Published: September 6, 2025
From the serious gaze of my Foster Father came a warning: "Be careful not to be noticed by Ferdinand and dragged back. Your reading time will definitely be cut short." I tilted my head in puzzlement. It’s impossible to return to the temple without the head priest noticing.
"Careful or not... Whenever I return to the temple, Lord Ferdinand always contacts the attendants for me. Using those magical tool letters."
"Hmm?"
My Foster Father furrowed his brows slightly, folding his arms as if deep in thought. It seemed he didn’t fully understand, so I explained the procedure for returning to the temple.
"When returning to the castle, using the Ordnance is enough, but to get back to the temple, I have to ask Lord Ferdinand to contact the attendants through magical tool letters. They need to prepare to welcome me."
Since my Foster Father only needed to use the Ordnance, he looked convinced by my explanation and nodded several times.
"I see. But don’t worry. If it’s a magical tool letter, I will send it to you myself. That way, you can notify your attendants."
He rummaged around and handed me a magical tool letter. I wanted to return immediately today, but dinner time was near—it was impossible to make it in time. I decided to return to the temple after breakfast tomorrow and wrote a letter to Fran.
"Foster Father, if an order form arrives from Charlotte or Brynhildr, please send it to the temple first. I will then ask the Gilberta Trading Company."
"Ah, understood. Anything else?"
"If Hartmut or Filine get any more stories or materials, I’d appreciate it if you could send those to the temple as well. Having plenty to read makes me happy."
My Foster Father slowly nodded, saying he didn’t understand why reading was a form of rest.
I sealed the letter, wondering if there was anything else to ask for, and sent the magical tool letter. Fran and the others should now prepare for our arrival. That should do.
"Well then, Rosemine. Take some time to read and rest."
"Yes!"
Once I left Foster Father’s office, I immediately returned to my room. The attendants had to prepare for the journey to the temple.
"By order of Foster Father, I will thoroughly examine the Sacred Scripture. Gibe and the others seem eager to learn more about the miracle of Haldenzel. So, I will be returning to the temple for a while."
I told my close aides, including Richarda, and had them prepare for my return. Carrying numerous books, including Dunkelfelger’s and materials borrowed from Solange, I smiled broadly. From now until the dedication ceremony, under Foster Father’s orders, I would be buried in reading. Since rest was the main goal, even if I found nothing in the Sacred Scripture, it would be no problem at all.
...I did it!
Since Darmel and Angelica would also stay at the temple for a while, I arranged for their preparations and asked Ella in the kitchen to be notified. Tomorrow morning, we would depart for the temple.
"That’s quite sudden," muttered Otilier, preparing for the move.
Richarda sighed, "Isn’t it always sudden when the princess heads to the temple?"
"I’m sorry for the rush, but there’s not much time to examine the Sacred Scripture before the spring prayer ceremony. After the dedication ceremony, I must return to the noble academy."
Today, the lord and lady were invited to a noble dinner, so I ate dinner alone in my room. Unlike the temple, Vilfried usually dined with me at the castle, so it felt strangely lonely. I even wished to return to the noble academy just for dinner.
The next morning, led by Darmel and Angelica on their Mounts, I returned to the temple, prepared for a long stay. Traveling through the fierce blizzard was tough, and without the bright yellow ochre cloaks, it would be easy to lose my way in the sky. How the knights manage not to get lost and reach the temple was a mystery.
"Welcome back, Lady Rosemine," greeted my attendants, all gathered despite the icy cold.
Following the path broken by Darmel and Angelica, I carefully walked toward them, making sure not to slip. This time, I managed to enter the temple without falling.