bookworm

And then a voice broke through the chaos.
“Milady.”
“Rihyarda...?”
I woke up with a start, suddenly aware that someone was shaking me. It took me only a moment to realize Rihyarda was looking down at me with concern. My pillow felt cold. I had apparently been crying in my sleep.
I sat up slowly and rubbed my eyes, shaking my head several times in an attempt to shake away any remnants of my dream. But despite my best efforts, the nightmarish sights were burned into my mind.
“You were stirring quite a bit in your sleep, milady. Are you alright?”
I wasn’t. I wasn’t at all. The back of my head ached, and I could feel my mana boiling up inside of me. Yet I was still unbearably cold.
“Rihyarda, tell Ferdinand that I wish to return to the temple.”
“...As you wish.”
Despite the early hour, Rihyarda sent an ordonnanz at once. I washed my face, had my clothes changed, and then ate breakfast. The ordonnanz returned while we were eating and thrice repeated a message from Ferdinand.
“Rozemyne, I heard your request through Rihyarda, but you have a meeting with Giebe Haldenzel scheduled for today. Can you endure until after then?”
I really didn’t think so. Giebe Haldenzel was among those who, despite the growth of the printing industry, had been unable to establish new paper-making workshops due to the magic contracts. If at any point he expressed his joy about them being nullified, I wasn’t sure I could contain myself.
“This is Rozemyne. I’m going to leave on my own before I cause any problems.”
Ferdinand sent back another ordonnanz in an instant, his message this time punctuated with sighs. “I will come see you after sending a notice about the meeting. Prepare to leave and do not act on your own,” he said.
I clenched my teeth. He was going to make me wait even longer?
Rihyarda patted my tense shoulders. “Now, now, milady. Hurry and finish your breakfast. Judging from how Ferdinand sounded in his response, he should be here in no time. You wouldn’t want to get scolded for calling him early in the morning and then not even being ready to go, would you?” she asked, keeping her voice lively in an attempt to lighten the mood.
I nodded and got back to eating while Ottilie prepared for my return to the temple. I saw her preparing winter clothes and sending off an ordonnanz to contact my guard knights.
“You look even more sickly than usual today. You’ll feel more comfortable at the temple, though, won’t you?” Rihyarda asked, wearing a sad smile. “You can spend today relaxing.”
Just as she had said, Ferdinand appeared in no time at all. He probably would have scolded me had I still been eating breakfast in a daze. “Have you prepared to leave, Rozemyne?” he asked. “If so, we shall depart at once.”
All of the basic necessities I needed could already be found at the temple, so there wasn’t that much luggage for me to drag around. The most important thing this time was the rinfin paper we had gotten from Giebe Illgner.
“Farewell, Lady Rozemyne.”
Ferdinand and Eckhart took the lead, I followed after them in Lessy, then Damuel and Angelica trailed behind me. My impatience caused me to speed up along the way, so the journey went a little quicker than usual.
“Welcome back, Lady Rozemyne.” Fran greeted me when we arrived. Before I could even climb out of my Pandabus, Ferdinand had put away his highbeast and was walking toward him.
“Fran, the arrangements?” Ferdinand queried.
“Completed already. The other attendants are currently organizing the orphanage director’s chambers.”
“It seems much stress has built up within her. Spare the long greetings and take them directly to the hidden room.”
“As you wish.”
Once I had alighted from Lessy, Ferdinand held out a leather bag to me. “Rozemyne, put your hands into this and drain as much of your mana as possible. You do not want to hurt those around you with an emotional explosion of mana, do you?”
“My gratitude.” I took the leather bag and went straight to the orphanage director’s chambers.
“We were all truly surprised by the High Priest sending a letter so early in the morning...” Fran said with a troubled smile. One couldn’t use an ordonnanz to communicate with those who lacked schtappes, so Ferdinand had instead used the magic tool letters that flew like birds to instruct Fran to summon the Plantin Company. “Gil departed in an immense hurry. He should return with Lutz soon.”
The air was ice-cold when we arrived at the largely unused orphanage director’s chambers. Not much time had passed since the furnaces were lit.
