Published: August 25, 2025
I had planned to relax after checking on the children’s room in the castle, but the days ahead left no room for leisure.
There were so many requests for meetings that Richarda, Otilier, and the high priest, who was my guardian, had to work desperately to sort them out. Every single request came from nobles interested in the printing and papermaking industries.
I left it to the high priest and others to decide which nobles I should meet. As my mother dragged me along, I ended up attending tea parties with my foster mother and Charlotte.
At these gatherings, I was questioned about printing and mana compression. There were also pitches from husbands and families, and it was overwhelming.
What I learned this time was that after each tea party, my mother and foster mother held review meetings, and Charlotte and I were instructed to join for the sake of learning information gathering.
We confirmed the topics and rumors that had circulated at the tea party and compiled points we wanted to know more about.
“Rosemine, Charlotte, whose stories caught your attention?”
Charlotte answered, “I was surprised by how often my older sister was mentioned. The atmosphere is quite different from last year…”
I couldn’t answer immediately when my foster mother asked me, as I still couldn’t match the faces and names of the nobles present.
“I can’t say in detail since I can’t match names and faces yet, but mana compression seems to be a hot topic. There appear to be many hopefuls. Has any coordination been done?”
“Yes. There are several people who are in a good state, just waiting for your approval, Rosemine. How are Wilfried and his close aides faring at the noble academy?”
My foster mother was clearly worried about Wilfried. I told her that he was doing his best to organize the dormitory.
“As for Brother Wilfried, I think the tea party with the lord candidates from Arensbach and Froebelthark will be a major turning point.”
“That worries me. Was it Dietlinde? The Arensbach lord candidate with golden hair and green eyes, resembling Lady Georgine? In other words, she looks a lot like Lady Veronica, who doted on that girl.”
“Is that so?”
I had never met Veronica, so I didn’t know, but apparently, she had golden hair and green eyes. Remembering the nostalgic expression Wilfried showed when he first met Dietlinde made me increasingly uneasy, just as my foster mother said.
“It will surely be fine. We discussed the topics already, and it seems Lord Ferdinand and I have started exchanging written questions.”
When I said this to console my foster mother, my mother sighed with a worried look.
“My concern is Lamprecht. The marriage permission with a senior noble from Arensbach was denied, wasn’t it? Although it was unavoidable due to inter-territory relations, I hope Wilfried was not blamed for it.”
When Brother Lamprecht was attending the noble academy, Veronica was still alive, and exchanges with Arensbach were encouraged. It’s common for times to change, and refusal without permission from the lord is considered the most tactful way to decline cross-territory relationships. To convince the other party that it’s not a change of heart, sincerity is essential.
“Arensbach is ranked higher than Ehrenfest, and I heard her parents were not happy about Lamprecht’s courtship. I was surprised Arensbach pushed back. The next lords’ council meeting will likely be turbulent.”
“Brothers from Froebelthark will probably also request cooperation, so we must plan countermeasures now.”
“There will be discussions about inter-territory trade too, right? Rosemine has connections with the royal family and higher-ranking territories… information is seriously lacking.”
…I’m sorry. I didn’t think Ehrenfest lacked that much information, and I only spread the word because I was told to.
“But perhaps because my older sister has awakened and the talks about mana compression and printing have progressed, the factions seem to have gained strength all at once compared to last year.”