"Brother Lamprecht, aren't you being cheeky when you haven't officially become Charles' aide yet?"

Cornelius complained that he couldn't go to the Italian restaurant. However, Lamprecht retorted.

"Shut up. You were the one who kept bragging about the Italian restaurant. I haven't forgotten."

A long time ago, when Sylvester came to inspect an Italian restaurant, Cornelius came along as a family member. Apparently he bragged a lot to Lamprecht. I feel a little sorry for Lamprecht.

"Brother Cornelius, please leave it to Brother Lamprecht who has never been to an Italian restaurant."

Cornelius falls silent.

"This is my first time at an Italian restaurant, so I'm looking forward to it."
"Me too."

Today, Charles, Laurent, and Lamprecht are the first to try an Italian restaurant. It's nice to see the three of them looking forward to it.

When they met up with Ferdinand, Eckhart spotted Lamprecht and confronted him with a fierce look in his eyes.

"Lamprecht, why are you here?"

"Ah, brother..."

Eckhart said that it was shameful for a guard knight who serves the lord's family to waver in an attempt to change his master. Lamprecht knows this, which is why he is trying to serve Wilfried, but his master Wilfried has said that he is willing to be transferred, Charles is good at recruiting, and Elvira doesn't seem to want her son to leave Ehrenfest, so it's only a matter of time before Lamprecht falls.

We left the brothers as they began their sermon and got into the carriage.

"We are honoured that you have come."

When we arrived at the Italian restaurant, Gustav and his friends welcomed us.

Gustav gave a lengthy greeting to the nobles, and we were led to the dining room. Rosina was already playing the harspiel in the back.

When we were led to our seats, we found that everyone nearby, including Gustav, Benno, and Otto, knew my secret. I was seated at the birthday table, with Charles and Ferdinand sitting on either side of me.

"Has your father come here before too?"

"Yes. The lord has been extremely kind to us."

Benno and Gustav chuckled when Charles spoke. They must have remembered the time when the small temple was suddenly built. Seeing this, Charles smiled fondly as if he understood. They seem to understand each other.

Last year, I greeted them by saying that many merchants from other territories will be coming, so I hope they will be well. This year, however, Charles greeted me by expressing his appreciation and thanks for the hard work of hosting the merchants from other territories. Ferdinand made an unreasonable request, saying, "Make sure that Charles can take over the coordination with the merchants," so I was also putting Charles and the merchants in touch.

"To the supreme god who rules over the lofty and towering sky, who has blessed us with the lives of tens of thousands of people, and to the five great gods who rule over the vast and vast earth, we offer our thanks and prayers to the will of the gods, and we will enjoy this meal."

The first thing that was brought out was carpaccio, beautifully arranged in a circle like a flower. I took a bite to test for poison on everyone.

...Mm, delicious.

The prosciutto, zerbe, and sauce went so well together that I wanted to eat more. Charles' eyes sparkled as he ate the carpaccio.

"It's better than the food at the castle, or the food at the temple!"

"Ilse, the chef, is very enthusiastic about her research."

Gustav also smiled with satisfaction. Ilse is Gustav's chef.

Charles's hands were elegant, but quick. It was very cute to see a boy eating his food so deliciously. It's not that I want to feed him, but rather that I want to feed him something even more delicious. There was also a guy (?) sitting next to me who I wanted to feed.

"Lord Ferdinand, is today's double consommé beautiful as well?"

"Ah, it's exceptional."

Ferdinand closed his eyes slightly as he enjoyed the beauty of the double consommé.

Next was hot lasagna straight out of the oven, followed by the main dish of golden veal cutlets. It was somehow amusing to see Charles and Ferdinand quietly impressed, unlike the lively Sylvester.

While eating, Charles heard stories from the people in the downtown area that I didn't know either.

Otto, a former traveling merchant, told me about the difference between Ehrenfest and the downtown areas of other territories. According to a traveling merchant who Otto was familiar with from his past, the downtown area of Ehrenfest is now more beautiful than the downtown areas of other territories. It's thanks to the hard work of my father and friends. I'm proud of him. Gustav told them about the long ties and history of the Othmar Trading Company, which handles ingredients, and the Leisegang food storehouse. Apparently, both the Othmar Trading Company and the Leisegang territory have been around since before Ehrenfest was built. It was amusing to see Benno's aristocratic smile when Gustav made a pioneering comment to him.

After the main course was over, the guards were replaced. Angelica, Justus, and Lamprecht came in, while Eckhart, Damuel, and Roland headed off to eat.
For dessert, they had Tanier's Mont Blanc and braised Raffel pie. They both seemed to like Tanier's Mont Blanc, which wasn't too sweet.

"Lord Charles, would you like to hear your usual story?"

After drinking their after-meal tea, Benno spoke to Charles with a grin. Otto seemed to know what he was talking about and looked at Charles with a smile. Not understanding what he was talking about, I looked at Charles, who stammered, "Well... well..."

"That's terrible! I have no secrets from you."

"Come on! Benno, you know that your sister will get sulky like this, right?"

It's unfair that Benno and Charles have become close. I'll burn him.

"It's about Lesser."

Apparently, to Charles, Lesser was like a hero of justice who came to rescue him after he was kidnapped. I'd never heard that before. Apparently, he'd told Benno about it when he'd ordered Lesser's pendant. It makes Lesser look like a super alloy robot.

"Don't tell Roland about this. It'll make him worry."

It's only now that I've learned that Roland was the one guarding Charles when he was kidnapped.

After that, we get excited talking about the new files and binders, how they feel, and Dietlinde's butterfly hair accessory that Wilfried ordered. Now that he has been able to leave the work to Kamfer and the others, Ferdinand is more interested in arranging the documents beautifully. It's good that he has some free time.

It was a fun dinner party.

As we were leaving, the chefs all gathered in the entrance hall to see us off. When I told Ilse what I thought of the food, she smiled proudly. Everyone who was experiencing an Italian restaurant for the first time happily shared their thoughts about the food.