“Please keep your coat on; the room has not quite warmed yet,” Fran said, and so I entered the chambers without taking off any of my layers. I was half relieved to see the inside unchanged from when I had been a commoner shrine maiden, but also half discomforted—it was yet another reminder of how much things had changed. It was like my dream was becoming a reality.
“Lady Rozemyne, please wait in the hidden room with Lord Damuel. Lady Angelica, please guard the door.”
“You can count on me, Fran. Leaving the hard merchant talk to Damuel is the right call for sure,” Angelica said, gladly making her way to the chamber’s front door. She had broadcast her ineptitude and general aversion to thinking so openly that I expected Fran to cradle his head, considering that he was so similar to Ferdinand, but he didn’t appear at all bothered. Instead, he handled her effortlessly, perhaps because she was so much less stiff and formal than Brigitte had been.
“To think I’d be going back in there again after so long...” Damuel muttered as we climbed the stairs and went into my hidden room, though I opted to ignore him. The room was open to my attendants and already clean thanks to their quick work.
I made sure the door was kept wide open so that Lutz could come in; then, I sat in the chair Fran had offered me. He looked down at me with an uncertain expression. “Might I suggest using the leather bag the High Priest has allowed you to borrow?” he asked. “The color of your eyes seems to be a bit unstable.”
When one’s eye color began to change, it often indicated that they were losing control of their mana. I hurriedly stuck my hands into the bag and noticed there were many small, round things inside. They instantly began sucking out my mana.
I wonder what these are, exactly?
I peeked inside and saw several black feystones, some of which had already broken apart into golden dust. Ferdinand was evidently hoping to contain my rampaging mana while simultaneously securing some valuable crafting resources for himself. Was I the only one annoyed at his thorough planning?
“I have brought Lutz!” Gil exclaimed, bursting into the orphanage director’s chambers. His breathing was a little ragged, maybe due to him having sprinted here at full speed.
“Gil, Lady Rozemyne is in her hidden room,” Fran said. “Please guide Lutz there.”
“Understood.”
I could hear Gil and Lutz climbing the stairs. Their movements had been nothing but graceful for some time, but now their footsteps were quick and unsteady.
“Lutz, thank you very much for coming this early in the morning. I entrust the rest to you,” Fran said, allowing Lutz and Gil into the hidden room and then immediately shutting the door behind them. Their shoulders heaved up and down as they struggled to catch their breaths.
I abruptly stood up, not even waiting for the door to fully close, and sprinted toward Lutz. “Lutz, Lutz, Lutz!” I cried, but right as I was about to leap at him, he held me back by my shoulders. “Why stop me?! Can’t we hug?!”
“We can; I just can’t breathe. Let me catch my breath before you dive at me.”
Lutz embraced me, patting my back and telling me to calm down. It was a familiar hug—one that made both my unease and my remaining strength melt away. I wrapped my arms around him in turn and gave a gentle sigh.
“Lutz, Lutz... The contracts being nullified won’t change anything between us, will it...?”
“Well, are you gonna change?” he asked, placing an affectionate hand on my head. I shook my head in response. “Me neither. It’s definitely a little sad that the contracts are gone, but what’s more important to me is my promise to make the things you think up, and that hasn’t changed at all. Things are the same.”
“Right. You’re right. Whew. I had such an awful dream last night. I just couldn’t stand it, so I came back to the temple.”
Lutz gave a weary sigh. “C’mon. Are you telling me I was dragged over here first thing in the morning ’cause you had a bad dream? Is there... not anyone else who can do this kinda thing for you?”
“If there was, we wouldn’t be here right now. There are people who give me more work and things to worry about, but nobody to take my fears away.”
“...Alright. Well, guess my days of getting dragged around are far from over,” he said, looking a little relieved despite his words.
“I couldn’t take it anymore. But once I’ve recharged with you, I can try hard again. Thanks.”
“Just don’t push yourself too much. You’ll collapse,” Lutz said, scrunching up his face and tapping my cheeks. That was a thing of the past now though—I still needed to keep my magic tools on, but it was much rarer for me to actually collapse.
