341 - Tutor Hermine Hartmann
I avoided the night festival, but there was no need to hold back from the daytime Divine King Festival. And so, this year's costume was a bear cub. Last year's owl coat had a realistically crafted face on the hood, but this year's bear was stylized. Since it was a costume for the Divine King Festival, they had put effort into the budget as well. The cat ears and dog ears I usually wear are treated as mere hair accessories, but Divine King Festival costumes are mostly full-body coverings, and this year too my face was almost invisible from the outside. My face in this life is cute enough that portraits of me sell, so there are times when not being seen is convenient, but at the Divine King Festival, which has started to feel synonymous with getting-lost events, it's unpopular with my guardians.
...Well, if my guardians can't see my face, they just need to hold my hand and walk, that's all.
Holding hands with my escort Hermine, I walked through the daytime Divine King Festival. Since Hermine was also wearing a bear headpiece this year, Hermine had become a mother bear leading three bear cubs.
"How peaceful."
When I let out that comment while peeking at a stall, saying that a Divine King Festival where no one gets lost was rare, Hermine retorted that getting lost in the first place was the rare occurrence. Indeed, she was right. My senses had grown numb from too many things happening, but ordinarily, one doesn't just get lost that easily.
While we walked through the inner city, Hermine's hand was never released from mine, but Elke and Petrona were walking freely. In particular, Elke had said something mature about it being about time to graduate from leaving handprints on the hearth, but once in costume, her pride in being on the verge of joining the adults seemed to fly out the window somewhere. She was peeking into stalls all over the place, dragging Petrona along with her momentum.
When I returned to the detached palace with as many sweets as I could carry in one hand, an invitation to dinner from Christoph had arrived. According to Felicia, Christoph was said to be "in a foul mood," and I didn't want to get close to him, but Alf and Nadine, who had brought the invitation, persuaded me. With Rannvald having run off again, Christoph's mood was at rock bottom early in the new year, and it seemed they wanted to force him to recover by having me, who couldn't show my private side, sit in.
...Is this also, in a way, cheering him up?
Christoph is human too, so I think he should be allowed to be angry about Rannvald for at least a day, but apparently if they don't make him switch his mood quickly, things get troublesome later. When one becomes king, it seems even the freedom to worry about one's younger brother and be angry is taken away.
...Well, but it'd be a problem if he got so depressed he ruined his health.
Felicia, who had been out and about since morning without me remembering when she left, was actively going here and there. To be more specific, it seemed she had gone out to spread an encirclement net for Rannvald among her friends and acquaintances. Since they couldn't exactly say Rannvald, who was supposed to be dead, she seemed to intend to capture him under the pretense that a Leonardo impersonator had appeared. Felicia has a wide network, so perhaps she could actually catch him this time.
...Well, I also have a feeling that Rannvald-sama would manage to escape somehow.
After all, Rannvald sometimes has spirits on his side. He might not be so easy to find.
"Thank you for the invitation, Your Majesty King Christoph."
I gave my New Year's greetings and thanked him for the invitation. I couldn't help feeling I'd been dragged out to cheer him up, but it was a dinner invitation. It was only proper to give thanks.
I was escorted to my seat by Alf and introduced to the royalty at the table whom I was meeting for the first time. I'd thought there would be few people since they'd called me, but when I compared the names of those introduced to me with the royal family tree Hermine had drilled into me, it seemed only the king and those with Royal Peerage had been invited. Frankly, I was far out of place.
...Why am I being called to a place like this?
Straightening my back while sweating coldly on the inside, I knew even without wanting to that I couldn't have my usual relaxed attitude here.
Dinner began at Christoph's lead, and I brought the served food to my mouth while recalling Hermine's lessons. In spirit, it was a pop quiz. I knew it was a luxurious dinner, but I was so focused on eating according to etiquette that I could barely taste anything. However, I thought I understood why I'd been called to a gathering of only Royal Peerages. It was said Felicia was the leading candidate for the next king, but nothing was decided. So they seemed to have arranged this meeting so that whoever became the next king would have some acquaintance with me, or rather, so that they could understand the sort of person I was.
...Perhaps because Christoph-sama has many daughters, there are many women among the Royal Peerages too.
This might also be due to the trend of women being preferred as successors in these parts. Since those counted as royalty extend only to the king's grandchildren, there were Royal Peerages in Christoph's generation too.
