472 - From Summer to Autumn
I feel as though the Remembrance Festival ended in the blink of an eye. That is likely because I did not participate in it at all. As in usual years, Leonardo took a nap during the day in preparation for the rituals held in the square at night, and in the meantime, he sent Mirsche on an errand to the Three Crows tavern to buy sweet and salty dango.
As for my memories of this year's Remembrance Festival, that is about it.
If there was anything else unusual, it would be that Rannvald wanted to see the rituals Leonardo performs. Having taken time off from the evening, Rannvald observed the rituals in the square and seemed to be greatly inspired. He managed to carve out some gaps in his schedule, and used those gaps to paint again.
"...Leonardo-oniisama during the Remembrance Festival. I feel like Jemian-sama would be pleased if I sent this to his gallery."
Rannvald shows me a painting with the Remembrance Festival as its motif, saying it is finished. I do not know whether a painting is good or bad, but I could tell that the completed work was wonderful. A previous embroidery painting had been based on the myth of the War God Herkules, so the hair color and such were different from the actual Leonardo, but since Rannvald's goal was to paint Leonardo, it is simply Leonardo. Both his hair and eyes are black. Clad in old-fashioned attire, his skin and hair were lit red by the flames of torches.
...Looking at it again like this, Leonardo-san really is handsome, isn't he?
I think he is different from what one would call a "pretty boy," but he has a face that is not bad. Perhaps because I have become too familiar with Leonardo, I feel as though I am attracted to men with this amount of muscle. I love Alfred, but I prefer a gorilla-muscle type like Leonardo over a lean-muscle type.
...Yes, I think I will become Leonardo-san's bride in the future.
Or, I will be a spinster. Since the marriage problem cannot be solved by my will alone, if Leonardo absolutely says he does not want me as his bride, I will just stay put at my parents' home (with Leonardo) without marrying anywhere. While I was thinking such things with a straight face, Rannvald gave a wry smile. He said that even if he sent his painting to Lagarette, it was questionable whether Jemian would be pleased.
"He would probably be pleased with any portrait of a wife or a mistress, but my paintings lack interest... I wonder? I just painted Leo as I saw him, so there are no elements that would please Jemian."
"Is that how it is? I think it is painted very well..."
I tilt my head and look down at the painting, wondering what the problem is. Even if I changed the angle from which I looked, no particular flaws became visible.
"Christina-sama, shall we also cultivate an eye that understands art?"
"I think art is a matter of personal preference, but I can understand that Felicia-sama is beautiful."
"Feli's beauty is a beauty that reaches not only all people but even beasts. Rather, if there were a creature that looked at that and did not understand the concept of 'beauty,' I would like to see it."
"I think if a goddess actually existed on the current earth, she would have Felicia-sama's face. ...Does Felicia-sama's beauty reach beasts as well?"
"Whether it be a horse, a bird, or a wolf, there has not been a beast that did not submit before Feli."
Adding a preface that he does not know if it is still the case now, Rannvald told me about Felicia's detached palace. While I was in the royal capital, Felicia stayed mostly in the detached palace given to me, but of course, Felicia also has a detached palace given to her within the royal castle. Since she is a princess, it is only natural. And it seems that Felicia's detached palace has actually become an animal kingdom. The only animal Felicia brought to my detached palace was Henrietta the horned owl, but in Felicia's detached palace, various creatures live there regardless of whether they are herbivores or carnivores, large or small.
"I did not know. Felicia-sama's detached palace was a zoo."
...Also, the gatherings surrounding Felicia-sama by her followers that were held at my detached palace had a dress code of 'human,' didn't they? So that was actually a small number.
I feel a bit of regret that I did not know Felicia's detached palace was in such a state. If I had known back when I spent all my time going out with Leonardo in the royal capital, going to Felicia's detached palace as a zoo would have been an option. The next time I go to the royal capital is in four years, but I made a note in a corner of my heart to let her show it to me at least once.
As the end of summer approaches, replies to the letters I sent to Aurelia's acquaintances begin to arrive here and there. Since Alfred had informed them of my plight in advance, everyone is favorable, saying I should not worry about the discourtesy of the late replies.
...It was a letter addressed to me, so it is strange, if anything, that Alf-san wanted it.
For some reason, Alf wanted one of the letters that arrived for me. If there was a difference compared to the other letters, it would be that the letter was reasonably dirty. The statuses of Aurelia's acquaintances vary. There are nobles, and there are commoners. From those with status like Carlotta, clean envelopes are delivered while remaining clean, but this is due to the system of the Persewash Church. The church that takes the name of Persewash, the god of messengers and communication, plays a role like a post office in my previous life. However, it is strictly 'like a post office.' It does not have the speed of a post office from my previous life, where a letter posted today would reach a far-off destination the next day. It is not a flat rate to anywhere in the country. Since humans use their own feet or horses, sometimes hire guards, and depending on the content, use relay horses to deliver letters, the fee depends on the sender's pockets.
