This Isn't Literature

In the Imperial Princess's palace, a salon is held once a week.

It is a time when a dozen or so young ladies and noblewomen gather for intimate conversation and tea.

What dresses are in fashion these days, what happened in some other house, what some family's son did, and so on.

They chew over, tear apart, taste, and enjoy worthless gossip.

But lately, it had begun to take on a new form.

"…Therefore, the fall of the ancient kingdom can be said to have been an inevitable result of the ruling class's moral decay and the contradictions of its land system."

"A truly excellent insight, Baroness Bren. I too was deeply moved by that line from the philosopher Voltaire."

It was a book club.

A social venue where they read books and share their impressions with one another, showing off their intellect and refinement.

They read abstruse philosophy texts or epic poems about the continent's history, and spout academic terms that are hard to understand...