Published: September 6, 2025
Siegiswald, who said that the royal family needed even the slightest bit of information, quietly gazed at me with his deep green eyes. He smiled gently, yet I could tell he was carefully observing me.
“Please answer honestly, Rosemine.”
“Yes.”
“I heard that only members of the royal family, some lord candidates, and Schwarz and his group can enter the library requiring three keys, and that within it are materials the royal family should read. Is that correct?”
“I’m not sure whether that’s correct or not.”
At my honest reply, Siegiswald blinked, and Anastasius pressed his forehead.
“Rosemine, what do you mean by that?”
“When I informed Ehrenfest that I had become the administrator of the keys from Schwarz’s group’s manager, I reported the joy of being allowed to read the books the librarians had confirmed. Then I was told that was strange. Since I don’t have that information myself, I won’t know if there are any errors until I enter the library.”
Siegiswald nodded, saying, “I see,” while Anastasius sighed, “You are as forthright as ever.” Apparently, it needed to be wrapped more delicately.
…But it was the royal family who told me to answer honestly, right?
“Still, it’s strange.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why is there no one other than Ehrenfest who knows about the library that requires three keys? Neither the central government nor the great territories have anyone aware of it.”
I tilted my head at Siegiswald’s words. Could it be that no one at all knows? I thought any royal family member who survived the purge would know.
“Doesn’t the teacher who taught the lord candidate course until last year know about it?”
“She says her husband once went to the library when he was younger, but she herself doesn’t know of such a library. I also inquired with Aub Classenburg and Dunkelfelger, but neither has ever set foot in the noble academy’s library.”
I know why lord candidates avoid the library. Bringing a whole entourage of attendants to occupy the carrel annoys and inconveniences lower nobility who have to study under conditions where they can’t buy books and earn money by copying manuscripts.
My own close aides have told me that too. But since I love reading in the library, I have no intention of stopping. This year I’m busy with lots of research, and due to the turmoil caused by the change of Schwarz’s group’s manager, I’ve been trying to stay away as much as possible.
“I’ve heard normal lord candidates usually send their civil official apprentices to fetch books and materials, so they rarely visit the library themselves. Could that be why?”
“…At Ehrenfest, are you told to go yourself?”
I caught Siegiswald’s voice suppressing a laugh; I realized I had just said Ehrenfest’s lord candidates were strange, and quietly averted my eyes.
“I… I like the library and books, so I go willingly. Brother Wilfried and Charlotte send their attendants to get books, so not all of Ehrenfest is like me.”
“That’s right. Rosemine just likes books. Also, since you provided mana replenishment to Schwarz’s group, you had more occasions to go.”
Hildebrandt seemed to be covering for me, but I felt Siegiswald’s opinion of me as an unusual lord candidate didn’t change. I appreciated the sentiment and nodded with a smile.
“There was a lord candidate at Ehrenfest who was passionate about research and often visited the library because their mentor’s disciple management was rough. They also had few trustworthy aides, so they couldn’t entrust important books to anyone else…”
After briefly explaining, the three princes’ expressions turned very awkward. Maybe that was unnecessary information.
“That person only learned about the library by chance. When they muttered about materials they wanted, Schwarz’s group showed them the library. At that time, a senior librarian opened the key, so perhaps it wasn’t considered a secret then?”
Although it was rare for a lord candidate to go personally and the senior librarian from back then is gone, if the library forbids anyone but the royal family, the senior librarian wouldn’t have opened the key.