I puffed out my chest with pride. “Once I get a little better, I won’t collapse at all anymore. Just a little better.”
“Why does your saying that make me even more worried?!”
“I’m fine, really. The only reason I’m still sick is because I haven’t fully recovered from the coma yet. How’s Tuuli? Is she doing okay? She has a super important and scary job now, so I’m worried about her.” Both Otto and Benno had given tough-guy answers, but Tuuli was the one actually making the hairpin. Who knew if she was okay.
Lutz answered in a high voice, mimicking Tuuli. “Gosh, Myne, this is way too sudden! You dumb, dumb dummy!”
“Eep. Sorry, Tuuli...”
“She also said she wasn’t gonna let this opportunity go to waste and that you should look forward to her making the best hairpin ever.”
I smiled, imagining her delicately making the best hairpin she could despite being pretty mad about it. My Tuuli really is an angel!
“Lutz, Lutz. Tell Tuuli I love her too.”
“No thanks,” he said, rejecting me immediately. I widened my eyes and asked why, only for him to give a sharp frown. “Everyone thinks Tuuli and I are dating now ’cause we go to the temple together to learn etiquette. I don’t wanna deliver a message like that and add fuel to the fire.”
“What, is Tuuli not good enough for you, Lutz? You should feel lucky just to be with her in other people’s minds. This is Tuuli we’re talking about here, you know?” I said, pursing my lips.
Lutz furrowed his brow and shook his head. “Nuh uh. I don’t want people getting even more jealous of me.”
“Jealous? Does that mean she’s super popular with the boys? I knew it. That’s my Tuuli for you! She must be a total babe by now, I bet. I wanna see her...” I sighed. I hadn’t seen Tuuli or anyone else in my family a single time since waking up.
“You’ll see her when the hairpin’s done, won’t you? Tuuli was saying she wants to deliver it herself and hear what you think. Also, Kamil’s been saying he wants new toys.”
“Guess I’ll have to make some, then! What kind of toys would he want, do you think? He needs new picture books, right? Maybe karuta to help him learn letters? Should we order boards from Ingo? We could try using paper from Illgner.”
Dirk, who had previously been just a toddler waddling around the orphanage, was now just about old enough to go gathering. Kamil had no doubt gotten bigger too while I was asleep.
Lutz grimaced as I excitedly started thinking about fun toys for four-year-olds. “Crap... Did I mess up here? Look, you gotta focus on paper-making and printing first. Don’t get your priorities out of order.”
“Aww. I can’t put Kamil first?”
“No! Of course not!”
“I know, I know. I was just messing around. Mm... Joking like this is nice. It takes me back,” I said with a chuckle, and that was when the feystone in the door of my hidden room started to shine. That meant someone was signaling me from the other side. It was a necessary feature, since the hidden room blocked out knocks and other sounds entirely.
I detached myself from Lutz and straightened my back as Gil moved to open the door. Standing on the other side were Fran, Benno, and Mark.
“Lady Rozemyne, Masters Benno and Mark from the Plantin Company have arrived.”
Um... Why?
Seeing my surprise, Fran lowered his eyes uncomfortably. “In his letter, the High Priest instructed us to summon the Plantin Company at once... so we called for everyone, not just Lutz. My sincere apologies.”
“Oh. I see... Worry not, Fran; you are not at fault.” I gestured for him to stand down before looking up at Benno and Mark. They had gone pale from hearing there was some kind of emergency.
“What the hell happened?! What’s the emergency?!” Benno asked as soon as the door was shut, so worked up that spit was flying from his mouth.
I instinctively hid behind Lutz and answered honestly—I had awoken from a terrible dream after the contracts had been nullified and just wanted to see Lutz.
“You... YOU IDIOT!”
“Gyaaah! Ow, ow, ow!”
Benno dragged me out from behind Lutz, his eyebrows shooting up in anger, and started fiercely grinding his knuckles against my head. “We got called over the day after an audience in the castle for an emergency! We were freakin’ terrified, and, what, it all comes down to you having a bad dream?! Like hell that’s an emergency!” he yelled. He wasn’t holding back at all, and there was nobody here who could stop him.
