#ascendanceofabookworm — Public Fediverse posts

Recently added titles (July 2026)

Building upon the titles listed for July/August, September, October,  November, and December 2021, and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2022, and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of 2023, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September,  October, November, and December of 2024, and January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December of this year, and January, February, March, April, May, and June of this year, this post notes recent titles with libraries or librarians in popular culture which I’ve come across in the past month. Each of these has been watched or read during the past month. No films, animated series, or other entries with libraries (or librarians) to add for this past month, but I did come across some in webcomics and anime. There may be spoilers for these series, so be aware.

Animated series recently added to this page

None for this month.

Anime series recently added to this page

• I Want To Love You Till Your Dying Day, “Friends” (s1 ep 3)
• I Want To Love You Till Your Dying Day, “Accomplices” (s1 ep 4)
• Detective Conan aka Case Closed (s2 ep 22)
• You and I Are Polar Opposites, “Dilemma of a Winter’s Night” (s2 ep 2)
• You and I Are Polar Opposites, “New School Term” (s2 ep 4)

While Ascendance of a Bookworm continues into a second cour (with no more episodes with libraries or the protagonist Myne as a librarian), Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia (set in the 13th century) has the protagonist aiming to get back her book of Eucidlis from an arrogant imperialistic Mongolian princess, and Draw This, Then Die! has the protagonists cleaning the room of a manga book store on the second floor to become their club space, in the second episode of season 2 of You and I Are Polar Opposites, “Dilemma of a Winter’s Night”, Yamada meets Nishi in the middle of winter break as a pretext to see her. While he doesn’t confess his feelings, and nor does she, he wrongly thinks the library doesn’t have a “nice” atmosphere, even though it does. They choose between going to the study room where talking, food, and drink are forbidden, and a free space, with Yamada going with the latter.

Otherwise, in the episode, Nishi admits she comes to the library “quite a bit,” which Yamada finds commendable, and admits he can’t study at all, at home, as it is far too distracting. He admits that inviting her there was just a pretext by accident while she admits that she comes there every day, and has finished all her homework. He is shocked, she admits she wanted a pretext as well, and he stops himself from saying they should date, feeling it isn’t a right place. He ends up being quiet during their date-not-date while studying.

There’s another library scene in the episode “New School Term”. Even the description on Crunchyroll indicates this, saying, “Suzuki takes Yamada to the school library, with an ulterior motive in mind. Nishi is happy that Yamada came, but anxious that others might find out about their relationship.” Shenanigans ensue, while Nishi and Taira work as library for their student library duty. At one point, Taira even wants to process the book returns, while Nishi isn’t sure how to handle Yamada there, and Suzuki offers to help Yamada with reshelving books at another point. She also came to see Yamada. Funny enough, no one else comes into the library except them which seems strange (and they comment on this later, saying few people come there anymore), because this is the school library after all! I also like how Taira helps out Nishi and even gives Yamada a book recommendation, showing he is a true friend. I liked how Yamada and Suzuki enjoy reading books in the library, while showing the library duties, like checking in and out books in a way that seems relaxing, making it seems like something you do every day. There is a cute moment where Yamada and Nishi say each other’s full names.

Then there’s the awful news that Crunchyroll removed Black Lagoon, along with other series like Blood Blockade Battlefront and Grimgar, Ashes and Illusions, as has been reported elsewhere, without any warning. I have an account on that streaming service and the history (which shows what anime series I have watched) doesn’t even mention it at all! I mention this here because that series has a library scene as I noted in my post on here on July 2nd, in the episode “The Succession” (s1 ep 20), first saying that in the episode “Yukio is reading a book by Martin Heidegger as shown in the 20th episode (“Succession”) of the classic crime thriller anime Black Lagoon, which is replete with having girls with guns, particularly hothead Chinese-American Revy.” I went into further detail, saying:

…Yukio is reading a book by Martin Heidegger, as she tells her friend Maki, in the school library, calling the book philosophical and “very powerful.” In contrast, Maki says she likes skincare guides and modern horror books, with Yukio saying she remembered Maki saying she liked Anne Rice. They talk a bit more with Yukio saying she sometimes feels like she is caught inside of book worlds, and viewers see some of the library bookshelves. She says she doesn’t like Stephen King and Maki says she thought Yukio would like Edgar Allan Poe. She says she doesn’t like the ones that imagine the night, and she does not like the world as it makes her scared, that it is not romantic at all.

 

There is a second scene in the episode in the reading room where Yukio is thinking about the gang war between the Russian mafia and Japanese yakuza, and does not listen as much to what Maki tells her and decides to not tell her troubles. The reading room is shown briefly in the next episode, but not enough to mention it here. It is worth noting that Heidegger was directly involved with the Nazis from 1933 to 1945, and even banned from teaching after the war until 1949 (when the ban was lifted). He also never expressed remorse for being involved with the Nazis, which is funny because Hannah Arendt, who became known for her political theory against authoritarianism, including Nazism and fascism. I’m not sure why Heidegger was mentioned (in the manga as well), except to possibly indicate that Yukio was intellectual, nihilistic, and his existential philosophy was appealing. At the same time, I seriously doubt she was a Nazi as there was an earlier plot line in the series where the protagonists stole loot from a submarine filled by wannabe Nazis/neo-Nazis and killed a bunch of them, but rather a bit of a mob boss, if I have to guess. At the same time, during his life, Heidegger had intellectual contact with Japanese scholars like racist Hajime Tanabe (who later regretted defending claimed Japanese state and racial superiority) and pro-militarist Shūzō Kuki over the years, influencing his work, according to Reinhard May.

This all comes when I came across recently this video of an anime fan expressing anger it was removed (along with Crunchyroll locking their anime store behind a paywall effectively), along with this video on the fading, yet important, legacy of the series:

A late entry here is the third episode of I Want To Love You Till Your Dying Day. In that episode, Sheena Totsuki goes to the library of her school-of-sorts/orphanage/training institute, to study. She had wanted to go with Mimi Kagari, but she is unable to so because Mimi left to fight enemies. While there she meets her school friends, Lizzy Seiran and Ali Maud who are a couple themselves, and she reveals what Mimi’s guardian (Fran) told her. Later in the episode, however, Mimi reveals her secret to Sheena, shocking her beyond belief. In the scene itself, you see the wonder of the library which is well-used by students, and seems like a place to relax (and study), with wooden tables, and all the books you’d like to read.

There was an additional library scene in the fourth episode of that same series, with flashbacks to Sheena thinking of Mimi, and a new scene of Mimi balancing books on her head, while Sheena is learning about resurrection magic, and is surprised by Airi and Seiran. One of my favorite parts (shown below) is when the bell rings and breaks Mimi’s concentration, annoying her, as she almost trying to show off a bit by balancing books on her head.

