Several days had passed since Rest first arrived at the estate of the Marquis Rosemary.
His exam preparations were proceeding smoothly.
Though Viola and Primula occasionally subjected him to various attempts at seduction, Rest utilized his formidable willpower to resist their allure and absorb the knowledge he required. Fortunately, his understanding from his previous life allowed him to solve mathematical problems without a hitch. The real challenge lay in memorization-heavy subjects like history, but he knew there was no shortcut for those; he simply had to drill the facts into his brain through sheer repetition.
Rest didn't limit his studying to his sessions with the sisters. He spent every spare moment of his day flipping through borrowed reference books, cramming as much information as possible into his mind. While it was certainly hard work, having access to proper materials and personal tutors made the process feel significantly easier than the high school entrance exams he had endured in his previous life.
His combat training was also progressing well. Because he had mastered the new spells far faster than anticipated, he was able to dedicate the extra time to mock battles. By crossing blades and spells with the butler, Dieble, he steadily accumulated invaluable experience in anti-personnel combat.
So far, everything was going perfectly. At least, that was how it seemed to Rest.
"……My daughters aren't here."
Inside the dining hall of the Rosemary mansion, Albert Rosemary sat alone at a massive dining table and let out a lonely mutter.
It was dinner time, and an array of dishes sat before him: sautéed mutton, fish meunière, fresh salad, and savory soup. As expected of a Marquis’s household, it was a high-class meal prepared with the utmost care. However, despite the delicacies before him, Albert’s expression was grim. The daughters who usually occupied the seats beside him were nowhere to be found.
"The young ladies are taking their meal with Rest," the butler, Dieble, reported from his side.
"Ugh……"
Albert’s face twisted with bitterness. Lately, his beloved daughters had been inseparable from Rest. Unless they had urgent business elsewhere, they refused to leave the boy’s side. Consequently, Albert found himself eating alone more often than not.
It was painful enough to see his doted-upon daughters becoming so intimate with another man, but the feeling of being neglected by them was what truly tormented the Marquis's heart.
"……Perhaps it would be best to simply invite Rest to the table? If he were here, the young ladies would surely return to the dining room as well," Dieble suggested.
"N-No! I cannot do that!" Albert rejected the idea with a sharp tone. "Regardless of how much my daughters favor him, Rest is still only an apprentice servant! It would set a terrible example to have him sit at the same table as the head of the house!"
"I believe it is a bit late for that, Master. The staff already understand that Rest is a special case," Dieble replied, his expression turning slightly exasperated.
On the surface, Rest was living in the mansion as an apprentice. However, not a single soul in the house actually believed he was a mere servant. Viola and Primula looked after him so blatantly—and with the unmistakable expressions of women in love—that most of the maids and butlers had already pegged Rest as a candidate for the sisters' hand in marriage. Some of the servants had even started addressing the boy with the respectful suffix '-sama,' currying favor with the person they expected to be their future master.
"There were some among the staff who were jealous of the special treatment Rest was receiving," Dieble continued. "But once I allowed them to observe his magical training, they quickly fell silent."
"……Is his combat training truly progressing that well?" Albert asked.
"Beyond well." Dieble nodded, his tone becoming unusually firm as he looked at his master. "In terms of raw combat technique and intuition, he is slightly above average. However, Rest is undoubtedly a once-in-a-century genius of magic. I must insist, Master: we must secure him for the House of Rosemary by any means necessary—even if it means giving him both of your daughters."
"Is he truly that exceptional?"
"Yes. He possesses a unique 'eye' and a sense that allows him to master spells after seeing them only once. Furthermore, he has bottomless mana that shows no sign of depleting, no matter how much he exerts himself. He already possesses a level of ability nearing that of a Court Mage. While I still hold the upper hand for now, I expect him to surpass me in less than a year."
"…………"
Dieble was a man who understood his place as a servant. For him to voice his opinion so forcefully was a rare occurrence. It was clear evidence of just how indispensable a talent Rest truly was.
"Previously, I suggested that both young ladies should be given to Rest out of respect for their feelings," Dieble added. "But now, my perspective has shifted. I believe that marrying both of them to Rest and having them bear his children is the only way to ensure the long-term prosperity of the House of Rosemary."
"I see…… If even you go that far, then it seems my daughters have a better eye for men than I gave them credit for."
"At the very latest, you should arrange an official engagement before they enter the Academy. Once Rest enrolls, his talent will inevitably become known to the public. At that point, a frantic scramble for his hand will surely begin."
The Royal Academy was an educational institution, but it also served as a hunting ground for talent. It was a place where royalty and high nobility scouted for future vassals, and where noble ladies hunted for suitable husbands. The upper crust of society was not so foolish as to overlook a prospect like Rest—a boy who was both good-natured and brimming with immense potential.
"……Very well. If you are that certain, I will seriously consider the engagement," Albert conceded, his shoulders slumping in resignation.
The outer defenses had been breached, and now the inner moat was being filled. He could no longer find a single logical reason to refuse.
"However! This is all contingent on him actually passing the entrance exam! If he fails, the entire plan is moot!"
"Master, I believe the probability of him failing is infinitesimally low."
"And…… we still don't know if my wife will accept him. Eilische will be home soon, and there’s no telling how she will react to his presence."
Albert’s expression clouded over as he thought of his wife, Eilische Rosemary. As the mother of the twins, Eilische had a very particular personality. She would dote endlessly on those she took a liking to, but she treated those she disliked as though they were nothing more than dust beneath her boots.
It was no exaggeration to say that Rest’s future with the sisters ultimately rested on his ability to win Eilische over.
"To put it another way," Dieble remarked, "if the Madam approves of him, then you will have no grounds to complain either, Master. Such is the plight of a son-in-law who married into the family; one can never speak firmly to their wife."
"…………"
Albert Rosemary. He, too, was a husband who had married into the Rosemary lineage, and he lived in constant, quiet fear of his wife's authority.