A Report on the Baptism Ceremony

My master, Lord Ferdinand, was living at the temple, so he was absent from his estate in the Noble’s Quarter today as well.

When Lord Ferdinand had first entered the temple, he commuted there from this estate. However, after the civil war reduced the number of blue priests and blue shrine maidens, it seemed that all of the temple’s administrative work had fallen upon Lord Ferdinand.

My lord always prioritized efficiency, and it seemed he had come to see the time spent traveling back and forth as a waste. As a result, he began spending more and more nights at the temple.

By the time the commoner apprentice shrine maiden was accepted into the temple, it had become his home entirely, and he returned to this estate in the Noble’s Quarter only on rare occasions.

“Lord Ferdinand had been visiting Lord Karstedt’s mansion to tutor Lady Rozemyne, so he had been coming home more often than usual lately… but he’s still away most of the time.”

My lord’s routine had not changed, so neither had the duties expected of me as one of the attendants serving this estate.

As always, I unlocked the door to his study and opened the windows to let in some fresh air. A cool, refreshing breeze—one that could only be felt in the early morning—drifted into the room, carrying with it the scent of plants at the height of summer.

”…Lady Rozemyne’s baptism ceremony is almost upon us.”

Lady Rozemyne is to be baptized as the daughter of Lord Karstedt and Lady Elvira, whose mother was a member of the Leisegang main line, before being adopted into the archducal family. In other words, she will enter the archducal family as a member of the Leisegang faction.

…Now that Lady Veronica has fallen from power, how will the nobles respond?

Lady Rozemyne’s adoption was sure to have some effect on Lord Ferdinand, who was looking after her at the temple, as well. I was curious to see how the nobles would respond, but I was only a laynoble. I could not attend the ceremony to observe it for myself.

“Justus should be invited as one of Lord Ferdinand’s close associates. Eckhart should be attending as Lady Rozemyne’s elder brother. In that case…”

Just as I murmured those words, a white bird flew into the study. Realizing it was a magic-tool letter, I quickly made my way to the letter box on my master’s desk. The white bird transformed into a letter above the box and dropped neatly into my waiting hands.

“Oh? A letter from Lord Ferdinand?”

As I read the letter, I moved from my lord’s desk to the desk reserved for his retainers. Since Lord Ferdinand was residing at the temple, his attendants had been dismissed from active service, but because this was an estate belonging to the archducal family, the study still contained the message boards used by retainers in the course of their duties.

“Orders for Eckhart and Justus? Hehe… it seems there was no need for me to worry after all.”

Since an ordonnanz might be overheard, I took a sheet of paper from the bookshelf instead. In a cipher that would not be immediately understood even if someone else saw it, I wrote, “Our lord wishes to know how the Leisegang nobles behave at the baptism ceremony,” then folded the paper into thirds. When I poured mana into it with my schtappe, the letter took the shape of a bird and flew away.

“Make sure you gather plenty of information, both of you.”

One afternoon after the baptism ceremony had concluded, Lord Ferdinand summoned Eckhart and Justus to hear their report. Since his retainers had been dismissed while he was serving at the temple, the two of them were officially being received as his guests today. As his attendant, I went to welcome them.

“Welcome. Lord Ferdinand is expecting you.”

As I led them to the study, I asked about Lady Rozemyne’s baptism ceremony. Lord Ferdinand had remarked with a troubled expression, “It went more or less according to plan. There were a few rather troublesome developments, however…”

How could I not be curious after hearing that?

“I cannot exactly say it concluded without incident… but what is done is done.”

“It was an extremely fascinating baptism ceremony, one surprise after another.”

Neither of those answers sounded like they were describing a baptism ceremony. It was supposed to be a simple event where everything proceeded according to a predetermined script. Just what in the world had happened?

”…We are talking about the baptism ceremony, aren’t we?”

I tilted my head in confusion, and Justus replied, “It was perfectly ordinary up until a certain point.” He said he had been impressed by Lady Rozemyne’s bearing and manners—so refined that it was hard to believe she had once been a commoner.

Eckhart nodded in agreement before continuing the explanation.

“It all went awry during the blessing. Normally, you simply return a blessing to the priest, don’t you? But Rozemyne suddenly spun around and bestowed an unbelievable amount of blessings upon the entire hall.”

”…The entire hall?

As a laynoble with little mana, it was difficult for me to even imagine such a feat. It seemed like nothing more than an extravagant waste of mana. What possible reason could she have had for doing something like that?

“And that wasn’t all. Partway through the ceremony, Lord Wilfried took her by the hand and led her out of the hall.”

”…He led her out of the hall?”

In the middle of the nobles’ greetings, she was taken away, and not long afterward word reached the great hall that Lady Rozemyne had been seriously injured and required healing. Apparently, after Lady Rozemyne lost consciousness, Lord Wilfried had dragged her along, leaving the scene in a dreadful state, Eckhart explained.

“She ended up with injuries like that just from falling over and being dragged. Rozemyne really is incredibly frail.”