Last but least is episode 50 of Detective Conan (also known as Case Closed), “The Library Murder Case” / “The Book Without Pages”.  I have been looking forward to watching this episode for a long time, but I finally got to watch it this month, at long last, an episode which fulfills so many stereotypes when it comes to fictional librarians and libraries. I’ll write a whole post on this, but to give the quick and short version of this, Conan Edogawa, a kid detective (wasn’t always a kid) works with his school friends of sorts to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of a librarian, and soon suspect the library director. They learn that there are fake books in the children’s section where drugs were being stored, and this is why the director murdered that librarian. He even tries to kill all of them too, but they turn all the bookshelves into dominos so they fall on him, allowing the police to come in and arrest him, taking him away, while they find the body (which was on top of an elevator). It’s gory, but also feeds into many stereotypes, which, perhaps, is not at all a surprise for an episode that came out on March 1997. Some even put some parts of the episode as one of the top scariest moments in the series!

Comics recently added to this page

• The Burning Scheme, Issue 4
• Literary Link [issues 1 to 11]
• My Awkward Princess, “|CH 12| Library Hours“
• My Awkward Princess, “|CH 13| Routine“
• My Awkward Princess, “|CH 14| Almost Everyone“
• Pinky Promise, “Episode 15“
• Pinky Promise, “Episode 16“

In the fourth issue of The Burning Scheme, the protagonists, Vera at Sierra Verde Preparatory School, go to the library together, for a group project, with one of them, Calliope, saying the other (Vera) is “pretty.” Vera doesn’t like this closeness and leaves shortly thereafter, to the disappointment of Calliope.

In the episode “CH 12 | Library Hours” of My Awkward Princess, Alice Evelyn and Luna Charlotte do library service together, with Luna annoying Alice, and Luna getting “tamed” by someone else when they give her a lollipop. At one point, Luna catches Alice when she falls, to her annoyance, saying Luna just wanted to touch her, when in reality she just wanted to make sure she wasn’t hurt. And Alice thanks Luna. All this time she is giving instructions to the student vice-president who is relatively incompetent.

Otherwise, in the episode “|CH 13| Routine”, Alice is overworking herself in the library, feeling it will get better the next day and that there cannot be any distractions because the student council depends on her. She feels that she is almost perfect. One day, Luna is with her in the library, believes with Alice believing she should not slow down, and that she has keep working. She pushes it off, despite blood coming out of her nose, saying she isn’t her problem, telling her to stop distracting her, while Luna is deeply worried.

In the episode after this, “|CH 14| Almost Everyone,” Luna goes to the library to read, with Alice asking her why her section of the library isn’t organized yet, and starts bossing her around. Luna finds Alice, who she calls “puppy,” entertaining, and thinks back to when Alice thanked her for catching her, saying that doesn’t happen. Later, in the stairwell, Alice gives her cookies and tells her to show up the next day on time, making Luna blush because Alice gave her sweets (remembering that she likes them), and calls her “dangerous.”

The new version of Literary Link is finally out! That series focuses on libraries at its center, as noted in the series description: “Delinquent Faye Scott just wants to keep her head down and get through her latest sentencing — finish her community service and make it across the graduation stage as unscathed as possible — but her old enemies aren’t letting her go without a fight. However, a certain library volunteer might be the one to show Faye just the kindness she needs to change her life for the better.” I wrote a review about this series a while ago, saying:

Literary Link Review

I was going to add in some issues from Love and be Loved, but I had already added that into a posting I did on recently added titles in April, so I nixed that for this post:

Recently added titles (April 2026)

Lastly, there are two issues of Pinky Promise. In the first of these, the protagonist, Eva, tries to remind the school group to stay on task (picking books for their presentation), as they work together in the school library, and threatens to tell their teacher, Miss Cielo, that they are wasting time. Another classmate tells Hallie that Eva is too serious about school, asking her to convince Eva to not report them. Through it all, Eva is worried about Hallie and the group she is a part of, and when admiring her, she thinks back to a sexy dream she had, leading her to begin blushing. After her fellow classmate believes something may be wrong, Eva denies it, then gets up to find a book. Following this, Hallie gets up to follow Eva.

In the next of those issues, Eva thinks about her reaction and how embarrassing it was, while she starts to look for a book. Hallie comes behind her, startling her, when all she wants is to check in on her. Eva keeps blushing and denying that anything is up, saying she had been different since that morning, after Hallie spent the night at her place. She notices that Eva has been avoiding her, with Eva literally turning her head away, as she stands in front of a library bookshelf. She ends up admitting she can’t look her in the eyes because of a dream she had, where Hallie was touching and kissing her. Even after she says she is embarrassed and shouldn’t have dreamed about it, Hallie teases her about it, saying she is being “naughty,” with Eva saying it is only because she has been teasing her so much lately. Hallie gets close to her and says she is cute every time she teases her, something Eva thinks about later.

Films recently added to this page

None for this month.

Other entries recently added to this page

None for this month. However, there was the recent news that…

• HIDIVE will be streaming The Dangers in My Heart: The Movie on July 14th [English dub]
• The Apothecary Diaries Anime Film’s Trailer Reveals Title, Cast, December 11 Opening

The first of these has libraries as central to the series itself, with library scenes in 16 episodes (“I Was Stolen Away” (s1 ep1), “I Died” (s1 ep 2), “I Want To Hug You” (s1 ep 3), “I Have A Problem” (s1 ep 4), “We Split Up” (s1 ep 5), “I Melted It” (s1 ep 6), “We Swapped Places” (s1 ep 7), “I Had A Dream” (s1 ep 8), “Karta 9: I Hate Yamada” (s1 ep 9), “Bonus Dangers” (s1 OVA), “We’re Searching” (s2 ep 1), “I’m growing up” (s2 ep 2), “Yamada Likes…” (s2 ep 4), “We’re Overflowing” (s2 ep 7), “I Want to Be Closer to Yamada” (s2, ep 10), “I, We, Fell in Love” (s2 ep 13, series finale)), as it is a key meeting place of the male and female protagonists, Kyotaro and Anna Yamada respectfully. As for second series, there’s one library scene I briefly described in a post last year:

In terms of a place of knowledge, consider the 10th episode of the drama/mystery/romance entitled The Apothecary Diaries. In the latter half of the show’s 10th episode, entitled “Honey,” Gaoshun, an assistant of Jinshi, tells Maomao that he will search the court library for information about past events in the rear palace. Later, an assistant behind the information desk helps him. He finds a relevant book and he gives it to Maomao. In it, she learns about events in the past, and that a baby was delivered by Doctor Luomen (her dad!), moving this story in an interesting direction!

© 2024-2026 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Star-Cross Cookies: Part 3

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm
#Wss366 recreate/re-create

Armed with Carnelia’s name, Rozemyne headed to the library, much to the dismay of her chief maid, Lieseleta. Rihyarda could have handled it, but Lieseleta lacked the experience and gravitas to control Rozemyne when she was fired up.

"Lady Carnelia!" Rozemyne shouted, bursting into the reading room the girl was using.

Lieseleta said just loud enough for the Aub to hear, “At least give her a proper greeting.”

“Of course,” Rozemyne replied.

