**Chapter 67: I Made a New Friend**
“Ah… that was quite a tense class,” Viola said, stretching both arms high towards the ceiling after the General Magic Theory lesson concluded. Ms. Carder’s classes were anything but relaxing; if one let their guard down, they would be bombarded with questions in an instant.
“Still, it was easy to understand, right? She really paid attention to the students,” Primula chimed in from the seat next to her. For the serious and studious Primula, Ms. Carder’s high-level lessons seemed to be quite enjoyable.
“Yeah, I think so too. If she didn’t keep a close eye on the students, she wouldn’t be able to catch them off guard,” Rest added. The fact that she pointed out students who were slacking off indicated just how observant she was. She answered questions from students accurately and clearly had prepared thoroughly for the lesson. It seemed she was indeed a good teacher in her own right.
“Our next class is ‘Magic Acquisition.’ We should hurry since it’s a mobile classroom,” Yuri said, standing up from her nearby seat and urging Rest and the others to follow. The next class was also a required subject, focusing on acquiring new spells.
Rest, Viola, Primula, and Yuri moved together to a different classroom. The new room was the Magic Laboratory, a spacious area resembling a science lab. Several rectangular tables were set up, and they chose one to sit at. After a short while, other classmates began to gather, filling the chairs in the classroom.
“Excuse me, is this seat taken?”
“Ah, pardon me.”
Two students approached the table where Rest and the others were seated. Their names were…
“Ruido Jistal and Jewel Easle, right?”
“Just call me Ruido. We’re classmates, after all.”
“You can call me Jewel,” the girl replied shyly.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Rest.”
“I’m Viola Rosemary.”
“I’m Primula Rosemary.”
“And I’m Yuri Cattleya. Just Yuri is fine.”
They introduced themselves in turn to their new classmates.
“Ah, of course, I know you. The Rosemary and Cattleya families, right? It’s quite the combination. If you add Crocus to the mix, you’d have the three pillars of politics, swordsmanship, and magic all in one place,” Ruido said with a cheerful laugh. He was a boy with short chestnut hair and a refreshing appearance, sporting an earring that gave him a lively yet slightly mischievous vibe.
“R-Ruido, that’s a bit rude, don’t you think?” Jewel said, her long, wavy gray hair framing her face as she adjusted her glasses. She had a shy demeanor, with freckles dotting her nose.
“Are you two close? You seem pretty familiar with each other,” Ruido teased.
“Hey, hey… stop that, it’s not like that,” Jewel protested, her cheeks flushing slightly.
“Well… if you say I’m close to Ruido, that’s a bit uncomfortable,” she added, both of them making faces of distaste at the same time. Their synchronized reactions were amusing to Rest.
“We just happen to have neighboring territories. Childhood friends… or maybe it’s better to say we have a complicated relationship?” Ruido explained.
“Ruido has been teasing me since we were kids. He’s really mean,” Jewel said, crossing her arms.
“Hey! I just showed you the bugs I caught! You were always holed up in your room reading books!” Ruido retorted.
“Doing things that annoy someone is bullying. You really don’t think about other people’s feelings, do you?” Jewel shot back.
“Ah… I think I understand your relationship now,” Rest said with a wry smile. Despite their bickering, they seemed to have a strange camaraderie, reminiscent of the classic cat-and-mouse dynamic from American cartoons.
“So, you’re the Rosemary Sisters and their fiancé, right? That’s the talk of the town. The beautiful sisters from a family of magicians getting close to a guy,” Ruido remarked.
“Yes, that’s right. Rest is our fiancé,” Viola declared, wrapping her arms around Rest’s in a show of affection.
“We’re very close,” Primula added, doing the same from the other side.
The surrounding classmates, who had been listening, began to murmur with a mix of sighs and whispers.
“Oh, what’s this about?” Jewel asked, her curiosity piqued.
“Um… Viola, all the boys in this class have been eyeing you two,” Jewel said hesitantly.
“Many students in the Magic Department aspire to become Court Magicians. They’re interested in the Rosemary family, known for its prestigious lineage. Once they heard the famous sisters were in the same year, I’m sure many wanted to get closer to you,” she explained.
“Ah… so that’s why they were concerned about our relationship with Rest,” Viola said with a wry smile. Primula wore a similar expression.
Many students in the Magic Department had been vying for the attention of the Rosemary Sisters. They must have been shocked and disheartened when they saw the sisters appear on the first day, arm in arm with a boy.
“It’s a bit embarrassing to think of myself as a trophy…” Viola admitted.
“It’s best if we stick with Rest from now on. We need to make it clear who we belong to,” Primula said, tightening her grip on Rest’s arm.
The atmosphere around them shifted, and the despair among the boys in the class intensified.
“You three really get along well; it’s almost enviable,” Yuri said, watching them with a smile.
“I want to find a wonderful husband soon too. Is there a good man out there?” she mused.
“「「「「「…………！」」」」」
Yuri’s bombshell statement sent ripples of commotion through the surrounding boys. While not from a family of Court Magicians like the Rosemary family, the Cattleya family also held a respectable name. Many noble students hoped to connect with a marquis family.
“Y-Yuri…,” Jewel stammered, her face turning bright red, while Viola sighed in exasperation.
“Yuri, it seems you have a lot to learn,” she said, shaking her head.
“Is Yuri really single…?” one boy whispered, his eyes wide with realization.
“With an older brother, a son-in-law is out of the question, but connecting with the Cattleya family is a big deal…” another boy mused.
“Ah, Yuri, you’re so adorably foolish; I can’t help but root for you!” a third boy exclaimed.
The chaos sparked by Yuri’s comment spread like ripples throughout the classroom, and it didn’t settle down until the start of the next lesson.