Chapter 91: Preparation for the Banquet

The summer heat has passed, and it’s starting to feel like autumn. This country has four seasons like Japan, and recently I’ve been feeling the arrival of early autumn sharply. The adults seem busy preparing for the Autumn Cooling Party. ────Autumn Cooling Party (Shuuryoukai). A large-scale women-only tea party hosted by the Empress, held in autumn. Participation is free for any noblewoman, but since the fashion for the upcoming social season is decided here, and it’s a rare opportunity to gain information on other families, almost all noblewomen seem to participate. However, since there are always those who cannot attend due to illness or pregnancy, invitations are sent out, and attendance or non-attendance is notified in advance. Naturally, one cannot enter the venue without that invitation. The venue seems to be the largest garden in the Imperial Castle. Wait, isn’t that the garden where the Dark Dragon appeared? I thought it was quite ruined back then, but renovation must be finished. The Autumn Cooling Party probably serves as its unveiling too. The Autumn Cooling Party is basically a tea party where noblewomen of this country participate, but ‘noblewomen’ here refers to those with a so-called ‘Title of Nobility’. In my case, it’s the ‘le’ in Sakuraile le Philharmonie. Those without this are not nobles. No, there are Knight Barons or Baronets, nobles limited to one generation without it, but they cannot participate in this specific tea party. Even noble daughters, if they are second daughters or later who left the house, don’t keep it, so they are not supposed to participate either. No problem if they married into another noble family. In our case, my guard knight Tanya-san or attendant Arisa-san cannot participate. Even being daughters of nobles, they are already adults and left their homes. Well, just cannot participate as ‘nobles’, but will participate as my guard and attendant though. Thinking of noblewomen plus their attendants, it will be a tea party with a considerable number of people… No wonder the Empress and Grandmother are putting effort into it… Conversely, anyone with a title of nobility can participate, so even girl children are eligible. But basically, since rudeness is not allowed in such places, children under ten rarely participate even if eligible. Then I could just not participate either, I tend to think, but since Luca and Tifa, princesses of neighboring countries, are coming, my non-participation is not allowed. Troublesomely, among underage noble daughters, my status is the highest, so I have to take the role of coordinating the underage ladies participating in the tea party. The number of underage participants is small, but if there’s any trouble between young ladies, I have to manage it. Troublesome~… Really troublesome~… Although called underage women, ‘underage’ in this world just means not debuted in society; if unlucky, there are ladies over fifteen still considered underage. Well, most young ladies go to the ‘Academy’ and live in dorms, so I don’t think they’ve returned home yet… Huh? But if lectures finished early, can they return home quickly? Well, if they’re back at this time, they must be excellent students, so I don’t think they’ll cause problems. The ‘Academy’—strictly speaking ‘Orchestra Magic Academy’—is divided into Elementary, Middle, and High Departments, and admission is allowed from ten years old. In the game, Sakuraile and Elliott enrolled from Elementary, but the protagonist Estelle was from High Department. Admission timing varies depending on family circumstances. Costs money too. For Estelle, her father’s territory management wasn’t going well after receiving the title, so enrolling from High Department was probably the limit. Setting says ‘Poor Lower Noble’ too… In the game, her mother Yulia-san passed away too, and it must have been tough with the negative legacy of the previous Euphonium lord, but now is different. The Euphonium Baron House has the le Philharmonie Ducal House as backing, and Yulia-san is alive. If territory management gets on track, Estelle could attend from Elementary Department too. Actually, that down jacket prototyped in the territory this summer. It’s being made in Estelle‘s Euphonium territory too. There are many geese in Euphonium territory too, and feathers were being thrown away wastefully. Since that becomes money, there’s no reason not to do it. le Philharmonie territory targets the fashionable layer around the Royal Capital with stylish down jackets, and Euphonium territory targets the practical layer around the border with practical down jackets, dividing concepts just in case. With this, hope Estelle‘s place becomes easier. By next year, territories imitating the product will appear, so this winter is the crucial moment. Must earn as much as possible. Well, putting future aside for now, while Mother and Grandmother are busy preparing for the Autumn Cooling Party, my lady education continues.

“Lady Sakuraile, bow and strings perpendicular.” “Yes!” “Lady Sakuraile, vibrato uses not just fingers but the whole wrist upwards.” “Yes!” “Lady Sakuraile, the instrument is dropping, you know? Please always keep correct posture in mind.” “Yees!”

I’m being drilled almost daily by Ms. Pamela, the music tutor. Compared to normal noble daughters, I’m several years behind… By the way, today Estelle is learning violin together. Estelle is also a beginner at instruments, so it’s just right to learn together. Although, in the game she becomes able to play proficiently in no time… Game Estelle has parameters, and raising [Dexterity] and [Sensibility] makes her improve rapidly. Don’t know if real Estelle improves like the game, but I’ll try not to be left behind…

“Both of you are gradually improving. There is still time until ‘Academy’ enrollment, so let’s learn slowly.”