The letters from me use the middle tier in terms of fees. They are carried by people of the Persewash Church without rushing, while keeping a record of delivery, and although it takes some time, the letter reliably reaches the recipient unless it is caught up in bandits or incidents and accidents.
In contrast, letters from Carlotta or people who seem to have room in their pockets use the most expensive transport method. Because people of the Persewash Church hire horses and guards to carry the letters, they are delivered to me quickly and reliably.
The cheapest fee is the method of entrusting letters to merchants or travelers going in the same direction as the destination, carrying the letter like a relay race. With this method, it is unknown when the letter will reach the recipient, and the trust that it will reliably arrive is thin.
And the letter Alf wanted was a letter delivered with this cheapest fee. Looking at the date written on the letter, it was a letter sent almost a year ago. Because it passed through the hands of various people and was carried mixed in with many luggage, the envelope was completely dirty and worn out. As for the content, it was perfectly ordinary. It began with a greeting considered so that it would be fine regardless of which season it arrived in, followed by a brief self-introduction and impressions of the bobbin lace guidebook, and then a confirmation of whether the woman named Aurelia written in the guidebook was the Aurelia who is her acquaintance. If she is a friend of the greatly indebted Aurelia, she would like to lend a hand as much as possible on some occasion. To the letter that suggested this in roundabout words, although it was a letter I received, I decided to give it to Alf.
A dirty, perfectly ordinary letter. However, the sense of incongruity is great.
...To think of it as a letter from a commoner delivered with the cheapest fee, the wording is too well-arranged, isn't it?
The greeting considering the season was also splendid, and the handwriting was fluid and neat. It is hard to think of it as handwriting written by a commoner, among whom there are those who cannot even read or write depending on the case. It was more convincing to think of it as a person whose job is ghostwriting, or a person who acquired more education than what is taught at the Menhishmi Church. Alf wants a letter from such a person. There must be some circumstances that I do not know. When I asked Alf if there was anything to convey while writing a reply, I was told to get permission to hand the letter over to Alfred. The sender of the mysterious letter was apparently a person related to Alfred.
...Furthermore, I would not be surprised if another 'True Alfred-sama' or something appeared.
There are many mysteries around Alfred. Even if another Alfred increased now, I would probably not be surprised. I heard such rumors even when I was in the royal capital.
"Giselle's condition seems to have settled down considerably."
In the new letter that arrived from Carlotta, there was text worrying about me and a description of Giselle's recent situation. The wounds have closed, but her physical strength dropped during the winter, and she seems to be doing rehabilitation for that now. Hearing that her food intake has returned to normal and that recovery is fast due to her youth, I feel a bit relieved on this end as well.
...I wonder what Jean-Jacques is doing in the Empire?
In addition to Giselle's recent situation, Carlotta's letter mentioned that Jean-Jacques occasionally shows his face at Augun Castle. According to Leonardo, Jean-Jacques became a Silver Knight on a provisional license as my guard, but he has not shown his face once. As a guard, I wonder about this.
...Am I speculating too much here?
Regarding the part about Jean-Jacques, there is a sentence hinting at a relationship with Giselle. Carlotta seems to feel love in the figure of Jean-Jacques encouraging Giselle, who is feeling weak.
...Huh? Jean-Jacques? To Giselle?
I think it is some mistake, but matters of men and women depend on the individuals themselves, so I will leave this to Carlotta. I cannot quite imagine Jean-Jacques, who interacts with me no differently than a boy, falling in love with Giselle, but both Jean-Jacques and Giselle are proper adults. I have no intention of saying this or that about other people's romance, and I have not had much interest in it from the start, so if they get together, I think it is fine if they get together. Giselle is the third generation of the Flower Peerage. If a child falls to a commoner, Jean-Jacques, who was a commoner from the start, might be a good partner as a husband, and since he is a Silver Knight, there is a possibility that Jean-Jacques will still achieve merits. If considering only the conditions, it cannot be said that he is not a good marriage partner for Giselle.
...No, it is Jean-Jacques, you know? Giselle, are you not being deceived? Are you okay?
Recalling the figure of Jean-Jacques who chased me around dressed as a mummy saying "I am a Franken-man~", I feel a very subtle mood. I think he is a partner who is not bad in terms of conditions, but other than that, Jean-Jacques is someone I cannot think is suitable as a partner for the honest and serious Giselle. I think a sincere man, the exact opposite of Jean-Jacques, would suit Giselle.
...Well, it might be Carlotta-sama's imagination.
Rather, I think the possibility of imagination or misunderstanding is higher, but I forcibly terminate my drifting thoughts, wondering what the truth is. It would be troublesome if a little curiosity were sensed by a mischievous fairy and I were sent to Augun Castle again in a sudden moment. Mainly, Salisa and Aaron, who are suddenly left by my disappearance.