“May I pray for a blessing in appreciation of this serendipitous meeting, ordained by the harsh judgment of Ewigeliebe, Lady Carnelia?” Rozemyne rushed through her greeting.

“You may.” The lady in question spoke barely loud enough to be heard and trembled like a winter leaf, which wasn’t surprising, given that the Aub had addressed her so suddenly.

“I need something red, romantic, and heart-shaped,” Rozemyne said.

“You might want to explain a bit,” Lieseleta said. She was overstepping herself, but the poor woman Rozemyne was addressing looked bewildered and on the verge of fainting in fright.

“Sorry, I want something to use with cookies for Star-Cross Day. Something other than those dreadful bugs! I don’t see how anyone could think coach beetles were romantic.”

Lady Carnelia stared, and then, as the word "romantic" sank in, she began to think. Her brows furrowed, and then a smile touched her lips. "There's the 'desert heart.' They have red, heart-shaped leaves and a mild, pleasant flavor. Perhaps you’ve had tea made from them.”

Rozemyne’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, that lovely mint tea. I think we export it. That would be wonderful.”

Lieseleta was used to Rozemyne’s use of strange words, but Lady Carnelia looked puzzled at the word “mint.”

Blissfully unaware, Rozemyne continued. “Mild, red, mint cookies with a heart-shaped leaf in their center. Perfect!”

Carried away, she rushed off to see the chef, leaving poor Lady Carnelia to recover in the now silent library.

[Sequel coming someday]

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm #Valentines

Star-Cross Cookies: Part 3

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm
#Wss366 recreate/re-create

Armed with Carnelia’s name, Rozemyne headed to the library, much to the dismay of her chief maid, Lieseleta. Rihyarda could have handled it, but Lieseleta lacked the experience and gravitas to control Rozemyne when she was fired up.

"Lady Carnelia!" Rozemyne shouted, bursting into the reading room the girl was using.

Lieseleta said just loud enough for the Aub to hear, “At least give her a proper greeting.”

“Of course,” Rozemyne replied.

“May I pray for a blessing in appreciation of this serendipitous meeting, ordained by the harsh judgment of Ewigeliebe, Lady Carnelia?” Rozemyne rushed through her greeting.

“You may.” The lady in question spoke barely loud enough to be heard and trembled like a winter leaf, which wasn’t surprising, given that the Aub had addressed her so suddenly.

“I need something red, romantic, and heart-shaped,” Rozemyne said.

“You might want to explain a bit,” Lieseleta said. She was overstepping herself, but the poor woman Rozemyne was addressing looked bewildered and on the verge of fainting in fright.

“Sorry, I want something to use with cookies for Star-Cross Day. Something other than those dreadful bugs! I don’t see how anyone could think coach beetles were romantic.”

Lady Carnelia stared, and then, as the word "romantic" sank in, she began to think. Her brows furrowed, and then a smile touched her lips. "There's the 'desert heart.' They have red, heart-shaped leaves and a mild, pleasant flavor. Perhaps you’ve had tea made from them.”

Rozemyne’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, that lovely mint tea. I think we export it. That would be wonderful.”

Lieseleta was used to Rozemyne’s use of strange words, but Lady Carnelia looked puzzled at the word “mint.”

Blissfully unaware, Rozemyne continued. “Mild, red, mint cookies with a heart-shaped leaf in their center. Perfect!”

Carried away, she rushed off to see the chef, leaving poor Lady Carnelia to recover in the now silent library.

[Sequel coming someday]

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm #Valentines

Star-Cross Cookies: Part 3

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm
#Wss366 recreate/re-create

Armed with Carnelia’s name, Rozemyne headed to the library, much to the dismay of her chief maid, Lieseleta. Rihyarda could have handled it, but Lieseleta lacked the experience and gravitas to control Rozemyne when she was fired up.

"Lady Carnelia!" Rozemyne shouted, bursting into the reading room the girl was using.

Lieseleta said just loud enough for the Aub to hear, “At least give her a proper greeting.”

“Of course,” Rozemyne replied.

“May I pray for a blessing in appreciation of this serendipitous meeting, ordained by the harsh judgment of Ewigeliebe, Lady Carnelia?” Rozemyne rushed through her greeting.

“You may.” The lady in question spoke barely loud enough to be heard and trembled like a winter leaf, which wasn’t surprising, given that the Aub had addressed her so suddenly.

“I need something red, romantic, and heart-shaped,” Rozemyne said.

“You might want to explain a bit,” Lieseleta said. She was overstepping herself, but the poor woman Rozemyne was addressing looked bewildered and on the verge of fainting in fright.

“Sorry, I want something to use with cookies for Star-Cross Day. Something other than those dreadful bugs! I don’t see how anyone could think coach beetles were romantic.”

Lady Carnelia stared, and then, as the word "romantic" sank in, she began to think. Her brows furrowed, and then a smile touched her lips. "There's the 'desert heart.' They have red, heart-shaped leaves and a mild, pleasant flavor. Perhaps you’ve had tea made from them.”

Rozemyne’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, that lovely mint tea. I think we export it. That would be wonderful.”

Lieseleta was used to Rozemyne’s use of strange words, but Lady Carnelia looked puzzled at the word “mint.”

Blissfully unaware, Rozemyne continued. “Mild, red, mint cookies with a heart-shaped leaf in their center. Perfect!”

Carried away, she rushed off to see the chef, leaving poor Lady Carnelia to recover in the now silent library.

[Sequel coming someday]

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm #Valentines

Star-Cross Cookies: Part 3

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm
#Wss366 recreate/re-create

Armed with Carnelia’s name, Rozemyne headed to the library, much to the dismay of her chief maid, Lieseleta. Rihyarda could have handled it, but Lieseleta lacked the experience and gravitas to control Rozemyne when she was fired up.

"Lady Carnelia!" Rozemyne shouted, bursting into the reading room the girl was using.

Lieseleta said just loud enough for the Aub to hear, “At least give her a proper greeting.”

“Of course,” Rozemyne replied.

“May I pray for a blessing in appreciation of this serendipitous meeting, ordained by the harsh judgment of Ewigeliebe, Lady Carnelia?” Rozemyne rushed through her greeting.

“You may.” The lady in question spoke barely loud enough to be heard and trembled like a winter leaf, which wasn’t surprising, given that the Aub had addressed her so suddenly.

“I need something red, romantic, and heart-shaped,” Rozemyne said.

“You might want to explain a bit,” Lieseleta said. She was overstepping herself, but the poor woman Rozemyne was addressing looked bewildered and on the verge of fainting in fright.

“Sorry, I want something to use with cookies for Star-Cross Day. Something other than those dreadful bugs! I don’t see how anyone could think coach beetles were romantic.”

Lady Carnelia stared, and then, as the word "romantic" sank in, she began to think. Her brows furrowed, and then a smile touched her lips. "There's the 'desert heart.' They have red, heart-shaped leaves and a mild, pleasant flavor. Perhaps you’ve had tea made from them.”

Rozemyne’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, that lovely mint tea. I think we export it. That would be wonderful.”