"Brother Lamprecht, were you satisfied with the meal?"

"Ah! It was very delicious."

Lamprecht smiles.

"If you go to Ahrensbach, you won't be able to eat this kind of food again. I hear the food in Ahrensbach is very spicy."

"It's a shame Lamprecht can't eat such delicious food anymore. I hope you live a healthy life even if you go to Ahrensbach."

"......"

Charles and Laurent encourage Lamprecht. The day when Lamprecht becomes Charles's close aide seems to be approaching.

Chapter Text

After a fun dinner, we return to the temple.

The food was delicious. I'm glad I was able to reward Roland, who has always been so kind to me, and I'm sure Lamprecht will soon become one of my aides.

"Lady Rozemyne, Lady Charles, welcome back."

When I returned to the temple master's room, I smelled a faint sweet scent. It was a different scent from my sister's rinsham. I knew it because I had bought and used the same rinsham from Benno and the Lieselotte information. It's not uncommon in the castle, but it's a scent that doesn't seem appropriate for the temple, so I found it strange.

"...Lady Sister, do you smell something sweet?"
"Did you smell it, too, Charles?"

We both tilted our heads to one another.

While my sister, Fran, and the others were changing into their temple clothes, I drank the tea that Nicolas had made for me.

I looked around the temple master's room. Something was strange.

Suddenly, the feeling of being targeted by Grandmother's minions came back to me. The main building where the children's room is located is under strict security. However, Grandma's subordinates were also among Lord Ehrenfest's entourage.
Fran also said that she smelled a sweet scent coming from the room.

"I can sense Grandma's presence."
"Charles?"
"Lord Charles?"

I don't know why I blurted that out. It was just a feeling.

"Charles, what's wrong? Lady Veronica can't leave the White Tower, can she?"
"...Veronica won't do it herself. She'll use someone to poison her."
"Lord Charles, Lady Rozemyne, please do not carelessly wave your hands at the things in this room."

Roland, who knows what happened at the time, is wary, and Lamprecht looks dumbfounded.

My sister called her entourage and uncle to the temple master's office. Wilma comes to report that all the grey priests who were guarding the gates have disappeared, and my sister sends Damuel and the others to the downtown area.

After that, things take a dramatic turn.

My uncle teaches my sister how to examine strange magical powers, and it is discovered that the holy scriptures have been replaced with fake ones. The fake scriptures that were replaced have been poisoned. Magical power swirls with anger.

"How dare you take my holy scripture...!"

"How dare you poison my sister...!"

Putting poison in my sister's beloved book? I will never forgive that!

There have been many poisoning incidents in Ehrenfest. And the truth has been suppressed. I too have been poisoned as a child. Eliminating enemies with poison is Grandmother's way. It is unreasonable, cruel, and very cowardly.

"Lady Rozemyne, Lord Charles, the color of your eyes...!"

"You idiots. Calm down."

We heard Judith's voice, filled with shock and fear, and the next moment, my uncle put an empty magic stone on our foreheads with both hands. He sighed and ordered.

"Rozemyne, as your sister, you must suppress Charles' rampaging magical power."

"?!"

"!!"

We looked at each other. My sister was startled, and so was I.
I can't cause my sister any trouble!
I recited the names of all the kings in my head, clearing my mind and suppressing the overflowing magical power. My sister also said to me in a panic, "Charles, are you okay?"

"The color in both of your eyes has returned."

Justus laughed.

Meanwhile, my uncle and his friends were examining the fake scriptures and Eckhart was explaining the poison.
I took a deep breath to calm my mind and magical power. "Uncle, why was the temple targeted? Is the culprit from the Giebe territory?"

It's puzzling that the temple was targeted instead of the castle. Father and Wilfried's aides are the ones who still have Grandmother's men. If they were going to poison someone, they would have targeted the castle, not the temple. Wilfried's aides can enter the northern annex.

"You seem to be wary of Veronica's former aides, but the way you've layered your harassment on top of each other reminds me of the White Tower incident."

I blinked at my uncle's words. I hadn't thought of that. The White Tower incident and the kidnapping happened after Georgine's visit. And this time, Georgine had only just visited in the summer.

I remembered the two years that my sister was poisoned. Anger overflows again.

"Lord Charles"

Roland placed the empty magic stone on his forehead. Unlike my uncle, he hits me gently.

My sister also holds my hand and looks into my eyes with a worried look. I recite the names of the goddesses of spring in order to calm myself down. When my magic calmed down, my sisters looked relieved.

"I'm sorry."

"I don't care. It seems that Rozemyne will come to her senses more if you're upset."

"..."

"High Priest, what do you mean by that?!"

Information from the temple and the downtown area came in one after another, and I found out that a blue priest named Egmont had invited Viscountess Dahldorf to the temple. On the way, I tried to intimidate Egmont, who was yelling abuse at my sister, to the higher ground, but my uncle stopped me, so there was no problem.

"Really? I told you that if I killed him completely, it would be difficult to search his memories."

"It's fine. I almost killed the previous temple master with intimidation myself."

...No problem! After carrying the time-stopping magic tool containing Egmond to the castle on his big Lesser, my uncle ordered me to remain behind and keep an eye on my father's aides. He said I would have a better eye than Sylvester.

There were many of Grandma's minions in the lord's office.

I helped out with the office work, being careful not to look too sharp. I was worried about my sister who had returned to the temple, but she had to wait for information from the downtown area.

"Charles, why do you look so gloomy?"

When my father spoke to me, I thought, "Oh no. It's nothing."

"No, my father can tell. You'd want to leave your office work behind and head to Rozemyne right now!"

I blinked. What was he talking about?

...You're right, but that's not it! I'm especially worried about you because of the attempted poisoning of your sister, but I'm not always thinking about you! When I'm at work, I take priority over work!

I can't make it public here that there was an intruder in the temple. I glared at my father and said, as a show of resistance.

"It's not that."

"No, it's not that."