“I was at the end of my rope!” I protested. “My mana was about to go on a rampage! Even the High Priest thought it was an emergency!”
“Yeah, her eyes were a bit of a weird color when I got here...” Lutz added.
Hearing that, Benno stopped grinding my skull and peered down at me. He pulled on my cheeks in frustration before letting out an exhausted sigh. “Seems like you’ve calmed down at least. Alright. We’re outta here.”
“Wait a moment. Let’s talk for a bit. I can’t just drag you over here first thing in the morning without making it worth your while, can I?”
I gave them a summary of what had been discussed in the archduke’s office following the audience. I reported that I had obtained the right to train the scholars myself so that the Gutenbergs wouldn’t be crushed by their unreasonable demands, which elicited words of gratitude and a wider smile from Mark. Back when Elvira had instructed them to establish a printing workshop right away, trying to negotiate with her had not been easy.
“I was useful, right? I did something helpful, right? Go ahead—praise me!” I ordered, looking as proud as ever. Rather than lavishing me with compliments, however, Benno grimaced and flicked my forehead. “Ow! But why?!”
“Because I can tell you’ll only act crazier if you start getting cocky.”
“Aw! How come you’re so eager to grind your fist on my head when you’re annoyed, but you won’t praise me when I’ve earned it?! Isn’t it weird that I’m suffering for all my hard work?!”
“Aah. Fine, fine.” Benno forcibly patted me on the head with a monotone, “You did good.” It actually hurt a little, since my head was still sensitive from his knuckle-grinding. I puffed out my cheeks and complained, but Lutz just shook his head and gave a relaxed smile.
“You’re complaining and yet you’re still smiling at him. I’m gonna take a guess and say that you actually like this kinda stuff, since you can’t do it with nobles, right?” he pointed out.
I went silent. Lutz was completely right—I felt so much nostalgia for these kinds of exchanges and was simply happy to be enjoying them again. Benno and Mark shook their heads with exasperation as I grinned.
“Anyway, about the scholars—how’re you going to train them?” Benno asked.
“I need them to be capable of speaking to commoners on some level, but almost none of the nobles I know can be trusted with this work. Do you know anyone who might be more reliable?” I asked.
Benno and Lutz both immediately suggested Justus. He was a fast worker and, unlike the archnobles in Haldenzel, had actually cared to ask the Plantin Company for their thoughts. He had kept things going without issue while I was asleep.
“Justus serves as a scholar for Ferdinand, and Ferdinand won’t lend him to me,” I complained, bemoaning my truly unfortunate circumstances. But as I was considering whether I should ask again, Mark raised a hand.
“I believe the guildmaster is more familiar with considering and understanding nobles than we are. His recommendations will also likely hold more weight than ours, considering that our rapid growth has earned us much ire.”
“Planning to dump the hard work on the old geezer, huh?” Benno said with a grin.
“He is simply the best man for the job,” Mark replied casually, wearing his usual smile.
“Okay. In that case, try asking the guildmaster to put together a list of candidates for me. I’ll consult the archduke about who among them is best to use,” I said. “Also, this is Mother’s suggestion, but what about using the officials supporting giebes for this? They’re familiar with the lives of commoners, and she said they would wholly dedicate themselves to their work if doing so meant enriching their land. How were they in Haldenzel?”
I hadn’t been to Haldenzel yet, but both Lutz and Benno had been there with the other Gutenbergs; they surely knew how these officials had performed.
“Only Master Benno and Damian met Giebe Haldenzel,” Lutz said. “I was given a tour of the city by a servant with the others—maybe he was a scholar? The commoners and nobles there actually seemed to interact a little.”
“If we go for mednobles instead of archnobles, it might work...” I mused aloud. “Or, no, maybe laynobles are best.”
Back in Illgner, the lack of nobles working as officials had resulted in Giebe Illgner needing to visit the paper-making workshop himself to check up on progress. They had been given a lot of control in Illgner, but the same wouldn’t be the case for Haldenzel.
