"Ugh... wait, where am I?"
I opened my eyes to see, not the stereotypical unfamiliar ceiling... but one I recognized quite well.
It was the ceiling of my own room. Not the one at my manor in the Clover territory, but the room I had been given in the Marquis Rosemary townhouse.
"Ah... are you awake, Rest?"
"Celestine?"
A woman sat in a chair pulled up beside my bed. Dressed in an elegant, meadow-green dress, it was Celestine Crocus.
"I... oh, right. I fell asleep in the carriage, didn't I?"
"Yes. Once we arrived at the townhouse, the butlers carried you in here."
"I'm like a child... I didn't even notice I was being carried? I must be incredibly dense."
I held my head in my hands, exasperated. If I were a toddler, that would be one thing, but for a man of my age to be carried to bed was beyond embarrassing.
Worse yet, the thought that Viola, Primula, and Celestine had all seen it made me want to crawl into a hole.
"You were simply exhausted. It is only natural, given everything."
"...By the way, why are you here, Celestine?"
"Viola and Primula invited me to stay here for a while. Yuri is here as well."
"Ah... I see."
At some point, Viola, Primula, Celestine, and Yuri had become a close-knit group of friends. They weren't just schoolmates, though. They were all my fiancées, slated to marry the same man—me.
I mean, it was fine. It was certainly better for them to be on good terms than to be at each other's throats, but... I couldn't help the feeling that I was being boxed in.
If someone else—like Ulula Lavender—joined this group, what would happen then?
"Viola and Primula are currently preparing a meal. They said they wanted to have plenty of delicious food ready for you once you woke up."
"That’s good to hear... Now that you mention it, I am starving."
I had been holed up in that northern fortress for quite a while, so I hadn't had a decent meal in ages. I’d survived on nothing but reheated rations, monster meat skewers, and coarse wheat porridge.
"I am not as skilled at cooking as those two, so I decided to stay here and keep you company."
"Right... sorry. I seem to have made you worry."
Being nursed by a Duke’s daughter was a level of luxury I could hardly fathom. It felt like a waste that I had been unconscious for most of it.
"Not at all. There is still a little time before the food is ready... Would you like some fruit in the meantime?"
On the table next to Celestine sat a plate of sliced fruit.
"Yeah... sounds good. I'll have a little."
It was right before dinner, but I was so hungry I needed something in my stomach immediately.
"Very well... say 'ah'."
"Wait, what!?"
Celestine pierced a piece of fruit that looked like an apple with a fork and held it out to me.
"I-I can eat it myself, can't I?"
"What is the harm? I simply want to show my appreciation for all your hard work on the front lines."
"That’s... well..."
"Or... is fruit fed to you by my hand not to your liking?"
"Urgh..."
Celestine’s expression clouded with feigned sadness. As she looked at me with watery, upturned eyes, I felt like my heart had been shot through. I knew she was acting, of course. She was enjoying this—playing out this lover-like interaction.
I probably could have refused, but the sheer gravity of her charm was impossible to resist. You really can't underestimate beautiful girls.
"A-Ah..."
Drawn in by some mysterious force, I opened my mouth. She popped the fruit inside. It had a pleasant, crisp snap, and sweet-and-sour juice flooded my tongue.
"Is it delicious?"
"...Yeah, it’s great."
"Then, have another bite. Say 'ah'."
"Ah..."
I reached a state of total resignation and continued to snack on the fruit. As frustrating as it was, the fruit fed to me by Celestine tasted exquisite. For some reason, I felt like I had already lost.
"...That's enough for now, or I won't be able to finish dinner."
"Oh, is that so? How disappointing. I was having such fun."
"You’ve certainly developed quite the personality, haven't you?"
When we first met, she had been the very definition of stiff and formal. Where had that paragon of propriety gone?
"Hehe... I only show this side of myself to you, Rest. I would never do this with anyone else."
"...I see."
"It makes me very happy. Rest... thank you for coming back safely."
Celestine placed her hand over mine. Her skin was warm and soft. My heart gave a sudden, violent thud at the touch of her slender fingers.
"Celestine..."
"Rest..."
We gazed into each other's eyes. My pulse quickened, and the distance between us gradually began to close.
"Oh, Rest! You're back! Welcome home!"
Suddenly, the door flew open with enough force to kick it off its hinges. Yuri Catreia burst into the room. The red-haired girl appeared with a wide, beaming smile.
"Whoa!"
"Eek!"
Celestine and I scrambled apart. Seeing our awkward behavior, Yuri tilted her head in confusion.
"Huh? Is something wrong, Rest? You too, Celestine?"
"I-It’s nothing... More importantly, I'm home, Yuri."
"Yeah, welcome home! I've been waiting for you!"
"Guh!?"
Without so much as a second thought, Yuri jumped onto the bed right next to me. As I stood there dazed by her sudden movement, she mounted me, straddling my waist, and made a grand proclamation.
"I heard you were exhausted! Rest, I shall give you a massage!"
"Wha—wait, what!?"
My voice cracked at the sudden proposal. I looked to Celestine for help, but she was looking down, her face bright red.
When our eyes finally met, Celestine simply gave me a troubled smile and a wink.