...In the reply, I think I will include the recent situation and a confirmation like, "it seems I went there the other day due to a spirit's prank."
It was quite a while ago that I appeared in a place that seemed to be Augun Castle due to a spirit's prank, but I write it in a letter for the first time. This is because it takes an outrageous amount of time to send a letter from the town of Grenore to the Augun territory.
...The recent situation is not recent at all, is it, with letters.
I wonder if some reincarnated person will conveniently invent a telephone or something. I think such things, but if I were told to make it myself, I do not know how to make a telephone, so I will stop asking others for it. If I want to increase the delivery speed of letters, I just need to increase the gift money wrapped for the Persewash Church.
...I really wish someone would make a telephone. To be extravagant, a mobile phone.
There is also the desire to talk with the distant Carlotta, but the main use in the case of having a mobile phone is the information sharing among Leonardo, Salisa, and Aaron regarding my sudden disappearances. It was not something I caused intentionally, but remembering my past disappearances, Alf and Alfred would also need mobile phones.
...Someone make a telephone! I can put up to five thousand gold coins for research funds!
"...Ah, the color changed."
As the season changed to autumn, and it became a time where I was made to wear a thin coat even just for the time of taking the black Shiba (Koku-maro) for a walk in the backyard, I suddenly became curious about the coat I wore last year. Like the mysterious bag, the coat said to be made by a spirit is a convenient coat that can be worn all year round, where hair grows on the inside when it gets cold and hair falls out when it gets warm. However, because of that, 'boredom' also comes. I wear the same coat all year round. Even I, who do not care much about clothing, naturally want to change at least the color.
Thinking so, I tried saying something random to the coat, "This year's trend is cream color," and the dark brown coat transformed into a beautiful cream color.
"Not only does hair grow, but the color even changes, it is an amazing coat."
The day after I talked with Salisa jokingly that if I asked, even the design might change, I was surprised to find that the design of the coat had actually changed a little. If the design can be changed, it seems it would also handle repairs and size adjustments on its own. If I am not extravagant, this one coat will suffice for a lifetime.
...No, I think that is a bit much, though.
While I was being surprised by the coat, the embroidery thread I ordered arrived. With this, I can have a new enjoyment, and I spend most of my hobby time sewing Bertrand's portrait. The embroidery that gradually gains color is fun. Even if it is a portrait of Bertrand with a stern face.
"Once autumn ends, it will be winter. A year goes by in the blink of an eye..."
I think it is fast, not just a little, but a wood-burning stove is carried into my room. While I am vaguely watching the two Silver Knights who are being used by Rannvald for heavy labor, Salisa, who had been measuring my dimensions in the meantime, told me, "Your height has grown a little." Compared to the memo of my height and three sizes I sent to the tailor before, the numerical values have indeed increased a little.
"It is true, it is a tiny value if considering a growth spurt, but it has grown..."
With the hope that this value is not an error, I have her measure me once more. There are errors of one or two millimeters, but my height had indeed grown by one centimeter.
"Since things have been calm lately, did your body remember to grow?"
I hope I continue to grow steadily like this. As a girl, I would also like my chest to grow soon.
...Well, chest growth is not something that can be handled by one's own will, though.
The news that my height grew, even if only a little, gave me a strange confidence. I can also say that I felt positive at the conviction that I will grow from now on and become an adult.
...Shall I try to be a little more greedy?
Pushed by my improved mood, I try to expand my range of movement in the backyard. As a result, I succeeded in moving from the backyard to the side of the mansion and showing my face in the front garden. I could not go out into the front garden, but for me, it is progress.
I still could not go outside, but I could show my face at the service gate. Then, when I tried the back gate leading to the fort, I was able to go up to the front of the door, so I tried chatting with the gatekeeper through the door. Pearl, who was the gatekeeper when I was first taken in, had been removed from the gatekeeper position when I returned from the royal capital, but it seems he is a gatekeeper again now. I was surprised when I heard Pearl's voice when I spoke toward the back gate. When I worried if he had failed at something and been sent back to the newcomer's job of gatekeeping, which seems to be assigned to newcomers even in the fort, Pearl laughed. He had been a gatekeeper as a newcomer before, but now he seems to be a gatekeeper while guiding newcomers as a veteran. Indeed, it is a bit unreliable if those guarding the gate are only newcomers. It is probably just that they combine a newcomer with a senior Black Knight as a guide from the start, and Pearl's role changed with the years.
...Alright, the goal is to be able to go outside from the entrance by winter.
This goal achievement deadline is absolute. Leonardo will go on a journey to visit the other three forts during the winter. In order to accompany him, I must overcome the trauma regarding going outside. If the trauma cannot be overcome, I will live apart until Leonardo returns at the end of winter.
...I hate going outside, but I hate being apart from Leonardo-san even more. I have to do my best.