Chapter 87: A Garden Date with Primula
With a surge of magical power, Rest dashed along the highway, maximizing his speed. He navigated the route without getting lost, dozing off like a rabbit, or encountering a mysterious beautiful girl falling from the sky. He arrived at his destination safely.
“Oh, welcome back, Rest-sama.”
“Hah, hah… I’m back, Primula.”
Upon returning to the estate in the Rosemary Marquisate, a familiar face greeted him. The mansion was larger than the one in the Royal Capital, and in its garden, Primula was tending to the flowers. Seeing Primula pruning the blooming roses filled Rest with an overwhelming sense of comfort.
“I heard you were off to hunt monsters in the neighboring territory, but you’re back quite early… What’s wrong? You seem out of breath.”
Primula took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from Rest’s brow. Even with the speed granted by magic, exhaustion was still exhaustion. While physical fatigue could be healed with healing magic, the mental fatigue from continuous spellcasting was unrelated to magical power. Even Rest couldn’t escape it.
“Well, I was just having a bit of a race… Is there anyone else who got back here before me?”
“No, there shouldn’t be. I’ve been taking care of the flowers since early afternoon, and neither Father nor the other magicians have returned yet.”
“I see… That’s a relief.”
It seemed he was indeed the first to arrive. It hadn’t taken him even thirty minutes to reach this place since he set off, so he had expected as much.
(With this, I can proudly say I’m worthy of both of them…)
“By the way… What about you, Primula? Is your work done for now?”
Just as Rest had accompanied Albert on a monster hunt, Primula and Viola had been working on managing the territory at the estate. Normally, it would be the Marquis and his wife’s responsibility, but as they were destined to inherit the territory, they were already engaging in work as a form of study.
“I finished my work for the morning. Now it’s break time, so I’m just playing with the flowers. My sister went shopping in town.”
“I see…”
Rest surveyed the spacious garden. This was the territory of the Rosemary Marquis House, the very heart of their domain. The garden at the Second House in the Royal Capital was splendid, but this one was much larger and boasted a wider variety of flowers. Surrounded by such colorful blooms, Primula looked as delicate as a fairy.
“…It’s beautiful.”
“Ah, yes. It is beautiful, isn’t it? Right now, the roses are in full bloom!”
“No, I’m not talking about the roses… Well, it’s fine, though.”
Rest shifted his gaze slightly away from the roses. In the adjacent flowerbed, white lilies were blooming. They were flowers of a season that would come a bit later, but perhaps they were early bloomers.
“Roses are lovely, but lilies are beautiful too.”
The roses reminded him of Viola in some way. They bloomed flamboyantly, drawing attention with their vibrant colors and strong fragrance. In contrast, the lilies evoked thoughts of Primula. They were modest and graceful, quietly existing in the corners of people’s hearts… such delicate flowers.
“While no one can deny the beauty of roses, lilies hold their own charm. I like both of them.”
“…That’s true. I like both as well.”
Though Primula likely didn’t grasp Rest’s underlying intent, she smiled with a flower-like radiance.
“By the way, Rest-sama, do you know about the ‘Language of Flowers’?”
“No… I don’t know. If you don’t mind, could you teach me?”
“Of course! First, let’s talk about the language of the lily. It means ‘purity’ and ‘innocence.’ As for the rose… its meaning varies by color. For red, it signifies ‘affection’ and ‘passion,’ while for white…”
Surrounded by the flowers of the garden, Rest and Primula engaged in pleasant conversation. They enjoyed a graceful and tranquil afternoon together. However, it was more than three hours later when the boys and young men who had been racing against Rest finally arrived at the estate. Having been thrown off their pace by Rest’s head start, they had exhausted their magical power and stamina. By the time they arrived, taking longer than usual, Rest had completely forgotten about them and was enjoying afternoon tea with Primula.