That afternoon, I had intended to return to the library and lose myself in reading once more, but no one would allow it. I was told that a debriefing session and preparations for the day-after-tomorrow's tea party came first.
They said if I prepared everything that afternoon, I could spend the entire next day in the library, so I wanted to finish as quickly as possible.
"The Central Nobility seem accustomed to confections with plenty of sugar. For the tea party with the music professors, the quatre-quarts we bring should have honey mixed in as well — I think something sweeter would be better."
"In that case, based on the professors' information, perhaps we should adjust the tea a little too."
Our debriefing session was held in the multipurpose hall of the dormitory, with
"There was some reaction to the rinsham and the hair accessories as well. However, the thing Professor
"Plant Paper, huh. It's not something you can use as freely as
Wilfried grumbled that while he understood the idea of promoting it as one of Ehrenfest's new industries, he had no idea how to go about actually promoting it.
"I think it would suffice if Ehrenfest students used Plant Paper when transcribing books in the library. From my conversation with Professor Solange, we know the professors have their own methods of communication, so the word should spread accordingly."
More important than the Plant Paper itself — whose materials and production method we didn't want to leak — was calling it "new paper" to further pique people's interest. I also explained that we should not say anything about printing for the time being.
"I hear that professors who conduct research are obligated to submit part of their findings to the library. If they learn of the existence of an inexpensive paper, they'll surely want to buy it."
I had also heard that many professors found bookbinding troublesome and preferred scrolls. In that case, what if I pre-made file- or binder-like paper covers sized to fit Plant Paper, so the sheets could be bound together neatly? Uniformly sized books would definitely be far easier to store. I pulled out my writing board and immediately jotted down a note.
"Lady Rozemyne, what are you writing? The apprentice bluebeards are recording the details of the discussion..."
"It's an idea for a new product, so please don't worry about it."
"...We're supposed to be debriefing the tea party. Why are you writing ideas for new products?"
Wilfried muttered this, but if I didn't jot things down the moment they came to mind, I'd forget.
"I never know when inspiration will strike, so I always carry a writing board."
"Lady Rozemyne's writing board seems very convenient, doesn't it?"
"Shall I introduce you to the Plantant Company when we get back? It's simply a wooden board with wax poured into it, so as long as you don't fuss over the carving, it's extremely affordable."
"I would appreciate that very much."
Whether it was genuine interest or not, the apprentice bluebeard latched onto the idea immediately. Plant Paper was still far too expensive for casual note-taking, even if it was cheaper than Parchment.
"Let's put what we noticed during this tea party to use at the next one. Since the schedule for measuring
"Understood."
While Ricarda left the room and communicated via an ortnz, I talked about topics for the next tea party.
"I imagine the topic will be music once again, won't it?"
"We'll probably receive all sorts of questions about composition."
"...Will I be all right? Honestly speaking, I don't know much about music."
The only pieces I knew were the practice etudes I'd been forced to play for the assignment songs, and since I rarely attended social gatherings, I wasn't particularly well-versed in the music commonly performed either.
"The musicians should be knowledgeable, so music itself won't be a problem. However, I've heard that it won't just be music professors in attendance — Lady
At Brünhilde's words, I tilted my head. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn't clearly place the face to match it.
"...Who was that again? I believe she's a lord candidate from a powerful territory, but I don't think I've matched her face to the name yet."
"Lady Eglantine is the lord candidate of the great territory of
Brünhilde's explanation jogged my memory — I recalled her exceptional dancing during the Dedication Dance rehearsals.
"She's a wonderful dancer, isn't she? When I participated in the Dedication Dance practice together with her, I was truly impressed."
I was looking forward to her attendance. Just as my spirits began to rise, Hirschur burst into the multipurpose hall.
"Lady Rozemyne, the date has been set!"
"That was quite fast, Professor Hirschur."
"I was just a short distance from the main building, so I flew here directly on my Schwarzgeist."
It was somewhat awkward to have her tell me this so proudly. Hirschur's purple eyes were gleaming, brimming with anticipation.
