Chapter 22: The Rosemary Sisters Launch Their Assault
Thus, Rest found himself residing at the Rosemary Marquis House. Until the age of ten, he had lived as a commoner, and for the past four years, he had endured a life in the stable after his mother passed away. The life in the Marquis House was unfamiliar to him, and he feared it would be a constricting existence. However, once he settled in, he discovered it was quite comfortable—perhaps even too comfortable.
“Rest-kun, is there anything you don’t understand?”
“Rest-sama, this problem is solved like this.”
“…………”
In a room that seemed too lavish for an apprentice servant, Rest was sandwiched between Viola and Primula as they studied for their exams. Viola sat to Rest’s right, while Primula occupied his left. Both girls leaned in closer than necessary, peering at his work.
Since they were inside the mansion, the two were dressed in what appeared to be loungewear. Nightdresses… or perhaps it would be more familiar to call them negligees? The fabric of their garments was slightly sheer for the occasion, with Viola in yellow to match her hair and Primula in light blue.
(What the… Why are they teaching me in such provocative outfits…?)
Rest desperately tried to focus on the problems at hand, but his mind couldn’t help but drift to the sisters. However, this was the Rosemary Marquis House; the sisters could wear whatever they pleased. He had no right to comment.
(Speaking of which… I think I read somewhere that upper-class people don’t feel anything when commoners see their skin… Does that mean I’m so oblivious that it doesn’t bother me at all?)
“…I’ve solved it.”
“Mm-hmm, correct! As expected of you, Rest-kun! I’d almost like to reward you!”
“Rest-sama has an excellent memory! At this rate, you’ll easily be ready for the exam!”
“Ugh…”
The sisters pressed closer, their bodies snug against him. A gentle floral scent wafted through the air. This world lacked shampoo and body soap, so what was this fragrance? The warmth and softness against his arms were undeniable, and the thin fabric made their shapes all too apparent. Rest was not so naive as to be unaware of what he was feeling. His face flushed, and he struggled to articulate his thoughts.
“Um, ladies… you’re, um, too close…”
“I’m not a lady. Just call me Viola.”
“I’m Primula, Rest-sama♪”
“Ugh…!”
The two pressed their chests against him even more. The soft, yielding sensation was unlike anything he had experienced, aside from his mother’s embrace in his past life.
(Could it be… that I’m being toyed with by such young girls…!)
Rest shivered as a strange thrill coursed down his spine.
In his previous life, Rest had died at the age of seventeen. The fourteen-year-old Rosemary Sisters should have seemed like middle schoolers to him. Yet, everyone in this country had a distinctly Western appearance. It was said that Japanese people appeared younger globally, but to Rest, the sisters looked like mature women, at least high school age.
(Considering my age, I’m practically an old man… and yet, I’m being flustered by these girls…!)
“Rest-kun?”
“Rest-sama?”
“Ugh… Viola-sama, Primula-sama, you’re too close. Please, back off a bit…!”
“You don’t need to add ‘sama’… but fine.”
“Yes, I’ll let it slide today.”
The sisters giggled mischievously and finally distanced themselves from Rest. The pleasant sensation faded, leaving him with a mix of relief and disappointment.
“Now then, let’s move on to the next problem.”
“This one is an application of the previous problem. I believe you can solve it, Rest-sama.”
“…I’ll do my best.”
(Focus… Yes, concentrate on the problem! Don’t think about the two of them!)
Rest tried to direct all his attention to the materials on the desk, determined to ignore the sisters.
(I am a machine. A machine that only knows how to solve problems. Nothing else matters. Solve, solve, solve… Don’t think. Just feel! The sensation of their softness… No, wait!)
While internally bantering with himself, Rest managed to finish all the problems.
“I-I’m done…”
“Great job!”
“Thank you for your hard work!”
“Y-yes… thank you very much…”
Having exhausted his mental fortitude in more ways than one, Rest slumped into a daze. The sisters, meanwhile, began grading his work, but then they gasped in unison.
“Primula, there’s a mistake here!”
“Indeed, sister. And it’s a rather basic error.”
“Eh…!? ”
Rest hurriedly checked, and sure enough, he had made an error on one of the problems. It shouldn’t have been difficult, yet the cause of his mistake was simply a lack of attention.
“How unfortunate… I was planning to reward you if you got them all right…”
“Yes… it’s quite disappointing…”
The sisters spoke in unison, their expressions slightly downcast.
“A reward…?”
He was very curious about what that might entail. He felt a strange mix of regret for not receiving a reward and relief at the same time. It was an indescribable, peculiar feeling.
“I’m sorry… even though you both taught me so well. I’ll be more careful in the future…”
“Oh, then sister! How about we give him a punishment instead of a reward?”
“Huh…?”
Primula clapped her hands together, as if she had come up with a brilliant idea.
“That sounds good! Primula, you’ve come up with a great suggestion!”
“Eh? Wait, both of you!? ”
“Don’t resist. Stay still, Rest-kun.”
“That’s right. This is a penalty for making a simple mistake.”
The two girls approached him with gleeful expressions, pressing their soft forms against his arms once more.
“Eep…!”
“Now, for the punishment. Here we go…!”
“Rest-sama, brace yourself…!”
“Eek!?”
Rest let out a strange, high-pitched cry as the sisters prepared to administer their punishment.
“Ah… ladies, this is too bold…”
Meanwhile, in the corner of the room, the sisters’ maid stood with her face flushed red. Though she was present to ensure that young men and women studying together in the same room wouldn’t lead to any impropriety, her youthful innocence left her powerless to stop the sisters’ antics.