Announcement and Decision of Participating Duchies

At the third bell, we too made our way to the auditorium. As usual, I was escorted by my two fiancé candidates, yet somehow the atmosphere around us felt different today. Until now, students from other duchies had kept their distance, wary of being caught up in Dunkelfelger’s anger. Now, however, I could sense glances flickering toward us from all sides.

“Do you think the Zent will announce the cancellation of the bride-stealing ditter?”

“Perhaps it is news that Drewanchel has finally withdrawn?”

“If that is the case, how wonderful it would be. I am quite looking forward to it.”

Whispers hoping for the ditter to be canceled—hushed, yet filled with expectation—could be heard here and there.

From immediately at my right came a muttered, “How dare they say such things…” and I felt Rasantark’s body tense beside me.

“Rasantark.”

I put strength into both my voice and the hand at my side to restrain him. I understood his irritation at the selfish remarks of those around us, but now was not the time to let it show.

“You must not react at this point. It would only lend credence to the rumors that Dunkelfelger is frightening and barbaric.”

“However, Lady Hannelore, if we show no reaction at all, we will be looked down upon.”

Rasantark frowned as he glanced around. Indeed, unlike my brother, I was likely seen as somewhat easy to slight. If it were my brother standing here, a single sharp glare and an imposing attitude would be enough to silence those around us.

“There is no need to rise to the bait here. For the sake of what comes later, it is enough that we remember the duchies and the faces of those who look down on us.”

“Rather than the whispers of insignificant rabble, we should place greater importance on the fact that, despite so many hoping for a cancellation, hardly any information reached us.”

When Kenntrips and I both spoke in calm voices, Rasantark pressed his lips together in frustration.

“I simply dislike seeing Lady Hannelore looked down upon.”

“I am grateful for your feelings, Rasantark, but there is a time and place. Once the Zent’s announcement is over, the reactions around us will change. For now, it is fine.”

”…Understood.”

When we entered the auditorium, many duchies had already gathered. As we walked toward the front row, the archduke candidates of Gilesenmeyer and Hauchletzte cast looks at us that seemed as though they wished to say something. Not understanding the meaning behind their gazes, I passed them by and exchanged smiles with Lady Charlotte and Lord Wilfried of Ehrenfest.

I could see the dark-blue cloaks of Alexandria. I had assumed that Lady Rozemyne—returned from the world of the gods—would surely stand out at once, yet for some reason she was nowhere to be seen.

When my eyes met Lady Letizia’s, she gave me a mischievous smile and placed her index finger to her lips.

…So her return is still a secret from those around us.

I gave a small nod as I continued forward, turning my gaze toward the section where Drewanchel’s cloaks were gathered. I could see Lord Ortwin among them. Having heard various unsettling rumors, I quietly felt a wave of relief upon seeing that he appeared to be in good health.

“Her Majesty Zent Eglantine and Aub Alexandria are entering.”

Once all the students from every duchy had assembled, the doors reserved for the royal family opened at the call of a sovereign scholar. It seemed that Lady Rozemyne had been waiting in the royal antechamber together with the Zent.

“Aub Alexandria!? Has she returned from the world of the gods?”

“Why is she entering through the royal door together with the Zent…?”

As astonished murmurs spread throughout the auditorium, Lord Anastasius escorted Lady Eglantine and Lady Rozemyne inside. After leading the two of them onto the stage, Lord Anastasius stepped back down.

The Zent took a single step forward and began to speak.

“Everyone, Lady Rozemyne—who was summoned to the world of the gods—has protected nearly twenty years of history and has thus returned to us safely. What Lady Rozemyne is about to announce must be reported to your duchy’s aub as words delivered from the gods.”

…I see. So they are taking the form of having the words of the gods conveyed through the avatar of the goddess.

As I did not wish for the fact of the Goddess of Time’s second descent to spread, I had asked Lady Rozemyne to relay the words of the male gods instead. In the same way, perhaps the Zent—who would find it difficult to reverse her prior declaration—sought Lady Rozemyne’s aid in explaining and justifying the changes concerning the bride-stealing ditter.

