Viola and Primula were already drained by the encounter with their mother, but she wasn't finished yet.
"Oh, that’s right. There was one more thing I needed to mention."
"...What is it?" Viola asked, her voice heavy with fatigue.
She couldn't help but wonder why a conversation with her own flesh and blood had to be this taxing.
"Correspondence has arrived at the Rosemary estate. There are letters from the Royal Family, House Crocus, and... House Catreia."
The sisters exchanged a sharp look. They already had a fair idea of where this was going.
"Is it about the engagement proposal? Regarding Lady Celestine?"
"Yes, exactly," Eilische confirmed with a casual nod, as if the matter were of no consequence.
The letters from the Royal Family and the Duke Crocus House were formal requests to marry Celestine—the Duke’s most precious treasure—to Rest.
Celestine possessed royal blood. Since there were currently no other young, unmarried women within the Royal Family, she was effectively treated as a princess. For a long time, she had been engaged to the Third Prince, Rodel, at the behest of the Queen Dowager. However, that engagement had been voided the moment the Idiot Prince lent his hand to the rebellion.
In short, Celestine was currently without a fiancé.
"His Highness Andrew was the first candidate brought up for her hand, but apparently, he refused. He claimed that aligning himself with House Crocus would threaten the position of Crown Prince Richard. Prince Andrew seems to be quite the sensible man," Eilische noted, sounding impressed.
Few knew his true reasons for declining the match; publicly, it was attributed entirely to his loyalty to the crown.
"The other men of suitable age are already engaged. There was some talk of marrying her off to another country, but that would be a cruel fate for a girl like her."
"...The neighboring countries are unstable, and sending Lady Celestine to the Empire would be far too dangerous," Viola added.
While the Empire was technically an ally, they had recently become increasingly aggressive in their foreign expansions. Sending Celestine there as a hostage might have been a viable political move, but it was a harsh sentence. After she had spent so long dealing with a liability like Rodel, forcing her into a foreign marriage where her safety couldn't be guaranteed would be an utter disregard for her well-being. The Royal Family felt nothing but remorse for the burden Rodel had placed on her, and they couldn't bring themselves to force such a fate upon her.
"So the offer came to Rest, then... I heard as much from Lady Celestine herself the other day," Primula said, letting out a sympathetic sigh.
When Celestine had visited the Pioneer Village recently, she had spoken with Viola and Primula beforehand.
'I am so sorry. Even though the two of you are already engaged to Rest, I feel as though I am intruding...'
Celestine had explained that the Royal Family intended to marry her to Rest and had offered her sincere apologies. Despite the situation, Viola and Primula felt only pity for her; they didn't feel any anger or resentment. It was obvious that Celestine was in a painful position, and there was no reason to blame a friend who was suffering through no fault of her own.
(Besides, Mother is already trying to gather a small army of mistresses to turn Rest into a stud, so what's one more?) Viola thought.
(It’s clear the Royal Family wants to keep a leash on Rest. Honestly, I’m just glad the candidate is Lady Celestine...) Primula reflected.
The sisters sighed in unison.
"The letter from House Crocus was essentially a plea to 'take good care of our daughter.' Apparently, they intend to offer the majority of the settlement they received from the Royal Family over the Rodel incident as a dowry," Eilische explained.
"That is... quite a generous sum."
"Rest’s personal fortune is going to grow again..."
The two sisters shared a bitter laugh at their mother’s words, but then something occurred to them. The letters hadn't just come from the Royal Family and House Crocus; there was also the one from House Catreia.
"By the way... what did Yuri’s father have to say?"
"Ah, that letter. It was addressed to my son-in-law, but I took the liberty of opening it in case it was an emergency. It said things like: 'Give me back my daughter,' 'I’ll tear you to pieces if you lay a hand on her,' 'What is the meaning of living under one roof with an unmarried maiden?', and 'I’m coming to get her immediately, so stay right there.'"
The sisters fell into a stunned silence.
"Even Albert was fed up with the Knight Commander; apparently the man corners him at the Royal Palace every time he has a free moment. My son-in-law certainly seems to attract attention. I hear the Knight Commander’s daughter has little mana but possesses Matchless Strength? I can't wait to see what kind of children they'll produce once she’s carrying his child."
That wasn't the point at all, but Eilische clearly had no intention of entertaining the Knight Commander’s demands. In that regard, the Rosemary sisters felt exactly the same.
"Rest is... currently on an expedition with Yuri, isn't he?"
"I wonder how the Knight Commander will react when he finds out?"
While they doubted the busy Knight Commander could actually make it all the way to the Pioneer Village, it would certainly turn into a mess if they crossed paths. Out of love for their fiancé, the Rosemary sisters felt a deep wave of sympathy for him.