Lieseleta was used to Rozemyne’s use of strange words, but Lady Carnelia looked puzzled at the word “mint.”

Blissfully unaware, Rozemyne continued. “Mild, red, mint cookies with a heart-shaped leaf in their center. Perfect!”

Carried away, she rushed off to see the chef, leaving poor Lady Carnelia to recover in the now silent library.

[Sequel coming someday]

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm #Valentines

Star-Cross Cookies: Part 3

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm
#Wss366 recreate/re-create

Armed with Carnelia’s name, Rozemyne headed to the library, much to the dismay of her chief maid, Lieseleta. Rihyarda could have handled it, but Lieseleta lacked the experience and gravitas to control Rozemyne when she was fired up.

"Lady Carnelia!" Rozemyne shouted, bursting into the reading room the girl was using.

Lieseleta said just loud enough for the Aub to hear, “At least give her a proper greeting.”

“Of course,” Rozemyne replied.

“May I pray for a blessing in appreciation of this serendipitous meeting, ordained by the harsh judgment of Ewigeliebe, Lady Carnelia?” Rozemyne rushed through her greeting.

“You may.” The lady in question spoke barely loud enough to be heard and trembled like a winter leaf, which wasn’t surprising, given that the Aub had addressed her so suddenly.

“I need something red, romantic, and heart-shaped,” Rozemyne said.

“You might want to explain a bit,” Lieseleta said. She was overstepping herself, but the poor woman Rozemyne was addressing looked bewildered and on the verge of fainting in fright.

“Sorry, I want something to use with cookies for Star-Cross Day. Something other than those dreadful bugs! I don’t see how anyone could think coach beetles were romantic.”

Lady Carnelia stared, and then, as the word "romantic" sank in, she began to think. Her brows furrowed, and then a smile touched her lips. "There's the 'desert heart.' They have red, heart-shaped leaves and a mild, pleasant flavor. Perhaps you’ve had tea made from them.”

Rozemyne’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, that lovely mint tea. I think we export it. That would be wonderful.”

Lieseleta was used to Rozemyne’s use of strange words, but Lady Carnelia looked puzzled at the word “mint.”

Blissfully unaware, Rozemyne continued. “Mild, red, mint cookies with a heart-shaped leaf in their center. Perfect!”

Carried away, she rushed off to see the chef, leaving poor Lady Carnelia to recover in the now silent library.

[Sequel coming someday]

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm #Valentines

High Tea at The Royal Academy

•─⋅☾Author Notes☽⋅─•

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#wss366 #Mastoprompt #PIXIVCharitySanta

I wrote this just as the translation of “Hannelore’s Fifth Year” volume two started appearing in J-Novel Club pre-pubs. To the best of my ability, this story doesn’t break the canon of “Ascension of a Bookworm” and volume one of “Hannelore’s Fifth Year.” Volume two will most likely render this AU, though. However, I like the idea of Rozemyne and Hannelore eventually living together. They both need a good friend.

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm

High Tea at The Royal Academy

•─⋅☾Author Notes☽⋅─•

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#wss366 #Mastoprompt #PIXIVCharitySanta

I wrote this just as the translation of “Hannelore’s Fifth Year” volume two started appearing in J-Novel Club pre-pubs. To the best of my ability, this story doesn’t break the canon of “Ascension of a Bookworm” and volume one of “Hannelore’s Fifth Year.” Volume two will most likely render this AU, though. However, I like the idea of Rozemyne and Hannelore eventually living together. They both need a good friend.

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm

High Tea at The Royal Academy

•─⋅☾Author Notes☽⋅─•

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#wss366 #Mastoprompt #PIXIVCharitySanta

I wrote this just as the translation of “Hannelore’s Fifth Year” volume two started appearing in J-Novel Club pre-pubs. To the best of my ability, this story doesn’t break the canon of “Ascension of a Bookworm” and volume one of “Hannelore’s Fifth Year.” Volume two will most likely render this AU, though. However, I like the idea of Rozemyne and Hannelore eventually living together. They both need a good friend.

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm

High Tea at The Royal Academy

•─⋅☾6. Tea Cake Crumbs☽⋅─•

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#wss366 #Mastoprompt #PIXIVCharitySanta

•─⋅☾Meanwhile in Dunkelfelger☽⋅─•

“Oh, my,” said Sieglinde, Hannelore’s mother. It would have taken a more observant man than Aub Werdekraf to notice the slight pallor that crept into his wife’s cheeks. But it was there, a sure sign that something highly unusual and alarming had happened. Fortunately, no servants were in the private dining room where the two were having dinner to observe her alarm.

“Is that Hannelore’s letter?” he asked as she handed it to him. He blinked as he read it, glanced up at his wife, and then continued reading.

Putting it down, he said, “How could Ferdinand have let this happen? A magical shumil?”

“Not just any shumil, it's a minor artifact. Only Ferdinand and Rozemyne could have made this one.”

“But what could it mean?” Wedekraf’s voice was muffled by the hands he had placed over his face.

His wife gave it some thought. She was the steadying hand that kept the Dunkelfelger ruling family in line. “Ah, I think I see.—Have you noticed that Rozemyne is inordinately fond of Hannelore?”

“One could hardly miss it. Do you think that’s all it is—an extravagant gift?”

“Do be sensible. Given Ferdinand’s involvement, it must mean something—something that can’t be spoken of directly.”

“But what?”

“What if Rozemyne is in love with Hannalore? If Ferdinand were to take Hana as a second wife, she would have an unassailable place where she could be with Rozemyne.”

The Aub took his hands away from his face, revealing brows scrunched in concentration. “That does sound like the kind of devious plan Ferdinand would come up with, but Rozemyne? I thought she had eyes #solely for Ferdinand.”

His wife was smiling now as she tapped her finger on the table. “It’s the #perfect solution to our Hannelore problem. She gets a good marriage with people who will ensure her comfort, and we strengthen our relationship with Alexandria and Rozemyne.”

•─⋅☾And in Alexandria☽⋅─•

Ferdinand emerged from the laboratory and approached his reading wife. “Do you know where the Shumil tool went? I had some ideas about how to cut down on the mana cost.”

The book slowly lowered, and Rozemyne looked up at him. “I sent it with Lady Sorrona to give to Hannelore.”

Ferdinand’s eyebrows twitched. “You did what!?”

Rozemyne set aside her book. “Oh dear, am I going to get another lecture?” Her tone was resigned.

[FINIS]

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm

High Tea at The Royal Academy

•─⋅☾6. Tea Cake Crumbs☽⋅─•

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#wss366 #Mastoprompt #PIXIVCharitySanta

•─⋅☾Meanwhile in Dunkelfelger☽⋅─•

“Oh, my,” said Sieglinde, Hannelore’s mother. It would have taken a more observant man than Aub Werdekraf to notice the slight pallor that crept into his wife’s cheeks. But it was there, a sure sign that something highly unusual and alarming had happened. Fortunately, no servants were in the private dining room where the two were having dinner to observe her alarm.