The dinner I could barely taste ended, and dessert was brought out. Relaxing at the thought that this stifling banquet might finally be over, I found a little room to enjoy the flavor.
...Delicious. Peach and apple? Is this what they call a compote? Oh, but it has a caramel flavor. If I ask Kalisa, would she make it for me?
I cut the crispy pie filled with fruit with my fork and brought it to my mouth. I was worried about etiquette, but for delicious food, I felt I could endure a little longer.
"Could you tell me about the state Rannvald was in when you last saw him?"
"...Yes."
I'd been letting my guard down, thinking this suffocating dinner party would end with dessert, but being suddenly addressed made me catch my breath. My back was as straight as it could possibly be, so I wanted to believe they hadn't noticed I'd been relaxing.
...But now I understood why I'd been called today. It was to gather information on Rannvald-sama.
Much to my chagrin, I was the last person to have met Rannvald. They must have wanted to hear about it from me. The fact that they brought it up here meant they intended to share the information that Rannvald was alive within the Royal Peerage, regardless of whether they contacted Ethelbert about it.
...I'm way too out of place here!
I thought so, but I answered honestly and carefully to what was asked. All I had to worry about today was behaving like a lady in my responses. I had no obligation to protect Rannvald, who only caused worry for his brother and niece, so I answered as I was asked.
"Was that when he was asking about the city of Grenore?"
"Yes. From the way he spoke, it seemed he had stayed there for a while."
The conversation even extended to the small talk we'd had while I was watching the children, and I recalled that conversation while being careful not to let my words slip. I also mentioned that I'd thought it was odd how persistently he asked about the Menhishumi Church.
"An irresponsible fool like that should just be left alone."
"That irresponsible fool, irresponsible as he is, seems to have shown his face trying to fulfill his duties as royalty, you know."
To one of the Royal Peerages who said they should just leave Rannvald be, Christoph made a remark defending him. I could hardly believe that Rannvald, who appeared and disappeared so casually, had any notion of royal duty. And I wasn't the only one who found it hard to believe. The Royal Peerages, who knew Rannvald far better than I did, seemed unable to accept Christoph's words. Murmurs of "Surely not that flippant one" spread among them.
...By 'royal duty,' does he mean searching for something?
At the words 'royal duty,' which were utterly unsuited to Rannvald, I thought about the Rannvald who had disappeared. Even he was aware that he couldn't just show his face at the royal castle he'd fled from, going so far as to fake his death. Yet he'd come to the capital for a search, meaning it was something he had to accomplish even if it meant swallowing his pride.
...Maybe I should have listened to him more sympathetically?
It was I who decided not to listen to Rannvald's story because I didn't want to get involved. After all, any story royalty brought was bound to be troublesome.
...Huh? But according to the Divine King's assessment, it had already been delivered to the proper place, so maybe the thing he was searching for didn't need to be searched for after all?
Thinking something was strange, I looked at Alf. Alf, bringing dessert to his mouth, looked like Alfred from every angle. The fact that he could imitate even each individual mannerism meant this wasn't the first time they'd switched. Surrounded by Royal Peerages though he was, he cut a remarkably dignified figure as a prince.
I had already conveyed the Divine King's assessment to Alf, whom I'd thought was Alfred. Since I'd left the handling of the information to Alf, it was also possible that Rannvald had heard from Alf that "the thing he was searching for had been delivered" and, having finished his business in the capital, had disappeared from the royal castle.
...Even if Alf-san didn't tell him anything, he left because something changed, right? Probably.
Either way, it was still not something for me to think about. Rannvald's circumstances were the royalty's circumstances. I didn't know what he was searching for, but it had nothing to do with me.
"...Tina-san, you're able to behave properly as a lady without showing any dependence when your brother isn't around, aren't you."
I'd been told that going out included the journey back to the detached palace. I'd also been taught not to let my guard down until I entered my room, even after returning. The lessons Hermine had taught me remained in my mind, so tonight I kept my posture even in the carriage and didn't relax until I was back in my private room.
In exchange, the moment I entered my private room, I let out a huge sigh and dropped my shoulders, earning this evaluation from Hermine who had accompanied me. It seemed my lady act was perfect as long as Leonardo, who always made me get spoiled, wasn't around.
"As I thought, the problem is that Mr. Dupre hasn't been able to let go of his little sister."
...Ah, I won't deny that.