“The province is totally frozen over; people struggle to live if the blessings go down even a little, so they’ve ended up clumping together to survive. They’re harsh to outsiders and not very open to new ideas... but once they started getting a bit more receptive, things got going real fast.”
It had apparently taken them a long time to accept the new work and way of doing things. That was their provincial culture, which was fair enough, but it had been a real pain when it came to actually getting things done.
“And we’ll probably be building those paper-making workshops in Haldenzel come spring...” Lutz said, crossing his arms in thought.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“There are way fewer trees in Haldenzel than Illgner, and I dunno whether the types they have are gonna be any good to make paper with. I get why they want paper-making workshops, but I feel they’re better off just buying their paper from elsewhere once we have more workshops set up north of Ehrenfest. Also, we should build the workshops as far south in Haldenzel as we can. Could you make these suggestions for us?”
“Sure. You can count on me. Also, Benno—about the Gutenbergs’ long-term trip...”
We went on to discuss everything from the printing industry to our families, from important matters to little nothings. Our conversation continued until, eventually, I was completely relieved.
I saw Lutz and the others off with a smile, and they all smiled back in turn. They had forgiven me, saying that the trip hadn’t been a complete waste of time thanks to my intel. And with that, the Plantin Company was gone.
The Meeting with Giebe Haldenzel
“The High Priest said to visit him this afternoon,” Zahm said upon my return to the High Bishop’s chambers. “He is surely worried about you as well.”
I looked down at the leather bag that Ferdinand had given me. Maybe I should show the extent of my appreciation by turning all the feystones into that golden sand...
“I am relieved to see you looking well again, Lady Rozemyne,” Monika said with a pleasant smile. I was surprised to see that she was already preparing lunch; it seemed that I had been talking with Lutz and the others for much longer than I had thought.
Once I had eaten, I went to the High Priest’s chambers. Ferdinand was probably mad that I had immediately ruined our schedules and forced us to come back to the temple early. I couldn’t help but tremble as I stepped into his room, and the stern glare he shot me the moment I came into his view was enough to make me flinch.
“Ferdinand, I truly am sorry about how much I’ve inconvenienced you today.”
“You have indeed inconvenienced me. However... I see you are well again.”
“It is because of your consideration that my fears have been vanquished and my energy has recovered.”
Ferdinand checked the color in my face before pointing to the leather bag in my hand. “Were those of use to you?”
“Indeed. I thank you ever so much. I was once again surprised by the thorough nature of your preparations,” I said as I returned the bag.
Ferdinand checked the contents; then his expression turned to a grimace and he tapped his temple. “It seems I did not provide an unnecessary amount. Still, for you to have turned this many feystones to dust, I can only imagine how emotionally disturbed you must have been. Better this than your emotions exploding within the castle, but still... I will need to think of a way to handle these situations without relying on the Plantin Company.”
“There is no need, Ferdinand. I feel better now. I’ll do my best so that I can keep spreading books!” I declared. I certainly didn’t want him to start thinking up anything that would sever my connection to the Plantin Company.
“Do only as we have already decided,” Ferdinand shot back. “Your behavior tends to become extreme when you are doing your best.”
“Ngh. Okay, well... Tell me what we have decided to do, then.”
We went on to discuss my upcoming meeting with Giebe Haldenzel. Now that the magic contracts had been nullified, the archduke would be permitting the establishment of new paper-making workshops. This meeting was mainly going to be about the Gutenbergs’ long-term stay. I also went ahead and reported to Ferdinand what I had just told Benno.
Once our conversation was over, we hurried back to the castle, where Ella had stayed behind. Rihyarda welcomed us with her lips pursed at my busy schedule, noting that she would have preferred me taking things more slowly now that I finally had some spare time.
Unfortunately, it was becoming clear that I could only run away from noble society for so long. I ate dinner with Charlotte, who expressed concern for my health.
It was ultimately decided that the meeting with Giebe Haldenzel would be held in the afternoon two days later, and that Ferdinand would accompany me as my guardian. A noble life sure was a busy one.