“Is that Hannelore’s letter?” he asked as she handed it to him. He blinked as he read it, glanced up at his wife, and then continued reading.

Putting it down, he said, “How could Ferdinand have let this happen? A magical shumil?”

“Not just any shumil, it's a minor artifact. Only Ferdinand and Rozemyne could have made this one.”

“But what could it mean?” Wedekraf’s voice was muffled by the hands he had placed over his face.

His wife gave it some thought. She was the steadying hand that kept the Dunkelfelger ruling family in line. “Ah, I think I see.—Have you noticed that Rozemyne is inordinately fond of Hannelore?”

“One could hardly miss it. Do you think that’s all it is—an extravagant gift?”

“Do be sensible. Given Ferdinand’s involvement, it must mean something—something that can’t be spoken of directly.”

“But what?”

“What if Rozemyne is in love with Hannalore? If Ferdinand were to take Hana as a second wife, she would have an unassailable place where she could be with Rozemyne.”

The Aub took his hands away from his face, revealing brows scrunched in concentration. “That does sound like the kind of devious plan Ferdinand would come up with, but Rozemyne? I thought she had eyes #solely for Ferdinand.”

His wife was smiling now as she tapped her finger on the table. “It’s the #perfect solution to our Hannelore problem. She gets a good marriage with people who will ensure her comfort, and we strengthen our relationship with Alexandria and Rozemyne.”

•─⋅☾And in Alexandria☽⋅─•

Ferdinand emerged from the laboratory and approached his reading wife. “Do you know where the Shumil tool went? I had some ideas about how to cut down on the mana cost.”

The book slowly lowered, and Rozemyne looked up at him. “I sent it with Lady Sorrona to give to Hannelore.”

Ferdinand’s eyebrows twitched. “You did what!?”

Rozemyne set aside her book. “Oh dear, am I going to get another lecture?” Her tone was resigned.

[FINIS]

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm

High Tea at The Royal Academy

•─⋅☾6. Tea Cake Crumbs☽⋅─•

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#wss366 #Mastoprompt #PIXIVCharitySanta

•─⋅☾Meanwhile in Dunkelfelger☽⋅─•

“Oh, my,” said Sieglinde, Hannelore’s mother. It would have taken a more observant man than Aub Werdekraf to notice the slight pallor that crept into his wife’s cheeks. But it was there, a sure sign that something highly unusual and alarming had happened. Fortunately, no servants were in the private dining room where the two were having dinner to observe her alarm.

“Is that Hannelore’s letter?” he asked as she handed it to him. He blinked as he read it, glanced up at his wife, and then continued reading.

Putting it down, he said, “How could Ferdinand have let this happen? A magical shumil?”

“Not just any shumil, it's a minor artifact. Only Ferdinand and Rozemyne could have made this one.”

“But what could it mean?” Wedekraf’s voice was muffled by the hands he had placed over his face.

His wife gave it some thought. She was the steadying hand that kept the Dunkelfelger ruling family in line. “Ah, I think I see.—Have you noticed that Rozemyne is inordinately fond of Hannelore?”

“One could hardly miss it. Do you think that’s all it is—an extravagant gift?”

“Do be sensible. Given Ferdinand’s involvement, it must mean something—something that can’t be spoken of directly.”

“But what?”

“What if Rozemyne is in love with Hannalore? If Ferdinand were to take Hana as a second wife, she would have an unassailable place where she could be with Rozemyne.”

The Aub took his hands away from his face, revealing brows scrunched in concentration. “That does sound like the kind of devious plan Ferdinand would come up with, but Rozemyne? I thought she had eyes #solely for Ferdinand.”

His wife was smiling now as she tapped her finger on the table. “It’s the #perfect solution to our Hannelore problem. She gets a good marriage with people who will ensure her comfort, and we strengthen our relationship with Alexandria and Rozemyne.”

•─⋅☾And in Alexandria☽⋅─•

Ferdinand emerged from the laboratory and approached his reading wife. “Do you know where the Shumil tool went? I had some ideas about how to cut down on the mana cost.”

The book slowly lowered, and Rozemyne looked up at him. “I sent it with Lady Sorrona to give to Hannelore.”

Ferdinand’s eyebrows twitched. “You did what!?”

Rozemyne set aside her book. “Oh dear, am I going to get another lecture?” Her tone was resigned.

[FINIS]

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm

High Tea at The Royal Academy

•─⋅☾6. Tea Cake Crumbs☽⋅─•

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#wss366 #Mastoprompt #PIXIVCharitySanta

•─⋅☾Meanwhile in Dunkelfelger☽⋅─•

“Oh, my,” said Sieglinde, Hannelore’s mother. It would have taken a more observant man than Aub Werdekraf to notice the slight pallor that crept into his wife’s cheeks. But it was there, a sure sign that something highly unusual and alarming had happened. Fortunately, no servants were in the private dining room where the two were having dinner to observe her alarm.

“Is that Hannelore’s letter?” he asked as she handed it to him. He blinked as he read it, glanced up at his wife, and then continued reading.

Putting it down, he said, “How could Ferdinand have let this happen? A magical shumil?”

“Not just any shumil, it's a minor artifact. Only Ferdinand and Rozemyne could have made this one.”

“But what could it mean?” Wedekraf’s voice was muffled by the hands he had placed over his face.

His wife gave it some thought. She was the steadying hand that kept the Dunkelfelger ruling family in line. “Ah, I think I see.—Have you noticed that Rozemyne is inordinately fond of Hannelore?”

“One could hardly miss it. Do you think that’s all it is—an extravagant gift?”

“Do be sensible. Given Ferdinand’s involvement, it must mean something—something that can’t be spoken of directly.”

“But what?”

“What if Rozemyne is in love with Hannalore? If Ferdinand were to take Hana as a second wife, she would have an unassailable place where she could be with Rozemyne.”

The Aub took his hands away from his face, revealing brows scrunched in concentration. “That does sound like the kind of devious plan Ferdinand would come up with, but Rozemyne? I thought she had eyes #solely for Ferdinand.”

His wife was smiling now as she tapped her finger on the table. “It’s the #perfect solution to our Hannelore problem. She gets a good marriage with people who will ensure her comfort, and we strengthen our relationship with Alexandria and Rozemyne.”

•─⋅☾And in Alexandria☽⋅─•

Ferdinand emerged from the laboratory and approached his reading wife. “Do you know where the Shumil tool went? I had some ideas about how to cut down on the mana cost.”

The book slowly lowered, and Rozemyne looked up at him. “I sent it with Lady Sorrona to give to Hannelore.”

Ferdinand’s eyebrows twitched. “You did what!?”

Rozemyne set aside her book. “Oh dear, am I going to get another lecture?” Her tone was resigned.

