Published: September 6, 2025
I must have been exhausted, because after the tea party with Dunkelfelger, I came down with a fever and had to lie down for a while. It had been so long since I last had a fever that I actually felt a strange sense of nostalgia. It seemed I had become quite sturdy. While I was happily thinking this in bed, Richarda looked at me with exasperation and said, “Is it really appropriate to be happy about becoming sturdy while bedridden?”
I left the reporting of the tea party to the civil officials and spent my time lounging in bed, reading books. The books I borrowed from Anastasius, Solange, and Altansia were all in this room. It was a happiness to have so many books I hadn’t read yet.
“This part seems to describe the research on Schwarz and his group. I wonder if Lord Ferdinand has read this book before?”
Since it was said to be an old book from the closed stacks, he might not have read it. Then again, since he used to get along well with the old librarian, he might have had it brought out to read.
“...I’m sure Lord Ferdinand hasn’t read this. None of his materials included the parts about the life attribute.”
There had been discussions during the territory competition about whether the magic circles used to create Schwarz and his group required inclusion of the life attribute. However, it wasn’t clear what kind of magic circles were incorporated. This magic circle related to life was included, along with another part showing a magic circle with gaps. It was accompanied by a note saying, “This much has been understood, but the rest remains unknown. To be entrusted to future generations.” Parts of it overlapped with Ferdinand’s research results, so combining these materials could greatly advance the research. I needed to inform Ferdinand immediately.
“Liselotte, I’m going to write a letter in the secret room now—”
“Lady Rosemine, please wait until your fever goes down before writing letters.”
“But it’s urgent... This might reveal how Schwarz and his group are created.”
I tried to persuade Liselotte, who liked Shumil, by explaining my plan to place a Shumil-like creation in my library. Liselotte muttered “Creating Shumil” and paused for a moment. Just as I was sure I had won her over, she exhaled and smiled.
“First, please get well. Otherwise, even if you write the letter, you won’t be able to give it to Raimund, and you won’t be able to research how to create a large Shumil.”
She pushed me back into bed once again, insisting I rest.
There was nothing I could do, so writing the letter had to wait. While I lounged and read, I heard Liselotte humming cheerfully from beyond the curtain. It was rare for Liselotte to show emotion during work. She must be very pleased that the Shumil research seemed to be progressing well.
...Liselotte seems really excited.
Although my fever had gone down, I was still under observation and forbidden from going out. The only places I was allowed were the dining hall and in front of the fireplace in the multipurpose hall. Since my books were in my room, I could have stayed there all day, but because it was difficult to communicate with the male attendants, I was told to appear at the multipurpose hall at least once a day. After dinner, I would check in and hear the day’s report.
“Here is the reply from Ehrenfest. Lord Wilfried and Lady Charlotte have already looked it over.”
I scanned the response from Ehrenfest handed to me by Roderich.
“All the joint research projects have been approved, I see.”
Research at the noble academy was the students’ domain, so unless there were extraordinary circumstances, permission was generally granted. The joint research with the three great territories was permitted.
The joint research with Dunkelfelger was instructed by the royal family, so it couldn’t be refused. The research with Drevannel was valuable to Ehrenfest. And the joint research with Arensbach was originally planned by me, so there was no reason to stop it.
They also praised the delegation of the Drevannel joint research to Wilfried and Charlotte’s attendants. Managing three research projects simultaneously was difficult, and there was a high risk that the leader’s achievements would be seen as taking credit for all the subordinates’ work.