The meeting room for archnobles was a bit fancier than the ones I had visited previously—there were colorful tapestries, and the furniture seemed to be high-quality and historied. Waiting inside were Giebe Haldenzel, his wife, and Elvira.
Once Ferdinand and I sat down, Giebe Haldenzel greeted us with his wife. “At last we have the chance to greet you formally, Lady Rozemyne. May we pray for a blessing in appreciation of this serendipitous meeting, ordained by the harsh judgment of Ewigeliebe the God of Life?”
“You may.”
Giebe Haldenzel certainly looks a lot like Mother...
His dark-green hair and dark-brown eyes resembled hers exactly. He wore a polite smile, but his gaze was sharp, and it was obvious that he was watching me carefully. Even as he knelt before me, he was exuding an unmistakable amount of pressure; he carried the firm aura of someone who was used to standing above others.
“On behalf of Haldenzel, I wish to thank you.”
The giebe and his wife had previously come all the way to Karstedt’s estate for my baptism ceremony, but I had been dragged away by Wilfried and ended up falling unconscious before we could exchange greetings. Our next opportunity to formally meet had been during my debut, but I had been forced to leave prematurely after giving a blessing. Then, the following winter, we had been too preoccupied fighting with the former Veronica faction nobles about Wilfried.
“Have I done something worthy of your thanks...?” I asked.
I was offered pretty much the same explanation that Elvira had already given me: Haldenzel had been receiving chalices filled with mana since I began work as an apprentice blue shrine maiden. My efforts had apparently caused crop production to rise across the entire province, which had in turn made the people’s lives a little bit easier. Of course, this “little bit” had actually had a massive impact considering that they had existed in perpetual poverty.
I had learned in my lessons on Ehrenfest’s geography that Haldenzel was cold enough for its rivers to freeze over and that its citizens learned to live close together and take care of one another. The province itself was expansive, but its population was focused in the southern half, with the north having barely any inhabitants. To complicate matters further, Haldenzel was the province the Lord of Winter was most likely to appear in.
“My knights have reported that your blessings provide much aid during the Lord of Winter hunt,” Giebe Haldenzel noted.
“The color of the flag has returned to normal as well,” his wife added with a kind smile, referring to Ahrensbach’s unsuccessful attempt to take over Ehrenfest’s higher-ups. “Not to mention, due to how long winters last in Haldenzel, many have been saved by the printing industry.”
From there, Giebe Haldenzel and his wife explained how well the Gutenbergs had worked from their perspective. Lutz and the gray priests had apparently brought the necessary tools to a prepared workshop, put together the printing press, and then demonstrated how it worked. However, the printing press required the operator to organize the letter types into place, and almost no Haldenzel commoners knew how to read. The teaching process had taken a very long time as a result.
“I was stunned to see that all of the Ehrenfest craftsmen know how to read,” the giebe said. “We had our hands full adopting the Gutenbergs’ technologies over the winter, and now we must teach our own people to read; after all, it would not do for them to mistakenly place the letter types upside down and not even realize it.”
“The orphans in my orphanage learned through playing karuta together and reading picture books, but the process is not a fast one,” I explained. “It might be wise to have layscholars or apprentice scholars proofread the draft prints for now.” Given that the books were being sold to nobles, quality assurance was our highest priority even in the Rozemyne Workshop.
“Your Gutenbergs have developed quite a positive reputation among the craftsmen of Haldenzel, Lady Rozemyne. They are all so skilled despite their youth.”
The Gutenbergs had taught ink workshops how to make the special ink that we used for printing and carpentry workshops how to make the wooden parts needed for printing presses, all during their long stay from spring to autumn. Once they had the scholars proofreading, the printing had gone off without a hitch.
There was one issue, however: the smithies in Haldenzel still weren’t skilled enough. They had completed their own letter types and other kinds of metalwork, but nothing they had made was good enough to earn Johann’s approval. That simply wouldn’t do—it was surprisingly easy for letter types to get scratched, worn down, or broken during the printing process, so they would need to be able to make their own.
