Ascendance of a Bookworm P3V1 Teaset SS 2: Rozemyne’s POV – Tableware for the temple

I returned to the temple for the first time since becoming the archduke’s adopted daughter. It had been so long since I’d seen them, that I found Fran and all my other attendants’ faces nostalgic.

“…Oh my, this tea set…”

As I drank the tea which Fran brewed for me, I blinked in surprise as I noticed I was holding an unfamiliar cup. It was coloured in a stylish dark blue and adorned with the Rozemyne Workshop’s crest. Previously, when I was invited to lunch by the High Priest… Or rather, when I begged him to show me an example of tableware used by nobles, the tableware he presented back then was very similar in design to the tea set I was using now.

…Is this really mine?

“I brought this over from the orphanage director’s chambers. I’ve already received permission from the High Priest and Lord Karstedt. Please let me introduce the new furniture and accessories to you later.”

As I curiously gazed at the unfamiliar tea set, Fran hurriedly spoke out as if to cut me off before I could say something stupid. His gaze was fixed on Brigitte as if to gauge her reaction.

…Ahh, I see what’s going on. So that’s the setting they’re going with.

All the tableware I’d been using until now had been leftovers from the previous orphanage director. After joining the temple, I’d completely revamped the bathroom and all the kitchen utensils, but I was yet to get any new tableware. Mostly because I felt like it’d be a waste of money. However, to show evidence of my ‘lifestyle’ as a blue-robed apprentice shrine maiden, there were certain adjustments that needed to be made.

I don’t really mind the fact they went ahead and made new tableware for me, nor do I mind this pretence that I’d been using it for a long time. But why did they have to blatantly make it resemble the High Priest’s? Logically thinking, shouldn’t it instead resemble Father’s or the archducal clan’s? And besides, isn’t dark blue just such an ominous colour?

I swallowed all my questions and instead lightly chuckled.

“It seems like you’ve ordered a lot of new things so I’m sure the report is going to be fairly long.”

After dinner, the guard knights were to take turns bathing. Once Brigitte left the room and the only guard knight remaining was Damuel, Fran immediately began to give his report. Most of the new items were camouflage to hide the fact I was a former commoner. Damuel also attentively listened since it was something that he would be better off knowing.

“Everyone in the orphanage has already accepted the change from Sister Myne to Lady Rozemyne. All of them are used to following orders from above and besides, all they need to do is just change the way they call you. They were already treating you as a blue-robed shrine maiden so there aren’t any problems on that front.”

I never take them to the forest since that was all done with the cooperation of Lutz and the Gilberta Company as well as Tuuli and dad occasionally helping whenever I asked them to. From the orphans’ perspective, I only ever gave orders and rarely showed up in person. Either way, most of them don’t even understand the concept of family.

“Next, with regards to the tableware that perked Lady Rozemyne’s interest…”

“I at least understand the reason there was a need to acquire new tableware. It would’ve been difficult to continue using the old sets from the orphanage director’s chambers, since the previous orphanage director’s tableware wasn’t up to par.”

It’s been drilled into me numerous times that the previous orphanage director’s mednoble belongings were unfit for the archduke’s daughter. Well, from the perspective of a former commoner, all of them felt like luxury goods used by high and mighty nobles so I couldn’t really tell the difference.

“It’s not only the status difference that you need to be wary of. The previous orphanage director’s tableware has her clan’s coat of arms on it.”

“Eh? It has her clan’s emblem on it? Where?”
I’d been using it for around about a year, but this was news to me. Fran chuckled lightly and pointed to where it was.

“They’re on the bottom of her tableware. You wouldn’t see it unless you wash the dishes.”

I only ever came into contact with my tableware when it had food or tea in it, and once I was finished eating, it would be cleared away by my attendants. The crest wouldn’t be visible unless I flipped it over.

…Well, if it’s in an inconspicuous location like that, you can’t blame me for not knowing about it.

