Bibliophile princess vol.., p.1
Bibliophile Princess: Volume 3, page 1
Table of Contents
Cover
Color Illustration
Character Profiles
Arc 1: The Butterflies’ Dance Chapter 1: The Queen’s Conditions
Chapter 2: Budding Seed
Chapter 3: The Butterflies’ Intentions
Chapter 4: Pests
Chapter 5: Her True Feelings
Chapter 6: The Piglet’s Beloved Dimples
Chapter 7: The Holy Night’s Banquet
Chapter 8: Promises Made in Winter
Arc 2: Race of the Social Outcasts Contender #1 - The Chief Herbalist
Contender #2 - Herb Researchers
Contender #3 - The Shadow Bodyguard, Scarecrow
Contender #4 - Prince Christopher
Contender #5 - Queen Henrietta, the Anomaly
Final Runner - The True Dark Horse
Afterword
Bonus Short Stories
About J-Novel Club
Copyright
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Arc 1: The Butterflies’ Dance
Chapter 1: The Queen’s Conditions
“...a grave situation.”
It was early afternoon. Outside, winter’s harsh grasp was tightening around the kingdom. I, however, was currently seated in Prince Christopher’s office where the usual crowd had gathered together.
A man with boyish features and honey-colored hair, Lord Alan, was performing maintenance on one of his instruments. The Holy Night’s Banquet was fast approaching and he spoke of performing his own musical program for the occasion.
Lord Alexei, a black-haired man with a chilly exterior, shuffled through documents as he responded to the conversation.
The owner of the office, Prince Christopher, was a man with dazzling blond hair and cloudless, sky-blue eyes. His gaze fell to his desk, where he was grappling with mountains of documents awaiting his approval.
Meanwhile I, Elianna Bernstein, occupied my usual seat.
I was immersed in my reading when another voice cut into the conversation, one belonging to the commander of the imperial guard’s second division. He was a knight with red hair, named Lord Glen Eisenach. There was a sober tone to his voice as he pronounced, “...a grave situation,” causing all those present in the room to blink in surprise.
“Alex,” the prince interjected, “dismiss the Dorud company’s statement. It’s a waste of time.”
“Earl Dauner is involved in that mess,” said Lord Alexei. “If we don’t lay some groundwork first, it won’t be easy.”
“Our first priority is getting that bridge up over the Tessen River in the Azul Region. Give the company a seat at the bidding table. Sauslind’s reputation is on the line for this project. We won’t let them refuse. That will end their appeals,” His Highness said.
“The earl oversees our military. He’s more interested in putting a budget request in for iron mining than bridge construction.”
“He’s just an old man with outdated and detrimental opinions. He thinks it will ignite people’s spirits to go to war. I say he was born in the wrong era. The only people who agree with him are the ones who didn’t put in any effort to help us gain the affluence we now enjoy,” the prince declared hotly, sorting through his paperwork.
As the end of the year drew to a close, each section of the government grew busy. Even the prince, who was always diligent about keeping up with his duties, was drowning in this year’s workload. Once the calendar year changed and spring came, our wedding ceremony would be upon us. That required preparations and adjustments at various levels, making this year an especially hectic one.
Forgotten amidst the chatter between Lord Alexei and the prince, Lord Glen spoke up once more. “Please, you have to listen...”
According to Glen, a certain guest from abroad—namely, someone from the maritime Miseral Dukedom—would be visiting the Eisenach family in anticipation of the Holy Night’s Banquet. This family was a rather prominent general’s family, much like Lord Glen’s father, Earl Eisenach. The earl and this general had been family friends since their parents’ generation, meaning Lord Glen couldn’t weasel his way out of mingling with them.
“And which part of this is supposed to be ‘grave’?” Lord Alan asked playfully, causing Lord Glen to pale.
I wondered if this was information His Highness and Lord Alexei were already privy to. Neither one of them stopped working to listen, nor did they make any comments.
“...The person who came isn’t the one who normally comes to visit,” Lord Glen finally managed to say.
“Haha!” Lord Alan cackled triumphantly, a teasing look in his eyes. “Let me guess, you’re getting married?”
Lord Glen’s face soured as he nodded.
Instantly, Lord Alan burst into laughter. “Well, congratulations, Glen! I guess you’ll be the next one to tie a knot after the prince has his wedding. You really are a loyal servant, following in his footsteps like that!”
“Moron! Why do I have to be tied down just because Chris is getting himself hitched?! I have absolutely no interest in saying my vows this young!”
“It almost sounds like you’re saying you haven’t slept around enough and you want to play around some more first. Is that what you mean?” Lord Alan mocked.
“Say whatever you want.” Lord Glen huffed. “Randy, that bastard. He must have known this was going to happen, because he said he was going to remain with his naval unit and left. Originally, this engagement was supposed to be with him. Why am I getting dragged into this?!”
Randy—or rather, Lord Randolph—was the youngest of the four Eisenach brothers. I’d heard that at thirteen years old he was assigned to a naval unit in the south. The two of us had never met face-to-face before.
