Published: September 6, 2025
Restiraut, looking exasperated as Clarissa passionately continued her speech, flicked his hand lightly and said, "Stop it already."
…Huh? That’s my role!?
Being told to stop the runaway civil official apprentice of Dunkelfelger, I looked around in confusion.
“Since her heart already seems to belong to your side, don’t you think only you, as her lord, can stop her properly?”
“Brother Wilfried… Then, may I have a little time alone with Clarissa?”
Though talking with Clarissa in the middle of the tea party would be rude to our hosts, Lady Hannelore and Restiraut, it couldn’t be helped since the Dunkelfelger side ordered me to stop her.
“I’m terribly sorry, but I’ll leave this to Lady Rosemine. It seems our voices don’t reach Clarissa much in her current state…”
Hannelore looked troubled as she glanced at Clarissa. I wondered if Clarissa often gave such passionate speeches in the Dunkelfelger dormitory. It was a little scary.
I turned and called Brynhildr.
“Brynhildr, please give Clarissa the gift.”
“Understood.”
There was a hair ornament that had been requested to be given if Clarissa did not give up on marrying Hartmut. The women had advised that it was easier to prepare if the ornament arrived a little earlier than the day itself, so one could decide on the hairstyle and coordinate it with the outfit.
Originally, I planned to quietly give it after the tea party, but since Clarissa’s passionate speech showed no signs of stopping, how about handing it over now, asking her to look at it in her room, and letting her retreat? She had been standing quietly in her room before, so I thought she would calm down once she stepped away. Hopefully, she would calm down.
Brynhildr pulled out a chair for me, and I stood up, walking slowly towards Clarissa. Clarissa’s blue eyes widened slightly as she watched my movements, and her mouth stopped talking. In the silent room, I could clearly feel all eyes focused on me.
I called out, “Clarissa,” and reached out my hand. She suddenly knelt down as if startled.
“Clarissa, your feelings have been well conveyed. I am very glad to know that you are proud and unafraid of Hartmut entering the temple.”
“Lady Rosemine…”
“Therefore, please accept this. If you still consider Hartmut as your partner, here is the hair ornament for the graduation ceremony that he entrusted to me.”
I held out the wooden box that Brynhildr had given me to Clarissa. She took the box with glistening blue eyes, moved by emotion.
“Please open the box in your room.”
Then I looked toward Hannelore and Restiraut. Restiraut immediately understood the meaning of my gaze.
“Clarissa, you may step aside.”
“…No. I wish to stay here until the end and imprint Lady Rosemine’s figure in my eyes.”
“In that case, stand quietly over there. You’re in the way.”
“As you command.”
Restiraut skillfully cornered Clarissa to the edge of the room, then let out a breath. It seemed that he had successfully brought Clarissa back to a calm state. I also breathed a sigh of relief and returned to my seat.
“That was quite a masterful handling of the reins.”
“…I am humbled. Um, if there’s nothing else to discuss about the joint research, may I talk about the history book of Dunkelfelger?”
“Yes, please do. Both my brother and father are very much looking forward to the history book.”
Hannelore smiled and encouraged me to continue. Wilfried directed his gaze to the lined-up civil officials and called to his apprentice, “Ignatz.”
Ignatz moved and handed a sample of the Dunkelfelger history book to Restiraut’s civil official apprentice. After some confirmation, it ended up in Restiraut’s hands.
Restiraut began flipping through the book seriously. Although he was checking carefully, what Ehrenfest needed was the approval of Aub Dunkelfelger.
Wilfried shifted his gaze from the book-absorbed Restiraut to Hannelore and spoke.
“If there are no problems with this, it will be sold in the same form as the sample. Aub Dunkelfelger’s response can be given at the lords’ council.”