"A house name... A house name, huh..."
Rest, having officially been chosen to head a newly-risen noble house, walked down the corridor muttering under his breath.
He had to decide on the name he would bear by the day of the investiture ceremony. But what kind of name would be appropriate?
(If I were to use my name from my time in Japan, it would end up being Honda... No, definitely not. Not even a remote possibility.)
Rest Honda.
It simply didn't work. It was a hard pass.
(Then what about the name of a protagonist from a novel I liked? Something like Siegfried or Pendragon?)
However, a quick search through the Peerage Registry he had borrowed from the archives revealed that both of those noble houses already existed. He couldn't use a name that was already taken.
(To think such overtly chunibyo names are already being used... Could there have been other reincarnated people here before me?)
"Ah, Rest. What's wrong? You’ve got a very serious look on your face."
"Viola."
While walking through the hall lost in thought, he ran into Viola, who looked like she had just finished her bath. Primula and Yuri were right behind her.
All three were dressed in nothing but negligees with cardigans thrown over their shoulders.
Since they were inside the house, they were free to wear whatever they liked, but for a boy his age, the sight was a bit of a trial for his self-control.
(I’m more or less used to seeing Viola and Primula like this. They are my fiancées, after all. But... I feel like Yuri's outfit is a bit problematic...)
"It seems this girl didn't bring any sleepwear with her. So, I lent her one of mine," Viola explained.
Yuri's skin was still flushed from the heat of the bath, and she gave him a beaming smile.
"Indeed. At the Marquis Catreia manor, my brothers all used to walk through the hallways naked after their baths. For some reason, I was the only one forbidden from doing so... so since I left home, I've made it a point to spend time naked in my own room. But I can't exactly go around like that in someone else's house, so I borrowed some sleepwear."
Even though Rest hadn't asked, Yuri offered up the explanation quite casually.
Apparently, the Catreia family were a bunch of nudists. It was information he truly didn't need.
"Well? Does it suit me?"
"Ah... Yeah, I think it suits you just fine."
Yuri put her hands on her hips as if to show herself off, flaunting her appearance in the borrowed negligee.
Rest tried his best not to look directly at her and gave her a safe, neutral compliment.
"More importantly... what's the matter, Rest-sama? You seemed to be troubled by something."
"Ah... I just have a few things on my mind."
Answering Primula's question, Rest led the three of them further down the hallway.
Standing around talking in the drafty corridor right after a bath would cause them to catch a chill. He brought them into the lounge and, once they were settled on the sofas, explained the situation.
"Hmm, a house name... Would 'Rosemary' not work?" Viola asked.
"Since this will be a branch house separate from the Marquis Rosemary House, it’s apparently better to have a different name. To avoid confusion."
"How bothersome... Even if you are granted a title, you're still a member of the Rosemary family. I don't see why the same name shouldn't be fine."
"Now, now... Among the high-ranking nobility, it's not uncommon for individuals to hold multiple titles and house names. Father holds several titles himself, doesn't he?"
Primula offered a gentle correction to her pouting older sister.
Yuri, who had been listening to the conversation, let out a thoughtful "Hmm" and held up an index finger.
"Then how about 'Giant'? It sounds powerful, doesn't it?"
"It sounds strong, sure... but honestly, I don't think it fits me."
"I see... In that case, what about the name of a powerful animal? Lion, Tiger, Buffalo... or even Hawk or Eagle? They all have a good ring to them and sound quite dashing, don't they?"
"Are you... saying that on purpose?"
"What are you talking about?"
Rest felt a strange nagging suspicion and furrowed his brows, but Yuri simply looked back at him with a puzzled expression.
Because of the strangely consistent naming style, he had briefly suspected that Yuri might also be a reincarnated person from Japan.
"Come to think of it... There are many noble houses in this country with flower names. Is there a reason for that?"
Rosemary. Catleya. Crocus. All of them were names of flowers. He remembered that several of his classmates at the Academy also bore flower-themed names.
"Let's see... I believe the First King who founded the Aiwood Kingdom had a queen who was very fond of gardening. She supposedly bestowed flower names upon her favorite retainers, and those names have survived to this day," Primula explained.
"Heh... I see."
Rest nodded at her explanation.
"So the nobles with flower names were favorites of the first queen... Hearing it that way makes me feel a strange sense of affinity for them."
"It's not as if every single one of them shares that origin. There are also houses that took on flower names later to follow the tradition. If you're struggling to find a name, Rest-sama, you should do the same."
"A flower name, huh..."
Unfortunately, Rest was not particularly knowledgeable about flora. The only names that immediately came to mind were Japanese flowers like cherry blossoms, plums, or chrysanthemums.
"Primula, do you have any suggestions?"
"Let's see... How about Tulip, Hyacinth, or Peach? I believe none of those are currently in use as house names."
"Hmm..."
Rest Tulip.
Rest Hyacinth.
Rest Peach.
None of them felt quite right. He didn't have much confidence that he would even turn around if someone called those names from behind.
He flipped through the Peerage Registry again, but many of the famous flowers Rest recognized were already taken.
(I'd prefer something auspicious if possible... Since I get to choose my own surname. An auspicious name. A lucky, celebratory flower...)
"I've got it... How about 'Clover'?"
Rest spoke the name as it suddenly occurred to him.
Rest Clover. It had a pleasant enough sound to it. It brought to mind the four-leaf clover, and it felt like a lucky omen.
"Clover... That's lovely. I don't believe there are any noble houses with that name."
"It's great! I think it suits you perfectly, Rest."
Primula and Viola both voiced their approval.
"Viola Clover... Yes, that's not bad at all."
"Primula Clover... I like it very much."
"Wait... You two won't need to use that name, will you?"
Rest was scheduled to be invested as a newly-risen noble, but the plan for him to enter the Marquis Rosemary House through marriage remained unchanged. There was no reason for the daughters of the house he was marrying into to call themselves "Clover."
"Yuri Clover, huh? Yeah, yeah, that has a nice ring to it. I like it too."
"What?!"
Yuri suddenly dropped a bombshell, causing Viola and Primula to spring up from the sofa in perfect unison.