Everyone around me gave me lukewarm smiles. No way.

"You don't need to hide it like that. I'll listen to what you have to say!"

...I refuse!

But my father ordered the people to leave. Everyone left the room, giving me looks that said, "You're trying to slack off on your work by using your son as an excuse."

My father hit Ordonnanz' magic stone.

"Ferdinand, we've cleared the room. How's the investigation going?"

"Very well. I'll be heading your way now."

Ordonnanz' voice came back, sounding like my uncle. I blinked. I thought my father would start teasing me about my sister, but he started contacting my uncle.

"We had agreed to keep in contact in secret. I think I was able to get rid of everyone smoothly, right?"

My father grinned with pride.

It was certainly impressive. The aides outside would think we were talking about my sister, and would never dream that my father was planning to purge Veronica's faction.

But was it really necessary to use me as an excuse?

I wasn't satisfied.

"Since we're here, I'll listen to Rozemyne's story until Ferdinand arrives."
"I'm really worried about leaving my sister at the temple!!"

As I was complaining to my father, my uncle came into the lord's office with a fearless smile on his face. He seemed to be in a very good mood. It was rare to see my uncle in such a good mood.

"Did you get any evidence?"

"Yes. Look, it's the Gerlach crest."

Uncle showed me the ring on his finger. I swallowed.

Gibe Gerlach is a nobleman who is said to have kidnapped and poisoned my sister on the day of my baptism. He was also involved in the attempted attack on the wedding at the border gate. It was also in the Gerlach territory that Georgine stopped by in the summer.

"The winter has become so much easier."

Uncle smiles evilly, raising the corners of his lips. He looks like he's having fun.

Plans are being made to purge the Veronica faction in the winter. I heard about it in this room. I didn't expect to hear about plans to eliminate the Veronica faction in this lord's office, which was occupied by a Veronica faction civil servant. This room was supposed to be the place where Grandma's minions would manipulate Father.

A major turning point is coming for Ehrenfest.

"I've stationed knights at Viscount Dahldorf's mansion."

"I get it. Oh, Charles, you can go away now. Just make sure you don't forget to pretend you were bragging about Rozemyne."

"Hmm. I'll cover up like that."

He was kicked out.

...But I still don't get it!!!

The stolen scriptures were mixed in with Wilfried's engagement gifts.

The Gilberta Company, employed by her sister, was the one that contributed to Dietlinde's gifts. When Lamprecht said, "My sister asked me to get some defective products mixed in, so I'd like to retrieve them in secret," Wilfried's civil servant secretly lent him the key. Isn't that a bit too lenient?

He's too unguarded.

He never even considered the possibility that someone might maliciously poison him.

I envy Wilfried, who has never been poisoned himself.

The attempted poisoning incident must have left him with a lot to think about. Lamprecht asked to be transferred to become my aide. "It's hard to be with my colleagues who are about to be dismissed," he said. I laughed at his excuse. I also envy Lamprecht's carefree attitude.

"I'm not strong enough to be Charles' knight."

"I welcome Elvira's son."

It's not Lamprecht I want to save, it's Elvira.

I owe a great deal to Elvira, who has been in charge of the printing business, and who has been in charge of the factions since before I was born, and who has been entrusted with the role of mother to my sister. I hope that by helping her son win her heart, she will find peace.

Chapter Text

Charles is angry.

It's been revealed that I broke into Viscount Dahldorf's mansion with him.

"Sister, you shouldn't have gone out into a dangerous place!"

"I'm so sorry."

"Uncle, why are you taking sister with you?"

"..."

I'm dumbfounded.

Charles' anger is even directed at Ferdinand. Isn't Charles just too brave? It's rare to see Charles angry, and it's also rare to see Ferdinand with a troubled look on his face.

"It was Rozemyne who ran out to get the scriptures back. Can you stop Rozemyne from asking for the book?"

...Shifting the blame!

"High Priest! Are you saying I'm in the wrong?!"

"Yeah, but..."

Charles has a difficult look on his face, not knowing who to scold.

...Wait! I'm not to blame!

"Well, I'm busy. There's a lot to do this winter."

Ferdinand dashed off, and Charles's attention shifted to me.

I know he was worried about me, but even if he had stopped me there, I think I would have run off to look for the scriptures.

"I'll go through fire, water, grass, and forests for the book."

Charles shook his head.

"Sister, I can go through grass and forests, but you must never go into fire."

He was serious.

Now, things got even more difficult after that.

Charles said he wanted me to stay at the castle rather than the temple, but the winter baptism ceremony was the week after the autumn coming-of-age ceremony. I wanted to stay at the temple until then. On the other hand, it seems that Charles needs to stay at the castle as much as possible because of the plan for the winter purge. Since there are no nobles from the old Veronica faction among Charles's entourage, Sylvester is counting on Charles' entourage. Charles said with determination.

"Sister, I'll go to the temple in the morning."

Does he really want to be with me that much? Such a cute fiance.

We started a routine of coming to the temple in the morning, eating lunch, and returning to the castle. Lamprecht followed us.

"Has it been decided that Brother Lamprecht will become Charles's aide?"

"Yes. From now on, I'll be counting on you as Charles's guardian knight."

Apparently, he was tempted by the delicious food and decided to transfer to Charles' aide. It was fun to see the three brothers together at the temple.

"This is a magic circle that neutralizes the effects of poison. You guys can research it yourself."

Perhaps to distract him from Charles' nagging lectures, Ferdinand prepared amulets, magic circles, and other things. Lately, Charles has been a little nervous, thinking, "What if something happens to Sister..." Ferdinand seems to find it annoying to listen.

"Now we can protect Onee-sama from poison."

Charles says happily, and I can't help but feel at ease. That smile is priceless.
The practice session for drawing the magic circle has begun.

Charles and Hartmut are both enthusiastic. Fran tells me that it's the same magic circle drawn on the saucer of Ferdinand's cup. Apparently he's been poisoned since he was young and is used to it. That's a terrible story.
Even so, Charles is slow at drawing the magic circle.

