After settling his final accounts with his half-brother, Rest reinforced his physical body with magic and made his way back to the Marquis Rosemary House.
It was already evening by the time he arrived, yet he found two familiar figures waiting for him right at the entrance.
"Ah, Rest!"
"Lord Rest!"
"Wait, were you both waiting for me?"
Rest’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Viola and Primula standing before the front door. He hadn't told them exactly when he would return... just how long had they been standing there?
"Ah, well... we were just worried. I mean, you were going there, after all," Viola said, looking a bit awkward.
"When the carriage came back alone, I thought something had happened!" Primula added, her voice tinged with a hint of a scold.
The cold, violent aura that had gripped Rest until moments ago vanished instantly, replaced by a wave of warmth welling up from deep within his chest. He was accepted here. There were people who genuinely cared for his well-being. He had never realized just how much happiness that realization could bring.
"I’m sorry for making you worry. But... thanks to you two, I was able to bring everything to a definitive close."
Rest took their hands in his and spoke in a gentle tone. The rings he had gifted them shimmered on their fingers.
"I don't think those people will ever be a part of my life again. I'm sure of it."
His father was a man who worshipped magic, but he was also a man who obsessed over status and authority. Now that Rest had become the fiancé of the Marquis’s daughters and stood above him in rank, the man wouldn't dare provoke him. There was always a possibility his stepmother might try something foolish, but she was an insignificant woman. He doubted there was anything she could actually achieve.
(And as for Cedric...)
The Cedric Ebern that Rest once knew no longer existed in this world. He would never show his face before Rest or the Rosemary sisters again.
"So... it's all right now. Thank you."
Rest offered them a peaceful smile, but the sisters’ expressions remained slightly clouded. They likely assumed that Rest—having just severed ties with the people who were, for better or worse, his family—was merely forcing himself to act strong.
"All right! In that case, let's all take a bath together to celebrate!" Viola declared.
"Wait... a bath?"
"Exactly! To wash away everything we don't need! We'll get nice and clean and start fresh!"
Viola’s face turned a shade of red that rivaled a ripe tomato as she made the suggestion. Rest could only stare at her, utterly stunned by the proposal.
"That's a wonderful idea! As expected of my big sister!" Primula chimed in immediately. She clasped her hands together, a beaming smile on her face. "Since Lord Rest is taking a new step forward, let’s all bathe together to clear our minds! It’s perfectly fine—we are fiancés, after all!"
"N-no... I feel like we were bathing together pretty frequently even before we became fiancés..."
"W-well, starting today, we can share a bedroom, too! I'm totally... yeah, I'm totally fine with it...!" Viola stammered.
"Your face doesn't look 'totally fine' at all, Viola... if you're that embarrassed, you really don't have to force yourself to say it," Rest noted.
The girl who had made the proposal looked as if she might go up in flames at any second. She was clearly desperate to cheer him up, thinking he was depressed about his past.
"...It’s okay. I’m already feeling much better."
Rest gave a wry smile at the sight of the two. With fiancées who were willing to go to such lengths for his sake, why should he waste a single moment worrying about a worthless former family?
"You don't have to push yourselves so hard. Just being with you both has given me all the strength I need. Truly... I'm so glad I met you."
"Rest..."
"Lord Rest..."
A sweet, tender atmosphere settled over the three of them. However, Primula soon broke the silence with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"But... we should still take that bath together. And let's have the servants push two beds together so all three of us can sleep together."
"Wh-what!?" both Viola and Rest cried out in unison.
"It’s fine. We are fiancés, after all... and Mother did say there wouldn't be any problems as long as we used contraception."
As Primula dropped that particular bombshell without a hint of hesitation, Viola and Rest both recoiled in pure, unadulterated shock.