[FINIS]

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm

High Tea at The Royal Academy

•─⋅☾6. Tea Cake Crumbs☽⋅─•

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#wss366 #Mastoprompt #PIXIVCharitySanta

•─⋅☾Meanwhile in Dunkelfelger☽⋅─•

“Oh, my,” said Sieglinde, Hannelore’s mother. It would have taken a more observant man than Aub Werdekraf to notice the slight pallor that crept into his wife’s cheeks. But it was there, a sure sign that something highly unusual and alarming had happened. Fortunately, no servants were in the private dining room where the two were having dinner to observe her alarm.

“Is that Hannelore’s letter?” he asked as she handed it to him. He blinked as he read it, glanced up at his wife, and then continued reading.

Putting it down, he said, “How could Ferdinand have let this happen? A magical shumil?”

“Not just any shumil, it's a minor artifact. Only Ferdinand and Rozemyne could have made this one.”

“But what could it mean?” Wedekraf’s voice was muffled by the hands he had placed over his face.

His wife gave it some thought. She was the steadying hand that kept the Dunkelfelger ruling family in line. “Ah, I think I see.—Have you noticed that Rozemyne is inordinately fond of Hannelore?”

“One could hardly miss it. Do you think that’s all it is—an extravagant gift?”

“Do be sensible. Given Ferdinand’s involvement, it must mean something—something that can’t be spoken of directly.”

“But what?”

“What if Rozemyne is in love with Hannalore? If Ferdinand were to take Hana as a second wife, she would have an unassailable place where she could be with Rozemyne.”

The Aub took his hands away from his face, revealing brows scrunched in concentration. “That does sound like the kind of devious plan Ferdinand would come up with, but Rozemyne? I thought she had eyes #solely for Ferdinand.”

His wife was smiling now as she tapped her finger on the table. “It’s the #perfect solution to our Hannelore problem. She gets a good marriage with people who will ensure her comfort, and we strengthen our relationship with Alexandria and Rozemyne.”

•─⋅☾And in Alexandria☽⋅─•

Ferdinand emerged from the laboratory and approached his reading wife. “Do you know where the Shumil tool went? I had some ideas about how to cut down on the mana cost.”

The book slowly lowered, and Rozemyne looked up at him. “I sent it with Lady Sorrona to give to Hannelore.”

Ferdinand’s eyebrows twitched. “You did what!?”

Rozemyne set aside her book. “Oh dear, am I going to get another lecture?” Her tone was resigned.

[FINIS]

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm

High Tea at The Royal Academy

•─⋅☾4. Book Buddies Forever☽⋅─•

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#wss366 #Mastoprompt #PIXIVCharitySanta

As was customary, Sorrona took the first swallow of matcha. Then, she passed the cups around.

Everyone took a sip of the emerald-green #liquid. The lady from Klassenberg made a slightly wry face but quickly hid it. What was her name? Hannelore wondered. "Valeriane Tochter Klassenberg. That was it."

"This is lovely china, so unique," Valeriane said. Hanna thought it was perhaps an attempt to cover up her faux pas. "May I buy a set for my tea parties?" Valeriane went on.

“No, I’m sorry,” Sorrona answered. "They won't be available until after the Archduke Conference, but you can have the setting in front of you as a gift. You'll find Aub Rozemyne’s personal seal on the bottom.”

"Now, on to the treats," she said, sampling a sandwich and each confection to demonstrate that they weren't poisoned. "This is matcha milli feuille," she said, cutting into the lavish cake. She stumbled slightly over the name and giggled nervously.

"Everyone calls these tanieh jellies," she said, picking up the deep tan confections. "And these are mochi," she said, eating one of the round confections. "Rozemyne is very proud of the mochi. She said that they were incredibly difficult to develop.”

Finished, she turned to Hannelore. "You might be wondering why Her Grace entrusted me with debuting her creations. I was surprised, too, but when she asked who wanted to join the library committee, I was the only one to volunteer. She said you were my senpai, and that I should listen to you."

Sorrona giggled after making this serious announcement.

Hannelore stared as a feeling of déjà vu washed over her.

When Sorrona held up her little finger, it seemed to Hannelore that the girl wanted to shake pinkies. Flustered and unsure what to do, Hannelore complied, wrapping her pinky around Sorrona’s.

Sorrona giggled again and said, "Book buddies forever."

Such obvious favoritism clearly showed that Alexandria had singled out Dunkelfelger for special favor. Either that or they were signaling a marriage offer was in the making. Perhapes, Ferdinand was looking for a second wife. One wrong move and they would feel snubbed, and she would make an enemy of them.

Hannelore could feel the other women’s eyes burning through her. They would immediately share this intelligence with their duchies. Until she heard back from Dunkelfelger's Aub, her every move would be watched and interpreted. It was a nightmare.

She carefully #folded hands, making sure her smile didn’t waver. It was a far cry from her thoughts."What has my bad timing gotten me into this time?"

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm

High Tea at The Royal Academy

•─⋅☾4. Book Buddies Forever☽⋅─•

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#wss366 #Mastoprompt #PIXIVCharitySanta

As was customary, Sorrona took the first swallow of matcha. Then, she passed the cups around.

Everyone took a sip of the emerald-green #liquid. The lady from Klassenberg made a slightly wry face but quickly hid it. What was her name? Hannelore wondered. "Valeriane Tochter Klassenberg. That was it."

"This is lovely china, so unique," Valeriane said. Hanna thought it was perhaps an attempt to cover up her faux pas. "May I buy a set for my tea parties?" Valeriane went on.

“No, I’m sorry,” Sorrona answered. "They won't be available until after the Archduke Conference, but you can have the setting in front of you as a gift. You'll find Aub Rozemyne’s personal seal on the bottom.”

"Now, on to the treats," she said, sampling a sandwich and each confection to demonstrate that they weren't poisoned. "This is matcha milli feuille," she said, cutting into the lavish cake. She stumbled slightly over the name and giggled nervously.

"Everyone calls these tanieh jellies," she said, picking up the deep tan confections. "And these are mochi," she said, eating one of the round confections. "Rozemyne is very proud of the mochi. She said that they were incredibly difficult to develop.”

Finished, she turned to Hannelore. "You might be wondering why Her Grace entrusted me with debuting her creations. I was surprised, too, but when she asked who wanted to join the library committee, I was the only one to volunteer. She said you were my senpai, and that I should listen to you."

Sorrona giggled after making this serious announcement.

Hannelore stared as a feeling of déjà vu washed over her.

When Sorrona held up her little finger, it seemed to Hannelore that the girl wanted to shake pinkies. Flustered and unsure what to do, Hannelore complied, wrapping her pinky around Sorrona’s.

Sorrona giggled again and said, "Book buddies forever."

Such obvious favoritism clearly showed that Alexandria had singled out Dunkelfelger for special favor. Either that or they were signaling a marriage offer was in the making. Perhapes, Ferdinand was looking for a second wife. One wrong move and they would feel snubbed, and she would make an enemy of them.

Hannelore could feel the other women’s eyes burning through her. They would immediately share this intelligence with their duchies. Until she heard back from Dunkelfelger's Aub, her every move would be watched and interpreted. It was a nightmare.

She carefully #folded hands, making sure her smile didn’t waver. It was a far cry from her thoughts."What has my bad timing gotten me into this time?"