Since I'd been called to a royal dinner, Solana undid my hair, which had been braided more intricately than usual as part of dressing up, and removed my hair ornaments. As my hair was freed, my tension eased a little. I wanted to take off the cat ears too, but I'd been told not to remove them except when sleeping, so I'd have to endure a little longer.
"By the way, Hermine-sensei, it seemed you were spoken to by Elvis-sama earlier. May I ask what you were discussing?"
"I don't mind. ...It was an invitation, saying that once Tina-san's education is complete, they would like to hire me again as Dietfried-sama's tutor."
I froze for a moment, holding the cup of herbal tea Kalisa had brewed for me. Hermine, sitting in the chair across from me, was staring intently, observing my reaction. Was this some kind of test too? I noticed that fleetingly, but what came out of my mouth was my usual sort of remark.
"I understand. To make sure Hermine-sensei's education isn't finished yet, I'll be naughty."
"...I know that Tina-san is not the kind of child who would cause me such unnecessary trouble."
"That trust is painful."
The trust hurt, making it hard to betray. I'd reflexively said I'd be naughty, but no matter how I thought about it, it wasn't a method suited to me. I'd rather enjoy embroidery indoors than run around the garden being naughty.
"It's nothing more than that such an offer was made."
"...Is my education close to being finished?"
"I don't think I can drill the ways of a lady into you to the marrow of your bones, but as long as your brother isn't present, you should be able to maintain a proper appearance on your own."
It seemed I had even acquired the English that was considered a required subject for nobility at a general noble's level of education. My true nature still showed its common roots, but I had learned to make use of people. As a child of the Black Knight household, I was more than sufficient, and as a noble's daughter, I was apparently at the stage where I should hire specialists to learn from here on. Either way, the role of a 'home' tutor was soon coming to an end.
"Tina-san was not the kind of child who caused me any peculiar trouble, so you've made things easy for me."
"...Though I do get kidnapped by spirits."
"That's an experience other children couldn't have."
Hermine chuckled softly. She seemed to be joking, which was rare. As for me, I was starting to feel unsettled by this sudden job change talk about Hermine.
"I have been by Tina-san's side since the autumn of her ninth year... three years have passed already."
"...Then, for Hermine-sensei to stay by my side from now on, I suppose you'll have to become my sister-in-law."
Even if she graduated from being my tutor, if Leonardo could win Hermine over, wouldn't she stay with me as my sister-in-law? I thought it was a brilliant idea, but Hermine laughed it off with a bright smile.
"Mr. Dupre couldn't win me over even in ten years."
"...I suppose so."
Just saying, I thought, sipping my herbal tea while taking out my frustration on my unreliable brother in my head. It was odd for me, his little sister, to say this, but was there really anyone who could be that brother's wife? Leaving aside a husband who prioritizes work, he seemed like the type to prioritize his little sister over his wife, and I thought Leonardo's wife would have to be someone who could tolerate these two things. And I didn't know any woman who could do that.
"Is there no good way? I still want Hermine-sensei to stay by my side..."
"It's just that such an offer was made. It's not something that will happen right away. My employer is also Mr. Dupre, so his judgment will be needed as well."
"...You're a tutor, so of course someday you'll leave. When I think about it, it's only natural, but I'd never considered it before."
Even being told it was a matter for someday, I imagined that 'someday' and felt lonely already. At times like this, if Leonardo were beside me, I'd hug his side and distract myself from the loneliness, but right now there was no large body I could cling to. I'd probably end up holing up in my bed canopy later, hugging the belly of the Black Dog plush toy. Hugging a plush toy apparently had a calming effect on the heart.
"If Tina-san gets married early, has children early, you might be able to call me back early."
By then Dietfried's education would be finished, so hire me as your child's tutor next time, Hermine continued, and I responded with a forced smile as well. Since she was joking to cheer me up, I should respond in kind.
"Just how many years are you planning to spend on Dietfried-sama's education?"
"That one was truly a handful as a child."
It seemed he had improved somewhat, but she would retrain him until he could behave appropriately as royalty. First, she'd need to start by removing that cat headpiece of his, Hermine said with a strong smile. In that smile, I was able to believe that this was truly just a graduation, not a parting for this lifetime.
"...Someday, may I write you letters?"
"You'd be welcome to."
At Hermine's reply, accompanied by an elegant smile, the stiffness left my own smile as well. Once I could force a smile a little more naturally, that would probably be the end of Hermine's lady education for me. I had that feeling.
Hermine-sensei is a tutor, so someday we will part.
Will fix typos and errors at a later date.