"It's been set for three days from now, in line with Professor Solange's schedule."
"Three days from now... Then let's make it the morning. I have lectures in the afternoon."
"Understood."
The gleam in Hirschur's eyes was slightly terrifying, so I made it explicitly clear that Schwartz and Weiss had already begun attracting attention and there was a risk of them being seized, stolen, or damaged. I stated that while looking would be permitted, no one other than my own attendants would be allowed to touch them.
"That can't be helped. I'll make sure they only look."
"Knights, stay vigilant and coordinated — don't let anyone from other territories get close."
As I said this, I turned my gaze toward Hirschur, who had transferred her affiliation to the Central.
Perhaps it was because I had already experienced one tea party, but I felt a little more at ease. That day, too, I had Brünhilde help me arrange my hair and clothing.
I was told no bluebeards were needed for today's tea party, but Philine would be accompanying me regardless, partly to acclimate her to such occasions. Her role would be to hold the sheet music so the music professors could see it. This sheet music was a clean copy of the Goddess of Wisdom
"Philine, please prepare paper and ink alongside the sheet music."
"Why is that?"
"My retainers must never be without writing tools at any time."
I said, "It would be troublesome if my writing board alone weren't enough, wouldn't it?" and Philine smiled softly and replied, "Understood," before beginning to prepare the writing implements.
Today's confection was a honey-infused quatre-quarts, reflecting the lessons learned from last time. Compared to the plain version, it had a richer sweetness. The accompaniments were prepared the same as before.
"Shall we head out soon? Rosina, it'll be all right — you don't need to be so tense."
Rosina looked incredibly nervous. She was probably trying not to show it on her face, but after knowing her for so long, I could tell she was a bit more rigid than usual.
"Even we who see the professors in lectures find their tea parties nerve-wracking. Musicians get nervous too, Lady Rozemyne."
Today was especially the tea party of the music professors. The fact that they were interested in my compositions also meant Rosina, my exclusive musician, would be under the most scrutiny. The former Gray Priestess, Rosina, was about to perform in front of the Academy's professors. The pressure had to be immense.
Once our preparations were complete, we set off the moment the third bell rang and headed toward the apprentice Attendant building, where the music professors' rooms were located. The third floor of the specialist building housed the professors' rooms, apparently. Hirschur's room was supposedly on the third floor of the apprentice bluebeard building.
"Professor Hirschur is the dormitory supervisor, so she should technically be living in the Ehrenfest dormitory. But she apparently gets so absorbed in her research that she ends up releasing foul smells and noise from her experiments, so she's been sleeping in her assistant's room since her student days. I heard
Eckhart had apparently heard it from the Chief Priest. If she was going to conduct experiments in the dormitory and cause disturbances, perhaps it was more reassuring to have her staying in the specialist building.
Brünhilde guided us to the room where the tea party was being held. When we arrived, three music professors were there, along with Eglantine — the one who would pray to the Goddess of Light in the Dedication Dance — and, for reasons unbeknownst to me,
...No one told me a prince would be attending!
When I involuntarily turned back to Brünhilde, I saw that her amber eyes were equally wide with surprise. She hadn't known either.
One of the professors seemed to notice our astonishment. She looked back and forth between me and Anastasius with a troubled expression, her eyebrows slightly drooping.
"We received word about today's tea party from Lady Eglantine, and Prince Anastasius expressed a desire to attend as well. It was sudden, and it caught us off guard too, but Lady Rozemyne, would that be acceptable?"
"Of course. It would be an honor to have Prince Anastasius join us."
My smile twitched for a moment, but I think I delivered an answer that was at least passable. In truth, my real feelings were, "Don't show up at a tea party you weren't even invited to!" I'd rather not have royalty present, given how afraid I was of making mistakes.
"This way, Lady Rozemyne."
My own professor — the one who taught music to lord candidates and higher-ranking nobles — indicated the seat beside her. The round table had professors and students alternating in their seating. Having a professor on either side of me, with a cushion between myself and the prince, was honestly a relief.