“Hm, still...” Lord Alan seemed to be amused, particularly because the matter didn’t involve him personally. “The only single men remaining in the Eisenach family are you and Randy. If both of your houses agree, there’s no way out of this. Isn’t it about time you pay your dues and settle down?”
Lord Glen’s face lit up with anger, as fiery red as the hair on his head. “This is no laughing matter! Why do I have to agree to an arrangement with a ten-year-old kid?!”
His reaction elicited another round of cackling from Lord Alan, who must have already expected that response. I just blinked in surprise.
Apparently, General Eisenach had been close to the former general of the Miseral Dukedom, but now that title had passed on to the man’s son. Thus, it was the former general’s granddaughter whose hand was being offered to Lord Glen.
“Anyway,” continued Lord Glen, “my mother is the one who is really pushing this. She keeps saying how she always wanted an adorable daughter. She said the same thing when my older brothers married, though. How many daughters-in-law does she need before she’ll be satisfied?! If she wants a daughter that badly, she and my father should just have at it and make one.”
“Hey now, Glen, don’t start your family planning right here in the prince’s office,” Lord Alan teased.
“This is the defining moment that will determine the rest of my life! Besides, what the heck am I supposed to do with a ten-year-old girl as my partner?!”
“Well, if you did do anything, it would be a crime.”
“That’s not what I meant,” he hissed back at our court’s master musician. “I’m saying I prefer mature women. You know, one who is slender with curves in the right places, a fairly normal preference to have. Just think what will happen if I take a kid as my betrothed. Everyone in Luna, the red light district, would give me the cold shoulder. All the married women I’ve been intimate with as well! I can already imagine what they will say. ‘You lavished us with praise, calling us goddesses of beauty, but that’s not where your true preferences lie. You like them young and immature—angelic cherubs!’” He lamented as if his own destruction was drawing near.
I blinked some more, stunned at the depth of his attachment toward women.
Lord Alan opened his mouth to continue ridiculing Lord Glen when a sharp, albeit quiet sound echoed through the room. All eyes turned to the prince. He had slapped his feather pen down on his desk and turned a silencing smile toward his two bickering retainers. “Glen, Alan. The exit’s over there.”
Was I the only one who felt like he was indirectly telling them to “get out”?
For the first time, Lord Alan turned his eyes toward me with a start. “Oh, Lady Elianna...isn’t reading anymore.”
Indeed. I lost my concentration after being consumed with thought.
As I contemplated, I eyed the two pale men and then turned my attention to Lord Glen.
“A riddle for you. What do a greedy nobleman and an elderly man with outdated and detrimental opinions have in common?” I asked.
Lord Glen stuttered, “I-I don’t know, what?”
“Both long for something fleeting.”
He slumped in disappointment, bracing his hands on the table in front of him. His eyes fell to the ground and his body trembled.
Lord Alexei, accustomed to such exchanges, merely sighed and interjected, “If this is a guest from the Miseral Dukedom, then they must be close to the queen as well. I do believe the prince also plans to meet with her, yes?”
“I do,” said His Highness. “Last time, I went straight home after the ceremony. If she’s related to the former general, then that means she’s connected to the archduke’s family as well. Glen, there’s no running from this one.”
“You can’t be serious,” Lord Glen growled, tears in his eyes. “This is precisely why I planned to privately reject their proposal before things could come to a head. But you’re the one who suddenly insisted we return straight back to Sauslind before I could make preparations to nip this in the bud. It wouldn’t kill you to feel guilty for your own actions, would it?”
He must have been referring to the Hunting Festival incident. Back then, the prince had left the country to attend a ceremony held in one of our allied countries, the Miseral Dukedom. I was partially responsible for his haste to return home.
Prince Christopher shrugged, his hands never stopping as he sorted through documents. “Not too long ago, Countess Eisenach was lamenting to my mother about all of your trysts. You reap what you sow. Just give up.”
After His Highness said that, Lord Alexei and Lord Alan expressed their sympathies. “In anticipation of the prince’s wedding, more and more people are tying the knot all across the country. It’s perfect timing.”
“So this is where fooling around indiscriminately leads one. I will keep that in mind for future reference.”
Lord Glen’s voice turned somber. “Friendship is one of the founding pillars of youth. Do you guys even know the meaning of the word?”
His Highness smiled. “I’m too busy.”
Lord Alexei narrowed his glacial eyes. “If ‘friendship’ entails you seeking assistance in sorting through documents, I will readily lend my wisdom to the cause.”
“I’ll do whatever, as long as it’s interesting,” Lord Alan added, strumming his instrument.
I actually felt a little sorry for Lord Glen, who was now left feeling even more dejected than before. Perhaps my femininity was the reason I found myself unable to grasp the intricacies of camaraderie between men.
Before I could add my own opinion, Lord Alexei cut me off. “All joking aside, the timing of all of this does strike me as a bit too convenient. Alan, how is the investigation proceeding?”
Lord Alan hummed, his demeanor still relaxed. Then his eyes turned toward me, as if he’d suddenly remembered something. “Oh, Lady Elianna, isn’t it about time?”