…We had been told that the Zent would issue the notice under the pretext of an announcement from Lady Rozemyne upon her return from the world of the gods. It may even be that Lord Anastasius requested it in order to preserve the Zent’s dignity.

As I considered this while watching Lord Anastasius gaze at the stage with a troubled expression, the Zent stepped slightly back, and Lady Rozemyne moved forward. She offered a gentle smile and slowly swept her eyes across the gathered students in the auditorium.

“As the Zent has explained, I was summoned by the Goddess of Time and journeyed to the world of the gods. Many of you witnessed the incident at the gazebos, so I believe you are aware of this.”

Lady Rozemyne gave her greetings upon returning and began to speak of what she had seen and heard since her return.

“When I was summoned by the Goddess of Time, I had temporarily returned to my duchy and was not present at the Royal Academy. Because of that, the goddess descended upon Lady Hannelore to call for me. As a result, Lady Hannelore was referred to as the Second Avatar of the Goddess and, it seems, received numerous proposals for bride-stealing ditter from various duchies. I sincerely regret that she and Dunkelfelger were drawn into this matter in such a way and troubled because of me.”

Lady Rozemyne emphasized that I had merely been caught up in the affair and, while offering her apology, made it clear to all duchies that those who had submitted proposals for bride-stealing ditter had been the true source of the trouble.

“Ordinarily, one proposes marriage first, and only after being refused does one apply for bride-stealing ditter. Yet it seems that many duchies submitted requests for bride-stealing ditter quite suddenly, without even making a formal proposal. I have heard that Dunkelfelger was astonished by such discourtesy.”

A stir began to spread throughout the auditorium.

”…What? Submitting a request for bride-stealing ditter is not itself a proposal…?”

“Then what exactly is bride-stealing ditter?”

As the murmurs of confusion reached our ears, we could only stare in disbelief.

“After submitting their applications, to now ask what bride-stealing ditter even is… honestly.”

“I had assumed that any duchy that already withdrew would at least understand that much…”

“What sort of apology did the other aubs offer Dunkelfelger, I wonder?”

At my retainers’ remarks, I nodded in agreement. I was once more astonished at the vast discrepancy in understanding between us and the other duchies. And yet, in such ignorance, they had still resolved to challenge Dunkelfelger to ditter.

…Or was it that Lord Sigiswald’s manipulation of information had been exceedingly skillful?

“This is what I saw and heard in the world of the gods. Although the bride-stealing ditter is a battle between the bride’s and groom’s families, it seems that unrelated parties have been hoping for its cancellation, which has irritated the male gods. Apparently, the gods look forward to ditter, where prayers and mana are offered to them. Those who scheme to have it called off may find the wrath of the gods raining down upon them, so they are advised to take care…”

At Lady Rozemyne’s words, cries almost like shrieks rose from here and there in the auditorium. It seemed that quite a number of people had been maneuvering behind the scenes in hopes of Lord Ortwin’s withdrawal, so many must have panicked upon hearing that the gods’ wrath might descend upon them.

Since none of us can possibly know how closely the gods observe such matters, that uncertainty alone would only deepen the fear.

“When the gods become involved, any matter is bound to grow far more serious, is it not? In order to minimize the harm that might come from them, I consulted with the Zent.”

…Lady Rozemyne, even if you say “is it not?”—for most people, matters involving the gods simply do not occur in the first place

Unlike me, who wished to say as much, those from the other duchies seemed to find hope in Lady Rozemyne’s words about mitigating divine harm. Not wanting to miss a single word, the students fixed their eyes upon the stage, and the auditorium fell completely silent.

Amid that stillness, Lady Rozemyne stepped back slightly and yielded the floor to the Zent.

“In accordance with the wishes of the gods, the bride-stealing ditter will not be canceled. However, we intend to shape it in such a way that it does not interfere with social relations. The details I am about to announce have already been conveyed to Dunkelfelger, and their consent has been obtained.”

Without revealing that we had gathered in Dunkelfelger by way of the border gate for discussions, the Zent relayed to all what had already been reported to us.