I greeted the prince and the professors as I made my way to my seat. Eglantine, whose undulating golden hair was intricately styled into a half-updo, narrowed her bright orange eyes gently.
"We greeted each other at the get-together, but this is the first time we've actually had a conversation, isn't it, Lady Rozemyne? I've been looking forward to hearing your music. I'm so glad we could meet today."
Eglantine was a student with a deep appreciation for the arts. She said that when she learned I had been invited to a tea party by the music professors, she had requested to attend.
"I've wanted to meet with you too, ever since I watched your Dedication Dance practice."
"You surely know
She was going out of her way to bring up Ehrenfest-related topics for my benefit, so I couldn't very well say I didn't know Christine.
"As you all know, I was asleep for two years, so I had almost no direct acquaintance with Christine. However, my exclusive musician was very well-regarded by Christine. I was told that if she hadn't been my exclusive, Christine would have wanted her for herself."
"My, even Christine wanting an exclusive musician — that must be wonderful. Does Ehrenfest have many musically talented people? Won't you let us hear them right away?"
Prompted by Eglantine, Rosina approached the prepared chair and glanced toward me. I settled into my own seat and gave Rosina a bright smile.
Under the watchful gaze of everyone present, Rosina took a slow, deep breath and positioned her fechspill.
"The piece I'll have her play now is one I composed myself, but it was arranged for easier performance by
"Understood, Lady Rozemyne."
As Rosina played the fechspill, not only Eglantine but also Anastasius was drawn in, listening intently. The professors watched Rosina with keen interest.
...My Rosina is amazing, you know.
While all eyes were on Rosina, the attendants present efficiently moved to prepare the tea and confections.
"That was truly magnificent. I can see why Christine was so fond of her — she's a remarkable musician."
Praise rained down on Rosina's skill. Having been praised alongside her former lady, Rosina smiled bashfully.
"Shall we leave today's performance to Rosina? I'd like to hear some of the other pieces as well."
At Eglantine's suggestion, both Anastasius and the professors nodded.
Brünhilde and Ricarda had informed me in advance that by having Rosina play like this, it would allow my own musicians to memorize the new songs by ear. Then, once we returned, she would be asked to write out the sheet music.
We could have held back on releasing songs to drive up their value, but Ehrenfest students were already performing them constantly in practical sessions. Since the prince was also present, I'd been told it was better not to hold back, as it could help build connections.
"Rosina, since everyone is eager to hear more, please play the other pieces as well. Next, I'd like you to perform the hymn to the Goddess of Wisdom."
When I said this, Rosina — who seemed to have relaxed a bit after playing one piece — let a natural smile surface and repositioned her fechspill.
"Oh my, how terrible. The tea has been pushed to the back burner."
A professor laughed shyly and began sipping the tea and nibbling the confections before distributing them to everyone. I also sampled the quatre-quarts I had brought and offered them around.
"These are honey-infused quatre-quarts. Please add the accompaniment to your liking."
"...What a plain-looking confection."
Anastasius surveyed the quatre-quarts and gave that assessment. The quatre-quarts certainly weren't flashy to look at, but I personally thought they tasted better than the Central-style confections that were essentially solidified sugar.
"Oh, it may look simple, but it's quite delicious. The sweetness is just right, and it's very easy to eat... I'm fond of it."
"For Eglantine to say that is unusual."
Anastasius also popped a small piece into his mouth and murmured, "Hmm." But given how his hands moved faster afterward, it seemed the taste was to his liking after all.
"I actually prefer this one."
Anastasius seemed to have taken a liking to eating it with Rumtopf. I suspected he enjoyed how the alcohol flavor overpowered the sweetness.
...Even among Central Nobility, the Rumtopf version of the quatre-quarts might appeal more to men.
Since the Rumtopf used quite a bit of sugar and required expensive alcohol, explaining those aspects would probably make it relatively easy to accept.
The honey-infused quatre-quarts were well-received by the professors as well. Apparently the sweetness was just right.
In Ehrenfest, the honey-infused version delighted children with a sweet tooth, while adults preferred ones with diced Ferijine or tea leaves mixed in. There seemed to be quite a variety of tastes.