As if on cue, the chamberlain announced that some people had come to visit me. It seemed Lord Alan was right; I was out of time.
I announced my departure and stood to leave, prompting Prince Christopher to pause and turn his worried gaze to me. “Eli, is there anything bothering you?”
“Pardon?” I stared back at him blankly.
His Highness started to say something, hesitated, and then ultimately played it off. “No, never mind. You have your sworn duties. I can’t intervene any longer. As long as there’s nothing bothering you, it’s fine.”
I tilted my head at him, but there was no time to waste. After a curtsey, I slipped out through the door.
The prince had asked if I was “bothered” by anything. It was true that lately I found myself beset by a problem I’d been unprepared to deal with. My feet felt heavy as I trudged toward the source of my apprehension.
~.~.~.~
A court lady came to fetch me and then guided me to the inner palace. I swallowed a tiny breath as I stepped inside the adjoining room we always passed through each time we did this.
A group of people were waiting to accost me, eyes gleaming like predators that had found their next meal. They held their most proficient weapons in their hands, waiting for the signal that it was okay to move in.
Meanwhile, I would be forced to face them alone. I was at an overwhelming disadvantage. As the Bibliophile Princess, I had to do this. Where there is a will, there is a way, as they say.
I had no idea how the court lady who had retrieved me earlier perceived our tense standoff, but she was as curt as ever when she said, “You may begin.”
The palace maids and royal merchants gleefully charged toward me. The only weapon I ever had was my books, but even they had been taken from me. I was truly powerless.
“Lady Elianna! I have a precious yellow pearl taken from a Palmyran Nemu snail. It would offset your skin tone beautifully.”
“I have also prepared some brand new designs myself. I even sought input from one of your favorite sketch artists from the far east. What do you think?”
“Have a look at my textiles. I have dyed fabrics from the Tor Region and newly developed ones made with more advanced materials. If you use these for your dress, you’re certain to look even more captivating than you already do, my lady!”
I knew a bit about the textiles from the Tor Region. They had tailored a new lightweight fabric that made dresses more breathable in the summer months. Some were even considering using those materials to craft curtains as well.
...Were they trying to stoke my reputation as a ghost even further? Lightweight fabric would only make me look more transparent and spectral.
Contrary to my suspicions, the people surrounding me continued to thrust colorful words, fabrics, designs, and adornments my way. It was a proverbial ocean wave crashing over me. My eyes were soon spinning.
One after the other, maids approached with gorgeous dresses for me to inspect. I was flustered from the very beginning, having this forced upon me. When I looked up and saw my reflection in the mirror and realized just how out of place I looked, I felt utterly ashamed of myself. My current challenge was to pick one dress among those presented, as well as some adornments to go along with them. This was all for the purpose of narrowing down my list of candidates for who would be appointed to the important post of supplying me when I became crown princess. To be frank, this was not something I was well-equipped to handle.
There was no lady to run the Bernstein household anymore. When it came to fashion, I’d had no woman to use as a reference since I was a child. This might sound like a flimsy excuse as well, but by nature, the Bernsteins weren’t concerned with dressing to impress.
Fathers were completely useless when it came to a lady’s clothing and wedding attire. My aunt was the one responsible for orchestrating everything related to my societal debut.
I had used a fair measure of caution in selecting my apparel up until this point, conscious of my position as the crown prince’s betrothed. Imperfect as my attempts might have been, I was proud of the four years I had spent cultivating an eye for fashion befitting my stature. Those who knew me well—such as house maids, my aunt, and my cousins—gave me advice and played a huge part in my growth.
Now, however, things were a bit different. I was far removed from all of them and left to face my circumstances on my own, and that bitter reminder caused my entire body to tense up. Being unproficient didn’t give me the right to waive my responsibilities, I knew. I was the one who decided I wanted to stay with His Highness.
With renewed determination, I pointed at one of the dresses. “This dress from the Mers company has a plunging neckline. I don’t think it would suit me. Similarly, the sketches show fresh flowers being used in the design, but they seem to be based on the Yule flower from the far eastern country of Norn. According to Gaelga mythology, Yule represents the goddess’s beloved maidens, a symbol for purity. However, it has a strong scent, and it would be impossible to remove its pollen from the dress, making it an inappropriate choice for social gatherings.”
After a moment of contemplation, I proposed, “It would take quite a bit of effort, but... According to the theologian Porta Tugga’s thesis entitled False Image of the Gods, while the goddess safeguards pure maidens, she also adores florid palettes and designs. Thus, by lowering this collar further, you could add a panel under it with decorative lace using a Yule flower motif. I imagine the resulting contrast of maturity and the symbolism of innocence would appeal to younger women. Though, it would require some careful consideration to ensure it isn’t sold too widely. Also, for that design you mentioned, embroidery of the flower rather than actual flowers could make it popular with young ladies making their societal debuts.”
For a moment, the crowd’s demanding onslaught seemed to ease. However, just as quickly, their eyes turned feverish as they scrambled for my attention, burying me in a mountain of adornments.
“Lady Elianna, please, I would like your feedback on my design as well—”