“The High Priest didn’t know about it either. He was very surprised when I went to consult him about this matter. He thought you’d swapped out all the tableware when you received the orphanage director’s chambers.”

When Fran reported that I was still using the previous orphanage director’s tableware, both the High Priest and Father clutched their heads in agony. Damuel also sympathised with their sentiments.

“I completely understand why the two of them would get a headache. With a backstory of being Lord Karstedt’s daughter who was secretly hidden and raised in the temple, in a lot of ways, that tableware leaves far too many loose ends. It’s very commendable that you noticed it before it became a problem.”

“I’m sure they hurried this job along by wielding the money and privileges of an archnoble. From now on, Brigitte is going to be here every day and Cornelius and Father were also thinking of frequently visiting the temple.”

Having earnt Elvira’s trust, my personal chef Ella was now serving her sweets at Father’s mansion. Cornelius then piped up and asked “Can’t Rozemyne’s personal chef make more than sweets? I want to eat her main dishes as well.” That line of thinking eventually lead him to ask to visit the temple as well.

“I don’t know if it’s because he’s undergoing puberty, but Cornelius seems to be quite the glutton. I can actually visualise him coming to the temple purely for the sake of food.”

Hearing my prediction, Fran lightly frowned and said “I shall keep that in the back of my mind” before continuing with his report.

“Just keep in mind that if you want to order new items with Ehrenfest’s crest, you won’t be able to do that from the temple. Only the archduke’s exclusive craftsman is allowed to make tableware with the duchy’s crest.”

It’s forbidden for anyone but the workshop of the archduke’s exclusive craftsman to make items with the duchy’s crest. That’s why Fran especially went to the trouble of consulting Father and the High Bishop. Apparently, my parents, Karstedt and Elvira, were the only ones who could help me place orders for such tableware.

“Lord Karstedt was happy to accept the request, however, the High Priest stopped him. Apparently it would seem suspicious if the tableware ordered didn’t give the feeling of something that had been used in the temple since a long time ago.”

“I understand that it would be more natural to leave traces of evidence suggesting I’d been living in the temple for a long time. But either way, since I’m the archduke’s adopted daughter, I don’t think there would be a problem even if we were a little forceful in our methods…”

“The High Priest probably has one eye on the future.”

Sometimes, I feel like Fran blindly trusts the High Priest too much. Lately, he’s often said things along the lines of “everything will be fine if we leave it to the High Priest”. I need to be careful so that I don’t get brainwashed like him.

“Was that enough to convince Father?”

“In the end…”

Fran wavered as he searched for the appropriate words to say. Apparently, Father had been reluctant to put his own household’s crest on tableware that was to be used in the temple.

“Nobles usually don’t allow their hidden children to use the father’s family crest. In such cases, the child would usually use their mother’s family crest.”

Fran nodded and replied, “I see. It’s just as Lord Karstedt described it.”

Damuel seemed to have been convinced by Father’s argument, however, the High Priest apparently didn’t agree. Since Elvira was going to be named as my mother at my baptism ceremony, it was important to clarify who my relatives were going to be. The High Priest followed her warnings and advice and decided not to publicise my fabricated setting as the child of Father’s third wife.

Hence, the High Priest apparently argued “There’s problems with using any crest, but if we want Rozemyne’s background to remain ambiguous, the safest choice is probably to stick with her family’s crest”.

“The High Priest also provided an explanation on the difference in status between a child who was secretly raised in the household’s mansion compared to blue-robed priests and shrine maidens. He also taught us that many people in the temple would put their family’s crest in inconspicuous locations.”

The temple’s blue-robed priests and shrine maidens received subsidiaries from the archduke and transported the donations received during the harvest festival from the castle to their clan’s household. It would be problematic in many ways if the household they originated from wasn’t common knowledge. By explaining the temple’s circumstances, the High Priest was able to successfully convince Father.

“I see. So nobles would usually proudly display their household’s crest but those who aren’t really acknowledged by their families, such as blue priests, would hide the crests in inconspicuous locations. So is Father’s crest somewhere on my tableware?”

