Chapter 89: The Garden’s Brooding Men
The next day, Rest, Viola, and Primula decided to go shopping in town. Today was a day off from the academy, a perfect opportunity for a holiday date.
As Rest stepped out of the Rosemary Marquis House, flanked by the two sisters, he noticed a large group of people gathered in the garden.
“You all need to put in more effort! An extra five hundred push-ups!”
“Yes, sir!”
The figures in the garden were none other than Airish Rosemary, the sisters’ mother, and the young magicians serving the Rosemary Marquis House. Among those subjected to the rigorous training, Rest recognized a few; they were the ones who had challenged him to a race yesterday and had been soundly defeated.
“Oh, Rest-san!”
“Good morning, my ladies!”
“Good morning!”
As soon as the men noticed Rest and the Rosemary sisters, they stood up and greeted them. Leading the group was Nick Vale, a young noble from a lower house.
“Are you going out? Please be careful!”
Despite boasting yesterday about not recognizing the sisters’ engagement, today he was unusually humble. It seemed the overwhelming defeat from their race had left quite an impression on him.
(Or perhaps it’s the lady’s training that’s weighing on him…?)
“Enough chatter! Resume your training!” Airish commanded.
“Yes, ma’am!”
At her order, the shirtless magicians immediately resumed their push-ups. True to her word, Airish had begun their rigorous training right away.
(I feel for them, but they brought this upon themselves. Sorry, but good luck with that…)
“Well then, my lady, we shall be off.”
“Yes, try not to be too late. And you two, don’t lean too much on your fiancé.”
“We know! Don’t say that in front of everyone!”
“Yes… we’re off now.”
Viola and Primula said shyly as they took Rest’s hands. Their affectionate display might have stirred jealousy among the men, but surprisingly, no one cast envious glances. Nick and the other young magicians, drenched in sweat, sent them off with cheerful smiles.
“Does this mean we’ve been accepted…?”
“The Rosemary Marquis House values merit above all else, both high and low.”
“As long as you have the ability, your birth doesn’t matter… My mother wasn’t the only one like that; my grandmother was too, you know?”
It seemed this was a tradition that had been passed down through generations. Rest couldn’t help but smile wryly, realizing he had been welcomed into quite an extraordinary family. He led the sisters to the carriage parked at the gate, helping them inside before taking a seat beside them.
“By the way… is there anything you want to buy today?”
“Eh, not really.”
“Nothing in particular.”
“Huh? Really?”
Rest blinked in surprise. He had assumed they wanted to go shopping for something specific, but it seemed they had no particular goal in mind.
“Honestly… Rest still doesn’t understand a woman’s heart. Do you need some education as our fiancé?”
“That’s cute in its own way, but if I learned to understand women too well, I might find myself in trouble. I think this level of cluelessness is just right.”
Viola and Primula exchanged glances and shared a wry smile. For Rest, their banter left him utterly confused.
“Um… what do you mean?”
“We’re not going shopping because we have something to buy; the purpose is to shop with you, Rest.”
“Exactly! We invited you because we want to enjoy shopping together.”
They spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Having never had much experience with women in his previous life, and not being wealthy enough to indulge in shopping as a hobby, this concept was entirely foreign to Rest.
(So, it’s not about buying things, but enjoying the act of shopping together…?)
He had heard that women loved shopping, but he was only now beginning to understand what that truly meant.
“Let’s pick out clothes together, have some tea… let’s enjoy that time like a couple.”
“Don’t worry, Rest. I’ll make sure to teach you properly. Be prepared!”
Thinking back, it had been over a year since he met them, and they had even bathed together, yet they had rarely gone on a proper date. His studies and training for the academy had kept him busy, and once he enrolled, adjusting to classes and school life had taken precedence.
(So that’s why they seem so excited…)
It seemed Rest had been rather oblivious. Despite being engaged to them, he had been too passive and hadn’t been attentive enough.
(I need to take the initiative to ask them out on dates sometimes, or I might end up being abandoned…)
Determined not to be discarded by Viola and Primula, Rest resolved to engage in more romantic activities with them.