"Charles, if you flow a lot of magical power into it, you can draw thicker lines."

The lines of the magic circle have different strengths. The amount of magical power flowing into the Stylo makes the lines thicker or thinner. However, Charles carefully draws the magic circle, tracing thin lines over and over again.

"I know. But I find it easier to draw with a uniform thickness than to adjust the magic."

The people around agree with Charles.

"Is it hard to vary the thickness of the lines?"

"No one can handle magic as skilfully as Lady Rozemyne."

I used to vary the thickness of the lines as if I was using a calligraphy brush, but it seems that this is not common. Imagination is important when handling magic. My experience from my time in Urano came in handy in unexpected places.

Hmm? But there are paintbrushes in this world too, right?

I didn't learn, but Cornelius and Charles were both good at drawing. When I advised them to think of the Stylo as a paintbrush rather than a pen, it seemed to become a little easier to use. Charles started to outline the inside with thin lines before painting the inside. He also gave advice such as drawing the top, bottom, left and right sides of the outside first rather than drawing from the top, as it is easier to balance, and that it is better to turn the paper around while drawing.

It's fine even if the drawing is awkward as long as the finished product is complete. Hartmut is excited to research the application of the magic circle. Charles will ask the adult civil servants for the rest. Marvin will be happy to have more work.

"Big Sister, I want to be able to make a spherical Schutzaria shield, too."

After the magic circle that neutralizes the poison, the next step is to make a Schutzaria shield. Boys with enthusiasm are cute, so I want to cheer them on as an older sister.
Charles can already make the Schutzaria shield, a sacred object, with a spell, so I teach him the prayer. When Charles recites the prayer, a hard sound is heard and the yellow, transparent Schutzaria shield is completed.

"It's done!"
"Charles, this is very good."

As we rejoiced, the aides behind us were staring in confusion.

"Lord Charles can also make the Schutzaria Shield?!"
"So you're not the only one who can do this, Rozemyne."
"Lord Charles, Rozemyne, what on earth is that?"

Lamprecht was the most surprised. Come to think of it, it seems Lamprecht had never even seen my Schutzaria Shield.

"This is the Schutzaria Shield. It's a bit larger than Gettilt's. You can make it by continuing to make offerings to the sacred objects in the temple."

Hartmut took the bait as I explained.

"Lord Rozemyne, does that mean we can make sacred objects too?!"
"Oh, yeah. I guess we can."

I replied, a bit taken aback by Hartmut's enthusiasm.
The other aides seemed excited at the possibility of being able to use sacred objects as well.

When I asked Ferdinand for advice, he grinned and said, "Hmm. It looks like we can expect good quality magical power this winter."
...Dad, the Demon King is here!

It was decided that anyone could make offerings to the sacred objects as long as it didn't interfere with their work.

Cornelius and Hartmut began a competition to see who could obtain the sacred object first, and one by one their aides joined in. Eviliebe's sword was the most popular. After Schutzaria's shield, Charles was trying for Frutlane's staff. It was very Charles-like that neither of them were weapons.

And so, just as Ferdinand had planned, the temple's sacred objects were filled with abundant magical power.

Chapter Text

When I was called to the lord's office after clearing everyone out, I found my father, my uncle Ferdinand, and Karstedt there. I was startled.

...This is the evil meeting of the three.

The lord's close aides call him that because my father acted on his own with only the three of them and captured Grandma.

The correct way to do things is for the lord and his close aides to decide important matters for the territory and do the proper groundwork. Father should have suppressed Grandma's power and gradually reduced the power of the Veronica faction, rather than letting Grandma get away with it and suddenly causing her to fall from grace without warning. That way, he would have had less of an impact on the nobles of Ehrenfest, and my father would not have lost their trust.

My father, uncle, and Karstedt are all insensitive to the subtleties of other people's emotions.

"I want you and your aides to fill the gap in the lord's office."

The winter purge is explained.

My uncle gives me a list of the nobles who will be punished, and I'm surprised. I keep looking back and forth between the list and my father's face. Then my father laughed.

"What a look on your face."

"No, but..."

The list included the names of my father's aides. My father intends to punish all of his aides. His aides are his most reliable allies. I can't imagine alienating my own aides.

My uncle said, seeing how upset I was.

"I can manage without my aides."

...My uncle might be able to manage, but I have a feeling that my father won't.

"Charles, unlike Sylvester, you are eager to learn the lord's duties. The same goes for your aides. With Sylvester's civil servants reduced, I would like to entrust the regular work of the lord's office to your aides, as the next lord."
"I understand." My heart is pounding. The aides will be happy. With this, we will not only be able to start new businesses such as paper and printing, but we will also be able to penetrate the core of Ehrenfest.

A meeting of the lord's family was held to share the plan for the winter purge. The purge will be carried out in strict secrecy, so the only aides who are allowed to accompany me are tight-lipped, and only one of my most trusted civil servants, attendants, and guardian knights are allowed to accompany me. I will take Marvin, Zalcrecht, and Roland with me. At the meeting, Wilfried asked about the treatment of the nobles who have already given their names, and my sister asked about the treatment of the children of the nobles who will be purged. I can see our mutual interests. Wilfried must know that some of his aides have dedicated their names to Veronica.

Why does Onee-sama's interest turn so much to the weak?

It is always Onee-sama who works to avoid being implicated. Onee-sama, whose life was the first to be threatened, proposes it, and the lord agrees, so no one can complain.

But I want Onee-sama to think of her own safety first.

I wish the nobles who were trying to harm Onee-sama would just disappear, along with their entire families. Am I the one who is crazy for thinking that? In the case of Shikza, if Viscountess Dahldorf had been implicated, the attempted poisoning by replacing the scriptures would not have happened. But it was Onee-sama herself who saved the Dahldorf family. It doesn't make sense.

I return to my room and sigh.

"Why is my sister so kind...?"