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm

High Tea at The Royal Academy

•─⋅☾4. Book Buddies Forever☽⋅─•

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#wss366 #Mastoprompt #PIXIVCharitySanta

As was customary, Sorrona took the first swallow of matcha. Then, she passed the cups around.

Everyone took a sip of the emerald-green #liquid. The lady from Klassenberg made a slightly wry face but quickly hid it. What was her name? Hannelore wondered. "Valeriane Tochter Klassenberg. That was it."

"This is lovely china, so unique," Valeriane said. Hanna thought it was perhaps an attempt to cover up her faux pas. "May I buy a set for my tea parties?" Valeriane went on.

“No, I’m sorry,” Sorrona answered. "They won't be available until after the Archduke Conference, but you can have the setting in front of you as a gift. You'll find Aub Rozemyne’s personal seal on the bottom.”

"Now, on to the treats," she said, sampling a sandwich and each confection to demonstrate that they weren't poisoned. "This is matcha milli feuille," she said, cutting into the lavish cake. She stumbled slightly over the name and giggled nervously.

"Everyone calls these tanieh jellies," she said, picking up the deep tan confections. "And these are mochi," she said, eating one of the round confections. "Rozemyne is very proud of the mochi. She said that they were incredibly difficult to develop.”

Finished, she turned to Hannelore. "You might be wondering why Her Grace entrusted me with debuting her creations. I was surprised, too, but when she asked who wanted to join the library committee, I was the only one to volunteer. She said you were my senpai, and that I should listen to you."

Sorrona giggled after making this serious announcement.

Hannelore stared as a feeling of déjà vu washed over her.

When Sorrona held up her little finger, it seemed to Hannelore that the girl wanted to shake pinkies. Flustered and unsure what to do, Hannelore complied, wrapping her pinky around Sorrona’s.

Sorrona giggled again and said, "Book buddies forever."

Such obvious favoritism clearly showed that Alexandria had singled out Dunkelfelger for special favor. Either that or they were signaling a marriage offer was in the making. Perhapes, Ferdinand was looking for a second wife. One wrong move and they would feel snubbed, and she would make an enemy of them.

Hannelore could feel the other women’s eyes burning through her. They would immediately share this intelligence with their duchies. Until she heard back from Dunkelfelger's Aub, her every move would be watched and interpreted. It was a nightmare.

She carefully #folded hands, making sure her smile didn’t waver. It was a far cry from her thoughts."What has my bad timing gotten me into this time?"

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm

High Tea at The Royal Academy

•─⋅☾4. Book Buddies Forever☽⋅─•

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#wss366 #Mastoprompt #PIXIVCharitySanta

As was customary, Sorrona took the first swallow of matcha. Then, she passed the cups around.

Everyone took a sip of the emerald-green #liquid. The lady from Klassenberg made a slightly wry face but quickly hid it. What was her name? Hannelore wondered. "Valeriane Tochter Klassenberg. That was it."

"This is lovely china, so unique," Valeriane said. Hanna thought it was perhaps an attempt to cover up her faux pas. "May I buy a set for my tea parties?" Valeriane went on.

“No, I’m sorry,” Sorrona answered. "They won't be available until after the Archduke Conference, but you can have the setting in front of you as a gift. You'll find Aub Rozemyne’s personal seal on the bottom.”

"Now, on to the treats," she said, sampling a sandwich and each confection to demonstrate that they weren't poisoned. "This is matcha milli feuille," she said, cutting into the lavish cake. She stumbled slightly over the name and giggled nervously.

"Everyone calls these tanieh jellies," she said, picking up the deep tan confections. "And these are mochi," she said, eating one of the round confections. "Rozemyne is very proud of the mochi. She said that they were incredibly difficult to develop.”

Finished, she turned to Hannelore. "You might be wondering why Her Grace entrusted me with debuting her creations. I was surprised, too, but when she asked who wanted to join the library committee, I was the only one to volunteer. She said you were my senpai, and that I should listen to you."

Sorrona giggled after making this serious announcement.

Hannelore stared as a feeling of déjà vu washed over her.

When Sorrona held up her little finger, it seemed to Hannelore that the girl wanted to shake pinkies. Flustered and unsure what to do, Hannelore complied, wrapping her pinky around Sorrona’s.

Sorrona giggled again and said, "Book buddies forever."

Such obvious favoritism clearly showed that Alexandria had singled out Dunkelfelger for special favor. Either that or they were signaling a marriage offer was in the making. Perhapes, Ferdinand was looking for a second wife. One wrong move and they would feel snubbed, and she would make an enemy of them.

Hannelore could feel the other women’s eyes burning through her. They would immediately share this intelligence with their duchies. Until she heard back from Dunkelfelger's Aub, her every move would be watched and interpreted. It was a nightmare.

She carefully #folded hands, making sure her smile didn’t waver. It was a far cry from her thoughts."What has my bad timing gotten me into this time?"

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm

High Tea at The Royal Academy

•─⋅☾4. Book Buddies Forever☽⋅─•

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#wss366 #Mastoprompt #PIXIVCharitySanta

As was customary, Sorrona took the first swallow of matcha. Then, she passed the cups around.

Everyone took a sip of the emerald-green #liquid. The lady from Klassenberg made a slightly wry face but quickly hid it. What was her name? Hannelore wondered. "Valeriane Tochter Klassenberg. That was it."

"This is lovely china, so unique," Valeriane said. Hanna thought it was perhaps an attempt to cover up her faux pas. "May I buy a set for my tea parties?" Valeriane went on.

“No, I’m sorry,” Sorrona answered. "They won't be available until after the Archduke Conference, but you can have the setting in front of you as a gift. You'll find Aub Rozemyne’s personal seal on the bottom.”

"Now, on to the treats," she said, sampling a sandwich and each confection to demonstrate that they weren't poisoned. "This is matcha milli feuille," she said, cutting into the lavish cake. She stumbled slightly over the name and giggled nervously.

"Everyone calls these tanieh jellies," she said, picking up the deep tan confections. "And these are mochi," she said, eating one of the round confections. "Rozemyne is very proud of the mochi. She said that they were incredibly difficult to develop.”

Finished, she turned to Hannelore. "You might be wondering why Her Grace entrusted me with debuting her creations. I was surprised, too, but when she asked who wanted to join the library committee, I was the only one to volunteer. She said you were my senpai, and that I should listen to you."

Sorrona giggled after making this serious announcement.

Hannelore stared as a feeling of déjà vu washed over her.

When Sorrona held up her little finger, it seemed to Hannelore that the girl wanted to shake pinkies. Flustered and unsure what to do, Hannelore complied, wrapping her pinky around Sorrona’s.

Sorrona giggled again and said, "Book buddies forever."

Such obvious favoritism clearly showed that Alexandria had singled out Dunkelfelger for special favor. Either that or they were signaling a marriage offer was in the making. Perhapes, Ferdinand was looking for a second wife. One wrong move and they would feel snubbed, and she would make an enemy of them.

