**Chapter 13: An Invitation from 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 good-for-nothing?”
His father, Lucas Ebern, wasted no time in hurling insults at him.
“What are you talking about?”
“A letter of invitation has arrived from the House of Marquis Rosemary. 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 continued to scrutinize him with suspicion, but Rest truly had nothing to confess.
Recently, when the sisters visited the mansion to foster their friendship, Cedric had taken them into the forest. As a result, they were attacked by a powerful magical beast 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 the Marquis’s family was upset about Cedric leading their daughters into such danger. Normally lenient with his son, Lucas was furious about this incident, and Cedric had yet to be pardoned from his confinement.
“…For someone of your lowly status to receive an invitation from the Marquis’s house is, under normal circumstances, unthinkable. However, I cannot refuse an invitation from the Marquis. Even if the recent incident had not occurred.”
“Is that so?”
“Honestly, how could a ‘Magicless’ commoner like you…?”
Lucas muttered complaints under his breath, but eventually let out a heavy sigh.
“Make sure you do not offend the Marquis Rosemary. You will 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. While he had bathed in a forest spring after sneaking out, it had been a long time since he had enjoyed a proper soak. 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 what one would expect for a child living in a stable. It was as if Lucas felt a heavy debt to the Marquis or wanted to hide the fact that he was mistreating Rest.
“Looking at myself like this, I don’t seem so bad after all. I almost look like a noble.”
Rest chuckled at his reflection in the mirror. He wasn’t just “like” 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 Ebern estate to the House of Marquis Rosemary. Neither his father nor brother 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 Brother?)
He had parted ways with the sisters at the entrance of the forest after rescuing them from the White Fenrir. Cedric and two of his friends, the sons of barons, had been unconscious the entire time, so they likely had no idea that Rest had saved them.
After a while, the carriage arrived at the grand estate of the Marquis Rosemary.
“We’ve arrived. Be careful now.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Rest expressed his gratitude to the familiar coachman as he stepped down from the carriage. Before him stood a massive mansion, far larger than the Ebern estate. It was a clear distinction between a mere Viscount of Honor and a high-ranking noble like a Marquis.
“Welcome, Rest-kun!”
“Welcome, Rest-sama!”
“Whoa!”
As soon as he stepped out of the carriage, two girls rushed toward him from the mansion.
One had golden hair tied in a ponytail—Viola. The other had silver hair cascading down to her waist—Primula. They were the Rosemary Sisters he had rescued in the forest.
“I’ve been waiting for you! Thank you so much for coming today!”
“I apologize for not being able to visit you to express our gratitude. I’ll prepare some tea right away!”
“W-wait, hold on…!”
Viola and Primula grabbed Rest by both arms and began to pull him toward the mansion. When he glanced back in a panic, he saw the Ebern estate’s coachman looking shocked. However, he quickly averted his gaze 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.)
“Now, let’s go!”
Being dragged along by the two girls, Rest felt utterly bewildered.
(This is strange… Did I really do anything 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 seemed odd that he would receive such warm treatment for merely cleaning up after family troubles.
“We’re preparing tea in the garden. Come this way!”
“There are delicious sweets too. Please, come along!”
As Rest was pulled along, he was led to the garden, where a wide expanse of seasonal flowers bloomed in vibrant colors, delighting the eye. While the Ebern estate had its own flower beds, they were filled with high-end flowers like roses, giving off a pretentious air typical of upstart nobles, which came off as 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 waiting maid quickly prepared tea and cake.
“Our maid is exceptionally skilled at brewing tea. The cake here was made by our chef with great care.”
“It’s one of my sister’s and my favorites. I hope you like it…”
“I-I’ll give it a try…”
Rest felt uncomfortably close to the two girls. He picked up the teacup, the rich aroma of the tea wafting up to him. Even someone inexperienced could tell this was a high-quality brew. Had he ever encountered such fragrant tea in his past life?
“…………”
He took a sip, savoring it as best he could. Honestly, he couldn’t tell if it was delicious or not. His palate was unrefined, and he wasn’t used to drinking tea.
“How is it?”
Primula asked anxiously. Viola was also staring at him intently. Unsure of how to respond, he decided to voice his honest impression.
“I haven’t drunk 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 into bite-sized portions and held it up to him.
“I-I can feed myself!”
“Just take it! Here, ah—n!”
“Ah, ah—n…”
Reluctantly opening his mouth, the cake was shoved inside. He wanted to protest that he couldn’t taste anything in this situation, but the strawberry cake, topped with plenty of cream, was indeed delicious. This might be the first time since his reincarnation that he had tasted something so sweet.
“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—n.”
“…ah—n.”
With Primula looking so earnest, Rest couldn’t refuse and opened his mouth again. Sweet. It was indeed delicious.
“Now it’s my turn!”
“Then I want to go next too!”
The sisters took turns feeding him cake. Confused, Rest accepted the offered cake, unable to refuse. By the time he finished the numerous pieces of cake, he was left with a feeling of fullness akin to a fledgling bird being cared for by its parent.