Within three days, any duchy wishing to withdraw must directly petition Aub Dunkelfelger via the emergency water mirror. The archducal families of those duchies that have properly offered their apologies shall not be pursued further. Furthermore, even in duchies that have applied for bride-stealing ditter, ordinary students—aside from the archducal family members participating in the match and their guard knights—shall be considered unrelated to the matter, and it will have no effect on their socializing or personal relationships.

“So, from Dunkelfelger’s perspective, this has always been a battle between archducal families, and ordinary students were never involved to begin with?”

“So regardless of what our aub chooses, it will not affect our socializing or relationships… That is a relief.”

“Once an apology has been made, even the archducal family will not be held accountable.”

I could feel the atmosphere among the students ease all at once. If it became someone else’s affair, then it seemed the bride-stealing ditter proceeding as planned posed no issue to them. And once it was conveyed to their duchies that a proper apology would settle the matter, many aubs would surely feel reassured.

As we left the auditorium, there were no longer any students whispering while casting furtive glances at Dunkelfelger. Most were instead speaking with bright expressions about how they would spend the coming social season.

…Oh?

And precisely because of that, I could not help but notice those who cast pleading looks toward me. Though it had been announced that an aub could simply withdraw via the emergency water mirror to avoid Lord Sigiswald’s interference, the archduke candidates of Hauchletzte and Gilesenmeyer looked particularly pale.

After returning to the dormitory, I mentioned the state of Hauchletzte and Gilesenmeyer to my retainers as something that had caught my attention.

”…Might there have been some problem with the terms that were decided?”

“It is possible. However, if that is the case, they will surely make some sort of inquiry to Dunkelfelger through the Zent or their aub. There is nothing we can do.”

“Luitpold, is that not a little too cold a way of putting it?”

When I gently reproved him for his dismissive tone, Elusia stepped in to defend Luitpold.

“It cannot be helped, Lady Hannelore. We only know that Lady Luzinde is troubled because we offered advice during the tea party with Lady Charlotte. As things stand, they are still hostile duchies that have applied for ditter against us.”

“That is true, but…”

Ever since the terms of the bride-stealing ditter had been revised, I had thought we might be able to help those who did not truly wish for it. That was precisely why their uneasy expressions continued to weigh on my mind.

“Besides, the Zent’s previous directive—that students are not to be troubled over the matter of bride-stealing ditter—has not been revoked. I do not believe they will approach us for consultation within the Royal Academy.”

“I shall inform the duchy that milady is concerned. If there is some particular reason, they may see to the matter and provide us with a report.”

I nodded at Andrea and Cordula’s words. At this point, it seemed I had no choice but to accept that there was nothing I could do.

“More importantly, milady, please finish your classes as soon as possible so that no more reckless meetings are suggested. Lady Rozemyne is waiting for you.”

…That’s right. A wooden board had arrived from Lady Rozemyne saying, “Once Lady Hannelore has finished her lessons, shall we have tea together?”

“Ever since Lady Sieglinde eased the passing scores, you’ve been progressing smoothly through your classes. Milady, you’re almost there.”

I nodded in agreement at Elusia’s encouragement. My crucial mission was to finish my classes as quickly as possible and prevent Lady Rozemyne’s well-meaning—but potentially overzealous—plans from running amok.

“Good day, Lady Hannelore. I’m relieved we can greet each other like this at last.”

“Yes, I look forward to your continued guidance.”

It seems that the announcements from the Zent and Lady Rozemyne were truly effective. The archduke candidates who had kept their distance were now greeting me with smiles. The atmosphere in the classroom had changed considerably, and the discomfort I had felt was gone.

“It seems you’ve been away for quite some time, but how are your studies progressing, Lady Hannelore?”

“Thank you for your concern. I should be finished by the next lesson.”

“It looks like I can finish today. It’s a relief for both of us, is it not?”

The classroom for the archduke candidate course was already more than half empty, as many students had finished their lessons, leaving the room unusually quiet. Since entering the Royal Academy, I had never stayed this late to complete my classes. The rare sight of the nearly empty classroom filled me with both curiosity and a sense of urgency and unease at being left behind.