Ms. Pamela smiled brightly, and today’s lesson ends. At the ‘Academy’, there are things like participating in or hosting tea parties as social activities. Apparently, there are performances of instruments and such there. Being able to play instruments seems to be a kind of status showing one received such upper-class education. Bad analogy, but maybe like a rich person riding a luxury car to show off? Certainly, if the son of a top company president rode a clunker, people would think ‘Is that company okay…?’.

“Then Lady Sakuraile, if you please.” “Yes yes.”

Lesson over, now is Ms. Pamela‘s reward time. I summon the onigiri shop ‘Musubimaru’, which consumes the least magic power, in the corner of the lesson room and start playing [In-store BGM]. Ms. Pamela, having obtained the electric guitar from me, naturally wanted to hear songs using that guitar. If electric guitar, then ‘Rock’? Simply specifying that, what flowed first was one of the rock ‘n’ roll standard numbers, Chuck Berry’s ‘Johnny B. Goode’. Ms. Pamela was completely knocked out by that intro guitar. After that, she wanted to hear songs using electric guitar one after another, and is now captive to rock ‘n’ roll. Even now, she’s swaying her body left and right while listening to Jailhouse Rock. Let her listen to various things, but Ms. Pamela seems to like oldies.

“It stops after one hour, okay? Then, excuse us~”

Whether she heard my words or not, leaving Ms. Pamela swaying intently absorbed in rock, we leave the place. [In-store BGM] can have play time decided if specified at the start. If it keeps playing forever, that person seems likely to stay there forever… Anyway, music class is over. Entering the mansion’s living room, Mother and Estelle‘s mother, Yulia-sensei, were chatting happily.

“Is the lesson over?” “Well, somehow…”

Can’t say without hitch, so answer vaguely. However, Yulia-sensei and Mother have become completely good friends. Coming with Estelle to teach me sword almost daily, ages are close, and I think growing up in the same borderlands also plays a part. Mother is also a Margrave’s daughter after all. Estelle‘s Euphonium Baron House has become completely a dependent of the le Philharmonie Ducal House, becoming ‘Royalist Faction’. In the upcoming Autumn Cooling Party, they will be placed in such a position. Naturally, Yulia-sensei and Estelle will also participate in the Autumn Cooling Party, so we will likely act together.

“Just right timing. Dressmaker Couturier is coming from afternoon, so let’s have dresses made for you two too.” “Ehh…? Again? Isn’t the one I wore for Elliott’s birthday party fine…?” “No good! Wearing something worn once at a party again is bad for reputation.”

Mother says such things as if natural. Can’t get used to this noble common sense… Basically, noblewomen never wear a dress worn once at a party again. However, lower nobles with no money manage by re-tailoring old dresses or combining multiple dresses to remake new ones. Dresses worn once are wasteful, but are handed down to servants. From there, they are re-tailored to individual tastes and used again. When I was in the slums, I wore the same clothes all year round… Combined with memories of previous life, wearing only once makes me feel incredibly guilty.

“We are making ones for Yulia-san and Estelle-chan too. Sakura-chan’s too, together, okay.” “Okaaay…”

Not very enthusiastic, I give a slightly throwaway answer. Isn’t doing measurements and fitting every time for a single-use dress troublesome? Though growth period might be a reason too.

“What kind would be good. Does Estelle-chan have something you want to wear?” “Umm… I, I am not knowledgeable about dresses so… Sa, same as Lady Sakuraile, same one, is good!”

Oops, killer pass came from Estelle. Even if passed to me… I don’t know dresses well either… Ah, but Estelle might look good in Gothic Lolita.

“Gosu…? What kind of dress is that?”

Shoot. Said it out loud.

“Umm well…”

Didn’t feel like I could explain verbally, so took out notebook and pencil from four-dimensional pouch and sketched a dress design quickly—sarasara. Wasn’t in design course for nothing. Can draw this much. Besides, friends cosplaying Gothic Lolita had many outfits so I saw them often. Just add some slight arrangement. Being too eccentric is also problematic.

“My! Frilly and cute! Seems likely to suit Estelle-chan! Shall we have it tailored based on this!” “Really!? I am happy with a dress designed by Lady Sakuraile!”

Eh… Seriously? Well, I think it suits Estelle though.

“Let’s make a matching one for Sakura-chan too.” “Eh!? Me too!?”

Didn’t think I would be wearing it, so I ran full speed with my hobby though!? Hearing that, Estelle‘s eyes shine with joy. Ah, this is the one I can’t say no to.

“How about color. Red maybe?” “No…! More plain one! White or Black is fine!”

Bright red Gothic Lolita clothes feel likely to become poisonous… At least red is no good. At most red and white. Or rather, normal black and white base is fine!

“Umm, with that I think you can’t stand out…” “However, amidst dresses of red, yellow, blue and green, wouldn’t black and white clothes stand out conversely? Guardian Beast Kohaku-sama is also white and black, so I think giving an impression of ‘Princess of the Holy Sword’ isn’t bad.” “True, that is also an option…”

Mother nods slightly to Yulia-sensei’s words. Umm, don’t need to stand out though… Seems can’t go that way due to position as Duke’s daughter. Really, nobles are troublesome…