“I am told the smiths have banded together,” the giebe continued. “They are determined to receive the Gutenbergs’ approval by spring.”
“In the report I received from the Gutenbergs, they expressed their concern that Haldenzel had not accepted them,” I said, recalling the report mentioning that Haldenzel had met the Gutenbergs with extremely high resistance. “But I see now that these fears were for nothing.”
As the conversation continued, I decided to use this opportunity to relay the suggestions that had been passed on to me.
“Haldenzel receives few outsiders, and our lifestyles rarely see any change at all, so I can understand why the craftspeople showed resistance to this new technology,” the giebe responded. “That said, the bonds between family members are as strong as the earth, and once we accept someone, we protect them like family. Once the people understand the blessings that printing will bring us, they will never forget what you have done for them. They will treasure printing forever. I would like to provide a formal response to the Gutenbergs’ suggestions once Haldenzel has grown used to its technology.”
“Please take your time—my hope is that your printing will bring as much wealth as possible to Haldenzel. Still, I see that the provinces even within Ehrenfest have quite unique cultures. Haldenzel seems much different from Illgner,” I observed. I had once traveled all throughout Ehrenfest for Spring Prayer, but it was hard to pick up on a province’s culture when I was just landing on a stage to give my blessing and then immediately leaving again.
“We have been told you will accompany the Gutenbergs on their return to Haldenzel in spring. When this time comes, you may see firsthand the strength of our proud people, who endure even the harshest winters with a smile.” Giebe Haldenzel spoke with a pleased smile as he boasted about his people, and I couldn’t help but smile with him. I could imagine him among his people, doing his best to protect them amid the harsh environment. While it was certainly different from Illgner, it seemed to me that Haldenzel was a good province too.
“I am quite looking forward to visiting Haldenzel as well.”
“Giebe Haldenzel,” Ferdinand said, “the Gutenbergs will be sent following Spring Prayer and will then depart again by the end of summer.”
The giebe crossed his arms, his brow furrowed as he pondered the meaning behind those words. Ferdinand went on to explain that printing workshops were due to be spread all throughout Ehrenfest, and that the Gutenbergs needed to begin long-term preparations to accomplish this.
“There are many provinces waiting for the Gutenbergs,” Ferdinand concluded. “Consider it special circumstances that Haldenzel is seeing them twice.”
Giebe Haldenzel closed his eyes as he processed this information. Then, after a moment of silence, he looked at me head-on. “Lady Rozemyne, I find it extremely reassuring to know that you are working among the leaders of Ehrenfest. As Elvira’s daughter, I trust that you will treasure your family and never forget your home.”
“Excuse me, Giebe Haldenzel... You seem to be praising me, but both Ferdinand and Mother frequently inform me that my softness for my family is a weakness that must be dealt with.” I shot Ferdinand and Elvira slightly concerned glances, since it sounded to me like the giebe was instructing me to prioritize him as family, but they just quietly awaited my next words.
I returned my attention to the giebe, whose dark-brown eyes glimmered as he shook his head. “That is not what I meant,” he said. “Rather, you have been gifted with a talent for inventing a seemingly endless stream of products. I imagine many other duchies will seek your person in the Royal Academy, but I pray that you recall your home and your family, and that you remain in Ehrenfest nonetheless.”
It seemed that he wasn’t telling me to prioritize Haldenzel, but rather to avoid leaving the duchy. I had misunderstood him once again.
A sigh escaped me. Little did he know, those I considered my family were found not among nobles, but in the lower city. And with the magic contract preventing us from interacting as family, I needed to treasure the tiny connections that still remained—like Tuuli delivering her hairpins, and Dad guarding me on my way to Hasse. These were connections that existed only in Ehrenfest; I had no plans to leave the duchy for as long as my family was here.
“My family is indeed in Ehrenfest,” I said. “Barring orders from Aub Ehrenfest himself, there is no other place I would call home.”
Giebe Haldenzel seemed visibly relieved to hear my declaration... but out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Ferdinand was now wearing a deep frown.