"But my, what beautiful hair. Doesn't it look like the color of night, blessed by the Darkness God?"
"Lady Eglantine's hair is like it's been blessed by the Goddess of Light. It sparkles when the light hits it — truly stunning."
"Oh, how kind of you. But it doesn't have the same luster as Lady Rozemyne's hair. What do you use, if I may ask?"
The professors latched onto the topic Eglantine had raised with full enthusiasm.
"Indeed, at the advancement ceremony, all the Ehrenfest girls' hair was shining in unison."
"Ehrenfest must have some kind of secret, mustn't it?"
The atmosphere of today's tea party was more reminiscent of the mothers' tea parties than my one with Solange. Professors of my mother's generation staring at me intently, waiting for an answer — that was something I was already accustomed to in Ehrenfest.
"I use rinsham when washing my hair. It's planned to be sold as one of Ehrenfest's specialty products going forward."
"So it will be sold in the future?" Eglantine sighed with visible disappointment.
"It will be available before that..."
"Eh? Um..."
...What was I supposed to say in situations like this again? Even if I said yes, I had no idea how much "a little" actually was, and any monetary exchange would cause problems!
If money changed hands, the Chief Priest would scrutinize everything rigorously. Even if I gave it away for free, making a promise at a public setting like a tea party with professors would turn it into a formal presentation to royalty. Naturally, that would require a certain quality and quantity. I couldn't just hand over a half-used bottle and say, "If you'd like this..." Just imagining what would be said to me if I did something like that was terrifying.
"I-I'm afraid I can't give you an answer on my own authority. Since it involves a financial transaction, I would need to obtain Aub Ehrenfest's permission at the very least."
"Prince Anastasius, you shouldn't pressure a new student like that. It's been established that all trade goes through the Lord's Conference first, hasn't it?"
The rule existed to prevent those in higher positions from forcibly buying things up or seizing them.
"But you'll want it at the graduation ceremony, no?"
At Anastasius's words, Eglantine's expression became slightly awkward. It seemed he had hit the mark. Eglantine apparently wanted to use rinsham at her graduation ceremony, which doubled as her coming-of-age ceremony, and Anastasius had been trying to obtain it for her.
"...If it's the amount I'm currently using, I could share a little with Lady Eglantine. I haven't brought very much with me, so it really would only be a small amount."
At my words, Eglantine's face lit up, while Anastasius's expression turned visibly displeased.
"You little Ehrenfest runt. Your answer to me is awfully different from your answer to Eglantine, isn't it?"
"Sharing a single-use portion of my rinsham with Lady Eglantine is entirely different from selling rinsham at Prince Anastasius's request. If I'm selling to royalty — or presenting it as a gift — I'd need to ensure the proper quality and quantity. It's beyond my authority."
"...Small as you are, you've got backbone."
I wondered what kind of image Anastasius had of me.
"If you can't prepare the rinsham, so be it. Rozemyne, compose a song to dedicate to the Goddess of Light before the graduation ceremony."
"...Eh?"
"That way, I'll buy it from you."
...What was this unreasonable demand? I didn't understand the connection at all. What did being unable to prepare rinsham have to do with composing a song? The professors, watching me tilt my head in confusion, looked at me and Anastasius with worried expressions.
"I don't think it's possible to create a new piece before the graduation ceremony, Prince Anastasius."
"If anyone can dedicate a song to a god, it would be the Saint of Ehrenfest, who's known for doing exactly that. Right?"
He was saying, "Tell me you can do it," and his gray eyes stared intently at me.
...A song to dedicate to the Goddess of Light, huh.
I turned my gaze toward Eglantine, who was watching me with a worried expression. In my mind, the image of the Goddess of Light was currently fixed on Eglantine. If I were to write a song that suited her, I might be able to come up with something.
...A hymn would probably work.
"Professor, may I borrow that table over there?"
"Yes, you may, but..."
"Philine, please set out paper and ink on that table. Rosina, write it down."
"Understood!"
