FEFR 42

Chapter 42

Lanje couldn’t take her eyes off the pastries in the glass display case. The jam on the perfectly baked cookies sparkled like gemstones.

“If we buy them in a pretty box, we can choose the cookies, but for tarts, we can only get one. Which do you like?”

Unlike her effort to appear composed, Erna was just as excited as her younger sister.

The two of them stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing intently into the case.

“Strawberry is probably the safe choice.”

“But don’t you like apricot more? Ah, come to think of it, there are lemon curd biscuits over at that counter too.”

Just last night, Erna had seemed less than enthusiastic about this outing, so Lanje had been unusually careful not to upset her.

Fortunately, her gloomy expression had only been because of her assignment. Once she finished earlier than expected before nightfall, Erna stopped looking so glum.

Freed from her desk, she had lain down beside Lanje with a refreshed expression.

—It’s our first time at a department store, right?

—Yeah. Are you excited?

Lanje had actually been to one a few times, but at this point in time, it was technically her first.

At her answer, Erna clasped her hands over her chest and closed her eyes.

—Of course. I hear it’s enormous. Swan Hild and Simone don’t have anything like it.

From that moment until now, Erna had seemed to be in a good mood.

Even though she’d experienced better-than-market-grade luxury goods not available to the public, the atmosphere here made her a little giddy.

Their companions, Lennart and Heine, were also enjoying the place in their own ways.

Lennart, in particular, was curious—not about the noise, which made him sensitive—but about the mountain of pastries and the sisters standing in front of them. If not for Lanje, he would probably never have set foot here in his life.

In the meantime, the sisters finally settled on just one box. Taking it from Erna, Heine asked,

“Isn’t that too little?”

It was so small that the cost of the box alone might have been half the price. Even for growing girls like Lanje and Erna, it was barely a day’s worth.

“I was thinking of getting more, actually…”

Erna trailed off and looked up.

There would be more interesting things upstairs, but if they stayed here too long, it would be time to head back.

She couldn’t just pick something carelessly, either. She needed to buy gifts, not just for herself.

While she was out, she planned to get thank-you presents for Calissa, Petra, and the mages—those who had nearly been the reason she’d gone to Simone.

“You don’t need me here.”

It was then that Lanje made a suggestion.

“You’re going upstairs to look at clothes anyway, right? I can check those out next time. Why don’t you go up? I’ll come find you later.”

Erna hesitated for a moment before saying uncertainly,

“But it feels wrong to just leave you here…”

Lanje extended her hand to Heine. He understood immediately and passed her the box of pastries.

To Erna, he said,

“I’ll go with you.”

“Huh?”

“If you don’t feel comfortable going alone, I’ll accompany you. Truth is, I’m curious about the upstairs too.”

“And Your Highness?”

“I’ll stay.”

Lennart readily chose to remain with Lanje.

He didn’t like the idea of sending Erna off alone, nor did he like the idea of leaving Lanje with Heine while he was gone.

It wasn’t as if Lanje ever listened to Heine’s advice any more than she listened to his own.

And with four of them, it made sense to split into pairs.

“Once you’re done choosing the gifts, you won’t have much time left. Why not do as your sister says?”

They’d arrived late because of traffic, and it would likely be the same on the way back.

Erna thought for a moment. The next outing wouldn’t be until a month later, and by then she would have to prepare for the end-of-term exams, so coming into town would be difficult.

“…Thank you. I’ll leave her in your care, then.”

She gave Lennart a special request.

“Please keep a close eye on Lanje.”

“As long as I keep her from wandering off, she probably won’t get into any big trouble.”

Lanje gave him a sidelong glare.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit much?”

“Already forgotten how you nearly fell into the ocean on that fishing trip?”

The conversation piqued Erna’s curiosity, but she left Lanje a shopping list and headed for the stairs. Heine followed close behind.

The two left behind exchanged slightly grumbling remarks.

“That was ages ago. I didn’t even fall in, and I caught an amazing fish, remember?”

“If I recall, you were the one getting dragged away, and I was the one who caught that ridiculous fish.”

“You shouldn’t dwell on the past. People should live with their eyes on the future. No wonder you’re always so grumpy.”

Lennart was used to this kind of talk and let her words slide.

He glanced toward the direction Erna had gone. She was already out of sight—perhaps she had picked up her pace going upstairs.

“…So. No trouble lately?”

“What do you mean?”

“With your classmates.”

“Oh, right. Erna and I are always together, and I guess they find Heine scary, so no one bothers us.”

The only one still stubborn enough to pick a fight was Veronica.