“Hmm, it seems there are several people who can finish up today.”

When Professor Anastasius said this, casually surveying everyone’s progress, a sharp tension ran through the classroom. No one wanted to be the last remaining student. The thought of being left alone, with him watching me intently as I worked through the lesson, was utterly unappealing.

“Hannelore, I am counting on you. I believe the lord and lady of Dankelferger would also wish this, but there is no need for further confusion for the Zent, or rather, for Yurgenschmidt. Wouldn’t you agree?”

…That seems like a rather roundabout warning, telling me to finish my classes quickly and stop Lady Rozemyne’s from going out of control?

I have no idea what exactly was said at that meeting, but hearing it phrased that way—with the kind of imposing presence only royalty could have—just makes my anxiety spike even more.

“Let’s take a break.”

I headed toward the rest area at the back of the classroom to recover my mana. I drank a restoration potion and exhaled slowly. After a while, Lord Wilfred also came over to take a break.

“Lady Hannelore, this is for you. From Charlotte,” he said.

After drinking his own potion, Lord Wilfred, keeping an eye on Professor Anastasius, handed me a folded sheet of plant paper.

I opened the letter on the spot. Since it was from Lady Charlotte, I had expected it to mention something about Lady Luzinde, who had seemed troubled, but instead, it detailed the situation with Drewanchel.

As expected, Lord Ortwin had been subjected to hostility from those unconnected to the bride-stealing ditter and had been rather cornered, but thanks to the revised arrangements, he was freed from their pointless malice. The letter also mentioned that with Lord Lancelit summoned by the Aub and returning to the duchy, things in the dormitory had settled down as well.

“Why was Lord Lancelit summoned to his duchy, I wonder?”

“I’ve heard that Lady Rozemyne spoke firmly to the Aub of Drewanchel about him troubling Lady Letizia.”

My muttered words drew a response from Wilfried, and I blinked in surprise as I turned my gaze toward him.

…Weren’t you forbidden from interacting with me? Or perhaps Lady Charlotte sent word for him to explain the recent situation?

Still unclear on Lord Wilfried’s exact position within Ehrenfest, I listened carefully to the explanation. It seemed that the issue stemmed from Lady Rozemyne, having returned from the world of the gods and hearing Lady Letizia’s report, becoming displeased with Lord Lancelit’s actions.

“I’ve heard that, on the pretext of an important matter requiring a return to her duchy, she plans to submit a complaint directly to Aub Drewanchel using the emergency water mirror.”

It seems that Rozemyne said something like: “It’s fine for true siblings to have contact with one another, but deliberately taking advantage of my absence as the Archduchess to force an interaction and trouble Letizia, how can that be justified? Even if you’re in different duchies, it would be one thing if he protected her because she was his actual younger sister, but can one really consider someone like that a true older brother?”

“A complaint lodged directly from the avatar of the goddess who just returned from the world of the gods…?”

It’s no wonder that Aub Drewanchel was shocked and summoned Lancelit. Father must have been quite surprised, when she had announced “We will hold the meeting at the border gate on Earth Day,” as well. However, there’s a significant difference in the mental burden between proposals aimed at improving the current situation around myself and the Royal Academy and receiving a direct complaint from the avatar of the goddess towards the Aub of another duchy.

“I hope they haven’t gone too far… Both my uncle—no, Lord Ferdinand—and Lady Rozemyne do tend to be a bit extreme at times.”

“Well, hehe…”

Indeed, recalling their more extreme tendencies makes me slightly concerned about what might happen with Lord Lancelit going forward.

“As for me, having received the consultation from Lady Letizia, I am relieved to hear that things around her and Lord Ortwin have settled down. I truly appreciate you passing along this information. Please also convey my sincere gratitude to Lady Charlotte as well.”

“Once you’ve finished your classes, please have tea with Charlotte and Lady Rozemyne.”

“Certainly, I should be finished by the next lessons, so I’ll definitely do so at that time.”

