**Chapter 18: Nursing by My Sisters**
“Be a kind child.”
Those were the words spoken by his mother just moments before their farewell. Lying on the bed, she grasped Rest’s hand tightly and spoke in a frail voice.
“Be a strong child. Be a resilient child. Be a child with many friends. Be a happy child.”
“Mother…”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t watch you grow into an adult. Thank you for making me your mother. Thank you for being born…”
Rest felt that he was the one who should be expressing gratitude. In his previous life, he had grown up without the love of his parents, only to be murdered by the man who was supposed to be his father. For Rest, the ten years he spent enveloped in his mother’s love were days that sparkled like jewels. Despite being an unwanted child, the offspring of a cold and irresponsible man, he could only feel gratitude toward the mother who loved him.
“Thank you for bringing me into this world. Thank you for loving me.”
As he conveyed his feelings, his mother smiled blissfully. And then… she passed away with that smile still on her face.
“Rest, you must not hate the world.”
These words came from a familiar priest who spoke to Rest after he lost his mother.
“From now on, many trials will surely come your way. But… they are not meant to make you unhappy. The goddess only gives people trials that they can overcome.”
“……”
“Live strongly and straightforwardly. Do not be ensnared by hatred or resentment. Help others and live with a smile. If you do that… many will gather around you. You will soon forget your loneliness.”
The priest’s words were at least half true. Shortly after, Rest was taken in by his father, and many trials began to unfold before him. He found himself sleeping in a stable, eating leftovers… thrown into a life far harsher than when he lived as a commoner.
Honestly, it felt like a miracle that he had managed to live without hating his father, stepmother, or Cedric. If he had gone astray, he would have surely become a vengeful spirit, directing the blade of revenge at them, blaming them for his unreasonable life.
(But… that didn’t happen.)
It didn’t happen. He was holding himself back just in time. While he harbored desires to get back at his father, outsmart his stepmother, and surpass Cedric, he never wished to kill them. Perhaps it was because doing so would only bring sorrow to his mother and the priest. To avoid causing pain to those who cherished him, to stand tall and affirm that their love for him was not in vain, Rest decided to forge his own path in life.
“……Huh?”
“You’ve awakened, Rest!”
“Rest-sama, are you in any pain?”
He felt as though he had just woken from a nostalgic dream. As Rest opened his eyes, he found himself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling, with each of his hands held by a different girl.
“Viola, Primula…?”
Peering down at him with worried expressions were the sisters of the House of Marquis Rosemary. Upon hearing their names, Viola and Primula smiled, tears glistening at the corners of their eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Rest… It seems our butler went a bit too far…”
“To invite you over to thank you, and for this to happen… I’m truly sorry…”
“…No, it’s fine. I learned a lot too.”
He released their hands and sat up. There was no pain. No injuries to speak of. Someone must have cast Healing magic on him while he slept.
“I’ll make sure to have a word with my father and Diable! I absolutely won’t forgive them!”
“…I won’t forgive them either.”
Viola’s face burned with fiery anger, while Primula’s expression was as chilling as a witch from a frozen land. The contrasting expressions of the similarly featured twins made Rest shiver.
“N-No, really, I’m fine! I don’t feel any pain at all… and what I said about learning is true!”
In reality, his encounter with the butler of the House of Rosemary had taught him a great deal about his own shortcomings. His lack of experience in combat against other people. The inadequacies in his fighting skills were points he needed to improve upon in the future. He felt fortunate to have realized his deficiencies at an early stage.
“But… I lost. Does this mean I won’t receive a letter of recommendation?”
“What are you talking about? That can’t be true!”
“Huh?”
“I will absolutely make sure you get a letter of recommendation. That butler… Diable was a former Court Magician. There was no way you could win from the start.”
Viola declared confidently, hands on her hips. No wonder he found him so strong; he was indeed a seasoned magician.
(Lack of experience in combat against people is also my weakness… I don’t know any magicians other than Cedric, so I have no standard to gauge their strength.)
“My father promised to write a letter of recommendation. If we both pass the exams, we’ll be classmates starting next year.”
“Of course, that’s only if we both pass the exams!”
Primula smiled reassuringly at Rest, and Viola puffed out her chest proudly.
“I see… Thank you. Thanks to you, my path has opened up.”
“Naturally, we saved your life. More importantly… while you’re likely to pass the practical magic exam, have you been studying for the written exam?”
“Ah… not really…”
“In that case, I’ll lend you our reference books.”
“Um… is that really okay? I feel like I’m imposing too much.”
“Of course it’s fine. Right, Primula?”
“That’s right. Why not have Rest-sama live here? That way, we can help him with any parts of his studies he finds difficult!”
“That sounds wonderful! A great idea!”
Viola snapped her fingers at Primula’s suggestion. It felt like the conversation was taking an unexpected turn, and Rest hurriedly raised his voice.
“N-No, no! I can’t impose that much! I mean, there are young girls in the house, and…!”
“Oh, why not?”
“Why not, you ask…?”
“Both my father and mother are here, and the butler and maids live in as well. There’s no need to worry about that!”
“That’s right, having Rest-sama around would definitely be more fun. It’s nonsense to go through the trouble of carrying the necessary reference books all the way to the Viscount’s house.”
Viola and Primula spoke firmly, blocking Rest’s escape route.
“Rest-kun is a common child and isn’t treated very well, right? In that case, I don’t think Viscount Ebern would refuse you.”
“I don’t want to go to the Viscount’s house just to see Rest-sama. That lecherous man is there.”
The “lecherous man” must be referring to Cedric. It seemed the sisters had completely turned against him.
“F-Fine… If the Marquis is okay with it, then I’ll accept your hospitality…”
In the end, Rest was pushed into accepting their proposal by the sisters. He had effectively passed the responsibility of persuasion onto the Marquis.
“It’s settled then! Now we need to talk to Father!”
“And we must prepare the room! Oh, this is going to be busy!”
Viola and Primula rushed out of the room, competing with each other. Left behind, Rest stared blankly at the door, feeling as though his life had taken a significant turn in just a single day.