“Would you like to try looking for it?”

I turned over the tea set that Fran held out to me and carefully looked for Karstedt’s family crest. It seems like Damuel had also never seen a ‘hidden crest’ before, as his face was brimming with curiosity. The crests were located on the bottom of the cup and in the centre of the saucer.

“The saucer’s been furnished so much that I feel like it makes the crest stand out…”

“No, the furnishing is there to make sure the crest doesn’t stand out. As expected of Lord Ferdinand, what an ingenious plan.”

Damuel seems to be convinced by that explanation, but as per usual, the thought patterns of nobles still didn’t make a lick of sense to me.

“Does the High Priest’s tableware have the Archducal clan’s crest in the same location?”

As I pointed to the crest on the tea set, Fran shook his head from side to side.

“Instead of a crest, the High Priest has a magic circle that would activate in reaction to his mana. But since it’s a magic circle to protect against poisoning, the High Priest said that it isn’t necessary for Lady Rozemyne’s temple tableware…”

“Eh? Did he need that kind of magic circle for his daily life while he was residing in Ehrenfest’s castle?”

Speaking of which, the High Priest taught me it was noble etiquette at tea parties to taste test for poison to show your guests that the food and beverages were safe to consume. Could it be that nobles needed to prepare magic circles for their meals?

“It’s the castle of an archduke who wanted to try an apprentice blue shrine maiden’s food. I can’t believe it’d be such a merciless place…”

“Pf—haha…”

Finally unable to endure, Damuel burst out into a bout of laughter. He had accompanied us during Spring Prayer and was a fellow victim of Sylvester’s whimsical bullying. He’s perfectly aware of the reason behind my confusion.

“Now that I think back on Sylvester’s actions during Spring Prayer, he was so careless that it wouldn’t even be strange for him to have died numerous times from being poisoned. Could it be that he struggles to safely eat meals in his castle and hence wanted to eat a commoner’s food because there was no need to be wary of poison?”

“Lady Rozemyne, that’s not it. It’s just that Lord Ferdinand has special circumstances to consider.”

But Damuel didn’t give me any further explanation. He didn’t know the full picture, nor did he know the extent of information which he was permitted to tell me, so in the end he decided that the High Priest should be the one to tell me himself.

“So the temple’s conventions dictate that an apprentice blue shrine maiden’s personal crest should be proudly displayed whilst their clan’s crest would be hidden? The temple really does things rather differently.”

“Yes. Lord Karstedt was satisfied with the crest placements when he received the same explanation.”

I pouted in response to Fran’s implicative words.

“You specifically mentioned crest placements… In other words, there’s still some other matter?”

“There was also the matter of what to do about the design. Supposedly, it would’ve been unnatural for you to match the tableware used in Lord Karstedt’s household. Originally, the order would’ve been placed for a workshop of your mother’s choice.”

…This sure is complicated. I’m glad everything was taken care of while I was away. If I were in the temple at the time, would I have had to listen to this tedious back and forth between Father and the High Priest?

In noble society, if you don’t understand the hidden meaning behind someone’s words, it’s better to just keep your mouth shut. Until you know of the conclusion reached from such vague discussions, you have no choice but to go along with the flow. This comes from my personal experience of being pressured into abstaining from reading.

“But still, why did they decide to model my tableware after the High Priest’s? Wouldn’t it be more natural if it were modelled after Father’s?”

“This was my idea. The High Priest is your guardian while you’re at the temple, so there would be nothing strange about the High Priest ordering your tableware during your blue-robed apprentice shrine maiden days.”

…Eh? Hold up. Is that really okay? Isn’t there something strange about all of this? If my guardian was the one who ordered my tableware, wouldn’t that suggest I was abandoned by my parents? Are they really okay with that?