"Lord Charles loves Lady Rozemyne today too."

Until the Noble Academy begins, my sister will stay in the castle and not return to the temple. I'm very happy.

When I'm not taking over in the lord's office, I study for the Noble Academy with my sister, practice Harspiel, and go on dates at the library. It's blissful time.

When I come out of the hidden room at night after practicing Harspiel, my attendants are gathered there with troubled looks on their faces.

"What's wrong, everyone?"
"No, it's just that..."
"Oswald got me."

It seems that Oswald decided the room allocation at the Noble Academy on his own.

There is a ranking for the rooms of the lord candidates, and Wilfried uses the largest room. Until now, it was fine for Wilfried, the eldest son, to use it, but from now on, I, the next lord, should use the largest room. Apparently, Zalcrecht had given him some slight criticism, but it was met with a sarcastic response.

I sighed at Oswald's typical approach.

"I understand. I'll ask Wilfried directly."

When I said this enthusiastically, Zalcrecht and the others looked a little worried.

"Wilfried, would you like to have a Gevinnen?"

I invited Wilfried to Ordonnanz. I had confirmed through Lamprecht that he was free.

Until now, it would have been unthinkable to invite Wilfried to my room. Wilfried was in a higher position and contact was forbidden. But the situation is different now. Some of Wilfried's aides will be dealt with in the winter purge. Wilfried doesn't know about it yet.

Wilfried arrived happily accompanied by Esidor and Alexis. There was a slight sense of relief in the room as no nobles from Veronica's faction had come.

"It feels strange to have Lamprecht in Charles' room."
"I'm sorry, Wilfried."
"No, it's fine. I'm not blaming him. It's better for those who want to stay in Ehrenfest to stay."

Arrange the Gevinnen pieces.
Oswald isn't here today, and there's nothing in particular I want to keep secret, so I won't use the magic device to block hearing.

"Wilfried, are you getting ready for the gift for Dietlinde?"
"Yes. Rozemyne's exclusive company is interesting. They introduce products for women one after another."

...Wilfried, you've been fooled!
I can picture Benno saying with excitement, "This is a business opportunity!" Wilfried's gift to Dietlinde is also a gift from Ehrenfest to Ahrensbach. There's a special budget for the celebration. The Gilberta Company's sales must be impressive.
I suddenly notice something and ask.

"You don't buy from a familiar company?"
"Hmm. The company that Grandma used to use only recommends Ahrensbach products. If you're going to give Dietlinde a gift, don't you think something unique to Ehrenfest would be more interesting?"

...Benno, you're beating the company that purveys the lord's family!
The company that used to boast about having its own purchasing routes in Ahrensbach is probably on the decline now. I wonder if Benno's okay? I'm worried that he's making unnecessary resentments. In some cases, he may need my protection as well as his sister's.

For now, I warn him, "If you lavish gifts from the start, it will follow suit later."
I glance at my attendant, Eigidor, but he doesn't seem to be paying any attention. He's not going to follow me as I marry him, so maybe it doesn't matter. Oswald will probably figure something out.

"After graduating from the aristocratic academy, Wilfried will go to Ahrensbach. I will miss Wilfried."

Wilfried smiled with satisfaction, probably happy that he was loved as an older brother.

"This will not be the last time. I will see you at the lords' conference."

I cannot imagine that Lord Ahrensbach will take Dietlinde to the lords' conference.

It is said that the next Lord of Ahrensbach is Letizia. Wilfried and the others may believe that Dietlinde is the next Lord. I will not say anything unnecessary.

"By the way, Wilfried. I have a request to make..."
"What is it?"

"Could we swap rooms in the dormitory of the Noble Academy this year?"
"Why? Would it be fine to keep it the same as last year?"
"Because the Ordonnanz arrives faster in the room directly below your sister."

... When I was young, I had hoped to beat Wilfried someday, but now that I'm taking away his privileges, I feel lonely and not happy.

"Ah... it's snowing."

The winter of the purges is approaching.

"Once again this year, the earth goddess Geduldh has been hidden by the god of life, Evilive. We must all pray together for the arrival of spring."

The opening feast begins with my father's voice.

Melchior's debut was a dignified one. Melchior liked my sister's harspiel music and joined in our harspiel practice. He was practicing much harder than the average child at his baptism. I stare at my sister on the stage. To me, she is the only one who looks different.

The opening feast ended without any incident. None of the nobles made a fuss about the scriptures.

While I was busy managing the children's room, the day came when my sisters were to leave for the Noble Academy. I envy Wilfried, who is in the same grade as my sister, but I wouldn't have been able to get the top grade if we were in the same grade. In the long run, I think it's good that I was born one year below them.

Wilfried finished his preparations first and headed for the teleportation circle.
"Wilfried, you are still a candidate for lordship of Ehrenfest. I'll leave the children of the old Veronica faction to you."

"Yes, father. I want to save as many as possible."
Hearing the conversation between the two makes me bitter.

After the fiasco at the White Tower, Wilfried was hostile towards the children of the Veronica faction and treated them harshly, so they lost their place in the nursery. As if he had forgotten what he had done and the impact it had had on them, Wilfried says, "I want to save the children of the old Veronica faction."
I can't help but feel bad. It's the same for other nobles.

Wilfried's position is even more difficult now that he is set to marry into Ahrensbach, who has close ties to the Veronica faction.
I look away from Wilfried.

My sister was humming as she gazed at the wooden box full of books with amusement. She looked so adorable and comforting. All my unpleasant feelings disappeared. I stroked her head.

"My sister, this year let's do lots of book lending and borrowing with lots of territories."

"Yes. I'm looking forward to it."

My sister smiled warmly. This year, I'm bringing lots of books to spread the word about Ehrenfest. I have to work hard at the love story tea party too. When I talk about my sister, I can't help but talk loosely. One of my winter assignments is to be able to control that. I think it's a bit too difficult.

When I noticed, my uncle was looking at me with a face that looked like he wanted to say something.