Hannelore could feel the other women’s eyes burning through her. They would immediately share this intelligence with their duchies. Until she heard back from Dunkelfelger's Aub, her every move would be watched and interpreted. It was a nightmare.

She carefully #folded hands, making sure her smile didn’t waver. It was a far cry from her thoughts."What has my bad timing gotten me into this time?"

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm

High Tea at The Royal Academy

•─⋅☾3. Matcha & Celadon☽⋅─•

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#wss366 #Mastoprompt #PIXIVCharitySanta

Hannalore was shown to a seat next to Sorrona. Each place setting was stunning. Handleless cups and plates with a jade-green glaze gleamed, which pooled in darker lines made by pattern of swimming #fish. What caught her eye most, though, was the fine web of cracks running through the glaze. They were lovely and unlike anything she had seen before.

In the table’s center was a silver three-tiered stand. The bottom contained a cake made of many thin, crepe layers with whipped cream sandwiched between each, and all dusted with green powder. It gave off a faint odor of tea. On the next tier were dainty crustless sandwiches, and on the top tier were tanieh jellies and soft, round confections covered with roasted samaneh seeds.

The mingled sweet scents made her mouth water. To think she would be among the first to taste Rozemyne’s newest creations. It felt like a miraculous honor. For once, just once, her timing had been perfect.

“I thought I would start our tea with a ritual that Rozemyne introduced to our court,” Sorrona said as the last guest was seated. “If you pass me your cups, I’ll make a special tea for you. You may decline, in which case you’ll be served a nice black blend. Either is exquisite, but the former is an adventure.”

As everyone passed their cups to Sorrona, Hannalore overheard the girl from Drewanchel say in a stage whisper, "Well, at least we don't have to worry about her fainting and leaving us hostless." Hannalore felt sorry for Sorrona again.

The target of the girl’s retort gave no sign of having heard and continued. "This is the finest tea, which is then ground into a fine powder. Rozemyne calls it matcha. You warm the cup with a bit of hot water, add this much matcha, add hot water, and whisk it. The temperature of the water is very important. If it is too hot, the tea will be bitter."

Sorrona picked up a small whisk and rolled it between her palms, turning the tea into a thick, emerald froth.

"Rozemyne says that any lady or gentleman should be able to do this for their guests. It is the highest honor. Having servants do it implies that you feel your guests are unworthy of your attention."

Some of the ladies looked shocked, but Hannalore thought, "I bet Ferdinand was the #architect of that custom to accommodate his eccentric wife." But it also seemed like a charming custom.

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm

High Tea at The Royal Academy

•─⋅☾3. Matcha & Celadon☽⋅─•

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#wss366 #Mastoprompt #PIXIVCharitySanta

Hannalore was shown to a seat next to Sorrona. Each place setting was stunning. Handleless cups and plates with a jade-green glaze gleamed, which pooled in darker lines made by pattern of swimming #fish. What caught her eye most, though, was the fine web of cracks running through the glaze. They were lovely and unlike anything she had seen before.

In the table’s center was a silver three-tiered stand. The bottom contained a cake made of many thin, crepe layers with whipped cream sandwiched between each, and all dusted with green powder. It gave off a faint odor of tea. On the next tier were dainty crustless sandwiches, and on the top tier were tanieh jellies and soft, round confections covered with roasted samaneh seeds.

The mingled sweet scents made her mouth water. To think she would be among the first to taste Rozemyne’s newest creations. It felt like a miraculous honor. For once, just once, her timing had been perfect.

“I thought I would start our tea with a ritual that Rozemyne introduced to our court,” Sorrona said as the last guest was seated. “If you pass me your cups, I’ll make a special tea for you. You may decline, in which case you’ll be served a nice black blend. Either is exquisite, but the former is an adventure.”

As everyone passed their cups to Sorrona, Hannalore overheard the girl from Drewanchel say in a stage whisper, "Well, at least we don't have to worry about her fainting and leaving us hostless." Hannalore felt sorry for Sorrona again.

The target of the girl’s retort gave no sign of having heard and continued. "This is the finest tea, which is then ground into a fine powder. Rozemyne calls it matcha. You warm the cup with a bit of hot water, add this much matcha, add hot water, and whisk it. The temperature of the water is very important. If it is too hot, the tea will be bitter."

Sorrona picked up a small whisk and rolled it between her palms, turning the tea into a thick, emerald froth.

"Rozemyne says that any lady or gentleman should be able to do this for their guests. It is the highest honor. Having servants do it implies that you feel your guests are unworthy of your attention."

Some of the ladies looked shocked, but Hannalore thought, "I bet Ferdinand was the #architect of that custom to accommodate his eccentric wife." But it also seemed like a charming custom.

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm

High Tea at The Royal Academy

•─⋅☾3. Matcha & Celadon☽⋅─•

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#wss366 #Mastoprompt #PIXIVCharitySanta

Hannalore was shown to a seat next to Sorrona. Each place setting was stunning. Handleless cups and plates with a jade-green glaze gleamed, which pooled in darker lines made by pattern of swimming #fish. What caught her eye most, though, was the fine web of cracks running through the glaze. They were lovely and unlike anything she had seen before.

In the table’s center was a silver three-tiered stand. The bottom contained a cake made of many thin, crepe layers with whipped cream sandwiched between each, and all dusted with green powder. It gave off a faint odor of tea. On the next tier were dainty crustless sandwiches, and on the top tier were tanieh jellies and soft, round confections covered with roasted samaneh seeds.

The mingled sweet scents made her mouth water. To think she would be among the first to taste Rozemyne’s newest creations. It felt like a miraculous honor. For once, just once, her timing had been perfect.

“I thought I would start our tea with a ritual that Rozemyne introduced to our court,” Sorrona said as the last guest was seated. “If you pass me your cups, I’ll make a special tea for you. You may decline, in which case you’ll be served a nice black blend. Either is exquisite, but the former is an adventure.”

As everyone passed their cups to Sorrona, Hannalore overheard the girl from Drewanchel say in a stage whisper, "Well, at least we don't have to worry about her fainting and leaving us hostless." Hannalore felt sorry for Sorrona again.

The target of the girl’s retort gave no sign of having heard and continued. "This is the finest tea, which is then ground into a fine powder. Rozemyne calls it matcha. You warm the cup with a bit of hot water, add this much matcha, add hot water, and whisk it. The temperature of the water is very important. If it is too hot, the tea will be bitter."

Sorrona picked up a small whisk and rolled it between her palms, turning the tea into a thick, emerald froth.

"Rozemyne says that any lady or gentleman should be able to do this for their guests. It is the highest honor. Having servants do it implies that you feel your guests are unworthy of your attention."

Some of the ladies looked shocked, but Hannalore thought, "I bet Ferdinand was the #architect of that custom to accommodate his eccentric wife." But it also seemed like a charming custom.

Tags: #SliceOfLife #AoaB #MicroFiction #TootFic #Serial #NMV366 #NMFic #Bookworm