And so, just as I had told Lord Wilfried, I completed the classes for the archduke candidate course during the next lesson. Professor Anastasius praised me, saying, “That was faster than expected. Well done,” and I savored that sense of accomplishment. With that, I had finished all the fifth-year classes at the Royal Academy. I could finally begin participating in the socialising period.

Having completed all my classes, I returned to the dormitory in good spirits, only for Luitpold to come to me with a wooden board. Without a word, he led me straight to the conference room.

“Lady Hannelore, reports have arrived from our duchy. It seems that no additional duchies have withdrawn their applications.”

The news is that the duchies participating in the Bride-Stealing Ditter have been finalized as Korinthsdaum, Drewanchel, Gilesenmeyer, and Hauchletzte.

“Still, this is strange. Didn’t Gilesenmeyer withdraw? They seemed so intent on cornering Lord Ortwin and pushing for a withdrawal, yet they didn’t… Perhaps it was only Lady Luzinde herself who wanted to avoid the ditter, while the Aub was actually in favor of participating.”

When I tilted my head in puzzlement and murmured my question, Luitpold let out a slow sigh.

“It seems that Gilesenmeyer and Hauchletzte have already entered into a magic contract with Lord Sigiswald, so they cannot decline of their own will and are actually in quite a bind.”

“Contract magic… you say…?”

I was taken aback at a situation I could have never even imagined.

“It seems both duchies tried to urgently seek consultation through the emergency water mirrors, however…”

“No matter how much Father might want to intervene, the cancellation of a binding contract must be carried out by the parties who are themselves involved. And I suppose Lord Sigiswald would never consent to dissolving the contract.”

“If Lord Sigiswald is scheming to gain an advantage in the bride-stealing ditter, then Gilesenmeyer and Hauchletzte are valuable allies and assets to him. I can’t imagine he would agree to dissolve his binding contracts with either of their duchies.”

“Apparently, the Zent’s intercession also played a role. Even if participation in the ditter cannot be avoided, they say that future considerations regarding the consequences will be taken into account.”

After Louipolt finished reading the wooden board, he let out a small snort.

“Even if they say they wish to dissolve the contract magic, or even if it gets back that they consulted with the Zent, their relationship with Lord Sigiswald will only worsen. Both Gilesenmeyer and Hauchletzte will probably start thinking more carefully about how to interact with the former royal family moving forward, don’t you think?”

I frowned slightly. I understood what he meant, and he wasn’t wrong. Still, lately it felt like Luitpold’s words had grown sharper. Perhaps it was a side of him I was only noticing now because I’d grown closer to my retainers, but it wasn’t exactly pleasant to hear.

“Luipolt, you are going to be a scholar negotiating with other duchies in the future. If that is the case, please start being careful from now on to not choose words that are likely to offend others.”

He seemed surprised that I would point that out, his eyes widening slightly, but then Luitpold composed himself and nodded.

“I will be careful.”

Cordula looked at me with a satisfied expression, gave a single nod, and lightly clapped her hands.

“In any case, this confirms the duchies that will participate in the ditter. Milady, you have also completed all your classes. It’s time to begin socializing.”

At Cordula’s words, the apprentices straightened with determination. This year, the start of our socializing had been delayed compared to usual. They needed to discuss our plans for what was to come.

“First, let us get in contact with Lady Rozemyne.”

As soon as I said that, an ordonnanz that seemed to have been waiting for its cue darted in. The white bird circled the room once, then landed on my hand and opened its beak.

“Lady Hannelore, this is Rozemyne. I have heard you have finished all your classes. Let us have a library committee’s tea party. It seems that Professor Solange has something she wishes to discuss.”

Watching as the Ordonnanz repeated its message three times, Andrea let out a wry smile.

“She is quick to hear things. It seems Lady Rozemyne also enjoys the favor of the Goddess Ordoschnelli.”

“Without a doubt, she must be under her divine protection.”

I nodded and voiced my consent to the Ordonnanz. Knowing that she was looking forward to this so eagerly made me genuinely happy.