"Wh, what is this?! Are you going to lecture me again this year?! There's no ban on the library!"
"No. I've decided to trust you this year."
"!?"

I was as surprised as Onee-sama. What on earth could this change of heart mean?

"This year, we're not planning on calling you back for the dedication ceremony. Try not to get too excited and collapse, and enjoy your life at the academy just like everyone else."

On the contrary, it's scary. Onee-sama seems to feel the same way, and is trembling.

"You've gotten to the point where you don't collapse even when attending tea parties where people share their thoughts about books, right? Gain social experience with other territories at the academy."

Being given the task of gaining social experience helped my sister regain her composure.

"Ferdinand...what about the library...?"
"You can go after you finish all your lectures and the period when the royal family is out is over. I've left some books with Charles to kill time this year as well."

I nod. This year, Onee-sama is taking the lord candidate course and the civil servant course. It should take her longer to finish her lectures than last year. I'll try to keep Onee-sama's contact with Prince Hildebrand to a minimum.

"Uncle, I'll do my best to support Rozemyne too."
"Yeah. If you can't take care of Rozemyne, you won't be able to be the next lord."

...Aren't the lord's work and taking care of Onee-sama separate?

"Rozemyne, please don't be reckless at the noble academy."
"I'm looking forward to hearing lots of love stories this year as well."

After exchanging a few words with each of the people who came to see her off, Onee-sama smiled and waved as she entered the teleportation circle.

After my sister left, I was somehow caught by my uncle.

Maybe someone told me to scold my sister less. It seems he really wanted to tell my sister a lot of things. As if to vent his frustration, he gave me a barrage of warnings. Since Rihyarda and my father were not there, there was no one to stop him.

I was gradually getting worried about the House of Lords this year. Last year, there was an incident where Ternisbefallen attacked. I thought it would be safer if I went to the House of Lords because of purges, but you never know what might happen at the House of Lords.

Even after returning to my room, my uncle's scolding continued to spin around in my head.

"I'm getting really worried about you, my sister, who went to the House of Lords. Is she okay?"

"Charles, I'll see you tomorrow."

However, that day, there was an emergency call.

There was a tip from Matthias, the son of Count Gerlach, at the House of Lords.
When Lady Georgine stopped by Gerlach, she apparently said, "I'll be returning to obtain the magic of Ehrenfest's foundation." How could Lady Georgine, the first wife of another territory, know the location of the foundation, which only the lord of the territory would know? The danger to the nobles who devote their name to Lady Georgine has increased, and the purge plan has been hastily revised.

As a minor, that was the extent of my participation.
I was sent home and told to prepare for tomorrow's departure. Since the information was not shared with all of my aides, I spent the time in my room as if nothing had happened. At night, Vanessa arranged for only those who knew about the purge plan to remain in the room so that I could relax.

My uncle's nagging came back to my mind again.

Suddenly, I wanted to see my sister. I wanted to at least hear her voice, but the Ordonnanz would not arrive tonight.

Chapter Text

This is an unnecessary page.

I'm getting long talking about the original work.

〇 Tax Collector Hartmut
The scene where Hartmut regrets not being able to accompany Rozemyne to the harvest festival as a tax collector because he has become the high priest is not in the web version...!!!!!!!!!

In this route, Fer remains the high priest and Hartmut does not become the high priest, so he can accompany Rozemyne to the harvest festival as a tax collector. Good for you, Hartmut!

If you like Hartmut, you could write an entire chapter just on this, but I don't have any particular attachment to him and I want to move the story along quickly, so I skipped it. Sorry...

〇 Cornelius stays home alone twice in a row
Sorry...

〇 Lamprecht is tempted by delicious food
This is from the bonus short story "Delicious food and trouble" in the comic adaptation 3-4. Moral of the story: be careful of delicious food.

Lamprecht is a bit absent-minded. From Geo's point of view, not making the other person feel a sense of danger seems to be a strategy of the nobles, so Syl and Flo's faction may be amazing for successfully making Vil's aides not feel a sense of danger... (?)

I like Eckhart lecturing Lamprecht in the first collection of short stories. He was told not to serve half-heartedly, but this time Lamprecht is really half-hearted...! He doesn't apologize.

〇 The connection between the merchants and Char
I like Benno, so I'd like to see him in more scenes.
I think it's necessary for the next lord to have contact with the downtown area! Benno is good at customer service, and Otto likes to talk about brides, so I think he'll listen to Char's story about Rozemyne for a long time.

〇 The poisoning incident suppressed in Ehrenfest
I think Char has heard a lot of stories from Reise since he became the next lord. It seems that those around him are not doing anything to stop Char from growing anti-Vero... If Elvira hadn't paid the raise, Rozemyne would probably have had to listen to all the grudges and grievances.

〇 Sylvester's smooth dismissal of people while talking about love with his son
I thought Syl was annoying...

〇 Ring with finger
Fell tries not to show Rozemyne anything gory, but he doesn't seem to be considerate when it comes to Char.

〇 Lamprecht's transfer
Lamprecht has joined the party! Not fully done!
He wasn't hired for his abilities, he joined through connections, but I think this is the way nobles should strengthen their factions by repaying the favor to those who have helped them.

〇 Magic circle that removes the effects of poison
This is the one that is drawn on the saucer of the Noritake collaboration tea party set.
I bought it because I wanted the bonus SS, but I don't use it much. I have to have a tea party... I use the mug every day.
I think it's ridiculous to ask you to draw this magic circle freehand. I thought about having Rozemyne develop a cloud-shaped ruler or template ruler, but I thought it would be quite difficult to use and would make the story longer, so I quietly scrapped it.

〇 A contest to see who can get the sacred tool first
In this route, they don't march to Ahrensbach, so even if Rozemyne's aides make the sacred tools, they won't be able to use them.
When I think about it like that, I think it's really amazing how the original story is so powerful that the episodes come to life in multiple ways later on. The story structure is incredible. I think it's a wonderfully detailed story that brings all the plot together. I'm in love with it.

