Chapter 177: Questions of Certain Guards
“Hah-choo… Ah, it’s getting cold.”
“Yeah, it’s been getting chilly lately…”
While Rest was receiving shocking statements from Celestine, outside the cottage, several men were sniffling and grumbling. There were six men in total, and despite their complaints, their gazes were fixed straight on the cottage. Their true identities were magicians and soldiers serving different noble families. The first pair belonged to the Rosemary Marquis House, the second to the Crocus Duke House, and the last to the Cattleya Marquis House. Each of them was tasked with guarding the Rosemary Sisters, Yuri, and Celestine, or rather, keeping an eye on them.
The Rosemary Sisters and Yuri belonged to the Marquis family, while Celestine was a lady of the Duke’s House. Naturally, they were not of a status that allowed them to walk around without guards. Even though Rest was present, he couldn’t stick to them at all times. Guards had been selected from each house to watch over them from the shadows.
“Um… This is your first time, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right. I’m from the Crocus Duke House.”
“Who would have thought Lady Celestine would be in a place like this… Oh, I’m from the Cattleya Marquis House. I’m keeping an eye on Lady Yuri.”
“Keeping an eye? Not guarding?”
“Ah… Well, technically, I’m a guard too. I’m not sure if it’s necessary, though.”
The soldier from the Cattleya Marquis House chuckled wryly. Their watch target, Yuri, was an incredibly powerful individual. At the very least, she was much stronger than the guards present. Just the other day, she had been confined in the Cattleya Marquis House but had managed to escape by sweeping aside the guarding soldiers while her master was away.
After that, Yuri had joined Rest and participated in the development of the plains, but with the Second Prince Andrew overseeing the operation, it was impossible to forcibly bring her back. The Cattleya Marquis had reluctantly decided to leave a subordinate to keep watch.
“Still… it’s amazing when you think about it. Just how many people have gathered in this little cottage?”
One of the soldiers remarked, sounding both impressed and incredulous. Inside the cottage were the daughters of the Rosemary Marquis House, the Cattleya Marquis House, and the Crocus Duke House. While it might be expected in a royal academy, it was exceedingly rare for so many people to gather in a newly established development village.
“The person at the center of it all… Rest Clover, huh…”
“What on earth is he? I hear he’s from a commoner background, but…”
“He’s the lady’s favorite. Even the lord seems to have a soft spot for him.”
The guards exchanged murmurs, tilting their heads in confusion. A commoner who had been ennobled to a count at such a young age, surrounded by the kingdom’s most beautiful noble ladies. When you think about it, he was indeed a curious individual.
“I heard his father is a court magician. Though they’re estranged, apparently.”
“They say he saved the lives of Lady Viola and Lady Primula… I don’t know the details, though.”
“How did he come to know Lady Yuri? They seem closer than just classmates…”
“It seems he’s also on friendly terms with Lady Celestine… Well, he’s someone who became a count in a single generation. It’s understandable why they’d take an interest in him.”
The guards continued to discuss Rest Clover, but then, as if by some unspoken agreement, they shifted to a topic that piqued their collective curiosity.
“So… what about that over there…?”
“Ah… what is that?”
“Well, I know who it is, but…”
“Yeah, why is that?”
The guards’ gazes shifted to a shadowy corner of a nearby building.
“…Hah, hah… Hmph, hmph…”
There stood a petite girl. She had bobbed purple hair and was staring intently at the cottage with sleepy yet piercing eyes. Beside her stood a woman who seemed to be her attendant, standing at attention. When their eyes met, the attendant offered a polite bow.
“Um… Is it true that the girl over there is the daughter of Baron Lavender?”
“…It’s true. We’ve already confirmed her identity.”
In response to the words of the soldier from the Crocus Duke House, the magician from the Rosemary Marquis House replied. The girl peering from the shadows at Rest and the others was none other than Ula Lavender, the daughter of the Eastern noble family, the Lavender Barony. She had been coming here almost daily, hiding in the shadows and watching them.
Of course, the guards found her suspicious and approached her. They confirmed whether she was indeed the daughter of the Lavender Barony. And with her identity and title now clear, they couldn’t simply tell her to leave, resulting in her being left alone.
“Lady Viola and Lady Primula said it’s fine to leave her be if she’s not causing any trouble…”
“Yeah, even when we try to talk to her, she runs away immediately.”
“Given who she is, we can’t be too forceful… Well, she’s just watching from the shadows.”
“I-I see…”
The two soldiers from the Crocus Duke House exchanged glances at the words of the four ahead of them.
What on earth was happening in this place? After the Rosemary, Cattleya, and Crocus families, the daughter of the Lavender Barony had appeared as well.
(Rest Clover… what on earth are you?)
That was the shared question that lingered in the hearts of everyone present.