Ascendance of a Bookworm

Every day, between reading books, practicing the dedication dance, and discussing efficient physical enhancement with grandfather while training, I also had to prepare to head to the noble academy.

The first thing I needed was to commission clothes. Although plenty of fabric was prepared to make clothes at any time, it seems none had been made yet because no one knew when I would wake up. So, Gilberta Trading Company, which was my personal tailor along with my mother’s and foster mother’s dedicated seamstresses, were all mobilized to start making my clothes. For that reason, both my mother and foster mother were in my room today.

“To think you’ve even gathered information on the latest fashion trends at the noble academy—Lady Rosemine, as expected,” said Darmel as he organized the information brought from the noble academy.

Among the information collected was what kind of clothes the lord candidates were wearing. It was detailed by an upper-class noblewoman named Brynhildr, who apparently told us to use it as a reference when Charlotte and I, who will be entering the academy soon, make our clothes.

I hadn’t planned to gather such information, but my foster mother praised me for my foresight. It seemed any information might prove useful to someone somewhere, so letting them keep gathering all sorts of data would probably help everyone.

By the way, none of the information I wanted about stories from various regions had arrived at all. Originally, I hadn’t planned to use Yureve in winter, intending to explain things myself, so I had only written, “Please gather information at the noble academy,” which was a mistake. When I was sulking, Brother Cornelius chuckled and said that from a memorandum about information gathering, one couldn’t expect story collection.

“Lady, the first clothes you must make are those to wear at the Winter Social Season,” said my mother.

“Can’t I just wear the clothes I wore before to the Winter Social Season? Fortunately or unfortunately, I haven’t grown at all,” I said, discussing the order of making clothes with Richarda. She wanted to make the clothes in the order we would wear them, but I wished to prioritize the clothes I would take outside.

Sadly, I hadn’t grown at all in the two years I had been asleep. I could still wear the clothes from two years ago without any problem.

“To wear clothes you last showed off two or three years ago again...”

“But Richarda, the priority now should be the clothes to take to the academy, right? It’s not as if I can bring clothes I already have.”

My mother, who had been listening to our opinions, sighed lightly.

“Rosemine, I now understand well what Ferdinand meant when he said your sense of time has stopped two years ago.”

“Mother?”

“Rosemine, going to the noble academy means you are now ten years old.”

“Yes.”

“Since the skirt length changes from before, even if you haven’t grown, you can’t wear the previous clothes.”

…Ah, that was right. The skirt length changes.

At ten years old, girls’ skirt lengths shift from knee-length to mid-calf. Normally, this would be a joyful milestone to embrace one’s growth, but since nothing inside me has changed and I haven’t had the celebration for turning ten, I felt no joy—only discomfort.

“You’ll have to make new clothes for the opening party of the social season, won’t you?”

“…Let’s just alter the skirt length of the clothes for the opening party. That shouldn’t take much time.”

I called Corinna, one of the seamstresses waiting nearby.

“Corinna, I want you to alter this skirt part. Attach a mid-calf skirt from the inside here, pinch up the existing skirt like this, and decorate it with flowers.”

Just like when I had my dresses altered for Tulli’s baptism ceremony in the downtown area, I planned a simple alteration where the skirt would be gathered balloon-like and decorated, with a mid-calf skirt underneath, to get through the party.

Corinna, who had previously been briefed by my mother about my simple alterations, immediately understood my requests. She took out needle and thread and used basting stitches to easily pinch up the skirt balloon-style.