〇 The spherical Schutzaria shield that Char-kun can now make
I'm going to use this in a lot of different ways from now on!

〇 The evil three-person meeting that is ignorant of the subtleties of people
The one where the lord is secretly criticized in the castle. There were complaints from Rihyarda's and Char's perspectives as well.
To be honest, I think the problem is that the important decisions for the territory are made by a trio of Gill, Fer and Cal who are ignorant of other people's feelings (Fer may know the feelings of the nobles in the territory but ignore them), and even if Rozemyne, who lacks common sense as an aristocrat, joins, it won't improve much, so I think it would be good to add Char, who can adjust with others. I think that alone would reduce a lot of bad reputation.

No matter how good the fundamental policy is, I think there is a way to manage it in the field. Gybe Kirnberger also said, "The role of the aides and spouse is to act as a buffer and reins to adjust the lord's opinions and vision so that they are realistic." Lord Syl rejects both his aides and Lord Flo...
In the original work, Brunhilde takes on that role later, but I want to improve it from earlier. In fact, I think it's terrible that Ehren in the middle of the original work is also Syl's next generation Rozemyne Vil doesn't understand the world. It was only natural that it would fail.
That was written in the prologue of volume 26, and I really thought that was it when I read it.

〇 Syl, who completely distances himself from his aides
I think it's amazing. Geo says, "A spoiled lord candidate can't cut off his aides," but I want to tell him that Syl can.
Aside from that, I think Syl's aides have been enduring Syl's tyranny and working hard... It's so sad that they're so unrewarded. Since I'm at the mercy of the upper echelons at work, I can't help but empathize with the mob nobles of Ehrenfest... Help me, Char! Change the upper echelons!!

〇 Filling the gaps in the lord's office
I think it's because Syl lacks imagination that Syl is in trouble for completely distancing himself from his aides, and Fer thinks that they'll be fine even without them, and the other upper echelons don't care if Syl is in trouble, so they just want to purge the Vero faction.

Wilfried has to keep him away from the purge plan because his close associates are all on Vero's side, but if Charles was the next lord, I think he would be involved in the purge plan from an early stage as the next lord. In the original, Syl left Vil out of the loop and spoiled him so much, so why does he treat Charles as an immediate asset...?

Fer and Boni leave the administrative duties to Charles' camp and focus on the purge.

Char and the Flo faction want to get their hands on the core of Ehrenfest
The Flo faction is seen as a faction born to defeat Syl's government, which is a puppet of Vero. It is a faction promoted by anti-Vero Elvira and Leberecht, who use Florencia.

Char also received a special education, so I think he feels strongly that "I could do it better than the current lord!"

〇Three of the most reliable and tight-lipped aides
When I read the original work over and over, it's getting interesting to see Oswald among them... From Barthold's point of view, Oswald is casually leaking information about the purge to the old Veronica faction.
It's fun to write a sleazy character like Oswald.
At this time, Wilfried is asking about the treatment of the dedication nobles, is it because he knows that there is someone among his aides who has dedicated their name to Veronica... Complicated.

〇Implicity by association
The story progresses with implicity by association = foolishness, but I think implicity by association can be good or bad. There are many compassionate people who say "I will take revenge because my family and master were killed."

〇Wilfried is taken by Benno
There's probably no one to take, so how else can you say he's taken by Benno? I thought for a moment, but I didn't come up with any good ideas even if I thought about it like that, so I decided not to worry about it.
I love Benno. Wilfried is interesting.

It seems that the Gilberta Company does a lot of business with the western territory (Froebel-Tark), while the long-established Hering Company does a lot of business with the southern territory (it's not specified, but it's probably Ahrensbach). I skipped over a lot of the first part, but when I reread it, I found it interesting because there was valuable information in the first part as well.

〇 He got the largest room by using the Ordonnanz for Rozemyne as an excuse.
Charlotte and Char are both sly and cunning. I like that about them... I think Melchior is also sly.

〇 There are fewer lectures from Ferdinand.
There are no royal orders, and there are fewer mistakes than in the original! He also socializes more than in the original! Please praise him, Ferdinand!

〇 If he can't take care of Rozemyne, he won't be able to be the next lord.

The original... The best thing about Charles being a boy and becoming the next lord is that it would settle all of Ehrenfest's faction problems once and for all. I have a lot of attachment to that idea. The second best thing would be that Charles would be able to openly take care of Rozemyne at the Noble Academy. Rozemyne's third year at Noble Academy is full of episodes that test his qualifications as Rozemyne's fiance.

The next episode will finally mark the timeline of Part 5.
Rozemyne's third year at Noble Academy and Charles' second year will begin!

Chapter Text

Finally, the day of departure from the Noble Academy has arrived.

It's been a long day.

Transfers to the Noble Academy are made by grade, starting with the senior students. A letter has arrived from my sister and Wilfried, who left for the Noble Academy the day before me, reporting on Matthias's betrayal. My sister must be feeling lonely at the Noble Academy. I can't be by her side at a time like this.

"Young Master Charles, it's a pity you're in a different grade than Lady Rozemyne."

"... Yes."

She got ahead of me and took my line. I always say I wish I was in the same grade as my sisters. When I made a strange face, my aides chuckled. My shoulders relaxed. I realized I should smile too.

"Charles, please take good care of Wilfried."

"Yes, mother."

I moved to the transfer chamber and exchanged words with the people who came to see me off. Wilfried, who was raised by his grandmother and is engaged to Dietlinde, is in an even more difficult position. Wilfried is in one difficult position after another, and I wonder if the goddess of fortune, Greifschan, dislikes him.

Unusually, my uncle also came to see me off.

"Father, uncle. I think it would be better if I returned to Ehrenfest for now."

It would be troublesome if someone interfered with the purge or gave away information, so no one from the Noble House was allowed to return this year. My sister, who returns to the House every year for the dedication ceremony, is also planning to stay at the Noble House this year.

