The day for us to enter the Royal Academy finally arrived.
I sat on one side of the carriage, facing Viola and Primula on the opposite seat as we made our way toward the school. All three of us were dressed in the Academy-designated blazers, a fresh and novel sight compared to our usual attire.
"I can’t believe I’ll be going to the same school as Rest starting today. It feels like a dream," Viola said, her voice bouncing with excitement.
I gave her a wry smile. "It’s not like it’s that unusual. We live in the same house, after all."
We stayed under the same roof and spent nearly twenty-four hours a day together, so her comment felt a bit late to me.
"It is a matter of sentiment, Lord Rest," Primula added, following her sister’s lead.
While she wasn't as blatant about it as Viola, Primula also seemed quite giddy.
"Is that how it works? I don’t really get it..."
"Men can be so dense. It’s quite a bother," Viola teased.
"Sister is right. More importantly... Rest, is there nothing you wish to say to us?"
"You have something for us, right, Rest?"
Viola and Primula lightly spread their arms, striking poses to show off their appearance. They wore white shirts under their blazers, with ribbons tied neatly around their necks. I let out a small sigh before giving them the words they were fishing for.
"The uniforms suit you both perfectly. You look very cute."
"Yes, well done," Viola chirped.
"I am happy to hear that. You look quite dashing in yours as well, Rest-san," Primula said.
"...I’m pretty sure I told you that when you tried them on, right? Just how many times are we going to have this conversation?"
This wasn't the first time I had seen the sisters in their Academy Uniforms. They had tried them on several times before today, and each time, they had demanded my thoughts.
"Like I said, it’s a matter of sentiment! You want to be complimented by the person you love over and over again!"
"Sister is right. No matter how many times we hear it, we never grow tired of it."
"Is that really how it is...?"
"That is exactly how it is!" they asserted in unison.
I hadn't exactly been a lady-killer in my previous life, but apparently, this was just how girls worked. In any case, it was no empty flattery—the two of them truly were lovely in their uniforms. The blazers looked as if they had been designed specifically for them, highlighting their natural charm.
Maybe it was because of how long we had spent together, or perhaps it was because they were now my fiancées in both name and reality, but seeing them like this felt incredibly fresh. It was no exaggeration to say the image felt burned into my mind.
Compared to them, however...
I looked down at myself with a wry smile. I was wearing the male version of the uniform. It was a similar design, with the ribbon replaced by a tie and the skirt by trousers, but I couldn't shake the feeling that the clothes were wearing me. Perhaps it was due to my low-born origins, but wearing such high-quality attire always felt strangely out of place.
I lived as a commoner for a long time. I still haven't gotten used to expensive clothes.
"What's wrong, Rest?"
"No... it's nothing."
"Hmm? Though I must say... Rest, you've grown quite tall, haven't you?" Viola remarked, as if suddenly noticing.
Primula clasped her hands together in agreement. "Ah, I was thinking the same thing! You've grown at least ten centimeters since you first came to the estate, haven't you?"
"Is that so? I don't really notice it myself."
Come to think of it, I had outgrown several pairs of trousers and had to buy new ones. It might have been because I hadn't been given enough food at the Honorary Viscount Ebern Mansion, but in the year since moving to the Marquis Rosemary House, my body had undergone a significant growth spurt.
I was taller, and my once-scrawny frame had filled out with solid muscle. The height gap between me and the sisters had widened considerably.
"Maybe you'll grow even more. I'm actually a little frustrated," Viola pouted.
"Sister, it is ideal for a man to be a bit taller than the woman he escorts. Otherwise, it would be difficult when we wear heels," Primula pointed out.
"Ah, good point! If we ended up taller than you because of our heels, it would be embarrassing for you!"
The sisters were getting worked up over the logistics of our height difference. Sensing it was a conversation I shouldn't get involved in, I casually turned my gaze out the window.
"...Wait."
A strange sight caught my eye as I looked outside.
A girl was sprinting alongside the Marquis Rosemary House carriage. An armored knight on horseback was in pursuit, but she was outrunning him.
She was wearing the same uniform as the sisters. I watched as she sped through the streets of the Royal Capital, leaving the knight in her dust.
"..."
"Is something the matter, Lord Rest?"
"No... it's nothing."
It seemed "she" had successfully passed the exam as well.
I looked up at the clear sky with a sense of trepidation, sensing that my upcoming Academy Life was going to be a very noisy one.