Chapter 13: Invited to the Marquis House
A few days after meeting the Rosemary sisters, Rest was unexpectedly summoned to his father’s study one afternoon.
“Hey… what is the meaning of this, you failure?”
His father, Lucas Eberrn, wasted no time in hurling insults at him.
“What are you talking about?”
“A letter of invitation has arrived from the Rosemary Marquis House. Not for me or Cedric, but for you.”
Lucas’s displeasure was palpable as he glared at Rest, his eyes narrowed as if trying to pierce through him.
“Where did you meet the Rosemary sisters? You didn’t tell them about your background, did you?”
“…I only spoke with them in the garden when they visited the mansion. We had nothing particularly noteworthy to discuss.”
“…”
Lucas looked at him with suspicion, but Rest had nothing to hide.
Recently, when the sisters visited the mansion for socializing, Cedric had taken them into the Forest. As a result, they were attacked by a powerful monster known as the White Fenrir, and the sisters nearly faced a gruesome fate. They were rescued just outside the Forest, but it was clear that Lucas was furious about Cedric leading them into such danger. Normally lenient with his son, Lucas was enraged, and Cedric had yet to be forgiven.
“…It’s unthinkable for someone of your lowly status to receive an invitation from the Marquis House. However, we cannot refuse it. Even if the recent incident hadn’t occurred.”
“Is that so?”
“Honestly, how could someone of your common blood, with ‘No Magical Power,’ be invited…”
Lucas continued to grumble, but eventually let out a deep sigh.
“…Make sure you don’t offend the Rosemary Marquis. You’ll need to grovel and apologize for Cedric’s blunder, even if it means licking their boots.”
Following his father’s orders, Rest prepared for a bath. It was his first proper bath since arriving at the mansion. He had bathed in a forest spring after sneaking out, but it had been a while since he had a proper wash. To top it off, after his bath, he was dressed in fine clothes he had never worn since his reincarnation. The treatment he received was hardly befitting a child living in a stable. It was as if Lucas felt a heavy debt to the Marquis or wanted to conceal how he had mistreated Rest.
“Looking at myself like this, I don’t seem so bad after all. I look just like a noble.”
Rest chuckled at his reflection in the mirror. He wasn’t just resembling a noble; he was one. He had grown so accustomed to the smell of horse manure that he had forgotten.
Once he was ready, he was taken by carriage from the Eberrn Honorary Viscount House to the Rosemary Marquis House. Neither his father nor Cedric accompanied him. Perhaps the invitation had included a note saying, “Do not come.”
(I wonder if they were considerate because I asked them not to tell Father or Cedric?)
He had parted ways with the sisters at the entrance of the Forest after rescuing them. Cedric and two of his friends, the sons of barons, had remained unconscious, so they likely didn’t even realize that Rest had saved them.
The carriage traveled for a while before finally arriving at the Rosemary Marquis’s mansion.
“We’ve arrived. Take care now.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Rest thanked the familiar coachman as he stepped down from the carriage. Before him stood an enormous mansion, far larger than the Eberrn Honorary Viscount House. The stark difference between an honorary viscount and a great noble like a marquis was evident.
“Welcome, Rest-kun!”
“Welcome, Rest-sama!”
“Wah!”
As soon as he stepped down, two girls rushed toward him from the mansion.
One had blonde hair tied in a ponytail—Viola. The other had silver hair cascading down to her waist—Primula. They were the Rosemary sisters he had saved in the Forest.
“I’ve been waiting for you! Thank you for coming all this way today!”
“I’m so sorry that we should have come to thank you instead. I’ll prepare tea right away!”
“W-wait, wait…!”
Viola and Primula grabbed Rest by both arms and began pulling him toward the mansion. When he turned back in a panic, the coachman, a servant of the Eberrn Honorary Viscount House, wore a shocked expression. However, he quickly averted his gaze from Rest and pretended to whistle, as if he hadn’t seen anything. It seemed he had chosen to ignore the scene.
(I understand how he feels. There’s no way he could report this to that father.)
He had parted ways with the sisters at the Forest entrance.
“Let’s go!”
Pulled along by the two girls, Rest moved forward, bewildered.
(This is strange… Did I do something to earn their affection?)
He had indeed saved their lives, but the one who had caused the trouble in the first place was his half-brother Cedric. It felt odd that he was receiving such warm treatment for merely cleaning up after his family’s mess.
“We’re preparing tea in the garden. Come this way!”
“We have delicious sweets too! Come on!”
As Rest was dragged along, he was taken to the garden. The expansive garden was filled with seasonal flowers, their vibrant colors delighting the eye. The Eberrn Honorary Viscount House had a flowerbed, but it was filled with nothing but high-end roses, giving off an air of pretentiousness that felt rather vulgar.
“Please have a seat at this table.”
Primula guided him to a round table set in the middle of the garden. The sisters sat on either side of him, and a maid quickly prepared black tea and cake.
“Our maid is excellent at brewing tea. The cake here was made with great care by our chef.”
“It’s one of our favorites. I hope you like it…”
“I-I’ll have some…”
The two girls were uncomfortably close to him. Feeling flustered, Rest picked up the teacup. The rich aroma of the black tea wafted up; even a novice could tell it was a luxury item. Had he ever smelled such fragrant tea in his previous life?
“…”
He took a sip, trying to savor the flavor as it flowed into his mouth. To be honest, he couldn’t tell if it was delicious or not. Perhaps it was due to his lack of experience with fine tea.
“How is it?”
Primula asked anxiously. Viola was also staring at him intently. Unsure how to react, he decided to voice his honest thoughts.
“I haven’t had much tea before, so I can’t say for sure… but at least, I don’t dislike it.”
“Is that so? I’m glad…”
“Try this cake too. It’s definitely delicious!”
Now they were urging him to try the cake. To his surprise, Viola cut a piece with a fork and held it out to him.
“I-I can feed myself!”
“Just take it! Ah—”
“Ah, ah—”
Reluctantly opening his mouth, the cake was pushed inside. He wanted to protest that he couldn’t taste anything in this situation, but the strawberry cake topped with generous cream was indeed delicious. This might have been the first time he had tasted something sweet since his reincarnation.
“It’s delicious…”
“Ah, sister! That’s unfair!”
Now it was Primula’s turn to cut a piece of cake and offer it to him.
“Please eat mine too… ah—”
“…ah—”
With Primula looking so earnest, Rest couldn’t refuse and opened his mouth again. Sweet. It was indeed delicious.
“Well then, it’s my turn now.”
“Then I’ll go too!”
The sisters took turns feeding him cake. Rest, confused yet unable to refuse, accepted the pieces they offered. By the time he finished the numerous slices of cake, he was feeling quite stuffed, resembling a fledgling bird being cared for by its parent.