The attendants who had witnessed my composing process before seemed to immediately grasp what I was about to do. They moved Rosina's chair, helped Philine with her preparations, and quickly arranged everything.
"You don't need to arrange it — just write down the melody."
"Understood."
"La la la la la~"
I sang the melody while Rosina picked out the notes on her fechspill, transcribing it measure by measure. It wasn't particularly long, and since I wasn't arranging it, it was finished quickly.
"How does this sound? I'll have it arranged to be more lavish when performed on the fechspill, to make it worthy of the Goddess of Light, so it will need a bit more time."
"Rozemyne, you..."
Unlike Anastasius, who sat with his mouth agape, Eglantine praised me without reservation.
"What a beautiful piece. It feels as though my heart becomes transparent and I can sense the presence of the gods."
"I composed this piece with you in mind, Lady Eglantine. Ever since I saw your Dedication Dance practice, to me, the Goddess of Light has been you."
Having been praised so thoroughly, I shyly explained that I had used Eglantine as my basis for the song selection. This time, it was Eglantine who blushed faintly.
"I'm glad you're not a man, Lady Rozemyne. If someone could improvise such a lovely piece and dedicate it to me, I would surely have been swept off my feet."
At Eglantine's laughing words, Anastasius quietly stood up.
"Rozemyne."
"Yes?"
"Dedicate that song to Eglantine. I have no use for it. It's a mood killer."
With that, Anastasius left the room. The blood drained from my face. I had composed a song because I was told to, and then been called a mood killer.
...What do I do? My social skills have completely failed!
"I've made Prince Anastasius angry."
As I stared dazedly at the door through which Anastasius had exited, Eglantine gave a troubled smile.
"That's not quite right. I'll go after him and smooth things over, so please don't worry, Lady Rozemyne. Professors, I'm terribly sorry, but I must take my leave as well."
"Yes, of course, Lady Eglantine. We'll leave the rest to you."
Eglantine and her attendants departed, following after Anastasius. I apologized to the professors, who were sipping their tea, my face pale.
"I'm so sorry for disrupting the tea party."
"It's quite all right. Prince Anastasius was simply a little sulky seeing Lady Rozemyne and Lady Eglantine getting along so well."
"There's no need for you to worry about it, Lady Rozemyne. More importantly, won't you let us hear more of the fechspill?"
"But..."
Looking back and forth between the door and the professors, my own professor gave a slight shrug.
"Lady Eglantine went after him, so it will be fine. Prince Anastasius is always desperate to get Lady Eglantine's attention. If anything, he might be grateful to you, Lady Rozemyne."
"It may be a bit early for you yet, Lady Rozemyne, but it's a bit of a game."
Strictly between us, the professors shared that Eglantine was the youngest daughter of the third prince who had died in the power struggle. Through adoption by her grandfather, the Aub of Klassenberg, she had become a lord candidate — a former princess. She had been transferred to her grandfather's care before the
The current king had won the power struggle because
"...I believe Prince Anastasius's desperation isn't motivated solely by the throne. When I watch him, I'm reminded of Aub Ehrenfest during his Academy days."
"He was the diligent type, wasn't he?"
It was the first time I'd ever heard anyone describe my adoptive father as someone who achieved things through effort. I blinked in surprise, and the professors gazed back fondly at the past, laughing with amusement.
"He threw caution to the wind just to escort the current First Lady at the graduation ceremony..."
"It was quite endearing to watch."
"The two-year age gap at the Academy really is significant, you know."
...What was that? Tell me more!
I leaned forward almost simultaneously with my retainers, who were also looking at the professors with eager, curious eyes. The professors exchanged glances and then shared a mischievous laugh.
"If we say too much, it might make things difficult for Aub Ehrenfest going forward, so perhaps we should stop here. If you'd like to hear about Ehrenfest, wouldn't it be better to talk about Ferdinand?"
"Now that you mention it, I don't think anyone ever regretted missing a transformation period as much as he did."
After briefly hearing about my adoptive father's past, the conversation shifted to Chief Priest legends, and the tea party concluded.