I thought it was quite odd, but if the High Priest and Father were satisfied, then noble society most likely wouldn’t find any incongruencies either. Even though I still had a load of questions in my head, I followed Damuel’s lead and replied “I see” while nodding with an expression as if I understood everything.

“Now I somewhat understand why my tableware was modelled after the High Priest’s but I still haven’t closely inspected his tableware. What are the differences between his design and mine?”

“The High Priest’s tableware has the archducal clan’s crest emblazoned here.”

I followed Fran’s pointed finger and gazed at my cup. It seems like the High Priest’s cup has the archducal clan’s crest in the same location as the Rozemyne Workshop crest on my cup.

“Apparently, when one enters the temple, they’re no longer supposed to use the crest of the archducal clan, but the High Priest continued to use it anyway.”

“I also like to keep unnecessary expenses to a minimum and focus on book-making, so I can empathise with the reason why the High Priest would want to continue using his old tableware.”

“Lady Rozemyne’s situation is completely discrepant to the High Priest’s circumstances and reasons.”

Fran wearily sent me a look of exasperation. But if it wasn’t for the sake of cutting costs, what other reason could there be for him to continue to use it?

…Is it something along the lines of “It’s fine as long as nobody who would complain about it finds out” or “If someone wants to stop me then I’d like to see them try”…?

I could only think of such crooked ideas, but I think the High Priest’s personality is to blame for that. Even just recently, he lied to me about the proper etiquette for returning a blessing during a baptism ceremony and left Wilfried to his own devices despite knowing about his educational inadequacies. I’m going to repeat it again. The High Priest has quite the crooked personality.

“Also, this part of the High Priest’s tea set is dark green.”

“Mine seems to be a dark blue. The dark tone is rather pretty but since it’s being used by a lady, don’t you think a brighter colour would have been cuter?”

The overall décor of the room such as the wallpaper were in the feminine red of Geduldh, so the dark blue tableware made for quite a stark contrast. The High Priest was the one who ordered it, so this probably suits his tastes, but to tell the truth, it didn’t suit a 7-year-old girl at all.

“This is what happened as an outcome of adhering to the traditions of the archducal clan’s tableware.”

“Eh? It wasn’t because the High Priest prefers dark colours…?”

“Yes. The High Priest isn’t the type of person who’d make decisions based on his personal feelings.”

But we’re not even ordering any tableware for the castle, so is there really any need to follow the archducal clan’s traditions? The High Priest is so hard-headed and stubborn.

“Colours seem to usually be chosen based on the colour of the birth season. But nobles who aren’t the first wife’s child aren’t allowed to use those bright colours, which is why the High Priest’s tableware are dark green. That’s also the reason why Lady Rozemyne’s were slightly changed from the original blue colour.”

“But in that case, why not make it lighter instead of darker? I think light blue would’ve been quite cute.”

“That’s because Lord Karstedt suggested for us to match your hair colour.”

…What a surprise! The one who preferred darker colours wasn’t the High Priest, but Father! But that sounds quite believable.

As I struck my palm against my fist, Damuel pointed towards the letters on the inside of the cup.

“Fran, what do these letters engraved on the inside of the cup stand for?”

“It supposed to be the initials for Lady Rozemyne’s name. In the castle, everyone in the family uses tableware that looks the same, so they apparently use initials to help attendants differentiate between them.”

To be honest, I don’t really think I need initials for the tableware I use in the temple. After all, everyone has separate kitchens. Hmm… But if everyone else in the family has tableware with the same design… It could be nice to match with everyone else. If I use tableware that follows the traditions of the archducal clan, then regardless of whether I’m at the castle or the temple, it’ll feel like I’m part of the High Priest’s family. A perplexing feeling of joy welled up in my chest and for some reason, my dark-coloured tableware which I didn’t think would match my room’s décor, now appeared to be rather adorable.

T/N Note:

If you would like to purchase Rozemyne’s tea set, I’ve left a link to it here.
I will be busy translating other series, so the next Bookworm translation will be Drama CD 4 SS.