After Lady Rozemyne received healing, she was carried back to her room, so the baptism ceremony came to an end before the invited guests had a chance to greet its central figure.

“I see. Then it certainly cannot be said that everything passed without incident. The guests must have been quite troubled. After all, everyone would have wanted to establish a connection with the newest member of the archducal family…”

By the time I had heard the full account of the baptism ceremony, we had arrived at Lord Ferdinand’s study.

“I have brought your guests.”

“Ah, show them in.”

Lord Ferdinand, who had been working through the documents brought from the castle, looked up from his paperwork and gestured toward the reception table in the study.

As everyone took their seats, I brewed tea and attended to my duties as a servant.

“How were the reactions of Leisegang nobles?”

“They were quite awful before the baptism ceremony. No one believed she had truly been born a commoner, but they all assumed she was Father’s daughter by his third wife.”

Eckhart answered Lord Ferdinand’s question. Since the Leisegang nobles were his relatives, he was able to gather opinions that were much closer to their true feelings rather than the carefully polished facade nobles usually presented.

The most common reactions came from those trying to determine Lady Rozemyne’s true origins, saying things like, “I’ve never once seen her at any family gathering…” or, “Does that mean Lady Rozemyne isn’t Lady Elvira’s biological daughter?”

Then Giebe Haldenzel, Lady Elvira’s elder brother, remarked, “Could it be that they’re having her baptized as Elvira’s daughter in order to shield the daughter of the third wife—a member of the former Veronica faction—from the repercussions of Veronica’s downfall?”

That comment only seemed to deepen the Leisegang nobles’ resentment.

“They expect us to conveniently accept a girl baptized under such circumstances as one of the Leisegang faction? The very idea is infuriating.”

“More importantly, shouldn’t our real concern be whether Lady Veronica’s downfall will allow the Leisegang faction to regain its former influence?”

However, the moment they witnessed the unprecedented blessing at the baptism ceremony and saw Lady Rozemyne formally adopted by Aub Ehrenfest, they completely reversed their opinions.

“What extraordinary mana… She is truly worthy of the archducal family.”

“Even if she isn’t Lady Elvira’s biological daughter, Lord Karstedt’s mother was of the Leisegang line. In that case, isn’t she the very hope of the Leisegang faction?”

“The Aub said the adoption was to protect Lady Rozemyne from nobles of other duchies. But regardless of the reason, she is now undeniably a member of the archducal family.”

“The Leisegang nobles should unite behind Lady Rozemyne and make her the next aub.”

After listening to Eckhart and Justus relay the Leisegang nobles’ views, Lord Ferdinand let out an exasperated sigh, his expression turning cold.

“Just as I expected. How very convenient for them.”

Having spent his life as an archduke candidate at the mercy of the whims and political maneuvering of the nobility, I imagine Lord Ferdinand could not help but find their attitude utterly distasteful.

“The movements of the Leisegang nobles will likely be kept in check by Lady Elvira and Lady Ottilie. What concerned me far more during the baptism ceremony was Lady Ottilie’s son, Hartmut.”

…Lady Ottilie’s son? Then his father must be Lady Florencia’s head scholar.

When Justus raised this point of concern, Lord Ferdinand leaned forward ever so slightly.

“What happened?”

The name had clearly caught him completely off guard. Of all the Leisegang nobles, Hartmut was the last person he had expected to hear mentioned.

“Before the baptism ceremony, he showed absolutely no interest in Lady Rozemyne. In fact, he was quietly muttering insults about the Leisegang nobles. But the instant he received her blessing, the look in his eyes completely changed.”

”…How did it change?”

“It became… fervent. Yes, that’s the best way to put it. It looked very much like the way those two look at you, Lord Ferdinand.”

As he said this, Justus glanced at Eckhart and me. Lord Ferdinand’s gaze followed his to the two of us.

Even if he said our eyes were filled with such fervor, neither of us could recognize it in ourselves.

“Do I truly look at him that way?”

“Couldn’t you at least call it a look full of loyalty?”

Justus chuckled softly at our respective reactions. Lord Ferdinand shot him a brief glance before making an observation in his usual impassive tone.

“You look as though this has nothing to do with you, but your eyes are no different.”

If Eckhart and I truly looked at our lord with eyes full of loyalty and burning fervor, then surely Justus, who stood here with us, was no different.

Perhaps embarrassed by our lord’s matter-of-fact observation, or perhaps uncomfortable under the amused looks Eckhart and I inadvertently exchanged, Justus cleared his throat.

Even so, he did not deny that he, too, looked upon our lord with the same loyalty—or with the same eyes as ours.

“Exactly,” he said, accepting it as the most natural thing in the world before steering the conversation back to Lord Hartmut.

“At any rate, I believe we should be cautious, because we have no idea why he became so utterly devoted. If it were nothing more than a momentary frenzy brought on by witnessing the blessing, that would be one thing…”

”…It doesn’t seem to have been merely a passing frenzy.”

At Eckhart’s quiet remark, everyone’s eyes turned to him.