"I have time because the lord candidate course has not started yet. I can dispel the rumors that my sister is being treated poorly by the lord, and I can help with the dedication ceremony."

And above all, I was worried about the state of Ehrenfest, which would change with each purge. There should be many situations where it would be better for me, the next lord, to be there.

"No. I said it yesterday, but there's no need for that."

Father shook his head.

When I started to say "But," Uncle looked at me and said.

"Charles, others can help with the winter plans and the dedication ceremony. However, only you can take care of Rozemyne at the Noble Academy. If you care about Ehrenfest, you should focus on taking care of Rozemyne."

An unconvincing reason suddenly appeared.

"No doubt about it."

"That's true."

Father and Karstedt both laughed in agreement.

...Don't treat my sister like a problem child!

I'm very dissatisfied.

Ignoring my sulky face, Uncle continued, "Be especially careful at the library, where you might run into Prince Hildebrand." His face was expressionless at first glance, but I could tell he was very worried about my sister, so I nodded.

As I got into the teleportation circle, my father looked at me quietly with his deep green eyes and said.

"Charles, I'll leave the children of the old Veronica faction to you."

I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I didn't know what it was.

"Yes, father."

The teleportation circle emitted a black and gold light and activated.

My sisters had come to pick me up in the waiting room.

"Rozemyne!"

I ran over and hugged my sister. I had been very worried since yesterday.

"Uh?! Ugh. Uhhhhhh..."

"Princess, your face looks loose."

"You two have only been apart for a day, so why are you having such an emotional reunion?"

When I looked at my sister's face, her mouth was loose, just as Rihyarda had said. I poked her cheek. She then hid her face with both hands. I started to have fun and tried to tickle the back of my sister's hand, but Wilfried stopped me.

"Charles, please stop playing with Rozemyne. You have a message for my father, right?"

I nodded. My sister's expression also became serious.

I gathered only the lord candidates and their aides in the lord candidates' conference room and told them Ehrenfest's reply. Last year, when I was reading with my sister in this room, felt like a distant memory.

"Leave this to us. What you lord candidates are entrusted with is to monitor and persuade the children of Veronica's faction in the dormitory of the Noble Academy, not to purge Ehrenfest..."

"In that case, it seems best to call Matthias and Laurenz and discuss it together."

Matthias is the son of Giebe Gerlach, who was trying to kill my sister. When I started to panic, my sister put her hand on mine and smiled, saying, "It's okay."
With enough guardian knights gathered, Matthias and Laurenz were called in for a consultation.

It seemed that the two had already spoken to some extent, and said that they, who were at the center of the faction, would be responsible for persuading the children of the former Veronica faction.

"There should be no students who know about Father or Lady Georgine's plan. Father is very cautious, so he didn't even tell me the details."

"However, not knowing the details of the plan is different from the possibility of them becoming desperate."

Their parents and relatives would be purged. Some might become so desperate that they don't know what to do, or lose their temper at the slightest provocation. If that happens, it will be difficult to save them. Following Rihyarda's advice, they decided to leave the persuasion to Matthias and the others and distance themselves from the children of Veronica's faction for a while.

The next day, after all the first-year students had moved, they spoke to everyone in the dormitory again.

I look around at everyone and tell them what the Veronica faction has done, that a purge will take place this winter, and that we intend to make an exception and save those who would have been punished by association by offering their names. It is my role to explain. I have been told to take the lead in managing the dorms from now on, without relying on my siblings.

"The Aub wants to save as many lives as possible, and we feel the same way."

"In the event of a purge, even young children who have not yet been baptized will be protected in the children's room."

Everyone exclaimed in surprise at my sister's mercy.

Grandma had been creating crimes and threatening to implicate the Leisegang nobles, cornering them. My father, the lord of the manor, has been criticized for only saving the children of the Veronica faction. However, when I tell the Leisegang nobles that it is the Saint of Ehrenfest who wants to save the children, they flinch.

My heart aches at the weight of my sister's burden.

After finishing my speech to the children of Veronica's faction, only myself and my sister's entourage moved to the meeting room reserved for lord candidates. I had been on edge, so it was a relief to be in a meeting room without the other nobles.

"Charles, are you okay?"
"It's okay, as Rozemyne is here."

When I smiled, my sister smiled back.

With all the entourage gathered, a meeting was held to discuss this year's noble academy. The tea party with the other territories is still a while away, so we mainly discussed the division of guard duties. Natalie had been transferred from my aide to my sister's aide, but there were still not many apprentice knights for my sister's escort. Moreover, Theodore, a first-year student, was a new recruit who had only just become an aide.

"Theodore. During the mission, please call Judith by her name and not by her older sister. It would be troublesome if she didn't know who you were calling."
"I understand."
Theodore was not used to it and kept mumbling "Judith" and Judith also murmured "It feels strange to have Theodore call you by your name."

Sister leaned forward.
"Judith, I understand that very well. It's troublesome when your younger brother calls you by your name, isn't it? It makes you lonely, isn't it?"

"No, no. I just find it strange, but I don't feel lonely..."
Sister blinked at Judith's response.

We were forbidden to call her older sister by her older brother so that she wouldn't rely too much on her older siblings, but we were given permission to call her by her old name when only family members were around.

I took Sister's hand. "Sister."
Sister's mouth quirked a smile. When I call her Onee-sama again, the corners of her mouth gradually turn up.

"Onee-sama, Onee-sama, Onee-sama"
"Enough! Please stop there. It's a waste if you keep calling me that!"
"Onee-sama"
"Uuuu..."

The painful feelings of the purge go somewhere else. When I'm with Onee-sama, I always feel warm.

When I poke the corners of Onee-sama's turned-up mouth, her cheeks puff up. I gently flatten her puffy cheeks with my palm. Then she slaps me with her palm. I pat her head and say I'm sorry, and Onee-sama immediately smiles. Cute.

"Theodore, this is the daily life of Charles and Rozemyne."

Theodore's mouth was open when Olivier said that.