If she put that persistence into her studies, she could probably aim for top of the class. Thinking of the only classmate whose name she’d bothered to remember—aside from Heine—Lanje grumbled,

“She’s such a coward.”

“At least no one’s trying to trip you anymore.”

“You helped with that, you know.”

“Me?”

“Having a friendly senior really comes in handy—inside the school, I mean.”

For an underage first-year, a senior in the same school was a far more intimidating presence than a far-off prince-elector.

Once people started noticing Lanje with Lennart, most of her classmates quietly stopped bothering her.

The invisible cold shoulder remained, but there was nothing to be done about that.

“Childish, isn’t it?”

Lennart answered her with a sigh.

“Anyway, there’s nothing to worry about now. Erna’s stopped caring about it too.”

He’d always thought of Erna as more anxious and tearful than Lanje, so it surprised him a little.

‘Although…’

Erna had agreed to run away from home and cross the Empire, after all.

Physically or mentally, anyone who could keep up with Lanje’s unpredictable direction and pace wouldn’t exactly be fragile. Her health was nothing to scoff at now, either.

‘Didn’t she say she fought a magic beast during the entrance exam? Sisters will be sisters.’

At that moment, Lanje asked a related question.

“Any luck finding it?”

He didn’t ask what she meant—there was only one thing it could be.

They had both been looking for traces of the Society.

With different school years, they had limited opportunities to meet, and Lanje hadn’t wanted to bring it up in front of Erna. No sense giving her more to worry about.

But when Erna wasn’t around, Ghibellin always seemed to be stuck to Lennart, leaving no opening.

Lennart’s answer came in a slightly weary tone.

“I haven’t had the time to investigate….”

“Because of him?”

He didn’t deny it.

‘Does it take that much persistence?’

Lanje pictured Ghibellin’s face.

If someone wanted to partner with Lennart—a man who’d never been in want of a partner—it would take shamelessness to the point of being exhausting.

“Unlike last year, there’s no trace of them. I’m sure I remember seeing them, though.”

“Maybe they’re lying low after drawing too much attention?”

The ‘Frost Star,’ who had performed a dangerous experiment during the entrance exam, still had no information out in the open except for their medal and name.

Frowning, Lanje shook her head.

“What’s the point in worrying about it now? We’re finally out for a change, and I’m spoiling it with dull talk. Sorry. Let’s get back to choosing pastries.”

She looked down at the list Erna had given her.

“Do you know much about tea? I need to buy some tea leaves later, but I’m clueless. I like coffee more.”

Heine couldn’t quite hide his awkwardness as he looked around.

Compared to the floor below, it was quieter upstairs, but in a different way, it was overwhelming.

Not unpleasant, though—wonderful scents drifted from all sides, and the displayed goods were even more refined.

Was he acting like a country bumpkin?

He checked himself, but calming down wasn’t easy.

It was undeniable that he came from somewhere less sophisticated than the capital.

Erna, in contrast, was much more composed. She browsed hats, even asking an employee for a catalog. She was curious about many items, but showed no sign of being flustered.

The capital’s fashions were unfamiliar, and the sight of so many luxury shops in one place was novel, but each individual item was something she had already experienced before.

The only things that had truly amazed her from start to finish had been the train, and the journey itself.

As she flipped through the catalog, she noticed the hint of awkwardness in Heine’s smile.

He had probably followed her out of concern, but it seemed this place was harder for him to get used to than he’d expected.

At least he didn’t look displeased, so she picked a comfortable topic.

“Hats seem to have gotten smaller. The one I got as a gift last year was bigger… Same goes for men’s hats I’ve seen on the street. Do you think they sell men’s accessories here?”

“They probably do. But I’m not sure about hats. Honestly, I only learned there were hat specialty shops after coming to the capital.”

“I suppose the demand is small. They’re not exactly a necessity.”

On the page Erna had open were dainty little hats—more like decorations perched on the head than something you truly wore.

“Come to think of it, I once heard in Apfelböck that you have to wear a hat outdoors at all times.”

Naturally, the Empire also used hats to protect from sun and cold, and as part of decorative attire.

“My cousin told me that there, it’s considered proper manners to keep your hat on outdoors even after sunset. Even on mild days.”

“Then maybe these tiny hats are a foreign trend.”

The two kept up a pleasant conversation. Heine even picked up a few samples to examine.

“They’re lighter than I expected. I thought they’d be heavy with all the decoration.”

“I wonder if Lanje would wear one without complaint… She thinks parasols just get in the way. Ah, but with no brim, it wouldn’t be much use anyway.”

“I can’t picture her in a hat like this.”

“She does dress up sometimes. When she came up from Simone, for example…”