He began explaining the reason for his conclusion to Lord Ferdinand.

“It seems he passionately pleaded with Lady Ottilie and my mother to let him become one of Rozemyne’s retainers. The change in him was so drastic that they found it unsettling. They told him to spend at least a year cooling his head before anyone even considered the matter.”

“A drastic change? Was that not simply his nature to begin with?”

“I’ve known Hartmut since we were children,” Eckhart said. “He was exceptionally capable, but he was also the sort of child who looked upon everything with detached, indifferent eyes.”

As relatives, Eckhart was naturally familiar with Lord Hartmut. I, on the other hand, had spent the past five years serving in this mansion, and I did not know much about the young nobles who had only recently reached the age for their baptisms.

Especially after Lord Ferdinand entered the temple, it had become difficult for me to leave. Aside from nobles connected to Lady Veronica, I had paid little attention to the Leisegang faction.

I would have to gather updated information on the nobility as soon as possible.

“Hmm. He sounds like someone who will require careful handling.”

At Lord Ferdinand’s words, I silently agreed.

Lord Hartmut was the son of Leberecht, the man who had used Lord Ferdinand as a means of diverting Lady Veronica’s attention away from Lady Florencia.

If Hartmut intended to draw close to Lady Rozemyne—and by extension, to Lord Ferdinand—then it was better to be cautious than complacent.

As Lord Ferdinand and I both strengthened our guard against Hartmut, Eckhart voiced an entirely different concern.

“The one we should really be worried about is Lord Wilfried, who took Rozemyne away and got her injured. His actions only added fuel to the Leisegang nobles’ anger.”

“Lady Veronica presided over Lord Wilfried’s baptism as his parental guardian,” Justus added. “Among her faction, he is regarded as Lady Veronica’s successor. Because of that, some nobles even claimed that he deliberately took Lady Rozemyne away to eliminate her—or that he threatened her and caused her injuries.”

Eckhart’s and Justus’s report drew a bitter expression from Lord Ferdinand.

“It was a good opportunity to make that boy understand just how frail Rozemyne is… though it seems I’ll need to do a bit of information management. I’ll give it some thought.”

…Oh dear. It seems he may have overdone it when dealing with a child.

Ever since his own baptism, Lord Ferdinand had been viewed with suspicion by Lady Veronica whenever he tried to make allies among children his own age. Fearing her displeasure, parents were reluctant to let their children associate with him, leaving him with very little interaction with other children.

On top of that, having devoted himself to driving off those who opposed him in order to protect himself, my lord had never become particularly skilled at exercising restraint.

…That said, there are those who would not hesitate to use even children as tools to harm Lord Ferdinand.

Given his position, he cannot afford to lower his guard simply because his opponent is a child. Far better that he never learned moderation than to show mercy and be ensnared by a child’s parents because of it.

“Putting that aside, Eckhart. Once the Starbind Ceremony is over, Sylvester intends to visit the Italian restaurant incognito.”

“Yes, sir!… Pardon? A restaurant?”

After giving his usual crisp reply, Eckhart frowned in confusion.

“The restaurant that Rozemyne and the Gilberta Company established. A large escort will not be necessary, but accompany me as Rozemyne’s elder brother.”

“Leave it to me!

After Lord Ferdinand was forced to disband his retinue upon entering the temple, Eckhart was no longer able to serve as his guard knight.

Even if only in his capacity as Lady Rozemyne’s elder brother, the chance to act as a guard again must have delighted him. His eager response was easy to understand.

“I want to come too. I’ll serve as a guard. At last, the skills I’ve honed gathering materials all over the duchy can finally be put to use!”

Whether he envied Eckhart for being able to serve at Lord Ferdinand’s side again, or was simply curious about Lady Rozemyne’s restaurant, Justus eagerly volunteered to act as a guard.

His skills were certainly more than sufficient for guarding someone in the lower city, but there was no way the present Lord Ferdinand would take along a Justus whose eyes were positively sparkling with curiosity.

“That won’t be necessary. What I need is someone who can be presented as a member of Rozemyne’s family.”

Rejected with a perfectly matter-of-fact expression by my lord, Justus stared at him in stunned disbelief. Naturally, Lord Ferdinand paid him no heed.

“Eckhart, would you adopt me?”

“I’ve no need for an adopted son who’s older than I am!”

Watching Justus make such an absurd proposal and Eckhart reject it out of hand, I quietly refilled Lord Ferdinand’s teacup.

“What kind of restaurant could Lady Rozemyne possibly have created to draw even the Aub’s interest?”

“Judging by the sweets Rozemyne serves, I expect the food there is of a respectable quality.”

I blinked in surprise. I had expected Lord Ferdinand to reply with something dismissive like, “I don’t know,” or “I have no interest.”

…It’s rather unusual for Lord Ferdinand to comment on the taste of food, isn’t it?

Now I found myself curious not only about the restaurant, but also about these sweets that Lady Rozemyne had been serving. It seemed I would have to ask Eckhart later what kind of restaurant it had been.